The Ordinary Christian Podcast

As parents, our “no” can often be more powerful than our “yes.” But, saying “no” comes with risk as well as reward. On this episode of the podcast, I sit down with two other pastors from Malvern Hill and discuss why saying “no” must be a part of our regular conversations with our children. We discuss a recent sermon, travel sports, ballet, screen time, social media, and internet gaming. Perhaps most importantly, we discuss the opportunity costs that come with the choices we make for our families.

Hopefully, along the way, we give other parents some extra tools in their tool kit to help make raising our kids a little easier.

In this episode of the Ordinary Christian Podcast, Craig Thompson interviews David Mathis about the theology of exercise. They discuss the importance of exercise in their personal lives and how it impacts their roles as husbands, fathers, and pastors. They explore the biblical metaphor of running and the idea of embracing difficulty for the sake of reward. They also touch on the different types of exercise and the importance of finding enjoyment in physical activity. Overall, the conversation highlights the connection between physical health and spiritual well-being. In this conversation, Craig Thompson and David Mathis discuss the importance of physical movement and exercise in the Christian life. They explore how our sedentary lifestyles can hinder our ability to glorify God and serve others. They emphasize the need for balance and moderation in caring for our bodies, avoiding both neglect and idolatry. They also discuss the impact of exercise on mental and emotional well-being, as well as its role in parenting and community building. Overall, they highlight the holistic nature of the Christian life and the importance of stewarding our bodies for the glory of God.

Takeaways

• Regular exercise can make us better husbands, fathers, and pastors by increasing our energy levels and improving our overall well-being.
• Embracing difficulty in exercise can train our will and help us develop discipline in other areas of life.
• Different types of exercise, such as aerobic training, strength training, and balance training, all have their own benefits and can contribute to our physical and spiritual health.
• Exercise should be enjoyable and bring a sense of playfulness to our lives.
• The biblical metaphor of running can remind us of the importance of perseverance and finishing strong in our spiritual journey. Our sedentary lifestyles can hinder our ability to glorify God and serve others.
• Caring for our bodies through exercise is a spiritual discipline that can enhance our mental and emotional well-being.
• Physical activity can be a way to bond with our children and set a healthy example for them.
• Exercise should be approached with balance and moderation, avoiding both neglect and idolatry.
• Engaging in physical activity can lead to a more joyful and obedient Christian life.

Links

What if life is supposed to be hard? What if difficult is normal, and easy is the rare icing on the cake. If life is supposed to be challenging, then part of the struggles in our lives do not come about because life is so difficult, but because we have made too much of life easy and have created an expectation that easy is normal.

The Bible is filled with words of warning about difficult days and with words of promise that we are not alone in difficult days. But, the Bible is also full of verses that teach us about the joy and glory to be found in struggle and even in suffering. On this episode of the podcast, we take a brief dive into some of the positive aspects of suffering and struggle.

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We are failing our boys. No one denies that boys in our culture are struggling, but perhaps you are not aware of just how great the struggle is. Boys are failing or falling behind in nearly every category imaginable. Consider a few stats:

• Nationally, 70% of high school valedictorians are female.
• In 2010 only 44% of college applicants were male.
• As of 2016, the dropout rate for boys is 40% higher than for girls.
• 2/3 of the population labeled as “learning-disabled” is boys.
• For every 100 girls who repeat kindergarten, 194 boys repeat.
• Boys make up 70% of medicated preschoolers and kindergartners.
• Boys make up 80% of the suspects in juvenile courts.

On this episode, I offer some hope from the Bible and some suggestions for what you can do today to begin making boys healthier.

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When we try to teach biblical discernment, it is difficult for the same reasons that teaching someone to play baseball is difficult. Baseball is a relatively simple game to play…if you know how to play baseball. If you do not know how to play baseball, it is a game filled with complicated, sometimes abstract instructions, skills, and coordination and you have already forgotten many of the beginning and intermediate steps in the process of learning how to throw and hit a baseball. 

If you are teaching biblical discernment, you have probably forgotten many of the steps involved in that process as well process. Discernment becomes second nature to you as you mature in Christ and grow in your knowledge, understanding, and application of God’s word.

But, for those who are new to the concept, we have to break discernment down into practical steps that can be used to arrive at a decision.

Have you ever gone through a difficult season of life, only to look back and see God at work through the whole thing?

