Let's Parent On Purpose

Today Jay revisits his very favorite interviews from 2023. He also celebrates the fruitful year for The 127 Project, including production of Let’s Parent on Purpose and Stories of Hope with Dr. Samuel Thomas, the building and remodeling of three Hope Homes in India, and supporting a pioneering church planter in Nepal.   Be sure to check out the full interviews from Jay’s favorite episodes: Episode 319 Family Identity Through Teams with Jeremy Pryor Episode 340 Parenting Through the Stupid Years with Jim Ramos Episode 345 Moving Beyond Anxiety in your Parenting with Sissy Goff Episode 341 Inner Healing Through Prayer with Dr. Don Love Episode 344 The Sex Talk with Nick Liberto Episode 358 The Five Traits of a Healthy Family with Dr. Gary Chapman   Powered by Christian Parenting   Resources mentioned: Join my Things for Thursday Email List and get a free Marriage Snapshot Tool and Fun Family Conversation Ebook! Support Let’s Parent on Purpose and The 127 Project: https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/

The beginning of a new year is a great time to think through resolutions, habits, and goals. Today Jay takes you far beyond setting resolutions that will likely fail by February. He walks through his process for starting with determining your specific goals for five aspects of your life: Spiritual, Family, Professional, Financial, and Physical. Once you have determined “who you want to be”, Jay walks you through how to set multi-year goals and then determine the steps for this coming year.  Many of our plans will fall short. We will constantly encounter new opportunities, calamities, and circumstances that will change our ability to achieve specific goals. But if we have a solid vision for who we want to be over the course of our life, God tends to do far more in and through us than we would ever imagine! Powered by Christian Parenting   Resources mentioned:   Join my Things for Thursday Email List and get a free Marriage Snapshot Tool and Fun Family Conversation Ebook! Support Let’s Parent on Purpose as we h

Jay walks us through Ephesians 5 and 6 to point out a key truth: the greatest section of the Bible on family and interpersonal relationships is right next to the greatest section of the Bible on spiritual warfare. Today we look at the reality of spiritual warfare in our homes, and how we are called to remember that our family members are not the enemy, they are the prize. Jay discuses the armor of God in terms of being “in Christ”. Finally, he gives pointers for families who find themselves in a difficult time of anger or arguing with one another. Remember, you have an enemy, but it’s not your family member! Powered by Christian Parenting   Resources mentioned: www.cpgive.org Join my Things for Thursday Email List and get a free Marriage Snapshot Tool and Fun Family Conversation Ebook! Support Let’s Parent on Purpose as we help families thrive though the gospel: https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/  

Why does Scripture compare the husband-wife relationship to that of Christ and the church? How does a marriage reflect Jesus and His bride? Today Jay walks through the commands of Ephesians 5:22-33 and then expands on the greater story of redemption in the gospel. He shares the larger story of the Bible from the viewpoint of creation, sabbath rest, sin/vandalism, redemption, and restoration. Jay then goes on to show how a husband and wife can mirror God’s restoration of the vandalism sin causes  as they believe the gospel in their household.    Resources mentioned:   Join my Things for Thursday Email List and get a free Marriage Snapshot Tool and Fun Family Conversation Ebook! Support Let’s Parent on Purpose as we help families thrive though the gospel: https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/  

Dr. Gary Chapman brings his 30+ years of biblical wisdom and counseling expertise to help identify the core traits of a healthy family. In this episode we unpack what each trait looks like and how to progress towards health if you are not there yet. Listen as Dr. Chapman describes: Families who Serve Husbands and Wives Who Relate Intimately Parents Who Guide Children Who Obey and Honor Parents Husbands Who Love and Lead Bio Gary Chapman, Ph.D.—author, speaker, pastor, and counselor—has a passion for people, and for helping them form lasting relationships. Chapman is a well-known marriage counselor and director of marriage seminars. The 5 Love Languages® is one of Chapman’s most popular titles, topping various bestseller charts for years, selling over twenty million copies, and has been on the New York Times best-sellers list continuously since 2007. Chapman has been directly involved in real-life family counseling for more than 30 years, and his syndicated radio programs air nationally on Moody Ra

