That's right...you're kids have a unique knack for sharing their business, which sometimes means they're sharing your business. And it's okay and good for your child! Why? Because the children's pastor does keep secrets.

Knowing that you're in a battle--a spiritual one at that--probably doesn't sound all that encouraging. But what is encouraging is that you don't have to be in the battle alone. For those who know the Lord He is a refuge, stronghold, and so much more. The battle is real, the enemies are real, it's likely more intense than we imagine and has eternal impacts, but the Lord protects those who know Him and take refuge in Him.

What would it look like for you to parent in light of the knowledge that there is a spiritual battle taking place all around you? To parent knowing that you are in a battle and that your kids are in a battle too? Life can be hard and feel like a battle, but Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 that the war is not against the flesh. It's spiritual.

Every day you wake up in a war zone and you are in a battle right now. But the battle isn't over green beans, dirty socks, or misplaced toys--although getting a child to eat the beans or pick up the socks and toys can sometimes feel like a battle. Every person lives in the war zone but not everyone acknowledges it. The Christian life is a war to stand with Jesus against the evil of the unseen world. It's a spiritual battle, which means our preparations are spiritual. It starts with acknowledging the war and our enemy.

Praying for our kids can be wonderfully fruitful and

A parent, whether they recognize it or not, is always making disciples. Why? How? A core function of discipleship is replication, and children are great at repeating what they experience. This begs the question: what is your child replicating? The mission of every Christ-following parent is The Great Commission. And this mission starts at home.

Children are imitators, sponges, replicators, and more. This includes your grown-up words. If you say it they will likely repeat it...even if you tell them not to. What about your word choices? Are they worth imitating? The time to start asking this question is now.

Roughly 65% of Americans claim to to be Christian, but Christianity is rapidly declining in America. If authentically following Jesus means living out and growing in your faith while making disciples, why the decline? What does this mean for the "Christian" home? Is there a correlation between the decline of those proclaiming Christ and a lack of making disciples of Jesus? We can't simply tell our kids to follow Jesus--they need to see it in our lives.

Screen time. A great level of exposure. Disengaged parents. Overly engaged parents. Less emphasis is put on the church. Fatherless homes. While some circumstances point to this generation having it easier than any previous generation, I strongly believe that the current generation has it harder than any other. In this episode I'll start to unpack why I believe this to be true.

Lent...Do you? Should you? If so, why?

There are several disciplines found throughout the Bible, some being: studying God's Word, gathering with other believers, discipleship, prayer and fasting. In my opinion, the last one mentioned in that list--fasting--might be one of the least practiced biblical disciplines. But it is so important. So, as a dad and children's pastor, while Lent something that is biblically mandated, I do believe it is an easy onramp to engage in the practice of fasting and to model this disciple before our children.