Crosstalk: May 14, 2020

With the possible exception of home-schooling parents, due to the coronavirus outbreak, many parents have had more hours to spend with their children than ever before.  Some have been blessed by this extra time and interaction while others have been ‘climbing the walls’ and frustrated by the actions of their children.

Oftentimes when parents seek a book that might help them, they expect the book to give them what they need to fix their child in 3 easy steps.  Such expectations aren’t realistic.

The guest on this edition of Crosstalk realizes this and believes that the problem really lies more with us as parents.  He addressed how parents can affect change in the hearts and minds of their children.  After all, children listen to what you say but they also watch how you live. 

Joining Jim to cover this issue was Israel Wayne.  Israel is a nationally known conference speaker who has a passion for defending the Christian faith and a biblical worldview.  He’s the author of several books, his newest which is, ‘Raising Them Up’ sub-titled ‘Parenting for Christians.’

Israel is certainly a veteran parent as he’s been married for about 21 years and is the father of 10 children.  The ages range from 20 years down to 16 months (5 boys and 5 girls) so the full spectrum of the parenting paradigm is ever-present in his daily life.

Israel sees destination as of utmost importance when it comes to parenting.  By this he means that we typically live by default rather than by design.  In other words, for many, success as a parent is absent of a goal and a plan to get to that goal.  Such parents might define successful parenting as having their children graduate from college, get a great job, make a lot of money, have a comfortable lifestyle, not get arrested or make their parents look bad.  He believes those things aren’t necessarily wrong in and of themselves, but those are temporal and earthly goals.  More important are the spiritual goals we need to have for our children.

In the end, Israel views parenting as discipleship.  This is the thrust of this broadcast as he explains the following:    

–The primary causes of the breakdown of the family.

–What is ‘Techno-Parenting’?

–Why does he feel parents need a heart-check?

–Why families should have a mission statement/strategy.

–Why the home should be parent-centered and not child-centered.

–The importance of discipline in the home.

–What is meant by ‘parenting by grace’?

This is just the start as Jim had Israel get into so much more and that included challenging parenting questions from Crosstalk listeners.

‘Raising Them Up’ is the parenting book you weren’t looking for and the one you need the most!