Author: Josh King

Readability:  1

Length: 187 pgs

Author:  Tedd Tripp

Instructing a Child’s Heart along with Shepherding a Child’s Heart are two of my go to books on raising children.  I am so thankful to God for Tedd Tripp’s relentless focus on the heart and the gospel.  In contrast to Shepherding a Child’s Heart this book deals with formative instruction, that is instruction that forms or shapes our children.  The section on communication alone is worth the price of the book.

Parents are to be the primary teachers of their children (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).  This task may not be delegated.    This book offers much Biblical wisdom in how to faithfully carry out those this weighty mandate.

This revelation isn’t just about distant physical and spiritual relatives – its about each of us by name.  Let that truth wash over you with all it’s implications and power.  Bath our children in that truth.  Otherwise, the Bible’s prophecies, provisions, promises, and pronouncements will not motivate our speech and behavior.  And our children will treat the Bible like a news story.

A primary goal in instruction must be to show your children who God is and what he has done- to show them their story in the pages of Scripture.  Make the Bible your family album, not someone else’s story.  The Bible is not about ‘them’ and ‘then,’ but ‘us’ and ‘now.

The power of the gospel is not just for our children; it is for us. The power of grace in the gospel will cleanse us, forgive us, change us internally and empower us to be all that we need to be to instruct the hearts of our children.  Don’t be put off by your needs and weaknesses.  Our weaknesses will never keep us from God as much as our strengths will.  Come to Christ each day knowing that you can do all things through him who gives you strength.

Readability:  1

Length: 242 pgs

Author:  Jerry Bridges

The Discipline of Grace?  Discipline and grace, do these two go together?   If you want to pursue holiness they must.  Too often we think of grace as the initiatory phase of the Christian life, and discipline as that which follows.  This is not only a false dichotomy, it is a deadly one.  If you have read The Holiness of God and want more help in pursuing holiness read this wonderful sequel. 

Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace.  And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.

God’s work does not make our effort unnecessary, but rather makes it effective.

Readability:  1

Length: 249 pgs

Author:  Donald Whitney

Since the late 70’s Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline has probably been the bestselling book on spiritual disciplines (bible reading, prayer, evangelism, serving, fasting, etc.).  I read it while I was still in seminary and benefited from it.  There is truth in it, but there is much that is unhelpful, and unbiblical.  I wish someone would have introduced me to Donald Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life instead.   It is the book I will recommend to who are new to the Christian faith and need instruction in such areas.  Biblically faithful, simple, and easily understood, it is far superior to Foster’s work.

Discipline without direction is drudgery.

Think of the Spiritual Disciplines as ways we can place ourselves in the path of God’s grace and seek Him as Bartimaeus and Zacchaeus placed themselves in Jesus’ path and sought Him.

The Spiritual Disciplines then are also like channels of God’s transforming grace.  As we place ourselves in them to seek communion with Christ, His grace flows to us and we are changed.

Bible intake is the most important Spiritual Discipline, it is also the most broad.  It actually consists of several subdisciplines.  It is much like a university comprised of many colleges, each specializing in a different discipline, yet all united under the general name of the university.

WTS Books: $12.22               Amazon: $10.61