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

This episode is a crossover podcast from Stories of Hope with Dr. Samuel Thomas of Hopegivers International. Hear Dr. Sam share about arranged marriages, dowries, and a horrible custom that still happens today in some homes when the money runs out. Listen to how the love of Jesus Christ rescues the most hopeless, and pray about how your family could get involved to help.  Dr. Samuel Thomas is the president and CEO of Hopegivers International. He is a pastor, speaker, and humanitarian who has given his life to help the least of the earth find the love of Christ. You can learn more about the ministry of Hopegivers at www.hopegivers.org   Resources Mentioned:  You can learn more about the 127 Project and support Let’s Parent on Purpose here: https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/   Listen to Stories of Hope with Dr. Samuel Thomas on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-of-hope-with-dr-samuel-thomas/id1545599796

Today I share an exciting update as Let’s Parent on Purpose is now a ministry of The 127 Project. All of your giving is now tax deductible. In addition to supporting Let’s Parent on Purpose, your giving will help build a Hope Home for Dowry Castaway children in India.  I also share a set of questions to help you evaluate the discipleship growth of yourself and your children. Listen as I discuss how the following questions can help you grow in discipleship:  For an initial believer: Head Do I understand the gospel?   Do I believe the gospel?   Heart Am I convicted of sin? Am I drawn to Jesus?   Hands Have I surrendered my life to Jesus? Have I received His forgiveness and grace?   For an ongoing disciple (compared to past self, not to other people): Head How Am I growing in understanding God and His Word? What do I now know how to teach or share to another?   Heart Am I tender to the things of Jesus? How would I describe my joy in the things of God?   Hands What am I releasing to God? How am I serving Jesus?   To be intentional about your discipleship walking forward: Head What habit am I going to pursue to grow in knowing God and His Word?   Heart What habit am I going to pursue to grow my love and joy in Jesus and not just fall into religious duty?   Hands In what ways am I going to be consistently generous with my money and service this year?   Resources Mentioned:    You can learn more about the 127 Project and support Let’s Parent on Purpose here: https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/  

In this last week of the year, many of us make goals for how we are going to be different. Most of our goal don’t make it much further than February. Today I share one of the great revelations of my life: goals don’t matter that much. It’s our systems that determine everything. I’ll share with you how to think through creating a system that will help you start and end your day well. You’ll learn the secret of habit stacking. And I’ll encourage you to learn to love the process rather than obsessing on the final goal.  Resources Mentioned:    Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More By Doing Less - https://amzn.to/3Ejz8oU   Episode 210 Focus on Your Systems, Not Your Goals: https://letsparentonpurpose.com/2021/01/24/focus-on-your-systems-not-your-goals/

Every year is filled with thousands of decisions. Some of them are inconsequential, while others have life long impact. As I reflect on this past year, today I share with you the three new decisions that greatest impact on my life and family.   Listen as I discuss my top three decisions: Learning how to measure a great day Praying the Psalms with my children Starting a weekly Family Sabbath Dinner   As you hear me describe the impact, you’ll see that these are also choices you can make in your household! Resources Mentioned:   Episode 278 How to Measure a Good Day https://letsparentonpurpose.com/2022/05/22/how-to-measure-a-good-day/   Episode 279 A Walkthrough of a Family Sabbath Dinner https://letsparentonpurpose.com/2022/05/29/a-walkthrough-of-a-family-sabbath-dinner/  

As we close out 2022 I share with you five questions that can help you process your year and lead you into an intentional 2023. For each of the questions I share with you my answers as I process my year. Listen as we discuss the following questions: - What are the 2-3 ways you experienced the goodness of God most deeply?   - What are the 3-4 decisions you made that have had the most impact on your life this year? (2 Good, 2 Bad)   - Which relationships had the greatest impact on you this year?  Were they good or bad?   - What is something you really wanted to do that did not happen this past year? Why didn’t it happen?   - If money were no object and you could do anything with your life to serve the Lord, what would you do?   - Walk through these questions personally. Write down your answers. Then prayerful take the questions to the Lord and process them with your spouse.     Resources Mentioned: Episode 300 Beating Leukemia Together with Elijah and Micah Holland https://letsparentonpurpose.com/2022/10/24/episode-300-beating-leukemia-together-with-elijah-and-micah-holland/   Episode 278 How to Measure a Good Day https://letsparentonpurpose.com/2022/05/22/how-to-measure-a-good-day/   Episode 279 A Walkthrough of a Family Sabbath Dinner https://letsparentonpurpose.com/2022/05/29/a-walkthrough-of-a-family-sabbath-dinner/   Get a copy of my Measuring a Great Day checklist and Family Sabbath Liturgy - https://bit.ly/3EDH56y   Consider a year end gift to Cpgive.org

