Have you heard about life-coaching? It's kind of new. It's when people who are generally well-adjusted and high functioning, need a little help. It doesn't involve any kind of treatment plan, just a little direction.

If you think about it, life can be pretty challenging without the extra hardships that are part of it. There are tremendous pressures on families nowadays. Managing finances, like paying bills on time, balancing the family budget, getting and having the right insurance, saving for kids'college and preparing for retirement is only part of it. Something that leaves me a bit bewildered and adds to the stress is managing all of the technology available now. I know it is supposed to be make life easier, but I'm wondering when it will. I stress out over: how do I get the most out of my new cell phone? What new program does the computer need now that I just can't live without? Which remote do I need to turn on the T.V.? Then you have all the appointments, get the kids to all their activities, plus simply helping them become adults, teaching them how to get along with others, developing their values and navigate through all the dangers. As if this wasn't hard enough, it's like we're in an amusement park shooting gallery. Somebody is always trying to knock us out, like when our values as Christians are challenged, or every time we turn around we are encouraged to be selfish being lead to believe this is good for our families. Then our relationships within the family feel the stress and even break down. All of this can make life pretty tricky. Add to it, the questions of what is our purpose in life and other personal thoughts which border on some deeply held values, and you can see why life coaching is getting to be popular.

I can't do much for the parents who can't figure out which remote works for the T.V. or who don't know how they are going to have money for their kids' college funds, but when it comes to Christian values, I know I can help with that. You have definitely come to the right place.

In fact, you have come at the right time. This Sunday we are witnessing a little life coaching going on in Proverbs. Life coaches in those days were the parents. And so, Solomon is taking his son aside, just as David had done to him, and teaching him some lessons in life.

Actually we parents are still our children's life coaches. We teach them how to manage a checking account, how to take care of their possessions, how to get along with people, and how to be responsible workers. We also teach them values which are specifically Christian. Note, I said specifically Christian. Not just morality, any parent can teach that, but we parents need to be clear on what are specifically Christian values ourselves. As Christians we first need to realize: we don't create our own values. We listen to what our Father has to say. He created and sustains the world. He knows what is best for us. Many think they can make their own, but when they are contrary to His, they will find themselves eventually in trouble. We see this happening all the time.

We also note, He addresses our most fundamental needs constantly throughout His revelation, and we would do well to pay attention to what He has to say. Namely, He speaks about our sinfulness and our restoration to our Father.

Solomon writes about the words of life, a.k.a. the path of life, a.k.a. the way of wisdom. These are basically the same thing and they come down to knowing two things. Just two. One, who you are and two, who God is.

We'll start off with knowing who you are. Who are you? For those of you who are baptized, that's an easy answer. You are a child of God. You have been adopted into God's family. He looks at you, and just like I said at Bud's funeral yesterday, He sees you differently than how He sees those who aren't His. By your baptism, you have been given Christ's righteousness and you are therefore declared as holy. You are a saint, a holy one, because God sees you that way.

You have also been given Christ's victory over sin, death and the devil. These enemies can do you no harm. They have been disarmed, and you have the privilege of knowing this. Furthermore, you are privileged to come into the very presence of God and receive His gifts. For those of you who know the ancient Christian faith and willingly confess it, confessing it with the saints who are here as well as the saints who have preceded us, you are allowed in the inner sanctum, the N.T. holy of holies, and are able to take the very body and blood of God become flesh. And finally, whether you are here or at home you can come to Him on behalf of others, bringing them to His mercy seat. These are your privileges as His child. When we look at this, it's all good.

But the Holy Spirit didn't move Solomon to write all this, if everything was smooth sailing. He would not have said, "Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her for she is your life," if there was no chance letting go could happen. It might sound that way. "You're a child of God. You've got it made." But at the same time, "Watch out." This is all part of who we are--not just you, but me too. At the same time we are declared holy in God's eyes because of Christ; at the same time we are considered saints solely through Jesus' merits, we need to be aware we are sinners. Maybe you've heard this phrase before, "Simultaneously saint and sinner." At the same time you are declared a saint, you are also a sinner.

That's why Solomon speaks of paths. You walk on a path. You get off the path in certain places of the world, and you will become horribly lost or may quickly meet your death. Stay on the path of righteousness, the way of wisdom. As Joshua had been told to say to the people, "Do not turn from the word you have been given either to the right or to the left."

If we turn one way we may begin to think we don't sin. This is dangerous. When we understand we are children of God, we may have the tendency to think all we do is guided by God. This could lead us into justifying our sin, and saying, "It can't be wrong because I'm following God's will." On the other hand, we may recognize we are sinning but treat it as though it were no big deal. "I'm God child. It doesn't matter. I can sin, because I know I will be forgiven."

