What is “Biblical Discipline”?

We’ve got two words here, “biblical” and “discipline.” Let’s start with the easier one, “discipline.” First and foremost, it is not a euphemism. “Spanking,” “discipline,” and “the rod” are examples of euphemisms when they are used in place of hitting a child. These euphemisms are misleading and deceptive, designed to minimize the reality of whatContinue reading “What is “Biblical Discipline”?”

Flourishing Homes and Families Q&A

Discover the 5 burning questions I asked the authors of my new favorite parenting book: The Flourishing Family! Q: Amanda and David, can you tell me a little bit about your backgrounds and what you hope the book will achieve? A: Examining Christian parenting through the lens of sound theology is really important to us.Continue reading “Flourishing Homes and Families Q&A”

Forced Obedience in Childhood Leads to Obedience to Christ: Bad Theology.

The divine command for children to obey their parents does not grant parents a free pass to enforce obedience through whatever means necessary. Ephesians 6:1: “Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.” Who is Paul addressing in this passage? Children. Paul gave no instructionsContinue reading “Forced Obedience in Childhood Leads to Obedience to Christ: Bad Theology.”

Does Obeying the Literal Words of a Verse Make One’s Behavior “More Biblical”?

Or, is behavior “more Biblical” when the cross-culture principle is applied? Before I give you my answer to that doozy of a question, I want us to look at two different verses from the Book of Proverbs. The first verse I want to examine is not high on anyone’s list of “Verses to Memorize,” butContinue reading “Does Obeying the Literal Words of a Verse Make One’s Behavior “More Biblical”?”

“Mom, Do I Have to go to Church!?”

“For it is throughist regular church attendance that ye shall be saved.” Oh shoot- that’s not in Bible? How about, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so noneContinue reading ““Mom, Do I Have to go to Church!?””

“I Was Spanked and I Turned Out Fine.”

I hear this from many people and for those who it’s true, I’m glad to hear that. Really, I am. Young people can experience hardship, trauma, or even abuse, and overcome it. They persevere, heal wounds, and go on to be amazing adults. I know a few. But, that does not mean this is theContinue reading ““I Was Spanked and I Turned Out Fine.””

Grace Colored Glasses

Undeserved grace invites lasting heart change. When your child exhibits undesirable behavior, instead of spewing out blame and shame, try viewing the situation through a lens of grace. Pause and choose to look for the most positive, perhaps even generous, explanation of your child’s behavior to avoid making parenting choices based in the worst-case scenario.Continue reading “Grace Colored Glasses”

Rehoboam: The Foolish Son of Solomon.

According to popular Christian parenting, one would think Solomon “wrote the book” on Biblical discipline. Some Christian parents act like Proverbs (written mostly by Solomon) provides a God-ordained parenting method that will lead our young children to heart change. Surely when Solomon used the rod of discipline to drive out foolishness (Prov 22:15) from theContinue reading “Rehoboam: The Foolish Son of Solomon.”

Discipline that Connects with Your Child’s Heart by Jim & Lynne Jackson

Buy ✅ When we truly bring God’s grace to the forefront of our discipline, we implement discipline that is effective in discipleship. Correction becomes a wonderful opportunity to reinforce our efforts to help children to know, love, and follow Jesus. The overall message of Discipline that Connects with Your Child’s Heart is certain to helpContinue reading “Discipline that Connects with Your Child’s Heart by Jim & Lynne Jackson”

A Matter of the Heart

“Jesus brought grace & mercy as His methods and message for a reason” L.R. Knost. We long for our children to accept the saving faith of Jesus Christ. In our attempts to stack the odds we put a lot of effort into sowing seeds of God’s Word, like those Jesus talked about in the ParableContinue reading “A Matter of the Heart”

Part 2: Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child

The Book of Proverbs is not divine commands to obey, nor promises to claim. Those who claim spanking is Biblical are in fact going outside the concrete (or specific) words in Scripture by making a number of changes; age limits, severity, location, and instrument, to name a few. These positive changes represent growth in theContinue reading “Part 2: Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child”

Part 1: Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child.

This is a quote from an erotic poem entitled, “Hudibras” and written by Samuel Butler in 1663. “Spare the rod, spoil the child’ is not a verse in the Bible. Let us commit to studying scripture so we can better identify half-truths such as this. I call this a half truth because there are versesContinue reading “Part 1: Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child.”