You joined a family hoping to love your stepkids well. But what if they don’t exactly love you back? Cheryl Shumake, author of Waiting to Be Wanted, gets painfully practical about how to be a good stepparent without auditioning for acceptance—and maybe when those kids don't love you back. How do you stop competing for your place, love without keeping score, and know what’s actually yours to do when the blended-family dream gets decidedly less dreamy?

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• Weekend to Remember marriage getaway.

• Get Cheryl Shumake’s book, Waiting to Be Wanted: A Stepmom’s Guide to Loving Before Being Loved. Find resources and audio from this podcast episode at familylifetoday.com
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Wouldn’t it be a remarkable world if everyone tried to out-give one another? If we saw someone in need, we automatically took care of it. We were always looking for ways to help. But we don’t live in a culture of givers, it seems like we live in a culture of takers. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us see how a spirit of generosity is part of the prescription for living a more meaningful life. We’re considering the Apostle Paul’s counsel about living in a way that honors God.

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In this week’s episode, Mark dives into the complex world of trust between parents and teens. He tackles what to do when your teen keeps repeating behaviors that broke your trust, how to respond when lies have become a pattern and how to keep going when you’ve given chance after chance but nothing seems to improve. Mark unpacks why teens might struggle to be honest, and shares advice for handling repeated disappointment while still helping teens grow in decision-making. With real-life examples and candid wisdom, Mark encourages parents to focus less on broken trust and more on creating an environment where good decisions — and second chances — can flourish.

Have a question for the show? We'd love to hear it! Go to markgregston.com to submit your topic.

Nothing has caused more animosity between the Church and the culture than issues surrounding sexual freedom, gay rights, and transgenderism. Guest teacher Aaron Pierce explores how we can engage people on these sensitive subjects with unconditional love, without compromising the truth.

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Guest Speaker Bio

Aaron Pierce is the International Mission Director of Steiger International, a rapidly-growing, worldwide mission organization that is called to reach and disciple the Global Youth Culture for Jesus. Steiger is active in over 100 cities around the world within the regions of Europe, Eurasia, Central Asia, the Middle East, East Asia, South America, Australasia, and North America.

As a secret service agent, Darin Kinder was trained to handle emergencies. As a Christian, he was gifted with compassion for others. Hear his eyewitness account of the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York City on 9/11/2001 and how he was able to serve other people and make it out alive.

Receive a copy of "Bury Me in a Dirty Suit" and an audio download of "Serving and Surviving in New York on 9/11" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.

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Many of us crave the smile, the applause, the nod that says we finally matter. Joseph dreamed of his whole family bowing—and it nearly cost him his life. In this message, Pastor Philip Miller traces Joseph's dream. Discover why chasing significance through people turns approval into an idol that always fails.

This is part one of the sermon, "Joseph: Seeking Significance Through People."

This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://livinghopeoffer.net or call us at 1-800-215-5001.

00:03 – Visions of Grandeur: Joseph welcoming a whole family bowing to him.
02:28 – The First Identity Trap: Seeking significance through people.
08:33 – Joseph's Dream: The favored son who had to tell everyone.
14:37 – Joseph's Nightmare: When the approval strategy collapses into a pit.
18:20 – Everyone's Vulnerable: How approval-seeking sneaks into all of us.
20:54 – Fear of Man vs. Fear of God: When approval becomes idolatry.

Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Living Hope" and "Moody Church Hour," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives.

Dr. Philip Miller is the 17th Senior Pastor of The Moody Church. He is the featured speaker on "Living Hope" and "Moody Church Hour," with programs broadcasting on 700 outlets in the U.S. He and his wife Krista live in Chicago with their four children. Pastor Philip is passionate about proclaiming God's Word, cultivating healthy ministry, and investing in future leaders.

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