Hey folks.

A couple weeks ago I shared some quotes from the beginning of Pappalardo and Greene’s Building Spiritual Habits (currently dirt cheap by the way!), along with some of my reflections on their initial chapter and overall thoughts about the book. Welp, I’m back this week to share more of their brilliance distilled into a few quotes that have helped reframe how I think about success and failure in my own spiritual habits and how I’m discipling our kids.

The next chapter of their book unpacks spiritual habits by definition (what are they exactly?), explains how they sifted through lots of discipleship language to land where they did, and then walks through a mountain of spiritual habits to help the reader think about where they want to start or go next (all the biggies are included, along with some you probably wouldn’t think of). They land on this idea of aiming for grace-filled habits, and that’s the big idea I want to talk about. Here’s how they explain it.

“If we focus on habits without grace, our spiritual habits easily become duties and achievements. Pride wins. But if we only think about grace and never look at our habits, we won’t actually be motivated to change. Inertia wins. . .Grace reminds us that God is the one who does the work. . .Habit reminds us that God chooses to do that work in us and through us.” (p. 34)

There’s danger on either side of building spiritual habits. On the one hand, when we find success and growth it’s easy to feel like we’re on top of the world. We’re crushing it. We’ve got it all figured out. We worked hard to figure out life with God. It’s all about us, and when that’s the case, we’ve missed the whole point of our connection to and reliance on the God we follow.

On the other hand, when we wallow in God’s grace and freedom without any motivation or activity of our own, there’s typically no growth to celebrate. We’re left finding excuses as to why we’re not spending time with God, and we find ourselves sitting still. We wind up in the same spot, no real connection to the God we say we want to worship and obey.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely found myself falling off both sides of the proverbial horse in my life. There are seasons where I’m happy to pat myself on the back for how great I’m doing in reading, praying, serving, etc. Your boy loves to see a page in a Moleskine journal with dozens of boxes checked! Nothing feels better than a monument to my own productivity and growth! But if that’s what I’m celebrating instead of the depth of my affection and relationship with Christ, then something’s gone terribly wrong.

Similarly, there have definitely been seasons where growth felt stagnate and habits were hard to come by (Covid anyone???). It wasn’t because God wasn’t available or interested, but because I’d neglected to make that relationship a priority. I’d gotten bogged down in what I was feeling, and decided there was plenty of other stuff I needed to figure out before tending to my spiritual health. God would understand, and he’s got plenty of grace on offer for those who love him. So my spiritual wheels were left spinning for a while.

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with tracking habits (spiritual or otherwise!), and there’s comfort to be found in God’s abundant grace. The magic happens though when we draw on both those truths—God calls us to follow him, and he offers grace in both our success and failure as we do. The growth God offers is slow, but certain. As we dwell in his word, spend time talking and listening in prayer, and enjoy the beauty of the world he created and put us in, the depth of our love for him grows.

There will be days when we show up, intentionally carve out time, and feel like God is speaking directly to us as we read and pray. It’s God’s grace meeting our effort, and it’s a gift from him. Without him, our best efforts are fruitless.

There will also be days when we sleep through an early alarm or ignore the nudge to engage with God in a quiet moment. God’s grace abounds here as well, freeing us from guilt and inviting us back into his presence. Without him, we fall into despair.

Pappalardo and Green to a phenomenal job of painting a picture of what fruitful spiritual habits can look like in our lives. There’s room for effort, and there’s an ever-present reliance on grace. Their writing continues to be a delight and an encouragement as I consider how to build grace-filled habits in my own life and the lives of my kids. I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone looking for help getting started in this discipleship/habit-building journey, or as a resource for pastors/leaders to get in the hands of parents trying to figure it out.

Auditing Joy (Discipleship)

“First, we have a universal desire for joy. It’s in all of us and it’s one of the strongest desires we have.

Second, we are falling way short in our pursuit of happiness. You’d think if it’s one of the strongest desires we have, and if we’re devoting significant energy toward it every day, and if we have a mountain of content on happiness at our disposal, we should be much happier than we are!

But instead: here we are, 24th in the world in happiness.

What is this, men’s soccer? (Too soon?)”

It’s a long quote, but this shows off a bit of the insight and humor found in Jeremy Linneman’s writing. It does indeed feel a bit too soon to be taking shots at the USMNT, but deep thinking on joy is long overdue (at least for me). I’m excited about this series that Jeremy’s putting together over the next few weeks, though there’s plenty in this first piece to get you thinking about the topic.

If joy is so central to the arc of the Bible, why is it so difficult to find in the church? Why does there seem to be a downward trend in the level of happiness in our country? He gives us a lot to chew on and consider. More critically, he includes some questions to consider about joy in my own life that I’ve been sitting with this afternoon. Whether you’re reading this newsletter for kids min purposes or parenting encouragement, cultivating joy in your life will have a crucial impact on your results. Read, subscribe, and take a few minutes to audit joy in your own life.

Swim Test (Discipleship, Parenting)

“We may not be good enough — but the good news of Jesus is that there is no condemnation of our not-good-enoughness. No matter how good a swimmer we are, there will always be a time when we’re in over our head and Jesus comes to our rescue, whether we’ve earned it or not. And when we’re stuck in the shallow end or longing to get out of our canoes, Jesus is there as well.”

Here’s a GREAT slice of life piece from Jesse Zink connecting the anxiety of a camp swim test to the freedom from condemnation that comes from faith in Christ. If you ever went to camp and had to leap off a dock with a row of lifeguards watching to determine which swim level you achieved, you’ll feel this in your chest (or I did at least!).

There’s a real fear in our failure to perform, not to mention the embarrassment that comes with it. Her storytelling helps you feel (or relive) it, before holding up Paul’s words in Romans 8 that remind us of our standing in Christ - “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Our faith isn’t about passing a test anyway. Failure (big and small) is part of life, and Jesus is right there by our side in both our moments of tremendous success and massive failure. In fact, he carries us through both!

Navigating Loss (Parenting, Kids Min)

“Shepherding our kids through pain and suffering is hard. For parents, it can feel like we carry a double portion of grief—our own and that of our grieving kids. Whatever may come, as parents we are called to lovingly “train up [our children]” whom God has entrusted to our care through every high and low (Prov. 22:6). What a privilege to walk with them, pointing them to Christ, despite the pain that often accompanies this calling.”

It’s never fun to share resources that highlight how to help parents and kids navigate tragedy or heartache, but it’s also good for parents and ministry leaders to build a library of resources that’s ready for use when those unexpected moments come. Of course, there’s no silver bullet in helping families press through the trauma of loss, but having categories to walk alongside and care for them as they experience heartache can be helpful.

Kirsten Black does a great job of putting together some guidelines to help guide these conversations with your kids. She comes at the endeavor with a great deal of practical guidance with an eye toward the Bible. It’s not an entire step-by-step guide that you have to be married too, but she instead takes common questions and feelings and tackles how to talk through them. It’s worth checking out to build categories for these conversations, but will likely be more helpful to review as you step in to care for families facing loss or grief.

Growth Mindset

Every time a storm blows through, a HUGE tree in our front yard sheds a small mountain of twigs and small branches. I’ll typically ask the boys to pick them up before I cut the grass. Inevitably, I find myself picking up dozens of sticks they missed as I’m pacing the yard behind the mower. I couldn’t help giggling when I saw this video. Here’s to a growth mindset, and the pile of leftover sticks slowly getting smaller each season.

Hey guys.

Quick update and devo this week. At long last, swim season is over (a couple PR’s, an 8-and-under dive champion, and a crushing DQ), and the countdown to school starting has begun (why is it happening so quickly???). The World Cup is also drawing to a close, and it’s been an incredible ride watching the games and seeing so many folks enjoying our country (watching people experience our restaurants for the first time never gets old).

We’ve still got plenty of items left on our family summer bucket list, but we’re running out of time to check them off. I hope it’s been a great season for you to slow down, enjoy some rest, chase adventure, and make memories with your own families as well. As a bit of quick encouragement, you don’t have to take an entire week off or spend a ton of money to create some core memories for your kids.

Sometimes it’s as simple as trying something new, sitting next to them to watch them do what they love, or getting out of your usual bubble to find something new on the other side of your city or state. Little adjustments to normal activities can have a big impact. Making a frozen pizza for dinner may seem kind of lame, but if you throw down a blanket in the living room, light some candles, and toss in a bag of popcorn you’ve got an epic movie night they’ll tell the grandparents about. There’s a lot of joy to be found in simple, everyday moments like that.

Our swim season wraps up each year with a meet we affectionately call Champs. It’s more or less a playoff meet for the fastest swimmers across our division of four teams (500 kids or so). With a meet that big, there’s a million things to do, and it takes a gaggle (a very technical term) of volunteers to make it happen (timers, judges, organizers, concessions, officials, etc.). Hundreds of people crowded around a sweaty pool for 8 hours to watch our kids swim.

My job working our timing console finds me poolside, under a tent, with a handful of other folks as the events march on. It’s a little stressful in moments, but there’s plenty of time to chat and observe what’s happening. There were tons of great swims this year, some city records got broken (always cool!), and I got to see my boys swim in some fun relays (Mabel was still away at camp). The coolest thing I saw was a quiet moment of a dad fliming his son swim in the 100 IM (4 lengths of the pool, each with a different stroke).

His kid was one of the favorites swimming in the center lanes (that’s where the fastest kids go). He was standing right next to me under the tent, phone in hand tracing his son’s progress up and down the pool. The crowd around the pool is screaming (4 teams, big points up for grabs in the race), but he’s got his hand steady tracking his kid quietly providing encouragement that his kid will never hear until he watches this video (maybe later that day, maybe years from now, maybe never?).

“Go buddy, go. You got this. Make your turn. Get moving. You nailed that turn. Dig deep. Finish strong. You can do this. Good swim!” He never raised his voice, and if I wasn’t right next to him, I’d have missed it completely. His kid finished second, but it didn’t matter. Regardless of the result, he would’ve been proud of the work he’d put in that afternoon. For one minute and thirty-eight seconds (or whatever the time ended up being), this dad was thrilled to watch, delight in, and encourage his son. I told him how much it meant to me to hear him quietly cheer on his boy.

Maybe it’s weird to be inspired while you’re soaked with sweat and pool water six hours into a swim meet, but that’s where I found myself. His words caused me to think about how I speak to my kids, my boys in particular. The weight my words have, and how I can use them to build them up and remind them of how much I care for them.

The Bible reminds us that our kids are a blessing from the Lord, but it’s easy for me to forget that when I’m caught up in feeding them, getting them where they need to go, checking chore charts, and breaking up fights. May the summer be a lab that allows us space to experiment in how we can slow down, remind ourselves of the blessings kids can be, and fight to make sure they know what a blessing they are as well.

Lord’s Prayer (Parenting)

“It may surprise you that the best thing we can ask our Father in heaven to help us in our parenting is not to be better parents. It’s not to have the strength to love and care for our kids. Rather, the best thing we can ask God is to hallow (make holy) his name in our lives. Here are three reasons why this strong yet simple request will empower us to be faithful parents and ambassadors of Christ to our children.”

Our friends at Rooted have started a weekly series reflecting on the Lord’s Prayer and how it speaks to parents. Each piece examines a single line of the prayer from a different author’s perspective, and unpacks how it connects to the joy, stress, and challenge of parenting. I’ve linked the latest piece above, but you can find the running list of articles in the series here.

This week Andrew Slay tackles “hallowed be thy name,” and walks parents through how this handful of words can shape so much of our parenting. He digs into what it looks like for our parenting to honor God and give him glory. If we’re striving to honor God in all we do, it’ll naturally affect how we’re responding to our children, addressing concerns and frustrations that arise, and finding ways to deepen our relationship with them. When we’re honoring God, we can’t also honor ourselves. So, we seek to set aside our pride and develop a willingness to sacrifice our time, energy, preferences, and comfort to care for and shepherd our kids.

I’m excited to see how this series develops as new articles drop each week. I’m certain it will be a great resource for parents as they learn to trust God in their parenting, and for churches looking for ways to highlight parenting wisdom from the model of Jesus himself. Bookmark this, and put it to use in your life and ministry.

Renewable Volunteers (Kids Ministry)

“Many times, we assume that volunteers are renewable. Volunteers, plural? Sure they are. If you have 50 volunteers today, the chances of you having 50 volunteers two years from now is relatively high. But are they the same 50 volunteers? Or have you allowed some to fall off the map, but because your roster stayed in the 50s, you feel pretty good about the situation? So another question: are you helping your volunteers replenish faster than they’re consumed?”

Two reasons I’m sharing this piece with you from our digital pal, Danny Franks. First, while we’ve never met, he’s been an influential voice in building volunteer culture and someone who’s work I share with anyone who’s ministry involves team building of any kind. In this piece, he drops knowledge on how to shape and maintain a team of volunteers instead of burning through them like kindling only to have to replace them once the fire cools. It’s a quick read, but he also highlights a handful of other articles that speak to specific questions you might have in building, maintaining, and caring for your team.

Second, Danny’s just relaunched and updated his website with a brand new look and feel (a “glow-up,” to use his words). All the old content you’ve got bookmarked from Danny should still work, but this new rollout makes the site feel less like a blog and more like a repository for great resources on books, team building, volunteer culture, and other practical ministry advice. You can read about what sparked the changes here. It’s a new layout, but all Danny’s wisdom is easier to navigate than ever. Poke around and see what you can find.

Chasing Watermelon (Discipleship)

“But this is why I am thankful God is not like a watermelon. There is no past its prime, expired, or point of no return with God’s leading in our lives. His offers, his per chance meetings of old friends, his invitations to respond do not go bad if you leave them too long.”

There’s nothing that tastes better in the heat of summer than a perfectly sweet, delightfully juicy slice (or ten!) of watermelon. On the other hand, I’m not sure there’s a bigger summer disappointment than taking the first bite of a freshly cut melon off the counter and realizing it’s dud. The ceiling of the perfect watermelon is exceptionally high, but my goodness, the floor of a bad one is well below the basement.

Lisa Nikkel taps into the highs of lows of summer’s great fruit, and is reminded that God never offers us duds. Regardless of the cracked rinds, or long-passed “best by” dates, there’s still sweetness to be found in what God offers. God extends to us a patience and grace that watermelon never could. Regardless of what gets in our way and holds us up, God remains faithful in waiting for our response and obedience. Dig into this meditation on watermelon, and let this harbinger of summer be a reminder to our faithful God whenever you see one at the grocery or on your counter.

Summer Survival

What’s a to-do list when you’ve got a house full of kids with their own list of stuff they need to get done??? This little video captures the added degree of difficulty that comes with having kids home in the summer. It’s hard to do (especially for me!), but there’s value in embracing distractions and getting comfortable with a slower pace. There will be time for productivity down the road, but the moments you have with your young kids at home are finite (and are slipping away faster than we realize!).

Alright gang. The newsletter kept getting pushed further and further back into the week. Was it laziness? Perhaps an unsustainable swim schedule? Who could say, honestly (reader, it was mostly summer laziness)? The good new is, we’re back! And on a Monday no less!

I’ve been reading through Building Spiritual Habits in the Home the last few weeks. It came out last year, but it’s definitely a “better late than never” situation. Chris Pappalardo and Clayton Greene have put together an incredible resource for parents aimed squarely at helping them get to the work discipleship in ways that are practical, repeatable, helpful for their family. Think of it as a delicious peanut butter and jelly combo of the relentless push toward progress of Atomic Habits and the gentle, grace-filled shepherding of Eugene Peterson (I’m not sure which is the peanut butter, and which is the jelly - you decide!).

The book is short (right around 150 pages), and written in a way that’s easy to enjoy—interesting stories that demonstrate ideas, helpful lists that give parents an outline for the work ahead, and piles of encouragement for parents to keep going even when they fail. While it’s a breezy read, it’s probably best to slow roll your way through it so you can absorb what’s there and reflect on what you’re doing (or not doing!) and how making some of these changes might change the spiritual rhythms of your family. Adding one small habit, and making it stick, is enough to start you on your journey.

They start the book by examining five roots of spiritual habits. A tree’s growth is limited by the depth and health of it’s roots, and the same is true of our spiritual lives. We must have strong roots to support the spiritual growth we’re looking for. The author’s mark five important truths (roots) about God which shape our approach to building, maintaining, and growing our spiritual habits.

Root 1: God Starts - “God is the One setting the action in motion. In the lives of every saint in Scripture, God begins.”

They remind us here that it’s God himself who initiates our spiritual habits. That means that our job is simply to listen and respond. How do we know which spiritual habit to work on? We ask the Lord, and see where he leads us. We trust that he’s leading us in a way that’s best for us (our entry point, our season of life, our pace), knowing that our journey may look different than that of our friend or neighbor. Like the rest of life, he leads and we follow.

Root 2: God Wants To Be With You - “Through the incarnation of Jesus, we see, once and for all, God’s radical commitment to being with his people.”

This particular root changes the way we think about spiritual habits completely. Success no longer looks like checking boxes on a spreadsheet to ensure that we’re hitting certain thresholds for chapters read or time spent in prayer. Instead, what we’re looking at each week is whether or not we’ve grown in intimacy with the God we worship. He longs to spend time with us, and the more time we spend with him, the more we long to be with him as well. That’s not to say that tracking habits can’t be helpful (it abosolutely can be!), but our primary measure of success is a deeper relationship with and reliance upon our Savior.

Root 3: We Can’t See God, But He Is There - “Since we can’t see God, understanding where He is moving is not a scientific or straightforward process.”

God is real AND God is invisible. That is, we can trust that he’s with us as we lean into these spiritual habits, even if we can’t see him alongside us. Spending time alone with God may be awkward, just like spending time with yourself can be if you’re not used to it. It may feel like you’re along, but we have faith that God is as good as his word and wants to be with us as we read, study, pray, and worship. We also trust that God will send his Spirit to dwell in us, and that he’ll surround us with other believes to encourage and exhort us while on our spiritual journeys.

Root 4: God Prefers to Work Slowly - “We want God to intervene in an instant, transforming us into who we ought to be. . .God rarely acts this way. God prefers a much slower method.”

This is where this book really shines. They take the pressure of quick results off our shoulders, and remind us to expect slow, steady growth instead. We’re not going to have life-changing epiphanies each time we sit down to read a Psalm. Our prayer time isn’t always going to highlight some crucial change in the way we think or live. Sure, those groundbreaking insights may happen occasionally, but that’s not the norm. Instead of being bummed we don’t get more of those mountaintop experiences, we can celebrate the slow, steady growth that God provides as we sit with him. Progress over perfection, a steady drip of deepening intimacy with the Savior that we serve.

Root 5: God Is Gracious - “God doesn’t just start; because of His grace, He promises to finish, too.”

Perhaps my favorite part of this book is the constant grace note that’s quietly being played in the background of each chapter. There’s no expectation from the authors that we’re going to get this right. In fact, they’re realistic enough to understand that we’re certain to screw it up. That’s the good news of the gospel, that God offers us another chance—not once or twice, but time and time again. Death was not the last word for Jesus on the cross, and our failure isn’t the last word in our lives either. God extends grace and mercy to us in our moments of weakness and invites us to get back up and try again. No matter how many times we fall short, we’re safe in his loving arms. He, in his goodness, will see us through to the close.

I can’t say enough good things about this volume. It’s theologically rich without being overbearingly preachy. It’s engaging and entertaining while still being incredibly helpful and encouraging. Most importantly, it’s realistic about how often we blow it in building our own spiritual habits and helping our kids see the value in a framework of spiritual habits to help us draw near to God. I’ve never met Pappalardo or Greene, but they’ve managed to disciple my heart more than most in a short chapter. I’m thankful for their work here, and would encourage you to check it out. I’ll revisit their work again soon once I’ve read and processed more of it.

