Worship Service 07/11/2021

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12

Theme:

Notes:

Look for counsel in older, godly Christian parents who raised children.

Our children are not our own–they are God’s, and their care is stewarded to us by God.

Our Mission is Gospel Centered

• We are preparing our children (God’s children) for eternity
• No matter how much time God gives us, our job is to prepare an eternal soul for an eternal future

Our Methods are God-dependent

• We are aiming for heart change, not just behavior modification

Our Manner is Grace-based

• We are committed to our children’s best interest–as described by God
• Parents are–by design–their children’s primary disciplers
• Only parents who know God themselves can lead their children toward God

Parenting Pitfalls

1. Fear/control-based parenting
   • Instead of trusting in Christ, attempting to create/control the perfect environment
   • It is rooted in fear, and leans into control
   • Extreme forms:
     • Amish
     • Monasticism
     • Communes
2. Behavior Modification
   • Attempting to impose enough rules to force children to be good
3. Image-Control
   • Desiring to look good by your children acting well
   • May impose multiple good activities
4. Crowd Parenting
   • Pragmatic/faddish, looking to cultural norms for parenting
   • Often inconsistent
   • Lacks intentionality
5. Duct Tape Parenting
   • Laissez faire, reactive, half-hearted solutions
6. Emergency Room Parenting
   • Just trying to keep the kids alive

All of these fall far short of biblically-informed, grace-based parenting.

Grace-based parenting:

1. Seeks to void parenting pitfalls

2. Realizes that our greatest problem is inside us, not outside us
   • Sin indwells you as a parent
   • Sin indwells your child
   • Romans 7:21-25, “…evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good….”
   • “…Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it / Prone to leave the God I love…” –Robert Robinson
   • The only hope to rescue sinners–both parents and children–is Jesus Christ
   • You cannot provide a perfect environment
     • This does not mean you don’t try to protect them
     • It just means you don’t put your hope in that protection
3. Understands that the extremes of legalism or license aren’t the answer
   • Legalism–seeking to impose enough rules to create holiness
     • The Law only has the power to reveal God’s will–but it cannot empower obedience
     • God’s Law was given in the context of relationship, and our parenting needs to be in the context of relationship as well
   • License–seeks to counter the excesses of legalism by erroring in the opposite direction
     • Failure to teach self-control has life-long–and often, eternity-long–consequences
     • Even in an unbelieving, secular life delayed gratification is one of the most fundamental lessons everyone must learn
     • Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit

Live It Out

1. Honestly examine your parenting
2. Repent of worthless parenting practices
3. Accept God’s forgiveness and embrace grace–for yourself and for your child
4. Change your thinking through God’s means of grace

Book recommendations:

• Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp
• Parenting by Paul David Tripp
• Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel
• Family Discipleship by Matt Chandler & Adam Griffin

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