This week we will be discussing chapter 2 of the Shepherding a Child’s Hearthandbook, which corresponds with chapters 2 and 3 in the book. (A little confusing!) For those of you who may not have the books yet, or haven’t had time to read them yet, here are some big ideas and big questions for you to be thinking and praying about before Thursday.
Big Ideas:
- The person your child becomes is a product of two things. The first is his life experience. The second is how he interacts with that experience.
- Your child’s heart determines how he responds to your parenting.
- Everyone is essentially religious. Children are worshipers. Either they worship God or idols, but they are never neutral. It is our job to shepherd our child as a creature who worships, pointing him to the One who alone is worthy of his worship.
- Your children either respond to God by faith or they suppress the truth in unrighteousness.
Big Questions:
- What do you think is the Godward orientation of your children?
- How is your child responding to his/her life experience?
- What changes should you make in order to make the shaping influences you provide more Biblical?
- How might determinism or denial affect the way you respond to your child rearing task?
- How can you better reflect to your child(ren) the joys of communion and fellowship with the living God?
Area for Prayer:
Pray that God will work in and around your efforts and the responses of your children to make them people who know and honor God.
Verses of Encouragement:
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:16-21)
See you Thursday, Sept. 26 at 9:30am on the 2/F of IECC! Refreshments and childcare provided. Newcomers always welcome!
Until then,
Amanda
NOTE:
All the verses from the Handbook can be uploaded here. If you don’t have the books, please be sure to check here, as the Bible is our foundation for learning.
Scripture for Handbook Chapter 2