Why I Wrote Raising Kids in the Way of Grace: 5 Practical Marks of Grace-Focused Parenting

I’m excited to announce that in one month, on September 10, 2018, 10 of Those Publishing will release my newest book (book 15):

Raising Kids in the Way of Grace: 5 Practical Marks of Grace-Focused Parenting

Why Now?

In a moment, I’ll answer the question, “Why did I write this book?” But first, a preliminary question: “Why did I write this book now?”

I actually wrote a manuscript on parenting 25 years ago—when my children were 8 and 5. I’d like to think it had solid biblical content. But, looking back, it didn’t have a ton of parental-life experience.

So…I never published that manuscript. However, the material became the foundation for a class I taught for 25 years in churches, para-church groups, colleges, and seminaries. And, for a quarter-century, it was the foundation for our parenting in our home and for my family and parental counseling of others.

I’d like to think that each year the material grew in parental-life wisdom as Shirley and I grew as parents. Our children are now 33 and 30. Our grandchildren are now 6, 4, and 2.

My prayer is that Raising Kids in the Way of Grace is a combination of biblical insight and parental wisdom—gained through over 3 decades of parenting, grand-parenting, teaching on parenting, and counseling families and parents.

Why This Book? Raising Kids in the Way of Grace 

When it comes to parenting, everyone longs for a how-to manual. And why not? Our world is all about works, performance, easy steps, and self-sufficiency.

While the Bible surely offers wise principles for parenting, it actually offers much more. The Bible offers grace for parents! 

If you are a parent who is tired and heavy-laden, then come to Jesus who is gentle and gives you rest. Raising Kids in the Way of Grace helps parents not just to tap into Jesus’ wisdom, but even more, to tap into Jesus’ grace for family life.

So, I wrote Raising Kids in the Way of Grace so parents could learn 5 practical marks of grace-focused parenting. This mini-book builds upon Ephesians 6:4 and the surrounding context of Paul’s gospel-centered letter to develop these 5 marks of GRACE parenting:

1. G—Mark 1: God-Dependent Parents—Parental Dedication

2. R—Mark 2: Revelation-Based Parental Wisdom—Parental Discernment

3. A—Mark 3: Affectionate and Affirming Grace Relationships—Parental Devotion

4. C—Mark 4: Care-fronting Our Children’s Heart—Parental Discipline

5. E—Mark 5: Equipping Our Children for the Race of Life—Parental Discipleship

What Is My Prayer for Raising Kids in the Way of Grace?

My prayer is that through Christ’s grace to us as parents we can raise GRACE-saturated kids in a results-driven world. Whatever else our children might need, we want their lives to be surrounded by grace and their hearts always attracted by and to Christ’s grace.

As Christians, we have first-hand experience of God’s amazing grace and love. But as parents, we can often be unsure about how to communicate Christ’s grace as we parent our children. We recognize that being a Christian parent means more than just taking our kids to church and opening up the Bible with them, but we can often feel unsure of exactly how being a Christian should impact our parenting.

Raising Kids in the Way of Grace blends practical principles and a focus on God-dependent living to explain how we can bring our knowledge and experience of God’s grace to bear on the daily joys and challenges of family life. It shows how we can mirror our heavenly Father through 5 marks of grace-focused parenting.

Short enough to read in one sitting, but packed with biblical wisdom, you’ll want to keep this book handy to dip into for counsel, encouragement, and support on your parenting journey.

How Can You Learn More about Raising Kids in the Way of Grace? 

You can visit my RPM Ministries Writing Page to learn more about Raising Kids in the Way of Grace.

You can read endorsements for Raising Kids in the Way of Grace here. Here’s one example from Pastor Jonathan Holmes:

“Personally, Bob is the guy I’d want to sit down with and learn from in my parenting journey; now you have the opportunity to do so as you read and drink in this grace-filled perspective on a perennially important topic.” —Jonathan D. Holmes, Pastor of Counseling, Parkside Church; Executive Director, Fieldstone Counseling 

You can go here to download and read the Introduction: Our Parental Plea: “Give Me a Parenting How To Manual!” 

And, you can buy an autographed copy of Raising Kids in the Way of Grace on sale at 20% off for just $3.99 at the secure and easy-to-use RPM Bookstore.