Church and Family Life Podcast

God calls us to be a thankful people (1 Thess. 5:18), and such thanks was powerfully modeled to us by the Pilgrims in Plymouth in 1621. Following a harsh start where half their number died due to sickness and starvation, they gathered the next Fall to celebrate God’s goodness. Joined by local Indians such as Chief Massasoit and Squanto, they feasted, played games, and gave thanks to their Maker for blessing them with an abundant harvest. 
 

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Al Burke, give practical tips on how to celebrate Thanksgiving Day as a family. Along with fitting songs to sing, they suggest fun games to play rooted in Pilgrim history, special Psalms to rehearse, and Thanksgiving Proclamations and other period accounts to read aloud—all designed for families to enjoy a rich and memorable day of thanks together.  

Check Out These Resources as you Plan Your Thanksgiving Day Celebration: 

Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford
Resource on the Pilgrims history and early Thanksgiving celebrations
Read Online / Purchase Online 

Magnalia Christi Americana by Cotton Mather 
Explores the blessings of God on early America 

First Thanksgiving Account by Edward Winslow 
An eyewitness account of the first Thanksgiving 

Continental Congress “Thanksgiving Proclamation” (November 1, 1777) 
A one-page proclamation for Thanksgiving 

George Washington’s “Thanksgiving Proclamation” (October 3, 1789) 
A historical thanksgiving proclamation 

Abraham Lincoln’s “Thanksgiving Address” (October 3, 1863) 
A thanksgiving and repentance address during the Civil War 

The Ainsworth Psalter 
Used by Pilgrims for singing Psalms, historically tied to early Thanksgiving. 
Download PDF / Purchase Online 

What drives churches into irrelevancy? What harms the coming generation that’s grown up in the church? What nullifies preaching and doctrine? What compromises the family’s integrity at its core? What damages our witness in the world? It’s syncretism—mixing the things of God with the things of the world. Besides rejecting the true Gospel, syncretism is the greatest threat to the church and family in every age. 

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm warn against the dangers of syncretism and give practical counsel on how to avoid it: First, cry out to God that he would resensitize you to the fact that you’re a blood-bought believer who’s to live set apart from the world. Second, double down on God’s Word—meet with the Lord every morning and let him shape your thinking and priorities. Third, double down on your family—don’t let the enemy kick down your home’s door anymore. Fourth, devote yourselves fully to your local church. In all this, resist the mixing the things of God with the things of the world.  

Manhood today is in crisis, as men across the globe have become increasingly passive, effeminate, depressed, medicated, and, in some cases, suicidal. Yet there is hope! God calls men to be men, and His Word shows us what manhood looks like. Rather than kowtow to feminism’s lies or gave way to their sinful flesh, men are to be strong and courageous dominion-takers whose chief desire is to glorify God. 

In this podcast, Scott Brown, along with guests Trent Moody and Paul Carrington explain that the foundation of biblical manhood rests on men loving God with all their soul, mind, and bodies (Deut. 6:5; 1 Cor. 6:19-20). Men must have souls that long for God, “as the deer pants for the water brooks” (Ps. 42:1). They must order their thoughts after God’s Word (Ps. 119:133). And they must “present [their] bodies [as] a living sacrifice” for His service (Rom. 12:1). By doing these things they’ll be the men God’s called them to be. 

There’s a baby on the way! When a dad and mom learn they’re expecting, joy fills the air as they discuss baby names, redecorating the nursery, and what life will be like in welcoming a new child into their home. Then the mother begins to bleed. And worry. And, before long, she has a confirmed miscarriage. As she and her husband begin to grieve, how should we comfort them? 

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by guest Trent Moody, discuss this tender topic. When we learn of those who’ve miscarried, we must first “weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15) and show compassion in real and tangible ways. We must next herald God’s perfect attributes: He is faithful, holy, and loving, and—no matter the circumstances—He does all things well (Mark 7:37). Finally, we must encourage grieving couples that God will hold them up in their painful loss: Though they walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He will be there to comfort them (Ps. 23:4). 

Sermons should play a heightened role in our child training, for God has ordained the preaching of His Word as an integral part of the disciple-making process. They’re not only a key instrument He uses to convert the lost, but they’re a vehicle through which families are strengthened and children are trained up “in the way [they] should go” (Prov. 22:6). With this in mind, parents should thoughtfully guide their children to get the most out of sermons each week. 

