Treasure Box Books | Dads Building Relationships, Reading Great Books, Preparing Children for Life

Hey Fellow Dads,

Today we continue a three-episode series introducing both true and fictional stories from Alaska—tales of heroism, survival, and faith that can inspire you and your family to follow wherever God leads.

In this episode, my friend Pastor Jonathan Fisher shares how God called him to be the answer to his own prayers for needy communities in Alaska. He also talks about how serving the Lord is a privilege and joy—yes, even fun—and how we as husbands can lead our wives and children to know that joy in service to Christ.

Don’t miss out on Jonathan’s sharing an exciting and true “Alaskan adventure” story about an encounter with an Alaskan brown bear, too!

--Nathan

📖 Genesis 12:1-2

📖 Ephesians 4:11

📖 3 John 4

📖 Psalm 37:23

📖 Malachi 2:14

📖 James 4:7

📚 The Autobiography of George Mueller, by George Mueller

📚 Answers to Prayer, by George Mueller

📚 Adventures of an Arctic Missionary Series, by Gloria Repp

“For two months, every day, I was just finding myself really asking God, burdened about, ‘Lord, would You send laborers to Alaska? There’s a need there,’ and never thought about us.”

“Through some preaching, through some verses, God made the calling very clear, and the calling was evangelist. And to be honest, that scared me, I didn’t like that, because all I had ever really known about evangelist was guys who get in a RV and travel around the Lower 48 and hold meetings.”

Veteran missionary in Papua New Guinea, Dennis Wells’ advice to missionaries: “He said, ‘Well, you’re going to have to forget where you’re from,….You’re going to have to love where God put you,….and you’re going to have to learn to have fun.’ ”

“It’s important to enjoy where God put you.”

“My parents and my wife’s parents both instilled in us that we get to do this because we serve the Lord, because God takes great care of us.”

“As far as people from where we’re from that we can really connect with, there’s nobody, and so, I have my wife, and she has me. And God has allowed us to really develop a great relationship….And that is precious, to have a close relationship with your wife.”

“I came from San Diego, where life was very busy. You have so many friends and so many people to talk to, that sometimes, those who were supposed to be closest to can be neglected in caring for them.”

(v.) glass: to scan with a spyglass or other optical instrument.

(n.) breakup: in Spring, when the ice melts and breaks apart.

(n.) tungat: spirits, presumably with evil intent toward the living.

(n.) shaman: one who claims to have contact with the spirit world and thus wields power over other people.

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💡 See the show notes at https://refreshpublishing.com/058-alaskan-adventures-part-2-with-jonathan-fisher

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express

https://uppbeat.io/t/roger-gabalda/a-touch-of-genius

Hey Fellow Dads,

📖 Romans 1:16

“Are you preparing to go to Alaska?”—Nathan’s sister (thanks for the cameo appearance!)

“That first year, I was pretty much housebound, and I wanted to accomplish something, and one of the things that I did to literally survive that six and a half year journey was write a book in my mind….The first eight months, I went through the Bible seven times, so that saturated my mind and soul with the word of God….in conjunction with that, I would escape in my mind to surviving in the wilderness…”—Pastor Bruce Hamilton

“Many are cold, few are frozen.”—Pastor Bruce Hamilton

🎙️Please subscribe to the podcast so you can listen again next week!

✍🏻 Leaving a review is the best way to say "thanks" so that others can find the podcast, too! In Apple Podcast app, scroll down to the bottom of the episode list (right above the "About" section) and click the tiny link to "Write a Review."

➡️ Take a screenshot or click the "Share" button in your podcast app to let your friends know.

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💡 See the show notes at https://refreshpublishing.com/057-alaskan-adventures-part-1-with-bruce-hamilton

Text from God of the Brooks, pages 29, 54-55, & 97, published in this episode with permission from author Bruce Hamilton.

Hey Fellow Dads,

“A man’s home is his castle”—so goes the saying. But what does the Bible say about dads presiding in their homes? How can we do that well—and how might it benefit our families if we do?

In this episode, my friend Wesley Waddle, a pastor and dad for over 20 years, shares lessons he’s learned from Bible examples and personal experience, offers us realistic hope, and suggests practical tools to do this job right. Hope you enjoy it!

