Making Biblical Family Life Practical

  We get messages all the time from parents who’ve found out one of their children is watching porn. In every one, the parents express shock. They had no idea, no clue that this was going on in their house, so they just aren’t prepared to deal with it. When we talk to them, though, the signs have been there -- they just missed them. This episode, we're talking about warning signs that someone in your family is watching pornography - not so you can ambush them, but so you can get them help.   Check out our webpage for all sorts of resources to help you guide and recover your kids' integrity! 

  We've heard the full range of opinions when it comes to young people and relationships - from the barber who asks the 7-year-old if he has a girlfriend yet, to the twenty-something girl who says, "Daddy is going to find me a husband." Surely the Bible has something to say about this ... and it does, but not as cut-and-dried as we might have thought! This episode we look into the question of friendship between guys and girls - is it possible? Is it advisable? Or is it commendable?

We decided to homeschool our kids before we had any! And we meet lots of families with very young children who are eager to get started. Who can blame them? This episode, we talk about our approach to teaching very young children - from the experience of parents with precocious readers and late bloomers and everyone homeschooled from the very beginning! This episode is brought to you in part by Click here for more information!

  Math is fundamental to so many things, but it causes a lot of worry and distress among homeschool parents who have to teach it. The truth is, most of us won't need calculus, but most of us use algebra frequently and never even realize it! How can you get over your own hesitation, calm your students' fears (as well as your own), and see God's hand in the beautiful order of mathematics? Join us for this episode when we talk about surviving the challenge of teaching math!   This episode is brought to you in part by Click here for more information!

It's normal and natural to feel some hesitation or dread when we leave our times of celebration and fun, and turn to the routine duties again - homeschooling among them. Should you just jump right in, or ease the transition? Do you implement resolutions or simply set goals? Does Mom's attitude make a difference to the kids'? This episode, we talk about how to get your ducks back in their rows - and your attitudes encouraged, too.    This program is brought to you in part by Click here for more information!

The call for believers to be contented people is so difficult, even the apostle Paul struggled with it, and the Puritans called it "a rare jewel"! Yet even while we grown-ups are stumbling over grey weather, taxes, bills, and a thousand frustrations ... we need to be teaching our kids how to be contented people themselves! This episode, we talk about God's perspective on contentment and ways we can encourage habits of relying on God and not snatching for selfish indulgence, for our kids - and ourselves!   Scriptures We Referenced: 1 Tim 6:6-8 – Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For with we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. (this is the passage that continues to warn of the effects of greed, desire to be rich, love of money) 2 Cor 9:8 – And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work Phil 4:11-13 -- … I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. Pro 30:8-9 – Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches-- Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God. Mt 6:25-33 – “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ … But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Heb 13:6 – Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’   This program is brought to you in part by Click here for more information!

Marking the change of calendar with prayer, reflection, and celebration is a Biblical tradition as well as a cultural one. As Christian families, shouldn't we all be looking for a closer walk with Christ and greater service in God's kingdom, no matter where we are at the start of the year? This episode from an earlier year had so much of what we wanted to say this year, we're bringing it to you again! RESOURCES WE MENTION Billy Graham's Q&A page on the subject Jonathan Edwards' resolutions Woody Guthrie's somewhat different resolutions Some notes on our annual family review and brainstorm meeting Why Hal keeps a journal, and some things which make it even better   This program is brought to you in part by Click here for more information!

    Don't blame Pinterest - there has always been a temptation to seek the perfect house, the perfect project, the perfect celebration ... and frustration that our very imperfect spouse and children gum up the works. Before there was social media, there were glossy magazines, and before that, critical in-laws and neighbors to keep up with.  While it's nice to have nice things and impressive events, we shouldn't ignore that the skills we teach and the memories we make with our family will be a large part of the legacy that remains when children leave home and grandparents pass away! This episode we talk about balancing the desire for perfection with the reality of our family! This program is brought to you in part by Click here for more information!

What do you do for your family's Christmas celebration? In particular, how do you handle it if your extended family has traditions you no longer follow? Or maybe you've added some traditions as well as dropping a few? This episode we talk about some of the traditions we've adopted, and the value of becoming the host for the extended family event - for the glory of God! This program is brought to you in part by Click here for more information!

In a culture that's increasingly secular - and hostile - there is one time and place where you can not only share the Gospel with strangers, you can sing it at top of your lungs - and they smile and applaud! That's just one of the reasons we love caroling. This episode, we'll give you a Biblical rationale for caroling (yes we will!) and lots of very practical ways to organize your own caroling party!   This program is brought to you in part by Click here for more information!  

This has been a pretty divisive election season - the Gallup pollsters found in the days just before the vote, that nearly a third of us were voting against the other candidate, not in favor of the one we were marking! So there are a lot of stunned and stung people out there, and no doubt, some of them will be at Thanksgiving Dinner with you. Now what? Your feast of gratitude toward God doesn't have to become a shouting match ... but it may take some thought, some planning, and some grace-filled diplomacy to keep the conversation on track! This episode, we talk about some practical ways to show love to people you don't agree with for the holidays.     This program is brought to you in part by Click here for more information!  

Most of us remember the magical expectations of Christmas as children. It's more thought-provoking when you're the parents selecting those gifts for your children, nephews, nieces, and all. This episode, we talk about gifts that aren't heavily advertised, licensed-character products that will fade in interest not long after the wrapping paper goes out. Listen in for some of our favorite presents we've given our kids - and we've given each other - when money was tight and we wanted to do something special, not something expensive. This program is brought to you in part by Click here for more information!

Sticks and stones ... right? We've all heard that, and probably told our kids that one time or another. Yet name-calling is not only a plague of childhood, it's actually a problem throughout life ... and we adults are warned by Christ Himself to be wary of the temptation! This episode, we look at what the Bible says about a deceptively simple and "harmless" practice that can trip us up when we least expect it! Online Stories We Mentioned "Young Adolescents as Likely to Die From Suicide as From Traffic Accidents," N.Y. Times, 11/3/16 "Nation's Christians Look Forward to Questioning Each Other's Salvation in Post-Debate Discussions." Babylon Bee, 10/19/16 (Note: SATIRE) Selected Scriptures We Referenced  “[The tongue is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. … My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” -- James (James 3:8-10) “The law is fulfilled in this one word, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” -- Paul (Galatians 5:14-15) "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this, all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  -- Jesus (John 13:34-35)     This program is brought to you in part by Click here for more information!  

  Several people have asked us "What time is curfew at your house? When do you require your kids to be home? Is it different for teens and twenties?"  Our answer usually surprises them -- because we really don't have one! That doesn't mean our kids run rampant, smashing mailboxes at 3 a.m. and hanging out in grocery store parking lots all night ... but it's because of an approach we take with relationships and responsibility in our family. This episode, we'll talk about how and why we handle the question of curfew the way we do!   You can read more on our blog at RaisingRealMen.com - CLICK HERE!  This program is brought to you in part by Click here for more information!

  Once it was so easy - Dad had his calendar at work, and Mom had hers for the kids and herself. What needed coordination except for holidays and vacations? But when we had kids in high school and heading off to classes and activities all over the place, we realized we had to get better organized or we'd lose track of everything. This episode, we talk about four very simple things we've done - and totally for free - that help us keep tabs on everyone's plans and commitments, so we avoid most of the "Uh oh!" moments we used to have so often! This program is brought to you in part by Click here for more information!