I used to discipline my kids hardest when we were in public. Not always because they did something wrong, but because I felt exposed. Restaurant. Grocery store. My parents’ house. I was parenting for appearance, not the heart.

In this episode we use 1 Samuel 16:7 to rethink Christian parenting and leadership at home. People look at the outside. God looks at the heart. We talk about the difference between discipleship and image management, how to discipline without shame, and how to repair after reacting from embarrassment instead of love.

Practice tonight includes a simple heart question you can ask your child in under one minute.

Want a bible study or need help memorizing 1 Samuel 16:7 and teaching it to your kids. Find Week 7 | 1 Samuel 16:7 resources here.

Early pickup. No Dustin. My brain went straight to worst case futures.

In this episode of Cozy Conviction, we talk about how fear can dress up as strict parenting and how anxiety can quietly set the temperature in our homes. Using Joshua 1 9 as our anchor, we learn that courage is not intensity. Courage is steadiness, because God is with us.

I also share a simple, practical method you can use in real parenting moments, not just in theory.

Pause

Script

Step

Pause with God’s presence. Script with steadiness. Step into brave reps, small next steps that build courage over time.

Family micro practice for today: Before discipline or a hard conversation, whisper to God, “You’re with me here.” Then say to your child, “I see you. Here’s what we’re doing. You can do the next small step.”

Memory verse tools for Joshua 1 9 are available on our website.

In Episode 1 of Cozy Convictions, we explore Deuteronomy 6:5 and what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, and strength when parenting feels loud. We talk about how stress reveals what we worship, why boundaries are still good, and why the same words can come from different hearts.

You’ll hear:

• Why stress reveals what we really worship
• Why your strongest parenting tool is what you return to under pressure
• Why discipleship at home starts with re-ordering love, not adding rules
• How “I need you to listen the first time” isn’t wrong - what matters is the heart underneath it (comfort vs formation)

Family micro-practice for tonight:Ask: “What do we love most when life gets loud?”

Then pray one sentence: “Lord, we want to love you most. Please help us.”

Memory verse resources can be found at here.