Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
Week 2: Chapter 1 — Getting to the Heart of Behavior
Read Chapter 1 of Shepherding a Child's Heart. Primary Scripture: Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 12:34-35.
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Tripp's first chapter lays the theological foundation for everything that follows — if you can absorb this chapter deeply, the rest of the book will make sense. Take your time with these questions.
Discussion Questions
6 questions1.Tripp makes the claim that behavior is never the root issue — it is always a symptom. What is the root issue, and how does he establish this from Scripture?
2.He uses the image of an iceberg — behavior is the visible tip, but the heart is the mass beneath the surface. What are some behaviors in your children (or yourself as a child) that, when you look beneath the surface, reveal something about the heart's true allegiances?
3.Tripp draws a contrast between two kinds of questions parents ask: 'What did you do?' versus 'Why did you do it?' Why is the second question so much more important for biblical parenting, and why is it also much harder to ask consistently?
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