Whenever you reach for your phone or scan a newspaper to get caught up, you are not being merely informed, you are also being formed. News consumption can shape your sense of belonging, how you judged the value of your life, and even how your brains function. Jeff Bilbro believes Christians must not let the news replace prayer, Bible reading, and simple disciplines of the Christian life.

On this episode of the Podcast, Dr. Bilbro and I discuss the news, the power of daily habits, and the role of both the Old Testament prophet and the informed Christian today. Dr. Bilbro also explains how being "more informed" through news media may not be as good as you think it is and why it is important to not spend your best time of the day in devotion to news media instead of God.

Lyman Stone is a husband, father, and follower of Jesus. He is also a PhD Candidate in Sociology at McGill University. As a demographer, Lyman specializes in understanding fertility preferences. On this episode of the podcast, however, we focus primarily on what demographic data tells us about the state of marriage in the United States today. We consider the happiness that marriage brings, the best steps single people can take today to find a mate or be more "marriageable" themselves. Lyman also shares some research related to secularization of children and why you need to worry more about what you teach your kids about Jesus at home than what they are going to learn in college. We also discuss marriage tax penalties and why cohabiting is a terrible idea for anyone who desires marriage in the future.

Families usually share things in common--the Thompsons are all Atlanta Braves fans, for instance (and all but one of our kids are South Carolina Gamecock fans, but that is another bitter story). There really is joy to be found in shared experiences and commitments within the family. When members of the family are not on the same page--like having a Clemson fan in a Carolina household--the family can experience tension.

When the tension surrounds a college football team, it can be overcome. But, there are tensions that are fare greater. If you are a follower of Jesus who lives in a family that does not share your faith, you know what it is like to live with tension. You experience the tension of having close relationships in your church that the rest of your family does not share. You probably even wrestle with the existential angst that your family members are no Christians whose eternal destiny hangs in the balance. If you are one of those people, you are not alone and this podcast is for you. 

How much margin do you need in your life? How well do you know yourself? Terry Linhart joins me today to talk about some of the most common personal challenges we face in life and ministry. He offers some guided reflection to help us overcome our blindspots and become more effective leaders.

Pastors have a biblical expectation and responsibility to welcome guests into their homes. There is not a biblical expectation that they become extravagant hosts or live in a particular kind or size of home. There is not a biblical expectation that pastors always have people in their home. But, there is a biblical expectation that the homes of pastors be open to guests and that they welcome them with joy. 

If you are not a pastor, you’re not off the hook. Hospitality is a biblical expectation for all of God’s children. Just consider 1 Peter 4:9, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

If hospitality is a struggle for you or if you just don’t know how to begin making your home more hospitable, this podcast is a good place for you to begin. I've put together a list of a few tips to help you begin to make your home (and yourself) more hospitable.

Grieving people need the comfort of community. But, in times of grief, we can often say things we don't mean or attempt to comfort people with words that hit wrong. Todd Warnock joins me on the podcast today to talk about the things that were helpful for him when he lost his son and to share some of the really stupid things people said to him in those hard days.

At some point, you will sit with grieving people and you will wonder what to say and what to do. This podcast gives some insight from someone who has a been there. I enjoyed this conversation with Todd and I know you will enjoy and benefit from his wisdom, experience, and even his humor.

Have you ever found yourself longing for more than an online experience? Have you ever missed a payphone or a real textbook? Maybe you remember the smell of your elementary school or the relationship with your high school youth leader. If any of these describe you, you know something about the desire for analog experiences.

Are you willing to give of yourself to reach others with the gospel? Jesus proclaimed the gospel authentically. He didn’t just say it, he lived it before them and with them. He allowed them to see him, to touch him. Later he would even eat with them. As you seek to share the gospel with others, they are looking for a gospel that is more than words.

People around you are often fearful and they struggle to believe. Their lives are messy and hard. If you are going to reach them, you’ve got to be willing to climb down into their mess with them. Like Jesus, you have to meet them in their mess so that they can be delivered.

Lanny Gunter is a husband, father, business owner, and a veteran. He is also active in his church where he volunteers with children’s ministry, he is a dog trainer, and an enthusiastic coffee drinker. But, Lanny’s life has not always been so closely tied to a local church. On this episode of the podcast, Lanny shares his story of self-reliance, substance abuse, and a few close-calls with death. He also tells how Jesus has changed his life and how he is trying to make a difference in the lives of others today.

On this episode of the podcast, an SBC Army Chaplain sits down to share his story in ministry, the importance of chaplains, the purpose of chaplains, and to offer a plea for more people (especially young me) to pursue this important missional calling. If you are like me, this might be the first time you have ever considered the need to pray and plea for more chaplains. You'll also hear some valuable advice for ministering to and with chaplains, caring well for military families, and why the greatest threat to chaplaincy is probably not what you think.

