7 Steps to Effective Discipline
I have been listening to a great talk from the Resurgence’s Biblical Parenting Conference by Dr. Ted Tripp called “An Overview of Corrective Discipline“. He has written the book Shepherding a Child’s Heart which I have added to my Christmas list, as should every parent.
Here are some notes I took on Dr. Tripp’s teaching about discipline.
The central verse on discipline is,
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” …
Love Is a Habit
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them.” Luke 6:32 (NIV)
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If you only love on and off like a light switch, you do not love others like God wants you to love. Jesus said, “If you only love those who love you what credit is that to you?” (Luke 6:32 NIV).
His point is this: anybody can love those who love them. Becoming a master lover means you learn to love the unlovable. It’s when you love people who don’t love you, when you love people …
The Bible Says Love Is a Skill
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 (NLT)
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Love is a skill that can be learned. In other words, it’s something you can get good at and that means you get better at love by practicing love.
You may think you’re a good lover, but God wants you to become a great lover, a skilled lover, a master lover. Yet, most people never learn how to love. You can become an expert at relationships.
Wouldn’t you like to become known …
Love Is a Choice
… That you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30:20 (NIV)
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Love is a choice and a commitment. You choose to love or you choose not to love.
Today we’ve bought into this myth that love is uncontrollable, that it’s something that just happens to us; it’s not something we control. In fact, even the language we use implies the uncontrollability of …
We Love Because God Loves Us
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
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The reason God wants us to love is because he is love, and he created us to be like him – to love. The only reason we’re able to love is because God loves us: “Love comes from God … because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8 NIV).
We were created in God’s image to do two things on earth: Learn to love God and learn to love other people; life is all about love.
But love all started with God. He loved us first and that gives us …
Dog? God?
When I was 12, my parents bought me a cocker spaniel. His name was Bucky.
I had begged for months to get a dog and finally they broke under the intense pressure of an unrelenting 12 year old boy.
After the initial fun of the first few weeks of having a dog wore off, my mom and dad had to constantly remind me to feed Bucky, give him fresh water, give him baths and…pick up piles.
Fun times.
My dad finally got tired of having to remind me so he sat me down. He said “Eric, you’re the closest thing to God that Bucky …
convenient obedience ? … no such thing
I wonder how many of you reading this have been married to the same spouse for 60 years ? My parents, Pete and Theda Hurn, celebrated 60 years on September 18th.
60 years … what a testimony for commitment … especially in this day and age.
Based on where I have been, it is strange that God has placed me in a pastor’s role where I counsel men and women with marriage issues. Only the Lord could have orchestrated something as ironic as this.
Sadly … here is a comment I often hear from Christian men who are considering divorce.
They say …
ice cream theology
Now that my wife and I have lived one year in the city of Chicago and four years in the west suburbs … there is one thing I know for certain. The location of the best ice cream shops. I just listed 13 total. In addition, most of them usually have a “flavor of the week”.
I believe it is perfectly OK to promote ice cream with passion. So if changing the “flavor of the week” every week satisfies the customer … especially me … hey … do it. Regarding ice cream … there are no rules.
Lately …
How to Deal with Conflict Quickly
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19 (NIV)
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How do you deal with conflict quickly?
I’ll tell you, but you’re not going to like it. The solution to resolving conflict is confrontation.
That’s right; if you’re going to resolve conflict, you must confront.
You don’t have to confront in anger, though. In fact, you shouldn’t confront in anger. Lovingly go to the person and, speaking the truth in love, deal with the problem immediately.
In James (1:19), we’re taught three rules for confrontation: Everyone should be …
Resolve Anger Quickly
If you are angry, be sure that it is not out of wounded pride or bad temper. Never go to bed angry – don’t give the devil that sort of foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27 (PH)
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It’s okay to be angry, but anger becomes wrong when it’s not resolved quickly. The apostle Paul teaches, if you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin and do not stay angry all day.
The Phillips translation says, “Never go to bed angry.” That would keep a few of us up all night! If you said, “In our marriage, we’ll never …
