The Family Discipleship Podcast

On the sixteenth episode of the Family Discipleship Podcast the hosts (Adam Griffin, Chelsea Griffin, and Cassie Bryant) talk about family worship with author, artist, wife, and mother Ruth Chou Simons.You can follow Ruth here on instagram and you can connect with her Gracelaced ministry here. Questions we asked Ruth in this episode: What does time in the word look like for your family and how has it changed as your boys have gotten older?  How formalized is the plan you have in your house for family worship? Do you have plans or figure it out as you go?Can you think of a time when the discipleship attempts in your home did not go according to plan, when things weren’t “perfect”?How about the opposite side of the spectrum? Can you share with us an example of when you saw the Lord really bless your family through time in the word together? Any favorite memories or light-bulb moments for your kids?In the book you say, “Sometimes we parents want a formula – a magic prescription that will ensure well-behaved, happy kids and a God-honoring home. But there are no formulas or prescriptions that ensure such things. There’s only a call to know God and be transformed by him.” How is that an encouragement to the tired or anxious parent?One thing that a reader cannot help but notice about your books is the artwork. Can you tell us about that?This book is one that you and your husband Troy did together. Can you tell us about the roles you each play in leading family worship?One thing we hear a lot from parents is about how much is competing for their family’s time. What would you say to the parent that feels too busy or too ill equipped to lead family devotions or family worship in their home?I know that Foundations is far from the only book and resource you’ve produced. Can you tell us about some of the other projects you’ve published and who they're for? Anything recent or on the horizon you want to tell us about?Some of our favorite quotes from Ruth Chou Simons in this episode:About family worship - “I am trying to help families see how simple and how imperfect this can be everyday. It doesn’t have to be this big elaborate thing.”“I would want my family to recognize how the gospel and the ‘one anothers’ of the gospel really shape and define who we want to be and how we are asking God to change us.”“It’s the word of God you really need.”“Relationship is a stronger motivation than ritual.”“Even if you can incentivise or force or get everyone on a chart, that does not ensure that hearts are won by the gospel. We have found over and over again that we as parents have to go first.”“Sometimes we parents want a formula – a magic prescription that will ensure well-behaved, happy kids and a God-honoring home. But there are no formulas or prescriptions that ensure such things. There’s only a call to know God and be transformed by him.”“You are called to begin again right now even if you already failed this morning.”“Everyday I wake up and I realize that I had nothing to do with that sunrise and it’s the most glorious thing.”“Something is discipling you and me at all times.”Resources mentioned in this episode:Foundations by Ruth Chou SimonsWhen Strivings Cease by Ruth Chou SimonsGracelaced by Ruth Chou Simons“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.”To keep up with the Family Discipleship Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter. 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. The Family Discipleship Podcast is a podcast of Training the Church.  Follow Us:Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteEditing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the fifteenth episode of the Family Discipleship Podcast the hosts (Adam Griffin, Chelsea Griffin, and Cassie Bryant) talk about family discipleship time, what it looks like for parents to have an appointed time where the family gathers for talking about and living out the gospel.  Questions we addressed in this episode:Why is having time in the word or worship a critical component of leading a family? What are some examples of family discipleship time? What would be a daily, weekly, or monthly example?  What do you think most families do with their time together? Is there a way to leverage those times they are already together to make it a time for family discipleship? Where should family discipleship be on our list of priorities? Why do you think it’s so easy for parents to treat family discipleship so casually and with so little intentionality?What are your favorite memories of family discipleship time? Would you consider the commitment to going to church together part of a family’s family discipleship time? In the book Family Worship, Donald Whitney talks about the simple formula of Read, Pray, Sing. What does that look like though for different ages of kids? Do you have any resources that you suggest for Family Discipleship Time for different age families?Some of our favorite quotes from this episode:“Our kids are unwise by nature. The bible says that “folly is stored up in the heart of a child.” It’s such a delight to read the word with our kids and just to see God’s goodness in that his word can be understood by kids. He can reveal himself to children.” - Chelsea Griffin“It would be strange in a Christian family to all read our bibles separately. No. We should read it with our children from day one.” - Chelsea Griffin“There are so many other things in your life that you’re preparing for all the time and they’re not nearly as important as this. You’re preparing