Guardrails: learning to regulate our emotions

What does biblical submission actually mean? In this episode of the Love In Our Wake podcast, Ps Ben Teefy, Ps Bethany Thompson and Felyka Leske continue the Better Homes & Families series with a deep and honest conversation about Ephesians 5, household codes, marriage, family, leadership and the radical call to mutual submission. For many people, the word submission carries baggage. It has been misunderstood, misused and at times weaponised. But when Ephesians 5 is read in context, we see something far more beautiful and far more challenging than control, hierarchy or dominance. We see a Spirit filled way of life shaped by Jesus. In this episode we explore What Ephesians 5 actually says about submission Why the household code needs to be read in its first century context How the gospel transforms marriage, family and everyday relationships Why submission begins with being deeply loved by God What it means to walk in the way of love as Christ loved us Why mutual submission is not weakness, but Christlike strength How being filled with the Spirit reshapes the way we treat one another Why biblical leadership can never be about control or selfish ambition How husbands, wives, parents, children, leaders and communities are called to give way to one another in love Why submission is death to ego, pride and the need to always get our own way How Jesus redefines authority through sacrifice, service and love This conversation is for anyone who has wrestled with the language of submission, struggled with unhealthy power dynamics, or wondered how the Bible’s teaching on marriage and household relationships can be understood faithfully today. The submission Jesus invites us into is not about losing your voice or being controlled by someone else. It is about becoming the kind of people who are so secure in the love of God and so filled with the Spirit that we can lay down ego, serve one another and walk together in the way of Christ. This is not submission as oppression. This is submission as revolution. Listen now and discover how Jesus transforms the way we love, lead, serve and live together.

What does Ephesians 5 actually teach about marriage, family, submission and power? In this episode of the Love In Our Wake podcast, Ps Ben Teefy is joined by Rev Dr John Griffiths for Part 2 of the Better Homes & Families series, unpacking one of the most debated and often misunderstood passages in the New Testament: the household code in Ephesians 5. For many people, words like submission, headship and household order carry baggage. These texts have often been avoided, misunderstood or even weaponised. But when we read Ephesians in its first century context, a far more radical picture begins to emerge. Paul is not simply reinforcing the power structures of the Roman household. He is reframing the whole house around Jesus. In this episode we explore What Ephesians 5 says about wives, husbands, submission and love Why the first century household was shaped by hierarchy, status and power How Paul’s household code would have sounded to its original audience Why “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” matters for the whole passage How mutual submission challenges power, ego and control Why biblical headship must be understood through the cross How Jesus redefines authority through sacrifice, service and agape love Why husbands are commanded to love their wives as Christ loved the church How Paul radically elevates women, wives, children and slaves within the household Why Christian marriage is not about domination, but cruciform love What Ephesians 5 teaches anyone with power, influence or responsibility How homes can become places shaped by grace, truth, honour and Christlike love This conversation brings theological depth, historical context and practical application to a passage that still shapes how Christians think about marriage, family, leadership and discipleship today. The code of the house is not control. It is Christlike love. It is mutual submission. It is power redefined by the cross. Listen now and discover how Jesus reshapes the way we love, lead, serve and live under our roof.

What is growing in the garden of your life? In this episode of the Love In Our Wake podcast, Ps Ben Teefy, Ps Bethany Thompson and Jemma Troup begin the Better Homes & Families series by exploring the biblical picture of the garden in Genesis and what it teaches us about family, relationships, parenting, marriage, discipleship, emotional health and everyday Christian living. From the first pages of Scripture, God places humanity in a garden and gives them a calling to protect it, serve it and cultivate it. In the same way, our lives, homes, marriages, families, workplaces and relationships are gardens that require intentional care. Good things do not grow by accident. In this episode we explore What Genesis teaches us about family and human flourishing Why every life, home and relationship needs intentional cultivation How to recognise the weeds growing in your family culture Why your private world shapes your public life The importance of moral agency, responsibility and stewardship How healthy families create healthy people for the world around them Why homes need beauty, nourishment, safety and warmth The role of boundaries in parenting, marriage and family life How to create a family culture that protects what matters Why boundaries are not about control, but about helping people flourish What it means to steward your home rather than own it How relationships shape the ecosystem of your family Why the choices you make today shape the future of your household This conversation is practical, honest and deeply biblical. It is for married couples, parents, young adults, singles, leaders, and anyone who wants to understand how their relationships can become healthier, safer and more life giving. Whether your garden feels fruitful, overgrown, barren or full of weeds, Jesus invites us to pay attention to what we are cultivating. Your home does not have to run on autopilot. Your family culture does not have to be left to chance. Your relationships can become places of life, safety, beauty and growth. Listen now and ask the question: How does my garden grow?

