Edition #3 – September 2025
Good morning, fellow disciple-making parents! Welcome to The Trailhead, a devotional designed to help you begin each month with focus, encouragement, and intention. Just as a trailhead marks the start of a journey, The Trailhead is here to reorient your heart for the weeks ahead—a season filled with joy, challenges, and opportunities to lead your family closer to Jesus.
Quick Update
You may remember The Trailhead from its weekly devotional format. I’m trying something new for this school year: a monthly devotional that combines encouragement, practical resources, and previews of upcoming articles—all designed to help you lead your family closer to Jesus. Whether you’re a returning reader or just joining us, each issue helps you point your family to Jesus in everyday life.
God is Faithful
For the next 10 months, basically the span of a school year, these Trailhead devotions will be focused on different aspects of the character of God. Parenting can feel unpredictable. One day, the family harmony in your home seems just right, and the next day, your kids test every limit you set. Schedules change, and plans need to be tweaked. But there’s one unshakable truth we can count on: God never changes. His character is steady. And this brings us to the first characteristic of God we’ll be studying today: The Faithfulness of God.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
– Lamentations 3:22–23
What does it mean to be faithful?
You might think of a Sunday School teacher who comes back year after year to teach generations of children about Jesus. Or a coach who encourages and invests in players regardless of the scoreboard. Or perhaps your own parents, who made countless sacrifices for your good. All of these are powerful pictures of faithfulness, and they are worthy of gratitude and thanks.
But the ultimate example of faithfulness is found in God Himself.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22–23)
God never changes. His promises stand strong. His love doesn’t lessen or run out. And his mercies are renewed for us every morning. Unlike human examples—which can be good, are imperfect and limited—God’s faithfulness has no end. He doesn’t grow weary or hold back His love because we’ve fallen short. Instead, He continues to meet us with mercy and grace, day after day.
Reflections for Disciple-Making Parents
Our children don’t need us to be perfect. They need us to point them to God, who is holy, steadfast, merciful, and faithful. Every time we admit our weakness, ask forgiveness, or lean on God’s promises, we’re showing them where true strength is found. Your consistency as a parent may rise and fall, but God’s faithfulness provides the steady foundation your family can always stand on. That’s the anchor we need as disciple-making parents.
Life Application
- Begin this week by thanking God out loud, as a family, for His daily mercies.
- Share with your kids a story of how God has been faithful to you in the past.
- When you fall short as a parent, use that moment to point your kids back to God’s unchanging faithfulness.
Bible Study for September
This month, I want to encourage you to look for God’s faithfulness in the everyday moments of family life. It’s often easiest to see Him at work when we look back, but He’s just as faithful in the middle of the messy present. When we point our kids to God’s faithfulness, we’re showing them that He can be trusted no matter what.
That’s also why I’m excited to begin a new family Bible study through Ephesians this month on Discipleship Cliff. Ephesians shows us a faithful God who redeems His people, builds His church, and gives us a new identity in Christ. I’d love for you to walk through this study with your family as another way to see God’s faithfulness on display.
Book Recommendations
Raising Emotionally Strong Boys: Tools Your Son Can Build On for Life – By David Thomas
In Raising Emotionally Strong Boys, David Thomas, a seasoned counselor with over 25 years of experience, provides practical strategies to help parents nurture their sons’ emotional well-being. The book addresses common challenges such as anger, anxiety, and depression, offering tools to help boys become resourceful, self-aware, resilient, and empathetic. Thomas emphasizes the importance of fostering a strong emotional foundation that leads to a Christ-like sense of masculinity, equipping boys for life’s challenges.
Raising Worry-Free Girls – By Sissy Goff
In Raising Worry-Free Girls, Sissy Goff, a seasoned counselor with over 25 years of experience, addresses the escalating levels of anxiety among young girls. She offers practical strategies to help parents nurture resilience and confidence in their daughters. The book emphasizes understanding the roots of anxiety, providing tools to manage anxious thoughts and physical symptoms, and fostering an environment where girls can thrive. Goff combines psychological insights with a compassionate approach, guiding parents to empower their daughters to navigate life’s challenges with courage and strength.
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Looking Ahead
Next month, we’ll explore God Is Holy—and how His holiness invites us, and our kids, into a life set apart for Him.
Closing Encouragement
Parents, God doesn’t ask you to be perfect—He asks you to trust His faithfulness. He is steady when we are weak, patient when we fall short, and gracious to walk with us in every season of family life. May His faithfulness be your foundation as you lead your kids this month.
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