12 Principles for a Gospel-Centered Family

Gospel-Centered Family: becoming the parents God wants you to be by Ed Moll and Tim Chester, (The Good Book Company, 2009).

1. Your family can show how great it is to live under God’s reign of love (Ephesians 6:1-4).
2. Knowing God is far more important than “succeeding” in life (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
3. The biggest obstacle to good discipline is our own selfish hearts (James 4:1-10).
4. Trying to be a good parent will crush you if you don’t embrace grace (Luke 18:9-14).
5. Addressing the heart matters more than controlling behavior (Colossians 2:20-3:10).
6. Don’t train your child to be a legalist (Luke 15:11-32).
7. Make sure you enjoy your children (Psalm 127).
8. Teach your children about God in the context of everyday life (Deuteronomy 11:16-21).
9. Shape WHAT younger children watch and HOW older children watch (Proverbs 4:1-9).
10. Teach children to pray by praying with them (Matthew 6:5-15).
11. We belong to two families (Mark 3:31-35).
12. Children are not the center of the world (Mark 12:28-34).