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Robert Bosley, joined by special guest Joel Beeke, give parents practical tips on how to teach their children to view sermons, prepare to hear sermons, listen to sermons, and weave them into daily life. Their counsel: stir up in your children a hearty appetite to receive the word. If you know the passage to be preached on, read and review it ahead of time with your family. Communicate to your kids that every sermon is a meeting with God, and that when a sermon is preached, they’re not mere spectators, but participants. They should therefore listen well, take careful notes, and be prepared to share what they’ve learned. 

Apart from how you walk with God, marriage is the most important life decision you’ll ever make. While “falling in love” may come easy, marrying well in the Lord requires careful prayer and counsel, as well as the resolve to keep personal passions and hormones in their rightful place. It should be pursued for the right reasons with a clear mind and calm judgment—and ultimately be driven by the desire to honor and please the Lord. 

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Trent Moody, outline eight things one needs to consider and do before marrying. First, recognize the importance of the decision. Second, get good counsel from others about your potential spouse, and don’t ignore it if it’s sound. Third, don’t marry for the wrong reasons—including for beauty (which fades), or wealth (which is fleeting), or out of a sense of panic. Fourth, seek the input and approval of your parents. Fifth, make sure there is genuine, mutual love between both parties. Sixth, have a visible means of financial support. Seventh, determine that there is equal yoking on spiritual things. And, eighth, make it a matter of earnest prayer. 

When civil rulers spurn God’s law, Christians have a duty to speak. That’s the clear testimony of Scripture. Throughout history, faithful heralds of righteousness have called out civil magistrates for committing evil deeds and enacting laws repugnant to God’s moral order. Think of Elijah before King Ahab and John the Baptist before Herod. 

The need is no less great today. In this podcast, Scott Brown, joined by Trent Moody and Robert Bosley, discuss the church’s duty to speak to morality in the civil sphere. And the topics before us are many: whether it’s local city councils promoting Gay Pride Festivals and transgenderism, or state agencies paying for the removal of sex organs or permanently sterilizing children, Christians need to call our civil leaders to forsake evil and follow God’s ways. 

Who should be baptized—the children of believers or only those who repent and believe on Christ? The debate between paedo- and credo-baptists has waged for centuries, and the answer hinges on how we interpret Covenant Theology. What is without question is that all of God’s dealings with man are covenantal. And Scripture further makes plain that those who enter covenant with God should receive the covenant sign. The question of baptism comes down to this: What is the nature of the New Covenant, and how does one rightly enter it? 

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Robert Bosley, tackle the thorny debate between paedo- and credobaptists. Taking a robust view of Covenant Theology, they maintain that members of New Covenant are those who truly know God and have their sins forgiven: “they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jer. 31:34). The question of who should be baptized does not rest on who one’s parents are, but on those whom the “Lord our God . . . call[s]” (Acts 2:39). 

What is the role of a grandparent? While the world says it’s time to retire and relax, Scripture paints a much different picture. Grandparents have an opportunity to help disciple their grandchildren in God’s ways and leave a lasting heritage for their families that will bless generations to come. 
 

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Josh Mulvihill, counsel listeners to reject the world’s wrong messages to grandparents, which is to maintain disengaged independence from their grandchildren on the one hand, and to indulgently spoil them, on the other. Passages such as Deuteronomy 4:9 and Psalm 78:1-7 call grandparents to teach their grandchildren God’s laws and His mighty works in history. Their story is not the point; it is the pointer to make much of God—proclaiming that the same great God who sustained them will guide their grandchildren’s steps, if they set their hope in Him (Ps. 78:7). 

Before they reach 18, 37% of the children in America will receive a visit from Child Protective Services. While some visits are warranted, 83% of the cases CPS investigates are unfounded. Sadly, doctors and nurses, driven by “mandatory reporting” laws, along with unwise neighbors, regularly tip CPS off to concerns that open up innocent families to needless scrutiny that can result in children being wrongly taken from their parents. 

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm discuss these challenges with Bradley Pierce of Heritage Defense. Heritage Defense is a membership-based, Christian legal advocacy group that guides parents on how to prudently respond to CPS and defends them against unlawful intrusion. While strongly opposing the criminal abuse of children, their goal is to champion the cause of those persecuted by the state for obeying God’s commands in raising their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.