Our lives are shot through with sacred purpose even when, especially when, we are too busy or too caught up in our busyness to notice. Jay’s guest Douglas McKelvey has spent the last several years penning beautiful prayers to help us bring Christ into the mundane parts of our lives. As Jay and Douglas discuss the Every Moment Holy series, you’ll discover how your life is already full of liturgy whether you realize it or not. Liturgy shapes us. Let’s be intentional about our rhythms and prayers! Bio Douglas Kaine McKelvey is an author, song lyricist, scriptwriter, and video director. He has penned more than 350 lyrics recorded by artists such as Switchfoot, Kenny Rogers, Sanctus Real, and Jason Gray. Doug and Lise McKelvey, the parents of three young adults, live near Nashville, TN. Resources mentioned: http://everymomentholy.com/ To download the Every Moment Holy app: https://www.everymomentholy.com/app   Join my Things for Thursday Email List and get a free Marriage Snapshot Tool and Fun Family Conversatio

Every parent following Jesus hopes their children will continue to love and follow Jesus beyond their youth group years. Sadly, a large percentage of people leave the church and leave the faith in their young adult years. Brad Griffin joins Jay today to share Fuller Youth Institute’s years of research on the key habits of ministries and families to form a character that lasts beyond the youth group years.  Listen as Jay and Brad discuss the importance of  Cultivating Trust Modeling Growth Practicing Together Making Meaning Bio Brad M. Griffin is the Senior Director of Content & Research for the Fuller Youth Institute, where he develops research-based resources for youth ministry leaders & families. A speaker, writer, and volunteer pastor, Brad is the coauthor of over fifteen books, including Faith Beyond Youth Group, 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager & 3 Big Questions That Shape Your Future, Growing Young, and Sticky Faith. Brad and his wife, Missy, live in Southern California a

Every season of our parenting journey is fleeting, and we often miss the joy that God presents us while wishing away our current challenges. Today Jay talks with Jeanette Tapley about the importance of living in the joy of every season of life. They discuss the guilt that many working moms feel over not being a stay at home mom, the need for flexibility in how you parent from one child to the next, and the importance of choosing joy rather than focusing on what’s not going well.  Jeanette has a unique perspective on each of these topics. As a mom, Jeanette is in the midst of raising a family of biological and adoptive children while maintaining a demanding job. In her work life, Jeanette produces multiple Christian parenting podcasts. Jeanette hears more great parenting advice in one week than many people hear in a year, but must navigate the reality that one household cannot do every great parenting idea they come across. The Tapley's have learned the joy of discipleship through everyday life and laughte

Enjoy this sneak peak into the Stories of Hope with Dr. Samuel Thomas Podcast!  Dr. Samuel Thomas of Hopegivers International paints the heartbreaking picture of the life of a street child in India. Without a stable home or a mother and father to care for them, children are forced to scrap, beg, or steal. Many of them are trafficked, forced to take drugs, and work for criminals who keep them addicted and enslaved. Hopegivers works to rescue orphaned, abandoned, and at risk children from circumstances like these. They bring them into Hope Homes where the children are loved, fed, educated, and cared for in the name of Jesus Christ.  Listen to this episode and then follow the Stories of Hope with Dr. Samuel Thomas podcast to hear the full journey of hope from an unwanted child to a pioneering church planter and pastor.    Bio Dr. Samuel Thomas is a pastor and the President of Hopegivers International, a ministry that rescues and redeems at risk and abandoned children in India and Haiti. Hopegivers, founded over

This is the second of a two-part series on gender with Christine Sneeringer, a ministry leader who specializes in sexuality and gender issues. Her own personal journey to overcome more than two decades of gender dysphoria informs her belief that it can be resolved without medical interventions. Because gender dysphoria is a psychological challenge, Christine argues that children and teens would be better served with psychological solutions that lead to a mindset shift rather than hormones and surgery. For her, that happened as a result of developing a relationship with God and surrendering to His design. In this episode we unpack dangerous aspects of the trans narrative that is being foisted upon vulnerable children who don’t have the critical thinking skills to recognize it as harmful. We cover such topics as There’s no such thing as putting a pause on puberty Gender identity does not supersede biological sex Medical interventions are dangerous and often irreversible How eating disorders and imposter

