The Intentional Parents Podcast

Intentional
  • 4.9 (1.5K)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

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. Church Hurt, Conflict With Your Spouse, Fairness With Kids + Uninvolved Grandparents (Q+R)

    3d ago

    Church Hurt, Conflict With Your Spouse, Fairness With Kids + Uninvolved Grandparents (Q+R)

    For the first time from our brand-new studio, all four of us are together responding to your questions on personal formation, marriage, parenting, and navigating generational relationships. We talk about how to process church hurt while still raising kids in the church, including the importance of separating people’s failures from the character of God, remaining grounded in Scripture, and modeling healing, honesty, and discernment for your children. We also discuss the responsibility leaders carry and what it looks like to pursue restoration with wisdom and humility. We also answer questions about addressing tension in marriage before resentment builds, learning when to absorb small frustrations with grace and when difficult conversations need to happen. From there, we talk through parenting children with different needs and why fairness is not always about equal attention, but about making sure each child feels seen and understood. Finally, we explore the challenges and beauty of multigenerational family relationships, including navigating distant grandparents, helping older generations find renewed purpose, and creating family cultures where everyone feels valued and connected. This episode is a thoughtful, Scripture-packed conversation on relationships, healing, family dynamics, and growing through difficult seasons. Scripture Mentioned: Luke 22, Hebrews 12:15, Hebrews 4:15, Isaiah 53:3, Galatians 6:1, Song of Solomon 2:15, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 1 Peter 4:8, 1 Corinthians 7:3 + Proverbs 17:6 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Sowing a Hidden Seed 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 2m
  2. Live Q+R from the Motherhood Retreat: Fostering Vulnerability, Receiving Criticism + Parenting Without a Healthy Model

    May 20

    Live Q+R from the Motherhood Retreat: Fostering Vulnerability, Receiving Criticism + Parenting Without a Healthy Model

    Live from the Intentional Motherhood Retreat in Franklin, this episode is a candid Q&R conversation around marriage, communication, parenting, and healing from the past. We respond to questions from attendees about how to cultivate deeper vulnerability with your spouse and parenting when you don't have a healthy model to follow. We talk about practical ways to help a spouse open up emotionally, including asking thoughtful questions like “What do you think about this?” instead of “How do you feel?” We also discuss the importance of paying attention to the environment, timing, and tone of hard conversations, recognizing how much those factors shape whether someone feels safe to engage. We also explore what it looks like to stay honest and vulnerable in marriage when feedback is often heard as criticism. Encouragement and affirmation matter deeply, especially when your spouse’s story includes wounds from a lack of affirmation growing up. Knowing your spouse’s story helps you become an agent of healing rather than hurt. The conversation closes with an honest discussion about parenting when you didn’t have healthy examples yourself. We talk about the importance of finding strong models, building a network of support, and acknowledging the pain you may have experienced in your own family before you can begin to relearn healthier patterns. Ultimately, we reflect on the importance of parenting the specific family God has entrusted to you in this season, while remaining open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit instead of trying to control every outcome. Scripture Mentioned: James 1:19-20, 2 Corinthians 5:17 + 1 Corinthians 11:1  Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed 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

    40 min
  3. The Hidden Blockers of Sexual Desire in Marriage + How to Move Past Them Together

    May 6

    The Hidden Blockers of Sexual Desire in Marriage + How to Move Past Them Together

