Suffering can come at us when we least expect it. Life seems to be going well and then a large incident comes at us. Or maybe it is a series of smaller thigns that are repeated over and over. Often we can think that Jesus’ presence is far away. Does he know about what I am going throuh? Does he even care? I recently preached a short meditation on Jesus' response to the death of Lazarus in John 11. This short message might be exactly what you or a friend or even your teen needs at this moment....
Mar 11, 2021•23 min
How do we actually love our spouse in a way that honors the Lord? And the more we think about it, what is love? The culture is certainly sending us mixed messages. What does godly love look like? In today's podcast we're going to talk with Bob Lepine about his book Love Like You Mean It: The Heart of a Marriage That Honors God. In that resource, Bob walks us through the most well-known passage on love in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
Feb 25, 2021•41 min
Nothing is more precious to us than our children and their innocence. But how do we know that when we drop them off at school or church it is a safe place? And what can we do to make it safer? In today’s podcast, we are going to talk to my friend Jeff Dalrymple about a ministry that can help diminish the threat of sexual abuse in the church. This is a vital topic both for the safety of our children and the reputation of Christ. Jeff has been the catalyst behind a new national organization – The ...
Feb 12, 2021•24 min
What is the most relevant parenting book to help you face the new year? In this episode, I point you to the one essential resource for your family. It has the answer to every problem you will face. In this episode where we continue to hit restart, I invite you to listen to a sermon I recently preached. In our time together we looked at the well-known passage of 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Although I didn’t make specific applications to parents, I think they will be obvious. All of us need God’s book for ...
Jan 21, 2021•39 min
Last year was a tumultuous summer. Between the fears of quarantine and rationing to the well-publicized shootings and resulting protests and riots, it will be remembered in the history books. Our countries politics are more divided and acrimonious than in recent memory. And Christians were and are divided about the proper causes and responses to these event. Does God’s word apply to this moment? The prophet Habakkuk lived in a time when there was profound injustice among God’s people. When he cr...
Jan 08, 2021•40 min
Family worship and devotions can be an ongoing source of guilt. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In today’s podcast we are going to talk with Dr. David Murray. Dr. Murray has just released the book Exploring the Bible Together: A 52-week Family Worship plan. But before you become overwhelmed with that take a listen to this podcast. You will discover that it is a simple plan that takes about 4-5 minutes a day. I think you are going to love it. In addition, it is family companion to the study f...
Jun 17, 2020•31 min
Not again! You’ve lost it with the children, yelling at them and hitting the table. And you see them cower in fear or scramble to their rooms. You end up feeling ashamed and embarrassed. “What is wrong with me?” you say to yourself. “How can I get control of my anger?” In this podcast, we’re going to talk about answers to that question. We’re going to listen in on a webinar that I conducted on that very topic.
Jun 04, 2020•28 min
Words, words, words. If you’re a parent, words are flying around your house. Sometimes those words are helpful, and as you well know, many times they’re sinful. How do we get a handle on all those words? How do we communicate well, and how do we teach our children to communicate well? In this podcast, we’re going to talk about five principles of healthy communication.
May 22, 2020•28 min
The media, internet, and screens can seem like a tsunami, overwhelming us and our children. Sometimes it seems to disciple our children more than we do. What should a parent do? In this podcast, I talked with Tim Challies about his perspective on the media and its use in his family. In our time together we talked about some insights on this new world that could guide us as parents.
May 13, 2020•28 min
Does Christian history seem boring to you? Would you like a fun flyover of Christian History to gain some perspective on your heritage as a Christian? In this podcast, I talked with Tim Challies about his new book and video series – Epic – An Around-the-World Journey through Christian History.
Apr 29, 2020•21 min
This is a strange and disruptive time that got me thinking about hosting a fire-side chat or webinar to help us get through this time. I hosted my first last Tuesday night. It was entitled Fathers at Home: Finding Joy in the New Normal. I spent some time giving 12 suggestions for dads. The time together starts with perspective and becomes more and more practical as the chat goes on. Although it is aimed at dads, it definitely could apply to moms as well. I hope you will be helped by it....
Apr 16, 2020•33 min
There's so much confusing parenting advice out there. Everyone seems to have an opinion. But who's right? What if we could cut through the clutter and hear from a real expert? What if we could hear from God himself? Sometimes we need to go back to a book with just God's words in it, and say, "This is what God commands." Pastor Erik Raymond did an excellent job succinctly opening up a passage in Ephesians 6. I liked it so much that I wanted to share it with you.
Mar 11, 2020•45 min
Valentine's Day is upon us again. Like it or not, it affects us. The messages of romantic love come at us and our children. Can we capture them for good?
Feb 14, 2020•23 min
We want to have the joy of telling others about Jesus and we want to train our children in this way also. It is a joyful privilege when God uses us. But how do we go about doing that? Sharing the love of Christ is often a individual endeavor. In today’s podcast, I have a conversation with Tim Zulker and Miranda Laughlin about a summer park ministry that has flourished here in Providence. It is called Summer Off. It might be a way for you and your family to lead a summer outreach in your area....
Jan 31, 2020•45 min
You've been married now for more than a few years. Kids are everywhere. Work is hard. Fights seem to be increasing. Is this what you signed up for? Would you do it again? Would you still say "I do"? In today’s podcast, we are going to continue talking with Dave Harvey. In this time together we're going to be talking about his newest book, which is scheduled to drop in January of 2020, I Still Do: Growing Closer and Stronger through Life's Defining Moments. I think it will help you do just that. ...
