We work through why the first 1,500 years of Christian history belong to Protestants too, and how doctrine grows clearer without becoming “new.” We talk councils, church fathers, Rome, and the Reformation so we can read widely while keeping Scripture as the final authority.

• The faith once for all delivered and what “progress” really means for doctrine.
• Why “go back to Acts” can be a shallow way to read church history.
• How Nicaea clarifies the Trinity without inventing it.
• Why church fathers are valuable but not infallible interpreters.
• Reading Augustine and Aquinas under sola scriptura and a confessional lens.
• How church history helps test modern teachings and spot recycled heresies.
• Catholic small c versus Roman Catholic as an institution.
• The 1054 schism and how authority claims shape later Roman Catholic doctrine.
• Why anachronisms matter when people read later dogma into earlier centuries.
• Luther’s intent to reform and why justification by faith alone becomes central.
• Why neglecting church history can disconnect us from Christ’s preserving work.

Send us an encouragement, question, or critique.

If this episode was helpful, please share it with a friend or member from church and discuss it with them!

We keep walking through toddler discipline by tackling the most disputed question head-on: what the Bible means by “the rod” and how correction stays loving instead of angry. We share practical steps, real parenting failures, and a framework for discipline that aims at repentance, reconciliation, and long-term joy in the home.

• why the rod is commanded and how it differs from abuse
• disciplining with purpose rather than venting anger
• what to do when a child hits a parent
• explaining the offense to restrain both parent and child
• why certainty matters more than severity
• wisdom of using an instrument instead of a hand
• starting early with simple commands and catechizing with the Ten Commandments
• how law and gospel fit together in parenting
• layering consequences beyond spanking when needed
• real stories of inconsistency, embarrassment, and visible fruit over time

Send us an encouragement, question, or critique.

If this episode was helpful, please share it with a friend or member from church and discuss it with them!

We talk about how parents are made complete for the work of parenting by the hope and help offered by the Scriptures.
• trusting Scripture as the foundation for parenting wisdom
• distinguishing formative training from corrective discipline
• building Deuteronomy 6 habits through daily instruction
• practicing obedience in calm moments to prepare for hard moments
• modeling what we teach so our actions match our words
• managing expectations about toddler foolishness to stay calm
• treating parenting as a full-time vocation not a side gig
• rejecting a culture that treats children as an inconvenience
• remembering long-term fruit comes from thousands of hours
• calling fathers to lead at home without dominating
• pursuing consistency and first-time obedience to reduce anger
• inviting feedback from spouse and church to spot blind spots

Send us an encouragement, question, or critique.

If this episode was helpful, please share it with a friend or member from church and discuss it with them!

We talk through staying committed to a local church in the midst of turbulence; Matt shares how discipleship clicked for him when doctrine moved from the bookshelf to the heart through beholding Christ, not chasing penance.

• long-haul church membership as a deliberate choice, not inertia
• loyalty and responsibility when you are leading through change
• simplifying the church calendar to fight burnout and free up real fellowship
• pushing discipleship back into the home with parents, not programs
• resisting church consumerism and clarifying what we should expect from a church
• balancing orthodoxy with love for people and honest heart work
• learning to fight sin by loving God more than the sin
• escaping the “do better, try harder” self-atonement lane
• encouragement from seeing kids stay close to parents and keep the faith

Send us an encouragement, question, or critique.

If this episode was helpful, please share it with a friend or member from church and discuss it with them!

We walk through Pastor Matt Fudge’s story from Sitka, Alaska to Bakersfield to Nebraska, and how a simple church invitation helped move him from cultural Christianity to genuine faith. We also talk about marriage, parenting, work in the operating room, and what it looks like to grow into church leadership with humility.

• growing up across the West Coast and feeling the pull to leave
• being nominally Christian while missing the gospel
• a friend’s straightforward invite to church and why asking works
• wild restaurant work stories that reveal immaturity and hindsight
• meeting Amy, getting challenged on basic Christian beliefs, hearing Romans
• early marriage tension, learning headship without control, Amy’s conversion
• how kids expose selfishness and push daily sanctification
• leaving the psychology path, finding sales work, landing in Medtronic spine implants
• what it’s like supporting surgeons in the operating room
• moving from serving to leadership, stepping down as deacon, training toward elder
• church planting turnover, conflict over vision, and lessons in shepherding

Send us an encouragement, question, or critique.

If this episode was helpful, please share it with a friend or member from church and discuss it with them!

We talk through what a gospel community is, why we do it at Emmaus, and the fruit of being in a GC. We also name the real costs and the lasting joys so you can step into the year with clear eyes and real hope.

• defining gospel community as believers in a home listening, opening Scripture, and praying
• clarifying what GC is not, not a substitute for Sunday church or the Lord’s Supper
• why love for one another needs a weekly context to be practiced
• how GC serves busy seasons by helping us serve and be served
• fruit from reading the Bible together, asking better questions, and growing in sanctification
• fruit from interceding in prayer and watching God answer prayer over time
• how kids are formed by seeing a spiritual family live the faith in ordinary homes
• costs of time, money, tiredness, listening well, and relational friction that exposes pride
• joy of deep relationships, honest exhortation, and singing together through trials

Send us an encouragement, question, or critique.

If this episode was helpful, please share it with a friend or member from church and discuss it with them!

We trade stories about the moments that shape a life, from marriage and children to leadership transitions, grief, and mission work. We also step back to talk about how reflecting on God’s providence helps us make sense of our past and walk forward with hope.

• marriage as a major tool God uses to shape character
• waiting, dating, and the surprising kindness of matchmaking friends
• the joy of children and grandchildren and the perspective that comes with time
• miscarriage, grief, and facing death in a personal way
• the quiet shame many women feel and the need for tender, biblical care
• moving away from home as a refining season for marriage and calling
• becoming a senior pastor through uncertainty, trust, and congregational affirmation
• sermons that convict, humble, and comfort in seasons of sin and weakness
• living closely with another family and learning a model of parenting and discipline
• missions as the mission of the church and the conflict missionaries often face

Send us an encouragement, question, or critique.

If this episode was helpful, please share it with a friend or member from church and discuss it with them!

We share the books that most shaped our faith, our ministry, and our growth in holiness, from Puritans to modern writers. We also explain why older Christian books are uniquely helpful and how reading together can strengthen the culture of a church.

• Puritan life and practice through Worldly Saints
• Seeing Christ’s majesty and fighting sin through John Owen
• A theology of preaching shaped by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
• Learning boldness and endurance through Spurgeon biographies
• Confessing sin and pursuing purity with Finally Free
• Fighting anxiety and walking faithfully with Follow The Lamb
• Pastoral grace and wisdom through The Letters Of John Newton
• Building theological clarity with Berkhof’s systematic theology
• Understanding early church history as Protestants with Nick Needham
• Strengthening the home with worship, work, and wisdom from The Family Economy

Send us an encouragement, question, or critique.

If this episode was helpful, please share it with a friend or member from church and discuss it with them!