Parenting is Heart Work - Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller

This book explains how most parents seek behavior modification in their children, but the important thing is to mold a child’s heart for the future. The Bible mentions the word heart more than 750 times, describing it as the center of our being. Once the heart is changed, parents will see not only behavior change; the child’s motivations and focus will be changed as well. The authors give strategies to address a variety of challenges parents face. *This book includes a “Reader’s Guide” at the end of the book, which sets forth discussion questions for each chapter.

Shepherding a Child’s Heart - Tedd Tripp

The author focuses on foundational areas for biblical parenting, beginning with the issues of the heart, including influences on the child, Godward orientation, authority, examining goals, discipline and other areas.  With a clear emphasis on parents’ recognizing the proper goals of shepherding their child, the author provides practical suggestions for accomplishing those goals. The author concludes with advice on shepherding the child through the various stages of childhood. *This book includes application questions at the end of each chapter.  

Raising Kids to Love Jesus - H. Norman Wright and Gary J. Oliver

The emphasis on heart change continues in this book. By cultivating understanding and intimacy with children, parents can plant seeds that will grow, shaping their children in a powerful way. The need to know their child is vastly more important than simply shaping their behavior. The purpose of the book is to help parents cultivate a love for the Lord in their children by effectively modeling and communicating their own relationship with Jesus. Parents shouldn’t just provide guidelines but be shepherds. The book has a section that focuses on personality types, highlighting how each child is unique, and how parents should adjust based on their children’s personality traits.