Description: In Part 13 of Relationships in HD, Pastor Eric unpacks what it means to parent—and disciple—with the end in mind. From Titus 2 to Proverbs 22 and Ephesians 6, Scripture shows that biblical parenting isn’t merely about raising compliant kids, but about shaping men and women who love Jesus, think biblically, serve faithfully, and stand strong in a culture that pulls them the other way.

This message expands the circle beyond biological parenting. Every mature believer—older men, older women, mentors, youth leaders, and spiritual fathers and mothers—carries a responsibility to invest in the next generation. Pastor Eric walks through the voices that shaped him: parents who were purposeful, a father-in-law who discipled him to Jesus, a youth leader who said “yes” when asked, and a pastor who taught him to keep his feet on the ground and his heart faithful.

With honesty, humor, and real-life stories (from toddler defiance to raising sensitive sons and strong daughters), Pastor Eric shows why we must train up children according to their way—their God-given wiring, personality, gifting, and calling—while grounding them in the unchanging truth of God’s Word. Parenting with the end in mind means raising boys to become providers, protectors, and humble leaders; raising girls to become wise, strong, compassionate women of God; and raising all children to become functioning members of society and faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.

The goal is Jesus. The foundation is Jesus. And if we miss Him, we miss everything.

Key Scriptures (NKJV): Titus 2:1–8; Proverbs 22:6; Deuteronomy 6:6–9; Ephesians 6:1–4; 1 Corinthians 11:1; Romans 5:6–8; Matthew 19:13–14.

Highlights:

• Parenting is both biological and spiritual—every mature believer has a role in shaping the next generation.

• Titus 2 discipleship: older men and older women teaching those coming behind them.

• Why rebellion isn’t inevitable—Scripture calls all believers, including teens, to holiness and self-control.

• Train up a child according to his way—guiding each child’s unique wiring under God’s design.

• Raising sons to provide, protect, lead with humility, and treat women with dignity.

• Raising daughters to love their families, walk in strength and wisdom, and live self-controlled lives.

• Modeling repentance and honesty—children don’t need perfect parents, but parents who walk with a perfect Savior.

• The church’s calling: producing the next generation of Ricks, Kens, Debbies, and faithful disciplers.

• The ultimate end: pointing every child—ours or others—to Jesus, the only One who can save.

Next Steps: Identify one young person in your home or church you can intentionally invest in this week. Pray through Deuteronomy 6, look for natural moments “when you sit, walk, lie down, and rise up,” and bring God into real-life conversations. Then choose one simple practice—an apology, a conversation about Scripture, or an act of sacrificial love—that points them toward Jesus.

Relationships in HD — Part 12: Parenting with Christlike Honesty

Description: In Part 12 of Relationships in HD, Pastor Eric continues the series with a heartfelt and practical message on honesty in parenting—how truth-telling reflects the very character of Christ and builds the foundation of trust between parent and child. From 1 Peter 2 and Ephesians 4, we see Jesus as both the model and motive for integrity. He never lied to His disciples, His bride, or His enemies—and neither should we.

Eric walks through the subtle ways Christian parents sometimes compromise honesty, from Santa Claus to empty threats (“Don’t make me turn this car around”) and shows why every word shapes a child’s ability to trust both us and God. Through powerful personal stories—including a raw moment of apology between father and son—this message invites parents to trade manipulation for humility, control for connection, and pride for grace.

The challenge is simple but life-changing: children don’t need perfect parents, but they do need humble ones. Be honest. Own your mistakes. Win and protect your child’s heart—because if you don’t, someone else will.

Key Scriptures (NKJV): Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 2:21–25; Ephesians 4:25; Matthew 5:37; 2 Corinthians 3:2–3; Proverbs 12:22; John 10:27–30.

Highlights:

• Jesus as the model for truth and trust in every relationship.

• Why small lies (“Santa,” “five more minutes”) create big cracks in trust.

• The danger of manipulation and false threats in parenting.

• How honesty builds security and spiritual confidence in children.

• The power of sincere apology—honesty means ownership.

• Restoring broken trust through humility and confession.

• Protecting your child’s heart from the world by modeling Christ at home.

