There are a lot of challenging things that Jesus talks about on the Sermon on the Mount, and His talks on love really show how far believers need to go in order to love like God does. In this episode, Matt and Tim want to press parents to love better and show that love to their kids. We have not been given ordinary love from God because His love is extraordinary, so take that extraordinary love and give to everyone (even though it's really hard to do).

Passage – Matthew 5:38-48

Message us through Buzzsprout here!

"Let your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no' be 'no.'" This phrase is spoken frequently when parents talk to their kids, but what are the implications? In this episode, Tim and Matt break down this phrase and other similar phrases to show that God takes delight when we do what we say we will do or do not do what we say we will not do. Simply put, parents must teach and model the fact that our words carry meaning. Listen to how this plays out practically and what parents should do when they break their promises.

Passage – Matthew 5:33-37

Message us through Buzzsprout here!

Honestly, this is a topic few people like to talk about. Not only is divorce a rampant problem in the world today, but adultery can be committed in a lot of different ways. It is easier to just avoid the issue and move on, but if Jesus felt the need to teach on it, then we should not hide this issue from our kids. In this episode, Matt and Tim talk about how adultery plays itself out in our lives and how parents should respond to protect themselves and their kids.

Passages – Proverbs 5:15-22; Matthew 5:27-32

Resources – God, Marriage, and Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation by Andreas J. Köstenberger
Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace by Heath Lambert

Message us through Buzzsprout here!

We're back at it in Matthew 5 talking about anger. Now, Matt and Tim have talked about anger before, but they surprisingly did not use this passage. So in this episode, they break down the implications of anger and parenting. There is a lot of baggage when someone mentions anger, but Jesus is very cut and dry about how sinful anger should be dealt with. Live a life of repentance in front of your family and see how your example can change the lives of your kids.

Passage – Matthew 5:21-26

Message us through Buzzsprout here!

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

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

Contact Rebecca here – rrobson@fbcodessa.com

Message us through Buzzsprout here!

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

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

Message us through Buzzsprout here!

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

Passage – Matthew 5:1-12

Message us through Buzzsprout here!

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

Passage – Psalm 78

Message us through Buzzsprout here!