Theological Youth Ministry (Student Ministry)

“Two key questions are behind the following convictions: “What is youth ministry?” and “What is discipleship?” Theological Youth Ministry weaves the answers to those questions together into a vision for calling teenagers into lifelong faith. I’ll confess that I’m still working this out myself, and these may change somewhat over the coming months, but I’d like to suggest the following six convictions of Theological Youth Ministry.”

Mike McGarry is one of the guys I trust when thinking about student ministry. He’s incredibly passionate about helping bring theology into the minds of students so that they might be formed into life-long disciples of Jesus. He’s spent more time thinking about how to do that than just about anyone I know. This piece serves as an intro/outline to a book he’s currently working on that’s aiming to build a model for “theological youth ministry.”

He walks through the six core convictions that constitute his vision for what this kind of ministry should look like. It’s undergirded by both research about how GenZ is faring spiritually, and by what the Bible has to say about theology seeping into every aspect of our lives. Whether you’re reading for encouragement in the work you’re already doing, or looking to make a shift in how your ministry functions, there’s a lot to glean from Mike’s thoughts here.

Summer Rhythms (Parenting, Discipleship)

“No matter which side of summer you’re on — panicked or enthusiastic — a little intention goes a long way. These 10 to 12 weeks (depending on your school district) provide room for families to take a breather, check in with each other and make time for deeper discipleship moments with our kids. When we structure an otherwise “unstructured” time with a purpose, it makes a big difference.”

Summer rhythms can be hard to come by. At our house, summer means swim team shenanigans for our kids. It comes a decent amount of structure with mornings and evenings spent at the pool for practice and splash parties. That’s great in building some physical disciplines into their lives, but that large gap of time can get squirrely quick if I don’t have a plan for each day. Enter Sarah Free’s helpful piece on giving some thought and intention to how we manage and make the most of all those free summer moments.

She starts with a few great questions to ask that help you more or less set a vision for your summer with your family. You don’t need a white board or a spreadsheet, but spending a few moments thinking about these questions can really help shape what your summer will look like. She doesn’t leave you with lollipops and rainbows, but gets into the weeds with some very practical suggestions of how to bring lots of small discipleship opportunities into your daily/weekly routine. It’s not about guilt and shame, but simply finding opportunities to connect with one another and point our kids to Jesus during the slightly slower pace that comes with summer. Great stuff here!

Gen Alpha (Parenting)

“Born between 2010-2024, Gen Alpha is growing up in a world very different from the one their parents and teachers did. This generation faces intense pressure from school, social media, mental health struggles, and the rapid rise of technology. Despite a deep desire to make a difference, parents, educators, and faith leaders often feel overwhelmed by the growing generational divide. In Raising Gen Alpha: Helping Kids Navigate Everything from Anxiety to AI, author Dave Boden helps readers bridge the gap to make a connection and ensure these children and teens feel seen, heard, valued, cared for, loved, and safe.”

All three of our kids happen to fall into the Gen Alpha bucket, so this new book from Dave Boden (Raising Gen Alpha) is aimed squarely at me. Our friends at New Growth put together a long and wide-ranging intervew with Boden leading up to his book’s release. He breaks down what shapes the identity of Generation Alpha, what makes them unique to previous generations, and why these differences are important for churches to consider. There’s lots to consider in the challenges these kids are facing both in early years and into life as teenagers and beyond. The conversation does a great job to whet your appetite for the deeper discussion the book will provide. This is a conversation worth monitoring, and a book to keep on your radar for us with your own kids or as a resource to get in front of families in your minstry.

Camp Rules

This is a helpful flowchart for any of you guys rocking summer camp the next few weeks. Spoiler alert: the answer is always, “Shower NOW!”

Happy Friday folks.

Summer rolls on, and the easy, breezy weeks keep sadly falling off the calendar. Mabel got back from her first week of camp on Monday, so it’s been good to have everyone together under the same roof again. Having kids strike off on their own adventures is quite a thing. They disappear for a week, but come back with a gaggle of stories to share, new friends to talk about, and a nice little shot of confidence after having made it over all the hurdles they encountered. I’m really thankful for the ways God is shaping our baby girl into a young woman through it all.

It’s been a couple weeks since GKC wrapped, and I’m sure you’re tired of hearing about it, but one thing I took home with me was a recommendation to check out the patoral letters of John Newton (Select Letters of John Newton). Normally my move would be ordering the book and then promptly dropping it into a pile where it gets ignored for months. However, the book happened to be just the right size to fit into the side pocket of our pool bag, so it got bumped to the top of the reading list during swim practice this week.

The nice thing about a book of collected letters is that you can pick and choose what you read without worrying about what comes next. Imagine my surprise when I saw a letter to a congregant about family worship sitting in the middle of the collection. Despite Newton writing more than two-hundred years ago, his reply to his congregant asking for advice still has plenty of wisdom for us all these years later.

First, it seems that his congregant had written for advice on how exactly family worship should work in his household. Interestingly, Newton refuses to give him the straight answer he wants. “The circumstances of families are so various, that no determinate rules can be laid down, nor has the word of God prescribed any.” This is a refreshing approach in a culture that wants to prescribe a specific solution to nearly any problem we can imagine. There’s no magic bullet and no mandate from on high to guide us, other than for parents to pass their story of faith along to their children.

He goes on to give a handful of guidelines, but is careful to make sure to remind his reader that he should be serving God in this endeavor out of love, not “principles of constraint and fear.” Throughout his letter, Newton is clear that everything a parent does from a discipleship/worship perspective should be done with a dependence on the Lord to keep their hearts alive. Drawing near to God isn’t a box to check or a custom to follow, but a practice that honors the Lord.

Newton also highlights the value of prayer, both with the whole family and between husbands and wives themselves. The best way to pray? Regularly. Newton recommends morning and evening, but again defers to a rhythm and schedule that fits the circumstances of the family. “His ear is always open whenever we have a heart to call upon him.” The more often you can fall into prayer at a consistent time, the easier it’ll will be to stay in the habit.

While we often think of reading Scripture together as the central component of family worship or discipling our children, Newton almost treats it as an afterthought. He has a quick moment essentially saying, “of course you should open your Bible together,” but it’s the quickest, least qualified recommendation he offers in the letter. In fact, he spends more time giving caveats about singing in the home (“provided there are some persons in the family who have enough of a musical ear and voice to conduct the singing in a tolerable manner; otherwise perhaps it may be better omitted.” - Haha!).

I think this speaks to the simplicity with which we can engage in family worship. If reading the Word together is assumed with no other instruction, we shouldn’t feel compelled to overthink it. Pick a passage, read it together, share some thoughts, and trust the Spirit to help sink those truths into your hearts. It doesn’t need to be more complicated than that.

All in all, it was refreshing to read a take on family worship that values the work deeply while not being nearly as concerned with perfecting it as we seem to be today. Newtwon seems most concerned with parents coming to the work of discipleship with hearts turned toward God, and a longing to see their kids experience that same faith. There’s a gigantic emphasis in this letter on going before the Lord in prayer together regularly, and for parents demonstrating their faithful dependence in their own regular habit of praying. It’s this regular, faithful prayer that the Spirit used so many years ago that still shapes and guides us toward a deeper faith today.

Preschool Play (Kids Ministry)

“For preschoolers, play is learning. It is how God wired their hearts, minds, and bodies to discover truth, build relationships, and make sense of His world. When parents, teachers, and ministry leaders take the importance of play seriously, we are not simply “letting kids play.” We are faithfully discipling them. We are helping them grow in the ways God designed, creating spaces where their hearts, minds, and spirits can thrive.”

I met Joshua Zello at GKC a few weeks back, and immediately knew that he had the preschool brain and heart mapped more than I ever would. He lead great breakouts, crushed a couple ministry panels, and rocked dope shirts that kids were sure to love. Thankfully, his wisdom isn’t limited to conferences. He’s got a website full of helpful articles for kids ministry leaders to learn from.

In this piece he looks at the importance of play in the life of preschool-aged children, and how that should shape what we’re doing in preschool classrooms in our churches. He looks at the brain science that explains these connections, and walks through some practical strategies that can help to take advantage of that wiring so that our classrooms are fun and effective. Joshua is one of the few guys I’ve found writing and thinking about how to love and care for preschoolers specifically, which I always felt was a weak point for me. Sign-up for updates, bookmark the site, whatever works best for you to keep it on your radar so you can upgrade your preschool game.

Toy Story Thoughts (Parenting)

“Refreshingly, Toy Story 5 (directed by Andrew Stanton, who helmed WALL-E) embraces the wholesome message that kids should be allowed to be kids and protected from all that would end their innocence.”

You’d be hard-pressed to find a kids movie that’s more deeply ingrained in the culture than Toy Story. Pixar has been cranking these movies out for the last thirty years (yeesh, that one hurt to type!). Toy Story 5, the latest in the francise, released last weekend and had the biggest box office opening of any of the other films (over $200 million domestically). More than that, it appears to be loved by moviegoers and critics alike, with both sides of Rotten Tomatoes scores landing comfortably above 90%.

In case you needed another reason to catch up with our old playtime pals, Brett McCracken has a really thoughtful review of the film over at TGC this week. He talks through what the movie has to say to the culture, why it works for kids and (especially) parents, and why the problem of technology is worth addressing in a hugely popular feature film. His own reflections mirror many of the questions I’ve been asking about how my own kids are engaging with technology, and how we’ll manage the battle against screens over the next decade. Whether you’ve seen the movie yet or not, his Brett’s thoughts are well worth your time.

Family Worship (Parenting)

“Is every family worship time amazing? No. Is it frustrating every time? No. Is it worth it? Yes!

We have seen the fruit of faithfully pursuing Jesus Christ as a family, and it all stems from regular family worship time. Here’s what regular family worship does to the culture of the home.”

I’m not sure anything gets more overcomplicated in the minds of faithful parents than family worship, discipleship, etc. We overplan, overthink, and often end up so frustrated with the attempt or the results that we hit eject until the parent guilt builds up to the point where we’re compelled to try again. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that complicated, and Kyle Bjerga is here to help.

In his piece over at Gospel Centered Discipleship, Kyle shares the vision he and his wife put together for family worship (their home being an extension of the worship experience at church on Sundays), and how it changed the spiritual aroma of their home. It turns out the small investment of time spent reading and praying together pays dividends in all sorts of ways within the family. He also gives some quick and simple encouragements to ensure that family discipleship feels doable and fruitful.

Summer Routines

We’re nearly at the end of June, so our summer routine shouldn’t be a surprise to our kids. And yet, every day they act surprised that we’re heading off to swim practice, or put out when I tell them to grab a book for reading time. Absolutely no chill. Complete system shock, despite the schedule being the same every single day. I hope you’re having an easier time finding a summer groove than I am.

Happy Father’s Day weekend folks!

I know the holiday isn’t JUST about sports, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that it falls on a GREAT sports weekend. We’re smack-dab in the middle of the World Cup (USA, USA, USA!), the US Open is popping off, and your guy is heading to Cincy to see the Savannah Bananas lay the smack down on the Party Animals. Shout out to the dads reading this week. God sees the work you’re doing to love and serve your family, and I hope it’s a great weekend celebrating you.

Last week I shared a breakdown of the Marty Machowski’s pre-conference at Gospel Kids Conference. This week, as we’re thinking about Father’s day, I wanted to share some thoughts from a break-out session that’s been running through my mind since I heard it. Sam Luce (also featured in a link below) had a session on scripture memorization from Colossians 3:16 that’s caused me to reconsider my aversion toward memory work (personally, and with my kids).

Memorizing scripture hasn’t been a huge part of my own faith. I’ve had the occasional verse on the bathroom mirror or car dash, but it’s never been part of my own discipleship journey. Part of the reason for avoiding it was my frustration with being able to do it well. Sam opened by arguing that we underestimate what our kids (at church, or at home) can understand, repeat, and memorize. If you’ve ever seen a kid play Fortnite, you know the truth of this. My son has every nook and cranny of the world map memorized, knowing exactly where each loot crate, NPC, and reboot card is. Yet, we assume memorizing pieces of scripture is a bridge too far.

As parents and teachers, we should be seeking to be proactive in what we’re helping sink into their minds and hearts. This is true whether we’re talking about particular verses, common prayers, songs, or hymns. There’s value in each of these vehicles in helping our children to build a framework of faith and understanding that will function as a lens for them to see the world through. The truth that “dwells among them richly” from the repetition of scripture, prayer, and music will hold them fast through the ups and downs of life.

Our two boys went to stay with my parents last week. My brave mom got them (and their cousin) to FCA camp in the morning, and then to VBS at church each evening. Lots of fun, sweat, learning, playing, and singing. The boys are back home now, and I’ve noticed my youngest singing hymns to himself a few times this week. I jumped in and starting singing Leaning on the Everlasting Arms with him, and he was shocked that I knew it. I’m thrilled that he’s got that little bit of theology sunk into his heart from a few days in a church that valued teaching kids old hymns.

Sam went on to share three reasons why memorizing scripture (or hymns, prayers, etc.) matters. First, he argued, knowing the Bible helps us to know God. The words of scripture are the very words of God himself. No one can tell us more about God than God himself. Our kids need their hearts protected from the world by knowing who God is, how he’s called us to live, and how he’s at work in the world. Our kids can’t follow God if they don’t know who he is.

Next, he reminded us that God’s word gives a vocabulary of faith. When we read and memorize, we’re seeing how God has spoken to his people and how his people have responded. We read the Psalms and learn how to pray. Our kids learn how to speak to God with the same language he uses to speak to us. Working through the Psalms in particular, we’re given so much language to endure the joy and pain that life brings. The more of God’s word our kids have sunk into our hearts, the deeper the resevoir of wisdom, encouragement, and truth they’ll have at hand when discouragement, suffering, or trial come.

Finally, there’s value in commiting scripture to memory because it all points to Jesus. As they’re reading, learning, and memorizing, they’re able to encounter Jesus. As they’re memorizing passages, they’re able to ask questions of the text. They can ask questions about who God is, and what he’s about. They can ask what the passage asks of themselves or others. Where are we being called to engage, and what should we do? The more of Jesus we can build into our hearts (and the hearts of our kids) the more prepared we’ll be to deal with whatever life brings our way.

While this is good work, it’s easy to turn it into another performance. A box to check to make us feel good about our standing before God. This is not Sam’s aim. He’s not pushing for us to teach our kids to memorize scripture in order to save them. “These things don’t make you a Christian. These are simply things that Christians do.” The goal isn’t simply memorization, but rather that the memorization would lead to meditation. It’s this abiding with Jesus that we’re after, and what we want to pass along to our children.

Needing Dads (Parenting, Fatherhood)

“True, biblical family ministry calls for both dads and moms to raise their kids in the fear and admonition of the Lord. So in our current cultural climate, we must ask these questions: How do we help dads engage at home? How do we help dads in their calling from Scripture? How do we change the deeply entrenched idea that raising children is only women’s work?”

After reading his stuff for years, and falling head over heels with his writing in How to Teach Kids Theology, I finally met Sam Luce at GKC last week. He’s working at Awana now (in addition to serving as a pastor), and running their blog (childdiscipleship.com). He was a week early for Father’s Day, but he’s got a great piece up on their site imploring dads to get their head back in the parenting game.

He looks back at the historical reasons we got here, and offers some solutions in the way we teach and preach to men in our pews. Sam’s not writing to diminish the role of mothers, but instead looking for ways the church can invite fathers back into their God-given role of shepherding their kids toward Jesus. Kids need wise, caring, and thoughtful moms AND dads to raise them. God empowers us for the work he calls us to, and that includes parenting our kids and shepherding them in their faith. Sam’s work here is full of encouragement for dads on the path, and for churches trying to gently nudge fathers back onto it.

Ministry Calling (Kids Ministry)

“As I look back on 13 years of full-time ministry, the moments that have shaped me most were not the times I felt strong or capable, but the times I became deeply aware of my weakness, my limitations, and my not-enoughness — and watched God’s strength prevail anyway. I am convinced that every beautiful piece of ministry I have been a part of has never been because of my ability, but because I am his child, because he is in control, and because his plans and purposes always prevail. It has never ultimately rested on me at all.”

Here’s a really great piece from Ivy Lassiter over at Rooted. It’s a quick testimony about how God brought her into kids ministry, despite her years of reservation about following in her mom’s ministry footsteps. It’s a great picture of how God often moves in ways we don’t expect, and the provision and care he offers when we’re obedient to follow his lead. If you’re new to kids ministry, or you’ve been serving for a decade, there’s a pile of grace and encouragement for you to glean here. Enjoy!

Summer Reading (Parenting)

“As a parent of voracious readers, I’ve regularly faced the challenge of helping my kids find good books. It’s often fine to read the latest popular series, even if the stories won’t stand the test of time. However, I also want my kids to read the sort of books they’ll want to share with their own kids.”

I love a list from experts. I listen to movie podcasts where they’ll interview a director and ask him who his favorite directors are. Or, if you listen to hip hop, you’ll read music writers give someone the title of “your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.” Over at TGC, Andrew Spencer applies this thinking to building a summer reading list for kids. He reached out to a gaggle of authors and asked them about the authors and books they love recommending for kids. They each share a recommendation, and then talk about what itch that particular book might scratch. This particular list of books is geared toward 8-13 year olds, but it’s never too early to start stocking bookshelves in your house.

Asking Questions

A classic skit from Fallon and Farrell, set to the music of kids ministry. What’s not to love? Would teaching kids be any fun at all without all the insane questions and interuptions? Here’s to a great Sunday of teaching, and you having all the answers for the pop-quiz coming your way.

Well, well, well. Fancy meeting you here. I know, I know. It’s been awhile, but we’re back! While the newsletter has been quiet and peaceful, life has been a bit of a whirlwind. We banged out a flower bed rehab here at the house (RIP my right shoulder), spent some time at the beach with our family, traveled to Canada for the Gospel Kids Conference (more to come on that!), kicked off swim season with their first meet, and sent the boys off to FCA camp. I’m getting winded just typing it all out.

Despite being on the move to kickoff the summer, there have also been moments to slow down and savor God’s grace—long walks on the beach while the tide is low and shells are plentiful, solo road trips full of Audible chapters and wandering thoughts, and meeting folks from across North America and hearing about the work God’s doing through them and their ministries. It’s not always easy to see these moments through the blurred lines as we rush through life, but every now and again they break through. I hope your summer is off to a good start as well, and you’re finding a balance between adventure and rest along the way.

Since I spent so much of last week thinking about and attending the Gospel Kids Conference in Ontario, I thought I’d make that the focus of this weeks newsletter. So, I’m going to start by sharing a handful of things from the pre-conference that stuck out to me (more insights coming from the actual confernce next week!), and then spread the link love from some folks I met who had intersting stuff to share. Let’s dive in!

Things kicked off with a pre-conference that featured Marty Machowski, a great writer and kids ministry leader. He banged out three sessions in one afternoon (an absolute beast!), and I’ve got pages and pages of notes to show for it. I don’t have the space to give you every detail, but one of the things that stuck out clearly and felt super practical as I’m leading in classrooms on Sunday was him unpacking Four Keys to Transform the Lives of Kids (Prayer, Preparation, Presentation, and Power). While all four pieces are crucial to the end goal, I wanted to dive into his encouragements for Preparation and Presentation here.

Marty reminded us that no one will see your work of PREPARATION for a particular lesson. It’s between you and the Lord, but it’s hard to lead a great lesson if you haven’t spent time preparing to make it great. The time you spend marinating on the passage you’re covering, looking over the curriculum, and thinking through how kids will experience and receive it are crucial to making the lesson a success. He also reminded us to prepare our bodies to be with kids. You’ve got knees, bend them so you can get down on their level as you welcome them. You’ve got a bum to sit on, so get in the floor with them as you’re teaching, playing, or praying with your class. We trust God to show up, and know the Spirit will empower us, but that doesn’t let us off the hook for doing the work of preparation beforehand to make the gospel clear to our kids.