--Nathan

📖 Genesis 12

📖 Genesis 13

📖 Genesis 21

📖 Genesis 22

📖 1 Timothy 3:4-5 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

📖 Ephesians 6:4

💡 See the show notes, with Scripture references, quotes, and more, at refreshpublishing.com/056-dads-preside-over-your-family

https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/against-all-odds

https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express

Hey Fellow Dads,

Have you paused to think through the lessons you learned in 2024? In this episode, I’ll share several of mine, along with some goals to pursue and promises to hang onto as we follow God in 2025. And don’t miss out on my Top 10 Books from 2024!

Nathan

📖 Psalm 23

📖 1 Thessalonians 4

📖 1 Thessalonians 5:18

📖 Luke 10:39

📖 Luke 7:38

📖 Luke 8:41-42

📖 Luke 17:16

📖 Luke 8:35

Ancient History

📚 Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization, by Lars Brownworth, published by Three Rivers Press, 2009

Apologetics

📚 The God Who Is Real: A Creationist Approach to Evangelism and Missions, by Henry Morris, published by Baker Book House, 1995

Christian Living

📚 Enjoying Intimacy with God, by J. Oswald Sanders, published by Discovery House Publishers, 2000

Ecclesiology

📚 Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential, by Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman, published by Crossway, 2021

Fiction—Wilderness Adventure & Survival

📚 God of the Brooks, by Bruce Hamilton

Manliness

📚 The Men We Need: God's Purpose for the Manly Man, the Avid Indoorsman, or Any Man Willing to Show Up, by Brant Hansen (audiobook, narrated by author), published by Baker Books, 2022

Missions

📚 The Last of the Giants: How Christ Came to the Lumberjacks, by Harry Rimmer

Practical Theology

📚 The Christian After Death, by Robert Ervin Hough, published by the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, 1947

Prayer

📚 The Power of Christ’s Prayer Life, by C.H. Spurgeon, compiled and edited by Robert Hall, published by YWAM Publishing, 1996

WWII

📚 At Dawn We Slept, by Gordon Prange

💡 See the show notes, with Scripture references, quotes, and more, at refreshpublishing.com/055-looking-back-looking-forward

https://uppbeat.io/t/benjamin-botkin/the-heart-of-hero

https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express

Hey fellow dads,

Many Christian books have been published in recent years about moms praying for their families, but does God expect us as dads to pray for our spouse and children as well? What might it mean to be a “priest” in our own home . . . and how do we fulfill this role practically, in the day to day? In this episode we talk about where to start, examples from Scripture, and some books that can grow our faith for prayer.

Nathan

“Day after day, and year after year, by the help of God, we labour in prayer for the spiritual benefit of the Orphans under our care. These our supplications, which have been for 24 years brought before the Lord concerning them, have been abundantly answered, in former years, in the conversion of hundreds from among them. We have, also, had repeated seasons in which, within a short time, or even all at once, many of the Orphans were converted. Such a season we had about three years since, when, within a few days, about 60 were brought to believe in the Lord Jesus; and such seasons we have had again twice during the first year.

“This blessed and mighty work of the Holy Spirit cannot be traced to any particular cause. It was however, a most precious answer to prayer. As such we look upon it, and are encouraged by it to further waiting upon God.

“[This] great work of the Spirit of God…began among the younger class of the children under our care...so that within about 10 days above 200 of the Orphans were stirred up to be anxious about their souls, and in many instances found peace immediately, through faith in our Lord Jesus. They at once requested to be allowed to hold prayer meetings among themselves, and have had these meetings ever since. Many of them also manifested a concern about the salvation of their companions and relations, and spoke or wrote to them, about the way to be saved.”

—George Mueller, in Answers to Prayer

“According to the NT, Jesus Christ is the great high priest for all those who believe in Him. He makes atonement for our sins; He intercedes for us with the Father; He takes away our sins!”

“Because Jesus Christ is our great high priest, we need no man to stand between us and God, to make atonement for our sins, or to forgive our sins; and all of us who are in Christ have God-given authority to read God’s word for ourselves and determine how to live it out.”

“…what we mean by this term is simply that a dad--husband and father—is supposed to pray for his family, to lead his family in the truth of God, and to teach his family how to fellowship with God. He is an intercessor—he intercedes (pleads with God for the benefit of others).”

