The Intentional Parents Podcast

Intentional

In a world where distractions are endless and culture constantly pulls us in different directions, it’s more important than ever to remain intentional in your marriage and parenting. Brook and Elizabeth Mosser, alongside Phil and Diane Comer, invite you into a conversation about biblical formation — offering wisdom, encouragement, and practical tools for raising passionate Jesus followers. As an intergenerational team that is also family, we bridge the perspectives of different life stages, drawing from both decades-long experience and fresh insight on the topics of parenting and marriage. From vulnerable Q+R sessions to insightful guest interviews, we explore real-life stories of both steady formation and radical transformation — unpacking how God is shaping our lives and the lives of those around us. Join us each week as we pursue God’s design for life, marriage, and parenting — with intention.

  1. Anger, Underlying Pain, Justice Without Mercy, and Steps Toward Healing

    FEB 11

    Anger, Underlying Pain, Justice Without Mercy, and Steps Toward Healing

    This week, all four of us sit down for an honest and hopeful conversation about anger — where it comes from, why it’s such a universal part of being human, and how pain so often fuels it. We share a few personal updates on what we’ve been up to, including an update on Elizabeth’s health, and then dive into the reality that simply being alive gives us plenty of opportunities to feel angry. Anger is something everyone experiences, but it’s often a secondary emotion pointing to deeper pain beneath the surface. We talk about how hiding anger in shame can actually enslave us to it, while bringing it into the light opens the door to real transformation. Rather than just managing our anger, we explore the hope that Jesus can actually heal us from it. We discuss how anger can be generational, how we’re raising kids in an increasingly angry culture, and the different ways anger shows up — from explosive reactions to simmering resentment to an underlying critical spirit. We also reflect on righteous anger, the need to hold both justice and mercy together, and what this looks like, especially in motherhood. We then turn to practical ways to engage our anger by slowing down to ask why we’re angry, inviting God to show us what needs healing or repentance, and taking responsibility for how we move toward repair. We talk about how anger is often a response to feeling threatened, the power of confession and bringing our struggles into the light, and the slow, faithful work of healing through the Holy Spirit. We end with real hope, as Diane shares how the anger she struggled with early in marriage and parenting no longer has the same hold on her by God’s grace — reminding us to be patient with ourselves and trust that anger can be transformed as we walk the path of humility and healing. Scripture Mentioned: John 17:20-23, Micah 6:8, Psalm 97:2, Proverbs 25:23, Proverbs 4:5, Genesis 4:6, Jonah 4:4, 1 John 3:12, James 4:1-3, James 5:16, Psalm 139:23-24, Romans 2:4, Galatians 5:22-23 + Exodus 34:6-7, Psalm 107:1-2 + Romans 8:29 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Join Our Legacy Builders Watch on YouTube Follow Us on Instagram:  @intentional_parents  @brookmosser @emosser FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers The Intentional Film Series

    1h 18m
  2. Key Moments of 2025: Highlights from Our Most-Loved Episodes (Staying Calm, Emotional Intelligence, Shielding Our Kids, Tools of Discipline + Daily Habits)

    FEB 4

    Key Moments of 2025: Highlights from Our Most-Loved Episodes (Staying Calm, Emotional Intelligence, Shielding Our Kids, Tools of Discipline + Daily Habits)

    This episode features five of our most-listened-to moments from 2025. These conversations clearly resonated with listeners and sparked meaningful reflection for parents trying to follow Jesus in everyday family life. We reflect on how pride shows up when we’re corrected and how parenting gives us daily opportunities to model humility, drawing from Scripture to show why God consistently meets humility with grace and makes it the starting point of a usable life. We also talk about emotional intelligence, learning to name what’s happening inside us without letting emotions rule us, and how many of us are developing these skills in adulthood because they weren’t modeled for us growing up. We explore the tension between wanting to shield our kids from pain and learning to trust God with their formation, emphasizing the importance of repair, helping our kids make sense of emotional pain, and trusting that God is present and purposeful even in what we can’t control. We unpack the biblical call to discipline as loving training rather than punishment, why passivity and harshness both exasperate our children, and how rupture and repair are central to healthy parent-child relationships. Finally, we reflect on daily spiritual habits, letting go of legalism, and forming simple, life-giving rhythms with God — following Jesus’ example of regularly withdrawing to meet with the Father, not out of obligation, but out of relationship. These clips are taken from our five most-loved episodes of 2025. To hear the full episodes, click on your podcast platform of choice below. 5 Necessities to Being a Calm, Regulated Parent in the Midst of Chaos + the Power of Meekness and Humility (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube) Unlocking the Power of Emotional Intelligence In Ourselves and In Our Kids (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube) Being Emotionally Present with Toddlers Amidst Responsibilities, Dealing with Overstimulation as a Parent + Shielding Kids from Emotional Pain (Q+R) (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube) Tools of Discipline: Gentle Correction, A Loving Rebuke, Patient Instruction and Encouragement (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube) Daily Habits, Formation, Why Did God Create My Kids, and Authority (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube) Scripture Mentioned: Ephesians 4:2, Matthew 11:28-30, Numbers 12:3, 1 Peter 5:5, Genesis 50:20, Genesis 39:21, Romans 8 + Psalm 91, Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 29:17, Hebrews 12:11 + Ephesians 1:15-20 Books Mentioned: Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon, Streams in the Desert by L. B. Cowman and James Reimann + Edges of His Ways by Amy Carmichael Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Join Our Legacy Builders Watch on YouTube Follow Us on Instagram:  @intentional_parents  @brookmosser  @emosser FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers The Intentional Film Series

