The King of Habits

On the eighteenth episode of the Family Discipleship Podcast the hosts (Adam Griffin, Chelsea Griffin, and Cassie Bryant) talk about Habits of the Household with author, husband, lawyer, and father Justin Whitmel Earley. 

You can follow Justin here on instagram and you can connect with him on his website here https://www.justinwhitmelearley.com/. 

Questions we asked Justin in this episode: 

• For those who have not read the book, can you tell us a little about it and why you wrote it? 
• Can you explain habits of the household as liturgies? 
• Can you speak a little bit to why parents need to develop better habits in discipline instead of just going with our instincts? 
• How does the gospel impact what you say to your kids in moments of discipline? 
• Can you explain what you mean in that chapter on discipline when you say parents should “insist on apologies as confession”? 
• Is there any example from you and Lauren’s home that could help remind our listeners that you are not perfect at this either? 
• What can you say to encourage the family that has tried and tried and tried to form new habits and they feel like they keep failing? 
• When a mom or a dad gets to the end of the book, what do you hope they walk away with? What do you hope they feel? How do you hope to shape their view of God? 
• Before we let you go, would you mind sharing with us, what are the prayers you have for your kids right now? If our listeners want to pray for you, what can they ask God for on your behalf?

Some of our favorite quotes from Justin Earley in this episode:

• “The ordinary stuff is the extraordinary stuff. The normal domestic moment Is the place of incredible spiritual formation and that to me is incredibly exciting as you think about parenting. You are in a world of thick spiritual formation where bedtimes, mealtimes, car rides, how you pass a plate at dinner, how you pray, everything you share, is the training ground for hearts to learn to love God and love their neighbor.”   
• “Lord, help me remember that I am more like them than I think and help me to respond with the grace and truth that you give me.”
• “I ask my kids, “Do you know that I love you no matter what you do?”” 
• “It is a given of life that we will sin against each other, but what is not a given is whether or not we will reconcile. Practicing small acts that lead us into confession, repentance, and reconciliation – that’s really the difference between a house that’s being formed in the image of the story of the bible and a house that just knows it but doesn’t act like it.”
• “None of our habits will change God’s love for us. That’s good news. But what’s even better news is that God’s love will change our habits.” 
• “God is the truest and most loving parent that any of us have. Most of parenting is not how we are shaping our kids but rather how God is shaping us and our kids.” 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Common Rule
• Habits of the Household
• “Christ calls us to care for those living in poverty—including parents working hard for their children’s future. Download your free copy of Created to Flourish: How Employment-Based Solutions Help Eradicate Poverty, to learn how. HOPE International fights physical and spiritual poverty in 16 countries through Christ-centered microenterprise development.”

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To read more about family discipleship, check out the book Family Discipleship: Leading Your Home Through Time, Moments, and Milestones by Adam Griffin and Matt Chandler. 

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