If you’re reading this blog, you probably have some interest in getting tips and encouragement on how to cultivate your home to be a rich place of community and relationships. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, each and every one of us can make a world of difference, right from our very own doorstep. On this page, you’ll find a list of resources that have reminded me of the importance of family and the incredible impact we can make through our simple hospitality. All of these resources have been absolutely worth every moment of my time, and I hope they offer you as much value as they’ve offered me! Please keep coming back to this page; I will regularly update it as I continue to consume really fantastic content!
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Family Discipleship Sermon Series & Family Discipleship Guide from The Village Church
Pastor Matt Chandler did an incredible four-part sermon series on family discipleship back in April of this year (2016). He offers parents very tangible, realistic (and quite humorous, at times!), and encouraging advice for how to disciple their children. I loved listening to every moment of this series – I could not wait for the next one to come out each week! It was fantastic and I highly recommend listening to these four sermons and then downloading the guide the church provided. Awesome material!
Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth Podcasts on Hospitality
My dear friend Rachel listens to Nancy’s daily podcast, Revive our Hearts, and any time Nancy talks about anything related to hospitality or family, Rachel is sure to tell me to tune in! I’ve listened to both of these series below on hospitality, and oh my gosh, they were incredible!
- The Breath of New Life (Part 1) & (Part 2)
In this two-part podcast, Nancy offers a great perspective on biblical hospitality. She explains several principles of hospitality based on Scripture, and she definitely helped me frame my mind around what true hospitality looks like! This is one of my favorite quotes from this series: “By the way, do you hear the word that’s part of [hospitality] – hospital? It’s a home where you care for wounded people, a place where you minister to the needs of others.”
- An Unlikely Convert (six-part series)
The link above is only to part one of the series. Just go to Nancy’s podcast, Revive our Hearts, and download all six episodes in this series. It was UN-BE-LIEV-ABLE. Aaron and I listened to this entire series when we had to take a long car trip one weekend, and we were on the edge of our seats the entire time. Absolutely amazing, inspiring, encouraging, motivating, jaw-dropping…seriously. Reminded us how much the Lord wants us to love others through hospitality.
The Lifegiving Home by Sally Clarkson and Sarah Clarkson
I don’t remember how I came across this book, but I couldn’t put it down. Sally and her daughter, Sarah, did a phenomenal job in this book offering reminders of how important of a place HOME is for all of us, and gave unique, tangible suggestions in each chapter of how we, too, can make our homes places that breathe life into our families and our visitors. I loved this book and I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a reminder that their home IS an important place and who needs some fresh ideas on how to make it a place of warmth, safety, and relationship.
I listen to Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk podcast several days out of the week. They broadcast their show daily (Monday-Friday), so I download the episodes of that week and listen to them when I take my daughter and our dog on our walks. Dr. Dobson and his guests speak on a number of different topics – parenting, family relationships, intertwining faith and work, cultural issues, marriage, etc. I’ve learned so much from Dr. Dobson, his co-host Dr. Meg Meeker, and the guests they interview. Very insightful, informative, and encouraging!
