Let's Parent on Purpose: Christian Marriage, Parenting, and Discipleship

What do you do when fear grips you up in the middle of the night?  Pastor Louie Giglio joins me today for a transparent conversation on anxiety, depression, and worry. He shares his personal struggles, research on real and imagined fears, and most importantly, the pathway to peace through Jesus. We talk about our own seasons of anxiety and how Jesus gives us worship as a tool to combat the doubts in the night. Finally, Louie shares about the confidence we can have in Jesus to carry our worries, since he has already carried our sin.  Louie Giglio is Pastor of Passion City Church and Original Visionary of the Passion movement, which exists to call a generation to leverage their lives for the fame of Jesus. Since 1997, Passion Conferences has gathered collegiate-aged young people in events across the US and around the world. Most recently, Passion 2022 hosted 55,000 students and leaders. Louie is the national-bestselling author of over a dozen books including his newest release, Winning the War on Worry. An Atlanta native and graduate of Georgia State University, Louie has done post-graduate work at Baylor University and holds a master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Louie and Shelley make their home in Atlanta.    Resources Mentioned:  Louie Giglio’s recent trilogy of books:  Winning the War on Worry: https://amzn.to/3RsbJoG Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table: https://amzn.to/3BQapGu At the Table with Jesus: https://amzn.to/3dRTLOG Sign up for my Things for Thursday Email: https://tinyurl.com/292kv68y Support Let’s Parent on Purpose! https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/

Today we are celebrating episode 300 of Let’s Parent on Purpose! I am joined today by both of my sons, Elijah and Micah Holland. The boys share what it was like to go through leukemia, relapse, and then bone marrow transplant together. We talk about worries, struggles, and the picture of Christ we find in bone marrow transplant. Additionally I share about the future of Let’s Parent on Purpose, including the beginning of the 127 Project to grow the outreach of Let’s Parent on Purpose and to take care of orphans. On this day of celebration, I want to say a big Thank You to every listener, supporter, and guest I’ve spent time with in the last 300 episodes. Parenting is a marathon, not a sprint, and we are all better with intentional investment in our marriage, parenting, and walk with Jesus. Thanks for sticking around for the first 300, I look forward to the next 300!   Elijah and Micah Holland are the sons of Jay and Emily Holland. In 2014 Elijah was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. After 3.5 years of treatment and 4 years off of chemo, Elijah relapsed in September of 2021. By God’s grace, his brother (and bunkmate) Micah was a Perfect Sibling Match as a bone marrow donor. In the spring of 2022, Micah gave over one liter of his bone marrow to save his brother’s life. Today both boys are healthy and thriving as they catch up on school, play in the church band together, and try to avoid emptying the dishwasher and cleaning their room.   Resources Mentioned: LPOP 1 It’s a Marathon - https://letsparentonpurpose.com/2016/12/30/lpop-1-its-a-marathon/ Episode 235 Finding a Mission in Chemotherapy with Elijah Holland: https://letsparentonpurpose.com/2016/12/30/lpop-1-its-a-marathon/ Sign up for my Things for Thursday Email: https://tinyurl.com/292kv68y Support Let’s Parent on Purpose! https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/

This is the second half of my conversation with Dan Seaborn on how to parent a child who is identifying as a different gender or sexuality. Be sure to first listen to episode 298 What if Your Children Identify With a Different Gender or Sexuality?  In this half of the discussion, we talk the term “Super-Straight” as well as the peer pressure that labels traditional sexual ethics as toxic. Dan encourages parents away from humiliation and towards humility as we process our children’s struggles. We discuss trusted resources for counseling if your child has more than a passing interest or questions. And finally Dan encourages us in how healing is not about turning our orientation towards heterosexuality, but in finding our orientation with who Christ made us to be. Be sure to share this episode with moms and dads you know are struggling with this topic!   Dan Seaborn, M.A., is the founder and president of Winning At Home, an organization that supports marriages and families. As an author, speaker, and leader of the Marriage and Family Network of AACC, Dan uses humor, practical illustrations, and real-life examples to teach others how to win at home. He has authored thirteen books and holds a master’s degree in Christian ministries. His new book, Winning at Home, will be available nationwide on September 13, 2022.     Resources Mentioned: Episode 297 Equipping our children for conversations on sexuality and gender identity with Sean McDowell Episode 216 Talking to Your Children About Sexuality and Gender Identity: https://tinyurl.com/ycyb6a4d Sign up for my Things for Thursday Email: https://tinyurl.com/292kv68y Support Let’s Parent on Purpose! https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/

Culture continues to saturate our children with messages on gender and sexuality. Parents should expect their children to come to them with questions about these topics. At some point, there’s a reasonable likelihood your child might approach you confused or identifying as a different gender or sexuality. What are you going to do?  In the first half of a two part conversation with author and counselor Dan Seaborn, we talk about how to react to that first revelation. Dan reminds us how to keep perspective rather than panic, and how we can even celebrate the fact that our kids are even willing to talk to us. We discuss the way God has redeemed our own sexual sins. He speaks encouragement (from personal experience) for parents who are grieving wayward children. Dan also addresses the realities of the different culture our children live in compared to our child.   Dan Seaborn, M.A., is the founder and president of Winning At Home, an organization that supports marriages and families. As an author, speaker, and leader of the Marriage and Family Network of AACC, Dan uses humor, practical illustrations, and real-life examples to teach others how to win at home. He has authored thirteen books and holds a master’s degree in Christian ministries. His new book, Winning at Home, will be available nationwide on September 13, 2022.     Resources Mentioned: Episode 297 Equipping our children for conversations on sexuality and gender identity with Sean McDowell Episode 216 Talking to Your Children About Sexuality and Gender Identity: https://tinyurl.com/ycyb6a4d Sign up for my Things for Thursday Email: https://tinyurl.com/292kv68y Support Let’s Parent on Purpose! https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/