    55 min
  3. Spiritual Formation & Motherhood: Interview w/ John Mark Comer at the Intentional Motherhood Retreat

    JAN 28

    Spiritual Formation & Motherhood: Interview w/ John Mark Comer at the Intentional Motherhood Retreat

    During the Intentional Motherhood Retreat 2025, Elizabeth sat down with her older brother, John Mark Comer, for a deeply honest and encouraging conversation about spiritual formation in the thick of motherhood. For so many mothers, life feels crowded with the dailyness and busyness of caring for little ones, making it easy to believe the lie that we must do more or try harder to grow spiritually. But what if spiritual formation isn’t something you add to your already overloaded life — what if it’s already happening? John Mark and Elizabeth explore how every mom is being spiritually formed through the ordinary moments of motherhood, becoming a certain kind of person through how she lives, responds, and loves. Drawing from Dallas Willard’s teachings on practices of engagement vs. abstinence, they talk about removing rather than adding — taking an honest audit of your life and recognizing that so much of motherhood is already shaping your soul. They discuss the difference between active and passive spirituality, the surprising ways pain and sacrifice become places of growth, the generational shift in how we view parenting, and what it means to join Christ in His suffering. They also reflect on Jacques Philippe’s idea of “choosing what you have not chosen” and learning to respond to life’s constant interruptions with consent rather than contempt. Ultimately, this conversation is an invitation back to relationship — with God, with others, and with your own soul. It’s about noticing and naming what you’re feeling, staying responsive instead of reactive, and returning again and again to the cross in the ordinary rhythms of your day. Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Join Our Legacy Builders Watch on YouTube Follow Us on Instagram:  @intentional_parents  @brook_mosser  @emosser FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers The Intentional Film Series

    42 min
  4. Conversation w/ Ronald Rolheiser: Restlessness, Leaving a Legacy, Dealing With Anger + the Power of Fidelity

    JAN 21

    Conversation w/ Ronald Rolheiser: Restlessness, Leaving a Legacy, Dealing With Anger + the Power of Fidelity

    In this episode, Brook and Justin sit down with Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, one of the most trusted and influential spiritual voices of our time, and someone whose work we deeply admire and return to often. A Catholic priest, theologian, and author, Fr. Rolheiser has spent more than 50 years teaching and writing about prayer, vocation, and the interior life, helping countless people understand how God meets us in ordinary, everyday faithfulness. Now 78 and a cancer survivor of more than a decade, Fr. Rolheiser reflects on this current stage of life and what it means to finish well. Drawing from his framework of getting your life together, giving your life away, and giving your death away, he shares wisdom shaped by experience, suffering, and surrender, reminding us that the way we die is the spirit we leave behind. Much of the conversation centers on restlessness, particularly in midlife. Fr. Rolheiser explains that our restlessness is not something to eliminate but a sign that we are “built too big for this world.” Rather than escaping it, he invites us to listen for what God may be teaching us through it, especially as parents learning to integrate spiritual life with ordinary responsibilities. We also explore ideas from his book, Domestic Monastery, where daily obligations — alarm clocks, mortgages, and kids’ schedules — become monastic bells calling us to faithfulness. Parents, he says, don’t raise kids; kids raise parents. The episode closes with reflections on surrender without passivity, responsibility without control, righteous anger, and the quiet power of fidelity. His final encouragement is simple and enduring: stay with your commitments, just show up for prayer, and trust that God is at work in your staying. Ronald Rolheiser: Website + Books (New Book: Insane for the Light: A Spirituality for Our Wisdom Years) Scripture Mentioned: John 21:15-19, Mark 15:37 + John 4:21 Books Mentioned: Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser, Sacred Fire by Ronald Rolheiser, Finding God at Home by Ernest Boyer Jr. + Naming the Whirlwind by Langdon Gilkey Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Join Our Legacy Builders Watch on YouTube Follow Us on Instagram:  @intentional_parents  @brook_mosser  @emosser FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers The Intentional Film Series

