Episode 015 - Raising Kids Who Trust God, Not Just Obey Him w/ Meredith Miller

Your kid asks a big question about God. You start answering... and halfway through, you realize you're not sure you believe it yourself. Sound familiar? This episode is for you.In this episode of the Relatively Functional Dads podcast, Buddy sits down with pastor and author Meredith Miller, who's spent over 20 years walking alongside kids, families, and faith communities. Meredith wrote Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn't Have to Heal From — a book that's become a go-to resource for parents who feel the pressure to lead their kids somewhere spiritually they've never fully landed themselves. Buddy and Meredith dig into why faith isn't something you build brick by brick, but something you weave — flexible enough to bend without breaking when life happens. They talk trust before obedience, what to do when your kid asks a question that stumps you, and why "I don't know" might be one of the most faith-building things a dad can say.In this episode:Why the "wall" metaphor for faith sets kids up to crumble, and what weaving a "web" of faith looks like insteadWhy trust has to come before obedience and what goes wrong when we skip straight to behaviorWhat a faith someone "needs to heal from" actually looks like, and how common it isWhat to say when your kid asks a hard question you don't have the answer toThe research-backed power of family warmth in nurturing a kid's faithEncouragement for dads who feel like they don't have their own faith figured out yetChallenge for the week: Pick one thing you and your kid already do for fun (play catch, ice eat cream, walk at the park)  and connect it to God in a single sentence. No lesson, no lecture, just one line.Subscribe for more conversations on: Christian fatherhood, faith-based parenting, raising kids who trust God, discipleship at home, and a good bit of dad humor. Episode Mentions:Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn't Have to Heal From - Meredith MillerWonder: 52 Conversations to Help Kids Fall in Love With Scripture - Meredith MillerFollow Meredith on InstagramRead Meredith's newsletter on SubstackWe'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment or send questions and feedback to relativelyfunctionaldads@gmail.comMusic Provided By: Derek McClardy Spotify