The Journey Parent Podcast · Dan Panetti

How to be a Christian Parent

·44 min·2 clips

“We don't throw an apple in a field and hope that one day there's an orchard.”

1. The Journey Parent Podcast episode “How to be a Christian Parent” centers on Christian parenting and family discipleship. 2. Host Adam Griffin is a pastor and author whose book on family discipleship shapes the conversation. 3. The episode asks what it looks like to transfer faith to the next generation in a Christian home. 4. Griffin says the “number one reason” to disciple children is that “God is interested in parents discipling their children.” 5. He defines discipleship as more than information, saying it includes both teaching and evangelism. 6. He compares parenting to coaching, where a parent moves a child “from wherever they start to somewhere better.” 7. Griffin warns that discipleship is not mainly telling children what not to do, because Jesus taught people to obey what he commanded. 8. He says parents should want children who obey out of love for God, not children who merely act like “a Pharisee.” 9. Griffin uses the image of “stones and seeds,” contrasting a quick ripple with long-term fruit. 10. He links that seed image to milestones, dark seasons, and high points in a child’s life. 11. He says family discipleship should be “diligent,” echoing Deuteronomy 6 and its language of teaching at home, on the road, and at bedtime. 12. Griffin rejects “organically” parenting as a synonym for doing almost nothing and hoping for the best. 13. He says parents who feel unprepared can start with reading, praying, and singing with their children. 14. He tells parents who lack those skills to “get discipled” through the church. 15. Griffin says parents should also teach repentance by apologizing to children and asking forgiveness for wrong speech or actions. 16. He cites Barna research from 2003 and 2023 to show that families and clergy disagree on whether home or church is primary for discipleship. 17. He says Christian schools and churches are helpful, but they do not remove the parent’s responsibility. 18. The tone is direct and exhortational, with the host pushing practical examples and Griffin answering in long, structured explanations. 19. Parents, grandparents, and young couples wanting a practical Christian-home framework would fit this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a light, low-demand conversation about parenting may skip it.

As heard by us

A direct, practical case for parenting with intention and discipleship.

The Journey presents Christian parenting as a plainspoken take on discipleship, family life, and the responsibility of raising children with intention.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If you want a distinctly Christian conversation about raising kids, press play.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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