In many parts of the world, words like "Christian" and "disciple" have nearly lost their meaning. For countless believers, actively practicing the ways of Jesus is optional and typically reserved for the few "radical" Christians.

But this mindset will only lead to a weak and powerless church consisting of people who believe in the existence of God while lacking love, power, and authority.

In this episode, Brian and Katie discuss what it truly means to be a disciple (apprentice) of Jesus and share some practical ways to bring discipleship into your home.

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God is good and He does good things, but He also allows us to experience difficult circumstances in life in the interest of helping us grow up and become people of love, hope, and joy.

In this episode Brian and Katie discussed the nature and source of the trials we face, why we might need to revisit our definition of "good," why joy can be found in the difficulties of life, and how this all relates to raising kids.

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It's normal to want our kids to be happy...but what if the goal of "happiness" is robbing us and our kids of something better?

Happiness is good, but it's fragile and circumstantial.

Joy, on the other hand, is lasting, and is something that we can choose even when life gets hard.

Join Brian and Katie as they discuss the difference between happiness and joy, and why loving our kids well requires that we aim higher than to simply make them happy.

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Send us an email: brianandkatie@makinghesstory.com

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Sometimes the nice things we do for our kids are, in all seriousness, very unkind.

Love is kind, and kindness is motivated by what you can do for the good of someone else.

Niceness, on the other hand, does not typically regard what is good for someone else, and is more selfishly motivated.

Join Brian and Katie as they talk about what they believe to be simultaneously one of the nicest and most unkind things parents do for their kids in the society we live in today - give them their own smartphone.

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This may come as a surprise, but it's possible that your efforts of being nice are coming at the expense of your ability to be kind.

The Bible describes kindness as an expression of love. And if love means to "will the good of another" then kindness means to regarding the needs of others for their sake and benefit.

Niceness, on the other hand, is often manipulative. It may look like kindness on the outside, but the difference is that being nice means elevating our own desires and interests above the needs of others.

Join Brian and Katie as they discuss why being kind is superior to being nice, and why parents need to understand this.

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Love is many things, but passive is not one of them.

God disciplines those that He loves, and in the interest of trying to become the best parents we can be for the sake of our kids, we're actively learning how to discipline well.

Discipline, as opposed to punishment, considers the long-term goals and ramifications of different forms of correction, and involves instructing, equipping, and empowering.

Join Brian and Katie as they discuss the necessity of disciplining kids in love, and a lesson Brian recently learned through a time he "didn't get it right" with the kids.

Want to connect with us? Use the links below to find us on social media, send us an email, buy our books, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter!

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In light of our previous episode, which is all about the necessity of forgiving our fathers for any ways that they weren't who we needed them to be, we thought it would be helpful to talk a little bit about what forgiveness is and what it isn't.

Join us on this episode as we hope to clear up a few possible misconceptions in the interest of helping our listeners experience the freedom that comes through forgiving others.

Brian's message on Worship, Money, and Lordship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGphil1NYwU

Want to connect with us? Use the links below to find us on social media, send us an email, buy our books, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter!

Order our books: https://makinghesstory.com/shop

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Send us an email: brianandkatie@makinghesstory.com

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Every father in the world has one thing in common: they aren't perfect.

But there's one who is - our Heavenly Father - and our task as parents and Christians is to perceive Him as clearly and accurately as possible, model His methods and ways in our. parenting, and lead our kids to Him.

The problem is that there is a tendency that many people have to project the image and character of their earthly father onto God, which usually results in a distorted image that doesn't reflect the truth and reality of who He is.

Join Brian and Katie as they discuss six different father types, and talk about the importance of forgiving our fathers for any ways that they weren't who we needed them to be in the interest of experiencing healing, freedom, and restoring our view of God.

Want to connect with us? Use the links below to find us on social media, send us an email, buy our books, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter!

Order our books: https://makinghesstory.com/shop

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Send us an email: brianandkatie@makinghesstory.com

Website: http://www.makinghesstory.com

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MakingHesstory