As you know, I do a lot of reading. I read over several genres as well. I'm always in at least 3-4 books at any given time. I recently finished two books. One was on cultural engagement and the other was on spiritual growth.

What astonished me about both was that both authors felt the need to dedicate an entire chapter to the topic of family. To me, these seem at different ends of the spectrum. I would recommend both to you, even if you only read those chapters (which you won’t because both are so good overall).

Awe by Paul David Tripp - Chapter 12 Parenting

Tripp’s argument throughout the book is that we are all designed for awe, but only awe in God will ultimately satisfy. As we get to chapter 12 he apples his argument to parenting in this way:

“A child’s whose heart is ruled by the awe of God will submit to authority, will listen to and value wisdom, and will not resist but will hunger for rescue and will surrender control to God and the ambassadors he has placed in his life. You and I can’t recapture the hearts of our children; only God can.”

Onward by Russell Moore - Chapter 8 Family Stability

Moore’s book is a wakeup call to the American church. It reminds believers of the strangeness of God’s kingdom vs. the American dream and the offensiveness of the gospel. In chapter 8 Moore applies this to families by saying this:

 “Family values aren’t a means to making it in America. Family, as defined by the gospel, will make us stranger than we want to be - and it’s about time.”

If you are looking for resources for your family or the families in your church, I encourage you to pick these up. They are worth the price, even if it’s just for these chapters.