Scott Thomas on Parenting

Scott Thomas is the Director of A29 - a guy I enjoy being around and have much respect for. Yesterday, he blogged about his son turning twenty and gave some really helpful advice for raising kids that love Jesus and are on mission:

1. Depend on the grace of God, the Spirit of God and the wisdom of God for guidance and provision every day.
2. Love them sacrificially with your time. Dads should also be "present" for every aspect of their child's life. Your kids only have one Daddy.
3. Enjoy the ride. Don't stress over the house or their messy clothes. Laugh often; hug more.
4. As a couple, set clear boundaries and discipline consistently. The goal of discipline is to teach that God has standards of obedience and that He is the One who has absolute authority in our lives. Teach the gospel clearly in your discipline: a) Identity as a child belonging to a family, b) sin separates, c) sin has consequences, d) confession, e) repentance, f) reconciliation. Share this story of the Redeemer every time you exercise discipline.
5. Make your home a place of grace where it is safe to make mistakes, be yourself, have fun, try out new dance moves and bring friend's over. Practice being a gospel community as a family. Practice confrontation, forgiveness and reconciliation.

You can read the rest here.

Comments

[Casey]

Thanks Matt for that link. Point #4 is priceless, particularly with respect to linking our home discipline to God's redeeming discipline, so that our daughters can understand. Great stuff.