We all want to be great parents with thriving kids, but the truth is that only God can change a heart.  I do the best I can with all the means I can, but it’s ultimately His Spirit that reaches them.  Learn how to trust that God will reach our kids hearts, shape them and eventually bring freedom as we faithfully walk this parenting journey.

Show Highlights

• Trusting God Even When Life Hurts – the sovereignty of God.  Why doesn’t He stop pain if He is all-powerful and all-loving. If God is all-powerful, why doesn’t He stop the pain?
• Ryan Leak’s consulting on on the danger of ego – what percentage of credit you feel like you should get for the success of “X”
  • Why you should get 0 credit for the growth of “X”
• We are responsible to point our kids to Jesus, but it’s HIM who changes hearts
• How to deal with situations beyond my control and my illusion of control
• Finding encouragement from Psalm 127, the theme song of my life
• What do I do when I don’t know what to do or how to pray?
  • The Spirit helps us in our weakness and the Spirit intercedes with groaning too deep for words
  • Romans 8:26-28: He causes ALL things work together for good for those who Love God and are called according to his purpose.  It doesn’t mean that everything that happens is good; it means that He can bring good, even out of sin and pain.
  • Thomas Watson’s book: All Things for Good
    • God is a great pharmacist. A pharmacist’s role is to combine drugs to bring healing.
    • The very same lethal drug, if mixed correctly, can save your life. (i.e. NACL)
    • Some things are not good, but God will work them for good. It may take a very long time
  • He didn’t spare his own son and how much more will he give us everything we need.

• NOTHING will separate us from the love of God
  • Not death, life, angels, rulers, things present powers,
  • OR your kids stupid decisions, a mean person, bad grades, even complete rebellion of a child

• Look back and see how God used sin and hardship to mold you towards Jesus
  • The mystery of how God uses most unlikely things to turn us towards Him
  • You can’t control every decision your kids make, or their sicknesses, which friends love and hurt them, etc.  But their pain is not wasted; God uses loss and suffering to bond us to Him.

• 7 steps to help you center your trust in God
  1. Believe that God loves your children more than you do
  2. Trust that whatever is happening isn’t the end of the story
     • The pain isn’t senseless or wasted
     • Jesus is going to make all things new
  3. Acknowledge your doubts and fears
     • Psalm 88 — and darkness is my only friend
     • God, I believe.  Help my unbelief.  — Mark 9:24
     • Faith is not a lack of fear.  It’s walking forward even in the midst of our fear.  It’s remembering what you know to be true in front of something that you don’t understand
  4. Notice the circumstances of your life that God put together to provide for you
  5. Remember that you are a work in progress too
  6. Parent today in the power of the Holy Spirit
  7. Trust God for the grace today and look forward to the results for tomorrow

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This is God's universe, and God does things his way. You may have a better way, but you don't have a universe. --J. Vernon McGee
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Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. --Mark 9:24
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Faith is not a lack of fear. It's walking forward even in the midst of our fear. It's remembering what you know to be true in front of something that you don't understand.
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Resources Mentioned

Ryan Leak – https://www.ryanleak.com https://twitter.com/ryanleak

Trusting God Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges

Psalm 127 

Romans 8:26-28

All Things for Good book by puritan Thomas Watson