Shepherding a Child's Heart

Application Questions for Chapter 18
1. What are the negotiable issues that would enable your teen

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to express his independence from you in constructive ways?
2. Do you discern any rebellion that may be linked to earlier
mistakes in your parenting? What can you do to open discussion of
those things?
3. Are you comfortable with helping your child see God as
awesome and fearful? How can you explore the implications of
Hebrews 12:29 which states that “… our God is a consuming fire?”
4. What portions of the Word of God can you read with them to
underscore this aspect of God’s character?
5. What can you do to provide contexts for parental instruction
that is timely for your teens?
6. Are you willing to share your personal experience as a venue
for helping your kids think about God’s ways?
7. What would be some profitable Bible study projects for you
and your teens?
8. Are you providing a home in which your teenager feels loved
and accepted? Are his friends welcome in your home, whether they
are believers or not?
9. What can you do to provide a special sense of belonging for
your children?

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Chapter 19
Teenagers: Training Procedures
I went to a weekend retreat on raising teenagers. My children were
almost teens, so I hoped to learn how to prepare for what was to
come. The man was a good speaker. He was witty. His presentation
was lavishly illustrated by numerous anecdotes drawn from his own
experience.
But the retreat left me unsettled. All the stories seemed to be
about this father’s and his son’s attempts to outwit each other. Their
relationship resembled a friendly version of MAD Magazine’s “Spy
vs. Spy.”
I remember thinking that if keeping my children in line depended
on me outwitting them, I might fail. I am now persuaded that raising
teenagers is not a matter of out-maneuvering them. It is much more
exciting and satisfying than that.