Church and Family Life Podcast

Strong-willed from the start, Chad Roach got more spankings in a day than all his sisters, combined, got in a whole month. This led his mom to quip that he’d turn out to be a Martin Luther or Al Capone. Entering his teens, Chad’s sin confronted him at every turn. With much anguish, he repeatedly cried out to God till he finally found peace, realizing that Christ was more than able to save him. Around this time, his dad took over his daily education, mentoring Chad in business. This mentorship—along with that of Kevin Swanson—instilled in him the desire to focus his life on three callings: entrepreneurship, non-profit work, and church ministry. While once a dishonorable son, Chad now enjoys a sweet relationship with his parents, working alongside them in various businesses.  

Born in Elmhood, Michigan, Sam Waldron was raised by parents who converted to Christ shortly before his birth. Though still young in the faith, they were the biggest influences on his life, regularly reading the Bible as a family and attending church together, and faithfully disciplining him for misbehavior. After confessing Christ and being baptized at age 7, Sam struggled with assurance of salvation for years until he came to understand that salvation was by God’s free grace alone. Since then, God has raised him up as a leading Reformed Baptist pastor whose passion for sound doctrine and the importance of the local church has blessed many.  

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohn, joined by special guest Jeff Johnson, discuss Jeremiah’s charge to the captives in Babylon to build, dwell, and plant for the honor of God (Jer. 29:5-6), rather than fearfully bow to the evil culture that surrounded them. It’s this message of hope that will be the focus of Church & Family Life’s Build, Dwell, Plant Conference, to be held in Ridgecrest, North Carolina on April 24-26. Whether in prosperity or peril, the culture of family life should be built to flourish—with Christians seeking first God’s kingdom as they build.    Join Us for the Build, Dwell, Plant Conference. 

The prevailing culture of our day encourages young people to kick against authority rather than honor their parents. Yet even without the “help” of outside influences, it’s in the heart of every child to desire their own way, and as they enter their teens years, to think they know better than their dad and mom. Such attitudes are in direct rebellion to God’s command: “‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth’” (Eph. 6:2–3).  In this podcast, Scott Brown, Jason Dohm, and Robert Bosley explain that honoring one’s parents is square one in learning to live under authority. It’s a key testing ground for honoring God. Their advice to parents: Model honor to your children; maintain parental authority; affirm what is commendable in your kids; and do not exasperate them. Their advice to children: Recognize that God’s given you the parents you have and wholeheartedly honor them, knowing that such obedience is the greatest leverage point for your long-term success (Eph. 6:3). 

Are you a church hopper? Sadly, many Christians in our day are quick to leave one church for another at the slightest upset. They take offence at a petty grievance. They grow tired of the people in the body, desiring more to be served than to selflessly serve others. Or they bolt when a weaker brother falls into sin, rather than seeking their restoration, patiently, through biblical means. This said, when is it right to leave a church, and how is it to be honorably done?  In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm discuss the folly of church hopping, while also explaining when and how to leave a church. While believers shouldn’t be thin-skinned and nitpick every nuance, it’s right to leave a church when God’s Word is chronically mishandled, the gospel in misrepresented, or when a culture of worldliness prevails. Whenever it’s right to go, one should take time to discuss the matter with church leadership, be honest about the reasons, while avoiding slander and seeking the best of all involved. 

When it comes to education content and methodology, do we truly believe that Scripture is sufficient to make us “complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:17)? Sadly, many professing Christians have bought the lie that Scripture is silent on key facets of learning, paving the way for false worldviews such as humanism, evolutionism, and socialism to fill the void. The results have been ruinous, as children have left the faith in droves. In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Kevin Swanson, sound the call for Christians to reject the myth of neutrality in education and embrace the sufficiency of Scripture instead. Our teaching methodology, they explain, must be 3-pronged: (1) integrating God’s Word into every subject, placing it as “frontlets” before our children’s eyes; (2) integrating parents every step of the way; and (3) integrating learning beyond the classroom into all of life (Deut. 6:6-9). If we take such steps—embracing the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom—we will not only glorify God, but we’ll raise strong children. 

So, you’re married—now what are you supposed to do for your spouse? Thankfully, we’re not left to guess the answers, for God, as the author of marriage, gives clear directions in His Word. He defines the duties of marriage. In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm discuss nine such biblical duties, as outlined by Puritan Richard Steele: (1) Living with each other; (2) Loving each other; (3) Staying faithful to each other; (4) Helping each other; (5) Being patient with each other; (6) Promoting the salvation of each other; (7) Maintaining regular but moderate sex; (8) Looking out for each other’s interest; and (9) Praying for each other.  

Why are there relationship problems? Birth defects? Foreign wars? And constant disruptions in the natural world? The truth is, getting the answers wrong only leads to futility, for whenever you misdiagnose a problem, you design a cure that’s doomed to fail. In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm explain that there’s one right answer to all these questions—the Fall. Only by grasping the impact of Adam and Eve’s sin can we rise above the smoke and the fire and know what’s happening, and then turn to the right remedy—Jesus Christ—who’s the only source of salvation. 

There’s only one kind of parents any child will ever have—imperfect ones. Yet God’s command to “Honor your father and mother” is to be followed, regardless. The good news is: Though it’s hard to obey, at times, this command comes with a blessed “promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth’” (Eph. 6:2-3).  In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm explain that honoring one’s parents is in every child’s best interest. Dishonor toward one’s parents, on the other hand, is one of the most dangerous, debilitating things you can ever do. Their charge: Make it your occupation to honor your parents. Let others focus on their imperfections—like Shem and Japheth did when Noah got drunk—even as you rest in God’s sovereignty. 

Most children training books are bad—but a few are fantastic. In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm discuss their top three: (1) Training Tips by Reb Bradley; (2) Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp; and (3) Purposeful and Persistent Parenting by John and Cindy Raquet.    How can parents proactively raise their kids, rather than have a “child-run” home where they simply react to bad behavior? How can children be trained to obey when spoken to the first time? How can they be shepherded to love God and others from the heart? Learn the answers to these and many other parenting questions from these three practical resources.