Bible Geeks Podcast

Completing our parenting series the week of Mother's Day, it seems appropriate to acknowledge all of the work godly moms devote to training their kids! And isn't it fitting to spend this episode talking about the honor kids give to parents — and the honor parents give to kids? So this week, we close Training Wheels by looking forward to the "one shining moment" when our Lord becomes our child's Lord. Like Paul, we want to say, "what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?" (1 Thess. 2:19). Along the way, we discuss our best Father's Day presents, how our relationships change as kids get older, and why Jesus calls obedient believers his "brother and sister and mother" (Matt. 12:50). We define and apply a Heavy Word, learning that "honor" is about giving weight and worth. And we close the series with a prayer for our kids to have a "heart of wisdom" (Prov. 10:1). We plan to take a brief hiatus after this episode, but we pray that this series blesses your parenting, and we look forward to the next guided study.

The Big Idea: What a gift it is to call your child a "brother" or "sister" in Christ.

This Week's Challenge: Give encouragement to a young person who has honored their parents by their faithfulness.

Show Notes

• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 13 (Color PDF)
• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 13 (B&W PDF)
• "The Greatest Gift" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Jesus Said ... Matt. 12:46-50 (VERSE)
• Training Wheels Guided Study (WEBSITE)
• Dale Schiele’s Memorial Page

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How do we teach our kids to ask, "How do I want to serve when I grow up?" This week we look at two different parents that Scripture places side-by-side as a "Do This" and "Don't Do That" contrast. We notice Jesus in two songs of mothers-to-be, reflecting on how God turns the tables on the lowly and the proud. Then, in a segment we call "Hello, My Name Is," we dive into a character study of Hannah. What change does Hannah undergo when she believes the Lord has heard her prayer? How is she the ultimate lender? And how does her faith set the tone for her son's life? We close with a discussion of becoming "empty nesters" someday, and then a weekly challenge and a prayer. With only one more session after this, we're rounding third base and heading home in our Training Wheels series, aiming to complete these conversations with an emphasis on the lasting direction we want to give our kids. Find the whole series at biblegeeks.fm/trainingwheels.

The Big Idea: Our kids were created for his glory, not ours.

This Week's Challenge: Check in with a young person about how they want to serve God when they grow up.

Show Notes

• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 12 (Color PDF)
• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 12 (B&W PDF)
• "Mona Lisa Smile" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Finding Jesus: 1 Sam. 2:1-10 (VERSE)
• "The Greatest Gift" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Training Wheels Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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What is "lawnmower parenting" and is failure really "not an option"? This week, as we talk about guiding our kids through their troubles, Jesus shows us the perfect parental prayer in John 17:12-19, particularly demonstrating what NOT to ask of the Lord. We also learn how Bryan almost blew up his house as a child — a story worth tuning in for all by itself! And we return to one of our favorite segments, Here's the Story, following the prodigal son down his tragic spiral. It gives us a chance to observe the incredible love of his father, drawing some surprising lessons from the parable's depiction of God's parenting. May we all learn from our Heavenly Father's patient restraint, and his gracious readiness to receive his repentant children!

The Big Idea: As we send our children into the world, we can't protect them from every danger.

This Week's Challenge: Make a plan with your spouse about how you'll handle your own "prodigal moments," before they happen.

Show Notes

• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 11 (Color PDF)
• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 11 (B&W PDF)
• "Bubble Wrap" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Jesus Said ... John 17:12-19 (VERSE)
• "Mona Lisa Smile" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Training Wheels Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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How is understanding our kids like collecting clues to a mystery our children haven't solved themselves? And how do we "answer a fool according to his folly" (Prov. 26:5) while also heeding the instruction to "answer NOT a fool according to his folly" (Prov. 26:4)? This week's conversation is all about how we speak and how we listen, particularly in parenting. Our Top 4 Proverbs on Communication challenge us to consider if our words are "graceful garlands" around our kids' heads and if we ever answer before we hear. And learning to act more Like the Teacher in John 10:3-4, we pick up a golden rule of speaking. What does all this have to do with closed captions, Shaquille O'Neil, and peanut butter / maple syrup sandwiches? We invite you to have a listen and find out!

The Big Idea: You can talk at your child and make a lot of noise, or you can talk to them and get through.

This Week's Challenge: Go on a "date night" with your child and ask them about their interests.

Show Notes

• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 10 (Color PDF)
• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 10 (B&W PDF)
• "Eloquent Orations" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Like the Teacher: John 10:3-4 (VERSE)
• "Bubble Wrap" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Training Wheels Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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One thing every Christian parent seems to have in common is extremely high expectations — for ourselves and our kids. So this week we get to the heart of the gospel, because even in a parenting series we can't go far without relying on God's grace. We draft our A-Team of merciful and gracious people, we talk about the power of an apology, and we wonder, "Which is harder to deal with, your mistakes or your kids'?" Finding Jesus in 2 Corinthians 12, we're reminded that Christ is with us in our pain and his grace is enough! So we hope you find encouragement and hope as we celebrate the "the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:7).

The Big Idea: The gospel of grace gives us a new lens to see ourselves, our kids, and our parenting.

