The Imperfect Parent

By Sovereign Grace Church Wahroonga

We live in an increasingly anxious world and as parents we are not immune. In the busyness of life, parenting can feel almost completely unrelenting and isolating. Even impossible.

But not

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FAQs about The Imperfect Parent:

How many episodes does The Imperfect Parent have?

The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.

The Imperfect Parent episodes:

October 15, 2024 What is a woman? Feminism, femininity and the great devaluing of motherhood.
In so many ways it feels like we’ve lost our bearings.
What does it mean to be a woman? What does it mean to be a mum? Questions that seemed obvious a generation ago seem almost impossible to answer today.
Is there even any difference between what it means to be a mum or a dad?
Does the Bible have anything to say?
Today sharing a heart to ‘stay at home’ for the sake of raising kids is likely to be met with raised eyebrows.
‘Do you know what year it is?’ ‘Are you just going to walk out on your life and career?’
Where can we find a positive and hope-filled vision for living as a Mum in a world that is deeply divided and confused?
In this season final we welcome special guests Rebecca Song and C.J. Lick as we have an honest conversation about being a mum: The challenges mums face and how we can find help in Jesus and the Jesus-community.

Got questions you’d like the team to answer? Email us at [email protected]

Enjoy this episode?

Subscribe and leave us a review to help others find us online!

Timestamps:
Getting to know Rebs & C.J. – (1:10)
What is a Woman? By Matt Walsh – (4:43)
Womanhood and the Bible – (17:46)
Motherhood and the Bible – (53:53)
Growing as Christ-honoring Mums – (59:10)
Recommended Reading:

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, ‘Adorned: Living Out the Beauty of the Gospel Together.’
https://www.amazon.com/Adorned-Living-Beauty-Gospel-Together/dp/0802412599
Claire Smith, ‘God’s Good Design: What the Bible Really Says About Men and Women.’ https://koorong.com/product/god-s-good-design-what-the-bible-really_9781925424515?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADgt86cTqKVdy7NdGico8Oo6Rnb-L&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmOm3BhC8ARIsAOSbapW7q7u1_vaoYJCF0GLsPLX7r7CDTUutZEi5ubnR03yn0Uj7a8Ug0j0aAhUYEALw_wcB
Sam Allberry, ‘What God has to say about our bodies.’ https://www.amazon.com.au/What-God-Has-about-Bodies/dp/1433570157
Credits:
Matt Walsh, ‘What is a woman?’ Access the first 15min free on the Daily Wire: https://www.dailywire.com/clips/watch-the-first-15-minutes-for-free

Hosted by Brendan Willis
With Emma Taylor, Rebecca Song & C.J. Lick
Edited by Celine Chiu
Podcast Theme: The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93) – Accompaniment Track. Copyright Sovereign Grace Music.
A podcast of Sovereign Grace Church, Wahroonga.
Visit: sovgrace.org.au
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1h 24min
October 01, 2024 Where did all the dads go? Toxic masculinity, man-bashing and fatherhood.
I say ‘masculinity’. You say… ‘toxic’.
For many, masculinity in the west is in crisis.
Young men are increasingly isolated, drifting and angry.
According to one recent report, 65% of men aged 18-23yrs surveyed agreed with the statement that, ‘no one really knows me well.’
The same report found that 44% of all men reported having had thoughts of suicide in the prior two weeks. That’s right, 44%. (State of American Men, Equimundo 2023).
Our challenges run deep. As a culture, we stand against violence towards women and the oppressive misuse of power but what do we stand for?

What does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to be a Dad? Does the Bible have anything to say?
Where can we find a positive and hope-filled vision for living as a Dad in a world that is deeply divided and confused?
In this episode we welcome special guest Riley Spring as we have an honest conversation about being a Dad: The challenges we face and how we can find help in Jesus and the Jesus-community.

Got questions you’d like the team to answer? Email us at [email protected]

Enjoy this episode?

Subscribe and leave us a review to help others find us online!

Timestamps:
Getting to know Riley – (1:00)
Andrew Tate on Piers Morgan Uncensored – (5:36)
Where are Dads struggling today? – (23:20)
Getting Biblical – Masculinity and Authority – (31:32)
Fatherhood in the Bible – (56:05)
Growing as Christ-honoring Dads – (1:12:54)
Recommended Reading:

Al Steward, ‘The Manual: Getting Masculinity Right’ https://matthiasmedia.com.au/products/the-manual

Richard Philips, ‘The Masculine Mandate: God’s Calling to Men.’ https://www.amazon.com/Masculine-Mandate-Richard-D-Phillips/dp/1567696848

Shane Morris, ‘Savior or stoics? Why modern men look for Wisdom outside the church.’ https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/savior-stoics-modern-men/

Sam Allberry, ‘What God has to say about our bodies.’ https://www.amazon.com.au/What-God-Has-about-Bodies/dp/1433570157

Joe Rigney, “Courage: How the Gospel Creates Christian Fortitude.” https://www.amazon.com.au/Courage-Gospel-Creates-Christian-Fortitude/dp/1433583135

Credits:

Piers Morgan Uncensored: “Andrew Tate On The Problems Of Modern Men And The Need For Masculinity.” https://youtu.be/QxbZ3l4qNWc?si=ApE65Q5-0rpeIKSz&t=247

‘State of American Men 2023: From Crisis to Confusion.’ Equimundo: https://www.equimundo.org/resources/state-of-american-men/#:~:text=From%20Crisis%20and%20Confusion%20to%20Hope&text=Men%20in%20the%20U.S.%20are,built%20into%20boyhood%20and%20manhood.

Hosted by Brendan Willis
With Dave Taylor & Riley Spring
Edited by Celine Chiu
Podcast Theme: The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93) – Accompaniment Track. Copyright Sovereign Grace Music.
A podcast of Sovereign Grace Church, Wahroonga.
Visit: sovgrace.org.au
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1h 26min
September 17, 2024 Everyone needs a miracle. Instruction, kindling, ODD and what even homeschooling can’t achieve.
Perhaps nothing is more discouraging than when a child continues to be unresponsive and even defiant despite our best attempt at parenting them. It’s easy as a parent to feel completely exasperated and out of options.
Yet the Bible paints a picture that is even worse than we like to believe. Our kids wrestle not just with bad behaviour: they are spiritually dead apart from Christ!
Our kids need something far more profound than some new technique to make them more calm, focused and respectful. They need radical heart change that can only be brought about by the power of the Gospel!
Everyone needs a miracle!
In this episode we welcome special guests Tom & Renee Dietrich as we start a conversation that’s all about parenting as evangelism.
We’ll look at God’s sovereignty, our responsibility and how the power of the Gospel can give hope to even the most desperate imperfect parent.

Got questions you’d like the team to answer? Email us at [email protected]

Enjoy this episode?

Subscribe and leave us a review to help others find us online!

Timestamps:
Getting to know the Dietrich’s – (00:33)
Instant Family - The Christmas Dinner – (16:21)
Parenting the strong-willed child – (18:14)
Biblical tensions: sovereignty and responsibility – (31:44)
Laying kindling and pleading for miracles – (54:16)
Recommended resources:
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer: https://koorong.com/product/evangelism-the-sovereignty-of-god-new-format-_9781844744985
Honest Evangelism by Rico Tice: https://www.thegoodbook.com.au/honest-evangelism
A Praying Life by Paul Miller: https://koorong.com/product/a-praying-life-connecting-with-god-in-a_9781631466830
Credits:
The Christmas Dinner, Instant Family: https://youtu.be/Jy8mz4gu2oQ?si=yi0n2h9ZlTSOSzQW

NEXT EPISODE: Episode 9: Where did all the Dads go? Toxic masculinity, man-bashing, dysfunctional father figures and authority.

Hosted by Brendan Willis
With Dave & Emma Taylor
Special Guests: Tom & Renee Dietrich
Edited by Celine Chiu
Podcast Theme: The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93) – Accompaniment Track. Copyright Sovereign Grace Music.
A podcast of Sovereign Grace Church, Wahroonga.
Visit: sovgrace.org.au
...more
1h 21min
September 03, 2024 Prime delivery, impatience and taking the long view in parenting. Reflections on the slow and steady pace of change with Bob & Julie Kauflin.
Want to buy something? With Amazon Prime delivery you can have your shopping at home in the space of a few hours. What if it’s too expensive? With a little double click on your phone, you can ‘buy now and pay later’ or use a myriad of different credit cards.

We live in a culture of immediate gratification.
Even boredom is something that can be quickly escaped with an endless stream of videos, games and content on our smart phones.

The result of all this? We’re often impatient.

Yet patience is part of the fruit of the Spirit and an essential part of loving others. As Paul says, ‘Love is patient.’ (1 Corinthians 13:4). How can we grow in patience?
In this episode we welcome Bob & Julie Kauflin to the podcast. As parents to 6 children and 24 grandchildren Bob & Julie share their experience of watching God at work through the high’s and lows of parenting over more than 40 years.

Got questions you’d like the team to answer? Email us at [email protected]

Enjoy this episode?

Subscribe and leave us a review to help others find us online!

Timestamps:
The Kauflin’s journey as parents – 0:00:50
Parenting in a culture of Immediate Gratification – 0:11:54
Reflections on over 4 decades as parents – 0:25:29

Recommended Reading:

Paul David Tripp. Parenting: The 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family.
Tim Keller, Sermon: Patience (Part 1)
Tim Keller, Sermon: Patience: Overcoming Anger (Part 2)

Credits:

Hosted by Brendan Willis
With Bob & Julie Kauflin
Edited by Celine Chiu
Podcast Theme: The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93) – Accompaniment Track. Copyright Sovereign Grace Music.

Opening Track: ‘Ephesus’ from the Album ‘Glad’ by Glad. Produced by Myrrh Records (1978)
A podcast of Sovereign Grace Church, Wahroonga.
Visit: sovgrace.org.au
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1h 22min
August 20, 2024 Bubble wrap, safe-spaces and non-resilient parenting. Are we just too sheltered today?
A quick flashback to suburban Australia in the 1970’s & 1980s reveals a very different experience of childhood. Even as late as the 1990s it was not uncommon to see children playing unsupervised in the street and being tasked with significant responsibility outside of the home. For most children the experience of childhood was marked by play with peers, adventures and growing independence.
Fast forward to today and the experience of childhood has dramatically changed. The world feels a much more dangerous place. Children today are far more likely to play on their devices than to meet to play with their peers. A decrease of at least 50% in the space of a generation! Because of our fears, today children are rarely left to play without adult supervision prior to leaving the home. All the while we’re more interconnected but we feel far more fragile.

How did we get here? Are we all just too sheltered today? And does the Bible have anything to help us navigate this complex new world?
This episode is a deep dive into God’s sovereign purposes for our weaknesses and how it can help us to grow as a non-anxious presence in the lives of our children.

Got questions you’d like the team to answer? Email us at [email protected]

Enjoy this episode?

Subscribe and leave us a review to help others find us online!

Timestamps:
Jonathan Haidt, ‘Why modern America creates fragile children’ – (1:30)
Preparing kids for the road not the road for kids – (4:56)
The biblical embrace of weakness and suffering – (15:20)
Getting Practical. Growing as non-anxious parents – (44:06)
Recommended Reading:

Weakness is the Way by J.I. Packer
Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller
A non-anxious presence by Mark Sayers
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt – A secular psychologist with some useful thoughts on how changes in culture and technology are making children more fragile.

Credits:

Jonathan Haidt, ‘Why modern America creates fragile children.’ https://youtu.be/QvrMNDv6iYU?si=KRiSUi0uhoQYtVSM

Hosted by Brendan Willis
With Dave & Emma Taylor
Edited by Celine Chiu
Podcast Theme: The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93) – Accompaniment Track. Copyright Sovereign Grace Music.
A podcast of Sovereign Grace Church, Wahroonga.
Visit: sovgrace.org.au
...more
1h 13min
August 06, 2024 The little emperor generation. How can I know if I’m worshipping my kids?
Over the past 40yrs the world has drastically changed. Firstly, there’s been a massive decline in the number of people having children. In Sydney over 90% of suburbs have a birth rate that is below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman.
Secondly, there’s been a huge shift in the way we think about parenting. With fewer and fewer children, it’s increasingly common to approach the task of parenting using a child-centric model. Seeing the task of satisfying a child’s wants and needs as central to our role as parents.
Is this a biblical vision for parenting? Does the gospel have something different to say? How can I know if I’m worshipping my kids?
Come and join us for our latest episode of the Imperfect parent!
Got questions you’d like the team to answer? Email us at [email protected]

Enjoy this episode?

Subscribe and leave us a review to help others find us online!

Timestamps:
ABC, ‘China if you’re listening: China miscounted its population’ - (2:14)
The little emperor generation - (4:56)
Changes in parenting over the last 20 years - (11:52)
Gospel Saturated parenting - (23:44)
How can we grow in gospel-centred parenting? - (43:05)
Recommended Reading:

Gospel Fluency by Jeff Vanderstelt
How to find yourself by Brian Rosner
Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller
What’s Best Next by Matt Perman
Credits:
ABC, ‘If you’re listening with Matt Bevan: China miscounted its population, now the economy is in crisis.’ https://youtu.be/meJItedDm2Y?si=Nod3XbhcE-RmD-xj

Hosted by Brendan Willis
With Dave & Emma Taylor
Edited by Celine Chiu
Podcast Theme: The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93) – Accompaniment Track. Copyright Sovereign Grace Music.
A podcast of Sovereign Grace Church, Wahroonga.
Visit: sovgrace.org.au
...more
1h 13min
July 23, 2024 Gentle parenting, spanking and spoiling kids. How should we think about discipline?
Over and over again studies have shown a strong correlation between physical discipline and mental health challenges. Yet at the same time many parents and teachers alike experience a sense of exasperation at the rapid rise in disrespectful and defiant behaviour amongst school aged children.

Is physical discipline a relic of the past for the Christian parent? What does the Bible have to teach about the place of discipline in raising our kids?
In this episode the team will explore the Bible’s teaching on this topic and the truth that a loving Father uses painful disciple to help us as parents.

Similarly, we’ll see that a central part of our responsibility as parents is to use painful consequences to help our children understand how to rightly relate to God and others.

Got questions you’d like the team to answer? Email us at [email protected]

Enjoy this episode?

Subscribe and leave us a review to help others find us online!

Timestamps:
Behind the News, ‘Is it OK to smack kids?’ (2:17-6:18)
Does physical discipline cause deep harm? (6:19)
What does the Bible teach about discipline? (0:13:10)
Getting practical about discipline (1:09:45)
Recommended Reading:
1.         Paul David Tripp – Parenting: https://koorong.com/product/parenting-the-14-gospel-principles-that-can-radically_9781433551932
2.         Don’t Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Hubbard: https://reformers.com.au/products/9780972304641-dont-make-me-count-to-three-a-moms-look-at-heart-oriented-discipline-hubbard-ginger?_pos=1&_sid=dafbdda77&_ss=r
3.         Is Gentle Parenting Biblical? https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/gentle-parenting-biblical/
Credits:
ABC, ‘Behind the News: Is it Ok to smack kids?’ https://youtu.be/SHECuFSH1Co?si=Rvveq4AoefSFQH4R
Fortier et al (2022) Associations between Lifetime Spanking/ Slapping and Adolescent Physical and Mental Health and Behavioural Outcomes – Canadian Journal of Psychiatry https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9014670/

Hosted by Brendan Willis
With Dave & Emma Taylor
Edited by Celine Chiu
Podcast Theme: The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93) – Accompaniment Track. Copyright Sovereign Grace Music.
A podcast of Sovereign Grace Church, Wahroonga.
Visit: sovgrace.org.au
...more
1h 30min
July 09, 2024 Career vs Kids. A balance to be mastered? Or worldliness in the church?
We live in one of the most expensive cities in the world. For the average Sydney family it can feel like a challenge just to make ends meet let alone even thinking about taking time off work.

In 21st century Sydney the ‘stay-at-home Mum’ feels like a phenomenon from a bygone era. Not even a possibility today. Yet at the same time many parents feel great guilt about the amount of time they have left in a week to invest in parenting their children.
So how should we think about career and parenting?
In this episode the team explores the Bible’s teaching on our calling as parents helping us to see that clarity on our calling is key to navigating our careers.
Got questions you’d like the team to answer? Email us at [email protected]

Enjoy this episode?

Subscribe and leave us a review to help others find us online!

Timestamps:
Why is this such a hot topic? – 0:00:50
How does our culture view parenting? – 0:17:43
A biblical vision for parenting – 0:24:50
Getting practical in thinking about our calling – 0:38:10
Recommended Reading:

Paul David Tripp. Parenting: The 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family.

Credits:

Hosted by Brendan Willis
With Dave & Emma Taylor
Edited by Celine Chiu
Podcast Theme: The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93) – Accompaniment Track. Copyright Sovereign Grace Music.
A podcast of Sovereign Grace Church, Wahroonga.
Visit: sovgrace.org.au
...more
1h 4min
June 25, 2024 Dealing with failure. Irreparable damage, redemption and our culture of fear.
We live in an age of anxiety, so it's little surprise that as parents we can find ourselves plagued with fears. Fears like ‘our kids missing out’, or, somehow causing them ‘irreparable damage’ can be paralysing! For other parents, our fears don’t loom as large as our many failures. As parents we can find ourselves feeling heavy with guilt and shame! The truth is that causing harm to our kids is not just a real possibility, as sinful people it’s an inevitability!

So perhaps a better question is, ‘Where can we turn when we fail?’
This episode is a deep dive into God’s redemptive grace and how it makes all the difference to imperfect parents in need of hope.

Got questions you’d like the team to answer? Email us at [email protected]

Enjoy this episode? Subscribe and leave us a review to help others find us online!

Timestamps:
(00:50) – A culture of fear in parenting.
(11:54) – Causing irreparable damage.
(25:29) – Greatest parenting fails.
(31:55) – What do we mean when we speak about grace?
(45:40) – Redemptive grace in the midst of failures –
Recommended Reading:

Paul David Tripp. Parenting: The 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family.

Credits:

Dr Beck Kennedy: ‘The Single Most Important Parenting Strategy’ – TEDx Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/becky_kennedy_the_single_most_important_parenting_strategy?hasSummary=true&language=en

Hosted by Brendan Willis
With Dave & Emma Taylor
Edited by Celine Chiu
Podcast Theme: The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93) – Accompaniment Track. Copyright Sovereign Grace Music.
A podcast of Sovereign Grace Church, Wahroonga.
Visit: sovgrace.org.au
...more
1h 3min
June 12, 2024 Who do you think you are? How much does our past shape us as parents?
In this very first episode, Dave & Emma Taylor share their journey into parenthood along with their many highs and lows over the past 22 years. Along the way the team reflect on their different experiences growing up and the influence they’ve had in shaping them as the parents they are today.
Timestamps:
(00:50) – Another podcast on parenting?
(06:18) – The journey to parenthood
(13:42) – The highs and lows of 22 years as parents
(20:14) – Michael Scott moments
(31:52) – How much does the past shape us?
Credits:
‘Hey Mr Scott! What You Gonna Do Make Our Dreams Come True?’ https://youtu.be/x0N2ZxQJYTw?si=NeIKi7Ik4eNcnG_8&t=165

Hosted by Brendan Willis
With Dave & Emma Taylor
Edited by Celine Chiu
Podcast Theme: The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93) – Accompaniment Track. Copyright Sovereign Grace Music.
A podcast of Sovereign Grace Church, Wahroonga.
Visit: sovgrace.org.au
...more
54min

FAQs about The Imperfect Parent:

How many episodes does The Imperfect Parent have?

The podcast currently has 11 episodes available.