LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
4MAT Book Reviews: Instructing a Child’s Heart
Submitted to Dr. Allen England,
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN-610 B01 LUO
Family Discipleship
by
Kenneth Elsey
February 26, 2017
Contents
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………...1
Concrete Response……………………………………………………………………….2
Reflection............................................................................................................................3
Action Steps………………………………………………………………………………4
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………5
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Abstract
The concept behind Instructing a Child’s Heart is to enable parents with the wisdom and
skill set in instructing a child to grow with a worldview that is based upon God’s Word.1
Essentially, it is an operator’s manual in the discipleship of a child. Divided into three sections;
The Call to Formative Instruction, Introduction to Formative Instruction, and Application of
Formative Instruction makes this book simple to understand without causing the reader to feel
like a beginner. Written for today’s Christian parents by focusing on the perils of allowing public
education to instruct a child with deceptive ideologies and philosophies by showing the necessity
of instruction the child with a formal religious education.2 Thus, the classroom of the world must
be replaced by parental formative instruction. Tripp and Tripp state, “The life classroom is
constant, compelling and comprehensive. The same is true of our homes as well. They are
environments where our children are constantly learning.”3 The authors clearly state that
formative instruction and discipline are not the same, and give a warning against beating your
children with the Scriptures.4
The goals of formative instruction are to develop godly habits by realizing that Scripture
is a Christian’s personal history, applying Scripture to life, and to grow into a mature relationship
with your children.5 This is accomplished by the parents being an example of a godly life for
1 Tedd Tripp and Margy Tripp, Instructing A Child's Heart, 1st ed. (Wapwallopen, PA: Shepherd Press,
2008). 9.
2 Ibid., 15.
3 Ibid., 18.
4 Ibid., 20-21.
5 Ibid., 23.
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their children. Formative instruction is teaching that molds children into the image desired by
the parents. It is much like preventative discipleship. It is better to prepare the child for
difficulties and decisions they will face rather than trying to reconstruct the child’s emotions and
self-worth through corrective discipline.6
The primary focus of formative instruction is to build a biblical worldview. The authors
explain this is accomplished through teaching the biblical truths about daily life, and not just
using simple logic to discourage bad habits such as hitting.7 Fundamentally, the driving force
behind behavior is attributed to the heart. The heart is the center of the cognitive activities and is
referenced over 750 times in the Bible.8 Using the story of Samuel going to Bethlehem to anoint
a son of Jesse as the new king of Israel, the authors show what God looks at in judging the worth
of an individual, “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature,
because I have rejected him. Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible,
but the Lord sees the heart” (1 Sam 16:7, Holman Christian Standard Bible)9.” The formation of
habits and practices are used to establish a firm foundation of faith and obedience in the life of
the child. However, there are times when corrective discipline is needed.
Concrete Response
While reading chapter 3 I recalled an incident that occurred when I was 14. I was raised
in a Christian home with an authoritarian father. One day he came home from work and began to
6 Ibid., 33.
7 Ibid., 45.
8 Ibid., 52.
9 Holman Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2009). All
Scripture notated or footnoted unless otherwise specified comes from the HCSB translation.
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look for a pipe fitting in the garage. He called me to the garage and asked me where was the
fitting. I did not know and told him. It was at this point that he decided to correct me about my
inability to know what the fitting looked like, and where it was. My dad then began to hit me
with his belt thinking that it would bring the fitting’s location to my brain. However, the fitting
was never found and the incident and others like it pushed me away from both my dad and God.
My dad was a poor example of Christian manhood. It was not until I was about 30 that our
relationship was repaired. This is a good example of why preventative discipleship is needed. If
my dad had instructed me on the pipe fitting appearance and use I may have retained more and
would have been able to help locate the fitting. I believe that if my dad had lived his life as a
reflection of Christ I would probably not faced the poor decisions I made over the next 10 plus
years. Alcohol became my defense against the issues rooted in the discipline my dad used. I
would have possibly become a Christian at a much younger age, and would not have experienced
the hardships I did.
Reflection
In general, this book asked intriguing questions and answered them effectively. One area
which I felt should have been covered more was corporal punishment. Rather than use the
“spare the rod” answer for punishment, would it be more sensible to have instruction for parents
who were raised up by a strict disciplinarian or abuser? It seems the authors are making an
assumption that well-grounded Christian parents do not need instruction or guidance concerning
the balance of discipline versus discipleship. Many confuse the two words by considering them
to be very closely related or the same. This should be explained to parents who were converted
during adulthood.
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Action
After reading this book I realized there were areas in my family’s discipleship that needed
to be addressed.
Action Step One:
I will disciple my daughters using the Deuteronomy 6 principles. This will be
accomplished by: having a daily Bible study, Scripture memorization, and by being an example
of the Deuteronomy 6 principles daily. This will be measured by setting a goal of five new
Scripture passages each week to be memorized. I will evaluate our family’s progress for 90 days
to determine if additional skills are needed for Scripture memorization.
Action Step Two:
Using the truths to impress upon our children10 I will make a concerted effort to engrave
these truths in their hearts. This will be accomplished by taking one truth each week to discuss
during devotion time. Measurement will be based on each truth and how well my daughters are
adjusting their attitude towards the truth.
Action Step Three:
Finally, I will be an example of what a Christian parent should be. This will be
accomplished by being diligent with my private devotion and Bible study time. I will make a
concerted effort to eliminate unholy anger when responding to something by daughters have
done. I will listen to the Holy Spirits leading in how to discipline my daughters, and ask for
wisdom when discipling them.
10 Ibid., 41.
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