Jan 15, 2020•27 min
Prodigal. What comes to mind when you hear that word? For some it may be Jesus's beloved story of the father and the two sons. But for others, that word may be a son or daughter, husband or wife who has turned their back on the faith. In Today’s podcast, we are going to talk with Dave Harvey about his book Letting Go: Rugged Love for Wayward Souls. Dave has walked through this situations himself. And it drove deeper into the Scriptures. This book and this interview is some of the fruit of that d...
Jan 03, 2020•30 min
What comes to mind when you hear the word "sloth?"The strange animal from the rainforest of South America? Your teenage son? What if I told you that this word might be more applicable to your parenting than you think? Joel Sedam is a young pastor friend that I am privileged to know. We were talking recently and he mentioned a sermon he had done on the subject of sloth and how it had caused a paradigm shift in him. How he saw sloth all around. That led me to say, "Let's talk about this on a podca...
Dec 20, 2019•38 min
Are you rushing around getting ready for the holiday season? What can you do to remember well this incredible divine event that we celebrate each year? In today’s podcast I’m delighted to present to you a conversation I had with Dan Darling about his new book The Characters of Christmas: The Unlikely People Caught Up in the Story of Jesus. If you want something to freshen up your Christmas, this short book is for you. Dan walks through numerous characters including Joseph, Mary, the Shepherds, a...
Nov 20, 2019•33 min
Not again! You lost it, you're furious, and you feel like a total failure. You yelled, slammed the door, hit the table, or threw your purse. Then the shame and guilt set in. "These are my precious children! What am I thinking? What can I do?" What are we talking about? Anger. And the fact is, it is far too prevalent in our parenting. And then we feel guilt or shame, so we cover it up. The following podcast is a short sermon I preached on becoming a more patient follower of Christ. How? By attack...
Nov 07, 2019•32 min
Whining, lying, interrupting, complaining, arguing, gossiping. Our tongues are a deadly poison. Are you having trouble dealing with the words of your children? Scripture says that the tongue is a deadly poison. And that poison comes into the house through the sinful hearts of everyone who lives there. For parents, shepherding our children through these issues can be difficult. How do I handle issues like whining, lying, interrupting, complaining, gossiping? In this podcast, we talk with Ginger H...
Oct 23, 2019•35 min
Are you weary in the work of training and discipline? Have you lost sight of the reason God has called you to this? I recently have been thinking about parents of young children who are tempted to grow weary in this good and exhausting task because they forget the why. But it is a good and important work. Listen to our newest podcast - Chapter 17 of The Disciple-Making Parent.
Oct 10, 2019•22 min
In today’s podcast, we talk with my friend Dr. Tom Hines about choosing and trusting a pediatrician over the long haul. As our country grows increasingly hostile to the gospel, Christian parents can overreact or under-react. I think this will help you think through this issue. This podcast reminds me what a treasure and gift excellent, supportive, Christian pediatricians are. I believe that this is vital information that will help young parents in the days ahead.
Sep 25, 2019•34 min
As a Christian, do you look around at the messiness of those who call themselves Christians. Does their bizarre behavior make you doubt your own faith? In today’s podcast we try to answer the question – Can Jesus explain the mess that Christianity seems to be in? Does this mess discredit Jesus? I think it is vital that our young people understand these issues. Otherwise, they can be tempted to say, I don’t want to be part of this craziness. Let’s tune in and start thinking about how we can expla...
Sep 06, 2019•23 min
n this podcast I talk with Eric Bancroft. Eric is the pastor of Grace Church in Miami, he has been married for 22 years and has three teenage sons. During this episode, we talk about helping our kids think through the area of sex and how we disciple them through this.
Aug 21, 2019•39 min
The Kauflin name is probably very familiar to you. Although you may know him for his contribution to worship, you may not know that Bob Kauflin has thought a lot about parenting. I first heard Bob teach on parenting at a conference probably about 10 years ago and I thought, "This is excellent teaching from a godly man." He and Julie graciously agreed to talk with me recently. Bob is the Director of Sovereign Grace Music and the author of numerous popular worship songs. He is also the author of t...
Jul 24, 2019•58 min
Jul 06, 2019•14 min
Do you and your spouse argue about money? Do you have a common understanding of what the Bible teaches about money? How are you teaching your children about money? In today’s podcast, I want to introduce you to my friend Daniel Howe. Daniel is the pastor of Christ Reformed Presbyterian church in East Providence RI. I invited him to address some of our families in our church and talk about the budgeting software application “You Need a Budget”. I have just recently discovered this online site and...
Jun 21, 2019•24 min
As Christians, we are commanded many times in the New Testament to love one another. But how does that play out in our daily lives? And how do we train our children in this? Jesus told us that all people will know we are his disciples if we love one another. In fact, that command is repeated 11 other times in the New Testament. But what does that love look like? In today’s podcast, I invite you to listen in on five different aspects or facets of this diamond. You may think of these things as si...
Jun 05, 2019•24 min
Studies show that young people who are connected with other adults in church have a much higher percentage of remaining with the faith. But as a parent, how can we facilitate this? And as a church leader, what can we contribute? In this episode, Tony Souder of the Pray for Me Campaign discusses how he has helped supercharge this idea for churchwide application.
May 22, 2019•42 min
As a mom, do you find yourself constantly comparing yourself with other families and feeling inferior? Do you feel overwhelmed trying to do this mom thing? Always feeling like there is more to do? Then this podcast is for you.
May 08, 2019•17 min
