Discussion Questions

1. What was something about your own parents that you appreciate now that you are older? What was something about how you were parented that you do not want to repeat?

2. What are some out-workings of the wrong motives in parenting (such as over-emphasizing what the parents want or what the child wants)? What pitfalls do parents need to watch for as they are seeking to be godly parents?

3. What verses about parenting or biblical parenting principles stand out to you?How have you seen these lived out well?

4. If you are someone who does not have children, how do you experience being part of a church that includes a lot of families and children?

5. What are some ways that non-parents can partner with families to support their “parenting as disciple-making?”

Prayer Points

1. Pray for new parents and future parents that they will enter parenthood with a commitment to follow God’s design for parenting.

2. Pray for parents of preteens and teens that they will persevere in their parenting, continuing to grow and learn in these important final years of having their children in their home.

3. Pray that parents of adult children who are not walking with God will hold on to the hope of the Gospel and the power of Jesus to reach into their lives and redeem them.

4. Pray that those who do not have children will see their valuable role in making disciples and that they experience joy and satisfaction in being a child of the Father.

5. Pray that our church can be a source of help and support for families as they seek to raise their children amidst the challenges of our day.

6. Pray for all parents that they will humbly depend on God for the outcome of their parenting and for his grace and power to be at work in their children’s lives.