Our PRESENTATION is another key component to ensuring that kids hear and receive the message we’re sending. His chief encouragement was to be dynamic. That is, be engaging as you read a story, act out a scene, or ask big questions. His line that stuck out to me was to “know your limits, but stretch your comfort zone.” You may think you’re not creative or energetic enough to tell a story with a puppet. The fact of the matter is, you defintely are! You just have to be willing to look and sound a little silly to pull it off.

Remember, you’re not preaching to a congregation of adults from a pulpit, you’re teaching a room of kids. What seems silly or corny to a room of adults may be the perfect way to demonstrate a deep gospel truth to kids. Don’t be afraid to use a voice, turn yourself into a character with a quick costume change(an open book atop your head is a hat, a ruler becomes a sword, etc.), or act out a scene for that Sunday School Oscar nomination. We should be willing to be foolish, serious, or anything in between to ensure our kids hear the message of Jesus clearly.

Marty’s final session was all about telling the story, pulling from Exodus 10:1-11. He began by highlighting the truth that the story God gave the Israelites wasn’t just for them and the next generation, but for all the generations to come. The same story God shared with them all those years ago is the same good news that we have today. Our job then isn’t to be perfect parents, but to be faithful in telling the story. God does the work of softening their hearts and bringing them to faith (we don’t have that kind of power), but we’re still called to consistently and joyfully tell them the story. We’ve got an entire Bible full of stories of God being faithful to his people, as well as our own testimony of God being faithful to draw us near. We can trust that he’ll continue to be faithful in drawing our kids to himself as well.

I’d commend any of Marty’s work to you if you’re not already familiar with it. He’s got great stuff on building kids ministries (Build on Jesus), a great kids Bible (The Gospel Story Bible), board books, picture books, classroom curriculum, devotionals, and all sorts of other stuff. I’m honestly not sure how he cranks out so much writing year-to-year, but he’s certainly a gift to the church in the area of kids ministry and parent equipping. It was great to spend some time with him, learn from him, and see his heart for sharing the gospel with kids.

Flannelgraph Fever (Parenting, Kids Ministry)

I bumped into Sherine Boville between sessions in the exibitor hall at GKC when she came up and asked about some of the books on our table. I introduced myself, and then asked what she was doing at GKC. She walked me over to her booth and showed me this wonderful wall full of handmade felt and flannel Bible story boards, and then told me where they came from.

She was helping lead a play group for a bunch of moms, and wanted to have a way to teach Bible stories to the young kids who were there. So she started putting together old-school flannel board scenes she could use to share stories and keep kids engaged. They kept coming, and she kept putting together more and more stories from different parts of the Bible. Now moms take turns using them to teach each time they gather.

I have no idea who this resource is for exactly, but I KNOW someone reading this newsletter is going to love the analog-focused nostalgic charm that comes from having these in your Sunday School room. In a world full of subscription-based curriculum, I found Sherine’s approach refreshing. Her attention to detail and the flexibility in how to use these sets means they’re useful for the long haul. If you’re interested or have questions, you can reach out to her through her Etsy site.

Parenting Resources

Steve Bourque helps run FamilyLife Canada, overseeing their operations in Ontario where GKC was held (I believe they’ve got programs going in each Canadian province). He’s got a deep passion to see families grow in grace together, and make room for churches to both challenge and encourage parents to point their kids to Jesus. Since most of our readers are stateside, we can’t take advantage of all their in-person ministry opportunities (parenting huddles, marraige workshops, etc.). Thankfully, they provide a TON of online resources on parenting, marriage, recovery, etc.

One that I’ve found most helpful is their Confident Parenting Podcast. Each short episode digs into a particular parenting topic that’s bubbling up in the culture (secular culture, gender, sexuality, anxiety, etc.). They’re hyper-practical, and are an easy way to begin thinking about some of the things that are on your children’s minds. They also offer a Parenting Together newsletter, that serves as a shot of encouragement for parents each month. Finally, they’ve got a pile of blog articles that tackle all sorts of parenting topics as well. You can check out all these resources at the landing page linked above.

Toddler Gospel (Kids Ministry, Parenting)

You may consider this cheating, but since New Growth Press was at GKC and was slinging books like a short-order cook slings pancakes, I’m going to count it. Big Thoughts For Tiny Tots was all over the conference, and it even got a shout out in my break-out session on catechism. In fact, the bookstore sold out on the first day, and that may’ve been the first time I’ve seen an angry Canadian.

Annnnnyway, this is an interview with Jared Kennedy about the catechism story book, and the toddler curriculum that launched alongside it. He covers a ton of questions around the area of kids ministry, the curriculum itself, unique challenges that come with teaching toddlers, and some of the theological benefits of Sunday School. It’s a wide ranging interview with lots of wisdom, and Jared does a great job of explaining why a curriculum designed with toddlers in mind can be so valuable to a kids ministry setting.

Shower Time

It’s the constant battle of our summer at home. The boys settle into a game or movie after dinner, and then we tell them to take a shower. The first stage of grief is moaning and groaning about why it’s not necessary, followed quickly by their arguments that swim practice that morning should qualify. On and on it goes until they begrudgingly jump in to hose themselves off. Keep fighting the good fight moms and dads. Your nose will thank you!

Welcome back folks.

The good times keep rolling on the blog this week. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s four weeks in a row of new posts going up. I’m not saying we can keep that pace up, but it’s been a nice run of quality pieces. Hopefully they’ve been helpful and encouraging for you.

The newsletter will be a little spotty the next few weeks. I’ve got a couple projects to wrap up the next two weeks that are going to suck up a lot of time. First, we’re wrapping up our big fundraiser for our Cub Scout pack, and I don’t want to be the reason we go bankrupt and the whole thing falls apart. So, I’ll be collecting money and hassling parents to get things wrapped up before the school year ends. It’s like being a telemarketer, but y’know, not actually getting paid to do it.

Next, I’m working to finish up the talk I’m giving at the upcoming Gospel Kids Conference (GKC). I’ll be chatting about family discipleship, catechism, and how parents can find easy wins in shepherding their kids. Once the conference is over, I’ll likely turn my notes into a newsletter post to share here as well. Of course, you can also register for a virtual ticket here to watch the main sessions live and get access to the breakouts once they’re wrapped and edited. I feel confident in saying that may be the best $25 ministry dollars you spend this year (not because of my talk, but it’s a great lineup of speakers!).

One idea I’d like to work on for the newsletter this summer is a ministry mail bag. You guys can send in questions related to kids ministry that we can kick around between our team or maybe other “experts.” Not exactly full-length articles, but a chance to unpack questions about curriculum, classroom management, theological questions, recruiting, calendar planning, or anything else on your mind.

Ideally, we’d have a shotgun blast of questions/answers each time that we can run in this newsletter or on the GCF site. Of course, to make that happen, we need good questions from you guys. Think more, “what’s helpful for me and other kids min leaders to learn about,” and less, “My aunt Virginia hates the curriculum that I wrote. How do I tell her she’s wrong, and I’m right?” It’s a tricky balance between a hyper-specific issue that’s only relatable to you, and something that could be of help to the larger kids ministry world.

All that said, you can submit questions here. We’ll collect questions over the next few weeks, and then figure out the best way to share any wisdom we can. I’m excited to hear what you guys are wrestling with, and how the Lord is at work in your various churches and ministries.

Book Review (Parenting, Discipleship)

“The Dreamer is the debut release from our friend Jenny Marcelene. It’s the first in a series of books she’s working on to help kids cultivate a biblical worldview and spark an interest in how they can pray for the nations. I’ve been sitting on this book for months, mostly because I wanted to read it with my boys who are 9 and 11 (right in the target demo for this book!) and get their feedback as we went.”

Is it weird to share an article you wrote in a newsletter you’re also writing? Maybe, but here we are. :-)

I’m always on the lookout for good books that I can read with my two boys. Part of their homework this year has been a half-hour of reading as soon as we’re home (sometimes later if the weather is nice and they want to get outside first). Sometimes they want to do their own thing, but the last couple months they’ve loved it when I read aloud and they can get comfy to listen. Jenny’s book (released last fall) was the last thing we read together, and they both had a blast with it. Check out my review, and then snag a copy of Jenny’s book before the next one drops later this year!

Sabbath Tips (Parenting, Discipleship)

“Right now, we’re in a moment when practicing a Sabbath is growing in popularity. There’s been lots written on the basic theology of Sabbath and lots of data published supporting the practice as good for your overall productivity and quality of life. Yes, as Jon Tyson recently pointed out, there’s been some over-correction around work and rest in the younger generations, but it’s still an essential part of a good basic rhythm of the life you’re made for.”

continues to crank out some of the most helpful work you can find on Substack, and this piece on sabbath is one to bookmark, put into practice, and revisit. Sabbath has been a topic of conversation among guys at bookclub over our last few meetings (despite no book being about sabbath specifically). It’s a gigantic part of life for a couple guys and their families, some aspire to hold a weekly sabbath but are unsure how to get started. I think either would benefit from checking out Austin’s thoughts on how he started, finding rhythms, blocking the time, and prepping so his family can pull it off each week.

It’s clear he’s given this topic a ton of thought, has read deeply about it, considered lots of perspectives, and made it an experience that’s meaningful for himself and his family in their spiritual journey. He’s not writing in a way to guilt anyone into the practice, but seeks to invite families to find delight in the sabbath. He even provides a handy reading list if you want to dive into the sources he’s pulling from. In short, it’s the best easily digestible guide to thinking about and implementing the sabbath that I’ve come across.

Gospel Pictures (Kids Ministry, Parenting)

“No single picture gave my kids the whole gospel. Each exercise was an attempt to teach a small facet of gospel truth, split into bite-sized pieces. Every image, while distinct, complements other scriptural images, creating a unified whole like an expertly cut diamond. When they’re put together, the brilliance of the whole shines.”

Here’s a great piece from Michelle Ayres unpacking the value of simplicity in gospel illustrations for kids. While clarity in what we’re saying is certainly important in classrooms on Sunday, some kids will find it easier to learn with visual connections. It could be something as simple as an illustration to help them make sense of the truth you’re showing them, or maybe an object lesson that connects an idea in their mind. This doesn’t need to be complicated, or make things more difficult for teachers or leaders. It can be something as simple as adding some small elements to a lesson that’s already put together.

After all, Ayres argues, we see Jesus teaching with similar visual simplicity in the gospels as well. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field” and “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls” (Mt. 13:44–45). Bring in some costume jewelry to show off so they can put a visual image with the truth they’re hearing. Have them draw a simple picture of what that field hiding treasure might look like. There’s lots of way to add layers of understanding to the lessons we’re teaching. Not only that, but we can make these connections at home just as easily.

Tiny Chef

I’ve walked into a room with my wife cackling several times this week, and every time I do she’s watching these Tiny Chef reels. Today he hit us with an homage to Mr. Rogers, and I’ve never seen seen her so excited staring at her phone. Enjoy your ride down the rabbit hole of this adorable, stop-motion goofball.

Hey gang.

I hope this newsletter you finds you well. It’s been a busy week here in Louisville. It’s Derby week, which likely doesn’t mean much if you’re outside our fair city, but folks here have been celebrating for two weeks with fireworks, marathons, parties, charity events, and all the rest. All that craziness to gear up for a two-minute horse race. What a world we live in.

Outside of the normal buzz of Derby madness, things were a little nutty in our personal world as well. We got our roof replaced after a six-month battle between our insurance company and some roofers (it didn’t go well for us). I got guilt-tripped into chaperoning a field trip with our youngest, and then immediately yelled at by the older two since I never did that for them (real youngest kid energy they say). And real cherry on the cake was our new-ish oven going kaput in the middle of a frozen pizza (sad day for the boys!).

All that to say, while there have been plenty of bright spots (book club with the boys chatting about I Cheerfully Refuse was a good one!), it’s definitely been a week. Soooooo, I’m leaving you on your own for a devo this week. Enjoy the weekend! Find some time to gather with friends, get your hands dirty planting something green, or make an excuse to sip something on a patio (perhaps a mint julep in honor of Louisville’s big day). God’s often easy to find in the mundane moments of life if you can find the space to stop and look.

Becoming Extraordinary (Parenting)

“Your child truly can do all things through God who gives them strength. God has amazing plans for your son or daughter. So encourage them to seek him in faith, love, and obedience. Remind them that their feelings of frailty or insignificance are okay because that’s the ground level where God starts building.”

Our pal, Joshua Cooley, is back on the blog this week with a piece for parents exploring the power of God in empowering our kids to do great things. He takes a stroll through several quick Bible stories where God’s power is on display in spite of the weakness or limitation of the person God had called to step in. David was a shepherd, how’d he become king? Daniel was a slave living in exile, but God chose him to serve as a prophet. These heroes of the faith trusted that God would supply the strength, wisdom, and gifting that they would need to fulfill the task he set before them.

In this piece Joshua is teasing a new devotional book that drops next week. Heroes of the Bible 2 is the follow-up to a similar devotional he published a few years back. It highlights the stories of a pile of characters from the Bible, and provides 90 devotionals that work through the successes and failures of their lives, how God used them for his glory, and what those stories mean for kids (and us!) today. The art style has a comic book look that kids will enjoy. So if you like Joshua’s insights here, you’ll definitely want to check out this book for a deeper dive.

Church Calendar (Discipleship)

“Yet the Christian calendar is more than a tool for catechesis. It’s also built on the conviction that ‘the heavens declare the glory of God’ (Ps. 19:1)—that the sun’s daily course, the moon’s monthly circuit, and the changing seasons are all imbued with the gospel story. Summarizing Martin Luther’s thoughts, editor Elizabeth Rundle Charles wrote, ‘Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time.’”

Our guy, Jared Kennedy, has a piece over at Mere Orthodoxy this week about the value of keeping the church calendar. I don’t usually spend a ton of time thinking about the liturgical calendar, but it was already top of mind hearing our pastor talk about the season of Easter several weeks after I ate the last candy egg. Jared pulls in a lot of great wisdom and insight from writers and church leaders on how the church has historically thought about the value of the church calendar in the life of normal folks in the pew.

What I found most helpful was the calendar’s role in teaching people about the movements of the gospel. For example, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and the new life offered to us in a season where you can look out your window and see shoots of green popping out of the ground. While the Bible gives us all we need for life and faith, the world we find ourselves in has plenty of gracious reminders of God’s goodness, truth, and beauty. Keeping an eye on the church calendar helps us to see those connections when the days are bright and beautiful and when the night seems to go on forever.

Sinking In (Kids Ministry)

“Like a lot of churches, we have our fair share of statements that end up on the wall. . .But what happens when what is On the Wall doesn’t translate to what is In our Walk? In other words, how do we correct actual behavior when it doesn’t compare to aspirational statements?”

This is a super short, super helpful post from Danny Franks, and I think it’s one that’s useful for just about any ministry leader. It’s one thing to build a vision statement or set of distinctives for your ministry, but it’s something different to see them sink into the attitudes and service of your volunteers. Danny walks through how to go from “on the wall” (signage, talking points, email signatures, etc.) to “in our walk” (how we’re seeing ministry play out day-to-day).

He gives leaders four pieces to consider as we try to shepherd our people to live out these principles that we long to shape our ministries. As with most of his writing, it’s straightforward in how to implement these changes in thinking and behavior, and is honest about some of the difficulty that’s awaiting you as you steer the sheep in a new direction. While this handful of paragraphs won’t take long to read, there’s a whole mess of growth and progress that can come from putting them to work with your team.

Dad Trips

Spring time showing up means it’s time for dads to do two things—start grilling, and taking some dad “field trips” with the kids. I wouldn’t recommend this particular strategy, but sometimes you’re feeling yourself as a parent and need a little Steph Curry heat check to see if you’re actually on fire.

Welcome back friends.

I hope your week is going well, and you’re enjoying spring/early summer as much as I am. We got flower beds ripped out and mulch laid this week, so it feels like the season of sunshine and warmth is here to stay (never a certainty here in Kentucky). Neighborhood sidewalks are full of folks walking dogs, super moms rocking weighted vests, and kids riding scooters. Everyone’s coming out of hibernation, and remembering that the world isn’t so bad now that it’s not a winter wasteland outside.

This changing of seasons was also the perfect opportunity to shift into a new season in my own life. I bought an Apple Watch. I know, I know. I’m the last guy in the world to not have a smart watch. I wore watches most of my life. I loved chasing Fossil watches when I was in college (IYKYK), and rocked a cheap Timex for nearly a decade before Covid happened (who needs a watch when time is meaningless inside your house???).

My wife, Annie, dove into the Apple Watch life a year or so ago and raved about how great it was to have a tool to help motivate/nag her to get up and move more regularly during her work day. Some days the thought of closing her rings (movement, exercise, and standing) was maddening, but most of the time she genuinely found it helpful to get nudges through the day to help reach her goals. Despite her shouting the joys of her wrist companion, I remained skeptical. The last thing I need in my life is another device chirping at me to distract me from writing, reading, parenting, etc.

At the same time, I’m not immune to looking in the mirror and realizing it’s time for something to change after a long winter of eating comfort food and getting cozy (read: lazy) on my couch. So, when a sale popped up on Amazon last week, I bit the bullet and ordered. Two days later, and I’ve got a computer strapped to my wrist that has effectively gameified fitness and movement for a guy that’s a self-diagnosed game addict. I’m one week in, and it’s already the best investment I’ve made in myself.

I’ve lifted weights, snuck in sets of pushups between to-do list tasks, schlepped around the neighborhood with a weighted backpack, found excuses to take quick laps with the dog, and even *gasp* run a little (one of my least favorite things to do). All this, to fill up these make believe activity dials on my wrist. I can’t help it. I’m compelled to beat my score from the previous day, or at the very least keep my streak alive. Is it genius or diabolical? Perhaps a bit of both.

Obviously, this isn’t a fitness newsletter, so why on earth am I rambling on about a device to help me keep track of calories I’m burning and minutes of activity? First, God’s given me (and you!) a body that can do amazing things, but it also requires plenty of upkeep (eating, drinking, sleeping, exercising, etc.). It’s easy to lose track of caring for yourself in the midst of busy schedules, raising kids, chasing a career, keeping up with the yard, and whatever else is on your list.

Paul tells us that our body is a “temple of the Holy Spirit,” and that we should “honor God with our bodies” (I Cor. 6:19-20). Honoring God with our bodies doesn’t necessitate buying a fancy watch, and it certainly involves more than a simple exercise regimen. But these things, and the shifts I’ve made are clearly valuable in helping me honor God with my body at this stage of life.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, getting so obsessed so quickly with tracking all these fitness related goals have caused me to consider how I’m tracking similar spiritual goals I have in my life. Paul has a word for us here too.

He’s not disparaging physical training for the body, but setting it below spiritual formation (godliness) since growth there will be of value both now and on the other side of Christ’s return. So then, why am I such an easy mark for tracking all these physical goals day-to-day with rings, charts, and numbers when I don’t often give much thought to closing my spiritual rings? There’s not a built-in app for me to log quiet times, chapters I’ve read, or minutes spent praying (or any helpful ones to add that I’ve found). Here’s another question, if there was, would I want to use it? Would tricking myself into or gamifying my spiritual disciplines be a good thing?

I don’t have an answer here. Would an hourly nudge to pray as I’m standing at my desk be helpful, or would I be trying to replace the Holy Spirit with a push notification? Is me reading my Bible to check a digital box drawing me nearer to the Lord, or just an exercise in vanity of building a spiritual growth profile? Mixed motives can be tricky. An old friend once told me that if we waiting for completely pure motives we’d never do anything. On this side of heaven, even our best intentions are mixed with our own selfishness, pride, or whatever other sin that’s currently bubbling below the surface.

