Biblical Parenting
Study Guide
Biblical Parenting
Study Guide
Scott Gilchrist
Bringing clear, Christ-centered
Bible teaching to the marketplace.
P.O. Box 19191
Portland, OR 97280
Telephone: 1-800-935-3020
Fax: (503) 524-0594
www.downtownbible.org
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I am glad you have an interest in Biblical principles
of parenting.
God’s Word gives us key truths to follow in every
area of life and that includes parenting. Even
though today is a challenging time to be parenting, I
am confident that as we seek His wisdom in this
area and humbly obey Him, He will work mightily in
the lives of our children. I write and speak to you as
a fellow learner—my wife, Kristi, and I are seeking
to do our best to raise our five children according to
the principles that God has laid out in the Scrip-
tures.
This study guide has been prepared to be used in
conjunction with the four sessions in the seminar,
Biblical Parenting. I hope it will be helpful for you
and motivate you to dig deeper into God’s Word on
this crucial subject and I pray that you will be en-
couraged to a deeper trust in our Heavenly Father.
“Unless the Lord builds the house,
they labor in vain who build it.”
Psalm 127:1
Scott Gilchrist
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Biblical Parenting Session I
The Goal: Godly Maturity
God loves your children more than you do.
God gave His Son for your children.
God gave us an instruction book.
God’s Word is:
We can face today’s challenge of parenting with confidence if we
rely on and obey the truth of God’s Word.
God desires Christian parents to raise
Christian children.
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FIVE FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS
1) Man (therefore your child) is sinful.
2) Man is savable.
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3) God has entrusted children to parents.
4) God has given us an instruction manual—the Bible.
5) If we humbly follow God’s instructions, we can pray for and ex-
pect Godly results.
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Our God-given task is to bring our
children to maturity.
GOD’S CHARGE TO ABRAHAM
Genesis 18:19 God chose Abraham in order that he would com-
mand His children to keep the way of the Lord.
Proverbs 22:6 universalizes this responsibility. It is our parental re-
sponsibility to train our children to keep the way of the Lord.
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he
will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
Like Abraham, our task is to command our children to keep the way
of the Lord. Abraham was commanded to do this by doing right-
eousness and doing justice--choosing to live right by living accord-
ing to the way of the Lord.
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BRINGING CHILDREN TO MATURITY
Hebrews gives us a Biblical definition of maturity: one who is able to
discern (distinguish; choose between) good and evil.
“But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their
senses trained to discern good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14
Life is made up of choices, judgments and decisions. Our task is to
raise our children equipped to make right choices, judgments and
decisions.
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TRAINING TO DISCERN GOOD AND EVIL
The word train, in Hebrews 5:14 comes from a Greek word from
which we get the English word, gymnasium. The consistent training
and practice that an athlete puts in at the gym is the idea behind the
word for train. It is translated “discipline” in I Timothy 4:7.
“On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godli-
ness.” I Timothy 4:7b
“All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful;
yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the
peaceful fruit of righteousness.” Hebrews 12:11
Maturity doesn’t just happen. It takes
training and discipline.
Birth 18 years
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“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he
will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
“Do not hold back discipline from the child; although you beat him
with the rod, he will not die.” Proverbs 23:13
“Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not desire his
death.” Proverbs 19:18
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The three essential ingredients in Christian parenting are:
MODELING
DISCIPLINE
PRAYER
MATURITY AND DISCIPLINE
We will concentrate on discipline because:
1) The Bible does.
2) Discipline is often neglected, especially today.
3) We hear many general exhortations to prayer and teaching by
example.
4) Discipline addresses the five foundational truths discussed earlier.
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Assignment: Read the book of Proverbs. In the
space below, list the proverbs that you find on the
subjects of parents, children and discipline. On the
following pages provided or on three separate sheets
of paper, write these proverbs out.
Parents
Children
Discipline
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Parents
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Children
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Discipline
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Biblical Parenting Session II
God’s Method of Bringing
Maturity: Biblical Discipline
Parenting is an awesome privilege and
responsibility. But God has not left us
to figure it out for ourselves. He has
given us His Word.
“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.”
Psalm 127:1
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Thy law.”
Psalm 119:18
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowl-
edge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10
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THE GOAL
Our goal is to raise children who are mature. We want them to be
God-fearing and wise, not foolish. We want them to be able to dis-
cern good and evil and make right choices, judgments and deci-
sions.
Since our goal is to raise our children to maturity, it is important to
think clearly (Biblically) about where they are at the beginning.
