Category: Parenting
Circumstantial Expectations and Competing Priorities
Parents, have you established “circumstantial expectations” for your children’s behavior? In other words, do you train and expect your children to adjust their behavior in different settings and circumstances? Are your children being trained to understand the concept of “competing priorities”? Are you teaching them that...
The Summer Garden (PART 5): The Role of Corrective Discipline in Preparing Your Child’s Heart to Receive the Gospel 
So far, in Parts 1-4, we have covered most of the “Why?” and “When?” questions concerning corrective discipline. Now we need to discuss the “How?” question. How should you as a parent apply corrective discipline? Before we discuss modes of discipline, remember that there is no...
The Summer Garden(PART 4) The Role of Corrective Discipline in Preparing Your Child’s Heart to Receive the Gospel
In Part 3 I spoke of childishness and foolishness. Now I need to talk about the types of sinful behavior that should never be tolerated in the Christian home—not even once. The only appropriate parental response to the kinds of sins I’m including in Part 4...
The Summer Garden (PART 3): The Role of Corrective Discipline in Preparing Your Child’s Heart to Receive the Gospel
Previously, in Parts 1 and 2, I encouraged you to start early with corrective discipline and continue consistently throughout your child’s formative years—like planting and tending a summer garden to keep the weeds from getting out of control. Now we need to discuss the kinds of...
The Summer Garden (PART 2): The Role of Corrective Discipline in Preparing Your Child’s Heart to Receive the Gospel
Children are born with a fallen nature and an unregenerate heart. Before salvation they are “by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). This natural condition amounts to a worse state than being born as a “blank slate” (as many unbiblical thinkers believe to be the case...
The Summer Garden (PART 1): The Role of Corrective Discipline in Preparing Your Child’s Heart to Receive the Gospel
Corrective discipline is much more than just a biblical duty parents are commanded to perform. It plays an effectual role in preparing your child’s heart to receive the gospel. What I am saying here assumes much—perhaps even most—of what godly parents like you do for and with...
What Will Your Children Remember About You?
When my first child was just a baby, I’m sure my mindset was something like, “I might have 18 to 20 years with this gift from God. That’s plenty of time to train her up in the way she should go (Proverbs 22:6).” But the older...
The Significance of “Please” (and “Thank You”)
My wife and I were always together on the importance of training our five children to say “please” and “thank you,” but we were recently discussing why we held this to be such a central part of child training. Neither of us had ever viewed it...
What to Do if Your Parenting Produced Rebellious, Ungrateful Teenagers
We all have regrets in life. You might wish you had continued with those piano lessons. Or perhaps you’re sorry you didn’t spend more time with your grandparents before their passing. But one of the worst regrets in life is looking back and saying, “I was...
Adoption—In God’s Loving Eyes
God loves orphans. Throughout the Old Testament God makes special mention of them (and widows) as dear to His heart. When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall...
