Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. In this second look at Super Bowl XLII I want to examine morality and spectacle. Solomon’s warning to guard your heart and, by implication, to teach your children to guard their hearts is one that must not be neglected. Paul addresses the same theme in Ephesians 6 where he speaks about spiritual warfare. With regard to our hearts we are never in a neutral zone or a demilitarized zone (DMZ). The enemy is always lurking. Since Satan is the Deceiver his attacks are seldom obvious. Cultural spectacle is one way to deceive us. As we noted in the last post, spectacle tends to move us […]
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The message of Proverbs 4:23 is an ominous, as well as a gracious, warning. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. There is urgency in these words of Solomon. Above all else carries an ominous tone. The Holy Spirit is saying, “Pay attention!” The warning is also gracious. You are being told what is really important. Parents, you must faithfully and frequently give this warning to your children. The reason for warnings is that dangers often come when they are least expected. This weekend’s Super Bowl is no exception. After the infamous half-time “wardrobe malfunction” the NFL vowed to make the game more family-friendly, but I don’t think the league had […]
How I Hated Discipline 11 At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent. 12 You will say, "How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! 13 I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors. 14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly." Two recent posts made a connection between the problems of midlife and the problems parents face in childrearing. It is encouraging to see that God so wonderfully provides for the issues of midlife in his Word. And also, it is essential to see that what […]
Psalm 78 verse 4 says: We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. An important component of shepherding your family is to have regular family worship. We are making available for you a free, downloadable guide to help you have a regular program of family worship. There is no better gift to give your children than coming together as a family to honor God. As you use this guide, let us know about it. In this way you can help encourage others in this important service to Christ. Download family_worship_guide.pdf
Powerful Personal Interpretations and Your Children In this brief series of posts we are taking advantage of the excellent work done by Paul Tripp in his book Lost in the Middle. One thing that Paul and Tedd Tripp have made abundantly clear in their writings is that it is the heart that drives us as people. This is true for people of all ages. Whether it is in mid life, in the toddler years, in youth or in old age, humans are heart driven people. People seek the treasures that their hearts long for. Christ clearly teaches about this relationship between treasures and heart in Matthew 6:19-21: 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust […]
The next few posts are drawn from the penetrating insights of Paul David Tripp’s book Lost in the Middle. These insights intersect with the biblical perspectives taught in Tedd Tripp’s Shepherding a Child’s Heart. I can almost hear someone asking, “What does a book on midlife have to do with a book on childrearing?” The connection is this: what rules those in midlife also rules children. That connection, of course, is the heart. Proverbs 4:23 says: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. The heart determines the things that matter most to us. Our treasures in this world reflect the true longings of our hearts. This is true for everyone, including both the child […]
If you are a grown-up you may find it surprising to read that you have died! Diana West has written a timely book about the direction of our culture. The Death of the Grow-up is the title. Her book examines how the 20th century moved towards the worship of a youth culture, especially teenagers. As Christians, this observation should not come as a surprise to us. Biblical principles of child-rearing have long been put aside. These principles were replaced with a child-centered approach advocated by the mainstream of 20th century educational thinkers such as John Dewey. Shepherding and instructing children are now seen as archaic in the dimming light of the 21st Century. It is now politically incorrect to think […]
As Tedd Tripp points out, too often problems arise when behavioral issues are not addressed at the source. When parents evaluate the challenges of child-rearing by looking only at behavior they find themselves in catch-up mode. Eventually, a full-blown crisis will emerge because symptoms and not root causes were addressed. Shepherding a Child’s Heart redirected the thoughts of parents to the significance of the role of the heart in training children. In one sense, this book is about understanding the impact of one verse of Scripture – Proverbs 4:23: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Parents, the most important step you can follow in leading your children is to understand […]
Often new years bring new crises. Here is a plan to perhaps lower the number of crises you and your family may face in 2008. Much of Christian writing about families addresses various crises in which folks may find themselves entangled in. In counterpoint to these materials, which are often needed, many of the titles from Shepherd Press actually help you eliminate some crises before they actually begin. The Proverbs encourage you to a life of anticipation of evil snares which may lie ahead. This encouragement begins in the first chapter. Solomon’s wisdom is: 2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; 3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, […]
This blog is about you, your children, and God. Far too little is written about your children from a biblical perspective. There is much written from man’s perspective. There are anecdotes and hand-me-down intuitions too numerous to count. In 1995, Shepherding a Child’s Heart entered the discussion about raising children. What distinguished this book from others at that time is that it presented a comprehensive view of raising children from a biblical viewpoint. The truths presented in Shepherding frame the discussions about rearing children in a biblical light. This biblical light focused upon recognizing the importance of the heart. Behavior can be manipulated, contrived and deceptive. Underneath behavior lies the heart. When the heart is addressed, the frustration of dealing […]