The Deep Dish is a new podcast from TGC hosted by Melissa Kruger and Courtney Doctor that invites women into deep conversations about the deep truths of God. Th...
Melissa Kruger talks with Sandi Taylor and Ruth Chou Simon about parenting teenagers. They reflect on the principles of their parenting that have stayed the same even though their practices have changed as their children age. They discuss how to pick the right battles, why you shouldn’t look shocked when your teen tells you something shocking, and why teens need both firmness and warmth from their parents.Mentioned Resources:Parenting with Hope by Melissa KrugerRelated Resources:Parent, Meet Your TeenBreaking Social Media’s Grip on TeensYou Can Parent Teens with Hope in a Secular AgeYour Teenager Needs DiscipleshipDiscussion Questions:In what ways do you want to “go first” in modeling for your kids what a life following Jesus looks like?How and why does rule-making give us a false sense of security as parents? What areas do you feel most prone to create rules for your kids that go past what God has said?What idols has God revealed to you in your parenting? How will you combat the influence of those idols?How can you prioritize creating space and opportunities for conversations with your teen (or how will you plan to prioritize this in the future)?How does reflecting on the ways that God parents you help inform the way you want to parent your children?How can your discussion partners pray for you and your family in this season?
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Aging Is a Discipleship Issue
Melissa Kruger and Courtney Doctor talk with Jen Wilkin about how to embrace a more beautiful and biblical view on bodies, aging, beauty, and youth. They discuss why we should see aging as a gift rather than a disease, and how we can prepare our spirits for the decline of our bodies. This conversation will not tell you where to “draw the line” when it comes to pursuing a more youthful appearance through beauty treatments, but it will renew your perspective so that that question will seem less important.Mentioned Resource:On Getting Out of Bed by Alan NobleRelated Resources:5 Lies About Your BodyHow to Grow Newer When You’re Not Growing YoungerNot the You You RememberWrinkle Cream Can’t Redeem YouDiscussion Questions:What is your favorite thing about being in the decade of life you are currently in?In what ways have you experienced cultural pressure to value and preserve youthfulness? How has this impacted you?What role does social media play in shaping your perceptions of aging?Can you think of examples of people in your life who are aging gracefully? What have you learned through their example?What wisdom have you gained as you have grown older? How does this help you see aging as a gift, rather than a disease?What does pursuing “imperishable beauty” in your life look like right now? How would you like to do this increasingly?
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Making Sense of God’s Sovereignty
Melissa Kruger and Courtney Doctor talk about the mysterious tension between the doctrine of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. They discuss what implications God’s sovereignty has for our prayer lives and why it shouldn’t cool our passion for evangelism. Although it may be hard to understand how God could be sovereign when we are suffering, what is initially a troubling doctrine can become our deepest comfort.RESOURCES MENTIONEDNone Like Him by Jen WilkinIn His Image by Jen WilkinChosen by God by R. C. SproulCount It All Joy by Helen RoseveareKnowing God by J. I. PackerEvangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J. I. PackerPiercing Heaven: The Prayers of the PuritansRELATED RESOURCESThe Unlikely Friendship between God’s Sovereignty and Man’s ResponsibilityWhy God’s Election Is Good NewsHow Romans 8 Made Me a Calvinist3 Objections to the Doctrine of ElectionDISCUSSION QUESTIONSHave you ever experienced an interruption or inconvenience that turned into a “divine appointment?” How did God use that situation?How has learning about God’s sovereignty challenged or comforted you personally?How does remembering God’s sovereignty affect your prayer life? In what ways have you struggled to hold the truths of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility in tension? What questions has this tension raised for you?How have seasons of suffering or hardship grown your trust in God and helped you experience his presence in distinct ways?In what current situation do you most need to “lay your head on the pillow of God’s sovereignty”? How can your discussion partner(s) pray for you?
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Conversations with God
Courtney and Melissa talk with Nancy Guthrie about their prayer lives. They talk about why it makes sense to pray, even when we believe God has already determined what is going to happen, and why it makes sense to let God’s Word shape our prayers. Listen to this deep and honest conversation if you want to leave more eager to pray!Mentioned in This Episode:I'm Praying for You: 40 Days of Praying the Bible for Someone Who is SufferingPraying Through the Bible for Your KidsWhat Every Child Should Know About PrayerPiercing Heaven: Prayers of the PuritansRelated Resources:Praying Past Your Preferred OutcomesLet’s Talk: Why We PrayDiscovering How to Pray: Prayer in the PsalmsDiscussion Questions:How would you describe your prayer life in your current season? What keeps you from prayer?What daily needs are you most likely to pray for? Which do you tend to overlook?When has God answered a prayer for you in a unique way? Or how has he helped you persevere in prayer as you wait on his timing?How has God used prayer to align your heart and desires with his own?How often do you incorporate confession into your prayers? How has God blessed this practice? Or what do you think prevents you from engaging with God in this way?How have you been inspired to pray for others in new ways based on what you heard?What change would you like to make in your prayer life as a result of what you’ve heard and discussed together?
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Mentoring in Real Life
Courtney Doctor, Melissa Kruger, Vanessa Hawkins, and Jen Wilkin share their experiences of mentoring and being mentored. They discuss the biblical impetus for life-on-life discipleship and how to overcome the intimidation factor when someone asks you to mentor her. They give practical advice on how to make a mentoring relationship work in real life.Recommended Resources:Growing Together by Melissa KrugerThe Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. TozerRelated Content:Let’s Talk: Finding a Mentor and Being a Mentor3 Reasons You Can Say ‘Yes’ to MentoringWhen Mentoring Gets MessyMothering in the Internet AgeDiscussion Questions:1. What has mentoring or discipleship looked like in your life to this point? Who is one person that has played a significant role in helping your faith grow?2. In what ways have you experienced other believers “bearing witness” to God’s faithfulness? How did this encourage you?3. Who has powerfully spoken into your life and “loaned courage” to increase your confidence to serve God?4. Do you tend to prioritize time alone with God or time in community? Why is it necessary to pursue both, and how might you need to adjust your focus?5. What are the primary ways you’re being mentored and discipled right now? Who is mentoring you “from a distance?” and who is walking alongside you, allowing you to see the messiness of her own faith as she pursues God imperfectly?6. What next step do you want to take to pursue mentoring or discipleship, and how can others pray for you?
The Deep Dish is a new podcast from TGC hosted by Melissa Kruger and Courtney Doctor that invites women into deep conversations about the deep truths of God. These discussions (which are always better served up with a slice of deep-dish pizza!) will equip women to engage in richer discipleship relationships in their local contexts. Tune in for warm conversations among friends—including special guests along the way—to dig deeper into God’s Word and explore how it applies to every area of our lives.
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