MFP 341: Unleash the Holy Spirit in Your Family w/ Dr. Sean and Nicole Tobin from Encounter Ministries

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

Mike and Alicia Hernon : Catholic Marriage Parent and Family

Parenting, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity, Kids & Family

4.9 • 841 Ratings

🗓️ 14 July 2025

⏱️ 86 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"What do we feel is the first and last need of the Church? …the Spirit, the Holy Spirit…. He is her divine breath, the wind in her sails, the principle of her unity, the inner source of her light and strength." - St. Paul VI

Summary

We can't wait for you to hear this podcast! The week before Pentecost, we did a webinar with Dr. Sean and Nicole Tobin, a Catholic couple passionate about helping families live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Sean is a clinical psychologist, worship leader, and co-founder of the Divine Mercy Clinic and Nicole holds a master's in Theology and co-founded the Los Angeles campus of the Encounter School of Ministry with Sean. Together, they speak and minister nationally, helping families become more fully alive in the Spirit through healing, activation, and practical faith formation. They came and spoke to our people about how the Holy Spirit can help us be the parents God wants us to be and the parents our children need. None of us can raise our kids alone! Not only do we need our spouses, but we also need God present in our lives every day through His Holy Spirit. Listen in to get some amazing wisdom and to learn how God wants to empower our parenting in a new way.

Key Takeaways

Desperation with expectation is an invitation to the Holy Spirit.
Virtue does not come from us just "trying harder", it comes as a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
"What do we feel is the first and last need of this blessed and beloved Church of ours? We must say it, almost trembling and praying, because as you know well, this is the Church's mystery and life: the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. He it is who animates and sanctifies the Church. He is her divine breath, the wind in her sails, the principle of her unity, the inner source of her light and strength." Pope St Paul VI
Heaven has been invading earth since Pentecost… it continues the mission of Christ in us.
The biggest hindrance in our home is our busyness. We have to notice and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Tune in and listen.
Children thrive in structure and routine, so teach them to give God the first and your best. Have them read scripture first thing, then pause and have them listen and journal each and every day.
Healing is an easy first step - pray for this.

Couple Discussion Questions

What's one way we can invite the Holy Spirit more deeply into our home?
Is there something we need to surrender or ask God to heal in our family?

Transcript

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0:00.0	Family, all in this together.
0:08.2	Family, we're taking a chance.
0:10.8	Family, like birds of a feather.
0:13.3	Family, get off my shoes and dance.
0:15.4	Hey, we are Mike and Alicia Hernin.
0:17.4	We have 10 kids and grandkids too, and we are here for every parent. Because we are on a
0:22.2	mission to empower moms and dads to embrace their sacred calling. So join the conversation.
0:28.0	Family, we're taking a chance.
0:32.0	Welcome to the podcast. We are so glad you joined us today. And we actually recorded this right in advance of Pentecost.
0:42.4	Right.
0:43.2	But it is, I always think that ordinary time, our day-to-day life.
0:48.6	Yeah.
0:49.2	It is the season of the Holy Spirit.
0:51.4	That's right.
0:52.2	And as parents, I'll say this, that I have on many
0:57.6	occasions struggled and didn't know the right answer, didn't know the right thing to do,
1:04.0	or even in my relationship with my wife. And I needed the Holy Spirit. I didn't always pray
1:09.7	for it. But what I did, not needed needs
1:12.8	currently. Ongoing. Every day. So we need the Holy Spirit in our parenting if we're trying to do
1:22.8	something that is beyond our human ability. And what we have to bring to the table as parents is here.
1:30.4	But what our kids need is up here.
1:33.3	And that gap in between is God's grace provided by the Holy Spirit.
	...

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