SHEPHERDING
THE HEART

How do we reach our children’s hearts and guide them in developing righteous, godly character? Learn how to be a good leader and shepherd to your children, emulating Jesus Christ’s own example as the Good Shepherd. 

Faith in God is regularly developed through courage in trusting Him. Courage is a foundational character trait in the life of a Christian. Learn how to actively build it in your children’s lives and learn about the “giants” that tend to keep us from moving forward in faith and confidence. 

An attitude of choice and deep appreciation, gratitude should be a fundamental trait of a Christian. Help your children cultivate this beautiful quality, even through hardships, ultimately looking to God as the giver of all good gifts. Counteract selfishness with gratitude.

How do you instill the value of honesty in your children in a society that devalues it? What does a life of truth look like in a servant of God? Find answers to these questions and even more wisdom in our study on honesty.

Could you and your family use more joy in your lives? God commands us to rejoice and to have joy, despite the dreariness and dangers of this world. Delve into this study to find out how to increase your joy and more fully experience this beautiful trait of the fruit of the Spirit.

Kindness is a topic that goes much deeper than just being outwardly polite. It springs from a deep desire to love our neighbor and extend godly compassion to others. Help your children learn and develop sincere thoughtfulness in action through kindness.

Obedience is an attitude of the heart, demonstrated through love and trust. Read about how to cultivate the attitude of obedience in your children, learn about positive roles of authority, and discover how the concept of sowing and reaping reinforces this necessary and sometimes misunderstood quality.

Patience is a broad topic and overlaps with many other character traits, including faith and self-control. How can you stretch patience in your children and work to build it in yourself as well? Learn about longsuffering (patience with people) and endurance (patience with circumstances) and how to improve in both areas.

Just how do you wage battle with peace? What are some common barriers to peace and what can you do about them? Learn the answers to these questions and how to actively pursue the peace of God within your family and beyond.

Proper Christian service requires an outward focus on the needs of others carried out in humility and not self-seeking glory. It emulates our ultimate example, Jesus Christ, who came not to be served but to serve. Develop this habit in your family and see how one person truly can make a difference.

Print these cards on card stock to accompany the nine Shepherding the Heart lessons. Display them around your home as you work on each character trait.

In Philippians 4:8 Paul tells us to meditate on certain things, including "whatever things are true." But what is truth?

In Philippians 4:8 Paul tells us to meditate on eight different characteristics. But what is meditation? Why is it important? And how do we do it?

In Philippians 4:8 Paul tells us to meditate on "whatever things are noble." How must we think about true things that are also noble?

In Philippians 4:8 Paul tells us to meditate on "whatever things are just." What does it mean to be just? How can we think about being just?

This learning activity is to accompany the Courage lesson from the Shepherding the Heart section on EEI. Use the blank cards to add your own scriptures and examples of courage as a family. Refer to your Courage Cards as you study the topic or when someone needs a “courage boost.”

In this series on Philippians 4:8, the next characteristic Paul tells us to meditate on is purity. How can we strive to stay pure in an impure world? In this lesson we will discuss what it means to be pure and how we can live a more pure life.