meals everyday. You’re not going to not feed yourself or your kids. You’re preparing for work or your home. That’s the same amount of time we are asking you to consider preparing for something way more important – investing in the spiritual life of your kids.” - Adam Griffin“Church is a big part of our family discipleship time. Being together with the local body is an important thing to prioritize.” - Cassie Bryant“Almost every family has time in the car together. What’s great about that is that everyone is strapped down! That can be a great time for worship or to pray together or to talk about scripture.” - Chelsea Griffin“We make time for the things we want to do. You don’t work for your clock or your calendar, they work for you.” - Adam Griffin“If we believe that scripture is authoritative and it is sufficient and that it is our daily bread then we should be partaking in it everyday.” - Cassie Bryant“Being in God’s word everyday is acknowledging our dependence on him – in my personal walk but also as a family.” - Cassie Bryant“We hear people talk all the time about finding a church with the best kid’s stuff. What I really want everyone to be able to say is that the best kids ministry is at my house. No one loves my kids like I do. I know them and I know what they’re going through.” - Chelsea Griffin Resources mentioned in this episode:Family Worship by Donald WhitneyLong Story Short - Marty MachowskiOld Story New - Marty MachowskiJesus Storybook Bible - Sally Lloyd-JonesIndescribable - Louie GiglioThey Ology - Marty MarchowskiGood Book Company Kids Books - Tales that Tell the TruthPoetic Pilgrim’s Progress - Rousseaux BrasseurRadical Book for Kids - Champ ThorntonPrince Warrior - Priscilla ShirerGreen Ember Series - S.D. Smith“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.”To keep up with the Family Discipleship Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter. 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. The Family Discipleship Podcast is a podcast of Training the Church.  Follow Us:Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteEditing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the fourteenth episode of the Family Discipleship Podcast the hosts (Adam Griffin, Chelsea Griffin, and Cassie Bryant) talk about processing your past with your family with their friend Jordan Rogers.You can follow Jordan here on instagram and you can hear his “I Am Second” story here.Questions we addressed in this episode:Have y’all thought much about how or when or even “if” you will process your personal history with your kids? What do you think are the important things to consider when a parent is thinking about processing their past with their family? I don’t know if you ever hear this, but I know I have, when a parent feels like they can’t tell their teenager NOT to do something because they know that they did it when they were their age. What do you say to the parent who feels like it’d be hypocritical to warn their kids away from choices that they’ve made poorly themselves? How can we encourage parents who feel disqualified from “leading by example”?What does 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 have to do with this conversation?Why is knowing how, when, and whether to process part of your past with your kids an important aspect of family discipleship modeling? Have you seen your history help you in how you raise your kids, maybe especially in how you spiritually disciple them? What does it practically look like to “be honest and use discretion?” How has your history and who you are now in Christ helped you shape the way you want to lead your home going forward?Some of our favorite quotes from this episode:“I had really positive, persistent, gospel-saturated parents and the older I get the more I realize how fortunate I was for that.” - Jordan Rogers“Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.” - Bryan Stevenson“We will be as honest as age appropriate about our past.” - Jordan Rogers“Thank God that our bible is full of people who have broken pasts.” - Cassie Bryant“The title of your story is not going to be your mistakes. God can redeem all things” - Cassie Bryant"We can't lead our children any further than we are willing to go." - Jordan Rogers“We cannot do a bunch of good things to make our bad things go away, but God has the power to redeem and restore and make something new.” - Chelsea Griffin“I want my kids to know that God is doing miracles around us in the lives of people that we love.” - Chelsea Griffin“There’s a redeemed version of Adam Griffin that gets to speak to my kids about why I am not who I was anymore.” - Adam GriffinResources mentioned in this episode:Jordan Rogers’ “I Am Second” Video“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.”To keep up with the Family Discipleship Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter. 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. The Family Discipleship Podcast is a podcast of Training the Church.  