Next Steps: Ask God to show you one area where you’ve lacked honesty with your child—or anyone under your influence. Confess it, take ownership, and seek forgiveness with humility. Then commit to letting your “yes be yes and your no be no,” so your home reflects the heart of Jesus, full of both truth and grace.

Relationships in HD — Letters to Our Children (Father’s Day)

Description: On Father’s Day, Eric zooms in on one of our most sacred callings: being living letters of Jesus to our kids and the next generation. Before we ever talk parenting strategy, he goes straight to the foundation—reconciliation with God through Jesus. From 2 Corinthians 5, we see what it really means to be “in Christ”: rescued from sin and hell, made new, adopted, and kept forever by a God who cannot lie.

From there, Eric reminds us that our families are our first mission field. We’re not called to sacrifice our kids on the altar of ministry—or to worship them as little gods—but to model a faith that is real, humble, and dependent on grace. Our children (and the kids in our church) “read” us long before they understand a sermon; we are living epistles, showing them what Jesus is like in how we love, repent, forgive, correct, and prioritize.

With stories about Peter sinking and being rescued, kids coming to Christ, “Happy Birthday Jesus” gifts, Santa vs. grace, and the dangers of child-centered homes, this message calls moms, dads, grandparents, and spiritual parents to embrace their ministry of reconciliation—starting at home—and to help little hearts meet a big Savior.

Key Scriptures (NKJV): John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:1–3; 2 Corinthians 5:17–21; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 5:8; Matthew 14:28–31; Titus 1:2; Genesis 22:1–18; Mark 10:13–16.

Highlights:

• What it really means to be “saved”: rescued from sin, hell, and death, and made a new creation in Christ.

• God as Father: not everyone is automatically a child of God—adoption comes through Jesus.

• You are a “living letter”: your kids (and church kids) are learning what Jesus is like by watching you.

• Family as first ministry: don’t sacrifice your family on the altar of ministry—and don’t worship your children either.

• Using the tools God gives: church, kids’ ministry, pastors, and mentors as allies in bringing children to Jesus.

• Teaching grace at home: gifts as a picture of the gospel and why “Santa theology” (earn it) is the opposite of grace (receive it).

• Hope for imperfect parents: when you fail, repentance and honesty become a powerful testimony of God’s mercy.

Next Steps: Ask God to show you one child (yours or in your church) you can intentionally point to Jesus this week. Pray 2 Corinthians 5:20 over yourself as an “ambassador,” then choose one concrete way to model grace at home—an apology you need to make, a conversation about the gospel, or a simple act of undeserved kindness that reflects your Father’s heart.

When feelings go quiet, faith keeps moving. In Part 10, Eric traces God’s faithfulness through hard seasons and shows why our relationships thrive only when our goals align with Jesus—His character, His truth, His way. From the gospel’s rescue (John 3:16; Peter sinking and saved) to rock-solid assurance (John 10; “God, who cannot lie”), we’re called to become living letters that people can read (2 Cor. 2–3): the aroma of Christ in a fractured world. Peter then gives us the template—no reviling, blessing when wronged, suffering well, and always ready with a gentle answer (1 Pet. 2–3). With the Samaritan woman’s story as a mirror, this message invites us to replace condemnation with compassionate truth so grace flows not only to us, but through us.

Key Scriptures (NKJV): John 3:16–18; John 10:27–30; Titus 1:2; Matthew 14:28–31; 2 Corinthians 2:12–17; 2 Corinthians 3:1–3; 1 Peter 2:21–25; 1 Peter 3:8–17; Romans 5:6–8.

Highlights:

• Faith vs. feelings: trusting God’s presence when you can’t sense it.

• Set relational goals that match God’s goals—starting with Jesus at the center.

• Saved to be seen: “living letters” and the aroma of Christ in everyday life.

• Responding like Jesus: no reviling, blessing instead, suffering for what is right.

• Gospel posture with the broken (Samaritan woman): truth without condemnation.

• Assurance that holds—held in the Son’s hand, the Father’s hand, sealed by the Spirit.

Next Steps: Name one relationship where you’ve been reactive. Pray 1 Peter 3:8–9 over it, choose one concrete act of blessing this week, and be ready to explain the hope within you when asked.

