Friel - RESET FOR PARENTS: how to keep your kids from backsliding

What Others Are Saying about Reset for Parents ...

Hard hitting. Theologically sound. Desperately needed.

Ray Comfort, Living Waters

If more parents understood their biblical responsibility in the discipleship of their children, there would be less 1 John 2:19 teens roaming around on the university campuses. Todd Friel is not just a good radio and television show host, he knows the Bible and is a good communicator of biblical truth. This book is a helpful resource for the church today.

Dr. Josh Buice, Prays Mill Baptist Church

Todd is at it again. Thankfully, that is a good thing. Why? Because Friels weapon of choice is not his own wit or wisdom (which he has gobs of), but rather, it is the Word of God. In Reset for Parents you wont be able to see how tall Todd is, but you will be able to hear his voice. A voice desperately wanting its readers to believe the good news about parenting. If you want minimalistic moralism, go elsewhere. If you want a book laced with the tincture of the Gospel, grab a comfy chair and be prepared to be graciously tilted.

Mike Abendroth, Pastor of Bethlehem Bible Church and host of No Compromise Radio You

As a father of five, Im painfully aware of the fact that there is a glaring dearth of solid, biblical resources to aid Christian parents in the stewardship of their precious children. But Reset for Parents is far more than just a solid, biblical resource its a counselor, an encourager, and a wise mentor that deals with the heart of the problem which is the problem of the heart. This book is a magnum opus on gardening. But it wont teach you how to whack weeds at ground level; it will show you how to go for the root. It will instruct you in how to till the soil of your childrens hearts in such a way that they will be primed to receive the seed of Gods Word bringing about an abundant harvest of eternal fruit for the glory of God. Its more than a must-read its principles are a must-learn, a must-do, and a must-share.

Emeal Zwayne, President, Living Waters

Too many evangelical books on parenting focus entirely on the work of training our kids to behave . While thats an important aspect of every parents duty, Christian moms and dads have an even higher calling: teaching our children to believe modeling the faith for them, faithfully living by the truth of Gods Word, raising our kids in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and thereby pointing them to Christ. Todd Friel brilliantly summarizes the essential whys and hows of gospel-centered parenting.

Phil Johnson, Executive Director, Grace to You

The subtitle of this book is wrong! It should be, How to Keep Parents from Backsliding . If you get this book you will probably keep your kids from backsliding as well. This book will bring you to your knees and lift you up to serve your children with more intentionally and more humility.

Tedd Tripp, President, Shepherding the Heart Ministries

Target your parenting toward salvation, not behavior. If you are a parent, that single sentence tells you why this book is not optional. Ive never seen a parenting book so rich in theology, church history, and tactics for engaging our kids not only in their daily hiccups, but on the foundational questions of life. Im not surprised. Todds book is well-written because his life is well-lived. I know this to be true. Ive worked with Todd in the studio. Ive seen him in times of great joy and under tough deadlines behave as a gospel-driven solider for Christ. I trust him to speak candidly into my life, to challenge me, knowing I will be a better man for it. And you can trust him to speak to your parenting through a crystal-clear biblical lens. Todd is a friend in the truest sense of the word. Please, read my friends book. In eternity, your kids will thank you.

Scott Klusendorf, President, Life Training Institute

Training youth in the truth is more than just a slogan today. Its more important than ever that we equip our children and teens with biblical truths: we must counteract the huge exodus of young people from our churches. Our research has shown that even in middle school, many of our teens are beginning to doubt the accuracy of Gods Word. And in many of their minds, they are already checking out of church. I praise God that Todd has a passion to help parents and church leaders rescue their youth and have them walk in truth, especially the truth of the gospel. Parents will find Todds book to be a powerful Bible-based how-to guide in improving their parenting skills.

Ken Ham, co-author of the book Already Gone , on why teens and young adults are leaving the church

I love Reset for Parents and wish it was written 25 years ago. Authored by a seasoned parent, this thoughtfully written and well-paced book comes with loads of specifics and practical examples. But at its core is a transcendent gospel paradigm, rooted in Law and grace, that can be applied in all situations for the benefit of parents and children alike. There is no greater task in parenting than plowing our childrens hearts to render them fit receptacles for the gospel, and Friels book provides wonderful help to this end. If you want to raise self-righteous Pharisees, this isnt the book for you. But if you want to raise good repenters who believe the gospel and cherish it deeply, then you will find much help for yourself on these pages.

Milton Vincent, author, The Gospel Primer

First printing: January 2017

Copyright 2016 by Todd Friel. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. For information write:

New Leaf Press, P.O. Box 726, Green Forest, AR 72638

New Leaf Press is a division of the New Leaf Publishing Group, Inc.

ISBN: 978-0-89221-752-6

Library of Con gress Number: 2016920255

Cover by Felicia Joyce Designs, LLC

Photo credit page 191: Emily Friel

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB), copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scriptures noted NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations noted ESV are from the English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved

Please consider requesting that a copy of this volume be purchased by your local library system.

Printed in the United States of America

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please contact the publicity department at (870) 438-5288.

Dedication

To my beloved children, Emily, Haley, and Jack. I am over the moon excited that my children are walking in the truth (3 John:4). I love you profoundly and I only wish I were half the parent this book describes. I am a million times sorry for all of the times I have failed you. I beg your forgiveness. May you do a thousand times better than your dad did.

To my wife, who knows I am not the man this book describes, thank you for being patient with me. I love you more every day.

To Dr. Tedd Tripp, your fingerprints are all over chapter 3. Thank you.

To Rick Thomas, 1 Corinthians 6:18 forbids lawsuits against fellow believers. Keep that in mind as you read my plagiarism of your excellent work in chapter 2.

Contents

Introduction

Why Parents Need a Reset