    We’re back with part two of our conversation on sex in marriage, this time getting into some of the hidden blockers of desire, along with a few practical ways to start moving past them. The goal isn’t just more sex, but a relationship where intimacy actually feels meaningful again. A lot of what gets in the way isn’t obvious. Small, unresolved tensions can build up over time and create distance, even if nothing major is “wrong.” When those things go unaddressed, it’s hard to feel close in any sense. On top of that, seasons change, but expectations don’t always keep up. Different life stages, stress, and even things like hormones can all affect desire. If those realities aren’t talked about, it can lead to frustration or quiet disappointment that slowly chips away at connection. And then there’s what a lot of couples experience at some point: slipping into more of a roommate dynamic. Life inevitably gets full, attraction can fade or shift, and responsibilities and tasks can replace relationship and intimacy. The good news is this stuff isn’t permanent. With some intention and healing, things can shift and grow in a healthy direction. Practical Rhythms to Try: Take 10 minutes to have a “state of us” conversation, asking each other: “How can I show up for you today?” and “What is one thing I can do that will make you feel loved?”Repair within 24 hours.Rebuild playfulness. Listen to Part 1, “Sex in Marriage: Communication, Connection + Healing Past Wounds Around Intimacy”: YouTube, Spotify + Apple Podcasts Scripture Mentioned: Hebrews 12:15, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 + Colossians 3:12 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed 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 10m
  4. Healing from Trauma in Adulthood, Re-Parenting Yourself + Acknowledging How We’ve Hurt Our Children

    Apr 29

    Healing from Trauma in Adulthood, Re-Parenting Yourself + Acknowledging How We’ve Hurt Our Children

    In this episode, Brook and Diane share a candid conversation about their overlapping journeys of healing from trauma, exploring what it means to grow emotionally and relationally. Reflecting on the “narrow way,” they talk about how true healing requires humility, acknowledging the need for God, confessing weakness, and recognizing there is always room to grow. Diane opens up about carrying pain into adulthood and how obedience shifted from rule-following for safety to a pursuit of freedom and intimacy with God. They also dive into the challenge of addressing the ways we’ve hurt others, especially within family. Diane reflects on her upbringing in a home marked by anger and emotional distance, while Brook shares how he’s intentionally inviting his children into his own healing process through honesty and repair. Together, they emphasize breaking generational patterns by creating space for open conversations — with both children and parents — without blame or cancellation. The episode highlights the role of the Holy Spirit as central to healing, alongside the practical help of therapy. Diane shares how her recent ADHD diagnosis brought clarity to her past and helped her confront false beliefs about herself. As they close, both point to simple, consistent practices that sustain their growth — time with God, prayer, and staying connected to trusted community — highlighting the reality that healing is a lifelong journey best walked with others. Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 7:13-14 + Genesis 1-3 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed 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 1m
  5. When Life Doesn’t Look Like You Thought It Would, Stewarding Suffering + Allowing Hope to Heal (w/ Katherine Wolf)

    Apr 15

    When Life Doesn’t Look Like You Thought It Would, Stewarding Suffering + Allowing Hope to Heal (w/ Katherine Wolf)

    In this meaningful conversation, we sit down with Katherine Wolf, whose story has deeply impacted our lives and understanding of faith and suffering. At 26, Katherine experienced a massive brain stem stroke that nearly took her life. Now, 18 years later, she lives with significant disabilities, yet continues to live with purpose, joy, and a resilient faith. She shares the long journey of learning to believe that even in hardship, “the boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places,” and how her early years were marked by deep struggle before discovering a renewed sense of calling. Katherine reflects on holding both joy and pain at the same time, and how suffering can shape not only us, but our children and families in meaningful ways. We talk about marriage in the midst of hardship, which includes choosing to come together as a team, extending grace, and recognizing the sacredness of caring for one another. She also speaks to grieving unmet expectations, embracing the life in front of you, and trusting that God’s presence, not a perfect life, is what defines true goodness. This episode is a powerful reminder that our pain is not wasted. Through honest perspective shifts and a deep dependence on Jesus, Katherine points us toward a hope that heals and a life that is still, even now, full of purpose. Katherine Wolf: Hope Heals: Instagram, Books, Camps + Retreats, Speaking + Podcast Scripture Mentioned: Psalm 16:6, Acts 13:36, Matthew 7:24-27, Psalm 84:11, Romans 8:28 + 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 Books Mentioned: Treasures in the Dark by Katherine Wolf + Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed 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 10m
  6. “I’m Not Doing Enough” + The “Should List”: Overcoming Shame and Guilt in Parenting

    Apr 8

    “I’m Not Doing Enough” + The “Should List”: Overcoming Shame and Guilt in Parenting

