We have a fixed amount of time to prepare our kids for the future. This seems like all the time in the world when we bring them home from the hospital. When we are holding our newborn in our arms, we think about what they are about to become – great athletes, super talented, looked up to by all the kids in their class and graduating magna cum-whatever – and that’s just kindergarten! The problem is these little “18 year wake up calls” have a mind of their own, a personality of their own and a deep seated sin nature that can thwart all of our best laid plans and intentions. None of us know very well what we’re doing when we get into this thing called parenting. Our culture doesn’t give us a lot of guidance either.
Although we describe the grace based blueprint through the lens of parenting, this is a blueprint for all relationships. We want to treat everyone in our life the way God treats us, with grace. Be sure to check out our marriage, grand-parenting, and church resources to see how grace transforms every relationship.
We need a philosophy of parenting that focuses on the heart of our child,
their inner core or being and keeps the end result in mind
If we want our kids to turn out right and be aimed at a life of true greatness by the time they leave our nest, it is going to take a game plan – a well thought out strategy. We need a philosophy of parenting that focuses on the heart of our child, their inner core or being and keeps the end result in mind. We believe there’s a biblical philosophy of parenting that’s written throughout the pages of Scripture and can be seen in the way that God deals with us – through Grace.
The Grace Based Parenting model does just that. Just as you build a house from the ground up, you build your child up. It starts with a firm foundation that is rooted in a solid relationship with Jesus Christ and is aimed at raising our children for a future of True Greatness.
1: Three Inner Needs
All people, regardless of the natural diversity that exists among the vast cultures of the world, share the same three basic inner needs. Everyone feels the need to be securely loved, to feel their life has a significant purpose and that they have a strong hope for the future.
2: Four Freedoms
Meeting our child’s 3 Inner Needs is only possible within an atmosphere of grace. As the metaphor suggests, the atmosphere of a home, just like the atmosphere of a room or of a planet, impacts what happens within it. If our home’s atmosphere is defined…
3: Building Character
You’ve always heard that it’s what’s on the inside that counts…and it’s TRUE! Good character is what compensates for weaknesses, redeems brokenness, and increases potential. Many of the parenting tools and advice available today…
4: Aiming For True Greatness
The world measures success by four simple metrics: wealth, beauty, power and fame. You don’t have to read very far into the pages of the Bible to realize that, more often than not, God uses weak, broken, unknown and undesirable people…