Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
Week 12: Chapter 11 — Teenage Years: Reorienting Toward Adulthood
Read Chapter 11 of Shepherding a Child's Heart. Primary Scripture: Proverbs 4:1-9; Luke 15:11-32.
Previewing Week 12 of Shepherding a Child's Heart
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 17-week guide when you’re ready.
Parenting a teenager requires a significant shift in approach — from the authority-focused mode of childhood to something more relational and dialogical. This chapter is both challenging and hope-giving for parents in or approaching this season.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Tripp argues that the teenage years represent a crucial transition — the goal is no longer simply obedience to parental authority, but the internalization of values and faith. How does the parent's role need to change during this transition? What must increase, and what must decrease?
2.He warns parents against two opposite failures with teenagers: iron-fisted control that stifles growth toward independence, and hands-off permissiveness that abandons the teenager to their own unformed judgment. How do you find the narrow road between those two?
3.The parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15) hovers over this chapter — the son who demands independence, wastes everything, and comes home. Tripp uses this story to talk about how parents should respond to a teenager who is pulling away. What does the father in the parable model for parents?
a.What does the father's response when the son 'came to his senses' teach us about waiting and welcoming?
b.What does the elder brother represent — a danger for parents as well as for teenagers?