The Disciple-Making Parent

On this episode of The Disciple-Making Parent Podcast, we begin a new series by listening to Tim Challies as he helps us think biblically about suffering, sorrow, and the compassion of Christ.

Tim walks us through Luke 7:11–17, where Jesus meets a grieving widow in Nain and raises her son, and we’re reminded of three simple, steady truths: death is strong, God is stronger, and one day death itself will die.

As we listen, we’re encouraged to trust God’s good purposes in our pain, to remember that Jesus draws near to the brokenhearted, and to anchor our hope in the future comfort and resurrection promised to all who are in Christ. 

Topics Covered in This Week’s Podcast
4:01 Introduction
11:18 Death is strong
19:04 God is stronger
25:11 Death will die

Resources From This Podcast
Seasons of Sorrow, by Tim Challies
Tim Challies- Walking Through Deep Sorrow and Loss (Prior podcast interview)Challies.com, Tim’s blog

On this episode of The Disciple-Making Parent Podcast, we start unpacking three hard topics that come up in conflict: forgiveness, reconciliation, and what some people call boundaries. We walk through a simple peacemaking framework, then clarify two complementary kinds of forgiveness: a heart-level decision to release the moral debt to God, and a relational forgiveness that enables reconciliation when repentance is present.

We also talk about how to love people who will not repent, including how to stay open-hearted while setting wise limits that separate wisdom from folly, and how to rebuild trust proportionally over time. Along the way, we look at key passages like Acts 15, Matthew 18, Romans 12, and Luke 17, and we end with practical encouragement to pursue peace in a way that honors Christ.

Topics Covered in This Week’s Podcast
01:47 Introduction and review
03:59 Principles of forgiveness
10:29 Inner forgiveness
17:29 Relational forgiveness
22:55 What about someone who will not repent or reconcile?

Resources From This Podcast
Biblical Conflict Resolution Part 1– Introduction and the Call to Glorify God
Biblical Conflict Resolution Part 2– The Call to Get the Log Out of Our Own Eye
Biblical Conflict Resolution Part 3- The Call to Go and Restore
The Peacemaker, by Ken Sande
Pursuing Peace, by Dr. Robert Jones
Making Sense of Forgiveness, by Brad Hambrick

On this episode of The Disciple-Making Parent podcast, we continue our four-part series on biblical conflict resolution. We'll talk about why conflict is part of everyday life and how Scripture helps us respond with wisdom. We review the first two steps from Ken Sande’s The Peacemaker and then focus on the decision point: when should we overlook an offense, when should we submit, and when should we go and gently restore.

We walk through helpful criteria for making that call, like impact, responsibility, frequency, seriousness, and whether the issue is public or private. Then we cover practical, Christlike communication that aims for reconciliation, including listening well, asking clarifying questions, speaking humbly, and choosing the best setting for hard conversations. 

We also close with a clear warning about gossip and slander, and how to seek wise help without spreading harm. 

Topics Covered in This Week’s Podcast
01:20 Review
02:30 Go, overlook, or submit?
11:20 Wisdom for when to approach
18:13 Go and gently restore
39:39 Getting help while avoiding gossip


Resources From This Podcast
Biblical Conflict Resolution Part 1- Introduction and the Call to Glorify God
Biblical Conflict Resolution Part 2- The Call to Get the Log Out of Our Own Eye
The Peacemaker, by Ken Sande
Pursuing Peace, by Dr. Robert Jones

On this episode of The Disciple-Making Parent podcast, we continue our four-part series on biblical conflict resolution with part two, focusing on the essential practice of examining ourselves before addressing conflicts with others. We explore Jesus' teaching about removing the log from our own eye before pointing out the speck in someone else's eye, and why this principle is foundational to resolving disagreements in a God-honoring way.

We discuss how to conduct an honest self-examination, looking at both our actions and attitudes that may have contributed to conflict. We explore common blind spots like argumentative spirits, passive-aggressive behavior, and the tendency to see ourselves as more righteous than we actually are. We also examine how leaders in particular need to be willing to acknowledge their blind spots and the impact their words and decisions can have on others. In the second half of the episode, we break down Ken Sande's Seven A's of Confession—a practical framework for asking forgiveness in a way that's genuine, specific, and transformative.

We learn the difference between saying "I'm sorry" and truly asking for forgiveness, and why details like addressing everyone involved, avoiding qualifiers like "if" and "but," and accepting consequences matter so much in the reconciliation process. Whether you're navigating conflict in marriage, parenting, church leadership, or the workplace, this episode equips us with biblical tools to own our part, confess well, and move toward genuine restoration. 

Topics Covered in This Week’s Podcast
02:00 Review
04:49 Principle 2: Get the log out of your own eye
09:34 Questions for self-examination
14:43 Examining our own desires
20:37 Applications
25:46 Confession and forgiveness

Resources From This Podcast
Biblical Conflict Resolution Part 1- Introduction and the Call to Glorify God
The Peacemaker, by Ken Sande
Wisdom and Justice vs. Lack of Wisdom and Injustice

On this episode of The Disciple-Making Parent Podcast, we begin a four-part series on biblical conflict resolution. We explore why conflict is inevitable in relationships—whether between spouses, parents and children, siblings, or within church and workplace settings—and examine what instruction God actually gives us for navigating these difficult situations.

