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Marriage

Oct 25
Love0

When Young Couples Are Afraid to Have Children

By Leadership, Marriage
Last week, I highlighted a common question. This week is another question I am hearing more regularly. What do you say to young couples who are afraid to have children? Let me start by saying, I can totally relate! After Sharon and I had been married a couple of years and we were thinking about children our finances were tighter than tight. We were paying off some debt and wanted to have children, but we were concerned about how much they cost. I remember asking some young dads, “How much does formula cost? How much do you spend on diapers?” And they…
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Oct 18
Love0

When Dad Will Not Lead in the Home

By Family Discipleship, Marriage, Parenting: Childhood, Parenting: Early Years, Parenting: Teens and Beyond
I receive one question quite consistently at every conference that I do:"What do I do when my husband will not lead spiritually? He says he is a Christian but I cannot get him to take the initiative." Unfortunately, ever since the Garden, men have been plagued with both spiritual passivity and harshness. One of the saddest verses of the Bible is Genesis 3:6 where God’s Word records, “ took of it and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” In other words, Adam was standing with Eve when Satan tempted her. The one who…
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Jun 25
Love0

The Pastor’s Family – Brian Croft

By Church Life, Leadership, Marriage, Podcast
On this episode of The Disciple-Making Parent, we welcome Brian Croft to discuss the delicate balance between pastoral ministry and family life. We explore practical ways pastors can faithfully serve their church while prioritizing their spouse and children. Brian shares personal stories about adapting his parenting approach to meet each child's unique needs and how these family experiences have made him a more effective pastor. We discuss how receiving honest feedback from family members can improve preaching, and how explaining scripture to children helps create messages that connect with all ages. Brian also offers valuable insights on maintaining meaningful connections…
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Mar 31
Love0

Five Spiritual Disciplines that Will Help Your Marriage

By Marriage
Sharon and I just finished leading a small group of young marrieds. The following transcript was a part of our last talk. I thought you might benefit from it. I welcome your feedback. I wanted to also talk about family spiritual disciplines or rhythms. Really these are personal habits that should flow over to each other and in the home. As you know The Disciple-Making Parent ministry is to help parents pass the gospel to their children. But that starts with bringing the gospel into our home with our spouse. Let me suggest five different spiritual habits or rhythms  that you can…
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Jan 20
Love0

Guidance for Couples in Making Decisions

By Marriage
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously. James 1:5What causes fights and quarrels among you?Don't they come from your desires that battle with you?....You do not have, because you do not ask God. James 4:1,3  A theology of decision-making in couples comes from decision-making in individuals. The most foundational question to ask is, “Does God guide?” Or am I left on my own? I believe God does guide. Scripture is filled with this teaching.  A full treatment of God's guidance is beyond this newsletter. However, here are the principles Sharon and I have tried to follow as…
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Jan 13
Love0

A Puritan Prayer for Your Family

By Family Discipleship, Marriage, Parenting: Childhood, Parenting: Early Years, Parenting: Teens and Beyond
I was praying through The Valley of Vision and came across this prayer. I thought you might find it useful also. The language is a little formal but sometimes that's helpful. O Sovereign Lord,Thou art the Creator-Father of all men, for thou has made and dost support them;Thou art the special Father of those who know, love and honor thee, who find thy yoke easy, and thy burden light, thy work honorable, thy commandments glorious. But how little that undeserved goodness has affected me! How imperfectly I have improved my religious privileges! How negligent have I been in doing good to others! I am…
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Nov 04
Love0

A Tool for Evaluating Your Communication

By Christian Living, Marriage
Sharon and I continue to lead a young married group. This past week I passed out the following self-evaluation. I thought it might helpful in considering the communication in your home between husband and wife and between parent and teen. (I have formatted the evaluation for your computer. On your phone the chart does not align.) You can also find the pdf here.Consider printing it out and talking over it with your spouse.  Hardly Ever      Seldom        Sometimes     Frequently        Almost AlwaysI blow up or vent my anger when I talk to you.1-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 I clam up instead of talking to you. 1-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 I interrupt you when you're…
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Oct 05
Love0

Navigating In-Law Expectations

By Family Discipleship, Grandparents, Marriage, Parenting: Childhood, Parenting: Early Years, Uncategorized
Sharon and I are leading a young marrieds group at our church. Each time we meet, we have a teaching time and then a practical Q and A time. One question of that came up was, "How do we handle expectations of our in-laws as it relates to events and holidays?"Sharon and I thought about that, both as being a young couple and now having the perspective of being the in-laws! Here was our response.  1. We encourage you to hold three values in tension.a. Genesis 2:24 makes clear that marriage establishes a new home and new priority relationship. "A man leaves his…
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Aug 28
Love0

Why Marriage Matters and Leads to Flourishing – Brad Wilcox

By Marriage, Podcast
On this episode of The Disciple-Making Parent Podcast, we explore the question "Does marriage really matter?" We examine whether marriage is beneficial for individuals and society, or if it hinders personal fulfillment. We discuss surprising statistics about declining marriage rates and changing attitudes towards marriage among younger generations.Our guest, Professor Brad Wilcox, presents scientific evidence challenging popular myths about marriage and argues for its importance in creating happier individuals and flourishing children. We also look at the concept of "inverted hypocrisy" in how elites portray marriage in media versus their personal lives. Join us as we navigate through current ideas…
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May 08
Love0

Financial Instructions from the Master – Chap Bettis

By Christian Living, Marriage, Podcast
On this episode of The Disciple-Making Parent Podcast, we share a sermon on Financial Instructions from The Master, where I share biblical teaching and practical suggestions on personal finance and generosity. At the end of the sermon, we’ll reflecting on the importance of understanding that everything we have is a blessing from God, and our role is to be good stewards of these resources. So, join us as we navigate the complex world of finance through a biblical lens.   Topics Covered In This Week’s Podcast 08:55 God owns everything. You and I are just managers. 14:04 God expects you…
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