I suppose the best case scenario would be using a similar system as a crutch to get train my mind and heart to the rhythms of spiritual disciplines. Once I’ve learned to walk and enjoy the path with all the nudges, reminders, and goal tracking, perhaps I’d have the strength to continue the journey without the crutch. As I become attuned to my reliance on God’s word, conversation with him through prayer, and loving/serving my neighbors as Jesus did, I’d be more apt to dive into the disciplines without the nagging notifications and pinging dopamine rewards. Though perhaps I’m wrong, and inviting technology into spiritual disciplines is a disaster waiting to happen.

Again, I don’t have answers here, I’m more just rambling out loud (or at least in print). What do you think? If you’ve had success with building habits and reaching goals with an Apple Watch (or whatever device/platform you use), would you be interested in a spiritual element of digital coaching and goal tracking (Siri: You can do it Trey, you’re almost through Leviticus!)? Is it a bridge too far, or are you embracing technology and AI to help make life more managable wherever you can?

Sunday Conversations (Parenting, Discipleship)

“Should I prioritize greeting new guests, rapidly firing off a few get-to-know-you questions but also risking rudeness as I race to retrieve a runaway rascal? Or is it safer to stick to familiar friends who would understand my sudden departure but may be desiring deeper dialogue and feel discouraged by the divergence? Sometimes I land in a heap of learned helplessness, where I know I can’t win, so why try? It’s easier to just sneak out as the gathering ends.”

Our pal Cali House is back on the blog this week sharing some more slice of life wisdom as a new-ish mom who’s serving in her church. How do you manage to introduce yourself to new folks or connect with old friends at church on Sunday when you’re always chasing down an energetic toddler? How do you balance bearing one another’s burdens with making sure your kiddo has a snack to get him through the sermon?

These are all very real questions that most moms and dads have wrestled with during that particular stage of life. Cali, with wit and humor, invites moms to consider how to fight back against the feelings of isolation that often come with these seasons of motherhood. She shares wisdom and strategies that have worked well to help keep her engaged in the life of her church (where she serves on staff) and to find time and space to engage in friendships that can feel like lifelines of grace. Read and be encouraged.

Thoughtful Preschool (Kids Ministry)

“One challenge every parent faces is how to teach their children doctrinal truth at an appropriate age. A child who can’t pronounce “justification” can still understand that Jesus died for his sins. Parents often rely on their local church to help them teach their children, especially in the early years. And yet preschool curriculum is often an afterthought for churches. Finding volunteers to serve in the preschool rooms during Sunday school can be a continual challenge, especially for small churches.”

My guy, Jared Kennedy, gave an interview over at TGC last week talking about the value of good curriculum for preschool classrooms. At this point there is no shortage Sunday School curricula, but the lack of a preschool component often leaves minstry leaders scratching their heads about how to serve preschoolers. It can lead to teachers feeling like they have to reinvent the wheel each week, or staff members carving out time each week to adapt lessons for older kids for a younger audience (neither option is great!)

This conversation ranges across all sorts of preschool-related topics (how to train volunteers in this age range, misconceptions about preschool ministry, why catechisms work for younger kids, etc.), and does a great job of presenting Jared’s latest work in giving ministry leaders several great resources for their preschool rooms. His latest, Big Thoughts for Tiny Tots, is a beautifully illustrated preschool catechism that serves as a companion to The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible and the curriculum that goes with it. If you’re overseeing kids ministry, or leading in a preschool classroom, this conversation is worth your time.

Serving Together (Parenting)

“Have you ever tried serving others as a family? My heart desires to see my own family live out Jesus’s words, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:39). I want us to obey the Lord’s call to care for the widow, orphan, poor, and oppressed. But, despite my best intentions, when our family serves together, our efforts are often marred by frustration instead of servant-hearted attitudes.”

I love this piece about families finding ways to serve together from Lindsay Funches over at Rooted this week. While teaching our kids how to read and understand the Bible is crucial to discipleship, so is teaching them how to see and meet needs around them like Jesus did. This isn’t something that comes naturally, though kids are often quicker to recognize needs with their young, innocent eyes than adults are. Through some warts-and-all stories of her own family, Funches encourages parents to see the needs around them, meet the needs they can, and show up so that their kids see the value in serving their neighbors.

These are often small gestures made to those around us—baking cookies together for a widow nextdoor, babysitting for a couple hours for the struggling mom at church, or inviting folks over for lunch after church—but they’re all things we can talk about and execute together as a family. At our church we’ve got a couple teenagers that serve in kids classrooms with their parents each week. Like the stories Funches shares in her piece, it’s rarely a perfect experience. There are bad attitudes, unexpected hiccups in the plan, and time that may feel wasted. Despite all the imperfections it’s an experience those kids will remember when they’re parents themselves.

Conversation Killers

I’ve never felt more seen by a stranger on the internet. :-) We were all riding home from church Sunday, and Annie and I were trying to chat about something from the sermon. I think each of our kids overheard a word that immediately demanded they jump in with a question. By the time we pulled into the parking lot for lunch, we still hadn’t finished our convesation because of all the Interruptions. Never a dull moment. Haha.

Welcome back friends!

I laid out last week since our kids were home for spring break. While we didn’t take a classic roadtrip, we did find plenty of ways to keep them entertained closer to home. We checked out the nearly perfect Project Hail Mary, played a little Top Golf, built some fun lego sets (the Jurrasic Park Mosasaurus was the highlight), and took a quick day trip to Cincinnati for the zoo and a night at the ballpark to see the Reds get blown out by the Angels (booooo!).

All in all, a solid week with the family getting outside, having fun, eating at our favorite places, and sleeping in. Of course, all the adventures of spring break also mean that routine is a little harder to come by. Kids are up late playing games or watching movies, parents are “sleeping in” because they don’t have to be up before the sun for carpool, and the normal afternoon/evening schedule of homework and extracurriculars fades away for a week.

All that to say, as a dad still trying to wrap his brain and heart around discipleship rhythms with a couple of elementary school boys, it wasn’t a great week on that front. I mean, we went to church, talked about their lesson that day and the baptisms they saw (several of which were classmates, huzzah!), but the regular rhythms of working through a devotional or chunks of the Bible together fell away altogether. Not only that, but the couple weeks before when I thought I was knocking on death’s door with some combination of a virus and allergies had already knocked me off my corner.

So, what do you do when the wheels fall off your discipleship routine, and you feel a bit like a failure as both a father leading his kids and a guy who’s supposed to be at a conference in a few weeks telling people how valuable family discipleship is for both parents and kids? One of those problems is probably unique to me, but I’m guessing the other is pretty evergreen with parents as schedules shift with new sports, busy seasons or work, vacations, school projects, and a million other things.

The first step when you’re feeling like a failure in this area is a nice, heavy pour of settle down juice. I’m not telling you that because your discipleship efforts don’t matter, or as some sort of sentiment of cosmic rainbows and lollipops to get you feeling good. But Trey, how can we settle down if we’ve missed three weeks (or insert your own season of failure) of opportunities to spend time reading and talking about the Bible with our kids? I’m glad you asked. Here are three reasons you can settle down, instead of freaking out, after a season of failure.

First, you can settle down because you can trust that regardless of how well you perform, God knows you and loves you. His love for you is never contingent on anything you do (Ephesians 2:8-9). There’s nothing you can offer him to stir his affection for you more deeply than he already has. On the flip side, there’s nothing you can do that’s so terrible that he’d turn his face away from you. In some seasons success will come easy and often, in others it’ll feel like it’s impossible to stay on track at all. We ride through them both resting in God’s goodness and faithfulness the entire way.

That doesn’t mean that we say goodbye to the duty of shepherding our kids toward Christ, but it does mean that God knows we aren’t going to do it perfectly. Aside from Jesus, the rest of us are a mixed bag of obedience and failure. So, knowing that failure is coming for all of us, we press in, ask for the Spirit to empower and lead us, and trust that God will be at work as we give our best to him and our children. That takes the pressure off. You’ve been forgiven completely by the death and resurrection of Jesus, so your failure here (regardless of how long it lasts) cannot separate you from God’s love and mercy.

Second, we can settle down because we know God is the one who brings salvation. We often think too much of ourselves when it comes to matters of discipleship. If I can just get the right reading plan sorted out, find the perfect devotional book, or come up with the perfect quiet time outline, THEN God will bless what I’m doing and I’ll see growth and fruit in my spiritual life. This is hard to hear for me, but God doesn’t need my perfect plan. In fact, he often works in and around despite the dumb plans I set in motion.

Some of the best moments I’ve had discipleship-wise with my kids this week have come not from the book I’m reading with the boys, but from their own questions that they’ve asked themselves. I’ve had moments of clarity about God staring up at huge mountains without anyone saying a word. Don’t mishear me. God has called you to raise your children and point them toward Jesus. I’m not saying your efforts toward discipleship are wasted, but I am reminding you that it’s God that softens hearts and stirs faith. So we can settle down and settle into God’s grace, trusting that he loves our kids more than ever could.

Finally, we can settle down because we know that God’s called us to the task of discipling our children (check out Deuteronomy 6:1-9), and he doesn’t call us to anything he doesn’t equip, encourage, and empower us to do. He never promises that following him will be easy, but he assures us that we won’t be alone on the journey. When Jesus gives the great commission to his disciples, he promises that he’ll be with them. That promise extends to us as well.

So we commit to sharing Jesus with our children, not because of an immense sense of guilt or failure, but because it’s the task that God’s invited us into. It’s a privilege sit alongside our kids and teach them to read, pray, and worship the God who gave us the gift of parenthood. We work at it not to have God love us more deeply, but so that we might be a part of his plan to draw our children to himself.

Where does that leave me? I imagine it leaves me struggling just like you are. The last two mornings I managed, by God’s early morning grace, to get the boys ready for school early enough that we had ten minutes to plow through a devo from Faith Builder Catechism. Then we spent about five minues talking about the discussion question on the ride to school. Was it perfect? Absolutely not. Were the three of us a little groggy since the sun was still hiding under the horizon? We sure were. But they both participated and they remembered our question/answer at afternoon carpool, so I’m calling it a parenting win.

I’m trusting God to work in their little hearts and minds, and doing my best to keep my kids on a path that’ll lead them toward him. I’m also trusting him to work in my own heart, reminding me that he’s in control and that he wants what’s best for them and me as I do my best to cheerfully follow his lead. Be encouraged friends!

Manhood Manifesto (Parenting, Kids Ministry)

“As a husband and father of a daughter and two sons, I want to avoid both manhood distortions. And I also want the same for my sons. So, over time, a sentence has begun to form. A family slogan has started to emerge. A manifesto for manhood: We move toward people and problems in love and wisdom.”

Our pal, Champ Thornton, has a piece up on our site this week. He’s writing about God’s good design in creating men and women both in his image, while still giving them distinct and natural roles that make them different. He recently released a book, It’s Good to Be a Boy, which helps parents teach their young boys why it’s great to be a boy. Don’t worry moms and daughters, The Good Book Company also has a companion book for you from Jen and Zoe Oshman, It’s Good to Be a Girl.

Champ focuses on boys in his book and this piece, and the view of manhood he’s trying to build into his own sons. We’re aiming at godly, Christlike character in our children, but we can’t get there if we don’t know which direction we’re going. It’s crucial for parents to have a clear understanding of both how God made us (both similar and unique), and how to stay on the road to Christian maturity so that we can pass it along to our kids and show them the way.

Kids Conference (Kids Ministry)

Well, I’ve got good news and bad news. Let’s got bad news first so we can end on a happy note. Here we go, the Gospel Kids Conference I’m speaking at in June is sold out (technically, good news for them I guess). So if you don’t already have tickets, we sadly won’t be hanging out together in Canada this summer.

The good news is that they’re still offering a live-stream ticket at a very reasonable $25. From the main stage you’ll hear from a ton of great thinkers and leaders in the kids min world—Champ Thornton, Hunter Williams, Julie Lowe, Sam Luce, and Brian Dembowczyk. They’ll be covering all sorts of topics that’ll be helpful to you and your volunteer team, and all the breakout sessions will be available a week or so after the conference ends (they need time to edit, upload, etc.). It’s a great way to host a mini-conference for your team or small group of leaders and learn together as you look to strengthen your kids ministry. You can find ticket info here.

Discipleship Roadmap (Parenting, Kids Ministry)

“I didn’t have a plan, and I had no idea what it was going to be like that first Friday morning. I’m a pastor, I thought to myself, I should know how to do this. But, I was feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of studying the Bible with one of my kids. We had read through storybook Bibles together as a family, but this felt like something new.”

I’ve spent more time scrolling Substack the last few weeks, and have stumbled upon a handful of posts and writers to pass along to you guys. Up first, had a great post on how he unknowingly started a year-long Bible reading journey with his young son. He didn’t really have a plan, but learned as he went, and they both came out of the year reading together knowing more about God, the Bible, and each other.

You may be thinking to yourself, “I could never pull that off on the fly!” Good news, Austin put together a list of what you need to make it happen (spoiler alert: it’s simple—Bible, notebook, pen/pencil) and his steps to pull off a weekly reading time with your kid in less than 30 minutes. All the guess work and excuses, wiped away thanks to his kindness in sharing his journey. :-) He also includes a great interview with his son at the end. There’s no magic here. No special degree or Greek knowledge required. Just a willingness to carve out time and trust the Lord to work as you open the Bible with your kids. Sooooo, what are you waiting for?

Ministry Cohort (Student Ministry)

Last year TGC hosted a helpful kids ministry cohort that I had the pleasure of being a part of. This summer, they’re kicking off their first Youth Minstry Leadership cohort with a lineup of incredible leaders. I know Zach and Hayden well as they’ve both served on staff at the church we belong to, and have learned a ton from them both. Kendal has a pile of youth minstry experience, and used to lead our own GCF cohorts. I met Mike and Cameron at a Rooted Ministries conference a couple years ago and had a blast hearing their stories and learning from their experience.

This is ALL KILLER, NO FILLER lineup of folks, and a great list of topics (details on topics available at the link above) that they’ll cover over seven sessions. I honestly can’t imagine a better group to learn from in the world of student ministry. Registration is open now, and closes on July 7th ahead of the first meeting on July 14th. Whether you’re new to your student ministry role, or you’ve been engaged for years, this will be a great resource for you and your ministry.

Recruiting Woes

One thing I don’t miss about the leading kids ministry is the grind of getting classroom volunteers locked down each week. If you’re going to suffer, you may as well laugh while you do it. :-) Here’s to those VBS team rosters filling up WAAAAAY early this year.

Hey friends.

Apologies for not getting this out last week. Annie came down with some flu-like funk early in the week. Despite my personal quarantine, strict vitamin/supplement regiment (so many organges!), and sleeping in the basement, I still managed to catch the bug myself. Lucky for me, I also got slapped in the face with the ol’ Louisville allergy hammer at the same time. Huzzah! While she handled it all with grace and class, I turned into a whimpering baby who could hardly function. What can I say? She suffers better than I do. Honestly, she does just about everything better than I do, so none of this is surprising.

At the risk of sounding dramatic, this Holy Week has felt like a resurrection of sorts. My week started with several days in a dark basement bed hacking and coughing, but now I’ve come out into the sunshine of spring. It’s amazing how much hope a little bit of sunshine on your face can bring when you’ve felt beat down and miserable for a few days. The joy that life and light brings is one of God’s great mercies.

That’s one of the joys of working through Holy Week. There’s a natural rhythm of reading and praying through each day that takes us on a journey. We march toward the darkness of Good Friday and a weekend of uncertainty and silence before Easter arrives on Sunday with the raccaous joy of resurrection. The tomb that brought weeping now stands empty. Our Savior no longer cold and dead, but alive and well, reminding us that he stands over death and darkness not just on Easter Sunday, but for eternity. His resurrection a promise of our own resurrection.

The Easter story isn’t super complicated. I just hacked my way through it in a paragraph. It is a great opportunity to spend time with your kids (young or old) talking about the gospel story and what it means for you. You don’t need a theology degree or a memory journal to pull this off!

First, find a way to share the story. Crack open your Bible or find a quick devo (here’s a free one on our site!), and carve out time to read or share the story with your family. Short on time? No worries, do it over dinner you’d already planned on having together this weekend. More of a showoff? Awesome! Spend some time working some storytelling vibes into your living room before gathering to dive into the story together. Divy up bits of the text for each person in your family. The options are limitless. Make it fancy, or keep it basic, but find time to tell the story.

Next, simply spend a few minutes telling them why it matters. This may actually be more important for your kids. If you’re reading this newsletter, I’m guessing you’re involved in church and your kids have probably heard the Easter story dozens of times (to be clear, this is a GOOD thing!). What they may not have heard clearly from anyone, or you in particular, is what the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus means for them.

Sure, it’s good news, but how has the empty tomb of Jesus been meaningful for you? What changed for you once you believed the good news? How does the resurrection encourage you day to day? How does the delight of Jesus walking out of the tomb deliver grace and joy in your life? These conversations should illustrate how the truth of Jesus’s resurrection touch our lives, work, relationships, stress, emotions, etc. Our kids don’t need some theoretical understanding of Jesus. They need to see how we’re engaging with the work of the Father, Son, and Spirit in our own lives. The simplicity of the Easter story gives us a chance to initiate these conversations.

I know you’re busy. You’ve gotta throw together a casserole for the potluck, fill a gajillion plastic eggs with candy, or perhaps even clean your own house to host the gathering. I promise you’ll find more fruit in the ten minutes it’ll take to read and reflect together than in any of the rest of it. No one’s ever remembered a casserole (unless they’re terrible!), but this could be a memory that might shape your family for years to come.

Prayer Model (Parenting, Kids Ministry)

“Yet we know the sacred responsibility we have as Christian parents to teach our children to pray from the heart. We know that however simple a prayer may be, it must be sincere. And we know that the Bible—especially the Lord’s Prayer—instructs us richly in how to approach God. So if you sometimes find yourself, as I do, settling into superficial prayer with your kids, I want to encourage you with a simple method that has helped my family pray with more biblical balance and sincerity.”

New on the blog this week, we’ve got Jonathan Hooper writing about what they’re doing to invite their children into a deeper experience of prayer. What started as fun childhood characters his mother came up with to teach their family about prayer, have found their way back into the world in Jonathan’s new book—P.R.A.Y. Pals. He’s put together a simple, child-friendly system to help kids understand how the Bible instructs us to pray. Think of it like the familiar ACTS model (adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and supplication), but with some revamped language kids are more familiar with.

I can see this model, and this book, being helpful both at home or in a Sunday School setting as your teaching kids how to pray. We should have a review of P.R.A.Y. Pals up on the site as well in the coming weeks, so you’ll have a better idea of what to expect and how it might be helpful in discipling your kids.

Shifting Narratives (Parenting, Discipleship)

“You know, it reminds me of growing up in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, when you’d go to a restaurant and they had smoking and non-smoking sections. My parents were non-smokers, and they’d sit in the non-smoking section, but they would always say, “This is so stupid, the smoke is still coming over here.” That’s kind of how it is being a parent now. You’re looking at the toxic smoke of counterfeit cultural narratives—everything you don’t want your kids exposed to—but it’s still drifting over. You can’t completely shield them.”

Sam Luce has a great interview with Matt Markins, who serves as the president of Awana (a great child discipleship group). Their written conversation is focused on the shifting landscape of cultural narratives that our children are inundated with, and equiping parents to recognize those narratives as they show up in media, at school, or when meeting new friends. From there, Markins sets out to encourage parents in how they can engage with their kids to keep a biblical world view at the center of their world. Sam asks great questions to keep things moving, and they both do a great job of keeping things helpful without turning it into a doom and gloom scenario.

This conversation goes beyond parenting as well. As kids ministry leaders, these are questions and concerns we should be considering as we’re building/choosing curriculum for classrooms, discipling and pouring into the kids we see each week, and how we’re discipling parents to initiate these conversations at home with their own families. Their chat is a great jumping off point for any parent or ministry leader!