At some point, one or more members of our family will likely need the help of a professional counselor. How can you make sure you are getting the most out of your time with a counselor?  Eliza Huie joins me once again to walk through the differences between counselors, therapists, psychologist, and psychiatrists. She gives her top three tips for how to maximize the time and value you get out of counseling. Eliza also shares her recommendations for where to search for solid, biblical counseling.   The Christian Counseling and Education Foundation: https://www.ccef.org Association of Biblical Counselors: https://christiancounseling.com Fieldstone Counseling: https://fieldstonecounseling.org The Gospel Care Collective: https://www.gospelcarecollective.com Bio Eliza is a counselor, author, speaker, and trainer committed to providing care and resources for the whole person. Trained both biblically and clinically, she understands the complexities people face in their spiritual, emotional, and physical lives.   She holds a Master of Arts in Counseling and has advanced certificates in biblical counseling from The Christian Counseling Educational Foundation (CCEF) and The Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC). She is also a licensed clinical professional counselor.    Eliza is the director of counseling at McLean Bible Church located in the Washington D.C. metro area. She is the Dean of Biblical Counseling for Metro Baltimore Seminary in Maryland. She and her husband Ken have been married for almost 30 years and they have 3 grown children and a lovely daughter-in-law.   Resources Mentioned:   How to Get the Most Out of Counseling: https://us.10ofthose.com/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-counseling-tract-booklet/   Raising Emotionally Healthy Kids - https://us.10ofthose.com/raising-emotionally-healthy-kids-help-for-parents-paperback/   Eliza’s other books - https://us.10ofthose.com/search.php?search_query=eliza   Sign Up for My Things For Thursday Email - https://bit.ly/3EDH56y

Every holiday season we seem to collect more devices connected to the internet. Today I walk you through some amazing parental control features that are already built in to your iPhone. Additionally, I give you my overview and recommendations on three different internet monitoring systems: Bark, Canopy, and Covenant Eyes.   Resources Mentioned: Episode 304 Engaging and Protecting Your Video Gamer with Drew Dixon (Please provide link after show airs) Get to Know Screen Time for Families on the iphone, Ipad, and Itouch:  https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZAXcyGw8Q2Y www.bark.us www.canopy.us Sign up for my Things for Thursday Email: https://tinyurl.com/292kv68y Support Let’s Parent on Purpose! https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/

Whether you like it or not, your child probably loves video games. When we as parents act like video games are a curse, we often miss a key opportunity with our children. My guest Drew Dixon shares the wonder of video games including creativity, connection, and play. We talk about the gospel opportunities to discuss worldview with your children as they play video games, as well as equipping them to be on mission with their friends and contacts through social gaming. Finally, Drew and I discuss our responsibility to set safeguards and parameters with our children as they engage in gaming. Drew helps us see how important it is for our rules to be clear, collaborative, and written down.   Drew Dixon is a team leader at Lifeway Christian resources, co-founder and Chief Content Nerd of Love Thy Nerd, public speaker, co-host of Humans of Gaming, editor, author, and has traveled all over the world to spread the Gospel at nerd conventions. His new book Know Thy Gamer was released in September 2022.   Resources Mentioned: Episode 297 Equipping our children for conversations on sexuality and gender identity with Sean McDowell Drew’s new book Know Thy Gamer: https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/know-thy-gamer-P005835794 ESRB.org for ratings of video games commonsensemedia.org  for expert and parental reviews of games twitch.tv to watch people play video games and evaluate if they are appropriate for your children Sign up for my Things for Thursday Email: https://tinyurl.com/292kv68y Support Let’s Parent on Purpose! https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/

The trend of teenagers engaged in cutting has risen in recent years with the rise in social media and Youtube Influencers. What should a parent do if they find out their child has been cutting? Is this a pathway to suicide or something else? Eliza Huie joins me once again to help parents understand the pressures that lead a child to begin cutting. She offers council on what we can do if we find out our child has behaved in this behavior. Finally, she shares how the hope of the gospel can walk us through even this dark challenge.   Eliza is a counselor, author, speaker, and trainer committed to providing care and resources for the whole person. Trained both biblically and clinically, she understands the complexities people face in their spiritual, emotional, and physical lives. She holds a Master of Arts in Counseling and has advanced certificates in biblical counseling from The Christian Counseling Educational Foundation (CCEF) and The Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC). She is also a licensed clinical professional counselor.    Eliza is the director of counseling at McLean Bible Church located in the Washington D.C. metro area. She is the Dean of Biblical Counseling for Metro Baltimore Seminary in Maryland. She and her husband Ken have been married for almost 30 years and they have 3 grown children and a lovely daughter-in-law.   Resources Mentioned: Help! My Teen is Self-Injuring https://www.focusonthefamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Self-Injury.pdf   How to Get the Most Out of Counseling: https://us.10ofthose.com/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-counseling-tract-booklet/   Raising Emotionally Healthy Kids - https://us.10ofthose.com/raising-emotionally-healthy-kids-help-for-parents-paperback/   Eliza’s other books - https://us.10ofthose.com/search.php?search_query=eliza   Sign Up for My Things For Thursday Email - https://bit.ly/3EDH56y

In a culture inflamed by racial tensions, how can parents teach children a healthy perspective on race and culture? Author Michelle Sanchez joins me today for a discussion on the gospel vision of a diverse, multiethnic community. We talk about how backgrounds and personal experiences can form our racial prejudices. Michelle also shares biblical, Christ-honoring ways for a parent or church to pursue healthy, diverse racial relationships.  Michelle T. Sanchez, MDiv, ThM, is the senior discipleship and evangelism leader of the Evangelical Covenant Church, a vibrant multiethnic denomination of more than 900 congregations. Michelle completed seminary degrees at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and spiritual direction training at Boston College. She is a conference speaker and a columnist with Outreach magazine. Michelle has enjoyed engaging with colorful cultures in over thirty countries and territories around the world. She and her husband, Mickey, live with their children in the Chicago area. Michelle has written a trilogy of books on color-courageous discipleship centered on the healing power of the gospel of Christ.     Resources Mentioned:  Michelle’s Website https://michelletsanchez.com Sign up for my Things for Thursday Email: https://tinyurl.com/292kv68y Support Let’s Parent on Purpose! https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/