Jimmy Scroggins - Full Circle Parenting: A Guide for Crucial Conversations

Jimmy and Kristin Scroggins have both the vision and the credibility to speak to the issue of gospel-focused parenting. They have not only reared their children with grace and conviction, but have also taught countless other families how to do so. This book does not rely on any illusions that parenting is simple, or that following a set of abstract instructions will lead to guaranteed results. Instead, this book helps readers to see how the gospel can re-shape the way they love and form their children. This book addresses parenting with conviction, vulnerability, wisdom, humor, and honesty. Parents, and future parents, will be glad they read this book.

Russell Moore , president, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

We like this book a lot, and we do not say that because we dearly love the authors. First, it is full of wisdom and common sense that will greatly benefit any parent. Second, it hits head-on many of the issues twenty-first-century parents are facing. Third, it provides a simple and workable game plan for parenting. Fourth, Jimmy and Kristin know what they are talking about, having raised eight children! We are enthusiastic in our endorsement of this book. Read it and be blessed.

Danny Akin , president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Charlotte Akin

Christian parenting is challenging. Multiple, sinful influences debunk most every bedrock conviction held by Bible-believing Christians. Christian parents need help. In their new book, Full Circle Parenting: A Guide to Crucial Conversations , Jimmy and Kristin Scroggins provide proven guidelines to help Christian families. Veteran parents themselves, the Scrogginses get it when it comes to parenting. Their common-sense, biblically-based, parental encouragement will help guide you through the moral and cultural land mines of todays corrupt culture. We strongly recommend this timely book.

Steve and Donna Gaines , pastor and pastors wife, Bellevue Baptist Church

When our sons were teens, Jimmy and Kristin Scroggins were godly, wise voices that spoke into their lives and helped us lead and shape them into the men they are today. Thats why we are deeply grateful for their profound wisdom shared in these pages so other parents can learn to lead their children through crucial conversations to comprehend the deep and timeless truths they desperately need to face the intense spiritual, moral, and intellectual challenges of our day. This book is a godsend for Christian families!

Hershael and Tanya York , dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Womens Conference Speaker respectively

Full Circle Parenting offers timeless, biblical truths to encourage and equip parents in every season of their God-given journey. With the gospel as the framework and foundation, Jimmy and Kristin candidly share the challenges and joys of guiding children into a thriving relationship with Christ, their families, and future relationships. Full Circle Parenting reminds us that Jesus sees, saves, rescues, and restores and that true hope for our families is found in the transforming work of the gospel.

Lynette Ezell , mom of six and host of The Adopting & Fostering Home podcast

Copyright 2021 by Family Church

All rights reserved.

978-1-0877-1345-8

Published by B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

Dewey Decimal Classification: 649

Subject Heading: PARENTING / CHILD REARING / PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scriptures designated ( esv ), are taken from the English Standard Version, 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2011.

Scriptures designated ( nlt ) are taken from New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture designated ( cev ) are taken from Contemporary English Version, copyright 1995 by American Bible Society.

Cover design by B&H Publishing Group. Author photo by Jismarie Photography. Illustrations by Juicebox Designs and Yontsen/shutterstock.

It is the Publishers goal to minimize disruption caused by technical errors or invalid websites. While all links are active at the time of publication, because of the dynamic nature of the internet, some web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed and may no longer be valid. B&H Publishing Group bears no responsibility for the continuity or content of the external site, nor for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.

To our children: James and Reilly, Daniel and Mary-Madison, Jeremiah, Isaac, Stephen, Anna Kate, Mary Claire, and Caleb. We are cheering you on as you walk in Gods design. We love you dearly.

To our grandchildren: Little James, Willow Kate, and any others to follow (hopefully a lot!). Our love for you knows no bounds. May you always place your hope in God.

We have a lot of people to thank because a lot of people have loved us, mentored us, raised us, and helped us along the way in our parenting. Putting parenting ideas into a book is a lot harder than it sounds. And we developed these ideas over many years through observing, reading, and listening to others. Along the way we have read scores of parenting books, hundreds of articles on family life, listened to podcasts, attended seminars and conferences, and heard many, many, many sermons and talks on parenting. We acknowledge that very few, if any, of the parenting concepts in this book are truly original to us. One of our pastors famously wrote about sermon preparation: I milk a lot of cows, but I make my own butter. Same for us and our parenting material. So it would be fair to say that Full Circle Parenting has been a collaborative effort!

Our first and greatest parenting lessons were gained from our own parents, Jim and Jan Scroggins and George and Linda Nail. They brought us into the world, raised us up in the church, taught us to love Jesus, and showed us what godly parenting looked like. Their parenting expertise is validated in the love and lives of their grandchildren. We all rise up and call them blessed. We also love our siblings so much. Jody, Jonathan, and Kelli are our oldest and greatest friends. We are motivated by their relentless passion for their own children (our nieces and nephews).

Our other parenting mentors are too many to mention. But we feel compelled to acknowledge some very special couples who have had an outsized impact on our lives. Bob and Pam Tebow have known Jimmy since elementary school and Kristin since college. They have given us parenting resources, parenting instruction, and parenting examples. They were especially influential to us when the children were young. Danny and Charlotte Akin and Thom and Nellie Jo Rainer are boy parents. They showed us and taught us so many critical things about raising boys to be men. We had a front-row seat to the lovable shenanigans of their teenage boys and watched those parents respond with grace, wisdom, and humor to remarkable circumstances. Finally, Kevin and Lynette Ezell have served as life mentors and dear friends for the past twenty-five years. They have big brothered and big sistered us through our entire parenting journey to this point and continue to help shape our thinking about marriage, parenting, and ministry. Their love, support, and guidance are crucial for Team Scroggins.