Contrary to what some allege, Scripture’s clear witness is that children are to be present when God’s people gather for worship. Yet how do you train your kids to sit quietly at church as God’s Word is preached and to actively sing songs of praise during the service? What practical steps can you take during the week to prepare them for Sunday? And how do you manage the service itself as wise parents?

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guests Isaac and Heidi Botkin, tackle these questions head on. With four children, eight and under, the Botkins are still learning how to direct their young ones in worship, yet they offer practical counsel: Teach them obedience and self-government at home through regular family worship. Get your kids familiar with the songs your church sings by singing them together ahead of time. And, during the weekly service, work together as parents to manage your children’s oversight and discipline.

Read these two articles as a supplement to today’s podcast:

“Does Nehemiah 8:1-3 Teach Age Segregation?” by Scott Brown

“Nehemiah's Nursery” by Voddie Baucham

Does the younger generation know why you do what you do? In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm discuss (8) distinctives that have got Christians “in trouble” as they’ve embraced God’s Word rather than worldly trends: (1) the sufficiency of Scripture, not the sufficiency of culture; (2) the regulative principle as opposed to the normative principle of worship; (3) Sabbath-keeping vs. sabbath-breaking; (4) the continued applicability of God’s moral law, rather than antinomianism; (5) age-integrated, not age-segregated worship; (6) theologically-sound, rather than theologically unsound music; (7) biblical manhood and womanhood, instead of egalitarianism; (8) and a culture of modesty vs. immodesty in the church.

Here’s the backdrop. For the last several decades, a growing number of families and churches have gone back to the Bible and reshaped how they live and worship. Throwing off compromises that dominated the 20th century, they’ve sought to conform their practices to age-old biblical standards. But if the foundational reasons for these changes aren’t reinforced through careful discipleship, the next generation can easily fall prey to error again.

To learn more about these (8) distinctives, check out the resources below or search our resource library here.

1. The Sufficiency of Scripture, not the Sufficiency of Culture
Do Not Learn the Way of the Gentiles

2. The Regulative Principle, as opposed to the Normative Principle of Worship
Only God Can Regulate Worship

3. Sabbath-keeping vs. Sabbath-breaking
Confronting the Thieves of Sabbath Delight

4. The Continued Applicability of God’s Moral Law, rather than Antinomianism
The Harmony of Law and Gospel

5. Age-integrated, not Age-segregated Worship
A Biblical Case for Age-Integrated Discipleship
A Declaration of the Complementary Roles of Church and Family

6. Theologically Sound rather than Theologically Unsound Music
Can I Use Any Form of Music to Worship God?

7. Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, instead of Egalitarianism
The Sufficiency of Scripture for Manhood and Womanhood

8. A Culture of Modesty vs. Immodesty in the Church
Beyond Modesty: The Supremacy of Christ in Clothing

Why do we wear what we wear? The truth is, the clothes we put on communicate who we are and where our heart is. So here’s the question we must answer: Do we seek to flaunt ourselves, or do we portray humble modesty before God and our fellow man? Putting the matter simply—do we love God and our neighbor as ourselves in how we dress, or are we consumed with love of self instead?

In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm, joined by special guest Gavin Beers, explain how that our need for clothing points to our need for Christ. Fallen man seeks to cover the shame of his sin—as our first parents did in the Garden. Yet Adam and Eve’s paltry fig leaves were not enough. Only the perfect Lamb of God can truly cover our transgression with His robes of righteousness. Our physical clothing points to this spiritual reality and should inform how we dress as Christians today.