Being a parent is a wonderful calling that positions you to make an impact on your kids’ lives and leave a legacy with future generations. It is one of the most important things you will ever do, which means it is your responsibility to become the best parent you can be.
Biblical Parenting
TO HELP DISCIPLE YOUR KIDS
Being a parent is a wonderful calling that positions you to make an impact on your kids’ lives and leave a legacy with future generations.
It is one of the most important things you will ever do, which means it is your responsibility and duty to become the best parent you can be.
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord.” (Psalm 127:3)
How can you utilize Biblical principles to raise your kids effectively?
Accept Responsibility for
Parenting (Preparation)
Preparation and being proactive will position you to accept your Biblical responsibility to be the best parent you can be.
After watching the two videos and reading the article on “Responsibility,” answer the questions below:
- Starting Point – From 1 (low) to 10 (high), how prepared are you now to be the best parent you can be?
- Next Right Steps – What are 2 or 3 small steps you can take to be the most responsible parent you can be?
- All parents feel insecure at times; what are some insecurities parents may feel about their role?
- What are self-focused personality traits that can keep us from being the best parent we can be?
- What are principles from the Bible that offer insight for how we can parent our kids effectively?
- What are attributes of God that we can learn from and use in how we go about raising our kids?
- To help understand the challenges and temptations, name some issues and risks teenagers face.
- How can we “be always on the watch” for dangers our kids may face without being over-protective?
- To achieve the right balance in our parenting, describe ways we may over-parent or under-parent.
- If we “examine our ways” related to being controlling or enabling, what are ways we can improve?
- To take care of ourselves and be a good example, think of ways we can work on our own wellness.
- What is something we do that might “cause one of our kids to stumble” that we should work on?
Provide Protection for
Your Teenagers (Awareness)
Awareness and being alert to risks and temptations will provide protection for dangers your kids may face.
As your kids go through the pre-teen and teenage years, they will face temptations that can lead them into dangerous situations. Are they ready to resist those temptations? You also need to be aware of dangers your kids may face, so you can be ready to help protect them.
After watching the two videos and reading the article on “Protection,” answer the questions below:
- Starting Point – From 1 (low) to 10 (high), how aware are you of what is really going on with your kids?
- Next Right Steps – What are 2 or 3 small steps you can take to help protect your teenagers from harm?
- With our kids, how can we understand their hearts and learn the issues they are trying to address?
- What are troubling behaviors our kids may do that could be a sign something negative is going on?
- How does it impact our parenting to know all our kids live in a broken world and make bad choices?
- What Biblical insights can help us remain more aware in order to better protect our kids from harm?
- To protect our kids from bad influences, think of ways to pray for the best but plan for the worst.
- How should it affect parents that Satan “prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour?”
- To build self-awareness and self-protection, think of ways kids can cope with their negative issues.
- How can we help our kids feel self-confident enough to deal with risky situations and temptations?
- To watch their direction to notice changes, name risk factors and warning signs of substance abuse.
- What does it mean to regularly and deeply “watch and pray so they will not fall into temptations?”
Promote Community and
Belonging (Connection)
Connection to your kids as they grow up will build a sense of community based on trust and unconditional love.
All of us need community, and this especially includes teenagers. Young people desperately want to fit in somewhere they feel they belong. Otherwise, they will look for connection—sometimes in unhealthy places—or turn to isolation instead. Parents can provide a sense of belonging in the family and model how their kids can develop healthy community with others as well.
After watching the two videos and reading the article on “Community,” answer the questions below:
- Starting Point – From 1 (low) to 10 (high), do your kids feel healthy community and belonging now?
- Next Right Steps – What are 2 or 3 small steps that could help you develop community with your kids?
- In terms of connecting with our kids, what are top-of-mind ideas for things parents can consider?
- How can parents more deeply understand and connect with our kids’ world as they experience it?
- How can we ensure that our kids know they have our full acceptance, empathy, and support?
- How can parents model spiritual community by loving our kids in the same way God loves us?
- To help control our tongue, list things that can be negative blind spots in how we communicate.
- How do parents use: “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing?”
- To share unconditional love and support, think of ways to show our kids we will be there for them.
- What might we include in our parenting in order to, “Treat others the way we want to be treated.”
- To have good talks with our kids on critical topics, create ideas for setting up those conversations.
- How can we (literally) bless each one of our kids so they hear, “The Lord bless you and keep you?”
Focus on Discipleship in
Your Family (Education)
Education will help you train up your kids and promote discipleship with a balance of grace and truth.
It’s critical to coach and guide your kids as they grow up, and that includes during the sometimes-risky teenage years. Their lives and well-being are too important to ignore this God-given responsibility. We are all asked to “go and make disciples,” and the best place to start is with your kids.
After watching the two videos and reading the article on “Discipleship,” answer the questions below:
- Starting Point – From 1 (low) to 10 (high), how wisely have you educated and discipled your kids so far?
- Next Right Steps – What are 2 or 3 small steps you could take that would help you disciple your kids?
- Based on how things change, what is different about educating teenagers versus younger kids?
- What are benefits for our kids for the teen years and beyond to equip them to live life effectively?
- In what ways is “making a disciple” of our kids deeper and longer-lasting than “educating” them?
- What are some challenges and risky situations we should work to equip our teenagers to handle?
- To teach them effectively, list positive behaviors to encourage and negative behaviors to discourage.
- What are different parenting approaches or styles to “train up our kids in the way they should go?”
- To share grace with our kids, list ideas for kindness, forgiveness, and learning from their mistakes.
- How does sharing truth by utilizing boundaries help “teach our kids to live self-controlled lives?”
- To help them know and love God, think of ways we can model a personal relationship with God.
- As we diligently teach our kids, what does it mean that “these words shall be on our heart?
Practice Good Stewardship
of Your Role As a Parent (Steps)
Steps to keep making daily progress will demonstrate good stewardship as you build and manage a parenting plan.
Parents are given an assignment—for a time—to raise their kids to the best of their ability. Being a good steward of that God-given role includes putting a thoughtful plan in place, learning and adjusting the plan as needed, and getting help along the way. Then, praying for God’s strength every day.
After watching the two videos and reading the article on “Stewardship,” answer the questions below:
- Starting Point – From 1 (low) to 10 (high), how well are you stewarding the kids God has given you?
- Next Right Steps – What are 2 or 3 small steps you could take that would help you steward your kids?
- Accepting that parenting is critical for kids, is it encouraging to hear we don’t have to be perfect?
- How can having a parenting plan help us take the next right steps in different types of situations?
- What things might we do to avoid ever having to say, “We should have done something sooner?”
- What does it mean on a practical, daily basis to call on God’s strength to help us in our parenting?
- To do our best one step at a time, how can being proactive and intentional help make that easier?
- How would it feel to have God say this about our parenting: “Well done, good and faithful servant?”
- To manage an ongoing parenting plan, capture how we can get it in writing and review it over time.
- What do we learn on parenting from: “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways?”
- To get help and strength from others, name the types of resources and people we can reach out to.
- Parenting is hard, so how does it help that: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me?”
USE THESE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO HELP YOU DISCIPLE YOUR KIDS
Biblical Parenting with Grace and Truth
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