Sheperding A Child's Heart - Part 1

Preach and I went with my BF and her DH to a seminar/conference at a church where the author, Dr. Ted Tripp of "Shepherding A Child's Heart", was speaking. It was so great! He is a Christian, and from what he said, he is a minister. He has written a new book, "Instructing A Child's Heart", which we got a copy of. I want to blog about the information we learned about parenting and discipline. I pray this will help someone.

The whole premise of this book is "Formative Instruction", which is simply instruction that shapes or forms our children. Also, you could call it "deliberate teaching" and giving world-view instruction. Based on Deuteronomy 6.

Here are some quick bullet-points that really made an impression with me and Preach:

* Three Generation Vision - us, our children, and their children - the things you teach your children will affect not only your children, but their children as well. If you just focus on problems of the moment, you will miss giving them a world-view.
** As you interact with your kids, don't act on "survival mode" -
think "Kingdom". For example, if your child is whining for the
upteenth time, don't do just anything (bribery, shame them)
to get him to quit so you won't pull out your hair.

* Family Worship - Dr. Tripp talked a lot about purposeful Family Worship. He encourages us to worship together as a family daily. He suggested reading the Bible, praying together, singing, and maybe memorizing Scripture.

* You are going to impress something on your children. Why not impress on them the love and Word of God?

* God made the world in a way that the world reveals God to us.

* Delight in God, not just believe in God.

* Use the Bible to explain why we do the things we do. Like, why are we the only ones who watch PG movies? Why do we go to church so much? Why are you so strict?

* We assume our children understand things so we don't teach certain things. So our instruction is incomplete.

* Primary place for kids to get Biblical worldview is in the HOME.

* Humans are designed as worshipers! Romans 1 - If we don't worship the Creator, we worship the things created.

* The world is always telling our kids that they can find satisfaction somewhere else (other than God).

* Today, churches shorten and cheapen the Gospel. They preach you just need to get your ticket punched to get to Heaven.

* Until kids are persuaded that "I must have God no matter what the cost", then they will never truly know or serve God. They may "play church" but not mean it.

* Give kids a grand and glorious God - a shrunken God will not do. Don't water God down, so that kids feel they outgrown Him.

Okay, that's enough for now. I hope this has whetted your appetite for more!