Follow Us:Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteEditing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the thirteenth episode of the Family Discipleship Podcast the hosts (Adam Griffin, Chelsea Griffin, and Cassie Bryant) talk about family discipleship modeling, what it looks like for parents to have a genuine walk with God themselves and repent where they fall short.Questions we addressed in this episode:What are modeling, time, moments, and milestones?Why is having a personal faith a critical component of leading a family?Are we asking parents to be perfect or at least pretend they are for their kids sake?If someone took a look at your calendar or read a transcript of everything you said in a week, what would they conclude are the most important things going on in your life?Do you see any inconsistencies between what you tell your kids is right and what they see you doing or saying?What do you think it looks life for a parent to be “diligent in caring for their own soul”?What are the biggest challenges that parents face when it comes to personal spiritual disciplines?To the parent who says, “I’m too busy” or “I’m too uneducated” or “I’m too… anything” what encouragement or challenge can you offer them?Howard Hendricks used to say that one of the best ways to love your kids is to love your spouse well. For our listeners who are married, what could spiritual discipline or a walk with Christ together look like for them?Some of our favorite quotes from this episode:“If it’s a reality that my greatest joy is my union with Christ. If that’s where my truest identity is, that’s where my hope is, that’s where I gain freedom, and I desperately want my kids to have that same freedom, then I need to be able to model for them what that looks like. I want them to see something truly great, that there really is freedom in Christ. That there really is joy in the midst of grief. That we have hope in a broken world. That needs to be true for me before I could possibly try to tell my kids about it.” - Chelsea Griffin“You are modeling something totally unattainable for your kids if you aren’t showing them your failures, mistakes, hardships, or challenges.” - Cassie Bryant“Don’t hide your failures from your kids in an attempt to keep from tarnishing your reputation with your child, use them as an opportunity to show your kids how a man or a woman of God fails and repents.” - Adam Griffin“Kids are watching and that’s why modeling is so important because they’re little sponges.” - Cassie BryantResources mentioned in this episode:Habits of GraceThe Common RuleLiturgy for the OrdinaryThe Gospel Comes with a HousekeyThe Bible ProjectThe Dwell Bible AppStreetlights BibleTo keep up with the Family Discipleship Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter. 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. The Family Discipleship Podcast is a podcast of Training the Church.  Follow Us:Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteEditing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the twelfth episode of the Family Discipleship Podcast the hosts (Adam Griffin, and Cassie Bryant) talk with Christian musicians Shane and Shane. Shane Barnard and Shane Everett have been writing music and leading worship for more than 20 years together. You can find them online at https://www.shaneandshane.com/ and on social media at https://www.instagram.com/shaneandshane/Questions we asked Shane and Shane in this episode:You two have been leading people in worship for a long time. What does family worship look like in your home? Are y’all always singing?  What role do you think music can or should play in discipling a family? What do you say to the father/mother who is not musically gifted?You’ve got a new album coming out for kids worship, “Worship in the Word.” Can you tell us some about the purpose of the project and how it came about? Are there any songs on the album that really stick out to you personally? What wisdom do you have for parents that are struggling to find music that their kids will love that doesn’t dishonor God? How do you see these songs from your “Worship in the Word” album being used? What’s your vision for the impact that this kind of music could have?  Do you see these songs being something that are used in churches? How can/should a children’s minister benefit from the music y’all are putting out? Why do you think God gave us the ability to sing? What does that tell us about 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 the Barnards and the Everetts, what can they ask God for on your behalf?Some of our favorite quotes from Shane and Shane in this episode:“I want to be able to be a part of helping my kids be able to talk to God in song”“We do have real needs. At school, there’s all kinds of drama, there are all kinds of disappointments, and wants. We can go to God. We have songs that help us go to him.”“We don’t know what we’re doing other than trying to point our daughter to Jesus and keep an open dialogue.”“With this music or whatever music we create we want to whet the appetite for the word of God, period. That’s where wisdom is found.”Resources mentioned in this episode:Worship in the Word AlbumRightnow Media“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.”To keep up with the Family Discipleship Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter. 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. The Family Discipleship Podcast is a podcast of Training the Church.  Follow Us:Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteEditing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the eleventh episode of the Family Discipleship Podcast the hosts (Adam Griffin, Cassie Bryant, and Chelsea Griffin) talk about different approaches Christian parents take to talking with their kids about Santa Claus. Questions that we discussed in this episode:What are the different approaches Christian parents are taking toward Santa? Is telling kids about Santa lying to them? Does Santa distract us from what we celebrate at Christmas? How do American Christmas traditions help us point our family to Christ? Is there anywhere in the bible where the celebration of the Christmas holiday is a command given to Christians? Resources we’d recommend based on this episodeSanta Strategically by Jen Wilkin Thoughts for Parents Who Don’t Do Santa by Thabiti Anyabwile To keep up with the Family Discipleship Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter. 