This is the first of a two-part series on gender with Christine Sneeringer, a ministry leader who specializes in sexuality and gender issues. Growing up, Christine knew all too well the distress and hardship of not feeling at home in her female body. More than anything she longed to be a boy. Looking back, Christine now realizes how her abuse history drove her negative perceptions of femininity, which she equated with victimhood. In our conversation today, Christine shares her decades long battle with gender dysphoria that led to her same-sex attractions.  We also discuss the importance of critical thinking skills and how children are prone to misinterpret adverse childhood events. Christine’s journey was a prime example of how we can develop distorted beliefs about gender, which were not addressed until God intervened in her life. Surrounded by a loving Christian community as a young adult, she surrendered her life and sexuality to Christ. Afterwards she finally felt safe enough to embrace her femaleness for

More children and teens wrestle with anxiety than ever before. Sometimes moms and dads feel powerless to help their children escape the grip of chronic anxiety. Today our guest Hannah Conway shares several simple, practical strategies that can deescalate the general level of worry, tension, and anxiety your children experience. As we continue to create a household of engagement and encouragement, we equip our children to face their own challenges, make wise decisions, and live without the need to be rescued from every small challenge.    Listen as we discuss: The physiological reality of why young teenagers seem to “lose their mind”. The importance of knowing whose you are in order to know who you are. Strategies parents can employ when it feels like anxiety is cranking up in the home including:  Take a deep breath. Literally! Be in the Word, and remind yourself of the Word. Pray for your kids, pray with your kids.  Open communication, dinner table conversations with guided topics.  Letting t

14, 8, 6, 5 years old when I started Thanks Christian Parenting, Covenant Fellowship, Listeners, My wife and kids In the past 7 years Jay has released 350 episodes and interviewed over 120 different people for Let’s Parent on Purpose. Today Jay shares his biggest personal insights from the years of being a learner behind the microphone.   To commemorate the Episode 350 milestone, be sure to check out Jay’s 10 all time favorite Let’s Parent on Purpose podcasts!   Listen today as Jay shares his biggest insights including: Parenting is a marathon, not a sprint Your marriage must take precedence over your parenting No single event is going to make or break your children One of the biggest threats your children face is your ego Our habits should reflect our heart, and also our habits will shape our heart Keep preaching the gospel to yourself!   Resources mentioned:   Link Jay’s Favorite Let’s Parent on purpose Episodes https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/ Join my Things for Thursday Email List an

Every community is going to experience conflict. The way we navigate these conflicts will either break our community or make it stronger. Today Jay shares important truths to help you grow personally and relationally as you encounter conflict in your various communities. This is an episode that is very helpful for parents in their personal lives as well as giving language for how to train their children to handle conflict in a healthy way.    Listen as we discuss: The inevitability of conflict in community Why we experience conflict Deciding on whether we want to win the person or win the argument Developing a posture of humility Choosing to forgive even before we address the other person Seeking God’s power to pursue peace Understanding that it’s not always possible to have peace, and what to do next   Resources mentioned: Support Let’s Parent on Purpose through your Tax-Deductible Giving Join my Things for Thursday Email List and get a free Marriage Snapshot Tool and Fun Family Conversation

As a Division 1 college soccer player, Craig Hettlinger was living many young men’s dream. A fateful decision to partake in a controlled substance after a win started a 16-year collapse into addiction and destruction.     Craig shares his story of addiction, failed attempts at sobriety, and his ultimate recovery and deliverance through God’s power. Craig now lives out his mission for Jesus by running recovery houses in Huntington, WV, the Ground Zero for the opioid epidemic. Craig’s raw, honest recounting of his life journey will encourage families who are suffering through long term addiction in their own households.    Bio Craig Hettlinger is the CEO of HAWC Recovery in Huntington WV. He is also the author of That Ain’t No Mountain For a Climber - a heartfelt firsthand account of overcoming drug addiction.  Resources mentioned: www.hawcrecovery.com Craig’s book: That Ain’t No Mountain for a Climber: http://hawcrecovery.com/media.html The Freedom Fight: The New Drug and the Truths That Set Us Free: https:

