Discipleship for Dads with Kevin, Todd, Bill and Daniel

How do you raise children who still want to be around you when they’re grown? Kevin Swanson, Danny Craig, and Bill Roach start with 1 John 4. Your kids learn love from a father who has received God’s love himself. The three of them admit where they’ve failed. Kevin spent far more time with his son than with his daughters. Bill played referee instead of listening. Danny catches himself treating his...

Jesus wants you to love and serve your wife today, and it’s easy to get into a holding pattern THINKING you’re doing that. But when the chips come down, how well are you REALLY doing? Kevin Swanson, Bill Roach, and Daniel Craig talk about the upward call of loving your wife better every day, and especially supporting her through her own struggles. They discuss… - How to stop being oblivious to you...

Homeschooling can be chaotic, and it’s easy to let the big things slip sometimes. But…what ARE the big things? Kevin Swanson sits down with Daniel Craig and Bill Roach to discover what God says parents absolutely MUST teach their kids… - The real place of academics, and why music is actually more important than math - The fear of the Lord, without which any other knowledge is impossible - Knowing,...

Your family schedule is a statement about what matters most in your life. God has given us a tremendous gift in time – and everyone uses it for the things they believe to be the most important.  Kevin Swanson, Todd Strawser, and Danny Craig talk about how to evaluate your schedule, and what it says about your goals, your objectives, and your reason for living. They discuss: - Is “me time” a Christ...

Sunday morning shouldn't feel like survival. In this episode of Discipleship for Dads, Kevin Swanson, Todd Strawser, Bill Roach, and Danny Craig talk through how to actually help your children engage in corporate worship — not endure it. Their conviction is simple: kids belong in the service, sitting under the preached Word alongside the whole body of Christ. But how do you get a two-year-old...

What do you do if you started raising your kids with “gentle parenting,” and only just discovered what biblical discipline looks like? How should you start administering the rod with a child who has never experienced it before?  Kevin Swanson, Todd Strawser, and Bill Roach draw on scripture and extensive experience to answer this question from a listener. They talk about wisely navigating adjustme...

Your phone might be the biggest discipleship battle in your home - and you don't even realize it. In this episode of Discipleship for Dads, Kevin Swanson, Todd Strawser, and Danny Craig put their phones down long enough to ask the hard question: what is that little screen actually doing to your walk with God and your relationship with your family? They dig into the heart behind the habit - di...

As dad, you’re the tip of the spear in the spiritual battle for your family. The dads talk about their own experiences in spiritual warfare, including examples from their own lives. They discuss how to prepare for spiritual attack…discerning and identifying demons at work…knowing the difference between fleshly responses and demonic influence…what it looks like to resist the devil…and how to avoid...

Some homes raise kids under a list of man-made rules — others let anything go. Both are a form of rebellion against God. The dads discuss how fathers can set biblical standards for movies, music, and modesty in the home without sliding into either ditch, and why the motive behind a standard matters as much as the standard itself.

The dads discuss the difficult process of preserving and growing your relationship with kids who are leaving for marriage – rather than stepping back too far or holding on too tight. They talk about how parents can keep from saying too much – or too little – while appropriately backing off…the proper alternative to feeling that you’re “losing a child”…and how they have personally navigated these d...

Is it normal for children to fight on a daily basis over stupid things like who sits in the middle seat of the car? Why do things keep getting worse, even with constant correction? The dads address this ubiquitous issue, and talk about “pulling the weeds early and often”…use of the rod…why “stop it” isn’t enough…how to encourage good behavior rather than just quelling fights…and how they discipled...

Is it still possible to pay off a house before you’re 30? If so, how can we support our children toward this goal? The dads talk about how young men they know have achieved this – and what biblical principles laid the foundation. They discuss the connection between obedience and diligence…whether childhood is for playing…focusing on productive skills like carpentry, rather than football…and ultima...

Many men compulsively side with women, whether they’re right or wrong. But we should be more jealous for God’s honor than women’s, and more fearful of what He thinks. The dads talk about the white knight mentality, and ask: don’t women deserve special honor? How biblical is “happy wife, happy life?” Can you really keep the peace without obedience to the gospel of peace? And what should you do if t...

We are to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord – but what are the basics of doing this? The dads talk about their own practices: the place of family worship…what they’ve learned about sanctification taking place in daily activities…which books of the Bible they focus on most…how to instill doctrine systematically while keeping it relevant to life…helping kids deal with oppo...

Scripture treats complaining and ingratitude with immense gravity. But how do we teach a whiny six year old about the eternal ramifications of discontentment? The dads talk about modeling gratitude and joyfulness, rather than self-pity and criticism…some of the biggest causes of ingratitude and grumbling in a family…how to lovingly and consistently correct complaining…and the strategies that have...

Women offer their bodies as living sacrifices to bring forth children. Being pregnant doesn’t give them a pass to sin – but it does require an extra measure of grace. How can we provide this, and minister to their weakness in an understanding way? The dads talk about preparing for childbirth emotionally, spiritually, and physically…taking hormonal changes and depression seriously…being steady with...

In this follow-up to last week's program about navigating spritual crises of faith, the dads talk about what to do when your child has already abandoned the faith. They discuss how this is one of the most painful trials a Christian can face...what loving the apostate child looks like...and why a father's trust in God may speak louder than anything else.

There’s no greater joy to see your kids walking in the truth; no greater sorrow to see them abandon it. Yet 66% of 20 year olds will abandon the churches of their teen years. What contributes to this? What can dads do to prevent it? What are the safety nets we can put in place…how can we cultivate openness in our kids…how can we set boundaries and avoid bad influences…how do we effectively nurture...

When in-laws criticize and undermine your parenting choices, what do you do? When trying to reason together just creates contention, how should you respond? When a mother-in-law shows interest in only the grandchildren she likes and ignores the others, what is the right course? The dads discuss biblical strategies, and assess cutting off contact…whether “boundaries” are biblical…what the role of t...

The dads discuss fiery trials, and what has God taught them through these. They talk about long-term grinding down vs sudden crushing…the value of being forced to wait on the promises of God…how responding to bad news without complaint powerfully proves the faith to your kids…and the great balm of the psalms for the pain of asking, “Is God being good to me right now?”

The dads discuss sheltering kids from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—while still living in the world. They ask whether you can ever over-protect your kids, talking about how to help them discern good from bad…the value of family-integrated entertainment…trying to achieve holiness by subtraction rather than encouraging good appetites…and swimming with your kids i...

Comparison parenting is everywhere — in the pew, the homeschool co-op, and your own head. The dads dig into why we compare spouses, children, and churches…how comparison reveals that we doubt the sufficiency of God's grace…the danger of setting expectations your family can't meet…and how to point your wife and children to the acceptance they already have in Christ.

What if your wife feels like you’re not prioritizing your family enough compared to your work—especially ministry work? The dads answer a listener question about balancing the needs of your family with the needs of the body. They discuss how your wife and children share in your calling…integrating family economy with ministry work to establish a symbiosis…being discerning about the real importance...

The dads talk about happy marriages, and how to build them. They discuss unity of vision (rather than division that kids can exploit)…what’s more important than being “compatible”…why men don’t pray with their wives…public displays of affection…how to handle disagreements (especially in front of the kids)…delighting in each other (rather than just getting things done together)…and the number one t...

Lying, anger, laziness, lust — family is a beautiful opportunity for gospel life! The panel discusses how to remain hopeful even when kids keep committing the same sins…how to confront and disciple them after the 76th time they’re caught…what to expect in terms of breakthroughs…how much mom should deal with ongoing sin…and the place of guilt, shame, and the gospel.