Prudent Passion (Kids/Student Ministry)

“Church life cycles are akin to the development of a child. There is an infant stage, and then they hit a teenager stage where they have big vision but very little brain development to support it. Churches want to have great worship gatherings, build a kids ministry, do mercy ministry, and reach the lost—and it’s beautiful. I have served on staff at a church like this. Yet they don’t have the wisdom to accomplish what they actually want to accomplish. Their passion has exceeded their prudence.”

My pal, and former pastor, Zach Cochran has a great piece for kids leaders shifting into the next phase of ministry growth. He’s writing toward executive pastor types, but it’s easy to read the paragraph above and slot in a smattering of “big vision” kids ministry goals you’ve got on your radar. We want a deep team of assembly teachers, beautifully decorated kids hallways, a curriculum made up of our own music and lessons, clear pathways for discipleship and training, amazing t-shirts, and a petting zoo for the Noah’s Ark VBS coming this summer.

Most of those are goals worthy of striving for (maybe skip the petting zoo?), but wisdom reminds us that we can’t check all those boxes at once. More than that, it’s dangerous if we do. Zach lays out four great encouragements to consider as you’re staring at your ministry wishlist. He reminds us that the goal of the church (or our particular ministry) isn’t fast growth, but a faithful presence that lasts a lifetime.

Spring Break

Spring break starts for us tomorrow. While that means they won’t be heading to the bus stop together, they will be spending lots of time together with inane conversations just like the ones featured here. I can’t wait.

Promise Me

Here’s a little bonus Holy Week reel for you. Enjoy!

Hey gang.

Sorry this is a day late. I’d wish I had an altruistic reason for the delay, but we’re friends at this point, so I feel like I can be honest. It was the first day of the NCAA tournament, and I couldn’t peel myself away from the TV long enough to wrap this up. In fact, hoops are still rolling in the background as I’m typing. Hopefully you got to play hooky a little yourself to celebrate one of the high holy days of sports.

I got another crack at teaching our students at youth group this week. They’re continuing their stroll through the Ten Commandments, and this week was all about sabbath. As always, it seems prepping and teaching a lesson is just as helpful for my own personal growth as it is for anyone listening. Here are some reflections on the fourth commandment in Exodus 20:8-11. Let it be a blessing to you, pluck anything useful out of it to pass along to your own kids or students, or send me a note with all the intricacies I missed. Stick around for the usual links and chatter afterward.

Personally, I love rest. Give me a cozy bed, a warm blanket, a nice long queue of TV shows to plow through, and a coffee table full of snacks. I’m MR. REST! The problem is, rest is sometimes hard to come by. Life gets busy, assignments pile up, calendars get full, bills come due, and the rest I’m looking for is always around the next corner. What happens when we can’t find rest? Well, it doesn’t usually go well.

Illustration: We planned a trip to Miami over winter break this year. We had a 6am flight, which meant we needed to be at the airport around 4:30am, which meant we had to be up at 3:15am to get the car loaded, get the zombie kids ready to roll out the door, and make it there on time. We made it, but of course our flight got delayed. . .then delayed again. . .then cancelled. At this point it was 6:30am, and we decided since the rest of the trip was non-refundable, we’d just drive to Miami.

So, with four hours of sleep and a 3:15am wakeup call, we set out on our 16 hour journey to Miami Beach. The things we do for love. Everyone was excited early on. New destinations, new adventures, gas station treats, and an ice cold Monster. We had it all. Twelve hours in though, attitudes had shifted. Patience was wearing thin and emotions were running hot, for both parents and kids. We needed rest, and we needed it BAD.

Our need for rest on that road trip, your need for rest after a sleepless student weekend, or a mother’s need for rest after spending long days caring for a sick kid. . .they all point to the fact that God hard-wired rest into his creation. We see it in the creative order of Genesis 2, in our own lives when we come to the end of our ropes, and in the fourth commandment here. Let’s read Exodus 20:8-11 together.

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

God isn’t giving this command as simply another rule to follow. The call to Sabbath and rest isn’t meant as another box to check. Okay Trey, then what’s the point of this commandment?

Main Point: God gives us the Sabbath so that we will REST in God and REMEMBER the finished work of Jesus.

God also makes it clear who he’s talking to here. EVERYONE is to rest. You, your kids, your servants, your animals, even folks visiting. Verse 11 points all the way back to Genesis 2:1-3.

¹Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. ² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

We’re told that God created everything in six days, and on the seventh day stopped to rest. God’s inviting us to remember his work of creation, and the rest that followed. As we look back and see God resting, we see our own need for rest.

Main Point: God gives us the Sabbath so that we will REST in God and REMEMBER the finished work of Jesus.

Later, in Deuteronomy 5:15, God reminds his people (and us) where they were and how God rescued them. He repeats the Sabbath command, and then gives them this instruction.

¹⁵Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

This commandment is a demonstration of his love, care, and affection for his people–given to both the Israelites, and us! They’d spent all these years toiling in Egypt as slaves, and God not only gets them out of there, but tells them to mark their weeks by taking an entire day to rest and remember. He’s telling them (and us) – Remember where you were, and how I rescued you. It’s because I rescued and preserved you that you’re free to rest. You can rest, remembering how I cared for you before, trusting that I’ll continue to care for you now.

Main Point: God gives us the Sabbath so that we will REST in God and REMEMBER the finished work of Jesus.

That’s great Trey, I understand the resting in God part, but what’s that got to do with Jesus? It’s right there in the main point, so it must be important right?

I’m glad you’re paying attention. We see the theme of rest all through the Old Testament (remember all those passages we’ve already looked at), but it doesn’t stop there. Jesus himself, speaks about finding rest. Not in a nap, but in him.

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

This isn’t some useless platitude. It’s Jesus reminding us that without him rest is impossible. It doesn’t matter how many meditation apps we have downloaded, what kind of vitamin stack we’re taking, how many mindfulness journals we fill out, or how many hours we sleep. Without Christ, the weariness, fear, anxiety, and uncertainty of life will eventually overwhelm us. Jesus invites us into the good life. That is, life with him. We take up his yoke, we follow him, and in doing so we find true rest.

Main Point: God gives us the Sabbath so that we will REST in God and REMEMBER the finished work of Jesus.

Here’s what’s really crazy, Jesus doesn’t just offer rest for us in the here and now. He promises us a rest that’s eternal. When he returns and makes all things new, we’ll enter into the perfect rest that we’ve been waiting for. No more fighting for peace, searching for an inner quiet, or worrying about what may or may not happen. Perfect rest in the presence of God’s son. Like Israel before us, we can look back and remember God’s work in our lives to rescue us, and enjoy the rest provided by the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

Main Point: God gives us the Sabbath so that we will REST in God and REMEMBER the finished work of Jesus.

Application: Okay, so we’ve unpacked everything the commandment means. God gives us the Sabbath, not as another hoop to jump through, but as a reminder that we’re to seek rest (because he did), and that true rest can only be found in him. So, let’s talk nuts and bolts, practical application, whatever you want to call it. What does any of this mean for you, a middle school kid in Louisville, Kentucky? Another great question from you guys (WAY TO GO!), let’s dig in.

FIRST, Sabbath for us looks different than it did for the Israelites. We’ve got the clarity of the New Testament, and the life of Jesus to make sense of all this. They didn’t have the same Bible that you’re holding with the gospels, Paul’s letters, etc. to count on. They had a general sense of rest in the Lord, but didn’t know what the final picture looked like. They assumed the Messiah was coming, but they were still in the dark.

On this side of the cross, we know that the Messiah was God’s own son, Jesus. So, we obey the fourth commandment not by resting in the general work of God on loving and providing for us, but by resting in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. We find rest in his perfect life, death, and resurrection that allow us to experience forgiveness from our sin and the grace to be reconciled to God. When he says, “It is finished,” he means it. The work is over. There’s nothing more we can do.

Jesus did something we never could. If our forgiveness was based on how we lived, thought, or performed, rest would never come! We could never be good enough to earn our salvation. Like a treadmill that never stops. We read the passage from Matthew 11 before, but Jesus clearly offers us rest when we follow him.

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

SECOND, we practically follow this command by setting aside a day for rest and renewal. For Christians, this tends to be Sundays when we gather with the church to celebrate Jesus’s resurrection and our salvation. These gatherings are reminders, light posts along the way of life, that remind us of God’s goodness and faithfulness in our lives. We sing, pray, hear the word preached, and receive communion as a part of this renewal.

We also find opportunities to rest. We know we can’t outwork God, and we’ll wear ourselves out if we try. When we refuse to rest, we’re saying to the world and ourselves that we’re in control. We know what’s best. We don’t need God’s care and provision, because we can supply it ourselves.

You might see that in a father who works 60 hours a work at the cost of missing church, dinners at home, great moments of vacation, and a drifting relationship with his wife and kids. You might see it in a middle school volleyball player that spends every waking moment agonizing over form, workout routines, vitamin stacks, and practice schedules. Or a student who’s too busy working on straight A’s that they can’t make it to S2, spend time caring for a friend who’s in trouble, or making time to open their Bible.

All three of those people are lying to themselves. They’re telling themselves that they’re their own master. If they can work, play, or study hard enough, everything will fall into place. They’ll be fulfilled if they can just get over that next hill. Here’s the problem, there’s always another hill. It’s the disease of more.

Being a Christian doesn’t mean you can’t have an awesome job, be a star athlete, or end up as the valedictorian. It does mean that we’re called to trust God with our lives. If we can’t take time away from whatever we’re chasing (work, sports, love, Fortnite ranks, etc.) to reflect on God’s beauty as creator, mercy as savior, and love as guiding spirit, then we’ve missed something.

Main Point: God gives us the Sabbath so that we will REST in God and REMEMBER the finished work of Jesus.

God the Father isn’t giving us this command to indict us. He’s giving us this command as an invitation. He’s inviting us to put our baggage down (good and bad), and trust him. You had a great week on the court? Guess what, it could all disappear tomorrow, so trust Jesus because he’s faithful. Had a terrible week at practice? Lean on Jesus to carry you through the heartache. The call isn’t to cut all those things out of your life. The call is to put Christ at the center as a ballast for everything else that you do.

Closing: Two things to consider as we wrap up tonight.

FIRST, if you’re struggling to find rest, you’re exhausted by whatever you’re chasing, carve out some time to reflect, look to Jesus, and place your trust in him. He promises to give you rest, and he’s all about keeping his promises. Talk to your small group leader, a friend, or your parents. They’d love to explore this decision with you, and help figure out what your next steps might be.

SECOND, if you’re already following Jesus, make an effort to carve out some time for Sabbath this week. Maybe it’s a day, maybe it’s an hour. Set your phone down, put the ball away, turn off the Xbox. Spend some time with your family, reflecting on where you’ve seen God at work in your lives. Consider what it looks like to find rest in him throughout your week.

Finally, I want to leave you with a quick Psalm. Consider it your benediction as you head home tonight, a blessing for the road. Psalm 127:2 says this. . .

¹ Unless the Lord builds the house,

the builders labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,

the guards stand watch in vain.

² In vain you rise early

and stay up late,

toiling for food to eat—

for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Main Point: God gives us the Sabbath so that we will REST in God and REMEMBER the finished work of Jesus.

Let’s pray.

Growth Parable (Discipleship)

“This is Dunning–Kruger applied to the soul: the most confident Christians in the room are often the least self-aware, and the people furthest along in formation feel the most lost. It’s not hypocrisy. It’s a cognitive phenomenon with a spiritual corollary. The guy in power tools doesn’t know about the middle. The guy in finishings thinks he’s past it. And the woman on her knees with the sandpaper — she’s the one who feels like she’s failing.”

This might be the best thing I’ve read this month (maybe this year?). Nicole Marie Bergeron takes us on a walk through Home Depot and spiritual formation. If you’re a dad of a certain age who’s been roped into any sort of home project, this one will hit you right in the chest. I certainly felt it. She paints vignettes of three aisles inside Home Depot, and what the person in each aisle is going through in the renovation process.

The guy in the power tools aisle ready to fill his cart with big, loud equipment and going home to tear stuff up. Never mind the fact that he’s not exactly sure what he’s doing. Will removing that wall bring the whole house down? He hopes not, but who could really say? Then we’ve got another guy in the finishing aisle checking out fancy faucets and drawer pulls. He’s ready to make this project beautiful, despite not having done the work to finish the basics well. The faucet ends up on an unlevel countertop, the pulls attached to wobbly cabinets that even the naked eye tells you aren’t square. It’s lipstick on a pig.

The third person is in the middle of the store staring at sand paper. She’s in the middle of the project, but is unsure of exactly what she needs. She’s been faithful to the work thus far, and has seen real progress. In reality, she’s made more and better progress than the other two, but in her mind she’s gonna be sanding forever. She’s doing great work. It’s grace that brought her where she’s at, and grace that will see her through to completion.

You see where this is going, and what it means for us as we consider our own spiritual journeys. It’s a great parable reminding us to trust God as we continue to press into discipleship, even when (especially when?) we’re not sure what to do next? We keep sanding, trusting that he’s shaping us into something that looks a little more like him. Really lovely, encouraging read here.

Finding Friendship (Discipleship)

“I, too, would like to have more like-minded friends. It’s a weird thing, to be a full-grown adult and confess that it’s hard to make friends. It conjures up playground emotions of vulnerability and awkwardness because it puts you in a position of need, which feels uncomfortable.”

Finding friends can be difficult across all of life, but it certainly seems to get more difficult as you age. As careers take off, kids come along, and other responsibilities begin to grow, there’s not as much margin to casually hang out as there used to be. The last-minute run to the theatre for a midnight release or 8:30pm weeknight dinner reservation are harder to come by in middle age. But regardless of age, finding deep friendships can prove to be difficult.

How can we find the perfect friend? Perhaps, as Tsh Oxenreider writes in this piece, we don’t. When you’re looking for the platonic ideal of a friend, you might miss the imperfect friend the Lord has placed right in front of you. Instead of waiting for the perfect solution, look for a “partial solution.” Just because someone doesn’t check all the boxes you’re looking for doesn’t meant that’s not a friendship worth pursuing. Tsh offers a great deal of encouragement for folks young and old who are searching for deep friendships.

Easter Giveaway (Parenting, Discipleship)

Our pals at New Growth Press are back with another free Easter giveaway. They’ve partnered with a handful of shops and sites to put together a terrific smattering of books and resources for parents to dive into with their kids (including Jared’s latest, Big Thoughts for Tiny Tots) and a handful of discipleship tools to get the ball rolling on scripture memorization as well. If they’re books you’ve already got in your library at home, most of them would work just as well in a Sunday School classroom. Nothing is ever actually free, so you’ll have to use an email address to get your first entry, and there are some other hoops to jump through to get more chances to win. As highlighted on the landing page though, you can unsubscribe anytime you’d like.

Genuinely Don’t

This one felt very real when Annie informed me that the boys told her they were excited to go the family dance at school Friday night. I was surprised to hear this since I stealthily shredded the handout that was lodged in both their folders this week. I genuinely don’t feel like my answers are at the silent disco, but I guess I’ll be there bopping along anyway. :-)

Welcome back folks.

Spring has sprung here in Louisville. Derby isn’t quite in the air, but pollen certainly is! I hit the springtime trifecta this past week. I ate a meal outside, my yard flooded from some torrential rain, and I got a slight sunburn on my face from a long walk through our neighborhood. Here’s to warmer temperatures, flowers and trees showing off some blooms, and seasonal depression dying off.

I’m trying something a little different this week. Mostly because I don’t have anything profound to say from a devotional standpoint. Not that anything I write is especially profound. :-) I realized at some point this week that my phone has essentially turned into a podcast machine. Like, sure, I could use it to call people, take pictures, cruise the web, or learn a new skill, but the reality is that my iPhone is now a glorified Zune (fire up the Google machine if you’re not sure what that is) that only plays podcasts.

Podcasts can be a terrific source of encouragement, grace, insight, or wisdom for listeners. Unfortunately, like most technology in our world, they can also be a gigantic waste of our time and brain space. Like a fresh bag of potato chips that you can’t ever quite put down. Sure, I follow shows that teach me stuff, and shape me theologically or spiritually. I dutifully download each sermon our church posts every Monday morning, allowing me to theoretically catch up on weeks we’re out of town or refresh my memory about what I wrote in my notes. I’m also subscribed to some ministry-related pods that provide insight into managing classrooms, building teams, and teaching lessons. The reality is, those usually remain untouched as they shuffle down the feed.

I spend WAAAAY more time rolling through pods about my favorite TV shows, the lastest on the Oscar race, NFL free agency, or other sports news. I want to hear my virtual pals wax eloquently about the latest bit of prestige TV, or explain what a director really meant with that bit of dialogue or why they made a particular casting choice. Let me be a fly on the wall where an insider tells me exactly who my Titans will be drafting months from now that will finally break the streak of last place division finishes (technically only two seasons, but it’s been a fairly depressing stretch). I need the latest news on the fresh Formula 1 season, and the new regulations that are driving teams and fans crazy. I’ve got enough content squirreled away for a cross-country drive that I’ll never be taking.

This isn’t entirely a waste of time. It’s good to have hobbies, take some time to relax and recharge your mind, and spend time with friends (even if they’re virtual). It’s rare that I’m sitting around solo, listening to pods without anything else going on. I’m usually cutting grass, cooking dinner, sitting in a carpool line, or working on a project of some sort. I like to think I’m redeeming that time spent doing innane things that require little thought or focus. So, while I’m not revamping my entire feed this week, I am starting to make some changes to the ol’ queue that can shift my podcast diet from almost entirely junk food to one that has some sustenance built into it.

Depending on how this goes, this may become a semi-regular piece of the newsletter. I’d like to highlight podcasts that can be helpful for parents, kids, students, ministry leaders, pastors, and anyone else. Some recommendations may be more generic, “this is always good” kind of content, while others may be highlighting a particularly helpful episode that scratches a particular itch I’m feeling in parenting, ministry, or otherwise.

This week, I’m honing in on podcasts geared toward family discipleship. Sure, these resources could be helpful in a classroom setting at church as well, but they’re each designed to be a resource for parents who are looking for ways to connect their kids to the Bible outside of Sundays at church. As you scroll through, I’ve given you the overview of each podcast, a quick snapshot of what they’re trying to do. Then, I’ve got a few notes on the specific episode that I’ve linked for you to check out. Hopefully you’ll find something that’s helpful for your own household or that you can put to use encouraging parents and kids within the ministry you’re leading.

Have you used any of these for your own church or family? What are some podcasts that your family uses for family discipleship or worship at home? What are you recommending for families at your church looking for help developing habits and rhythms of discipleship at home?

Bible Habits (Parenting, Kids Min, Discipleship)

Overview: First on the is God’s Big Story. This podcast comes from The Village Church, and is hosted by Julie Wilding and Matt McCauley. They drop episodes weekly, and each one tends to be a devotional built for parents and kids to enjoy together. They typically work through a series (the last two were aimed at the life of Jesus and Advent), with each episode highlighting a particular story or topic. They’ll dive into a particular text, unpack some questions and answers, provide a bit of application (something to put into practice that week), and play some music you can sing along to that connects to that week’s passage.

Each episode is almost like a mini Sunday School lesson (or maybe an expanded lesson, depending on your particular church). The twenty minute run time is perfect to plow through over dinner, or split up across a drop-off/pick-up carpool situation. This is an incredibly flexible tool for parents to add into the discipleship rotation.

This Episode: They also have occasional one-off “Parent Talk” episodes that cover a particular topic. Think of these like mini TED talks for parents about discipleship in the home. The episode linked above is the latest Parent Talk they did on building Bible habits with your kids. They look at some recent research that highlights the value of reading the Bible to a lasting faith, and look at some strategies for parents to stack the deck in building these reading habits early on. You can find God’s Big Story at their hosted link above (where you can find shownotes, outlines, etc.), or wherever you normally get your pods.

