Creative storytelling in parenting with Dallas Jenkins (2024)

Oct 24 • 31:31

Creative storytelling in parenting with Dallas Jenkins →

I couldnt wait to have a chat with the founder, producer and director of The Chosen, Dallas Jenkins. Although thats super cool - I also wanted it to be practical for us as parents. He was fantastic!

My kids are very visual learners and I am sure many of your children are as well, so I wanted to hear his thoughts on creative storytelling. Some kids cannot read the Bible and get what they need right away. They dont understand the context around the stories. Dallas is a master at providing context to scriptural truth through his TV series and films.

This conversation challenged me to keep thinking creatively about how we infuse virtues, values and faith in the lives of my kids. It encouraged me to keep living faith more than I lecture about it. We know that much of lifes most valuable lessons are caught not taught. It reminded me to relax if my kids are more into movies, books, music vs reading.

My favorite part is the amazing God story behind his newest movie for kids, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. It is truly extraordinary how it came about. I can't wait to take my kids to see it (with all of their friends) and kick off the season that is all about the birth of our Savior.

In this episode, we chat about:

  • How The Chosen series changed my neighbors life
  • How to use creative storytelling in your parenting
  • How Dallas latest movie came about and how it can benefit your family

Enjoy!

Courtney

(00:00) The Power of Friendship and Faith

(02:53) Transformative Impact of 'The Chosen'

(06:05) Family Dynamics and Sacrifices

(09:01) Creative Storytelling in Parenting

(12:00) The New Movie: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

(14:55) Behind the Scenes of the Movie Production

(17:51) The Journey of Faith and Persistence

(21:00) Encouragement for Families and Communities

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

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Resources from todays show:

The Chosen

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Christian Parenting Christmas Gift Guide

Carpool Conversations

Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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Oct 21 • 7:20

BONUS: How to Discern His Truth →

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christto the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:911)

Biblical discernment is understanding something through the power of the Holy Spirit. It means being able to see what is good vs. evil, false teaching vs. truth, wise vs. unwise. Being discerning does not mean being judgemental, though it is easy to fall into that. Being discerning means being able to distinguish the voice and will of God from the noise of the world.

It is so easy to accept what we see on social media, the news, or the internet as truth. But so often, it is far from the truth. Even our favorite Christian writers, podcasters, or pastors could share false teachings. Our kids are growing up in a world that is completely different from the world we grew up in. The access to information alone is overwhelming, which is why we need to be praying that our kids know how to discern Gods truth in the world around them.

Our kids will face peer pressure to do things that they know arent right, they will be taught to follow their emotions and desires over the Lord, and they will be told that there are ways that are better than Gods. The ability to recognize those things as harmful and untrue is a gift that we all desire for our kids.

For our kids to truly live in Gods will, they need to have a discerning spirit, so lets pray for their ability to discern truth this week.

Father God, I pray that____________ will learn to test what they read, hear, and see with scripture. Help them to seek your truth above all else. I pray that your word will guide their paths. May they base their life on your truth instead of the lies of the enemy and of this world. Will you daily renew their minds and make their hearts wholeheartedly devoted to you?

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Oct 17 • 33:51

In this weeks episode, I have the honor of chatting with Reese - a college-aged friend that I adore. She bravely shares her testimony - one that involves abuse by a coach, a not guilty jury decision and Gods faithfulness through it all. Reese wanted to come on and share her story so that parents see that an authentic faith is often born from lifes toughest struggles.

When I asked Reeses mom about this journey, this was her text to me.

My daughters journey reminds us that God can use even our worst fears and redeem them. We cant protect our kids from their testimony. God always takes what the enemy intends for evil for good. Maybe even their very purpose. Trusting him with their growth and process and pain. We were the parents with such tight controls. No sleepovers. No phones until HS. No ipads. Locked down YouTube. My control cant protect her from everything.