—Nathan

💡 See the show notes, with Scripture references, quotes, and more, at refreshpublishing.com

https://uppbeat.io/t/brock-hewitt-stories-in-sound/his-destiny

https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express

https://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/magical-christmas

Hey fellow dads,

How do you “start where you are” to lead your family even when you know you aren’t the dad you ought to be? What hope do we have when greater men than us have not been able to raise godly children? Or is that even our goal? Join us today as we learn from my friend William Maricle about being the spiritual leader (teacher or prophet) for our families.

And, starting at 34:54, I have a special Thanksgiving weekend treat for you—an excerpt from Of Plimoth Plantation that the whole family can enjoy.

Nathan

What exactly does a prophet do? Throughout the Bible, we see that prophets consistently kept these four elements in their lives:

“As men, there’s no way we can completely assume that role, unless we ourselves are attempting to discover the word of God for ourselves, and be in it. But then I would hasten to say, that it’s better to be a father who feels inadequate but is just giving what he can, than to be a father who feels like he has all the answers and demands his kids listen to him.”

“Have the heart to say, ‘Dad doesn’t know much, but please do right.”

📚 Seeking a Godly Seed, by Clint Caviness

📚 Of Plymouth Plantation, by William Bradford

💡 See the show notes, with Scripture references, quotes, and more, at refreshpublishing.com/053-dads-be-a-prophet-for-your-family

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express

Hey Fellow Dads,

Have you ever wondered if you’re providing enough for your family? What kind of provider is God for us, and how should we illustrate Him in the way we provide for our wives and children? What pitfalls do we need to be careful to avoid? Join us as my friend Daniel shares how we need to provide for our children in more than just financial ways, and gives some great book recommendations to help us partner with God in providing for our families.

Nathan

📖 Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life, by David L. Bahnsen

📖 Author of financial advice, Dave Ramsey

📖 The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Orczy

📖 Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand (contains some references to p-rn as well as graphic combat and p.o.w. camp details, not suitable for children)

📖 Zoli’s Legacy: Based On the Life of Zoltan Gaal, by Dawn Watkins

📖 The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling

📖 The Pursuit of Holiness, by Jerry Bridges

• “We know that God doesn’t always give us everything we want, but He does give us everything that we need.”

💡 See the show notes, with Scripture references, quotes, and more, at refreshpublishing.com

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express

Hey Fellow Dads,

Do we really have a Scriptural mandate as fathers to protect our families, or is that just a Western cultural idea? How does ego play in? What if we’re not naturally strong or tough? What do we need to keep in mind as we learn to be protectors? What books can help? Listen in as my brother-in-law Pete, a very experienced protector, shares helpful principles for protecting our families both physically and spiritually.

Nathan

When Christ “gave himself” for the church, the word implies hazarding his life. Protecting others may involve risking our own lives.

Most important skills we need as men to protect our families:

1. Fitness—spiritual, emotional, and physical.

📖 The Bible

📖 Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps’ Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life, by Patrick Van Horne and Jason A. Riley

📖 Strong’s Concordance, by James Strong

📖 Morning and Evening, by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

📖 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

📖 A blank journal

📖 The Bible

📖 The Men We Need, by Brant Hansen

💡 See the show notes, with Scripture references, quotes, and more, at refreshpublishing.com

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express

Hey Fellow Dads,

To be the husbands and fathers that God created us to be, we have to play the roles God has entrusted to us. What are those roles, and how do we face these ofttimes overwhelming responsibilities, especially when failure is so possible? What books can help?

Nathan

• Fourth Quarter: How to Finish Your Course with Joy, by Don Sisk

• To listen to readings of the original Sugar Creek Gang stories, download the Bible Broadcasting Radio (BBN Radio) App, click the “On Demand” button, and scroll to “Captain’s Club.”

💡 See the show notes, with quiz questions, Scripture references, quotes, and more, at https://refreshpublishing.com/050-dads-know-your-roles

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express

Hi, Fellow Dads,

Have you ever noticed that God delights in children playing and wants His people to have “merry” hearts? How can we foster a happy atmosphere in our homes? And how might books play a part?

Nathan

💡 See the show notes at https://refreshpublishing.com/049-foster-a-happy-attitude-at-home-and-helping-flood-victims, including...

• Scriptures mentioned

🎙️Please subscribe to the podcast so you can listen again next week!

Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/arend/year-of-the-floods 

https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express