Countercultural Parenting

Lee Nienhuis

Description

Change can happen in our culture. It can happen in our home and in our children. But it starts with us. Amorality, dishonesty, discontentyou want your children to reject today's norms in favor of values like integrity, wisdom, and forgiveness. But how can you train them to do this when you sometimes fall short yourself? Author, speaker, and Moms in Prayer podcast host Lee Nienhuis offers guidance to every parent seeking to raise Jesus-following kids. In Counter-Cultural Parenting, she provides tools that will help you model godly characteristics and biblical values in your own life and homeenergize your family to recognize the world's lies and devote yourselves to truthentrust your children's future to God through consistent, powerful prayer It's easy to look at the world and feel overwhelmed, but you don't need to lose hope. Embrace the calling God has set before you and know that He will empower you to nurture your children's faith.

Informations

• Publié par: Harvest House Publishers
• Date de parution: 09 juin 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780736978248
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

What People Are Saying About Countercultural Parenting
In Countercultural Parenting , Lee Nienhuis offers a paradigm shift desperately needed in today s culture. She reminds us that the journey to raising children with character begins with us! Lee writes that we have to personally and actively cultivate a deep life of virtue and moral fiber, relying on God s power to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives as we live out our faith and train up our kids. This refreshing book is filled with transparent stories and biblical advice to help you trust God with your children s future.
John Fuller, vice president of Audio and cohost of the Focus on the Family radio program
Don t think you can make a difference in this world? Think again. Your best contribution is to parent with countercultural intentionality. The words in this book will show you how.
Jill Savage, author of Real Moms Real Jesus
Do you need to believe you can parent well in hard times? Really believe? This is the book for you. You ll find the encouragement and inspiration you need because of Lee s use of Scripture, stories, and specific ideas. She teaches us how to join the oppositional forces that trigger cultural changes and how to make sure our kids are in this group. Lee both inspired me and equipped me. We can battle and win!
Kathy Koch, PhD, founder and president of Celebrate Kids, Inc., cofounder of Ignite the Family, and author of Start with the Heart
Are you stunned by the corruption, foolishness, and egomania displayed by our leaders and celebrated in our culture? Are you devastated by the reverberating character deficits you see in your own kids-and even in yourself? With wisdom, wit, and mom-in-the-trenches perspective, Lee leads us to our only character-renovating hope: God and the truth of His Word. Come leave your apathy and hand-wringing behind and follow Lee on a charge to change the world-one mom and kid at a time.
Shannon Popkin, author of Comparison Girl
For such a time as this God has placed your child in this world and into your home to fulfill the incredible calling He has for him or her. God knew this period of time would be filled with all sorts of temptations and distractions. Lee s book is masterful in helping parents see and understand that they can raise up children with godly character, morals, values, and strength no matter the child, situation, culture, or parent. This deep, rich resource along with the Bible will help you and your child become remarkable men or women of God!
Sally Burke, president, Moms in Prayer International
In our current culture, it s tempting to become lax and disheartened when it comes to matters of character. Thankfully, Lee Nienhuis has diligently and boldly laid out a guidebook to reorient parents with their God-given responsibility to raise children who live under His authority and do some earthly good. I stand with Lee in believing that revival is possible in this generation and the next, beginning with a subgroup who is willing to go against the status quo and train their kids in the countercultural ways of Christ.
Katie M. Reid, author of Made Like Martha , cohost of The Martha Mary Show , and mother of five
As a parent, you have one of life s most precious and holy responsibilities: to shape the character and heart of your children. I m thankful my friend Lee has poured her heart and soul into these pages for you to have all you need to build on the foundation of faith in your family. Don t get so caught up in the busyness of daily life that you forget to think about the legacy you are instilling every day in your kids. If we want to change the world, we need to start in our homes.
Matt Brown, evangelist, author, and founder of Think Eternity
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Verses marked ESV are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Verses marked NKJV are taken from New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Verses marked CEV are taken from the Contemporary English Version 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.
Verses marked CSB are taken from the Christian Standard Bible . Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
Verses marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Cover design by Studio Gearbox
Interior design by KUHN Design Group
Cover photo ozzichka, Naoki Kim / Shutterstock
Countercultural Parenting
Copyright 2020 by Lee Nienhuis
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97408
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
ISBN 978-0-7369-7823-1 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-7824-8 (eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020932615
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author s and publisher s rights is strictly prohibited.
Dedication
For Brendan
The day you were born changed everything.
The world gained a gentleman, a man of integrity and character.
May it also grow to know you as a man of unshakable faith.
You don t have to be perfect, Son.
There will always be grace enough for us both.
I love you forever,
Mom
Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
ACTS 20:32
Contents
What People Are Saying About Countercultural Parenting
Dedication
Introduction: Is It Possible to Raise a Child of Character?
1. A Distinguished Character-
A Battle for the Hearts of Our Children
2. Brick by Brick-
What Is Character?
3. Welcome to the Revolution-
Living Counterculturally
4. Get Your Toes Back Where They Belong-
Time for an Honest Assessment
5. Severe Discipleship-
Totality: Obedience That Begins with Love
6. The Case for Character-
Teaching the Benefits of Character
7. Moral Compass-
Conscience and the Holy Spirit
8. Warring on Your Knees-
Praying for Character
9. The Flawed Faithful-
Getting Past Our Unworthiness
10. Faith When Bullets Fly-
An Example in Faith
11. Live Loved-
Mission Critical
12. Love Others-
Setting an Example in Love
13. Positive Conduct-
Setting an Example in Life
14. A Tibetan Mastiff on Its Hind Legs-
Setting an Example in Purity
15. From the Mouths of Sinners-
Setting an Example in Speech
16. A Parental Response-
Stewards, Not Owners
17. Character Awards-
The Final Word
Appendix: Parents of Prodigals
Recommended Resources
Notes
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Hey, Mama
About the Publisher
Introduction
Is It Possible to Raise a Child of Character?
S ome authors are called to write books with the advantage of looking back through the rearview mirror. God has not awarded me that luxury. At the time of publication, I will have one kid in high school, two in middle school, and one finishing elementary. By God s grace alone, I have already penned one book. Brave Moms, Brave Kids: A Battle Plan for Raising Heroes came from a desperate desire to find a way through the fear that is paralyzing a generation of mothers, myself included. When fear pressed in on me and there was no solution in sight, I found one source of strength, hope, and wisdom: the fact that while I don t know how to do this, God does.
God has parented in every generation, knows what lies ahead, and promises to be with us. Furthermore, He has not failed in one of His promises, and He will not ruin that track record with us. He can be trusted. Though we have not seen a day like this, the Ancient of Days has, and He alone knows the way through it. I believe God s Word contains everything we and our kids need for life, godliness, and faith in our generation (2 Peter 1:3).
The story behind this book is not unlike that of the one before it. Countercultural Parenting began as a question to the Lord and has become a manifesto I must declare to the world. It all began the morning after a presidential election-before my eyes opened, before coffee, and before I knew who had been elected. I lay in bed, sighed, and began to pray. Lord, I don t know who was just elected to serve our nation, but I know we have gone horribly astray. Months of toxic election chatter and revelations had exposed one thing for certain in my mind: We were a nation whose values, priorities, and agendas no longer demanded that a person of noble character lead us.
Father, are we too far gone? Is it even possible to raise a child to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly before You all his days? 1 Are we past the place where our culture would choose righteousness ?
In the dark of that early morning, I wrestled with what I feared was the answer to that question. Until three simple words formed in my heart.
Raise