Parenting with Words of Grace: Building Relationships with Your Children One Conversation at a Time

Book Description:

How you speak to your kids today will impact your relationship with them tomorrow.

As a parent, your words are powerful. What you say and how you say it has the potential to either invite your children into deeper relationship with you or push them away. What's more, in a very real sense, your words represent-or misrepresent-God's words to his children- meaning they have the power to shape how your children view their heavenly Father.

Offering practical guidance for grace-filled communication in the midst of the craziness of everyday life, this accessible guide will help you speak in ways that reflect the grace God has shown to you in the gospel.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Paul David Tripp
Introduction
Part 1: The Vision
1. Parenting Is an Invitation
2. The Invitation Is Embedded in Your Conversations
3. How Jesus Talks to Estranged Friends
4. Extended Story: Sacred Space
5. You Talk with No Guarantee
6. You Speak out of the Grace You've Already Heard
7. Extended Story: "Get in the Van"
8. Your Kids Need You to Talk to Them . . . a Lot
9. Extended Story: Nanny's Funeral
Part 2: The Hope
10. Sometimes You Don't Want to Talk
11. Abraham Misspeaks for God
12. God Speaks for Abraham
13. Jesus Speaks for You
14. You Take Words to God
15. Practice Repenting for Misusing Your Mouth
16. You Hear Words from God
17. You Take Words to Your Kids
18. Speaking Truth and Love
Part 3: The Skill of Encouragement
19. When Should You Encourage?
20. Encouragement Takes Time
21. Replace the Negatives at Home and Abroad
22. Search for the Positive in Seed Form
23. Be Encouraged When You're Tired of Encouraging
Part 4: The Skill of Honesty
24. The Goal of Honesty: Rescue
25. Think Before You Speak
26. Be a Mirror That Invites Participation
27. Aim for the Heart
28. Lead with Your Worst Foot Forward
29. Build Bridges with Your Failures
30. Expect Your Kids to Make Mistakes
31. Extended Story: Catching a Line-Drive . . . or Not
32. Why You Really Do Want a Forgiving Lifestyle

Author:

William P. Smith (PhD, Rutgers University; MDiv, Westminster Theological Seminary) is a pastor, author, and retreat speaker who has served several churches, been a faculty member of the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, and taught practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. He is the author of Loving Well (Even If You Haven't Been) and numerous other books and booklets.

Endorsements:

"This book immediately affected the way I had conversations with my grandchildren about some teachable moments in their lives. Smith brings together Scripture and illustrations in a way that makes you want to do better in those conversations, and helps you know how to do it."
--Ed Welch, Faculty and Counselor, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation

"If you're like me, you might have read the title of this book, Parenting with Words of Grace, and felt the need to stifle a moan. Oh, no . . . here comes the guilt! Please don't make that assumption. Like its title, this book is filled with words of grace: grace to you as a parent and grace to you as a child of the only Father who knows what it is to always speak with words of grace. It's full of deeply satisfying encouragement for your soul and is written in a winsome and honest way. You'll be glad you read it. You really will."
--Elyse Fitzpatrick, author, Give Them Grace

Additional Information: