Parenting can feel confusing. Many of us grew up in homes focused on rules and behavior, while today, there’s more awareness around emotions and connection. Both matter — but what do we actually do about our kids’ behavior? In this episode, Brook, Elizabeth, and Diane talk about what discipline really is, why it’s important, and how to approach it with wisdom and love.

Discipline isn’t punishment — it’s training and guidance. Our conversation touches on how approaches to parenting have shifted over the decades, what the Bible says about discipline, and how to walk the line between too much and too little. We also talk about why each child is different, how parenting changes as kids get older, and how to handle it all with grace rather than anger.

Along the way, we share four simple tools of discipline: gentle correction, loving rebuke, patient instruction, and encouragement. These give parents practical ways to guide their kids and build trust along the way.

At the heart of this episode is hope. None of us get discipline right all the time, but it’s an important and biblical part of parenting. With God’s wisdom and a posture of grace, you can begin to discover what healthy discipline looks like for your family.

Scripture Mentioned: Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 29:17, Hebrews 12:11, Ephesians 1:15-20 + 2 Timothy 4:2

Previous Episode Mentioned: Procedural Memory: How God Redeems Reflexes, Rewrites Patterns and Renews the Mind (Spotify + Apple Podcasts)

Books Mentioned: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Also available in audiobook!) + Sowing a Hidden Seed

Submit Questions: Send a one-minute voice memo to [email protected], mentioning your name and where you’re from.

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This week, all four of us sit down to respond to your thoughtful questions about parenting and marriage.

We start by exploring what to do when your parenting style differs from your spouse’s. Differences don’t have to be a problem — in fact, they can be a gift. But what about when the stakes are high, like deciding on the best schooling option for your child? We share how to find unity in your approach without erasing your unique perspectives.

Next, we wrestle with this challenge: when your child is hurting, how do you tell the difference between their pain and your own emotional response? And more importantly, how do you carry both with grace? This leads to a conversation on communication, repairing relationships, and allowing spiritual formation to shape the way we respond in the moment — offering the same comfort God gives us.

Finally, we talk about the beauty and challenge of change in marriage. Over a lifetime together, you will inevitably be married to different versions of your spouse — and they to you. How do you support each other’s growth, let go of the past, and move forward together?

Parenting and marriage are both marathons, not sprints — and we hope this conversation encourages you to lean into the differences, tend to the pain with compassion, and keep choosing each other in every season.

Scripture Mentioned: 1 Corinthians 1:10, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Exodus 34:5-7, Colossians 3:12, 1 Peter 3, Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 15:7, Ecclesiastes 4:9 + 1 John 3:2

Sowing a Hidden Seed: 31-Day Prayer Devotional by Brook Mosser

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It’s no secret that we live in an anxious world — and we are raising an anxious generation. One in eight kids will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and that number is rising.

So how do we parent through this? What exactly does anxiety look like in our kids? How do we recognize it — especially when it hides under the surface? What tools can we use to respond? And what hope does Scripture offer us along the way?

In this episode, we’re not speaking as experts or clinicians, but as parents — daily practitioners walking through anxiety with our own children. We explore the truth that anxiety, left unchecked, tends to grow over time. We talk about the two most common responses parents fall into: demanding and protecting, and how neither is helpful in equipping your kids with the tools to face anxiety as they mature.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a cycle of accommodation — trying to prevent every trigger or meet every need — we offer some honest reflections and a few practical steps to shift that pattern. We also share how we’re learning to spot anxiety in our kids and walk with them through it — not around it.

Above all, we look to God’s Word, where we’re reminded again and again: Do not fear. Not because fear is never present, but because His presence meets us in it.

At the heart of this conversation is a call to slow down. To truly see our kids — not just their behavior, but what’s driving it. Slowing down allows us to meet them where they are, build resilience together, and remind them they’re not alone. With God’s help, our kids can develop the courage to face their fears — and even experience freedom in the midst of anxiety, not just from it. That kind of growth is slow, often messy, but deeply meaningful — and one of the most rewarding parts of parenting we’ve encountered.

Scripture Mentioned: Exodus 4:1-7, 1 Kings 19, Matthew 1:18-25, Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10

Books Mentioned: Soul Keeping: Caring For the Most Important Part of You by John Ortberg, Raising Worry-Free Girls: Helping Your Daughter Feel Braver, Stronger, and Smarter in an Anxious World by Sissy Goff + The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

Sowing a Hidden Seed: 31-Day Prayer Devotional by Brook Mosser

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We’re thrilled to introduce Sowing a Hidden Seed — a 31-day prayer devotional for parents faithfully planting spiritual seeds in their children’s lives, even when the fruit feels far off. Each day features Scripture, a meaningful quote, and a guided prayer, with flexible themes you can make your own.

Right now, Sowing a Hidden Seed is available exclusively to monthly donors who give $25 or more. As a nonprofit, Intentional relies on monthly giving to sustain this work — it makes resources like this possible and helps us equip families everywhere to raise children with intention. This devotional is our way of saying thank you — a small gift to express our deep gratitude for your ongoing support.

In this episode, we share the heart behind the devotional and talk about how to foster a culture of prayer at home. We discuss the power of praying with and for your children — not perfectly, but consistently — and address the barriers that often hold us back, such as busyness, shame, or feeling inadequate.

You’ll also hear simple, practical ways to make prayer a natural, life-giving rhythm in your home. Because it’s not about eloquence or intensity — it’s about showing up, day after day, with a posture of surrender.

As Walter Wink reminds us: “History belongs to the intercessors, who believe the future into being.”

Learn more about Sowing a Hidden Seed and become a monthly Legacy Builder here.

Questions: Email us at [email protected]

Scripture Mentioned: Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Psalm 116:1-2, Proverbs 18:21 + Ephesians 3:20

Episode Mentioned: The Boring Years, Spiritual Formation in the Shadows, Beneath the Routine, and Praying the Ordinary (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube)

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This week, Brook sits down with Andrew Damazio — pastor of Rose Church in Portland and author of My Heart Hurts: A Guide to the Theology of Pain and Suffering.

After walking through deep, personal suffering — often multiple losses at once — Andrew emerged with a burden to help others navigate pain with both truth and tenderness. When enduring pain, he was either approached with a highly theological response void of care or a purely pastoral response void of biblical truths. What he wanted — and what he needed — was both.

In My Heart Hurts, Andrew brings together sound theology and sincere pastoral care — offering not quick fixes, but a framework for walking through pain with both hope and honesty. Still in the midst of grief after the loss of his father and while walking with a close friend through their own suffering, Andrew speaks not from theory, but from lived experience.

In our conversation, Andrew shares his story of growing up as a third-generation pastor’s kid, coming to faith in adolescence, and eventually stepping into ministry. We talk about the difference between suffering in circumstance and suffering in perspective, the way ancient Christians expected suffering while modern believers often try to avoid it, and how we’re prone to unintentionally strip the humanity from Jesus in our search for tidy answers.

This is not a conversation that ties everything up neatly. Instead, it's an invitation to sit in the tension — to look honestly at pain, and to find Christ in the middle of it. Whether you're in a season of sorrow or simply preparing for the reality of life in a broken world, this episode offers wisdom, comfort, and the kind of truth that holds up under pressure.

Andrew Damazio: Rose Church, Rose Church Podcast, Instagram

Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 26:36-46, Luke 22:44, John 21:1-14, 1 Kings 17:1-6, 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, 1 Peter 1:5, James 5:16 + 1 John 1:9

Book Mentioned: My Heart Hurts: A Guide to the Theology of Pain and Suffering by Andrew Damazio

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This week, Brook sits down with Tyler Staton — pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, author, husband, and father of three boys — for a profound, powerful conversation about mortality, margin, weakness, and prayer.

Tyler shares his journey through an unexpected and grueling cancer diagnosis, offering a raw look into the spiritual refinement that comes when you’re suddenly faced with your own limitations and mortality. As he puts it, “You don’t know the prayers you’ll pray until someone says, ‘We don’t know whether you will live or die.’”

Through that crucible, Tyler discovered that suffering can be an invitation — a call to live fully present, to reorder your life around what matters most, and to let go of the pressure to make everyone happy. He shares the practical steps he took to prioritize his family, build in margin, and live more intentionally on the other side of crisis.

We also explore how his wife walked through the experience in her own way, and how childhood narratives around strength and weakness shaped his ability to be vulnerable. Tyler reflects on the beauty of being met in weakness — how vulnerability creates space for others to come close in love.

Finally, we close with a rich conversation around prayer — specifically, how we can guide our children into a vibrant, Spirit-filled prayer life. Tyler offers a simple and powerful framework for praying with and for our kids, reminding us that they may be far more spiritually attuned than we often realize — and how we might inspire them to “carry the fire.”

Books Mentioned: Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools + The Familiar Stranger

Tyler Staton: Website, Instagram, 24-7 Prayer + Bridgetown Church

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This week, all four of us sit down for another Marriage Q+R, diving into your questions about navigating tension and other difficult dynamics in marriage.

We talk through when it might be wise to extend forgiveness face-to-face versus process it privately, and explore the nuance between sin in thought and sin in action — while remembering that all sin must ultimately be brought before God.

We share practical ways to re-prioritize your marriage in the midst of busy seasons, especially when kids, work, and other relationships start to crowd out your connection.

We also tackle the challenge of navigating disagreements about your children’s commitments — from extracurriculars to therapies — and how to unify around your family’s core values.

Finally, we close with a tender conversation about how to bring your children into the broken parts of your own family story — honoring the truth while walking in wisdom toward those still living and involved.

Whether you're in a season of clarity or conflict within your marriage, we hope this episode gives you language, encouragement, and direction for the road ahead.

Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 5:23-24, Ecclesiastes 1:9 + Proverbs 25:11

Previous Episode Mentioned: Hopelessness, Bitterness, Simmering Resentment, Passive-Aggressiveness, and Everyday Forgiveness in Close Relationships (Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube)

Submit Questions: [email protected]

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Fresh off the Intentional Marriage Retreat, we sit down for a special Q+R episode — answering your thoughtful questions about marriage. In this conversation, we discuss a variety of topics with a special focus on one overarching theme: growing in spiritual connection with your spouse.

We talk about how to nurture spiritual intimacy in your marriage by creating space for regular, meaningful conversations about your faith. We also tackle some of the more challenging dynamics: how to lovingly invite your spouse to reflect on unhealthy patterns even if there is resistance, how to encourage a reluctant husband to step into spiritual leadership, and how to navigate past wounds together with grace.

This episode offers practical tools and biblical perspective for deepening spiritual connection, healing past pain, and becoming more of who God created you to be — together. Whether your marriage feels strong or strained, there’s wisdom here for every couple walking the journey of faith together.

Scripture Mentioned: Proverbs 16:20-21, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Ephesians 4:29, Psalm 139:23, Proverbs 16:24, 1 Peter 3:1-4 + Ephesians 5:33

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Do you ever feel stuck in a reactive cycle as a parent — responding in ways you wish you wouldn't, again and again? Like Paul in Romans 7:15, you might find yourself saying, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

Here’s the good news: you’re not broken — you’re patterned. And patterns can be healed.

In this episode, we unpack what it means to be shaped by behavioral patterns, where they come from, and how they show up in our parenting and marriage. We explore the early steps toward recognizing and healing these patterns, and how God’s redemptive work can bring real change.

Through scripture, personal stories, and practical steps, we guide you toward deeper awareness — and point you to the healing that leads to freedom and greater connection in your home.

We also make an exciting announcement on the podcast today: Intentional Fatherhood is officially launching on Friday, June 13! In the meantime, visit the website, follow @intentionalfatherhood_ on Instagram, and subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Steps for Experiencing Healing From Patterns:

1. Name the story

2. Grieve the loss of what should have been but wasn’t

3. Invite Jesus into that wound

4. Practice new patterns

Reflection:

Reflect on one pattern that shows up often in your marriage, parenting or friendship

Question:

What is that pattern protecting you from and what is it trying to say?

Prayer:

Ask Jesus to help you be curious and kind about your story.

Scripture Mentioned: Romans 7:15, 1 Corinthians 11:1, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Romans 7:14-18, Romans 7:22-25, James 1:19-20 + Isaiah 53:3

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This week, we’re getting honest about our inadequacies as parents — when all we can say is, “I can’t.”

Inspired by The Fellowship of the Withered Hand, a concept from John Ortberg’s Steps, we explore how embracing our weaknesses can actually be a gateway to deeper healing and growth. Rather than hiding our shortcomings, what if we brought them into the light — to both God and to trusted community — and found strength in surrender?

Rooted in the story from Mark 3 where Jesus heals a man’s withered hand, we talk about the courage it takes to stretch out the broken parts of ourselves. As parents, that might mean owning our impatience, our fears, or the lies we tell ourselves about needing to have it all together.

Because the truth is, we all have withered hands. The question isn’t if we’re broken — it’s whether we’re willing to hold out our hands for healing.

Steps to Addressing Our Inadequacies:

1. Admit: Acknowledge that you have “withered hands” and name what they are.
2. Invite: Ask God for help in your weaknesses.
3. Release: Let go of control over your shortcomings and the outcomes of them.
4. Remember: You are not alone in this journey!

Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. Where in my parenting do I say, “God, I can’t?”
2. What would it look like to make prayer my first parenting move — not my last?

Prayers to Pray:

1. God, what keeps me from admitting my weaknesses? What shame is hurting me and keeping me from admitting?
2. God, point me to the books, podcasts, teachings and people you want to use to speak into my life.

Books Mentioned: Steps: A Guide to Transforming Your Life When Willpower Isn’t Enough by John Ortberg + Soul Keeping: Caring For the Most Important Part of You by John Ortberg

Scripture Mentioned: Mark 3:1-6, Matthew 5:3, 1 Corinthians 10:12, Isaiah 66:1-2, Psalm 8:4, Mark 5:25-34, Matthew 8:23-27, Hebrews 4:14-16, 2 Corinthians 12:10, Matthew 7:7, 2 Corinthians 12:5, 2 Corinthians 12:9 + James 5:16

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