Description
I’m unsure of how I initially came across Grace Based Discipline by Karis Kimmel Murray but I’m thankful I came across it nonetheless. The title had been on my Thriftbooks wishlist and upon placing a recent order, I decided to add it to my cart. I had been wanting to discover Christian books about parenting that align with the Bible and I’m thankful that I found that in Grace Based Discipline. With honesty and humor, Karis shares with readers her own experiences in parenting and ways she and her husband have implemented the book’s concepts in their home. I enjoyed reading about this because it gave me some practical ideas to try with my family.
The ideas in Grace Based Discipline originated with the author’s parents who were looking for a theology of parenting that was free of fear, sin management, and spiritual image control (pg. 7). This really resonated with me because my heart has been shifting in how I view myself as a parent/discipler. I now view my primary function in that role as pointing others to Jesus. This notion reminded me that my job is to plant and water and that if there is any growth, it comes from God alone (1 Corinthians 3:6, Philippians 2:13) through the power of the Holy Spirit. Read my full review here.
My favorite aspect of the book is the chapter dedicated to understanding God’s word rightly. To help readers do this, Karis introduced the Three Ps on page 72: “A grace-based home sets the expectation of living by God’s standards so we can fully experience the joy that living within God’s will brings. We want to avoid the pitfall of making things moral or spiritual issues when they’re not. So as we begin the process of setting clear boundaries and expectations, we want to be sure to put the house rules, safety rules, and moral/biblical rules in the correct categories. The best safeguard is what I call the ‘Three Ps.’ As we read the Bible, even if it’s just a small morsel, we should ask: ‘Is this a precept?’ ‘What principles should I apply to myself and my family? ‘Do either of my answers need to change in light of the current biblical precedent?’”
