Establishing a personal mission for our family can help us make God-glorifying decisions and resist the pull of an ungodly culture.

The armor of Gods helps equip and enable our kids to stand through various seasons and circumstances.

In a gospel-centered conversation about obedience, our kids can come to understand that obedience isn’t a way to earn God’s favor—it’s an overflow of the heart that already has it in Christ.

God uses even our uncertain steps to sanctify us and teach us to walk by faith.

When our kids struggle to obey, we can pray for the Lord’s help—he can change their hearts and ours.

Cultivating forgiveness in our homes is an intentional way to display the gospel to our kids.

What is our motivation when we pursue good works in motherhood? May we always be willing to practice righteousness for our Father who sees in secret.

Motherhood is a lot of work. Some of it feels rewarding. Some of it is just necessary. What if we could learn to love the things we have to do, not just the things we want to do?

Sometimes we get so tired of the same sins, we want to just give up and stay where we are. But keep going back to the cross for grace, because Christ's forgiveness drives us to repentance.

“We’ve all been there. We’ve all given our children instructions, they’ve asked why, and we’ve responded with neither grace nor eloquence, ‘Because I said so!’

We’re tired, exasperated, and in search of a quick fix.

But if time paused and we were given a moment to really think about the answer to their question of why, what would we come up with? Why do we want them to do what we’ve asked them to do? What are the motives behind our commands? What’s driving us?

In the Bible, Paul answers the question why over and over. In every letter he wrote to the early churches, he didn’t merely give them instructions for godly living and say, “Because I said so!” He gave them—and us—a foundation, a motivation, a robust reason for doing what God asks us to do.

When we read Colossians, we can almost hear Paul’s words getting faster and faster, culminating in a crescendo of praise. And then he says, ‘Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.’

The praise comes first, then the pivot, and then the instruction for godly living. This order is crucial.

First, we understand the nature and character of our God. We remember his goodness and kindness to us. We recall how he gave himself over to us. We acknowledge that we were in darkness before him and he brought us into the kingdom of light. We say out loud that he’s a gift we do not deserve.

Then, after those rehearsals and proclamations, we set out to obey our good God. It’s from a heart full of remembrance and praise, which is how we received Christ Jesus the Lord, that we walk in him.

First we remember the gospel, and then we walk in it.

Christian parenting is discipleship. As Christian moms, we want our homes, our language, our actions, our thoughts to be distinctly Christian. So our answer to why must have the substance of our Savior.

May they  bear the aroma of Christ.

It was his grace that saved us. May it also be his grace that propels us. God’s grace is the answer to why.”

Jesus wants us to ask him for help. In the everyday details of our mothering, he is near and he desires to walk with us every step of the way.

I looked at my husband across the couch and heard myself say, “I’m tired of blowing it, of sinning the same way over and over again with our kids. Can’t I trade this in for another sin or something?!”…