Oct 23 2023 From Thought to Action: Chapter 17
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Before we begin, remember…making disciples can be as easy as reading a chapter of The Four Priorities and discussing it with someone else. This blog series is designed to supplement your journey. Feel free to take what you need and leave the rest! And remember, please share this post with your disciple so they can subscribe, too!
KEY QUOTES from Chapter 17: The Parenting Gift of Protection
The Peace Corps used to have a slogan that applies perfectly to the responsibility of parenting: “It’s the toughest job you’ll ever love.”
Three gifts of a parent-child relationship: protection, identity, confidence.
A father’s drifting in and out of his child’s life causes more harm than good when he merely teases his child with fleeting possibilities of a healthy relationship.
How can the abandoned or neglected child find healing for his or her wounds as an adult?
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- Step 1: express your feelings.
- Step 2: confess your faults.
- Step 3: Forgive your parent.
- Step 4: Commit to the relationship going forward.
To protect means to create an environment in which the child can thrive without external threats.
Some parents don’t want to stifle their children’s creativity by setting a bunch of rules, but they fail to realize that children need fences in order to feel free.
REFLECT:
The three gifts of a parent-child relationship are protection, identity, and confidence.
Reflect on your own upbringing, were these gifts that you received? If you experienced a hard relationship with your family of origin, taking time to mourn the way it should have been can be really healing and helpful.
PRAY: We have a tendency to overcomplicate things – especially our prayers! One way to simplify your prayer life is to pick two phrases or truths from scripture and attach them to your breath pattern. As you inhale, internally say the 1st phrase. As you exhale, say the 2nd phrase. This prayer is from Isaiah 64:7,
INHALE: You, Lord, are my Father
EXHALE: I am the work of your hand
MEMORIZE: Take this week to memorize Ephesians 6:1-3 with your household. Write it on a sticky note to place on your car dashboard, your bathroom mirror, or wherever you will view it often.
Ephesians 6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”
WORSHIP: Listen to this song called Good, Good Father by Chris Tomlin.
TABLE TALK: Each day this week, read one scripture from each of the 4 walls of protection.
1. A sense of belonging: provide comfort, establish “home” environment and routines, communicate family heritage and memories, and encourage self-worth.
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- Deuteronomy 32:7
- Joshua 24:15
- Psalm 78:1-7
- Psalm 139:13-16
2. Appropriate boundaries: enforce reasonable discipline and rules, enjoy freedom with the assurance of safety, and allow natural consequences to play out.
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- Deuteronomy 4:9-10
- Proverbs 3:11-12
- Proverbs 13:24
- Proverbs 22:6
- Hebrews 12:5-11
3. A Moral framework: Establish Godly character over a man made reputation, and model values to demonstrate what is really important in life.
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- Deuteronomy 6:4-9
- Deuteronomy 11:18-21
- Psalm 112:1-2
- Proverbs 10:9
- Matthew 22:37-40
- James 1:26-27
4. Emotional connection: be available, listen with understanding, and spend quality as well as quantity time with your children
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- Psalm 103:13
- Proverbs 3:21-24
- Proverbs 15:1
- Proverbs 17:27-28
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-6
- Colossians 3:21
- James 1:19
TEACH/PLAY: Set up an obstacle course in the living room and then split into teams. One person the team (ex: son) is blindfolded, the other (ex: mom) is off to the side. The mom will have to communicate to the son where he can walk without bumping into anything before the other team does. Then use this game to talk about how parents can see things that their kids can’t so the kids need to trust that their parent loves them and wants them to “win.”
How to be a Great Parent (Part 1)
- Who is shaping the lives of your children? Do your children seek your advice and counsel? Are you fostering the type of relationship with them to encourage dialogue? Your children, to a larger extent, are going to become like you. How does that reality affect you?
- Read pages 176-177 in The Four Priorities. Spend time this week reading the Scriptures and applying what you’ve learned in order to provide a sense of belonging, set appropriate boundaries, establish a moral framework, and maintain a healthy emotional connection with your children.
That’s it for Chapter 17!
Now…go! And make disciples!