There are two things that we can say about children. The first we
learn from Scripture and the second from observation.
1. Children are foolish.
“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;” Proverbs 22:15a
2. Children are smart. By this we mean that children have great
intellectual capacity. They are sharp!
Birth 18 years
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BIBLICAL DISCIPLINE
Remember that maturity, as defined in Hebrews 5:14, is being able
to discern good and evil. This discernment comes from training
(discipline).
Birth 18 years
Discipline is God’s way of removing
foolishness and bringing a child to wis-
dom and maturity.
“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline
will remove it far from him.” Proverbs 22:15
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DEVELOPING A BIBLICAL CONVICTION
When God speaks to the issue of parenting, most of what He has to
say is in regard to the subject of discipline. It is imperative that we
develop Biblical convictions regarding discipline, because we will
not get much encouragement along these lines from our culture
today. In fact, we will face opposition. Our world today, having em-
braced a man-centered, humanistic philosophy—that man is basi-
cally good—often views parental discipline in a very negative light.
One will face any number of arguments against discipline. The fol-
lowing are some examples:
MAN’S VIEW
(Based on the humanistic philosophy that man is basically good.)
“Is it right to impose my way on my child? Won’t I inhibit
of stifle my child by being so coercive?”
“Discipline seems so negative. What about positive rein-
forcement?” “Doesn’t violence beget violence?”
“I’m afraid my kids won’t like me—maybe even hate me.”
“He’s too young. I’ll wait until he’s old enough to under-
stand.”
“Maybe if you’ve tried everything else and nothing works.”
“I believe if you just love them, everything will work out. If
you must discipline your child, you certainly need to bal-
ance it with plenty of love.”
opposites
love discipline
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Christian parents would do well to
memorize these Scriptures!
GOD’S VIEW
(Found in Scripture)
“The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets
his own way brings shame to his mother.” Proverbs 29:15
“Correct your son, and he will give you comfort; he will
also delight your soul.” Proverbs 29:17
“Discipline your son while there is hope and do not desire
his death.” Proverbs 19:18
“He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves
him disciplines him diligently.” Proverbs 13:24
opposites hate=
love=
lack of
discipline
discipline
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DISCIPLINE AND LOVE
Discipline and love are not at opposite ends of a spectrum. In
Scripture, discipline flows from God’s love. And so, disciplining
our children is a very loving, positive action. Biblical discipline is for
the good of our children and flows from our love for them.
“He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disci-
plines him diligently.” Proverbs 13:24
“My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord, or loathe His re-
proof. For whom the Lord loves, He reproves, even as a father,
the son in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:11-12
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THE “WAY HE SHOULD GO”
Proverbs 22:6 has long been a trusted text that Christian parents
have applied with blessed results.
“Train up a child in the way he should go,
even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
In our generation some have taught that “train up a child in the way
he should go” does not emphasize a right and a wrong “way”, but
rather according to his own personality bent. This interpretation
(misinterpretation) has effectively robbed the proverb of its point.
The proverb is an encouragement to parents to guide, train and
teach their children the right way through life. This is a common
Biblical theme and a careful reading of the following texts will
clearly show that the moral content of “the way” is crucial.
“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way
of death.” Proverbs 16:25
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths
straight.” Proverbs 3:6
“For I have chosen him (Abraham), in order that he may command
his children and his household after him to keep the way of the
Lord by doing righteousness and justice;” Genesis 18:19a
“And God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all
flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.” Genesis 6:12
“For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the
wicked will perish.” Psalm 1:6
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I
will counsel you with My eye upon you.” Psalm 32:8
“The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own
way brings shame to his mother.” Proverbs 29:15
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In life there are right ways and wrong ways. There are godly paths
and ungodly paths. God has instructed parents to impose God’s
way on their children when they are young. Then when they are
older they will be able to discern His way for themselves.
Birth 18 years
A child who is consistently trained/disciplined by his parents will find
it easier to be obedient to God throughout his life. He will experi-
ence the joy, security, freedom and peace that come to those who
follow the way of righteousness.
Assignment: Write out Proverbs 3:1-12 and Hebrews
12:1-11. You may use the following pages. (See Deu-
teronomy 17:18-20. Writing out Scripture is a valuable
way to get God’s Word into our hearts.)
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Proverbs 3:1-12
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Hebrews 12:1-11
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Additional Notes
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Biblical Parenting Session III
Getting Practical: Seven Keys
REVIEW:
When the Bible speaks of parenting and children, most of what God
says is regarding discipline. A Biblical foundation for convictions
regarding discipline is essential because we will face opposition
from a variety of sources.
