So if I really love the person I'm doing this for, then it becomes a, I get to do this instead of I have to do this.

It's not a chore, it's not an errand in the sense of like it's not drudgery. And so what love does is it transforms that into a privilege.

It is a real privilege to get up in the middle of night and hold a baby. It is a real privilege to change diapers. And it's such a picture for us of the gospel too, of how we can take something that is maybe mundane and can feel like a chore and say, I'm going to consecrate this to the Lord. Not just because I love my kids, because I love him. I'm going to be able to serve my kids in a way that it's going to demonstrate to my father. I'm willing to give up. Like, what good is a

sacrifice if we never going to be able to serve my kids in a way that it's going to demonstrate

to my father. I'm willing to give up. What good is a sacrifice if we never have to give anything up

that we actually love? So when you have to give up time, but what's more precious than our time?

Oh, what an honor to give that up for the Lord.

Adam Griffin serves as the lead pastor of Eastside Community Church in Dallas, Texas,

is the host of the Family Discipleship podcast and is the author of numerous books for parents and children alike,

including Good News for Parents, How God Can Restore Our Joy and Relieve Our Burdens. Adam, thanks so much for joining me today on the Crossway podcast. Matt, it's an honor to be here. Thanks for having me.

So today we're going to talk about your new book on parenting. And it's a book that probably is pretty

different from most of the parenting books that maybe our listeners have read before,

even Christian parenting books that we've read.

Yes, sir.

But before we get into that and explain why that is and what makes it unique, I wonder if you can

start by telling us a little bit about yourself and your family.

Sure.

Well, I'm a parent as well.

I've got three boys, Oscar, Gus, and Theodore.

They're 13, 11, and 9 right now. And I'm married to Chelsea. She is a labor and delivery nurse in Dallas where we live. And I pastor church, like you mentioned, East Side. And our family has lived in the same house for 10 years, same neighborhood since before we planted. We are rooted where we're at in Dallas. And I just love my kids. I love my family. I am no expert parent.

Nothing that we do for parents is really rooted in the tips and tricks that I've learned,

which is why the books that we've written are about discipleship, about sharing our faith,

...