Fully Integrated Faith: Lessons from Brain Science
Stand Firm Parents
Jake McCandless sits down with Dr. Jim Wilder to discuss the surprising connection between neuroscience and faith. Learn how your brain was designed to grow through joy and peace, how relational connections form the foundation of maturity, and how parents can use brain science to help their children develop a faith that truly lasts. Dr. Wilder also reveals how gratitude rewires the brain for resilience, and why a fully integrated faith is the key to spiritual and emotional health. Key Takeaways: • Your brain was designed for joy—and faith should be fueled by it. • Maturity is...
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Fully Integrated Faith: Parenting from the Other Half of Church
Stand Firm Parents
Jake McCandless continues his conversation with Michael Hendrix about brain science and discipleship, focusing on practical steps parents can take to nurture a healthy and resilient faith in their children. Discover why building joy, practicing rest, and showing true connection with your kids can make all the difference. Key Takeaways: Brain science reveals how children learn through joy and rest cycles Parenting with maturity impacts children's natural development Disciplining with grace and maintaining connection builds character Michel Hendricks is a pastor, teacher, and the...
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Fully Integrated Faith: Lessons from the Other Half of Church
Stand Firm Parents
Have we been discipling with half the brain? Michel Hendricks, co-author of The Other Half of Church, reveals how right-brain training is essential for true spiritual transformation. Most discipleship focuses on knowledge and willpower, but what if emotional and relational growth is the missing key? In this episode, we unpack: 🔹 How brain science connects to faith and formation 🔹 Why joy is the fuel for spiritual growth 🔹 The six big emotions that shape our discipleship 🔹 How parents can train their children’s emotional and spiritual resilience The Book - The Other Half of Church...
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Fully Integrated Faith: Lessons from Being the Church
Stand Firm Parents
Brian Johnson, co-founder of KC Underground, joins Stand Firm Parents to discuss a radical shift in how we do church and raise disciples at home. Instead of separating faith into a Sunday event, Brian shares how to make disciple-making a natural, daily part of life. Key Takeaways: ✔️ The biggest reasons young people leave the faith ✔️ What the early church teaches us about disciple-making ✔️ Why parents—not the church—are the primary disciple-makers ✔️ How microchurches can transform faith at home ✔️ Practical ways to integrate faith into everyday life Brian Johnson is...
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Fully Integrated Faith: Lessons from the Released Church
Stand Firm Parents
Rob Wegner joins Stand Firm Parents to challenge the way we think about church. Rather than centering faith around a weekly event, what if we saw it as a lifestyle of disciple-making? This episode explores how microchurches, spiritual families, and everyday disciple-makers are the future of faith. Rob Wegner is a leading voice in the missional movement and the co-founder of KC Underground, a decentralized network of disciple-making communities. He also serves with NewThing, helping catalyze reproducing churches globally, and leads Microchurch.Next for Exponential, equipping leaders to embrace...
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Fully Integrated Faith: Lessons from the Underground Church
Stand Firm Parents
The underground church in Iran is thriving under persecution while Christianity in the West is in decline. Why? Joel Richardson shares what’s fueling explosive growth in the Middle East and what Western believers—and parents—must do differently to raise children with a faith that lasts. This eye-opening conversation challenges our approach to discipleship and evangelism. Key Takeaways: Why Iran’s underground church is the fastest-growing in the world How disciple-making movements (DMM) are transforming communities What American Christians are getting wrong about church & faith A...
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Fully Integrated Faith: Lessons from the First Century
Stand Firm Parents
Jake McCandless speaks with Darren Huckey about the Jewish context of discipleship and what it means for parents raising children in faith. Learn how first-century discipleship was more than just knowledge—it was about full-life transformation through devotion, imitation, and replication. Key Takeaways: How first-century discipleship worked What Jesus meant when He said, "A disciple, when fully trained, will be like his teacher." How parents can model and teach discipleship at home Darren Huckey is the Assistant to the Rabbi at Shalom Macon Messianic Synagogue in Macon, Georgia. He...
