Conversation with Paul Tripp and Elyse Fitzpatrick: Parenting and the Gospel

A great 20-minute video on how God's grace affects our family relationships. Will be well-worth your time to watch it, and keep coming back to it.

Here are my favorite snippets:

• "When I as a parent look at the cross of Jesus Christ . . . I begin to understand what love is, but I'm brought to the end of myself, and that's a good thing." 
• "You do not want to be the child of a parent who thinks he is a 'grace-graduate.' . . . The parent needs to be rescued from himself, from his own self-righteousness, from his own arrogance."
• "If we live in the light of God's love for us even though we remain sinful, we shouldn't be shocked at our children's sin."
• "All of parenting is a gracious rescue."
• "I have no ability whatsoever -- zip, nada -- to change my child. None. No matter how elaborate my punishments are, no matter how steel-tight my arguments are, no matter how big my threats are. I do not have that ability. I am not the fourth member of the Trinity. . . . A parent must embrace his or her inability, in order to find the liberation of being an instrument in the hands of God."
• "So much of what goes on in 'Christian' parenting is this covenant of works, which is basically, 'Good parenting in, good kids out.' . . . [Our children] become smarter sinners, until they're old enough to blow it all off."
• "We have to try to stop trying to find the magic method, whereby we're going to force our children . . . into some sort of compliance and obedience, and instead say, 'Salvation is of the Lord. I'm just like you. Let's run to Jesus.'"

Which statement stands out most to you?


Related Links:

• Heart Connection, Moralism, and Grace  
• Don't Raise Good Kids   
• Recommend: Shepherding a Child's Heart   
• Biblical Parenting vs Gospel Parenting 
• Kids Who Forgive Too Quickly, or Too Slowly  
• Missional Kids