Family Matters - Week 2

Family Matters - Week 2

4 Goals for my kids Know Christ.

1) Know Christ.

2) Depend on Christ.

3) Abide in Christ.

4) Live for Christ.

Disciplining your kid(s)

1) We are predisposed to disobedience

12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Romans 5:12

5 Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it. Proverbs 22:5

2) We need law to know the difference between right and wrong.

7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” Romans 7:7

3) God the Father disciplines his children, and good parents do as well.

11 My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. 12 For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12

13 Don’t fail to discipline your children. They won’t die if you spank them. 14 Physical discipline may well save them from death. Proverbs 23:13-14

15 To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child. 16 When the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes, but the godly will live to see their downfall. 17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad. Proverbs 29:15-17

1) Check your emotions.

19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. James 1:19-20

2) Find the tension between graceless correction and lawless correction.

Graceless = all condemnation, no hope Lawless = No recognition of wrong, no growth.

4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Romans 2:4

3) Differentiate between sin and mistakes.

4) Have a goal with your discipline.

Community Group Questions:

For Groups with Kids.

Understanding Disobedience: How can we effectively communicate to our children that disobedience is a part of their nature, and how can this understanding shape our approach to discipline?

Role of Boundaries: In what ways have you seen boundaries positively impact your children’s behavior and sense of security? Can you share any specific experiences or examples?

Emotional Check: What strategies do you use to manage your emotions during moments of discipline? How can being open about our feelings with our children help in those situations?

Sin vs. Mistakes: How can differentiating between intentional disobedience and innocent mistakes change the way we approach correction with our children? What are some practical examples?

Goals of Discipline: What are the primary goals you hope to achieve through your discipline? How can focusing on growth and understanding, rather than shame, transform your parenting style?

For groups that don't have kids.

1) Understanding God’s Discipline: How do you perceive God’s discipline in your own life? In what ways have you experienced His correction as constructive rather than punitive?

2) Reflecting God’s Love: How can we, as parents, emulate God’s loving and constructive discipline in our own parenting? What specific qualities of God’s character should we strive to reflect?

3) Accepting God’s Grace: How does understanding God’s grace affect our view of our own mistakes and shortcomings? How can this perspective influence how we respond to our children when they fail?

4) Inviting Relationship: How does God’s invitation to us through discipline foster a deeper relationship with Him? How can we encourage our children to see discipline as a way to grow closer to us and to God?

5) Identity as His Children: In what ways does our identity as children of God shape our understanding of discipline? How can this identity influence our actions and reactions in our parenting?

Now, the word rod can be misunderstood Here. You know that the rod was an instrument of correction. It was not an instrument of abuse. When rods were used with shepherds, they were used to keep away the wolves and the bears and the lions, and also to correct the sheep, not to beat the sheep, but to keep the sheep on the right path, to keep them from getting tangled in thorn bushes, to keep them from falling down a ravine, to keep them from the path where they were going to encounter a predator. So the rod discipline correction of our children drives this folly from them.