We’re jumping back into Relationships in HD with a foundation talk on connectedness—how a living relationship with God reorders everything: marriage, parenting, friendship, and our witness to a hurting world. Eric unpacks why Jesus at the center isn’t a slogan but a way of life: husbands loving like Christ (Eph. 5), wives honoring, parents reflecting the Father’s heart, and believers resisting a culture of condemnation by pointing people to the Savior who saves rather than shames (John 3:16–18). From Eden’s breach and God’s covering (Gen. 3) to the cross where love is proven (Rom. 5:6–8) and the promise that nothing can separate us (Rom. 8:31–39), this message calls us to walk in the light through ongoing repentance (1 John 1:5–9) and to let grace flow through us, not just to us. If your relationships need tools to cultivate, mend, or even restore, start here—on the sure foundation of the gospel.

Key Scriptures (NKJV): John 3:16–18; John 1:12; John 10:27–30; Genesis 3:8–10, 21; Ephesians 5:25, 33; Romans 5:6–8; Romans 8:31–39; 1 John 1:5–9.

Highlights:

• Connectedness: why our bond with God sets the tone for every other relationship.

• Jesus at the center of marriage and parenting—what that actually looks like day to day.

• Gospel posture: not condemning, but inviting people to the One who removes condemnation.

• Assurance that holds: the Son’s hand, the Father’s hand, the Spirit’s seal.

• Walking in the light: repentance as a lifestyle that keeps fellowship fresh.

• Practical tools to cultivate, mend, or restore relationships with Scripture as the guide.

Next Steps: Personalize John 3:16 in prayer this week (“For God so loved me…”). Ask the Lord where condemnation has replaced compassion, repent, and take one concrete step of grace—beginning at home. Invite a couple or friend who’s struggling to listen and talk with you after.

We wrap up the “Relationship with God” section of Relationships in HD by turning to the often-overlooked Person of the Trinity: the Holy Spirit. This message shows how the Spirit pours God’s love into our hearts (Romans 5), leads us from fear into sonship (Romans 8), teaches and reminds us of Jesus’ words (John 14 & 16), and speaks in a still, small voice that steadies us in storms (1 Kings 19; Psalm 46:10). We’ll talk honestly about what it means to grieve or quench the Spirit—and how simple, obedient faith re-opens the floodgates of joy, peace, and holy direction. If you’ve felt unloved, stuck, or unsure of God’s will, this episode will help you listen, believe, and walk as an adopted son or daughter.

Key Scriptures (NKJV): Romans 5:1–5; Romans 8:14–17; John 14:26; John 16:7–15; Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–22; Psalm 46:10; 1 Kings 19:11–12.

How’s your relationship with God? In this message, we move from how God reveals Himself—through creation and His inerrant Word—to how we relate to Him in prayer. Hebrews 4:12–16 shows the Word as living and sharp, and Jesus as our great High Priest who tore the veil and welcomes us to the throne of grace with confidence (not arrogance). We talk about praying as you are, not as you wish you were; bringing your “bucket of pain” and your joys to the Lord; the difference between vertical forgiveness (you and God) and horizontal forgiveness (reconciled relationship); and practical ways to build a praying life—morning, midday, evening—until prayer becomes an ongoing conversation.

Key Scriptures (NKJV): Hebrews 4:12–16; Matthew 6:9–15; Romans 5:1–11; Philippians 4:6–7; Matthew 27:51; Ephesians 1.

Pastor Eric continues “Relationships in HD” by showing how God speaks beyond pages and pulpits—through people and through providential events. From Esther’s “such a time as this” moment (Esther 4) to real-life stories of counsel, affirmation, and course-correction, we learn to resist fear, seek wisdom, and obey courageously. You’ll hear why fasting focuses the heart, how to test a word from others against God’s character and Scripture, and how trials can become classrooms for growth rather than wasted pain. Along the way: a celebration of community outreach, a reminder to vote your conscience shaped by Scripture, and a sober look at spiritual warfare with a greater confidence in Christ. Big question: Are you listening to the Lord—through His Word, His people, and the events He’s allowing in your life—today?

Scripture: Esther 4:10–17; James 1:2–4; Romans 15:4; Psalm 119:105; John 1:12; Proverbs 11:14; Colossians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 2 Tim. 3:16–17.