Church and Family Life Podcast

Faithful church deacons provide a ministry of mercy that the state can never match—reaching those in need not just with physical and financial aid, but with spiritual help to the heart and soul. Their care for the sick, the disabled, along with widows and orphans, is Christianity in action. But what makes a young man qualified to fill this role? What attributes should he exemplify before assuming this key church office?  In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Chad Roach, discuss how a deacon must fear God, rather than be a man-pleaser, and have a proven track record of persevering through trials and overcoming sin. It’s also vital that he not be greedy for money, since he’ll be handling the funds of the church. In addition, a deacon must have a wife who can come alongside and minister with him with sisterly care and discretion. 

While the world trumpets an anti-child bias, God proclaims large families to be a blessing, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward” (Ps. 127:3). Yet a large family is a big responsibility. It requires a lot of discipline and resources. If you’re going to have a productive womb, you need to have a well-managed household.   In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Michael Foster, discuss the perils of a large family and how to overcome them. Their counsel: maintain clear boundaries between boys and girls as it relates to modesty. Also enforce proper boundaries between parents and children—even as you teach your older kids to help care for their younger siblings, they shouldn’t become a second dad or mom. Encourage your wife through the physical and mental strain that she bears as a mother. And, as a husband and dad, be forward-thinking about your time management, as well as future needs to scale up your cars, appliances, and home space. 

How does God desire to be worshipped? The right answer doesn’t come from the latest whiz-bang idea from today’s creative coolness technicians, but from God’s Word itself. Sadly, many in the church believe that anything that’s not forbidden in Scripture is fair game to use in the worship of God—from entertaining skits to musical light shows. But such notions reject the Bible’s teaching on how God wants us to worship Him.  In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Tom Ascol, defend the regulative principle of worship which affirms that the only “acceptable way of worshiping the true God” (LBC 22:1) is that which He has commanded in Scripture (Deut. 12:32), and “that He may not be worshiped according to the imagination and devices of man” (LBC 22:1). While incidentals—such as whether we use chairs or pews, and what time we meet—are left to our discretion, the essentials of worship—such as the preaching of the Word, prayer, and the remembrance of the Lord’s Supper—must be followed as He’s prescribed. 

The Proverbs declare that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Prov. 9:10; 1:7). Yet, for more than 50 years, America’s public schools have abandoned this truth, resulting in the death of Christian faith among the majority of our youth. But the problem doesn’t stop there. Even some creators of Christian curriculum have too freely elevated “classic” pagan literature to young students, failing to heed this sober warning: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col. 2:8).  Kevin Swanson of Generations explains why it is so critical in this present age that we have a thoroughly Christian curriculum that makes God’s Word front and center in every subject. In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm interview Kevin about his vision to teach students how to use the eyeglasses of Scripture to view history, science, literature, math, and every other academic discipline. The goal is to raise up a new generation who fears God, glorifies God, and walks with God all their days.  Links: Generations Homeschool Curriculum Epoch Apostate Keep the Faith God Made Me Taking the World for Jesus Taking Africa for Jesus My First History My First Letters and Sounds

What’s a young man to do with his time and talents? Being self-focused is not the answer, for wise men build margin in their life so that can serve others in need. Young men who cultivate such character are often primed to serve as deacons, filling a vital role in the local church in meeting the practical needs of the body.   In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Chad Roach, call on young men to look beyond their personal interests and be willing to serve as deacons, as God leads. This includes a man, with a wife and kids, whose house is in order. Ministering to the church as a deacon, they explain, provides a great opportunity to not only meet the needs of others, but to teach and disciple your children in the process.   Also Check Out: A Call for Young Deacons, Part 1 

What is “Christian Nationalism,” and should believers support it or not? These questions have caused a firestorm in recent years, erupting in Twitter wars and bombs being lobbed on podcasts from competing camps. To add fuel to the fire, the mainstream media has advanced skewed definitions of what the term means, demonizing anyone who dares to suggest that Christians ought to advocate for biblical principles in the public square. So what are we to make of all this?  In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Tom Ascol, tackle the controversy. On the one hand, they reject the notion that America has a specific place in God’s redemptive history on par with Old Covenant Israel, while also maintaining that the general equity of God’s judicial laws has relevant application in our nation’s law system—and that of every other country—today. While an Old Testament theocracy is not the goal, Christian cultural norms should be pursued as God grants us opportunity. 

Cultural trends are insufficient, but God’s Word’s is sufficient to build His church. No other foundation will do. Yet for the last century, “do-what-works” pragmatism has been a driving force in how many churches have pursued evangelism, worship, and church life. Rather than believing God’s Word is enough,  results-oriented ministry has dominated, leading to entertainment-centered youth programs, seeker-sensitive worship, among many other ills.  In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Josh Buice, discuss how pragmatism has undermined faithful Gospel preaching, encouraged congregations to not practice church discipline, and decreased standards of church membership—all stemming from a diminished trust in God’s sufficient Word. Their call to the church is this: Instead of every man doing “what [is] right in his own eyes” (Judg. 17:6), we must believe that the Scripture is all we need for “the man of God [to] be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  

To flourish, a church not only needs a strong elder team, but a strong deacon team as well. That’s the message of Acts 6 when the apostles chose seven deacons to minister to widows who had been neglected. This division of labor is vital to the health of the local church. Even as elders are to focus on preaching and shepherding, the deacons are to meet the practical needs of the saints.  In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Chad Roach, discuss the high calling of deacons, and urge younger men to aspire to this church office, as the Lord leads. Drawing from his personal experience, Chad shares how serving as a deacon has been one of the most fulfilling roles he’s ever played. When done well, the labor of deacons becomes a force multiplier of the elders’ work, something Chad has seen in action. His conclusion affirms that of Scripture—for the good of Christ’s church, more godly men should seek this noble post. 

In today’s world, we’ve been flooded by a sea of lies on what manhood and womanhood really is. These weapons of mass confusion have led to tragic outcomes for boys, girls, marriage, as well as the local church. This distortion of gender roles has come about because we’ve rejected the plain teaching of Scripture—that “God created man in His own image,” and that He created every person either “male and female” (Gen. 1:27), with each having distinct roles they are called to fulfill.  In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm outline four key pillars of manhood and womanhood: (1) Gender is not fluid, as God created men and women as distinctly different; (2) Men are to lead and women follow; (3) Women are not allowed to teach and exercise authority over men in the church; and (4) Women are not allowed to speak in the formal meeting of the church. Though the world finds these distinctives to be stifling, the full and glorious life of a godly woman is found when she embraces her complementary role, even as a godly man embraces his. 

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Joel Beeke, discuss how God’s law is not only a tool of conviction to bring us to Christ, but it is a positive rule of life for the believer. The Ten Commandments, they explain, gives a map for how to live the Christian life by earnestly loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves. While freely acknowledging that we’re saved by grace alone, our desire should be that of David’s, “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97).   No one can be justified by keeping the law. Yet, as Christians, we should strive to obey God’s law out of sheer gratitude to Him for saving us. Once freed from the bondage of sin, our desire should be to do his will, viewing His law as a reflection of His personal holiness. Sadly, many professing Christians have adopted the antinomian falsehood that since we’re saved by grace, we don’t need to keep the law anymore—a point which Scripture soundly condemns: “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!” (Rom. 6:1-2).