Numerous books set out to help Christian parents in the challenging mission of raising their children well—so what's different about this one? Well, the answer's in the title! It's not about how the gospel fits into Christian family life, but how family life should fit into the gospel—God's greatest purpose for this universe, achieved in Christ.
Many books aim to raise up competent, balanced parents and well-trained, well-rounded children. But Tim Chester and Ed Moll focus on families growing God-knowing, Christ-confessing, grace-receiving, servant-hearted, mission-minded believers—adults and children together.
Christian families should be about...
- not just making good citizens but also church planters, missionaries, reformers, servants and evangelists;
- not just learning about God but also showing him to others;
- not just controlling behaviour but also changing the heart;
- not just parents and children, but being an integral part of the wider church family.
In twelve concise chapters, Gospel-Centred Family takes us through the major Bible principles for family life, challenging us to give up our 'respectable' middle-class idols, and to become the distinctively different people that God, through his gospel, calls us to be.
(Review written for 'Gospel Centred Family')
For those who are struggling with raising kids (young ones and older), I highly recommend this quick read. It is so well written and laid out using Bible scripture as the basis, pointing children to the gospel, cultivating loving hearts toward Jesus, (kids and parents) with very practical application steps.
(Review written for 'Gospel Centred Family')
This brilliant workbook is ideal for people who are looking for a study book to help them grow in all areas of their Christian life. There are fourteen chapters/sections, each one dealing with varying issues including relationships, suffering and eternity. Everything is centred on God's love and grace shown to us through the cross of Christ, and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in and through us. Each chapter/section explores Bible passages with a 'Questions for Reflection' section at the end. I found everything to be sound, biblically based and spiritually uplifting. I could not fault this workbook and ...would go so far as to say that, for me personally, this was the best book of its kind that I have used. It contains a lot of great food for thought. I would gladly recommend it for personal, group and church use.
(Review written for 'Gospel Centred Family')
My wife and I are reading this together and using it as a tool to generate discussion about our priorities as a family and how we discipline our children. My wife is also using it with her Mum's Bible study group and it is proving extremely useful. It has a really helpful structure and is a good mixture of being chatty with plenty of sound Biblical content. I would fully recommend it to Christian parents.
