Relationships worth Fighting For: Situational Parenting

Prov 22:6 and selected Scriptures

Connect:

• Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.

Prayer:

Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.

Review:

We are moving into a series called “Relationships worth fighting for”. Last week, we looked at ‘becoming the right person’ and this week we are looking at parenting.

The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…

o What did you learn about God?

o What did you learn about people?

o What did you learn about yourself?

o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?

Reflect:

Experience:

• How old were you when you started asking the question, “What am I living FOR?” (as in, what is my purpose in life)? Talk about that, and describe what was happening in your life around that time. How did that question change over time to where you are now?

• Read Proverbs 22:6. Literally, this reads, “Train up a child ‘according to his way’, and when he is old…” Scott made the point here that each child is unique!

  • How does knowing a child’s personality help a parent to love and lead their child well?

  • God’s ways are the same for every child, no matter the personality… so why not just tell every child, “Do it this way or get punished”? (Hint: Because the way God has gifted them is different, the way they choose to respond to God’s direction is different, and their heart posture toward God is different… all requiring distinct discipleship approaches to each child)

• Read 1 Cor 12:12-27, Romans 12:4-11: These scriptures talk about the way that different gifts are needed for the Body of Christ, as a whole, to function and thrive, fulfilling its created purpose as a Church.

• Scott mentioned Blanchard’s “4 seasons of parenting”. Discuss each one, picking out Biblical stories, passages and principles that apply to each season:

  • Directing (0-5): “Do what I say” (e.g. Prov 22:6, Heb 12:11…)

  • Coaching (6-12) “I’ll do it, you watch me” (e.g., Eph 6:4, 1 Peter 5:2-3…)

  • Supporting (13-18) “You do it, I’ll watch” (2 Timothy 2:1-3…)

  • Delegating (19+) “You do it” (e.g., 2 Timothy 3:14-16…)

Respond: 

Parenting is one of those things that every single parent on earth would say, “I did not get it all right… and sometimes I messed it up badly!” There are so many joys in parenting, and if we focus on what we got wrong we miss the joys of what God is doing in restoring, transforming, growing and breathing LIFE into our kids! Spend some time praying together for great courage and deep love in the parent-child relationships of ZCC as the Lord continues to build, restore and grow our kids into men and women of God!

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