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Fully Integrated Faith: Lessons from a Hebraic Mindset
Stand Firm Parents
Jake McCandless sits down with Katharine van der Beek to explore the power of fully integrated faith through a Hebraic lens. Drawing from her experiences as an Israeli tour guide, Katharine shares profound insights into seeing God’s hand in everything and trusting His sovereignty in every aspect of life. Key Takeaways: The Hebraic mindset of faith as all-encompassing. How parents can teach their kids to see God in the details of life. Why recognizing God’s sovereignty changes how we face challenges. Katharine also gives a vivid snapshot of the current state of Israel, detailing the...
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Fully Integrated Faith: Lessons from the Global Church
Stand Firm Parents
What can the global church teach us about raising kids with a faith that lasts? Jake McCandless sits down with John David Smith, President of BMA Global, for an enlightening conversation about wholistic faith and parenting. Key Takeaways: The difference between wholistic Christianity and compartmentalized faith. Why simplicity matters in our walk with Christ. The power of the gospel to transform families and create a legacy of faith. With stories and lessons from 67 nations, this episode will challenge and inspire you to lead your family toward a fully integrated faith.
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Fully Integrated Faith: Tools vs End Game
Stand Firm Parents
As parents, it’s easy to focus on devotionals, programs, and church events as the ultimate markers of success in discipling our kids. But are these the end game, or are they simply tools to help us reach the real goal? In this episode of Stand Firm Parents, Jake McCandless challenges listeners to step back and redefine their approach to raising children in the faith. He discusses: The difference between tools and true spiritual growth. Why family devotionals and church programs need to support—not replace—fully integrated faith. How to disciple your kids in a way that leads them to...
info_outlinePodcast Title: Stand Firm Parents
Episode Title: Parents as Disciplemakers: Discipleship Isn’t Hard
Host: Jake McCandless
Guests: Daphne Kirk and Andrew Kirk, Generation 2 Generation Ministry
Episode Summary:
In this episode of Stand Firm Parents, Jake McCandless dives into the vital role of discipleship in parenting. Jake emphasizes that giving our children a faith that lasts starts with understanding the Great Commission's call to make disciples—beginning in our own homes. He explains that while the term "discipleship" can seem daunting, it is much simpler and more integral to parenting than it might initially appear.
Jake is joined by Daphne Kirk and Andrew Kirk from the ministry Generation to Generation, which focuses on reconnecting generations and preparing them for the challenges of today's world. They discuss practical ways parents can disciple their children, highlighting that every parent is discipling their children—whether consciously or not—through their passions and priorities.
Key Discussion Points:
- Defining Discipleship in Parenting: The episode begins by addressing the varied perceptions of "giving our kids a faith that lasts." Jake suggests that using the term "disciple," as instructed in the Great Commission, helps clarify the universal mission of Christian parents.
- Discipleship Simplified: Daphne shares a powerful analogy from her experience in Brazil, where she compares discipleship to how parents naturally teach their children to love football (soccer). She explains that the same passion and enthusiasm parents show for sports can be applied to teaching children about faith.
- The Role of Passion in Discipleship: The KIRKs stress that parents inevitably disciple their children through their passions. If parents are passionately in love with Jesus, that passion will naturally overflow to their children.
- Practical Tips for Discipleship: The guests offer practical advice on how parents can integrate discipleship into everyday life, from sharing personal faith stories to prioritizing spiritual activities over secular ones.
- Impact of Israel on Faith: The episode touches on the importance of understanding Israel’s role in the Bible and how visiting Israel can profoundly impact a child's faith. Daphne shares how she prioritized taking her children to Israel before they turned 18 to help them grasp the reality of Jesus’ return and develop a strong, enduring faith.
Episode Quotes:
- “We’re all discipling our children, whether we realize it or not. The question is, what are we discipling them for?” - Daphne Kirk
- “You will disciple your children in what you're passionate about. Passion for Jesus will naturally lead to discipling them in faith.” - Daphne Kirk
- “We don’t parent our children to be successful on this earth; our goal is for them to be successful for eternity.” - Daphne Kirk
Call to Action: Subscribe to Stand Firm Parents on your favorite podcast platform, share this episode with fellow parents, and begin taking steps to disciple your kids in the faith.
Learn More:
- Visit Generation to Generation Ministry to learn more about their work and mission.
Credits: Stand Firm Parents is a production of Stand Firm Ministries in partnership with Lifeword Studios. Created by Jake McCandless and Brendan Harrington of Dime Collective.