Sunnybrook Unscripted #84 - Raising Children – 2024 Re-Release

Episode Notes: 

Being known as a good parent is the greatest endeavor in life. The overall goal of parenting is to bring up a biblically and morally responsible child. 

Where do you start? 

•Starts with mom and dad being the example: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9 

•“Love the Lord your God” is much more caught than taught, more modeled than mandated. Whatever you expect your child to do, you must live it out. 

Two extremes to avoid: 

•Authoritarian style 

•Permissive parent 

 *Parenting doesn’t start with friendship – it progresses there when your children are adults. 

*Kids are different, but always raise your child to a standard, don’t lower a standard to your child. *Give the moral reason why when disciplining your kids. (Ex. – Don’t run into the road – here’s why- you might get hurt. Don’t run in church – you may injure another.) 

*Be intentional! Instruct your child on behavior expectations and why before you get in a situation. 

 Discussion Questions: 

1. What was the parenting style of your parents? Up to this point, what has been your parenting style? 

2. What things have you been intentional about in parenting your kids? What things would you like to be more intentional about when it comes to parenting your kids? 

3. Discuss some situations where you might give the moral reason why, when disciplining your kids or when preparing them for an environment they are about to enter. 

4. What things are you intentionally modeling in your life that you’d like your kids to emulate? 

5. What changes might you want to make to be intentional about bringing up a biblically and morally responsible child?