Spiritual disciplines - when directed by God’s word - help us to form our body, mind, and heart to be more like Jesus. The disciplines aren’t our salvation, but a demonstration of our pursuit of placing God and our relationship with him as our priority. Spiritual discipline signals a willingness to bend our desires toward God’s desires and a trust that his ways are better than our own. Today we are talking about the spiritual discipline of fasting - one of the least valued and most misunderstood practices here in western Christian culture. So let’s address those misconceptions using scripture to shape our thoughts and applications of fasting - from what examples we see in the Bible, when fasting is employed, and what it does to form us as spiritual bodies.
Episode 12: Spiritual Disciplines - Fasting
February 21, 2022 • Jasmyn Denton & Matt Smith
Episode 22: Parenting: What is Shaping Our Kids?
June 15, 2022
We all know that our kids need to eat, sleep, play, take a bath, and brush their teeth - but even if we cover all of these bases, there is much more to raising a whole human from child to adult. We can sometimes view parenting as a gauntlet and any misstep will ruin our kids forever. But the truth is that kids are being formed largely by small moments, that tally into hours, days, and years. So how do we make the most of the time that we already have with our kids? Today we are learning to leverage distinctive opportunities to impact the future of our children.
Episode 21: Parenting: Rhythms
June 7, 2022
It’s June and we are here at the edge of summer - for parents with students in their homes, we’re looking at the end of a school year and the beginning of something new. Even if you’re not a student or don’t have kids, summer just feels different. Entering into a new season can energize us and motivate us to create new routines in our homes and in our lives. OR the thought of having to abandon the structure that comes with tardy bells and car rider lines makes us want to hide in the closet stress eating peanut m&ms. Wherever you are on this spectrum, today I get to have a conversation with someone who is here to help us see that a change of season doesn’t have to completely reshape our lives when we learn how to be intentional with the time we already have.
Episode 20: Psalm 103
May 12, 2022 • Jasmyn Denton
Psalms is a place in scripture I turn to on a regular basis - whether I’ve reached the end of some bible reading plan and don't know where to go next or I’m looking for reminders of who God is or I need words to help me communicate what my heart can’t get up to my lips, Psalms is a deep well of truth that never runs dry. For the moment, I’m not ready to move into the next thing on the Practical Faith podcast, so we are going to turn together for a couple of weeks to Psalms. Today we listen to and meditate on Psalm 103.