    So many parents carry an unspoken “I should…” list: “I should be more patient, more present, doing more, doing better.” In a world full of parenting advice and constant input, it’s easy to feel like we know so much and yet, still aren’t doing enough. In this episode, we talk about how that pressure often leads to shame and guilt, and why it matters to understand the difference: guilt says “I did something bad,” while shame says “I am bad.” One leads us toward repentance and growth, while the other keeps us stuck, isolated, and disconnected. We explore how shame has been part of the human story since the beginning, and how it still shows up today in the subtle lies we believe about ourselves as parents. But instead of striving for perfection, we’re invited into dependence, trusting that God meets us in our weakness, just as He did with Moses. We also talk about practical ways to respond when shame creeps in: quieting the noise, getting honest about where our expectations come from, pursuing vulnerable relationships, and practicing repair when needed. At the end of the day, parenting isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about walking in faith, holding onto hope, and learning to love our kids well, even in our imperfection. Brook’s Interview on the Open Spaces Podcast: YouTube, Spotify + Apple Podcasts Scripture Mentioned: 2 Corinthians 7:10, Genesis 3:9-11, Hebrews 11:24-28 + Hebrews 10:23-24 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed 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

    59 min
  7. Loving People in Unseen Ways, Trusting God in the Detours + Saying “Yes” to Jesus (America’s Got Talent Winner Dustin Tavella)

    Mar 25

    Loving People in Unseen Ways, Trusting God in the Detours + Saying “Yes” to Jesus (America’s Got Talent Winner Dustin Tavella)

    In this spontaneous conversation from the Bless God Summit, Brook sits down with magician Dustin Tavella — best known for winning America’s Got Talent — to hear the powerful and inspiring story behind his life, faith, and calling. Dustin shares about his difficult childhood, marked by addiction and instability in his home, and the couple who stepped in to love and invest in him consistently. Through their presence, he encountered a God who cares personally and pursues the heart, not just circumstances. That experience sparked a transformation in his entire family, leading to restored relationships and a new direction. Throughout the conversation, Dustin reflects on how God uses the things we love to serve others, from launching a homeless ministry that grew into the D PLUS Project, to discovering magic as a way to connect with people and share hope. He opens up about seasons of financial struggle, anxiety, miscarriage, and the journey of adopting their son, all while learning to trust God’s redirection in moments that didn’t go as planned. From early rejection on America’s Got Talent to ultimately winning, Dustin emphasizes that true success wasn’t the platform; it was the daily choice to say “yes” to Jesus. His story is a reminder that following God isn’t complicated: it’s about loving people well, embracing the unseen moments, and trusting that even the detours are part of a greater story. The episode closes with Dustin performing a mind-blowing magic trick, highlighting the beauty of play, joy, and meaningful connection. Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 13:1-23, 1 Corinthians 10:23 + John 2:1-11 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed 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 32m
  8. Was Parenting Always This Hard… Or Are We Just Failing?

    Mar 18

    Was Parenting Always This Hard… Or Are We Just Failing?

    Is parenting harder than it used to be? In many ways, yes. Today’s parents are navigating a faster, louder, more complex world than generations before us — marked by decision fatigue, rising costs, less community support, and the constant mental load of trying to care for both our kids’ emotional needs and our own. Add in technology, shifting family dynamics, and the pressure of “intentional parenting,” and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But these challenges aren’t excuses; they’re the context we’re parenting in. And the good news is that God meets us right here, not in our perfection but in our limits. His strength shows up most clearly in our weakness. Parenting isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about humility, repair, and learning to depend on Him. In our moments of distress, we’re invited to release the burdens and anxieties we were never meant to carry alone. We also talk about practical steps: starting small instead of waiting for a full “village,” and learning to regularly release fear. Thankfully, we’re not doing this alone — God is with us, strengthening and sustaining us in the middle of it all. Parenting today may be hard, but He has already provided the help we need. Scripture Mentioned: 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Psalm 55:22, Isaiah 66:2, 1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 61:2, Isaiah 41:10-13 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed 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 11m
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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.

Information

  • Creator
    Intentional
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    263
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2019 Intentional Parents International LLC.
  • Show Website
    The Intentional Parents Podcast

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