Kennedy Home (Parenting, Discipleship)

Overview: The Family Discipleship Podcast (FDP going forward) is an every-other-week offering from hosts Adam Griffin, Chelsea Griffin, and Cassie Bryant geared toward resourcing and encouraging parents as they’re on their journey of discipling their kids. Adam pastors a church, and has written extensively on both parenting and discipleship, and his wife, Chelsea, has obviously been a huge part of that journey as well. Cassie is a mother as well, and has been leading in family ministry for more than 20 years. All that to say, you’re in very competent, experienced hands with these folks.

They typically bring in a guest for each episode to either talk about how discipleship works in their own home (how they were raised, what’s worked well for them, what blew up in their face, etc.), or to break down a specific topic they’re expertly qualified to tackle. They also occasionally have shorter OQ (One Question) episodes where one of the hosts will jump into a particular question, event, or issue (sleepovers, baptism, technology, etc.). These are hyper practical, and help parents and ministry leaders develop strategies to navigate a particular issue, or give them a headstart on how to be thinking about them. FDP is a great weekly listen, or you can cherry pick episodes that speak to a particular issue your own family or church families are dealing with.

This Episode: Our pal, Jared Kennedy, was on the pod a couple weeks back to talk about discipleship in his home—how it looked early on, what spiritual practices worked for them, what didn’t, shifts they made when their daughter got a significant diagnosis, and how they aimed to raise their young girls into women of faith. It’s a really great conversation with Jared and Adam (both ladies were out of the office when they recorded) with lots of encouragement, practical wisdom, and hope for what the Lord is doing in his own family as well as what he might do in your own.

Proverbs Intro (Family Discipleship)

Overview: The Biggest Story is a podcast adaptation of Kevin DeYoung’s book of the same name. They launch new episodes every Wednesday, and each ten minute block serves as a dramatic reading of one of the stories from the book. Mike Reeves lends his delightful accent to voice the stories, and does an incredible job bringing each story to life. If you (or your kids) like videos instead of podcasts, Crossway has also put together videos that match up with each story from the book as well—same great voicework, same great art style. This pod is a great way to get a Bible story in while you’re carting kids around, or to mix things up at bedtime or dinner. It’s never a bad thing to have more options in getting our kids to read, listen, or think about God’s word.

This Episode: All these episodes are ten minutes or less, so they’re all quick hits. This episode is a quick intro into the book of Proverbs. The host does a great job reviewing the big truth from the previous week, and introducing and explaining Proverbs, before kicking it over to Reeves to do his thing. After his telling the story, our host steps back in to give us the big truth from the story we just heard, and a quick memory verse. This isn’t necessarily innovative or complicated, but they craft each episode and story so well that you’d be foolish not to keep this in your discipleship toolbelt.

Ten Commandments (Family Discipleship)

Overview: This is a little shameless self-promotion since it’s our own podcast. Press Pause is an under-ten minute devotional designed to make family discipleship easy for parents to pull off at home. It’s a companion to our family discipleship book, Faith Builder Catechism, that launched a couple years ago. Your hosts (Jared, Kevin, and Trey) give you everything you need to get started in building a rhythm of discipleship in your home. All you need is the episode itself and a Bible (if you want to read along), and you’ve got all you need to spend time pointing your kids to Jesus.

With each episode we’ve included an ice-breaker question, a passage from the Bible, a quick devotional, a discussion question, and a closing prayer. It’s an easy way for parents to dip their toe into family discipleship for the first time, sort of like training wheels. Once you’ve figured how to work through these short lessons with your kiddos, you’ll be ready to strike out on your own reading passages from the Bible together.

This Episode: I’ve linked you to S2:E1, where we kickoff our discussion of the Ten Commandments through this season of the pod. We do a quick intro into the commandments themselves, where they’re at and why they matter. Then, we dive into the first commandment itself, “You shall have no other gods before me.” It’s easy to presume that this commandment was only important to the Israelites so long ago when they were surrounded by other gods trying to distract them from the Lord. It turns out that we’re still surrounded by things vying for our worship today. This episode serves as a great intro both to the pod and a longer study of the Ten Commandments.

Testing Patience

For the sake of posterity, and not leaving internet artifacts to embarras my kids, I’ll just say that one of our kids is like this. I’m not sure if that means they’ll grow up to be a great lawyer, or an annoying criminal. Either way, they’ve mastered the “well actually” conversation quicker than I’d hoped.

Hey gang.

Welcome back. Welp, after my innocuous post about Cub Scouts and merit badges, things for the Scouts really popped off. The newsletter wasn’t supposed to be full of political intrigue, just a little slice of life post that connected to discipleship. So, here’s to this week’s entry not being connected to any national headlines. :-)

The bookclub I’m in continues to roll along, and we recently wrapped up our second book and subsequent meeting to discuss. Side note: if you were wondering how to get dudes interested in reading, connect it to a book draft to trick their brains into thinking it’s fantasy football related. For February we read through John Mark Comer’s The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. He’s a bit of a divisive figure in evangelicalism these days, but if you’re coming at his work with a strong theological framework and a generous attitude, there’s plenty to learn and put into practice in your own life.

One of the fun things about reading books with other guys is the wide range of application and highlighting that you see. Stuff I breezed by without remark or notation was critical to what other men found most compelling about the book. Some of what I highlighted and shared didn’t resonate at all with others at the table. The Lord, and the books we’re reading, finds us each at different places in life with unique seasons of work, family, faith, fitness, etc. So naturally, there will be variation about what rings loudest in the ears of each guy. You learn from them, they learn from you, and everyone learns a little more about what makes each guy tick—what he’s going through, wrestling with, his career, his family, etc.

One idea that Comer shared has been lodged in my brain since reading it, and it bubbles up everywhere I look. It’s spread out in a few sentences sprinkled over a couple pages.

“If you want to experience the life of Jesus, you have to adopt the lifestyle of Jesus.

The reality is, I want the life, but I’m not willing to adopt the lifestyle behind it.

I think that’s how a lot of us feel about Jesus.”

He’s connecting this with the idea of Jesus’s easy yoke (from Matthew 11), and how that yoke serves as a constraint that leads to a life peace and presence with God, ourselves, and others. Most believers would agree that they’d love to experience that end result. The problem is, we’re seldom willing to do the work to get there.

Of course, the grace of Christ is a free gift, and it’s by grace that we’re saved (Ephesians 2:8, Seeds Family Worship will help to sink this truth into your heart). At the same time, if we’re to be growing into the likeness of Christ, there’s a shift in our living that must take place. We can’t follow the example of Jesus, if we’re not reading the Bible and examining how he lived. We can’t worship the one true God without sharing our life and hearing his voice as we pray. To summarize Comer, we want the fruit of life with God, but we’re unwilling to adopt our lifestyle to allow us to taste it.

Once you start thinking about lifestyle, and everything that gets wrapped up in it, you see it everywhere. I googled a home gym around Black Friday last year, and I’ve been inundated with reels, YouTube videos, and Facebook marketplace ads about health, wellness, and fitness ever since. Just about all of them show me the perfect picture of health and strenght, and then they pitch me on their version of the lifestyle to get me there. Just buy this squat rack, start this supplement, or sign up for personal training, and you’ll be on your way to the life you really want.

Like I said, when you’re looking for it, you can find people bending lifestyles everywhere you look. I went down a rabbit hole of videos late last night where a guy bought a twenty-five pound bag of oats, and decided he was going to see if he could eat them all in a week. That’s roughly 9000 calories a day (not to mention all the fiber!) just in oats. Sheesh! This guy is an “aspiring pro cyclist,” so he’s used to eating quite a bit as he puts in hundreds of kilometers on his bike each day. That said, that’s some kind of lifestyle shift to decide to put away that many pounds of oats each day. He knew what he wanted to do (if only for entertainment purposes), and he adjusted his lifestyle to meet that goal. It’s honestly insane.

*Editor’s Note* The first video in the series is linked above. While this one is clean, the oats must’ve taken their toll over the week as some subsequent videos have some adult language. Consider earmuffs if you want to follow his seven day journey. :-)

Putting aside my quest to build a home gym and this goofball’s attempt to harm himself with a giant bag of oats, let’s shift gears back toward discipleship for ourselves or our kids. Like most folks who are following Jesus, if you asked me directly, I’d say the thing I wanted most was life with God. I long to know him deeply, to seek and follow his will for me, to love and serve my neighbor, and to flee from sin whenever temptation rises before me. While that’s true, if you’re a fly on my wall at home, I’d wager you’d see plenty of things that would cause you to ask if that’s really true.

You’d see how I start my days, often bleary-eyed in the dark, more concerned with the weather and news for the day than I am with cracking open my Bible. You’d see me rush through prayer so I can get my espresso maching going. You’d see me pull the curtains closed so I’m not bothered by what’s outside my window because I’ve got a to-do list that demands my attention. You’d see me blow through the warning signs the Spirit offers me before my anger builds to a point where I’m yelling at a kid, begrudgingly cooking dinner, berating a slow driver holding me up, or complaining to myself about the latest PTA email asking for time, money, or brownies.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s grace for each of those situations. Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us that, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” The lifestyle shift I need is to realize that regardless of how long I’ve been on my journey of faith, I’m in desperate need of grace each day. I want life with God. I want peace in relationships. I want joy in what he calls me to. Those things aren’t going to come out of an extra workout this week, an evening spent gaming, or from a deposit in my checking account. They’re going to come from the basics building blocks of discipleship—dwelling on God’s word, seeking solitude with God, serving my church, and loving my family well.

So where does that leave us? Well, I won’t speak for you, but it leaves me in a spot where my intentions need to shift to match what I’m aiming at. I’m praying that would God would grant joy as I pursue his presence in those areas. That faithfulness would beget faithfulness, his grace and mercy would be evident when I fail, that I’d trust his faithfulness more than my own, and that he’d be glorified in my effort to follow him.

How about you? What part of your lifestyle/life choices are keeping you from the life you want with God? What might it look like for you to say no to the things that are keeping you what you imagine life with God could be?

Forming Hearts (Kids Ministry)

“In a joy-filled preschool Sunday school class, we cultivate implicit memories that can help children grow to love and embrace the good news. Toddlers and preschoolers soak up their teacher’s facial expressions and example. Habits form as they learn the weekly routine of coming to church, listening to God’s word, and responding through hands-on crafts and games. By God’s grace, the love and joy they’re shown in Sunday school will teach their hearts to love the church throughout their lives.”

Preschool classrooms are often the easiest place to plug in new volunteers to start their kids ministry careers. It’s not as physcially taxing as bouncing a barrage of babies through a service, and they’re young enough that the lesson doesn’t feel like you need a theology degree in order to teach it. You don’t need to be a pro to play games, help kids color, dole out snack, or break up the occasional scuffle over a toy. The problem is, it’s easy to think that all you’re doing in those rooms is managing behavior and making sure the kids have fun.

This piece from Jared Kennedy doesn’t discount any of that work, but also reminds us why preschool ministry is so valuable. When kids are in this age range, they’re beginning to learn not only to tell stories, but to learn from the stories they hear. It’s hearing the stories from the Bible of who God is, what his people go through, how Jesus walked among us, and God’s plan to redeem us that start to give children a lens through which to see the world. God uses these words, categories, and ideas to show kids their need for him, and draw them near, we get to play a part in all that happening. What a gift! What are you doing to encourage your preschool leaders that their presence and influence matters for kids?

Shifting Ministry (Book Review)

“How are pastors, especially those who work with children and teenagers, supposed to minister in such a pivotal moment in American history? We must first accept a hard truth: We cannot continue to do children’s and youth ministry as we’ve done them and expect different results from today.”

Here’s a review from (great Substack follow as well!) of what seems like a compelling book for anyone in the trenches of kids/student ministry. In Keeping Kids Christian, Cameron S. Shaffer centers both the family and the church as a central means of helping kids develop a robust and lasting faith. These relationships provide support for the growth of kids outside of their immediate family, but it also provides an opportunity for adults to put their own spiritual lives on display for others to learn from.

Amidst the growing trends of young people “deconstructing” their faith, Shaffer’s desire to see deeper roots of faith growing in young people is encouraging. We can’t wait around for culture to shift again in the hopes that old ministry models might work again. The real question is, what changes can congregations implement to foster those deeper roots Shaffer is looking for, and more practically, how can ministry leaders and churches practically shift to see kids and students hanging onto their faith into adulthood. Have you seen a model of inter-generational ministry work in your church? What changes did you make in order for that new model to work?

Team Building (Kids Ministry/Student Ministry)

“Every staff role reflects what a church believes to be important … or at least what they believed to be important at some time in the past. Every reporting line reveals ministry priorities. And every unspoken expectation communicates assumptions about success.”

This piece from Bryan Rose is geared almost entirely toward lead pastors building and shaping staff cultures. However, each of the five “clarity questions” he works through would be valuable for any kids/student ministry leader to walk through with their team. Whether you’re at a large church with a huge staff supporting your ministry, or you’re the solo staff person leading a small team of volunteers, these conversations can go a long way toward connecting vision and execution.

One of the most important exercises I work through with anyone I’ve coached in kids ministry is nailing down vision and values for a particular ministry, and then connecting everything you’re doing day-to-day to those ideas. These questions (and the conversation surrounding them) from Rose are helpful guides in making those connections. What are we trying to do? How are we getting it done? What does success look like? Where are we going next? These are great questions for leadership development within your team, or provide some guardrails for training you may want to do with your team. Leadership work like this is a great way to get the creative juices flowing in your own mind, and in the minds of your team.

Skip It

I’m not saying you should shame your kids for their inability to navigate the physical challenges we used to be able to sleep walk through, but I’m also not *not* saying it either. :-)

Welcome back friends.

One quick announcement before we dive in this week. I’m thrilled to let you know that I’ll be presenting a breakout session at this year’s Gospel Kids Conference up in Toronto, Canada this summer (June 4-6th). Jared and I were there last summer, and it was one of the most polished and encouraging ministry conferences I’ve ever attended. Great folks, amazing food, well currated speakers and topics, and practical help for folks in the trenches of ministry.

I’ll be presenting on how to use catechism to lead kids toward gospel truth. Catechism’s a word you might not use often, and it might sound a little stuffy or overwhelming (it was for me!). Trust me when I tell you we’ll be boiling it down to simple, easy to use, life-giving ideas and practices that you can build into discipleship at home or a church classroom. I’ll have more details to share in the coming weeks, but registration is live at the link above if you want to beat the heat and come hang out for a few days in the Great White North!

Shameless self-promotion complete. On with the show.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I help lead the Cub Scout pack both our boys are in. I got roped in to help doing a bunch of admin stuff a couple years ago when our oldest got involved. They had folks to run point with each den (age-group), but the gal who’d been organzing all the big stuff like budgets, fundraisers, leader meetings, etc. was moving away and they needed someone to replace all she brought to the table. Clearly they were desperate, and they asked me.

It’s a great group of forty-ish kids, and an even better group of leaders who really care about making this an exciting, skill-building, and fun experience for our kids. Each den works through a list of adventures that are age appropriate with a specific focus (citizenship, fitness, religion, being outdoors, etc.). Some are more exciting than others, but they’re awarded a merit badge for each adventure they complete (they’re actually belt loops now, but that would’ve made for a weird newsletter title). One of my responsibilities is making the trek to the Scout Store to snag all the badges our kids have earned each month.

This is a system I can get behind. Kids get clear objectives, they check the boxes for each requirement, once the adventure is complete they get an award, and they’re on their way to their next adventure. They’re always moving forward. Sure, they may stumble into an adventure they don’t love, or one that requires a skill they haven’t mastered yet, but their progress never stops. They’re always moving forward, and the next step is always clear.

I wish my own discipleship felt as straight forward sometimes. Sure, there are stretches where I’m reading and praying faithfully, locked in as the kids might say. I’m making little notes in my Moleskine journal. Maybe I’m even tossing a verse on my phone’s lock screen. I’m so synced up with the Lord that the sermon I heard last weekend stays bouncing around my brain until Friday. Any league-minimum believer can remember it on Monday, but Friday??? C’mon, that’s high level stuff.

You get the point, right? Some weeks, I feel hyper connected to what God’s doing in my life—the husband he longs for me to be, the father my kids need, the work he’s set in front of me, the relationships I’m pouring myself into, and all the rest. It feels good to follow God in these seasons, like working out after you’ve been doing for a while already. Sure, it’s still work, but it feels good. You don’t mind taxing your muscles when they’re already strong. You may be tender the next day, but you’re certain you’re building strength and the results are obvious in how you look and feel.

Then there are the other kind of seasons, and I’m never sure when they’ll come. All I can see are my flaws. The cold shoulder I gave my wife because I was upset about whatever we argued about, or the screamfest I just hurled at my kid because they didn’t immediately listen or disobeyed in some other small way. My Bible feels heavy in my hand, and my eyes glaze over as I scroll across the passage I’m supposed to be reading. Prayer? Never heard of it. Why would God want to talk to me after the way I’ve dealt with my family this week? That lively group chat full of chatter, encouragement, and dumb reels gets muted. Can’t let them know I’m stressed. You probably can’t relate.

Of course, I know what I should be doing in these seasons. I ought to be opening my Bible faithfully, just like I do when my spiritual life feels fruitful and productive. I ought to be talking to the Father, pleading for forgiveness, seeking direction in how to live, and thanking him for the mercy he provides. I ought to be telling my people how I’m struggling, and asking for encouragement and prayer as I find my way back to a healthy place.

But, to keep the workout comparison going, it’s like going to the gym when you haven’t shown up in years. You know the only way to get stronger is to start picking up the heavy things, but you also know it’s going to be a chore. You’re going to have to push through a lot of barriers (physically and mentally) to even get in front of a dumbbell, much less use it.

In these seasons of feeling disconnected, there are barriers to cross as well. It’s a hard conversation here or there, admitting my sinfulness to myself, others, and the Lord, and seeking the grace to repent and come back to him. It’s putting down the other comforts I’ve run to—the leftover Valentine’s Butterfinger hearts (purely hypothetical!), the Netflix binge, the podcast that pushes away quiet reflection, the cocktail shaker on the shelf, or the late tipoff for my team—and getting back to the feet of Jesus. What I want most is more distraction, but that only ends badly. What I need is a quiet place to sit with God. To read his word, to pray it back to myself, and to listen for him to speak.

If Jesus needed time away to be with the Father (spoiler alert, he did, check out Luke 5:16), chances are I need the same thing. While the need is obvious, knowing what I need doesn’t make it easy. Some days picking up my Bible feels like curling a dumbbell I’m not strong enough to lift. But here’s the thing. The Lord provides the strength each time, but I’ve still got to put my hands on the cover to open it. I’ve still got to open my heart to him in order to unload my burdens and receive his comfort. I’ve still got to carve out the time to for any of this to happen. God’s grace flows freely, and always comes first, but there’s something to the effort of making space for the opportunity and answering the call when it comes.

So, where do you find yourself? Perhaps you’re crushing it spiritually, setting PR’s all over the place in the ol’ discipleship gym. Praise God! That’s incredible. I pray that you continue to be faithful to walk with God in whatever he’s called you to. Thank him for his presence and grace in this season. Maybe you haven’t seen the gym in a long time, and the idea of walking back in feels daunting or impossible. Friend, open the door. Pick up the weight. While that load may feel unbearable at first, Jesus promises that we can come to him in our weakness, and he’ll offer us rest (Matthew 11:28-30).

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

While it may seem counterintuitive, we can thank God in these seasons of darkness and uncertainty as well. Despite our distance, he’s still there. He continues to offer himself to us, to draw near, to forgive our sin, and welcome us back as sons and daughters. Our weakness highlights his strength, and our faithlessness reminds us how faithful he can be. So, whatever it looks like for you this week, find a spot, carve out some time, and dwell on Jesus. Read, pray, listen, and be renewed. You won’t get any merit badges for your effort, but you’ll find the presence of Christ. I need it. And so do you.

