The Flourishing Family Study Guide

A six-session study to equip, empower, and help you feel less alone in your parenting journey.

What does the Bible actually say about parenting? How do we establish a Jesus-centered foundation for our family—and get our children to actually listen to us?

If you’re lost in the sea of parenting advice, you aren’t alone. Created for individual or small group use, Dr. David and Amanda Erickson guide Christian parents on their journey to confidently disciple and develop their children—without relying on threats and punishment.

Each session includes:

·       Extended teaching on the theology and principles from The Flourishing Family along with ideas back by neuroscience

·       Helps parents examine popular parenting methods such as gentle parenting through a Gospel lens

·       Practical exercises and invitations to infuse peace into your family relationships, practices, and behaviors

·       Discussion questions for reflection or for fostering community of like-minded parents

·       Introductory video available for streaming

 

In the midst of the chaos inherent to parenting, Jesus invites us to be anchored to His peace. He remains undisturbed by spills and messes, unruffled by sibling disagreements, and non-anxious about our internal struggles. In The Flourishing Family Study Guide, discover how to parent with grace and patience, peace and purpose.

 

Includes six sessions:

Session 1: Choosing a New Way
Session 2: Love over Fear
Session 3: Trust-Based Obedience
Session 4: What to Do with Sin and Conflict

Session 5: Discipline as Discipleship

Session 6: A Legacy of Peace

 

Designed for use with the book The Flourishing Family and The Flourishing Family Streaming Collection, both sold separately.

 

-          Features:

·       Six teaching videos from Dr. David and Amanda Erickson, approximately 12 – 15 minutes, available for additional purchase individually or as one complete series

·       Leader’s Guide

·       Group discussion questions and prayer prompts

·       Pages for notetaking and personal reflection

·       Callouts to enhance your study experience

·       Appendix: A Letter to Pastors

 

-          Video Session summaries

o   Session One: Choosing a New Way (12:00)— Seeking to parent with Jesus at the center of our homes and families is a radical departure from the status quo. While our society often seems to value our children’s compliance over their discipleship, David and Amanda encourage us to consider how we may want to parent differently. A helpful first step is identifying our core family values.

o   Session Two: Love over Fear (14:06)— Fear-based consequences can seem productive for short-term behavior modification, but they don’t move our children toward the loving heart of Jesus. In this session, David and Amanda teach us how to begin to learn to calm our own frustrations and extend peace and love to our children in difficult moments.

o   Session Three: Trust-Based Obedience (12:46)— Many parents expect immediate obedience from their children, but David and Amanda share that Jesus’ view of obedience was actually very different. By looking closely at the parable of two sons, we see that Jesus recognized trust as the key that unlocks genuine and confident obedience. 

o   Session Four: What to Do with Sin and Conflict (14:08)— One of our most important jobs as parents is helping our children navigate the reality of sin, both in themselves and in others. As we do this, David and Amanda caution us not to equate childishness with sinfulness and to always keep restoration and reconciliation as the desired outcome.

o   Session Five: Discipline as Discipleship (15:35)— David and Amanda challenge the idea that discipline means pain and punishment. Instead, they explain that Christlike discipline is built on teaching and training our children for faithfulness.

o   Session Six: A Legacy of Peace (14:43)— We all desire to have peaceful homes and families. In this session, David and Amanda share that peace comes from trusting God’s plans for our children and embracing long-term parenting goals, which include helping our children cultivate wisdom as they gradually grow in maturity.