Father On Purpose Podcast

We all know that Bible study is supposed to be an important part of our lives as men and as believers. The sheer amount of wisdom to be had from a single verse can change your life. Yet, so many of us struggle to find the bandwidth to dig into God's Word the way we should. The desire may be there, but we just don't know where to start. As we set the table for our series in Proverbs 16, it's important to examine what the book is all about and how we dads can squeeze wisdom from each principle. If you're just getting started in the Bible or want some tips to up your study game, we highly recommend "How to Study Your Bible" by Kay Arthur: https://amzn.to/3PvdEIh

Sports can be a blessing and a curse for parents. On one hand, the lessons on the field can instill important character qualities like teamwork, self-discipline, and hard work. On the other hand, sports can become an obsession that sucks both time and money from your family and their values. The trick, though, is maintaining balance and making sure your child develops a solid grasp on life beyond the scoreboard. In this episode, former major leaguer and Olympian Pat Combs offers some valuable advice for navigating your kids through the landmines of travel teams and trophies, while also setting their feet firmly on a course that nurture's godly character above all else.

Some corners of our culture will try to convince you that "diversity" is a dirty word. In reality, diversity is God's idea. He celebrates our differences—and He expects us to celebrate them as well. In this episode, Gary Chapman and Clarence Shuler reflect on how their unlikely friendship has taken root and thrived for more than five decades. They'll also share how Dads like you can nurture cross-cultural friendships in a way that shapes your children's lives moving forward. Discover Gary and Clarence's new book, Life-Changing Cross-Cultural Friendships: https://amzn.to/3bAart0

As men, fathers, and husbands, gratitude is one of our most significant tools. Unfortunately, the selfishness that betrays us all can be the ultimate gratitude killer. Selfishness thrives in a life that's not aligned with God, so the end result is always the same: pain and destruction. The key for us dads is to root selfishness out of our lives so the Father's character can shine through.

One problem with the rat race is that it turns us all into rats more than we care to admit. As guys, it's easy to let feelings of entitlement seep in and poison the well of our lives. We get so worked up chasing the next big thing that we miss what God has put right in front of us. We let our first-world problems blind us to blessings many can only dream of. As Christ followers, though, we're called to a different standard. Instead of wallowing in entitlement, God has wired our hearts for gratitude and generosity. He's changed the rules—and we're actually at our best when we're putting ourselves on the back burner.

In a world where social media makes everyone else's at-bats seem like a home run, it's easy to feel like you're striking out every time you step up to the plate. The weight of comparison can quickly pull you down to some dark places both emotionally and spiritually. What's more, the patterns you set in your life can have a tremendous impact on the lives of your wife and kids. Thankfully, the Bible gives each of us a game plan for guarding our hearts and minds against unhealthy comparisons—and for embracing the joy that's found in being content with God's plans and purposes.

Chasing riches is an enemy of gratitude and a catalyst for discontentment: A lot of things can steal our contentment as dads; especially something like money that will have us staring at our bank account, obsessed with the numbers inside. Only serving money will usher destruction into our lives. However, If we trust God with our money, we'll soon discover genuine gratitude and learn how little we actually NEED. If we give (money, time, energy, expertise) out of pure generosity and desire to serve others, God's grace can flow through us and into them.

Who says Thanksgiving only happens in November? As we celebrate the anniversary of this podcast, we're reminded of God's many blessings on our work and our lives. So, we're spending this episode focusing on gratitude and reflecting on all the reasons we have to be thankful.

With so many choices screaming for our kids' attention, even the best of parents struggle to effectively navigate the media maze. That's where Minno TV and its co-founder Erick Gross come in. Through Minno, Erick offers parents a little peace of mind by providing curated, kid-friendly, Christian content on an affordable platform. Whether it's a 5-minute family devotion or another option from Minno's trustworthy catalog of content, parents can now guide their children toward a deeper relationship with Jesus—without sacrificing the fun, interactive experiences kids love. Learn more about Minno TV: https://www.gominno.com.

Last week and this week, we're discussing four fatherhood traps that each of us can accidentally step into. We dads are powerful, for better or for worse. We can do a lot of damage, but we can also do a lot of uplifting. Let's be our kids' biggest fans and support them in everything they do while not letting our insecurities get in the way. No matter where our kids are on their journey, our job is to remain faithful to them and trust the Lord's plan for their lives.