Loving Volunteers (Kids and Student Ministry)

“But the secret sauce of showing appreciation isn’t in the grand gestures. Rather, it is in the intentionality of knowing our people and expressing genuine love through relationship and kindness.”

One of the most underrated parts about building a volunteer team is caring for them so they’re excited to stick around. It’s one of those things that seems so simple to work into the normal rhythms of minstry. Yet, if you’re not giving it actual thought and getting it on your calendar and in front of your mind, it’s easy to let it pass by undone as your volunteers begin to slip through the cracks. Lucky for us, Jenny Smith has put together a guide of sorts to help us think through all the ways (big and small) that we can make sure our care of our team is evident to us and them.

She breaks these practices down into three categories—what you can do every week, what you can do regularly (thoughtful touches monthly to quarterly), and what you can do occasionally (grand gestures once or twice a year). Depending on the size of your church and the size of your team, some of these ideas may be easier or more difficult to pull off. That said, she includes plenty of simple relational touches that any ministry leader can work into their repetoire to help volunteers feel seen and cared for. Whether you’re team is bleeding volunteers, or all your servants are locked-in and crushing it, there’s something here for your team to consider. What are some of the big and small ways you care for your volunteers through the year?

Writing Pain (Kids and Student Ministry)

“For some reason, we’re tempted to believe writing should come easily. As if words ought to gush effortlessly from our hearts and minds onto the page. Yes, there are moments like that, times when you’re deep into an article or sermon or book project, and you lose track of time and enter a state of flow. They’re wonderful. They’re also rare. More often than not, the flow comes only after the slog. You won’t arrive in the meadow of inspiration until you force yourself through the thicket of thinking.”

If you’re doing any sort of kids or student ministry, a decent chunk of your week is spent writing. Some of it is banging out innane emails, or responding to a gaggle of text messages from leaders or parents about the whatever event is on the horizon. Most of those you can shoot from the hip. There’s also a sizable amount of more thoughtful writing that that’s required each week. Writing lessons, reviewing policies and procedures, putting together training material, or putting words to the vision and values that’s guiding the work your team is doing.

“But Trey, I’m a pastor, not a writer. How am I supposed to get this work done?” Great question, but I’m probably the last person you should ask. It’s all I can do to bang out a meager newsletter each week. Thankfully, Trevin Wax has you covered with a short piece on how to consider the spaces and places that may foster creativity and a clicking keyboard. You may not be in a spot where you need a writing retreat, but there’s plenty of little things here that can help you initiate the hard, but useful, work of writing for your ministry. Find the spots that inspire ideas and deep thinking, train your brain and hands to get busy when you slip into a particular playlist, or currate a routine at home to get words from your brain to your hands. What are you favorite ‘hacks’ to get your creative juices flowing for writing within your ministry?

Determining Worth (Discipleship)

“. . . Identity is rooted in your cosmic mattering and your existential significance. You are a child of God. You are God’s beloved. This is who you are. Importantly for the purposes of this reflection, your identity is separate from your calling, vocation, and work. Making, monitoring, and maintaining this distinction is vital for your mental and spiritual health.”

This is a little out of the usual range of things I share here, but it was helpful enough for me that I decided to pass it along. Richard Beck serves as Professor of Psychology and Senior Fellow of the Saunders Center for Joy and Human Flourishing at Abilene Christian University. I was unfamiliar with his work (due to my ignorance, not his relevance), but stumbled upon it from one of Mockingbird’s Week in Review posts.

He addresses a younger audience to open this post (he’s a college professor after all), but what he’s writing about is just as relevant to middle-aged adults like myself. What do we do with ourselves when our career blows up unexpectedly? How do we proceed after deciding, 15 years into a career, that what you’re doing isn’t providing any joy or satisfaction? It’s easy to tie our identity to these areas of perceived failure, confusion, or uncertainty about our work. It’s crucial, Beck argues, to be certain of your identity first so that we’re not run into the ground our puffed up to the stratosphere by what happens in our office, factory line, or drive-thru window.

Our ultimate value and worth isn’t found in the numbers at the bottom of a spreadsheet we built, the beauty in the project completed, or the shiny floor we just mopped. We can be certain that our lives have value because we’re God’s beloved children. Thinking about this from a ministry perspective. Your value isn’t in the number of kids your baptized in your church this year (though that’s certainly something to celebrate!). Christ’s sacrifice for you, and the forgiveness and grace you receive through faith, is distinct from the results of your work with the kids and families you serve.

Beck goes on to outline distinctions between identity, calling, vocation, and work. How they’re alike and different, and how we may can find joy in work that we may not feel particularly called to. It’s a short piece, but there is a depth of wisdom in each paragraph he writes. I imagine it’ll speak to you differently than it does to me, but hopefully it’s encouraging all the same whether you find yourself in the middle of a tempestuous work storm, or bobbing along as the sea subsides and settles.

Club Hoppin’

This, but it’s a kids leader prepping for a busy Sunday. “Okay, I need 150 blue marbles, seventeen pounds of goldfish crackers, a giant box of diapers in case of emergency, some island themed stage decor, and obviously, and iced coffee.” Stay safe out there knocking out those shopping lists this weekend!

Hey look, it’s Wednesday! Promises made. Promises kept. Won’t he do it. God that is, not me. Heaven knows I wanted to stay up late and watch basketball instead of write, and maybe I did, but you’ll never be able to prove it. Either way, we’ve got a great slate of articles for you to peruse, and a diabolical dad move to work into your repertoire. But before we get to that, settle in for story time.

Despite all my baggage that comes from hitting eject on pastoral ministry (long story that’ll never make the newsletter, but come to Louisville and I’ll buy you coffee and we can commiserate together), the last year or so has found me serving regularly on a kids ministry team at church again. I didn’t think it’d ever happen, and I still have a hangup about wearing the logoed t-shirt that I’m not sure I’ll ever get over, but God seems to be doing something in me. Try as I might, I just can’t seem to get away from the ol’ kids hallway.

One of the reasons I’ve been able to say yes, is because the gal who’s running kids ministry at our church has given me the best “job” (I’m a volunteer, just like everyone except our fearless leader) on the whole team, at least to me. I serve as a service coordinator, which means I’m sort of a Swiss Army knife that she can employ to tackle a wide variety of tasks, problems, and other menial issues. That may sound stressful to some, or entirely boring to others, but for me, there’s no place I’d rather serve on a Sunday. One of the reasons I love this spot is because of all the ministry tools I get to put to use each week.

Take this past weekend for example. I got there early (though not technically as early as I should have, sorry Madi!), and immediately put on my social butterly hat. I’m popping my head into classrooms, introducing myself to teachers, letting them know I’m there to help. Families start rolling in, and I get to chat it up with them too. We talk about the snow finally melting, the beatdown our team took Saturday night, and how kids stayed up too late and struggled to get up this morning. We’re moving, we’re shaking. Very demure, very mindful. This is a superb way to meet folks in your church. You learn what families are wrestling with and excited about, and you’re able to look for opportunities to sneak them into joining you on this team.

Next, I had an assembly lesson to teach for our elementary kids. Obviously, a totally different skill set than schmoozing with folks in the hallway. I looked over and prepped a lesson a couple days before Sunday, and had locked in all the hilarious punchlines and hard-hitting gospel bombs. I get to grab my Bible and a music stand and tell these kids about Jesus feeding the 5000, his compassion and grace, and what that means for them. Was there an altar call where each kid came up weeping, asking the the Lord to save them? Not that I saw. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a blast to get up there and invite children to trust Jesus, having faith that the gospel seeds aren’t going out in vain.

After the teaching adrenaline died down (IYKYK), one of our K/1st teachers poked her head out and asked for help with a kid. He was yelling out as they were working through the lesson in the classroom, and obnoxiously banging on the table through their questions. So I put on my kid-whisperer cape (this is not a real thing, though maybe it should be) and swooped in to save the day. Am I Superman? Definitely not, but I took a knee next to him and asked him why he was being crazy and disruptive. It turns out he shares a room with his younger brother, and he’d woken him up several times through the night. Not to mention he was, “STARVINGGGG!!!” It was basically a live action Snickers commercial. We talked about obedience and being a good friend. Then we bumped fists, his teacher snagged some goldfish, he made a quick apology, and he was good to go for the rest of the morning.

Then there’s all the water pitcher fill-ups, the quick runs to the supply closet for baby wipes or extra cups, the quick text to the parent of the fussy baby, the security checks, administrative attendance taking and list making, and the quiet conversation with my hangry kid’s mom to let her know what happened and how he rallied to make it a great day. Not the sexiest ministry to be sure, but it sure feels good to be of use, and most parents need all the help they can get.

I don’t tell you that story to celebrate me. Any schmuck could do this (or most any other role in the kids hallway), and that’s kind of the point. Regardless of what your gifts are, there’s a place for you back there. Not interested in teaching a large group lesson? No problem, stick to a single classroom and keep it small. Don’t love hanging out with kids that aren’t your own. All good, let’s get you setup at our check-in station so you’re just saying hello and waving them on down the hall with their name tag. Whatever you’ve got to offer, there’s likely a place to put it work for the kingdom.

God can take your interests, giftings, and time and turn it into something beautiful for the families in your church and your own discipleship journey. As Jesus reminds his squabbling disciples in Matthew 28:26-28, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” If we’re serious about modeling our lives after Christ, we should be on the lookout for opportunities to serve those around us. You’ll be amazed to find what God might teach you as you show up to care for kids and families in your own church. If a washed up kids pastor like me can strap in and find joy in the regular rhythms of getting to know kids and families and sharing the gospel with them, than I’d be willing to bet that you can too.

Taming Chaos (Kids and Student Ministry)

“But when our church operations systems are weak, our ministry is fragile. Healthy ministry requires healthy organization. Why? Because bringing order out of chaos is a biblical norm.”

Zach Cochran, my pal and former pastor, dropped a piece on TGC last week about the necessity of organizational health in the life of the church. It doesn’t matter how clearly the gospel is presented on Sunday, if someone’s not working behind the scenes to keep the lights on, the staff geared toward mission, and the members cared for, it all falls apart. Zach argues that as we see God himself bringing order out of chaos, that march toward order and clarity is necessary for thriving ministry.

Now, he’s writing primarly from the place of his experience in his role as executive pastor overseeing an entire church. That’s not typically who we’re writing to in this newsletter (or GCF itself), but there’s plenty of wisdom about building healthy organizations that you can apply to the ministry you lead. Whether you’re leading a staff of multiple people, or overseeing a volunteer team, the way you lead those folks will determine how your ministry feels. Giving some attention to the behind the scenes work of budgets, calendars, and vision can have a huge impact on how the gospel is felt in your classrooms and small groups.

Starting Lent (Parenting, Discipleship)

“To know the seasons of the Christian year is to know the milestones of Jesus’ earthly ministry—from the promise of his coming at Advent through his resurrection at Easter and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. As Christians, we want our personal story to be shaped by his story. One way the universal church has practiced this historically is by letting Christ’s life shape our time—not just at Christmas and Easter but throughout the year.”

Here’s an oldie, but goodie, from Jared Kennedy that explains the value of the marking and celebrating the church calendar with your family. Lent kicks off today with Ash Wednesday (shout out to the marked up foreheads in the chat!), but aside from waking up early to get blessed with sidelong glances the rest of the day, what’s it all about? Jared’s glad you asked. He walks through both Lent and Ash Wednesday, explains their significance, and finally gives some practical wisdom about how to turn this part of the church calendar into a helpful season of family discipleship. Enjoy the quick primer, and give some thought about what opportunities you might find to tell your kids about Jesus in this season.

Speech Habits (Parenting)

“We want our homes to have an atmosphere of Christ’s love. But too often, expectations are crushed when our children (and we ourselves) do not act in godly ways. . . I’m convinced that frustration and dashed hopes happen when parents expect their households to run “righteousness marathons” without training a mile at a time. In other words, without the practice of righteous speech habits, families are unprepared to react graciously in tense moments.”

I stumbled upon this piece from Foster Toft, and wondered how a guy I’d never met could possibly know my parenting so well. After I finished, I checked my house for hidden cameras he must’ve used to source examples of mistakes parents make in speaking to their children. His work here is great. If we want to build godly disciples of our children, we must consider how to speak to them and what that speech instills in their hearts.

His premise is simple, and biblical. Find ways to encourage thankfulness, celebrate godly attitudes and virtues when you see them, and speak to build up rather than beat down. It sounds so easy! My heart is prone toward sarcasm, and it often bleeds into conversations with my kids. Toft rightly points out how dangerous the insults and irritation that sarcasm reveals can be to our children, and encourages us to set it down to pick up encouragement instead. You can’t successfully run a marathon your first time out. You start slow, pace yourself with short runs, and then start stretching yourself toward the big goal. Similarly, Toft’s encouragements aren’t silver bullets to slay the beast of jaded parenting. Instead, they serve as the beginning of training our hearts to bend our conversations toward building disciples instead of running the score up on our kids.

Too Far

I love my teenage daughter, but sometimes she plays too much. I’m not sure there’s a better feeling in the world than a dad who gets to take his teenager’s phone. I’ve never done hard drugs, but I’d be shocked if the high was anywhere near seeing the light go out of their eyes and then hearing how quickly they backtrack and apologize. Of course, this is all hypothetical. My daugher would never take it that far. Haha.

I appreciate all the calls last week. “Sir, sir. Where is the GCF newsletter??? We’ve come to depend on it for the invaluable work we’re doing for the churches we serve, not to mention our own families.” I’m kidding. It was really just my mom texting to ask where it was, but I appreciate it all the same.

Over the last few months, I’ve slipped from sending these out on Wednesdays (my idea) back to Fridays (which I hated). So, we’re on the march back to the midweek newsletter. I’m putting my stake in the ground. Thursday this week, and Wednesday next week. That’s what they say right? Overpromise and underdeliver. Something like that. :-) Enough preamble. Let’s dive in.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been up front teaching, but this week I’m double dipping. I strapped on my teacher hat to lead a gaggle of middle schoolers through the first commandment this week, and then I’m leading a lesson to kids on Jesus feeding the 5000 on Sunday. Which is more fun, Moses and the law or Jesus’s miracles? Spoiler alert, Jesus comes up in both lessons so we’re gonna have a great time in both places.

Anyone who’s done any teaching knows that while the lessons you’re putting together are ostensibly written for you audience, you inevitably find yourself shaped by whatever piece of Scripture you’re camped out in. Even if it’s a passage I’ve read a million times, the Lord inevitably reveals some new angle or facet as I study to continue his work of sanding off my rough edges to form me more into the likeness of Christ. I’m always thankful not just for the opportunity to preach, but for the chance for my own life and heart to be changed.

Exodus 20:1-3 is certainly one of those passages that I’ve breezed through over years of kids lessons, Sunday sermons, and seminary classes covering the Old Testament.

And God spoke all these words:

² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

³ “You shall have no other gods before me.

It’s the shortest of introductions to some of the most well read verses in all the Bible. God reminds Israel of who he is—the one who loved, set free, and redeemed them. There’s a lot of history to cover, and plenty of bumps along the way, baked into the second verse. Someone could write a book to unpack the history and significance of all God has done for his people up to this point, and I’m sure they have.

After God’s reminder of who he is and what he’s done, his command is simple. I’m the only God you need. Cast off these counterfeits, and worship me alone. It’s such a simple command, and yet it’s one that we’re all prone to break much more often than we care to admit. I boil this short passage down to two words, the first is a call and the second is a warning.

God is calling his people, Israel and ourselves, to COMMITMENT. To Israel specifically he’s reminding them of who he is and what he’s done. “Remember how miserable you were in Egypt? You were slaves without hope, and uncertain about your future. There was nothing you could do to change your situation. Yet, you called out to me for help. In my love for you I brought you out of Egypt, and into the land I promised you.” God’s love for Israel came first. Before they ever cried out to the Lord, his love was already set upon them.

After reminding his people of all he’s done to care for, protect, provide for, and rescue his people, God calls them to COMMIT. “I am your God,” the Lord says. He’s not interested in sharing their worship with any of the gods of Egypt they’ve been around or whatever gods have been propped up in the land they’ve been delivered to. God loves them with all he has, and his expectation is that they’ll return that love back to him. Like Will Smith at the Oscars a couple years ago, God doesn’t even want the names of these other gods in the mouth of his people. They’re to commit to God, and God alone.

That’s great for Israel, but where can we find ourselves in this part of the story? Sure, I’ve never been enslaved in Egypt, but God’s rescued me all the same. My name and story isn’t included here in the text, but I can heed the same word that God gives to Israel. Remember. “Trey, remember where you were. You were lost and alone. Miserable and uncertain about who you are and where you’d go. Despite choosing yourself time and time again, I set my affection on you. I loved you before you knew anything about me. You cried out for help, and I rescued you.”

God is inviting us to remember not just how he demonstrated his love for Israel, though his faithfulness to his people through generations is a massive encouragement, but also how he’s demonstrated his love for us! Look back in your life to all the ways you’ve seen God care for you, protect you, provide for you, show you mercy and grace. Remember how he carried you through the dark when you couldn’t carry yourself. Remember the people he brough into your life to offer encouragement and grace. Remember his patience as you learned to listen and obey. Remember his mercy to forgive as you fall back into that same nagging sin. As we remember, God’s calling us to COMMIT. Remembering all his work in our lives, he invites us to put our faith in him, and commit to him before anything else.

Inside this first commandment is also a warning. The Lord calls us to commit to him alone, but he also knows that our hearts are bent toward IDOLATRY. It didn’t take the Israelites long to collect all the gold they had and melt it into a physical idol to worship. Moses hadn’t even come down off the mountain yet, and his own brother was leading the mutiny against the one true God that Moses was speaking to. Despite the call to remember, the Israelites forgot all that God had done for them to bring them to where they were. This also wasn’t just a problem in the Old Testament days. Check out the story of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19. He thought was doing well and keeping all the commandments to find eternal life, but it turns out he missed the very first one. His money had become an idol in his heart, something he couldn’t bear to give up, even if it meant missing life with God.

Now, the question comes again. Where do we find ourselves in this story. Does God share Israel’s failure so that we can point and laugh at them? “Look how stupid they were. Their own guy is up on the mountain hearing from God himself, and before he could make it back down they’d already blown it. What a bunch of morons.” It’s an easy judgment to make on our side of history, but I don’t believe that’s why God shares this story with us.

The invitation is to see ourselves in the people of Israel. I’ve never raided Annie’s jewelry drawer to melt down whatever I could find and turn it into a physical idol, but that doesn’t mean that my heart isn’t bent toward idolatry. There are plenty of counterfeit gods that aren’t made of precious metals that draw my eyes and heart to them. Every day when I pick up my phone and scroll to start my day instead of my opening my Bible, I’m loving something more than Jesus. Every time I yell at my kids instead of being patient with them, I’m loving something (my rightness or preferences) more than Jesus. Every time I’m selfish with my time or money, I’m loving something more than Jesus.

I’m an idolator. Just like Aaron. Just like the rich young ruler. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re an idolator too. God gave us the law, knowing that we couldn’t keep it. Our sin gets in the way, hampering our best intentions to follow God. Thankfully, our God is wise and faithful. He sent his son, Jesus, who in his perfection could keep the law that we couldn’t. He sacrificed his life for ours, offering forgiveness and mercy for our sins instead of the judgment we deserved. There’s no shortage of commitments fighting for our attention (pleasure, sports, wealth, safety, security, relationships, etc.), but when those are the things we count on for joy and peace we’ll always be let down. God calls to us all, “Remember. Remember my love for you. Remember how I set you free and rescued you. Remember, and worship me alone.”

Planting Trees (Kids Ministry)

“The beauty of Kids Ministry is that it ministers back to us. Breaking things down to a child’s level, answering questions, and watching understanding grow are glimpses of God’s transforming power. Even the mundane carries purpose. As the old Greek quote says, “A society becomes great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they will never sit.” That’s Kids Ministry.”

