More Resources for Parents Seeking to Raise Godly Kids in a Sinful World
Posted on November 2, 2016 in Family, Theology by Nathan Cherry
Last week I posted a few resources for Christian parents to help in raising their kids in the “fear and admonition of the Lord.” I found those resources very helpful for me, personally, as I seek to raise my kids in the Gospel. So, when I came across more resources to help with this holy task, I wanted to share them as well.
Take a look at some of the articles below to learn more about cultivating the Gospel in your kids, the importance of your presence, and how to avoid “provoking your children to wrath.” There’s even a couple of videos at the end of the list that I think are very helpful (the first video is a beautiful animated YouTube song depicting the Gospel.) I hope these are a blessing and encouragement to you as you seek to impart your faith to your children.
10 Tips for Leading Kids to Christ
“This is definitely not an article about “success, and how we have achieved it.” Rather, as the old adage goes, we are beggars telling other beggars where we have found some bread. If you are seeking to influence little ones toward Christ, you might find these ten tips helpful…2. Remember, you are responsible for your child’s spiritual formation, not your church, your pastor, or your children’s minister. Be faithful to teach them the Word, to shape their hearts, and, yes, to indoctrinate them. Even if your church is healthy enough to outsource your kid’s spiritual formation, do not do it. It is unbiblical, and it robs you of some of life’s greatest joys.”
5 Dangers to Avoid in Parenting
“In Ephesians 6:4 Paul contrasts two approaches to parenting. On the one hand parents can provoke their children to wrath. On the other, parents can bring up the children in the training and admonition of the Lord. Failing to patiently, and constructively train our children in the things of God, we often substitute more fleshly methods of parenting which provoke our children’s anger.”
Father (and Mothers) Do Not Provoke Your Children!
“I want to make an important application: Parents can cause their children to become angry and bitter. I’m sure you know this and I can assure you that they know this. But I think we can go even a step further to say there are times when our children are justified in their anger toward us. There are times when we so provoke our children, we so exasperate them, that anger is the fitting response. It may even be the right response if that anger is expressed in righteous ways. There may be times when your children’s anger toward you is more righteous than your actions or attitude toward them.”
“Scripture teaches that children develop in four areas. Luke 2:52 tells us Jesus grew in wisdom (mentally), stature (physically), favor with God (spiritually), and favor with mankind (socially). When children enter this world, they are undeveloped. They have to be taught to obey simply because it is right to do so. God added the promise of long life to obedient children if they would have the right attitude toward their parents, which is honor—a spirit of obedience. But before your children will honor and obey you, you have to train them. The key to that, of course, is…”
“Fathers are incredibly influential, both directly and indirectly. Children were created to respond to the influence of a father. A man can have a complete lack of influence in his personal and professional life, but the day he becomes a father, all of that changes. Children neither know nor care how influential Dad is outside the home. As far as they are concerned, he is the most influential man in the world. This is true regardless of a man’s intentions, or even his presence.”
You Don’t Need More Parenting Advice
“This is what we’re after in parenting. If you desire not only to cope but to thrive with vision and joy as a parent, you need more than seven steps to solving whatever. You need God’s helicopter view of what he’s called you to do. You need the gospel of Jesus Christ to reveal the foundational principles that will not only help you make sense of your task, but will change the way you approach it. Often, these biblical principles are counterintuitive to the natural principles of our flesh. Nevertheless, they’re essential to understanding who we’re supposed to be and what we’re supposed to do in all things, including parenting.”
“Children need authority in their lives. They need their lives to be directed by God’s law. God’s law is a good thing. The thing that you need to realize is law reveals sin. Law gives me a guide for my living, but law can never rescue my heart. So as I am laying out reasonable rules for my children that are an extension of God’s revealed law in Scripture, I want to also introduce them to the amazing wisdom, the amazing love, the amazing grace, the presence and power of the One who is the giver of that law, because what the law is meant to do — like everything else that God gives us — is drive us to him.”
5 Reasons You Should Prioritize Family Worship
“Just about everyone I know feels overwhelmed. Most are busier than they’ve ever been before, especially if they have children at home. Pair that with my observation that most Christians I know would affirm that family worship—if they’re familiar with it—would probably be a worthwhile practice if they were to make time for it. If these things are true for you, then my prayer is to persuade you, despite the many demands on your schedule, to make a priority of family worship. And I hope to persuade you regardless of your family’s size—even if you’ve never had kids or no longer have them in your home—by means of the following five reasons.”