That's not how the Lord speaks. Sin is deadly business, and knowing who we are, means we know what we deserve. It means we realize we deserve damnation, even though only in Christ we are spared.

What's dangerous about this side of the path is that a person thinks God smiles on them, but they have rejected His grace. They don't think they need it, because they think they are basically good.

On the other side of the path, is what Solomon is specifically warning against. It's also very tempting. Sometimes there isn't even the fancy logic we use to step off the path. Sometimes we simply say, "I don't really care. I want to do what I want to do. I know it's wrong, and I'm going to do it anyway. I'm not looking for forgiveness; I'm just looking to be left alone." This is the path of the wicked, the way of the evil people. It is also the way of death, because as this path is followed, people wander further and further away from God's grace. They reject God's claim made on them at their baptism. And if they should want to come back, the devil can so easily say, "There's no turning back. You've passed the point of no return." Although it is never true, it is so easy to believe.

Parents, help your kids realize these things. Let them know of the spiritual dangers. It is critical for their spiritual well-being. Rejoice in their status as God's children. But help them to never take it for granted. Help them realize they are sinners who in a moment's notice could turn from the path of life. Help them to look to Christ, and see they are weak. Teach them to say, what is printed on our bulletin cover: "Lord I believe. Help my unbelief." Learn it yourself. Only when we do this, will we know what it is to rely on the Lord for mercy.

Which brings us to the second thing to keep in mind to stay on the path of wisdom, the way of life. Know who our Father is. Now, we can call Him "Our Father," but what exactly does it mean when He wants us to call Him, "Our Father?" Open your hymnals to p. 323 and look at the Introduction to the Lord's Prayer. You'll see it in the middle of the right column on p. 323. What does it mean that He wants to have us call Him "Our Father?" Let's read it together. "With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father."

A hymn for Pentecost has a prayer to the Holy Spirit and requests that we would know our Father in the same way the catechism stated it. "Teach us to know God aright and call Him Father with delight."

So we can call Him Father, and learn that lesson very quickly. Someone who has never heard the Lord's Prayer, can learn to pray, "Our Father who art in heaven" very easily. But to pray it and believe it, doesn't happen automatically. That's why we often say, "Teach us to pray." We know the words, but we don't always believe them.

How do we know Him as our Father? Through His Son. His Son has made satisfaction for us, but we need to learn to believe it. Yet learning it isn't by study. We learn it when we hear it and He gives Himself to us. This is what happens in His Word, particularly the Divine Service. Here is where we learn to call God "our Father with delight." Here is where it is demonstrated, because here is where we are given Christ crucified. He has paid our price when His Father made Him pay every last cent. With every whip of the scourge, every poke by the thorns, every jab by the soldiers, every slash by Satan, every slanderous and mocking word, every reminder of complete abandonment by His Father, every moment of the suffering of hell, Jesus was paying what we owed. His Father who could only turn away from Jesus as He suffered, turns to us and welcomes us as His own because Jesus has reconciled us to our Father.

This is how we can call Him Father with delight. When we see Jesus. When we see what He did to His own Son, so that we might be reconciled to Him, then we see He is our loving Father.

When troubles come, we learn to continue to call Him Father with delight, because we see Jesus. Despite what may be happening around us or to us, we see Jesus and know if He had done this to His Son so we might be called His sons, then we know He is truly our Father. You can know He is truly your Father.

This is how you know Him--with the Holy Spirit turning your head and putting Jesus in front of your face so that you may know the love of your Father.

He not only puts Jesus in front of our face, but in our mouths so that we may take Him into our bodies. Through these forms we are given life, our faith is fed and we are kept firm in His Word and faith until we die.

This is the way of life, the way of life Solomon was teaching his son, the way of life we teach our children. Zion's educational program may be getting started up again today. Sunday school will be held after being on hold for a couple months, except for when we had VBS. Midweek classes will begin again this Wednesday as our children will be taught the faith, but parents, we can't expect these to do what we can do best. Just as we don't want someone else exclusively telling our children what they need to know to select their lifetime partner, or telling them what to believe, we don't want to leave something so important, something so vital to our children's souls to a program that is only a few hours a week.

Teach your children this path. But recognize this: It's not just a human father teaching his son these words in our text. Hear your heavenly Father Himself speaking to you, giving you the promise you need so you can teach your children, so you can know He is truly your Father, "I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble." This is His promise to you, the One who gives you life.

AMEN