Merry Christmas! Like most people, you probably have some great Christmas traditions in your family. But, many Christmas traditions cross family lines and even cultural barriers. In this episode of the podcast, Adam Whiteside helps me to share some Christmas traditions, shed some light on the origins of Santa Claus, and offer some input on how to use Christmas traditions to ground your family in Christ and his church. I hope you have as much fun with this as we did.

Merry Christmas!

Bethany melton is a young writer with a desire to bring attention to stories of ordinary people living faithfully and making large impacts in small places. In this episode of the podcast. Bethany shares a few stories of ordinary impact, offers some advice to young writers, and reveals some of the beauty and contentment that can be found from 21 years growing up in the same church and community. You can read more about Bethany and read her work on her blog, https://bethanyjmelton.com.

On this episode of the podcast, Craig talks about the value of committing to community through a local church. The world is desperate for community, for relationships and even accountability. People are looking for a place to belong. The secular world will offer many options to fill the void caused by loneliness and isolation. Let’s do all that we can to show the people around us that the church is the perfect place to know and be known by others. And, to know and be known by the Savior who takes away the sin of the world.

Often, the most important disciplines in our life are the decisions we will make before our discipleship. In this episode of the podcast, Craig offers three suggestions to help you grow as a disciple of Jesus:

1. Remover barriers to spiritual growth.
2. Make the right decision the easy decisions.
3. Make the discipleship decision the appealing decision.

I am blessed to pastor a church with healthy children’s and student ministries. I get asked often how to create these ministries. On this episode of the podcast, I sit down with Adam Whiteside, our student pastor, and discuss student ministry. Topics addressed include:

• What is a healthy student ministry?
• How to create a healthy student ministry within a healthy church.
• How to create a healthy student ministry within an unhealthy church.
• Attractional models of student ministry vs. creational models.
• The importance of pastoral support and buy-in.

Healthy age-graded ministries are not rocket science. Healthy ministries are built on healthy discipleship models.

In the course of our conversation, Adam mentions the Malvern Mike and Mary profile used in the student ministry at Malvern Hill. I've included the PDF below. This profile describes the kind of students we hope to create at Malvern Hill.

Jake Morris is a teacher and assistant head football coach at Dorman High School in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Jake is also a committed follower of Jesus, a husband, and a father. I have known Jake since I was his youth pastor when he was in middle school. On this episode of the podcast, Jake and I talk about the importance of investing in young men and how coaches can and must care about more than X's and O's. Along the way, Jake tells us what makes the most difference in the kids he coaches and how kids today are the same as they were twenty years ago and what is different.

As young people in our culture more consistently live in fatherless homes, the role of male coach is more important than it has ever been. Even more important, however, is for coaches to accept the responsibility to be more than a ball coach, to be people of character and courage who help raise young men up to make a difference in the world around them. Our culture needs Christian coaches who will represent Christ first. Jake is one of those coaches. I know you will enjoy this episode.

After one more normal night of frustration, exhaustion, and feeling like a failure at parenting, Justin Whitmel Earley realized that something needed to change in his house. He recognized that the habits of his household were not nurturing his marriage and his children in the way that he wanted. So, he decided to make some changes. The changes in the Earley household focused around gospel shifts in regular daily habits with the realization that our habits are connected to our hearts.

On this episode of the podcast, Justin explains how he and his wife, Lauren, are working to steward the hearts of their four boys by stewarding the habits of their family. Justin shares some great tips on how you can steward the hearts in your household as well.

Is news important? How should Christians consume news, respond to the news, and even publish news of our own. On this episode of the podcast, Dr. Chris Hefner helps Christians think carefully through some of these issues.

Recent months and years have brought much discussion around the topic of complementarianism–the belief that women and men are given different roles in the home and the church. Joel Rainey helps to unpack some of the abuses around the idea of complementarianism and gives some really good advice on raising sons and daughters. Along the way we talk about changing oil, loving our wives, and raising kids to love Jesus in very normal homes. You will be blessed with Joel’s wisdom and candor.

Smart phones are tools that can help us to live our lives and communicate with others more efficiently. However, like any tool, when used improperly, phones can become a danger. This is especially true among teen culture. Listen in as Adam Whiteside and I work to help you navigate the dangers of cell phone abuse among teens and young adults.