About Dr. Tedd Tripp
Tedd Tripp is the senior pastor of Grace Fellowship Church, Hazleton, Pennsylvania. He was married to Margy in 1968. They have three adult children and seven grandchildren. Tedd is a graduate of Geneva College, B.A. in History, Philadelphia Theological Seminary, M. Div., and Westminster Theological Seminary, D. Min. with an emphasis in Pastoral Counseling. Tedd is the author of the popular child-rearing book, Shepherding a Child's Heart.
Tedd has been an elder in Grace Fellowship Church since 1976 and pastor of the church since 1983. Before seminary Tedd worked as a contractor and in industry.
Tedd and Margy founded Immanuel Christian School in 1979 where Tedd has served as a teacher and administrator. Tedd and Margy still serve on the board of ICS. From 1985-1997 Tedd served as a counselor in the Lehigh Valley office of the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation. Since 1994, Tedd has maintained an extensive ministry as a conference speaker and presenter of Shepherding a Child's Heart Seminars. His books and video and audio materials are used throughout the world.
Find out more at www.gfchazleton.org.
|
Dr. Tripp talks with Kirk Cameron on TBN |
|
|
Watch it at your internet speed: |
For medium speed 100k |
| For High speed 300k | |
| The show plays on Windows Media Player. Tedd's conversation starts about 7 minutes into the program. You can watch from the beginning or just move the slider below the screen to the right to get closer to Tedd and Kirk's talk. | |
Essential Underpinnings of Parenting I frequently have the
opportunity to speak to young people who are raising
children. These opportunities leave me more and more
convinced of some biblical underpinnings that are essential to
making sense of the parenting task. God is concerned with the
heart – the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23). Parents tend
to focus on the externals of behavior rather than the internal
overflow of the heart. We tend to worry more about the “what”
of behavior than the “why”. Accordingly we spend enormous
amounts of energy in controlling and constraining behavior. To
the degree and extent our focus is on behavior we miss the
heart. The results are disastrous. When we miss the heart, we
miss the subtle idols of the heart. Romans 1 makes it clear
that all human beings are worshippers; either we worship God
or we make an exchange and worship and serve idols –
substitutes for God – created things rather than the Creator
(Romans 1:18-25). When parents short-circuit to behavior they
miss the opportunity to help their children understand that
straying behavior reflects a heart that has strayed. Our kids
always serve something, either God or a substitute for God –
some idol of the heart.
When we miss the
heart, we miss the gospel. If the goal of parenting is only
securing proper behavior we will never help our children
understand the internal things – the heart issues - that push
and pull behavior. Those internal issues: self-love,
rebellion, anger, bitterness, envy and pride of the heart show
our children how profoundly they need grace. If the problem
with children is deeper than inappropriate behavior, if the
problem is the way the heart has enthroned something other
than God, then the need for grace is established. Jesus came
to earth. Lived a perfect life and died as an infinite
sacrifice so that children (and their parents) can be
forgiven, transformed, liberated and empowered to love God and
others. When we miss the heart, we
miss the glory of God. Children (and adults) who have fallen
into various forms of personal idolatry need not only to tear
down the high places of alien gods, but to enthrone God.
Children are spring-loaded for worship. One of the most
important callings parents have is to display the greatness,
goodness and glory of the God for which they and their
children are made. Parents have the opportunity, through word
and deed, to show children the one true object of worship –
the God of the Bible. We know the greatest delights our
children can experience are found in being mesmerized,
delighted, and intrigued by the God who made them for his
glory. When I teach these things
parents often say, “These things are not just for my kids,
they are for me.” The parent who sees that is not only able to
teach, but is also able to incarnate these truths for their
children. Tedd Tripp
Hosted by
|
Cerritos Presbyterian Church EM
|