This Week's Challenge: Share a personal struggle or shortcoming you've had with someone.

Show Notes

• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 9 (Color PDF)
• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 9 (B&W PDF)
• "Practically Perfect" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• The Emotionally Healthy Church by Warren Bird (BOOK)
• Finding Jesus: 2 Cor. 12:7-10 (VERSE)
• "Eloquent Orations" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Training Wheels Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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What do self-driving cars and spiky hair have to do with purposeful parenting? This week we talk about seizing the moments when our kids are most ready to learn, asking: What wisdom does Moses give for parents answering big, spiritual questions? And what can we do to create the conversations that can help our kids work through what's really going on in their hearts? We also offer four of our favorite teaching moments, share the kinds of kid questions that stump us, and try to figure out how to keep our instruction relevant as our kids grow older. Find the study guide for this and the rest of the Training Wheels guided study at biblegeeks.fm/trainingwheels.

The Big Idea: The world is your child's classroom, whether you're teaching them or not.

This Week's Challenge: Pause the TV to start a spiritual discussion with your family.

Show Notes

• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 8 (Color PDF)
• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 8 (B&W PDF)
• "Why?" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Finding Jesus: Deut. 6 (VERSE)
• "Practically Perfect" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Training Wheels Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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What's your goal in parenting, and is it possible we've directed our attention to the wrong person's behavior? This week, we distinguish our responsibilities from our kids' responsibilities in session 7 of our Training Wheels guided study. What Jesus Said at the end of the Sermon on the Mount shows us we aren't building additions on our parents houses and we don't have the remote control on other people. We ask, "Do You Understand?" what God wants us to take from Ezekiel 18, realizing we need to keep our "eyes on the ball" and skip the blame shifting. We also share our parenting regrets, times our kids made us want to hide in embarrassment, and our prayer for parents and kids all over.

The Big Idea: Good parenting is a daily choice you make, not the result of your child's choices.

This Week's Challenge: Thank a parent for their work with their children.

Show Notes

• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 7 (Color PDF)
• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 7 (B&W PDF)
• "The Mouth of Babes" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Jesus Said ... Matt. 7:12-27 (VERSE)
• Do You Understand? Ezekiel 18 (VERSE)
• "Why?" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Training Wheels Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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What's the difference between being a shepherd, and being a good shepherd? And how does Jesus "level up" our parenting game? This week we throwback to an old segment, with a Scripture du Jour, drawing insight from Jesus' words in John 10. We talk about the challenge of shepherding different kids without juggling or splitting our focus, and the difficulty of adapting to new challenges as our kids — and the world — keep changing! The conversation starts with some tough questions — like "are you comfortable telling your kids to walk like you?" — and never gets easier. But we hope that you're blessed by the journey as we try to tackle them head on! Check out the study guide for this conversation (session 6 of Training Wheels) and watch for the complete booklet this Spring.

The Big Idea: Your life speaks volumes to those following behind you.

This Week's Challenge: Choose an activity to do with your child that Christ did with his disciples.

Show Notes

• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 6 (Color PDF)
• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 6 (B&W PDF)
• "Jesus’ Twelve Kids" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Like the Teacher: John 1:35-51 (VERSE)
• Scripture du Jour: John 10:7-18 (VERSE)
• "The Mouth of Babes" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Training Wheels Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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How are parenting principles like keys, sunglasses, and the mail? What's better than saying "I love you" to our kids? And what do you learn when your "birthing plan" goes out the window? This week, we praise God for the way he leads us as parents. What Jesus Said about God's fatherly provision illuminates a sobering truth about ourselves. And some Deep Thoughts from Numbers and Hosea encourage us to grow in patience. It's session five of our Training Wheels guided study, and you can find the guide, videos, and all the other sessions at biblegeeks.fm/trainingwheels.

The Big Idea: We can find our way in our parenting dilemmas by looking up.

This Week's Challenge: Explore a quality of God's parenting with a new or expecting parent.

Show Notes

• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 5 (Color PDF)
• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 5 (B&W PDF)
• "We Were Experts" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Jesus Said ... Matt. 7:7-11 (VERSE)
• "Jesus’ Twelve Kids" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Training Wheels Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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Have you ever wondered what to do with the command not to "provoke your children to wrath"? This week we try to discern when godly discipline becomes discouraging, applying the commands of Colossians 3:21 and Ephesians 6:1-4. We start out looking for direction from Christ's example in Matthew 11:25-30, wondering, "When is a burden not a burden?" and "How do we avoid carrying our authority like the Pharisees?" It's a frank conversation that takes us from times we've wanted to give up to the times we've needed to keep our cool as dads. It's session four of the Training Wheels guided study — got to biblegeeks.fm/trainingwheels to get the study guide for this conversation and all the others in the series!

The Big Idea: When discipline demoralizes our kids, we do more harm than good.

This Week's Challenge: Hug your kids and tell them what you appreciate about their character.

Show Notes

• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 4 (Color PDF)
• Training Wheels Study Guide - Session 4 (B&W PDF)
• "Build to Bend" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Like the Teacher: Matt. 11:25-30 (VERSE)
• "We Were Experts" (DAILY DOWNLOAD)
• Training Wheels Guided Study (WEBSITE)

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