“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” In most weddings today, these words are just a quaint formality. But what stands behind them is a timeless biblical principle—that parents have the authority to give or withhold consent in their children’s marriages. The truth is, parents generally know their children better than they know themselves and see blind spots they miss. This said, parents should exercise their authority with wisdom. They must recognize there’s no “perfect suitor” and that their child and potential spouse won’t be as mature, at age 20 or 25, as they are now. 

Learn more on these points in: A Holy Vision for Raising Children 

How do parents cultivate a child’s affection? First and foremost, model love in your marriage. You can be perfect technicians in child training, but if you’re snippety toward your spouse, you’ll undo everything—so teach your children, by example, what loving respect is through your conversations. Second, give clear expectations and hold your children to them. You only get what you insist on, so promptly discipline them in love when they cross the line. Finally, don’t allow your children to constantly interrupt, but teach them to wait to ask questions by modeling patience as husband and wife. 

Learn more on these points in: A Holy Vision for Raising Children 

Michael Clary grew up in Huntington, West Virginia, in the shadow of the Marshall University plane crash that marked his hometown. Ministry ran deep in his family line—his great-grandfather and grandfather were both Baptist preachers—but his own childhood was shaken when his parents divorced at age seven. Shuttling between households, Michael experienced both the steady example of his Christian father and the destructive influence of a tyrannical stepfather. Those early wounds left him with a deep burden for healthy, Christ-centered homes.

Though he professed faith from a young age, Michael’s spiritual growth accelerated through Campus Crusade for Christ at Marshall University. Immersed in Bible study, evangelism, and worship leadership, his heart for ministry took root. It was during a summer project with Crusade that he met Laura, the shy young woman who would later become his wife. Married in 1999, Michael and Laura went on staff with Crusade before sensing God’s call to local church ministry.

In 2010, with nothing but faith and a handful of families meeting in his basement, Michael planted Christ the King Church in Cincinnati. Over 15 years, the church has grown, planted daughter churches, and recently moved to a new facility in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Along the way, Michael’s convictions deepened around biblical manhood, womanhood, and family life—shaped by both his wounds and God’s grace. Today, he continues to serve as lead pastor, husband to Laura, and father to four children, proclaiming God’s good design for households and the church

“Hands-off” parenting advocates scorn the use of physical correction, but what does the Bible say? Hosts Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by Scott’s wife Deborah, explain that disobedience, dishonor, and dishonesty call for the rod. And how should such correction be pursued? First, make sure there is a fault committed that has just cause. Second, make sure your child is convinced that he has sinned. Third, pray for yourself and your children before correcting them. Fourth, correct them in love. Fifth, make sure your emotions are under control when you discipline them. And, sixth, correct by word and instruction before correcting by the rod. In all this, recognize that just as God lovingly corrects His sons, so we, too, must correct our children (Heb. 12:5-11). 

Learn more on these points in: A Holy Vision for Raising Children 

We’ve lost the strong man. Kevin Swanson is holding the Act Like Men Conference to restore men to their God-given role.  

On the whole, men today are AWOL, having departed from the Biblical picture of leadership and love. 60% of Master’s degrees are awarded to women. 57% of boys are born without fathers. So, what’s the solution to this crisis? Hosts Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by guest Kevin Swanson, explain that the right answer is not the “macho man” or the “wild-at-heart man,” but the biblical man who’s strong in faith and who fears God. This is the focus of the upcoming Act Like Men Conference, to be held Oct. 29-Nov. 1 in Elizabeth, Colorado. Rather than fall for the pseudo-visions of masculinity found in the “Manosphere,” we must look to God’s Word to understand what it means to be a faithful man. That’s the goal of this gathering — to teach 12-year-old boys to grandfathers to “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, [and] be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13 ESV). 

Click here to learn more and register. 

What do parents need to do to faithfully raise their children? William Gouge has the answers. Hosts Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by Scott’s wife Deborah, give five critical actions parents should take drawing from William Gouge’s, A Holy Vision for Raising Children. First, engage in focused parenting while your child are young; don’t wait till they’re 8 or teenagers. Second, teach your children good manners. This will help your kids to thoughtfully focus on others, rather than themselves. Third, train your children to be in some good vocation. This means more than a job skill. It’s about calling and dominion, equipping them to take care of their own family one day. Fourth, teach your children piety. Point them toward godliness—that they might love the word of God, live by it, and trust it with all their hearts. And, fifth, redeem the time, for what’s learned in childhood lasts the longest. 

Learn more on these (5) points in: A Holy Vision for Raising Children