Tripp's 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

Overview of Book

Tripp presents“14 gospel principles that can radically change your family” (Title). As ambassadors for God, parents are to submit to being used as His tool in their family. God designed the family so the parents would need to turn to Him for help and point their children to God. God gives grace to the parent, parenting the parent while the parent is parenting the child. However, the child is not aware of his need for Christ; it is the parent’s job to bring him to that awareness. By employing fear, rewards, and shame, parents attempt to create change in their child; however, they have no power to change the child; only God can. As God’s tools, parents must derive their personal validation from Him, and not from their child.

First, Tripp misses an immense gospel outreach opportunity by not presenting the plan of salvation or how lead a child to the Lord. He makes vague references that the reader is a “Christian,” without defining the term (12). It refers to children as “lost,” needing “his grace” and “a new heart,” yet never defines what these terms specifically entail (101-05, 31, 176). In listing what a child needs, the author does not mention salvation, placing God’s love at the bottom and only partially quoting John 3:16, missing the key part (169). Also, none of the fourteen gospel principles are directly defined by God’s Word. Second, Tripp employs a substantial amount of Christian jargon. Undefined terms, such as ‘blow away,’ ‘grace,’ ‘celebrate,’ ‘shower,’ and ‘rest’ lead to confusion. For example, how does it work to “blow your child away with God’s patience, mercy, and love” (31)? What does it mean to “celebrate the gift of God’s Word” by reading it (190)? How does one “meditate upon and celebrate [God’s] power and presence and go” parent (193)? How does a parent “shower … children with grace” (201)? Where can a parent find out how to “rest … in God’s presence and power” so he isn’t “frustrated by [his] limits” (203)? Poetical descriptions can enrich a message; however, the reader needs to understand the terms. Third, Tripp often makes contradictory blanket statements. He writes that “our children are not just disobedient; they are

Although the book claims to be gospel-based on a “big picture parenting worldview,” it fails to be concerned with the state of the reader’s soul, which is the foundation of the “big picture” (11). A gospel-based book will briefly cover the plan of salvation because many parents struggle with their faith and salvation. Second, the book’s weaknesses often displace its strengths. The book’s principles are gospel-centered; however, they are not defined by God’s Word. Furthermore, Tripp vaguely refers to daily reading and studying the Bible one time (190). Prayer, how man communicates and fellowships with God, is only briefly discussed in the last pages (207-08). The key to good writing is clarity. Tripp’s method of using various phrases to circle around an issue is conversationally charming; however, it starts to become wearisome when the reader desires to understand the point. These extraneous phrases combined with undefined and theoretical Christian jargon often cloud the message. Tripp’s examples often are not explained or resolved. For example, the chapter on control begins with a variety of methods parents use to control their children; however, Tripp never defines whether any are acceptable or not (163-65). Third, the book seems to oddly focus on exhausted parents who are angry and hassled with “enforcing the law” (64, 116, 124). He fails to include parenting struggles such as