Parenting – Mission Impossible, if you choose to accept it (and you have!)
For the Christian, the difficult task of parenting is not subject to the latest psychological fads presented on Oprah or the current New York Times best-seller on the subject. It is firmly anchored on what the Bible says, and the Bible is not silent on the topic. In this session, Robert presents three basic biblical principles that parents must understand before they are equipped to parent successfully: 1. Understanding oneself 2. Understanding one’s child 3. Understanding how one relates to his/her child. Grasping these truths experientially is vital if the parent hopes to win his/her child’s heart.
Biblical Discipline – Raising An Eager, Obedient Learner
Teaching is downright impossible without a willing learner, no matter how good the curriculum or the teacher. The Bible teaches that proper discipline is an expression of love, and the one who neglects it really hates his child! Robert explains the distinction between discipline and punishment and proposes a model for discipline that invariably breaks rebellion and results in bonding between parent and child. The “ought to’s, need to’s and should’s” that motivate many children will be changed to “want to’s” as they experience a desire to please parents who love them enough to discipline them diligently.
Building Character into Your Child
Parents often confuse their job with God’s job in the life of their child. God has designed that He alone brings spiritual life. But He has given the parent the job of building character. What biblical character traits can we as parents self-consciously set as a goal for our children and how can we train them in such a way that that goal will be achieved when they leave our home as adults?
Capturing Our Child’s Heart – the Foundation of Child Training
All the parenting techniques and methods in the world, even biblical ones, do no good if your child is resistant to receive your training. As long as he/she is a child and you can force him/her to comply with your wishes all seems well, but if you have not captured his/her heart, that serenity often proves to be a mirage that disappears during the teen-age years. How can you capture your child’s heart to insure that they will follow as adults the direction for life you have pointed for them?
A Biblical Courtship Model
Building on the principles discovered in the previous seminar, Robert proposes a courtship model that incorporates these biblical principles to give parents a specific plan to follow in helping their children find a mate. He is careful to emphasize the parent’s freedom and latitude in the implementation of the model.
Exploring Courtship - Finding a Mate in Treacherous Times
How did we get where we are in the “mate-selection” game that our culture plays? Robert summarizes the history of dating and its effects both on the individual and the culture. He then proposes a more biblical alternative while recognizing the necessity for many personal variations. This inspiring lecture emphasizes broad biblical principles of the parent-child relationship rather than a rigid courtship model.
Capturing the Heart of the Next Generation's Warrior
All the parenting techniques and methods in the world, even biblical ones, do no good if your child is resistant to receive your training. As long as he is a child and you can force him to comply with your wishes, all seems well; but if you have not captured his heart, that serenity often proves to be a mirage that disappears during the teen-age years. How can you capture your child’s heart to insure that he will follow as adults the direction for life you have pointed for them?
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