There is no way to completely shelter your children from the cultural campaign on gender identity and sexuality. Dr. Sean McDowell shares how we can equip ourselves to walk alongside our children, asking questions, and teaching them how to have loving, biblical worldview in their schools and sports teams.   Dr. Sean McDowell is a gifted communicator with a passion for equipping the church, and in particular young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. He connects with audiences in a tangible way through humor and stories while imparting hard evidence and logical support for viewing all areas of life through a Biblical worldview. Sean is an Associate Professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. Sean’s most recent book is called A Rebel’s manifesto: Choosing Truth, Real Justice, & Love amid the Noise of Today’s World.   Resources Mentioned: Sean’s Website: www.seanmcdowell.org A Rebel’s Manifesto: https://seanmcdowell.org/item/a-rebels-manifesto Episode 216 Talking to Your Children About Sexuality and Gender Identity: https://tinyurl.com/ycyb6a4d Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets by Andy Stanley: https://amzn.to/3AtzUhq Sign up for my Things for Thursday Email: https://tinyurl.com/292kv68y Support Let’s Parent on Purpose! https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/

How does a child know when they are accepted as an adult? In our modern world, young people are often left to figure this out on their own. Many never do. I’m joined by author Steven Arms, who shares with me the family Rite of Passage tradition he experienced at 13 years old to welcome his as an adult member of his family. We discuss the importance of affirming manhood and womanhood, the need for a tribe of mentors, as well as the specifics of how to create a Rite of Passage experience for a young man. I also share how our church affirms our graduates with a Rite of Passage Ceremony their senior year.   Steven Arms is a co-author of the book Milestone to Manhood: A Christian Rite of Passage to Help Your 13-Year-Old Son Make the Leap from Boyhood to Manhood. In the book, Steven shares his firsthand experience of his Rite of Passage weekend and reflects on how it shaped him into the man that he is today. Steven lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Emily, and is the proud father of two young children.   Resources Mentioned: Buy the book Milestone to Manhood: https://amzn.to/3LevzTb   Visit Steven and David’s website: www.milestonetomanhood.com   Sign up for my Things for Thursday Email: https://tinyurl.com/292kv68y   Support Let’s Parent on Purpose! https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/

Six years ago I started a simple habit of writing five lines in a daily journal. Today I share six insights I have from this practice as I try to encourage you to develop this four minute habit. Listen to me explain how I learned: 1. God is faithful 2. My seasons of discontent are truly seasonal 3. Ingrained habits take very little willpower 4. Many of my plans don’t work out. Actually, most don’t. 5. My wife just keeps getting more awesome. 6. It’s only through journaling daily did I to discover some of the sneaky blessings of God in my life.   Resources Mentioned: The Levenger 5-year journal: https://amzn.to/3TfRlJI Sign up for my Things for Thursday Email: https://tinyurl.com/292kv68y Support Let’s Parent on Purpose! https://letsparentonpurpose.com/ support/  

There is a general principle that states that 70% of our learning comes from experience, 20% from the people in our lives, and 10% from formalized instruction and book education. Today I reflect on how these truths might impact the way we parent and approach spiritual development in our households and churches.   Resources Mentioned: What is the 70 20 10 Model in Learning and Development? https://elearningindustry.com/70-20-10-model-learning-and-development Sign up for my Things for Thursday Email: https://tinyurl.com/292kv68y Support Let’s Parent on Purpose! https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/

Whether you are surviving a middle school lunch room or trying to navigate the adult relationships in your life, there will always be mean people. Based on an excellent sermon on the same topic from Andy Stanley at North Point Church, I walk through insights about getting even vs. giving love. We look at how attempting to get even almost cost David his future kingdom. Finally we consider the following set of questions to help us deal with the mean people in our lives: Do you want to be even with someone you don’t even like? How much control are you giving this person in your head? When this is nothing more than a story to tell, what story do you want to tell? What would it look like to return good for for? Is Jesus your king… really?   Resources Mentioned: North Point Church: Mean People and What to do about them: https://bit.ly/3c24UeT  Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets by Andy Stanley: https://amzn.to/3AtzUhq Sign up for my Things for Thursday Email: https://tinyurl.com/292kv68y Support Let’s Parent on Purpose! https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/

Great marriages don’t happen without intentional work. There’s a saying: “your habits will determine the direction and quality of your life.” In the same way, your marriage habits will determine the direction and quality of your marriage. As we wrap up our Building Blocks for a Healthy Marriage series, Nathan and Amy Oliver share with us five powerful habits to practice for a healthy marriage. We will learn the power of 10 Minutes of check-in each day A weekly date night 3 Consecutive nights away each year Regular family business meetings Developing a Care List so your spouse knows how to best show you love Nathan and Amy Oliver are both licensed professional therapists and members of Covenant Fellowship Baptist Church in Stuart, Florida. They specialize in marriage/family therapy, teens/young adults, substance addiction, depression, and anxiety. The Olivers are individually available for virtual counseling sessions. To find out more visit www.olivercounselling.com   Resources Mentioned: Sign up for my Things for Thursday Email: https://tinyurl.com/292kv68y www.olivercounseling.com Trusted Pet Sitters: https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/ Support Let’s Parent on Purpose! https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/