To flourish, a church not only needs a strong elder team, but a strong deacon team as well. That’s the message of Acts 6 when the apostles chose seven deacons to minister to widows who had been neglected. This division of labor is vital to the health of the local church. Even as elders are to focus on preaching and shepherding, the deacons are to meet the practical needs of the saints.

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Chad Roach, discuss the high calling of deacons, and urge younger men to aspire to this church office, as the Lord leads. Drawing from his personal experience, Chad shares how serving as a deacon has been one of the most fulfilling roles he’s ever played. When done well, the labor of deacons becomes a force multiplier of the elders’ work, something Chad has seen in action. His conclusion affirms that of Scripture—for the good of Christ’s church, more godly men should seek this noble post.

In today’s world, we’ve been flooded by a sea of lies on what manhood and womanhood really is. These weapons of mass confusion have led to tragic outcomes for boys, girls, marriage, as well as the local church. This distortion of gender roles has come about because we’ve rejected the plain teaching of Scripture—that “God created man in His own image,” and that He created every person either “male and female” (Gen. 1:27), with each having distinct roles they are called to fulfill.

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm outline four key pillars of manhood and womanhood: (1) Gender is not fluid, as God created men and women as distinctly different; (2) Men are to lead and women follow; (3) Women are not allowed to teach and exercise authority over men in the church; and (4) Women are not allowed to speak in the formal meeting of the church. Though the world finds these distinctives to be stifling, the full and glorious life of a godly woman is found when she embraces her complementary role, even as a godly man embraces his.

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Joel Beeke, discuss how God’s law is not only a tool of conviction to bring us to Christ, but it is a positive rule of life for the believer. The Ten Commandments, they explain, gives a map for how to live the Christian life by earnestly loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves. While freely acknowledging that we’re saved by grace alone, our desire should be that of David’s, “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97).

No one can be justified by keeping the law. Yet, as Christians, we should strive to obey God’s law out of sheer gratitude to Him for saving us. Once freed from the bondage of sin, our desire should be to do his will, viewing His law as a reflection of His personal holiness. Sadly, many professing Christians have adopted the antinomian falsehood that since we’re saved by grace, we don’t need to keep the law anymore—a point which Scripture soundly condemns: “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!” (Rom. 6:1-2).

In modern times, the church has dismissed the importance of keeping the Sabbath, viewing it as an abrogated part of the Mosaic Law. Yet this flies in the face of the entire witness of Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, we find an unbroken theme for man to set aside one day in seven to rest from his labors and worship God. This began following Creation Week with God Himself, who rested on the seventh day and sanctified the day for this purpose (Gen. 2:2-3), and it is reaffirmed in the Bible’s final book by the Apostle John who recognized the “Lord’s Day” as special (Rev. 1:10).

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Tim Stephens, walk through the Bible, identifying (11) eleven scriptural reasons to keep the Sabbath, which was moved from the last to the first day of the week to honor Christ’s resurrection. Among the reasons they give: not only was it established at Creation (Gen. 2:2-3), but it was honored by God’s people prior to the Ten Commandments (Ex. 16:22-23); championed by the prophets (Isa. 58); celebrated by Jesus (Mark 2:27); and affirmed by the Apostles (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2). Their charge to Christians—rather than focusing on negative prohibitions, make the Sabbath a day of delight by basking in the pleasures of the Lord.

Preparing one’s children’s heart for weekly worship starts with the parents preparing their own. Dad and mom must set the tone, first, to please God, but second, because kids normally have an accurate radar that can detect if their parents are focused, or not, in worshipping Him. Going through the motions at church is a real danger we must guard against—preparing for worship must begin in the heart.

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guests Danny and Megan Craig, discuss this priority. With four children eight and under, the Craigs explain that the goal for their kids on Sundays is not simply to sit still in church, but to love God as they worship. To get in the right frame of mind, their practice is to devote time on Saturday night to tune their hearts as a family for the next day’s service. Other advice they give: communicate clear expectations to your children ahead of time and then lovingly hold them to those expectations during the worship service.

The Bible’s witness is clear: When the people of God gather for corporate worship, their children are to be with them in the service. That’s the unmistakable record found throughout Scripture. Yet in the 20th century, many congregations abandoned this established biblical norm, starting Children’s Churches and other youth-centered ministries that separated families during weekly worship.

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Sam Waldron, discuss the resurgence of family-integrated worship that has come as Christians have set aside pragmatic and worldly practices for the simple truths of Scripture. This move to follow God’s prescriptions for worship and church life, rather than man’s inventions, has transformed churches and families for the better. While there’s still room for growth, those committed to the Word will find blessing as they obey God from the heart.

Additional Resources

A Weed in the Church: How a Culture of Age Segregation is Harming the Next Generation, Fragmenting the Family, and Dividing the Church

A Declaration of the Complementary Roles of Church and Family

The Family at Church: How Parents Are Tour Guides of Joy

As the cost of living skyrockets, what are young men desiring to establish themselves financially to do? Rather than shrink in fear, they should make the most of whatever tools God has put in their hands—in hopeful pursuit of the Dominion Mandate, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:28).

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Isaac Botkin, discuss exciting opportunities that exist in practical fields such as hand-on trades and manufacturing. Drawing from his personal experience with T.Rex Arms, Isaac notes that Christians who know how to bring order out of disorder and create an increase from the assets they have will be in demand—whether they own their own company or work for others. His message: Don’t lose heart as a young man trying to make it. Trust God and take dominion with hope!

Contrary to what some allege, Scripture’s clear witness is that children are to be present when God’s people gather for worship. Yet how do you train your kids to sit quietly at church as God’s Word is preached and to actively sing songs of praise during the service? What practical steps can you take during the week to prepare them for Sunday? And how do you manage the service itself as wise parents?

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guests Isaac and Heidi Botkin, tackle these questions head on. With four children, eight and under, the Botkins are still learning how to direct their young ones in worship, yet they offer practical counsel: Teach them obedience and self-government at home through regular family worship. Get your kids familiar with the songs your church sings by singing them together ahead of time. And, during the weekly service, work together as parents to manage your children’s oversight and discipline.

Read these two articles as a supplement to today’s podcast:

“Does Nehemiah 8:1-3 Teach Age Segregation?” by Scott Brown

“Nehemiah's Nursery” by Voddie Baucham