Summer family devotional

A few years ago, I started Discipleship Cliff with a simple goal: to help parents open God’s Word with their children and build a culture of discipleship in their homes.

Today, I’m grateful to share that I’ve published 101 blog posts.

That number matters not because it’s impressive, but because each post represents a family somewhere opening God’s Word together. A parent asking better questions. A child hearing biblical truth at the dinner table. Whether you’ve been reading since the beginning or just found this place, you are part of that story. Thank you for being here.

As I look back on these first 101 posts, a few lessons stand out.

Consistency Matters More Than Perfection

When I started writing, I often felt pressure to make every article perfect. Over time, I’ve learned that faithfulness matters more than perfection.

The same is true in family discipleship. Most families do not need a complicated plan. They need simple habits that keep pulling them back to God’s Word. A short devotion before bed. A question at the dinner table. A prayer in the car. God has always worked through ordinary means. He uses the small, repeated acts of faithfulness to do what only He can do in a family’s heart over time.

Parents Need Practical Help

Many parents want to disciple their children but are not sure where to start. That feeling is more common than you might think, and it is not a sign of failure. It is actually a good sign. It means you see a need and want to find the resources to make family discipleship happen in your home.

Deuteronomy 6 gives parents a simple picture of what this looks like. Talk about God’s Word when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. Not necessarily a formal curriculum, but a life lived in conversation with God and with your kids.

That is the vision behind everything I have built here. The Bible studies, Parent-Driven Discussions, devotionals, and practical resources on this site are not meant to add another burden to your schedule. They are meant to give you simple tools that make it easier to have those Deuteronomy 6 moments with your family.

If you are not sure where to start, Family Discipleship: A Biblical Guide for Parents is the best place to begin.

God’s Word Works Over Time

Perhaps the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that spiritual growth is often slower than we expect but more powerful than we realize.

The family devotions, bedtime prayers, dinner table conversations, and moments spent reading Scripture together may seem small. They may even feel invisible at times. You open the Bible and nobody seems to be listening. You pray together and it feels routine. You answer the same questions about God for the hundredth time and wonder if any of it is sticking.

It is.

God does not need impressive moments to do deep work. He uses the ordinary, repeated, faithful ones. Paul reminded the Philippians of exactly this when he wrote that he was confident God would complete the work He had already started in them. That promise belongs to your family too.

Isaiah 55:11 tells us that God’s Word does not return empty. It accomplishes what He intends. That means every time your family opens Scripture together, something is happening even when you cannot see it yet.

If you want some encouragement for the long road of family discipleship, The Slow Work of Family Discipleship is worth a read.”

Looking Ahead

This milestone also marks the beginning of a new chapter for Discipleship Cliff.

Today I am excited to release my first digital resource: the Philippians Summer Family Bible Study. This study is designed to help families read God’s Word together, ask meaningful questions, pray together, and apply biblical truth throughout the week.

If you are looking for a simple way to open the Bible with your family this summer, this study was built for you.

Each week follows the same simple pattern. You read a short passage from Philippians together, work through a brief devotional, discuss a few questions, and pray. There is a hands-on activity each week and a coloring page for younger kids. The whole thing takes about fifteen to twenty minutes with no prep required.

Philippians is one of the most joyful books in the Bible. Over eight weeks your family will work through themes like humility, joy, contentment, prayer, and trusting God when life feels hard.

You can grab it here for $12:

Get The Philippians Bible Study Now!

I’m also preparing to publish the 12th edition of Trailhead this week. What began as an experiment has become one of my favorite ways to encourage parents.

Going forward, Trailhead will become the official monthly newsletter of Discipleship Cliff. Subscribers will receive it first in their inboxes, along with updates, resources, and encouragement for the journey of family discipleship.

As I look ahead, my prayer remains the same as when I started: that God would use these resources to help families know Him, love His Word, and follow Jesus together.

Thank you for reading, subscribing, and sharing. You are the reason this keeps going. I’m grateful for each of you.

Here’s to the imperfect, faithful work of pointing our kids to Jesus!

My Favorite Family Discipleship Resources

Over time, I’ve found that family discipleship doesn’t require complicated systems as much as it requires simple, faithful rhythms and a few helpful tools along the way. Below are some of the resources I regularly return to or recommend to parents who want to build a steady, realistic rhythm of Scripture, prayer, and gospel conversations in their home. My hope is that these can serve you as a starting point as you continue learning what it looks like to lead your family to Jesus in everyday life.

You can explore my full list of recommended family discipleship resources here: Family Discipleship Resource Page