Randi Singleton has a delightfully thoughtful article over at For the Church sharing some of her reflections on kids ministry—why it matters, what it is and isn’t, and how it serves both kids and us. I really appreciate how much she packs into a few short paragraphs. She speaks to not really feeling called toward kids ministry specifically, but toward furthering God’s kingdom. Kids ministry happened to be where there was an opportunity, so she stepped in to the work of building and shaping the future of the church.

She does a great job of presenting some of the misconceptions that come along with serving in kids ministry, and quickly correcting them without being condescending or harsh. It’s clear she feels the weight of the task God’s given her, trusts God to see her through it, and is excited to see how the lives of these kids are changed as they encounter the gospel through the folks involved in serving with the ministry. Part of loving the mission of Christ, is loving the kids that he draws into our churches. We should be excited for the unique opportunity to see the kingdom advance through serving in kids ministry.

Face-to-Face (Kids Ministry, Student Ministry)

“The ideal training is in-person and face-to-face. It’s not simply ‘shadowing someone on a Sunday.’ It’s definitely not ‘jump in and figure it out.’ It never should be ‘here’s our manual…read it and let me know if you have questions.’ To be clear, I have nothing against shadowing on a Sunday, learning-as-you’re-serving, standard operations manuals, video trainings, online forms, or surveys. But they’re used as an accent to our training, not as a replacement for it.”

Training is an integral part of any ministry team, but kids ministry may require more training than any other. While the gospel never changes, your curriculum, classrooms, team, and even kids often shift like sand in a windblown desert. To make sure your team is adapting to whatever challenges are on the horizon, you’re constantly looking for opportunities to provide training so they’ve got the tools they need to care for kids, be mindful of updated policies, and understand how to navigate lessons and manage classrooms well.

Of course, there are lots of ways to make training happen, but our guy Danny Franks makes the case for why having an in-person component is indespensible. It may mean more work to pull of a meeting with your whole team, and your budget will likely take a hit on the pizza bill, but he lays out four crucial reasons why doing your training face-to-face is worth the investment. As always, he gets to the point quickly, is careful not to make the wisdom he’s sharing a legalistic bar to clear, and offers solid arguments for why the relational component of team building should be front and center in what you’re doing.

Right Direction (Discipleship)

“As much as I wish life was filled with dramatic moments and seasons in which we feel like we are driving full speed ahead toward Jesus, the reality is, most of life feels like we are crawling on our hands and knees. But as Powlison reminds us, crawling on our hands and knees toward Jesus is better than sprinting toward anything else.”

A really insightful and encouraging piece from J. Josh Smith on valuing the direction you’re moving more than the speed at which you’re moving. It doesn’t matter how fast you’re moving if you’re pointed in the wrong direction. When we’re following Jesus, it often feels like progress is slow or difficult (perhaps both). Smith encourages us that regardless of how snail-like our pace seems, there’s joy to be found in trudging toward Jesus and seeking obedience in the small steps along the way.

He offers this encouragment by examining the life of Elijah. Elijah wanted to serve the Lord, but kept getting sent to seemingly innocuous places without knowing why. He remained obedient each step of the way, and while he didn’t know it as he went, God was preparing him in all these small moments for something great on the horizon. We may not have a life-changing, prophetic ministry moment in our lives like Elijah, but we can trust that our obedience in what God calls us to will result in both his glory and our good.

Different Perspectives

I’ve had this conversation with Annie lots of times over the years, but this particular reel had me howling with laughter. Obviously dads feel more than “good” about parenting, but it’s often a completely different animal than what moms are feeling most of the time. There’s nothing like a little parenting humor to get a conversation going.

Welcome back.

I trust you survived the snow and ice (or lack thereof if you’re in a different part of the world), and have managed to defrost your life and your driveway. Our kids were home from school all week with a couple of traditional snow days to start, and then the dreaded NTI days (think online school work) for the back half of the week. While I tried my best to take my own advice in hunkering down well, I may’ve burned through my supply of grace earlier than I’d hoped. Next time I’ll buy my grace at Costco. :-)

There was plenty of beauty to be found through the week. After the grey day of snow falling (beautiful in it’s own way), most of the week has been full of sunshine. There’s something odd about the sun being so bright while the temperatures are so bitingly cold. Everything seems a little brighter all day with the sun reflecting off the solid white background the snow has left behind. Then you realize it’s been an entire week, and the only snow that’s gone is what my creaky back shoveled off the driveway.

Needless to say, despite charming winter scene the snow has provided, I was ready to get out of my house and see some faces other than my family’s by mid-week. Thankfully, roads around the city were clear enough that I was able to jump into the first meeting of a book club I’ve jumped into for the year. It’s pretty simple. Twelve dudes, twelve books, twelve monthly meetings. A different guy picks a book each month, and whoever picks the book leads the conversation for that meeting.

All the guys are from my church. Some I know well, some I don’t know at all. We kicked things off on Thursday night with How to Know a Person by David Brooks. It was a helpful book for me personally, but also kind of the perfect book for a bunch of dudes to get to know each other with. Of course there’s always the awkward start of the meeting, and the waiting game to see who’s going to speak up first, but it was really great to see guys light up as connections were made or someone shared a similar thought, or asked a probing question. I realize this may sound like some form of bizarre torture for some of you, but it was truly a balm to my soul in the midst of this particular set of winter doldrums.

It was only a couple of hours on a Thursday, and the wheels may completely fall off the next time we get together, but this first time out served as a reminder that I need to be around other folks regularly to keep my batteries charged. God’s wired me to enjoy sharing and taking in stories, to laugh at jokes made and heart, and to enjoy fostering deeper relationships with folks.

I’m not advocating for mandatory book clubs (or any other club really), but I’m advocating for community in the life of the believer. Obviously, that’ll look different for you than it does for me. Perhaps balancing a couple deep friendships along with your own family relationships has you maxed out relationally. That’s totally fine. Press in to those relationships in a way that brings your life, encouragement, and accountability. For others, a larger circle of friends is what you need to feel connected, cared for, and invested in. That’s okay too. While God has built us all to be relational creatures, that demand for connection plays itself out differently in each of us.

So wherever you find yourself on the relational scale, I’d encourage you to press in. Got two close friends you’re walking through the ups and downs of life with? Awesome, continue to press in and make space to deepen those relationships, share your heart with them, and let them do the same with you. Do you find yourself unable to identify close connections in your life, and feel uncertain about who your people are? Make a committment to carve out some time to pursue time with folks where you can start getting to know them, and letting them in to know you.

God is present with us day to day, and speaks to us clearly through his word. But he also uses our community (big or small) to point us to him, to encourage us to live as disciples, and to serve those around us. Like Adam in the garden, we’re not meant to plow through our lives alone. We need other people, and God’s pretty great at giving us what we need.

Pre-Gaming Church (Discipleship)

“Needless to say, Sunday morning is a marathon. That’s true when I roll in right on time, let alone early enough to bear the burdens of other believers, mingle with members, and greet new guests. But again, I got to church early, so we might as well make the most of it. What I give up is an extra twenty minutes on the sunrise side of Sunday morning, and what I gain is a glimpse of earth as it is in Heaven.”

Our family is rarely early for church. Part of that is our particular church’s culture of everyone rolling in late and easing into service, but part of it is our own laziness and ineptitude at getting a teenage daughter away from her mirror and into our car. My friend, Cali House, shared a piece on GCF this week about her own journey to get to church early on a seemingly random morning—what she overcame to make it happen, how she saw God moving in the people she encountered, and what it taught her about what Heaven may have in store.

You can find an unending list of reasons not to get to church early. Sleeping in, a late breakfast, a quick stop for coffee or a donut. Those things aren’t inherently bad, and may be what your family needs on a given Sunday morning. But there’s also a lot of opportunity to see God at work in the church and ourselves when we refuse to ever make space to show up before the music starts up. Cali’s not arguing for a new form of legalism in church attendance here (and neither am I!), but we’d all do well to consider what the Lord might have for us when we make space to engage with him, his church, and our brothers and sisters.

Pre-School Curriculum (Resources)

No fancy quotes here, but I wanted highlight an upcoming curriculum release from our pal, Jared Kennedy. If you’re running a children’s ministry, you’ve probably had Jared’s The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible in your preschool classrooms for years. If you don’t, go check it out immediately! It was a go-to resource for our home and church when our kids were younger.

While it’s great to have a resource to read and teach from, it’s often challenging to put together solid lessons for preschool classrooms. Jared’s new The Beginner’s Gospel Story Curriculum takes the resource you know and love, and gives you lessons that accompany each Bible story you dive into with your class (or kids at home). It’s got the same visual flair as the previous work, and the lessons are sharp and easy to execute thanks to Jared’s careful crafting. It’s officially up for pre-order (at a solid discount, btw), and releases in March. If you’re on the hunt for a new preschool curriculum option, you should include this on your list.

Substack Scroll

Stumbled across this bit of wisdom and insight scrolling through my Substack feed this week, and found it encouraging. Regardless of how we’re feeling physically, mentally, or emotionally each day (or even moment to moment), God is present and excited to engage with whatever we have to give. Though we are limited, he is not. What a gift of grace.

Food Waste

Felt this in my bones this week after making sure everyone got what they wanted on the Snowmageddon grocery trip last week, only to see it still sitting in the fridge or in the pantry after being stuck at home all week. Don’t worry though, they finished all the donuts in the first twenty-four hours. What can you do???

Hey gang.

It’s been one of those mysterious flu-ish/stomach bug weeks for me. Friends, I’ve gotta tell ya, puking is a young man’s game. My kids make it look so easy. They do it all the time, and then pop right back up to watch a show or play a game. No problem at all. I throw up once, and I’m down for the count with an aching back and a pulled muscle in my neck. Being an adult has it’s perks, but this certainly isn’t one of them.

The good news is, I’m back up and running at full strength. Just in time for Snowmageddon 2026 here in Louisville. Nothing says, “I feel better!” like grabbing a shovel to clear 10-14 inches of snow. This is what I get for writing last week about wanting an extra week of holiday break with our kiddos. I guess this means God’s reading the newsletter (too bad he’s not a paid subscriber, haha!), and is still in the business of giving good gifts to his children. It sounds like my wish is going to come true.

All that to say, between the sickness and all the storm prep that we’ve had to do (insane grocery runs, snow tools, faucet insulation, preemptive laundy, etc.) I didn’t spend much time mining the interwebs for juicy ministry/parenting nuggets or doing any writing. So, if you’re in a part of the country staring down a weekend-long wintery blast, here are a couple quick encouragements as you prepare to hunker down with and parent those you love (or maybe those you don’t).

1. Put Down Your Productivity. Obviously, if you’ve got a job you have to be at or responsibilities to keep someone alive, keep doing that. Otherwise, find some time to make memories with your kiddos. Build the pillow fort. Invite them to shovel the driveway (or your neighbors!) with you. Make that TikTok hot cocoa you’ve had bookmarked all winter. These winter storms don’t come along too often, so take advantage while you can. That pantry reorganization can wait one more week, and no one wants to hear about how productive you were while you were snowed in. I’m not telling you to turn your life into an episode of Bluey (though that’s not a terrible idea!), but lean into making the winter wonderland sparkle for your family.

2. Find Some Beauty. These sorts of weather events put us in environments we don’t see often (at least here in KY), but you don’t have to be a photojournalist or a lover of the cold to enjoy them. My wife abhors being cold, but she loves watching snow pile up while she’s nestled under a blanket on the couch. God gave us eyes to see, and aspects of the world we’re in that point us to his own beauty and majesty. Take a moment (or lots of them) to observe them. Stare at a fire with your coffee in the morning. Slide outside after the sun goes down when the snow soaks up all the sound and the world is strikingly quiet. God often finds purchase in our minds when we get quiet and thoughtful, so make some space and see what happens.

3. Pace Yourself. If you’re not in part of the country that’s used to this kinda catastrophic weather, take your time with your grand plans. You don’t have to get to it all on day one. Don’t burn through all your favorite board games on the first day. Save some snow-day movies for later in the week. Hoard some of those special snacks from that panicked grocery run to help keep the peace when tempers flare. Shovel that driveway in sections so your back doesn’t give out. Unless you’re in Green Bay or Buffalo, it’s gonna take a minute for life to normalize. Set your pace (physically and emotionally) for a marathon, not a sprint.

4. Add Grace To Your Shopping List. Listen, after a few days into being snowed in with nowhere to go and nowhere to hide, tensions will likely be running high (they certainly will be for me). Making sure your pantry is well supplied is important, but don’t forget to stock up on grace for these moments. You know you and your family best, so settle into whatever rhythms you need to get yourself ready to love and serve your family well. Maybe that’s taking some time to yourself after everyone else crashes after a day in the snow, or perhaps is getting up early to enjoy that warm latte in peace. Wherever you can find some margin, take it, and spend some of it asking the Lord to energize, instruct, and prepare you for whatever the day brings. He’s faithful to show up, even when we don’t feel up for the challenge.

Stay safe and warm out there folks. I’ll see you all here next week. Here’s a wintery reel for the road.

Well, hello there! Welcome back. I trust you, your family, and your church had a great holiday. Whether you’re still stumbling into the new year, or you’ve already settled into new rhythms and routines to set this year apart, I’m glad you’re still here reading.

When you’re in your forties (I’m not old, just seasoned!) it feels like you don’t have a ton of firsts left. At least not many that you’re actually looking forward to. This holiday season brought me a first I never imagined happening. For the first time I remember, I was bummed when my kids went back to school. I know, I’m just as surprised typing it as you are reading it, but hear me out.

All of our kids are school-aged (8, 11, and 14), so they get a decent holiday break each year. They can put down all the work, drama, and craziness that normally comes with school, and trade it in for days spent sleeping in, playing games, meeting up with friends, and having fun. Of course, we still had all the usual holiday stuff as well(family holiday parties, church events, etc.), but because Annie and I were off work for most of their break we just ended up spending a ton of time together. We went to the movies, we did a couple little projects around the house, we worked out, we cooked and ate dinner. Nothing crazy, we just banked a lot of hours together.

Now, ask me how I’m doing any time my kids are out of school and home for any period of time. It doesn’t matter if they’re home for a single snow day, or a months-long summer break, my answer will be the same. “I’m good, but MAN am I ready for my kids to be back at school so we can all get back into a rhythm and I can find some quiet time to get stuff done.” I’ve had this same conversation hundreds of times, and the feeling is often reciprocated over dinner with friends, chatting after church, or with neighbors we see out walking.

Perhaps I’m getting old and centimental. Maybe our kids are hitting that perfect age to hang out together and enjoy each other. Or maybe there’s some festering growth on my brain making me say crazy things (kidding!). I’m not sure why, but this was the first time wishing that our holiday break together was longer. Yep, I know it sounds crazy, but I wanted more of that magical time together goofing off, laughing, playing, and spending days with each other.

That’s not to say that the couple of weeks at home were perfect. We still had disagreements, got on each other’s nerves, yelled louder than we should, and hurt each others’s feelings. Yet, it was the first time I can remember that each day felt refreshing, fun, and life-giving for all of us.

I wish I knew how to replicate the way those couple of weeks felt. That’s not to say that two weeks of being back in school has been bad. It hasn’t. In fact, it feels like a lot of the momentum that we built up over the break has carried over into good attitudes, rhythms of spending evenings together, laughter breaking out, dinner conversations, and our kids joining forces to drive us crazy (in fun ways!).

One of this week’s articles talks about emotions being a good gift from God that we’re called to steward well. I feel like these two weeks were a good gift from him as well. We certainly didn’t do anything to deserve those two great weeks, and I’m not sure we did anything intentional to make them happen. Yet, I want to do what I can to steward those moments, be grateful that we have them, and try our best to foster more of them.

Safe Harbor (Parenting)

“In theory, we know it’s developmentally normal for teens to experience big feelings and to struggle to manage them. But, in practice, witnessing our teenagers wrestle with their emotions is every bit of an emotional exercise for us parents, too. No amount of knowledge about parenting teenagers can really prepare you for the words that cut to the heart, the stonewalling (it sure feels like rejection!), and the mood swings. It’s no wonder that we parents can begin to see our teens’ big emotions as problems to overcome. How can we view our kids’ emotions in light of Scripture and help them learn to steward their emotions well?”

Okay, I may be sharing this one because it seems like Connie Leung Nelson is writing directly to me here, but if you’ve got teens in your life it’ll serve you too. She unpacks a biblical viewpoint of emotions, namely that they’re a good gift given by God that must be stewarded like all his other gifts to his children. As parents are discovering and practicing how to steward their emotions well, we’re also training our teenagers to do the same. While this process can often feel painfully slow, that’s okay!

Perhaps the best encouragement for me, was the admonition to be a safe place for my teen. This mostly revolves around patience as the big emotions pop up regularly, perhaps when you least expect them. It’s a chance to offer a safe harbor when the rest of the world around them feels uncertain. But even our patience has limits, and we’ll often fail to provide the safety net they need (in our own exhaustion, sin, or frustration). So, while we offer ourselves as a safe place, we also point them to Jesus, knowing that he’ll be there to offer comfort and encouragement to parents and teens alike when our emotions get the best of us. He holds us both, fussy teens and struggling parents, in his loving arms (John 10:28-29).

Tending Fires (Discipleship, Parenting)

“Through both his work and our weekend together, Daniel taught me that making a house a home doesn’t mean insularity or avoidance of the world. He’s curious and free-spirited. But when he’s under the copper gutters, he turns his attention not toward a screen but instead toward his family, the blank page, or the mound of flour in front of him. In fact, it’s his rootedness that allows him to write such great adventures.”

I don’t often share author profiles here, but this one both connects to family life and was simply too interesting to pass up. Fellow Louisvillian (thougth we still haven’t met) wrote for Christianity Today to profile Daniel Nayeri. You likely know Nayeri from his impeccable 2020 memoir, Everything Sad is Untrue. Jonathon details the hospitality Nayeri and his family showed him, how his writing process has shifted from digital to analog, and how he keeps the hearth of his home shining warm and bright.

While the writing bits were interesting to a pseudo-writer like myself, I imagine most of you will mine more gold from the comparisons and connections Jonathon draws between Nayeri and another writer, Paul Kingsnorth. Kingsnorth essentially argues in his latest books that our homes have lost their warmth (emotionally and relationally), and now more or less exist and places to sleep between work and scrolling the digital world we’ve been captured by.

The space and rhythms that Nayeri and his family have built and inhabit (as captured in Jonathon’s piece) serve as guide (or maybe inspiration?) for families to build their own nests to foster conversations, creativity, and connection. Obviously, not everyone can have a writing shed out back, and I’m not asking you to toss your TV in the trash (I’m not, the playoffs are on!). But there’s plenty to consider here as the world around does it’s level best to demand all of our time and attention.

Ten Quotes (Book Review)

Danny Franks is in pretty steady rotation in our little newsletter, and one thing he does really well is highlight helpful books. He doesn’t do long write-ups or deep dives. Instead, he pulls ten quotes that stuck to him as meaningful, useful, or thought provoking. It’s a great way to get a feel for a book, and help decide if it’s a good fit for whatever you’re looking for (ministry help, devotional content, technical expertise, etc.).

Since we’re still in the first half of January, I’m guessing most of us are still working toward some new goals for the year. If you’re reading this newsletter, my guess is that you’ve probably got some sort of devotional piece to your goal-setting. Danny’s quick stroll through The Discipline of Grace, and the quotes he pulled, should serve to encourage and inspire you on your journey into 2026. Whether you add this volume to your reading list, or you walk through a handful of quotes from Jerry Bridges, I’m certain this short read will be worth your time.

🎶PickYouUp/DropYouOff🎶

Now that we’re a week clear of the school holiday break, ALL THE THINGS have started back up. I’m sure we’ll settle back into our normal rhythms soon, but that first always feels frantic as Annie and I are trying to remember who goes where, which car we need, and which bags we’re taking with us. This reel seemed apt for us this week.