My favorite part is when she shares a story of how God spoke directly to her during some of the hardest parts of her story. It gave me chills and also great comfort. It reminded me that no matter what our kids face - they will never be alone. I can either get swallowed up with fear and the what ifs of parenting or I can make the choice to lean into faith and trust God has them. He has them in the best of times and the worst.

I am so excited for you to hear from an 18-year-old with a solid and authentic faith that wasnt born out of a perfect life. Her faith is hers, its tested and its remarkable.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Reeses story of abuse
  • Authentic faith birthed through hardest times
  • How she experienced God so personally
  • Reess encouragement for parents

Enjoy,

Courtney

00:00

Introduction and Background

02:01

Impacting Children's Faith

04:18

Overcoming Abuse and Finding Identity in Christ

08:47

Timeline and Legal Proceedings

17:06

Experiencing God through Visions and Dreams

19:28

The Table of the Lord

27:50

Encouragement for Parents

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

Get your 2024-2025 prayer journal, A Life of Faith

Resources from todays show:

Reeses ministry - Abundant Grace

God Made All Of Me - recommended book for littles

Birds and Bees

Birds and Bees Episode

Untold - her favorite ministry in Africa

Ellas purple dress from Amazon

Identity Simplified

Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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Oct 14 • 12:06

BONUS: Gods Word →

But Jesus told him, 'No! The Scriptures say, "People do not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4 NLT)

Reading the Bible and memorizing scripture matters because it is one way we can fight the battles in our own livesboth big and small. Scripture can help our kids (and us!) feel confident in our God-given identity, face a life crisis, and everything in between. Knowing Gods word also develops our faith and brings us closer to God. Every bit of scripture is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12), God-breathed, and teaches us to live righteously (2 Timothy 3:16).

The more we know Gods word and keep it in our hearts, the more we understand Gods heart and his ways, aligning our wills to his. The word of God protects us from the desire to do it all by ourselves and replaces that desire with the desire to let God direct our paths. God loves us too much to leave us to our own devices. He reveals truth to us through his word so that the desires of our hearts become more like his!

So this week, lets pray that our kids will know the word of God and lean on it to guide them in every area of their lives.

Father God, I pray that ____________ grows to learn your word, love your word, and see it as holy and infallible. May they love the Bible and read it daily with the goal of knowing your heart more and more. May they rely on your word to direct their paths. Remind them to hide your word in their hearts so they can use it to fight any battle they facenow and in the future. Amen.

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Oct 10 • 40:59

Its an absolute delight to have my dear friend Lysa TerKeurst on the podcast today. Lysa has been sharing her deepest struggles through writing books, devotionals and bible studies for decades. She has a beautiful way combining biblical truth and heartfelt empathy that makes us all feel less alone.

In todays episode, we discuss TRUST and DISTRUST. She shares that when you starve a relationship from trust - its like not giving a human air to breathe. I can imagine that many of you are working through some trust issues - we all are. Whether its a broken friendship or marriage or a strained relationship with a family member or dear friend. It can be really hard to manage the healing and repairing process for yourself and even more difficult when it involves your children.

One of my favorite parts is when she talks about the importance of healing in a community. She shares how natural it can be to isolate when youre hurt - but trust rebuilds in community. I am praying this episode touches a tender topic with such encouragement and practical help.

In this episode we discuss:

  • Why trust is crucial to all human relationships
  • How to manage broken hearts and relationships while raising kids
  • How to move towards healing with resilience

Enjoy!

Courtney

00:00

Practical Wisdom and Biblical Truth: A Conversation on Trust and Distrust

03:16

The Impact of Broken Trust: Emotional Abuse and Betrayal Trauma

15:24

Triggers and Discernment: Patterns of Behavior and Self-Exploration

32:55

Resilience and Healing: Overcoming Broken Trust

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess

Courtney DeFeo

Get your 2024-2025 prayer journal, A Life of Faith

Resources from todays show:

LysaTerKeurst.com

I Want To Trust You, But I Cant - Lysas newest book

Dr Amen and Lysa - her brain scan

EMDR Therapy

WOW - root cover up

Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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