    47 min
  5. Bridging Generations with Humility + Removing the Pressure and Performance of Prayer (w/ Addison + Juli Bevere)

    JAN 14

    Bridging Generations with Humility + Removing the Pressure and Performance of Prayer (w/ Addison + Juli Bevere)

    In today’s episode, we sit down with new friends we have a lot in common with: Addison and Juli Bevere of At Home with the Beveres. We talk about life, ministry, parenting four kids, and what it means to steward faith across generations in a world where the gap between young and old can feel wider than ever. Addison and Juli share honestly about the beauty and challenges of being part of a multigenerational ministry legacy, what they hope to pass on to their kids, and what they’re committed to redeeming. We talk about humility, how true formation often happens through difficulty, and how brokenness can deepen love, wisdom, and compassion. We also dive into the heart behind Addison’s 40-day prayer devotional, born out of a season of anxiety and sleeplessness. Together, we explore why prayer can feel like pressure and performance for so many people, and how God invites us into something far more relational, grounding, and life-giving. A place where prayer is not as another task but the thing that centers everything else. And finally, Addison and Juli open up about their marriage in this season, sharing both joys and honest struggles, including the ways grief has shaped their relationship. It’s a hopeful, vulnerable conversation about family, faith, formation, and encountering God in real life. At Home with the Beveres: Instagram, YouTube, Spotify + Apple Podcasts Scripture Mentioned: Genesis 18:18-19, Psalm 68:6, Psalm 127:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Romans 12:12, Ephesians 6:18, John 16:7, Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 2:17, Hebrews 5:5, Hebrews 9 + 10, Psalm 142:2 Books Mentioned: Words with God + Words with God Prayer Journal by Addison Bevere Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Join Our Legacy Builders Watch on YouTube Follow Us on Instagram:  @intentional_parents  @brook_mosser  @emosser FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers The Intentional Film Series

    59 min
  6. Intentional x Dadville (w/ Dave Barnes + Jon McLaughlin from Dadville)

    JAN 6

    Intentional x Dadville (w/ Dave Barnes + Jon McLaughlin from Dadville)

    In this episode, we sit down for a “co-pod” with Dave Barnes and Jon McLaughlin from the Dadville podcast for an honest, funny conversation about parenting, podcasting, and why intentionality matters in the first place. We share the heart behind Intentional and Intentional Fatherhood, getting back to the basics of why we do this work and what we hope it creates. Along the way, there’s plenty of laughter and a shared acknowledgment that none of us have this figured out. Intentionality isn’t about getting it right all the time — it’s about consistently showing up in small, ordinary ways, even when things feel messy or overwhelming. Dave and Jon tell the story of how Dadville began, how the show has grown and changed over the years, and what it’s really like behind the scenes of hosting a long-running podcast. Together, we talk about the importance of repair in relationships, how owning our mistakes can actually deepen connection, and why keeping the lines of communication open with our kids matters more than almost anything else. We also wrestle with the downside of intentionality — when information turns into pressure and fear starts to drive our parenting. Grounded in Jesus’ words from Matthew 18:1-5, the conversation keeps circling back to the simplicity of “becoming like little children.” The question underneath it all is this: do our kids know our heart? At the end of the day, this episode is about helping our kids know they are deeply loved — and learning to lead from love rather than fear. Dadville: Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube Dave Barnes: New Music on Spotify + Apple Music Jon McLaughlin: New Music on Spotify + Apple Music / Tour with Ben Rector Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 18:1-5 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Join Our Legacy Builders Watch on YouTube Follow Us on Instagram:  @intentional_parents  @brook_mosser  @emosser FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers The Intentional Film Series

    1h 17m
  7. Reflection and Projection: Remembering What God Has Done + Trusting Him With What’s Next

    12/31/2025

    Reflection and Projection: Remembering What God Has Done + Trusting Him With What’s Next

