FOR PERSONAL APPLICATION These aspects of the study can be used in between group sessions on your own, either with your spouse or individually as part of your devotional and confession life.
Do Something During the week ahead, turn your learning into doing.
At least once this coming week, when dealing with a child’s sinful behavior, talk them through the five questions, calmly and patiently. Don’t lecture, but make clear that their heart produced their actions. Then lead them to Jesus for confession, forgiveness and heart-transforming grace. Memorize Psalm 139:23-24 . Make a habit of praying this daily. During family devotions, teach it to your children, and explain that we want God to know the secrets of our hearts because He will help us to change and thereby prevent bad behavior and its harvest. Ask your spouse or a trusted friend to point out logs in your own eyes that may be hindering your parenting. Don’t argue or justify, just listen—and take it to heart. Search Me, O God For introspection during the coming week. Am I in the habit of discipling my children impatiently and in anger? And when I chastise them, do I stop with the correction, or do I properly follow through by leading them to Jesus for his grace in confession and change? Do I hug them when I’m done? Do I accept correction from others? Would those people say that I accept correction? Want to Know More? Psalm 139:23-24, recommended above, is a sweet and wonderfully humble request for the Lord to see the heart-roots of all our sinful thoughts, words and deeds. There is nothing more freeing than having everything “out on the table” before the Lord. Acquaint yourself with more of the passages that describe God as the Searcher of human hearts, for example 1 Samuel 16:6-7 ; 1 Chronicles 28:9 ; Proverbs 20:27 ; Jeremiah 17:9-10 ; Romans 8:26-27 ; and Revelation 2:23 —they occur throughout Scripture. Let this theology have its corrective and encouraging effect. For More From Paul Tripp: [Insert resource information]
Session 4
GETTING TO THE HEART OF PARENTING
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