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There is a very clear sowing and reaping principle in the word of God. In this talk Tedd Tripp builds on what he taught in previous presentations about the importance of the heart – rather than just manipulating behaviour. If this is our focus as parents then an obvious question is “what about consequences?” Do consequences have any place in shepherding our children? The answer is yes – they are a vital part of the shepherding process.

“My purpose in disciplining my children is to disciple them. I don’t want to just constrain and reward behaviour – the carrot and the stick. My objective is much broader – I want to move my children towards loving God, and loving others.”

Biblical consequences use the enduring truth of scripture to both instruct the heart and to direct the behaviour of our children. Heart change is God’s greatest concern – so it needs to be ours too.

Can I change my kid’s heart? No. So the temptation is to substitute “behaviourism” for the power of the spirit and word of God. That is what our culture often urges. For in the world there is no hope of from gospel and the radical internal transformation that the gospel brings. But we – as Christians – don’t need to accept this. God has ordained that the unfolding of his word brings light. Your task is to bring truth to your kids. God is the one who changes hearts – and so you also must be focused on the heart.

In this session Tedd Tripp unpacks the role that consequences have in this discipling process with your kids. “What we plant today will be what we harvest tomorrow.”

This talk was delivered online at The Zambia Annual Reformed Family Conference, 2020.