There’s a simple action you can take that has profound theological and neurological significance in your household… smile. Jay shares the correlation between smiling and the blessing of God from Numbers 6. A core facet of God’s blessing upon his people was the shining face of God looking upon them. In a similar way, we bless the members of our household simply by looking at them and giving our smile.    In this episode Jay goes on a scriptural journey to explain the concept of the smile of God and then turns to the neurological benefits of training a child with our smile. If you want a simple way to build attachment, lower stress, and increase security in your home, look your family members in the face and smile!   Resources mentioned: What’s in a Smile https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/ Join my Things for Thursday Email List and get a free Marriage Snapshot Tool and Fun Family Conversation Ebook!  

Jay shares a powerful set of words that can help rewire your household to get past the blame game and start working towards making things right. “It doesn’t have to be your fault to be your responsibility” is a concept we see through the teachings of Scripture (The Good Samaritan, Galatians 6, the incarnation of Jesus). As we start to incorporate this concept into every day life we will see endless applications in our households that will train our children for a more fruitful adult life. Learn how “not your fault, still your responsibility” can help you change the conversation with  messes and spills lost toys group projects and homework assignments arguments and fights the larger broken world around us.  Jay walks through a biblical basis for the concept and then shares several real world examples where you can apply this teaching in with your children.   Resources mentioned: https://letsparentonpurpose.com/support/ Join my Things for Thursday Email List and get a free Marriage Snapshot Tool and

“Our past hurts mixed with our present pressure often dictate our future fear.” Counselor and author Sissy Goff has watched this reality play out hundreds of times through the decades as she councils chidden as well as their moms and dads. So often parents are willing to get help for their anxious children while not addressing their own anxieties. In our conversation today, Licensed Counselor and author Sissy Goff explains that anxiety is contagious, and the worries we see in our children can often come from our own unaddressed anxieties.    In our conversation today, we talk about the rapid growth of anxiety as major struggle for more and more children and adults. Sissy shares insights from her new book, The Worry Free Parent: Living in Confidence So Your Kids Can Too. We discuss The difference between worry and anxiety The way unaddressed past hurts can bleed into our present parenting How the amygdala is contagious Practices to deescalate when anxiety is taking over The importance of the followin

Do your kids know beyond  shadow of a doubt, if they see pornography on the school bus, they can come home and tell you? Today’s guest Nick Liberto introduces us to an incredible resource that will help equip mom and dad to be THE expert on sex in their child’s life. The current average age of exposure to hardcore pornography is 8 years old. As parents, we need to have a good defense of protecting our children through internet filters and limiting harmful friendships. But equally important, we need a good offensive plan for how we are going to talk to our children about sex early and often over the course of decades so they can understand God’s great vision and see their parents as the safest, most trusted resource.    In Jay’s conversation with Nick, they discuss: How early should we begin talking to our children about sex? What is a good definition of pornography to help our children understand but not arouse curiosity? The new resource “The Sex Talk” that helps equip mom and dad as THE expert to disc

Jennifer Love longed to experience the life of Christ and the transformational power of prayer like she was reading in the Bible. As she sought the Lord asking for this life, He began to answer her. Through a series of experiences with her prayer group in church and on a mission trip, Jennifer began to see spiritual breakthrough in her prayer life. Her prayer team at church saw movement in areas that had long been stagnate. Ultimately, Jennifer’s husband and children experience transformation in their own lives as God began moving powerfully through Jen’s prayers.    We talk about Jen’s journey, the way this has impacted normal life as a wife and parent, as well as how God has used prayers for discernment and healing to open missional doors that had long remained closed. You’ll be inspired and encouraged by Jennifer. Her story might sound exceptional, but if we believe the Bible, her story should be normal for each of us!   Jennifer Love leads Pray Through It with her husband Don Love. She has been involved w