    In this end-of-year episode, we reflect on 2025 and look ahead to 2026 through the practices of reflection and projection, rooted in Scripture and focused on formation rather than pressure or performance. We revisit meaningful moments from the year, both personally and within Intentional, including the Motherhood Retreat, Intentional Fatherhood, and the launch of Sowing a Hidden Seed. Reflection helps us tell the truth about our lives with God, while projection invites us to trust Him with that truth as we move forward, anchored in the hope of Hebrews 11:1. The conversation explores Scripture’s repeated call to remember, naming remembrance as an active, embodied practice that leads us toward gratitude, courage, and faith rather than fear. Remembering is not only about the past, but about how the past shapes the present and forms the future — helping us remember, return, and reorder our lives. Elizabeth shares openly about living with chronic pain, reflecting on how the most difficult season of her life has also been deeply formative, and how remembering past suffering can give us hope for what God is able to do with our current and future pain. Drawing on Dallas Willard’s wisdom, the conversation turns toward projection: how we look ahead to 2026 through simple, faithful habits. Faith is described not just as belief, but as action: praying bold, repeated prayers, reading Scripture regularly, and obeying what God commands us to do. The episode closes with a prayer over you, reminding us that unoffered prayer is the greatest tragedy, that prayer moves the hand of God, and that we are invited to partner with Him through both reflection on where we’ve been and projection toward where He is leading us. Prayer: God, as we stand at the edge of this year, we slow ourselves before you. We look back over 2025 with honesty, joy, the loss, the prayers answered and the prayers still open. Help us notice where you were faithful, even when we didn't see it at the time. Let remembrance form trust in us. As we step into the new year, we lean forward with hope. Teach us to pray without giving up, form our habits — not just our intentions — and help us act as though your kingdom is real, because it is. We release what we cannot carry forward. We receive the grace we will need for what lies ahead. Make us people who remember well and hope faithfully. Amen. Scripture Mentioned: Hebrews 11:1, Luke 18:1, Romans 8:22, Romans 8:26-27 + Hebrews 11 Book Mentioned: The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Reclaimwell Prayer Challenge: This January, we invite you to do one simple thing: pray for your child every day. Use your own rhythm or Intentional’s 31-day devotional, Sowing a Hidden Seed, as a helpful guide. The book includes a daily verse, a quote and a prayer on topics like mental health, shame and discernment, plus you’ll receive five bonus days on your child’s digital redemption. Sign up for Intentional’s daily “verse of the day” text and spend just 5 focused minutes in prayer. Download the Reclaimwell app and join the challenge! Intentional’s Year-End Match Campaign: Every $25 equips a family for a full year of spiritual formation. All gifts given through December 31 are matched up to $200,000. Make a donation to double your impact! Sowing a Hidden Seed Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Join Our Legacy Builders Watch on YouTube Follow Us on Instagram:  @intentional_parents  @brook_mosser  @emosser FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers The Intentional Film Series

    58 min
  8. What It’s Like to Be a Teenager Right Now: Pressure, Comparison, and Technology Boundaries (With Our Kids, Duke and Scarlet)

    12/24/2025

    What It’s Like to Be a Teenager Right Now: Pressure, Comparison, and Technology Boundaries (With Our Kids, Duke and Scarlet)

    In this special end-of-year episode, we’re joined by our two oldest kids — Duke (16) and Scarlet (13) — for an honest, funny, and unfiltered conversation about what it’s really like to be a teenager right now. From public high school to middle school in a Christian co-op, they share what daily life looks like in their worlds, complete with sibling jokes, family banter, and plenty of real-life messiness. We talk about the unique pressure of growing up as the kids of parents who lead a family ministry — the sense of being watched, the expectation to perform, and how that shapes their experience. Duke and Scarlet also open up about social pressures, anxiety, comparison, cancel culture, gossip, and the high standards — especially for girls — around appearance and image, even beyond social media. Throughout the conversation, we return to deeper truths about identity, insecurity, and remembering that we are God’s beautiful handiwork. We also discuss technology and social media, including how boundaries around technology have affected them and what’s been most helpful from a parenting perspective. The episode wraps up with a lighthearted bonus question: what they love and don’t love about each of us as parents — a reminder that our family is far from perfect. Our hope is that this conversation encourages you to keep showing up with humility, curiosity, and trust in God’s steady work in your family. Merry Christmas! Books Mentioned: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional’s Year-End Match Campaign: Every $25 equips a family for a full year of spiritual formation. All gifts given through December 31 are matched up to $200,000. Make a donation to double your impact! Sowing a Hidden Seed Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Join Our Legacy Builders Watch on YouTube Follow Us on Instagram:  @intentional_parents  @brook_mosser  @emosser FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers The Intentional Film Series

    1h 37m
4.9
out of 5
1,519 Ratings

About

In a world where distractions are endless and culture constantly pulls us in different directions, it’s more important than ever to remain intentional in your marriage and parenting. Brook and Elizabeth Mosser, alongside Phil and Diane Comer, invite you into a conversation about biblical formation — offering wisdom, encouragement, and practical tools for raising passionate Jesus followers. As an intergenerational team that is also family, we bridge the perspectives of different life stages, drawing from both decades-long experience and fresh insight on the topics of parenting and marriage. From vulnerable Q+R sessions to insightful guest interviews, we explore real-life stories of both steady formation and radical transformation — unpacking how God is shaping our lives and the lives of those around us. Join us each week as we pursue God’s design for life, marriage, and parenting — with intention.

You Might Also Like