We establish that the first and most essential principle in any conflict is to glorify God and please Him above all else. Rather than focusing on controlling outcomes or changing the other person, we learn to ask: "How can I please God in this situation?" This vertical focus keeps us anchored to biblical commands rather than our emotions, and reminds us that we can always control our own response, even when we can't control the conflict's resolution.

We conclude by considering the practical question: How would Jesus live in my situation right now? By aiming to act, react, and pray like Jesus—empowered by the Holy Spirit—we position ourselves to grow through conflict and pursue reconciliation in a way that honors God, regardless of the other person's response.

Resources From This Podcast
The Peacemaker, by Ken Sande
Pursuing Peace, by Dr. Robert Jones
The True Bounds of Christian Freedom, by Samuel Bolton 

Topics Covered in This Week’s Podcast
02:02 Introduction
05:40 The Origin of conflict
09:37 Our God of peace
15:48 Types of conflict
21:18 Glorify God
29:03 Final rewards

On this episode of The Disciple-Making Parent, we explore one of life's most avoided topics: death and dying.

We'll listen to a recent sermon from Chap where he talks about how Christians shouldn't fear talking about our final departure and what it means to "run through the tape" rather than coast into the finish line. 

We examine five biblical principles for facing old age and death with faith and joy, drawing from Paul's final words in 2 Timothy 4. We discuss how death is not the end but a portal to something better, why we should anticipate suffering in our final years, and how to keep our eyes fixed on Christ and heaven even as our bodies decay. We also wrestle with the physical, emotional, and social suffering that comes with aging, and why we should strive for joy instead of becoming sour in our later years.

This conversation challenges us to develop a biblical strategy for finishing well, longing for heaven, and glorifying God even in our dying.

On this episode of The Disciple-Making Parent Podcast, we explore a biblical understanding of work with a sermon from Jai Paul. In it, we’ll examine how our perception of work shapes not only our own lives but also the values we pass on to our children and grandchildren.

Jai explains how work was established by God before the fall as a good and noble calling. Unlike ancient myths that portrayed work as a burden or punishment, the Bible reveals that God Himself is a worker, and that humans were created in His image to work and create.

He explores four key questions:

• Where did work come from?
• Why is work so hard?
• Can work be renewed?
• How should we work?

Join us as we discover how our work can honor God and love our neighbors rather than simply serving as a means to personal gain. We also highlight how training our children to serve is one of the seven essential commitments of discipleship parenting. 

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To learn more about Jai Paul and JP Cross Ministries visit: www.jpcross.org

On this episode of The Disciple-Making Parent Podcast, we sit down with Nate Akin to hear his powerful testimony and parenting insights. We explore Nate's journey from growing up in a Christian home to his college basketball career at Murray State, including his participation in the NCAA tournament against Georgia and Illinois.

Nate openly shares about his season of rebellion during college years and the pivotal moment of repentance that redirected his life toward ministry. We discuss Nate's leadership with the Pillar Network, a Baptist association focused on church planting that now has nearly 600 churches in almost 50 countries. The heart of our conversation centers on the parenting principles Nate learned from his father and mother that he's now implementing with his own young children.

Nate reveals his parents' simple yet profound approach: "teach them to love Jesus and have fun with them." We unpack how this philosophy manifested through consistent discipleship, creating space for questions, prioritizing church community, and maintaining a balance of clear boundaries with abundant grace.

On this episode of The Disciple-Making Parent Podcast, we explore the profound importance of remembering God's works and sharing them with future generations. We examine how memory serves as a beautiful gift that connects our past experiences to present purpose.

In this episode, Chap shares a powerful sermon from a church celebrating its 50th anniversary, where he emphasizes that the gospel continues through intentional remembrance and storytelling. We discover how remembering God's interventions—both the miraculous biblical events and the personal moments in our lives—strengthens our faith and keeps us following the Lord.

Join us as we explore the vital mission of equipping parents and grandparents to raise children who not only love the Lord but become disciple-makers themselves, taking the gospel to the world.

On this episode of The Disciple-Making Parent podcast, we explore the critical balance between children's ministry and parental discipleship in the church. We speak with Jared Kennedy, author of "Keeping Your Children's Ministry on Mission: Practical Strategies for Discipling the Next Generation," who shares his journey from aspiring missionary to children's ministry leader.

We discuss how children's ministry is not merely childcare but a vital part of the church's mission to pass faith to the next generation. Kennedy challenges the notion that parents are the sole disciplers of children, arguing that Scripture places this responsibility on the entire covenant community.

The conversation highlights how even teaching toddlers is missional work, as they develop crucial vocabulary that forms the building blocks of faith. We also examine how children's ministry serves as a "subversive" training ground for parents to learn discipleship skills they can implement at home.

Join us as we navigate the complementary roles of church and family in raising the next generation of believers - not just as disciples, but as disciple makers with hearts for the nations. 

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Thanks for listening to the Disciple Making Parent podcast. We love offering resources to equip you in family discipleship for free, but we can only do that because of our faithful financial partners. Would you consider joining us? We're a small and lean ministry, and we make your kingdom dollars go far. So head on over to www.thedisciplemakingparent.com/partner

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Resources From This Podcast:
Keeping Your Children’s Ministry on Mission, by Jared Kennedy
Jared Kennedy at TGC
The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible, by Jared Kennedy
The Story of Martin Luther, by Jared Kennedy
Gospel-Centered Family
The Fallen Condition Focus, by Bryan Chapell
Read-Aloud Bible Stories, by Ella Lindvall
Managing Your Households Well, by Chap Bettis