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Building a Language of Faith:
Parenting With Scripture is a topical guide of over 160 struggles we encounter in life (think anger, criticism, kindness, humility, fairness, responsibility, forgiveness, apathy, loyalty, guilt, gossip, friendship, kindness, obedience, etc.). The guide defines each topic and gives Scripture references that share what God has to say about that particular behavior/attitude/sin/etc. She also gives a short discussion (rooted in Scripture), action points to take, and parenting tips as you engage and teach your child.
We use this book often in our home, not only in parenting, but also as a personal resource to speak the truth of Scripture to our own hearts when we are struggling to remember what the Lord has said when we face these same temptations. We have sat down as a couple to discuss what areas our kids are struggling with consistently and then pulled verses from this book for us to memorize as a family. Then, when teachable moments occur, we have a framework to remind them of what the Lord has said. It is one of the most practical tools I have found and one we use weekly.
Using the language of Ephesians 4:22-23 where Paul encourages the new believers to put off their old self and put on their new self, Wise Words for Moms encourages parents to reprove their child’s sinful behavior and encourage them toward righteous, godly behavior. Each behavior has a few questions to help your child get at the heart of the issue and then shares what is being put off and what they should put on with Scripture to reference. This resource is very concise and easy to use and where I would encourage you to start with little ones. There’s also an app that makes this tool an easy one to take on the go!
Examples:
Aggravating, Stirring Up Strife-Put OFF Strife, Put ON Peacemaking
Bragging, Conceit – Put OFF Pride, Put ON Humility
Worry – Put OFF Anxiety, Put ON Trust
Leading Your Child to Christ:
One of the most common concerns parents have expressed to me is fear of misguiding their children in their faith journey. They are afraid of not answering their questions correctly or giving their child false assurance. They wonder if their child’s decision to follow Christ is genuine and real and often have more anxiety than joy following their child’s profession of faith. They are quick to call in a pastor to affirm their child’s decision and give them some peace of mind in the process. The Faith of a Child is the best book I have found that answers these questions and more. It is designed to teach and equip parents to confidently lead their children to faith in Christ. He discusses stages of faith development in children, signs your child is ready to make a decision to follow Jesus, how to witness to a child, and ways you can assess and encourage their spiritual growth. This is one of the few books I have read many times over and highly recommend.
Leading Your Child Toward Authentic Faith is a FREE short guide written by Jimmy Scroggins (pastor of Family Church in West Palm Beach, FL) to encourage parents in discipling their children and leading them to faith in Christ. He gives an overview of Biblical parenting, salvation, what God’s Word says about children, and practical ways to keep the Gospel the focus of your home.
Learning to Parent Biblically:
Far more often than not, our teaching is geared to change outward behavior and not engage the sin of the heart. Many have turned Christianity into a list of dos and don’ts that reduce the Gospel to a system of morality and legalism. Teaching the Bible for many is no different than reading fairy tales to children. Show Them Jesus challenges that simplistic and worldly method of teaching and gives the how-to for a thoroughly gospel-centered approach for teaching biblically. Our teaching (as a parent, children’s ministry leader, youth worker, pastor, etc.) must lead a child to discover gospel connections throughout the entirety of Scripture and be fully captivated by the person and work of JESUS. This book will challenge traditional methods of teaching and encourage and lead you to teaching the Gospel in a way that brings lasting life change to you and your child.
Our society prizes well-behaved children and encourages parents to raise children to be well adjusted and functional in society–but these goals aren’t in and of themselves biblical. Shepherding a Child’s Heart shares how to understand and speak to the heart of your child. The focus then is not merely changing the behavior but understanding the child’s heart motivation and helping guide them to repentance and forgiveness. This book is simple to read and a great resource for parents that offers practical parenting examples, heart-probing questions, and application that can be readily applied for children of any age.
Godly parenting in today’s world seems like a hopeless task as assaults on God’s design for the family strengthens with each passing day. There are so many things competing for the attention and affection of our children’s hearts. Gospel-Powered Parenting reminds us our hope is in the Gospel alone. Parents who have a firm understanding of the Gospel and live it out within their home have tremendous influence on their child’s journey of faith. As parents model a godly marriage where God is honored, feared, and worshipped, their children see the Gospel lived out before them. They are led to see and be sensitive to sin, learn to walk in repentance, give and receive forgiveness, and have a deep understanding of the Bible through their parents example. The Gospel should power and transform our parenting and Farley gives great Biblical encouragement to Christian parents to utilize this good gift from God.