What vision is actually shaping your life? In Part 4 of Jesus Comprehensive Vision For Life, Ps Ben Teefy and Ps Bethany Thompson continue the conversation by looking at vision, purpose, obedience, blessing, sacrifice, money, mission and what it means to live a life that counts beyond the here and now. Using the story of Abraham, the Tower of Babel, 1 Corinthians 3, Ephesians 2 and the Great Commission, this episode explores the difference between building a life for yourself and responding to the bigger vision God has prepared for you. Many of us have goals. We have plans, desires, purchases, careers, family hopes and future dreams. But Jesus invites us to ask a deeper question. Is my life being built around the purposes of God? In this episode we explore What it means to have a God given vision for your life Why vision acts like a postcard from the future How Scripture gives us a future worth orienting our lives around The story of Abraham and God’s call to be a blessing to the nations Why Abraham’s calling was rooted in grace, not personal achievement The contrast between Babel’s desire to make a name and God’s promise to make Abraham’s name great Why self protection can keep us small and disobedient How obedience connects our lives to something bigger than ourselves Why God’s comprehensive vision has always included the whole earth How money, possessions, comfort and success can either serve consumerism or serve the kingdom Why your budget can reveal what you are really sacrificing for What it means to build a life that lasts How the Great Commission, Pentecost and the call of Abraham all point toward God’s heart for the nations This episode is a challenge to rethink what is on the vision board of your life. Is it only the next holiday, the next purchase, the next achievement, the next comfort? Or is your life wrapped around the person of Jesus and His vision for the world? Jesus does not call us into small, self focused lives. He calls us into blessing, obedience, mission and purpose. Whether you have little or much, whether you are in a season of lack or abundance, your life can be oriented around the kingdom of God. Listen now and ask the bigger question: What am I building, and will it last?

What are you actually building with your life? In Part 3 of Jesus Comprehensive Vision For Life, Ps Ben Teefy and Ps Bethany Thompson continue the conversation by exploring what it means to live every part of your life under the vision of Jesus. Whether you are a parent, pastor, student, business owner, tradie, professional, retiree, or stay at home mum, your life is not separate from the kingdom of God. Jesus has a vision for all of it. In this episode, Ben and Bethany unpack how our time, work, money, gifts, family, rest, play, and everyday decisions can become part of something eternal. This is not about becoming religious, legalistic, or trying to earn God’s love. It is about recognising that grace does not leave us passive. Grace invites us to participate. In this episode we explore What it means to live with Jesus’ comprehensive vision for your life Why your vocation matters in the kingdom of God How grace frees us from earning, but invites us into action Why everything we have is stewardship from God The difference between living for yourself and living for the kingdom How ordinary life can become mission Why some people live like “undercover missionaries” in everyday places What it means to build with gold, silver and costly stones instead of wood, hay and straw How 1 Corinthians 3 challenges the way we use our time, talent and treasure Why eternal value should shape how we parent, work, serve, give and build How to think about legacy, mission, justice, discipleship and the new creation Why your life is bigger than paying bills, popping pills and getting through the week This conversation is a practical and challenging invitation to ask better questions about your life. Not just, “What do I want?” Not just, “What am I responsible for?” But, “What has Jesus entrusted to me, and what am I building with it?” A full life is not found by keeping everything for yourself. It is found in joining your everyday life to the eternal purposes of God. Listen now and discover how Jesus’ vision can reshape your work, family, money, ministry, relationships, and future.