Gospel Centered Parenting

Why Intentional Parenting?

Church health survey story

Why is the Gospel the key to Intentional Parenting?

What kind of “beings” are your children?

Image bearers

Genesis 1:26–28 “26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””

Original sin

Your children are not able not to sin.

Understanding the difference between the law and the gospel.

The sinai picture of the law - Exodus 19:16–25 “

Exodus 19:16–25 ESV

16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.” 23 And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ” 24 And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

The cross - picture of the gospel.

What does it look like if we parent from the law?

Legal parenting elevates morality over the gospel.

It provokes and discourages children because they do not have the ability not to sin.

It creates either rebellion or self-reliance.

What does it look like if we parent from the gospel?

In the gospel the law is a means to teach unconverted children their need for Christ.

In the gospel the law is a rule of life from believing children. They obey from life, not for life.

The goal of parenting has to be to shape the hearts of our children with the gospel.