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. The Family Discipleship Podcast is a Christian parenting podcast from Training the Church.  Follow Us:Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteEditing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To keep up with the Family Discipleship Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter. 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. The Family Discipleship Podcast is a Christian parenting podcast from Training the Church. Follow Us:Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteEditing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the tenth episode of the Family Discipleship Podcast Cassie and Chelsea are joined by Caroline Smiley, a theologian and a mother. Cassie, Chelsea, and Caroline talk about the theology of parenting and leading kids. Questions we discussed on this episode:How has studying and learning enriched parenthood for you? How has being a mother affected your theology? How has being a mom affected how you see God? How does the gospel shape the way you face motherhood challenges?What are some truths about God that have been foundational for you and your household? If you got to give a brand new parent any theological advice, what would you say? To keep up with the Family Discipleship Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter. 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. The Family Discipleship Podcast is a Christian parenting podcast from Training the Church.  Follow Us:Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteEditing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the ninth episode of the Family Discipleship Podcast the hosts (Adam Griffin, Cassie Bryant, and Chelsea Griffin) address a very common issue that Christian parents face, parent guilt.. Questions that we answered in this episode:Why is having a Romans 3:23 vision of parenting important for parents? What is the difference between being hard on yourself for not being a better parent and sinning in omission or commission that requires repentance? We feel guilty when we think we did something wrong, is there such a thing as right and wrong in Christian parenting? What role does comparison play in parent guilt? Do you see a difference between grief over sin and guilt over unmet expectations? How can moms and dads preach the gospel to themselves when it comes to their parenting shortcomings? What role does community play in addressing parent guilt? Where do you see moms and dads potentially feeling guilty specifically around family discipleship?  What is a godly response to making parenting mistakes? What is the relationship between parenting guilt and Christ’s warning to not be anxious about anything? What does modeling a guilty reaction to our own mistakes model for our kids that we don’t want them to learn from us? If we could not get over our parent guilt, how would you counsel us? Resources mentioned in this episodeGospel Fluency by Jeff VandersteltGentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund To keep up with the Family Discipleship Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter. 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. The Family Discipleship Podcast is a Christian parenting podcast from Training the Church.  Follow Us:Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteEditing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the eighth episode of the Family Discipleship Podcast Adam Griffin is joined by JT English and Kyle Worley from the Knowing Faith podcast. They talk about a foundational question, but one that is far from easy - How do you talk with your family about the Trinity? Questions we discussed on this episode:What heresies do you commonly hear when y’all are teaching on the Trinity? We see a lot of people trying to use concrete metaphors to teach kids about the Trinity. What is the worst trinitarian metaphor you’ve ever heard? Why is it important to teach kids about the trinity?Is there a less confusing way to say “three persons in one God”? How do you help kids understand the distinctness and the sameness of the Trinity?When you talk to your kids about the actions of God in their lives do you get specific about the persons of the trinity at work? Is it ok to just say “God”?How does trinitarian theology affect how we teach kids to pray?Is it ok to have some mystery in your answers to kids about the Trinity or should we keep it concrete? If a parent is stumped by a question from their kids or on something you just said, where should they turn? What could they read? Who should they talk to?What are your favorite Old Testament story for teaching on the Trinity?Resources mentioned in this episode:New City Catechism Pitfalls by Kyle WorleyDelighting in the TrinityTo keep up with the Family Discipleship Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter. 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. The Family Discipleship Podcast is a Christian parenting podcast from Training the Church.  Follow Us:Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteEditing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.