Welcome to my new series here on the podcast: The Family & Culture: How to bring glory to God within our households in a hostile culture. We are at a time, as a society and as the Church, where we need to be thinking really critically about our families, our households, and the larger culture. We need to figure out how and when we are going to interact with the culture and what it means to share the Gospel and also protect our families. This is a BIG and incredibly important topic, so today kicks off an entire series on this topic. In this series that will span into 2022, we will cover topics like: Equipping our family to be brave for the coming future, How to prepare your family to weather the storm in a hostile culture, how to prepare your home to nurture your family, The mother's role in developing a family culture, The father's role, The children's role and responsibility, defending our faith, and more! Listen to the Podcast: You can find all the links and notes for this episode below! Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer. So today we are kicking off this discussion first by discussing the household. After all, that's what this podcast is for, Finding Joy in Your Home...all for God's Glory! So then, as we jump into these even greater topics, I want to first make sure we see how essential the household is. In the past 50 years or so, Christianity in the West has become progressively more individualistic. We've wanted to shed any ideas of religion in favor or a "relationship". We want to emphasize our own personal walks with the Lord over corporate walks. We've lost how community oriented the Christian life is suppose to be and this has deeply affected our households and how we teach our children about Christ. We need to fight for the households again. We need to fight hard for time as a family, time with our kids, time to slowly teach them about Christ. We've become a very individualistic society that goes a thousand separate ways. And in some ways, I think this has been made worse the past 2 years. We need to start thinking to our great grand children.  What are we building for future generations? How are we training up parents and grandparents. Over the course of the next couple of hundred of years, I cannot even begin to calculate how many descendants that Jason and I will have. The Whole Armor of God 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:10-20 There are great joys in a Christian household. There is fellowship and intimacy. There is working through problems and conflicts as Christians. There is the deep love and support of a life lived for Christ. There are male and female,