How Your Marriage Raises Your Kids

We are so thankful that you made it a point to listen to this session of DadU and hope you were inspired and encouraged. As Scott shared this session, you cannot win as a dad if you are not first winning at loving their momma. Our kids are watching the way we love, serve, sacrifice, and humble ourselves in that relationship. What an amazing opportunity we've been given and what an enormous responsibility. We can't do it in our own strength, but with the truth of God's Word, the power of the Spirit of God alive in our hearts, and the encouragement and support of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we can honor God in the way we love and serve our wives.

CALL TO ACTION

Scott mentioned the "Cherish Journal" that he did last year and we want to encourage you to take the "Cherish Challenge" for at least the next 7 days. So often we focus on the things in our spouse that drive us crazy. We hone in on the differences and the things that frustrate us. For the next 7 days, what if you focused on the things you value and cherish about her? For the next 7 days, keep track on your phone or in your journal of what you love and cherish about your spouse. Each day for the next week, write down something unique about her. Choose to focus on the good, not the frustrating. Perhaps schedule a special date night with her or time to share your journal with her. Each of us can do that for at least 7 days, so take the challenge and pay attention to the difference it makes in your own heart first.

Also, as Wes mentioned this session, perhaps the best action step you can take is to make a commitment to attend ReEngage for the next several months and really work on your marriage in an intentional and purposeful way. We hope you'll pray about it, talk with your wife about it, process it with your community group (maybe invite them to join you) and take that step if the Lord is calling you to it.

RESOURCES

Here are a few helpful resources you may want to consider utilizing as you work to strengthen your marriage.

• Scottkedersha.com -- Scott has an amazing blog that you should check out on a regular basis for encouragement and practical guidance on how to love and serve your wife and your family. You can sign up there for his 124 Killer Date Night Ideas to help you in this journey.
• Cherish: The One Word That Changes Everything for Your Marriage by Gary Thomas -- Scott mentioned this great book by Gary Thomas that you may want to check out or make plans to read together with your wife.
• The Fierce Marriage Podcast -- For those of you who are podcast consumers, this is great weekly podcast by Ryan and Selena Frederick that you may want to check out and add to your subscriptions.
• An UNCOMMON Challenge -- This message by Todd Wagner from our Uncommon Marriage Conference several years ago is a must-listen encouragement and challenge for all of us. This is a great message to listen to with your spouse and discuss.
• Summit Men's Bible Study

NEXT TIME:

The next session of DadU is titled "Teach Us to Pray: Pleading with God on Behalf of our Children". There's not a Christian dad alive who wouldn't love to grow in their discipline of praying, especially for their families. You're not going to want to miss this time with our special guest next month, so mark your calendars and be sure you are registered for that time. Thanks again for trusting us with your time. To listen to other conversations, catch up on the Watermark Family Ministry Podcast.