Changed into His Image and parenting

This past Sunday we talked about the bible study resources we want to encourage people to go through.

One of those resources is Changed into His Image by Jim Berg.

Throughout the book Berg looks at several common relationships in life that involve Biblical change.  Over the next several weeks I would like to highlight some the things he says about parenting.  

Chapter One...

Parenting when understood biblically, is basically a discipling relationship.  When God gives a child to a Christian couple, they must realize that their bundle of joy is essentially a pagan.  Their biblical mission is to evanglize him then to equip him for usefulness to Christ, which, in essence is discipleship.  p. 12

Incidentally many parenting failures reflect a lack of biblical discipleship between husband and wife and a failure to understand principles of biblical change and growth within the marriage itself.   Husbands and wives who are not actively helping each other grow in likeness of Christ within their marriage will not see the importance of it with their children either.  Neither will they know how to apply the issues to the lives of their children since they have not had the practice of doing so in their own lives.