Men, do not neglect this subject or merely delegate it to your wife.
The Scripture indicates that fathers, especially, need to develop a
Biblical philosophy and implement it.
“And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring
them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4
“Fathers, do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose
heart.” Colossians 3:21
Our goal is to bring our children to maturity so they are able to live
wisely, making good decisions, judgments and choices.
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BEGIN EARLY
The amount of discipline is greater in the early years and then de-
creases as the child gets older and grows in maturity.
Birth 18 years
“Discipline your son while there is hope and do not desire his
death.” Proverbs 19:18
From the day you bring a baby home, you are training him. From
the very beginning, train him to obey you.
Biblical discipline and training is imposing God’s will on the child.
God’s will is for children to obey parents.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”
Ephesians 6:1
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ESTABLISH VERBAL AUTHORITY
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BE CONSISTENT
We train our children to obey our word by being consistent and
following through on our instructions. It is important to remember
that God has called us, as parents, to lead and guide when we are
tempted to rationalize and redefine the issue. . .
“Is it really wrong for Johnny
to. . . . . . . ?
“Am I making a big deal out
of nothing?”
“He’s tired! He missed his nap,
so I . . .”
“Isn’t he just displaying his
God-given curiosity?”
“Shouldn’t I let him learn by . . . . . ?”
All of these arguments miss the key issue, which is obedience.
The correct questions to ask are:
Who wins?
Who is in charge? Who is the authority in this home?
Will this family be run by a baby (or toddler, middle
schooler, teen) or an adult? In other words, will this
family be led by your child, or by you, the parent?
Remember, you are training your children to obey your word so
that they will more easily obey God’s Word and learn to make wise
choices, decisions and judgments.
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SAY WHAT YOU MEAN AND MEAN WHAT YOU SAY
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NEVER REWARD ILL BEHAVIOR
CRYING
POUTING
NAGGING
TANTRUMS (or any other kind of manipulative behavior)
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REALIZE THAT CHILDREN WILL TEST YOU
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KEEP THE BIG PICTURE IN MIND
“All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful;
yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the
peaceful fruit of righteousness.” Hebrews 12:11
“If wisdom is life (Proverbs 8:35, 36), then a hard way to it is better
than a soft way to death!”
Derek Kidner
Assignment: Read I Samuel 1-4 regarding the sons of
Eli.
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Biblical Parenting Session IV
TEN CRUCIAL ISSUES
REVIEW:
The three essentials of successful Christian parenting are:
MODELING
DISCIPLINE
PRAYER
THE PRIORITY OF YOUR MARRIAGE
“Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.
Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-
pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose
heart.”
Colossians 3:18-21
(See also Ephesians 5:22-6:4)
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BE A PARENT, NOT A PAL
“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and do not forsake your
mother’s teaching.” Proverbs 1:8
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BUILD RESPONSIBILITY INTO YOUR CHILDREN
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TEACH THEM TO BE HARD WORKERS
“I passed by the field of the sluggard and by the vineyard of the
man lacking sense, and behold, it was completely overgrown with
thistles. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was
broken down. When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and re-
ceived instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the
hands to rest. Then your poverty will come as a robber and your
want like an armed man.”
Proverbs 24:30-34
(See also II Thessalonians 3:6-15)
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HAVE FAMILY DISTINCTIVES
Jeremiah 35—the example of the Rechabites
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CONSIDER THE ASSOCIATIONS YOUR CHILDREN MAKE
“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’ ”
I Corinthians 15:33
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HELP YOUR CHILDREN ESTABLISH PERSONAL
DEVOTIONAL HABITS
“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your
heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of
them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way
and when you lie down and when you rise up.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as
frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of
your house and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
(See also John 8:31, 32)
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WATCH OUT FOR SPECIAL DANGERS
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the
wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scof-
fers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he
meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by
streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf
does not wither. And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3
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MAKE CHURCH INVOLVEMENT CENTRAL TO YOUR
HOME AND FAMILY LIFE
“. . . let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good
deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of
some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see
the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24, 25
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THINK CAREFULLY (BIBLICALLY) ABOUT YOUR
CHILDREN’S EDUCATION
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Remember to keep the long-term perspective. God has given you
the privilege and responsibility of raising your children. It is impera-
tive that you keep His truth in mind.
Remember Hebrews 12:5-11
Discipline flows from ___________________________.
Discipline produces ____________________________.
Discipline builds _______________________________.
Discipline is for the ___________________ of our child.
Discipline is for the ____________________________.
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