Words can encourage and give life, or they can destroy and kill. Dave and Ann Wilson tell how they learned this principle the hard way in their marriage and family.

Show Notes and Resources

Find Your Getaway at one of FamilyLife's Weekend to Remember® marriage getaways.  https://www.familylife.com/weekend-to-remember

Wheaton College President Phil Ryken sheds some light on the passionate poetry of the Song of Songs. The book is a collection of songs about a couple whose relationship is heading into marriage. The main characters, Solomon and the Shulamite, value and love each other. They can't wait to be together, and express their love to one another eagerly and expressively.

Find Your Getaway at one of FamilyLife's Weekend to Remember® marriage getaways.  https://www.familylife.com/weekend-to-remember

Phil Ryken, president of Wheaton College, helps us understand the deeper meaning behind the Song of Songs by walking us through each alluring chapter. First he explains the meaning behind Song of Songs 2:7: "Do not arouse or awaken my love until she pleases," and points listeners back to God's design for sexual intimacy. He also reflects on his honeymoon and the wise choice he made after struggling through his and his beloved's first disagreement.

Show Notes and Resources

Find Your Getaway at one of FamilyLife's Weekend to Remember® marriage getaways.  https://www.familylife.com/weekend-to-remember

Wheaton College President Phil Ryken discusses the greatest love song that has ever been written: the Song of Songs. One of the main ways God speaks to us is through the wedding relationship. Song of Songs is the soundtrack for the romance that begins in Genesis and ends on the wedding day of Revelation. Ryken shows us how Solomon's passion for his bride mirrors Christ's passion for us.

Show Notes and Resources

Find Your Getaway at one of FamilyLife's Weekend to Remember® marriage getaways.  https://www.familylife.com/weekend-to-remember

Author Shelly Wildman, a mom to three grown children, joins Dave and Ann Wilson to talk about school choice. Wildman explains why she and her husband picked public education. Aside from other benefits, they liked the missional aspect of public school and thought it would be a great way for their family to get to know their neighbors.

Download the Family Values Exercise, a tool to help you prepare today for the decisions and transitions that will affect the next stage of your family’s life. https://www.familylife.com/values-exercise/

What does it mean to live on mission? Shelly Wildman believes that if parents want kids who are on fire for the Lord, they must have a committed relationship with Christ themselves. Parents must show their kids that they are there to walk through their faith struggles and be available to talk through those harder, deeper issues in our culture. Also joining in the discussion is Dave and Ann Wilson's son, Cody.

Kevin DeYoung on family devotion fails. (1 min. video) https://www.familylife.com/podcasts/familylife-today/art-of-parenting-video-clip-kevin-deyoung-on-family-devotions/

Shelly Wildman, author of the book, "First Ask Why," talks about the guiding parenting principles she used to help her focus on the most important things. Wildman and her husband wanted to parent their three girls well, but they also wanted to know why they were doing what they were doing. For Wildman, that meant not just raising her kids to pursue the American dream, but to live lives on purpose and for God. Wildman explains God's purpose for the family.

Download the Family Values Exercise, a tool to help you prepare today for the decisions and transitions that will affect the next stage of your family’s life. https://www.familylife.com/values-exercise/

Pastor Rob Green, author of the book, "Tying the Knot," talks about the goal of premarital counseling: to help engaged couples see what marriage looks like when Jesus is at the center. When counseling, Green talks about red flags, like being spiritually mismatched, pornography, and relational baggage (like past abuse or a child from a previous relationship). A man or woman has to ask themselves whether or not they will extend grace to their intended and bear their burden. Green also talks about the green lights: a firm faith and dependence on Christ, a willingness to continually learn about one another, and involvement in a local church.

Rob Green, a pastor of counseling at Faith Church, talks about the importance of premarital counseling. As Green walks couples through the counseling process, he talks to them about the difference between role and expectation. Some things a husband is commanded to do, like living with his wife in an understanding way and continually learning about her. But other things, like taking out the trash or mowing the lawn, varies from couple to couple. Green reminds couples to talk about their expectations and to focus building their marriage on Christ.

Nancy Guthrie, author of "What Every Child Should Know About Prayer," recalls a season in her parenting when she realized she was worrying a lot more than praying. She fed her fears and allowed her train of thought to take her to the worst possible outcome. She realized her desires needed to be shaped by the Word of God. So many times parents' prayers revolve only around asking God to change our child’s circumstances, but praying through the Scriptures keeps us asking God to do the things in our children’s lives that only he can do.