Tuning the Bow

Why do churches champion parents as the primary disciplers of their children? How are parents supposed to carry out this call? Why would anyone cheer for the Houston Astros? These questions and others will be answered by Matt and Tim's special guest, published author and First Odessa's children's minister Rebecca Robson. In this episode, Rebecca breaks down how parents can practically disciple their children by involving them in the church's main service. When we worship beside our children, we create habits that will last in both our children and ourselves.

Resources – Let the Children Worship by Jason Helopoulos
The Faith of Our Children: Eight Timely Research Insights for Discipling the Next Generation by Matt Markins

Contact Rebecca here – [email protected]

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Tim is back from Missouri, and his students are fired up for some evangelism! In today's episode, he and Matt talk about how believers are useful to God through our obedience to the commands in the Bible and the importance of taking responsibility to live differently than the world. In all that parents do, God should be glorified and magnified because this might be what someone needs to see and hear in order for them to turn to God.

Passages – Matthew 5:13-20
John 5:6-8
Ephesians 2:10

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A lot of people read the Bible as a good book, but it has been Tim and Matt's challenge to live out what the Bible teaches. In this episode, they begin to walk through the Sermon on the Mount and how it speaks to parenting. Starting with the Beatitudes, the Bible calls believers to live differently, and by extension, parent differently.

Passage – Matthew 5:1-12

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The Bible is filled with a lot of failure. The Israelites, the twelve disciples, and many others constantly failed to meet God's standard, yet we celebrate their successes. Why is that? In this episode, Matt and Tim talk about legacy and why it is important to remember where God gave us grace to move past our failures into His marvelous light. When we live for God in the small moments, we teach our kids that God's legacy is what matters more than our own.

Passage – Psalm 78

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There is a lot that happens out of our control, but we have a choice in how we respond. In this episode, Matt and Tim talk about both options: complaining about the outcome and how it is not what we want or finding contentment in the situation. In a world of complainers and grumblers, be a light by worshipping God in every situation knowing God gives a spirit of peace not found anywhere else.

Passages – Exodus 15-17; 1 Corinthians 10:6-13; 1 Timothy 6:6

Also, there must be another correction. The German spelling is "burg" and not "burgh." The second spelling is the Scottish version, but both mean the same thing.

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The parable of the sower is a wonderful passage that talks about the different types of reception to hearing the Gospel. The question Tim asks (as Matt gets distracted by a phone call MID RECORDING) is if parents consider their actions towards their kids as sowing seeds of the Gospel? The habits and thoughts we pass down to our kids take root and form them into the adults they will become, so take special care to apply biblical principles into your life and continue to share the Gospel to your families!

Passage – Matthew 13:1-9,18-23

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Matt and Tim were at camp last week, so they talk about what happened to them and share some stories about their (mis)adventures. Through our lives, stress becomes something that everyone must deal with. The greatest issue is not having a biblical basis to operate on and reacting in the heat of the moment. When we step back and depend on God to guide our next steps, we find peace that surpasses understanding and the ability to move forward in a God-honoring way.

Passage – Proverbs 3:5-8

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Most people do not usually think of confrontation as a good thing, but as Matt and Tim will discuss in this episode, it can be the difference between obedience and disobedience. Through the example of Eli and his sons, parents should consider taking opportunities to confront their children's sin. Doing this must be done in prayer and love, but the long term blessings it will bring are better than the short term appeasement.

Passage – 1 Samuel 2-3

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That's right. Matt and Tim are back to make another case for a church event that has been happening for years. Vacation Bible School is one of the most fun ways to tell kids about the saving grace of Jesus and bring churches together. Not only that, but it's worth mentioning that it helps your teens as well. Make VBS a priority for your family to both participate and serve for the glory of God!

Editor's note: During the recording of this episode, Tim was answering an email sent to him. He then sent that response to himself and not the person who sent him the initial email. Do with that information as you best see fit.

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Memorial Day has passed, which means summer is right around the corner. Camps, VBS, and so much more is about to start happening, so how do parents keep up with the spiritual growth of their kids? In this episode, Matt and Tim will talk about what it looks like to set SMART goals so that your family conforms to the image of Christ. Keep on teaching your kids in the summer and set routines that will carry on into the rest of their lives!

Resources – 7th Grade: A 30-Day Devotional by YM360
8th Grade: A 30-Day Devotional by YM360
High School Devo Bundle by YM360 (each devotional is sold separately except the 9th grade edition, but each grade is in this bundle)

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