Children Don’t Need Perfect Parents—They Need a Perfect Savior
Juan and Jeanine Sanchez offer a guide to parenting with gospel grace and practical application
Raising children can feel overwhelming as you try to navigate the many voices telling you what to do and not to do, but God has already given you everything you need to be faithful parents. In Reaching a Child’s Heart: A Practical Guide to Faithful Parenting (New Growth Press/May 6, 2024), Juan and Jeanine Sanchez encourage parents from their gospel-shaped perspective that children don’t need perfect parents—they need a perfect Savior.
“Parenting is hard. It’s the hardest and most humbling thing I’ve ever done. Quite often I felt like a failure. But my kids didn’t need me to be a perfect dad, and they didn’t need Jeanine to be a perfect mom. They need a perfect Savior, and they have that in Jesus,” Juan writes. “What they needed from us was an example of humility, faithfulness, patience, repentance, and love. They needed us to help them see the impact of the gospel in everyday situations. They needed us to be willing to teach them God’s Word and to show them the Father’s love.”
After hearing from parents who are frustrated by their kids’ behavior and exhausted by the world’s wisdom, Juan and Jeanine wanted to sit down with parents and encourage them with God’s plan for raising children. As they share their own journey of parenting five children, the authors highlight the importance of a team-based approach to parenting. They emphasize focusing on children’s hearts, rather than behavior modification, and illustrate how daily faithfulness in the routine cares of life is never a waste of time. The authors start by sharing how a parent’s desire for their children should be the same as God’s: that they would reflect the image and glory of God. A parent’s job is to teach them God’s truths and hold them to God’s standard and when they fail, point them to Jesus, the One who gives a new heart and his empowering Spirit.
“The main point we want to stress is the importance of knowing God’s Word so that you may know God. This is our aim—to know him, that we may become like him. When the truth of God’s Word is in our hearts, we can pass it along to our children. But we must also lead our children by the example of our actions,” Jeanine explains.
Reaching Your Child’s Heart provides a down-to-earth, practical guide for parents that will help them move from survival mode to joyful, Christ-dependent parenting. For every parent who may be exhausted and discouraged, they can take heart from the simple, biblical principles shared in Reaching Your Child’s Heart as the authors:
- introduce a biblical and theological foundation for the role of parents,
- expose the dangers of child-centered parenting,
- offer practical guidance on establishing healthy patterns for children’s security and success,
- provide practical help for practicing gospel-based discipline,
- guide parents in navigating the teenage years so that they may be enjoyed,
- include questions for reflection for individual use or group discussion.
Keri Folmar, author of the Delighting in the Word Bible studies and cohost of the Priscilla Talk podcast writes, “Reaching Your Child’s Heart establishes a firm, biblical foundation for godly parenting and provides a wealth of advice on how to live it out. Not formulaic but eminently practical, this book doesn’t stir up guilt but gives the hope of the gospel. Offering many helpful illustrations, these seasoned parents walk alongside you with good counsel for the various challenges of parenting in the different stages of your children’s lives. Read this book and use the insightful questions to discuss with your spouse and other parents in your church. Whether you’re a new parent or have teenagers, it will equip you to shepherd your children, pointing them to Christ.”
Reaching Your Child’s Heart: A Practical Guide to Faithful Parenting
by Juan and Jeanine Sanchez
May 6, 2024
ISBN: 978-1-64507-318-5
Retail Price: $18.99
Religion / Christian Living / Parenting
About the Authors
Juan Sanchez, MDiv, ThM, PhD, serves as senior pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, TX and is a council member of The Gospel Coalition, cofounder and president of Coalición, and an associate professor of theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has authored numerous books, including 1 Peter for You and The Leadership Formula and is the coauthor of Reaching Your Child’s Heart with his wife, Jeanine.
Jeanine Sanchez teaches English and writing to children and teaches the Bible to women. When not in the classroom, Jeanine enjoys reading, hospitality, watching Florida football, and spending time with her adult children and her grandchildren.
Juan and Jeanine have been married over thirty years and are the parents of five adult daughters, They live in the Austin, TX area.
Learn more at www.jandjsanchez.com. Follow the Sanchezes on Facebook (Juan R. Sanchez), X (@manorjuan), and Instagram (@manorjuan and @
For review copy and interview information, contact:
Audra Jennings – audra@newgrowthpress.com
