Summer is in full swing and with it the temptation for kids to waste their new found free time with screens. How can we help our kids and teens take full advantage of their summer free time without binging screen time? In this episode, Brett and Erin talk about how to kick the kids outside and help them build good habits with a screen-free summer. Need something for the your teens to do this summer?

Check out Summit's Student Conferences at: www.summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN25 to save $300 when you register.

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The messages about women and femininity in our culture are incredibly loud. Feminism. Gender Ideology. Social media. Entertainment. Music. These are all competing for the attention of our little girls. As Christian parents, how can we help our daughters discover the femininity that God has given them when the world around us is so confused? In this episode, Brett and Erin continue their conversation with Focus on the Family's Glenn Stanton, author of the book "Raising Secure Daughters and Confident Sons," about the beautiful differences between men and women and what girls need from both mom and dad to grow into the young women they were made to be.

Don't miss Part 1 of our conversation with Glenn: https://linktw.in/pagipW

Get Glenn’s book here: https://a.co/d/axodBXK 

Check out Summit's Student Conferences at: https://summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN25 to save $300 when you register.

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Porn, addiction, and sexual brokenness in our culture is rampant. Statistics say that kids are encountering porn at increasingly younger ages. At some point, our children will encounter pornography. So, how do we preemptively prepare our kids for what to do if they stumble upon it? And what if that's already happened? In this episode, Brett and Erin talk with Greta Eskridge, an author and podcaster, about her powerful new book It's Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn.

Get Greta's book: https://www.amazon.com/Time-Talk-Your-Kids-About/dp/1400250609

Follow Greta on Instagram: @maandpamodern

Listen to The Greta Eskridge Podcast on Apple and Spotify.

Greta's resources for people who are struggling with the impact of porn in their life:

*For a wife who is dealing with a spouse who is walking through porn use or addiction, I recommend this book and this organization for help.

*For anyone looking for help with recovery of porn/sex addiction, I highly recommend this ministry. They are especially helpful with men who are using often or addicted and with wives who are dealing with betrayal trauma.

*For women who are dealing with porn use and addiction in their life, I recommend this book.

*For parents whose kids have been exposed to pornography or are using pornography, I recommend my book.

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There’s a lot of good advice out there for building strong marriages and families. But how often are we encouraged to serve in God’s Kingdom work to strengthen family relationships? In this episode, Brett & Erin discuss the powerful impact that serving in your local church or in other ministry opportunities can have on marriage and family life. Doing God’s work together can unite families like nothing else!

Culture often portrays fathers negatively. They’re inept. They’re irresponsible. They’re bumbling idiots. As a result, dads can become more passive in their parenting duties. In this podcast, Brett and Erin challenge moms and dads to examine their views on the role of fathers in the home and offer practical advice on how dads can step up and play the important role God designed them to play in the lives of their children. 

The culture’s individualistic emphasis on personal fulfillment at the expense of our obligations to others runs counter to the truth of scripture. A marriage in the Kunkle family illustrates how our children can become a huge blessing to those around them. In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss their son’s recent wedding and how we need to help our kids understand that their obedience to God doesn’t just help them to flourish but also blesses and encourages the people around them.

Controversy has erupted around the Target Corporation, as their celebration of LGBTQ+ pride has reached new heights. Carrying products like chest binders and tuck-friendly bathing suits has seemed to push consumers too far. So what’s the appropriate response from Christians? Should we boycott Target? Should we refuse to shop at stores that promote immorality? And how could we possibly be consistent in doing so? In this episode, Brett & Erin help Christian families navigate the latest cultural controversy.

Can a boy be “trapped” in a girl’s body or vice versa? Are there any good reasons to detach our biological sex from our gender identity? How does transgender ideology hurt people? How do we best love those who are struggling with gender dysphoria without compromising the truth? In this episode, we present a recent talk that Brett Kunkle gave to a group of fathers at a church in Southern California. It will help you navigate today’s transgender revolution.

Parents today complain of fragmented relationships with their kids. What parents yearn for--and their kids, too--is deep, heart-to-heart connections. But how can parents compete with all the other noise fighting for their kids' attention? In this episode, Brett and Erin interview Greta Eskridge about her new book, Adventuring Together. She discusses how to break free from regular routines and familiar comforts of home to experience new places and adventures--even if those adventures go awry. From simply reading a book together to going on an overnight backpacking trip, Greta suggests activities that provide unique and crucial bonding opportunities.

Links:

BOOK—Adventuring Together: https://www.amazon.com/Adventuring-Together-Connections-Lasting-Memories/dp/0785231366

BOOK—100 Days of Adventure: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400230993

In a technological world, our kids don’t have to go looking for porn…it’s looking for them. So can we even protect our children and students from pornography? If so, how? And how do we demonstrate God’s love, grace, and forgiveness when they stumble? In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss the challenging topic of porn with Greta Eskridge.

http://www.gretaeskridge.com/blog/category/Pornography

The word love is over-used. It’s under-valued. It has become a subjective concept. And therefore, love has lost a lot of its significance and meaning. In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss whether love is objective or subjective and how God provides us with the rational basis for the existence of objective love. They also discuss a biblical definition of love that goes far beyond merely affirming one another and how true love often requires courage and conviction.

Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist who has done a lot of work on the impact of technology and social media on our Gen Z kids. He recently wrote a Substack article entitled, “Do the Kids Think They’re Alright?” and was subtitled, “It’s hard to find members of Gen Z who think their phone-based childhood benefitted them.” In this episode, Brett and Erin comb through the article and discuss Gen Z’s perception of themselves, their struggles with mental health and the role that smartphones and social media play.

Links:

Jonathan Haidt’s Substack article, “Do the Kids Think They’re Alright?” — https://jonathanhaidt.substack.com/p/do-the-kids-think-theyre-alright

Jonathan Haidt’s book entitled, The Coddling of the American Mind — https://www.amazon.com/Coddling-American-Mind-Intentions-Generation/dp/0735224919

Teaching formal logic may sound daunting or we may fear that we’ll bore them to death. So, one of the best ways to introduce our kids to logic is through real-life examples. In this episode, Brett and Erin close out their series on critical thinking by going through a number of objections to the Christian faith. They identify and discuss some common logical fallacies in many of the skeptical challenges to Christianity.

Links:

Apologetics Study Bible for Students — https://www.amazon.com/Apologetics-Study-Bible-Students-Trade/dp/1433651173

https://womeninapologetics.com/discerning-cultures-subtle-messages-using-truth-and-logic/

In this April 1st episode, Brett and Erin speak with Kyle Mann about his role as the Editor in Chief of The Babylon Bee and about how laughter, humor, and satire fit with the Christian worldview. We also have a *big* announcement at the beginning so be sure to listen closely!

Read the Babylon Bee: https://babylonbee.com

Have Kyle Mann explain jokes to you on X: https://x.com/The_Kyle_Mann 

Watch Brett and Erin's Babylon Bee episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPToxF7NjKE

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A logical fallacy is a mistake in reasoning. And we need to prepare our kids to recognize faulty reasoning. In this episode, Brett and Erin continue their series on how to teach our kids how to think critically by examining some of the most common logical fallacies. In addition, they provide some very helpful resources.

Links:

The Fallacy Detective — https://www.amazon.com/The-Fallacy-Detective-audiobook/dp/B07XLDZ43R

Learning Logic — https://apologetics-store.biola.edu/products/learning-logic?_pos=1&_sid=d44567469&_ss=r

The Defense Never Rests — https://apologetics-store.biola.edu/products/defense-never-rests-a-workbook-for-budding-apologists?variant=39288147542100

Love Your God With All Your Minds — https://www.amazon.com/Love-Your-God-All-Mind/dp/1617479004

Tactics — https://www.amazon.com/Tactics-10th-Anniversary-Discussing-Convictions/dp/0310101468

How to Think — https://www.amazon.com/How-Think-Critical-Thinking-Version/dp/1938966074

Critical thinking is in short supply. Our kids won’t just “catch it” from an anti-intellectual culture. So parents and leaders must be intentional in teaching our kids how to think critically. In this episode, Brett & Erin discuss one of the most practical tools we can use to teach our kids how to reason well and develop critical thinking skills.

We have been dumbed down by the culture. Reason, rationality and careful thinking are absent from so much of life. Indeed, our educational institutions don’t even teach kids logic or critical thinking skills. So Christian parents must step up and take over this part of their children’s training. In this episode, Brett & Erin discuss the proper role of reason in the Christian life and the benefits of teaching our kids how to think critically.

In her 2023 MAVEN Conference talk, Erin Kunkle discusses the undermining of the traditional nuclear family and then explains the biblical case for God’s design for the family. She discusses the implications of God’s design and lays out practical steps we can take to restore the family in a challenging culture. This talk provides the necessary Christian worldview framework for understanding how families can best flourish, even amidst the erosion of this most basic institution within Western Culture.

In his 2023 MAVEN Conference talk, Christopher Yuan shares his testimony of how God’s grace redeemed him and brought him out of a gay lifestyle. Then he carefully explains God’s design for human sexuality by walking through the biblical teaching. This talk provides a clear view of “holy sexuality” and challenges parents, grandparents and leaders to teach a fully gospel-centric approach to sexuality to the next generation. 

Is it better for our adult children to marry younger? Or should they delay this significant decision? Do the rates of divorce differ between those who marry young and those who delay marriage? In this episode, Brett and Erin unpack some of the benefits of marrying younger and how the church can support young married couples.

Book: The Ring Makes All the Difference — https://www.amazon.com/Ring-Makes-All-Difference-Consequences/dp/080240216X

Article: "The Religious Marriage Paradox: Younger Marriage, Less Divorce” — https://ifstudies.org/blog/the-religious-marriage-paradox-younger-marriage-less-divorce

People are waiting longer to get married. The new marriage norm for American men and women is to marry around the age of 30. Is this a good trend? What explains these recent marriage trends? And should we encourage our children to wait, as well? Brett and Erin discuss this current cultural trend in marriage, the secularism that seems to motivate it, and contrast it with the biblical view.

Website: Institute for Family Studies — https://ifstudies.org/

Article: “Let’s Have More Teen Pregnancy” — https://www.nationalreview.com/2002/09/lets-have-more-teen-pregnancy-frederica-mathewes-green/

Article: "The Surprising Case for Marrying Young" — https://www.aei.org/op-eds/the-surprising-case-for-marrying-young/

The proposal of new “normal" family structures is causing the culture to rethink the supremacy of the traditional family. Same-sex parents. Families where children are conceived by assisted reproduction. Single-parent homes formed by divorce. Stepfamilies. Cohabiting parents. These new ways of being a family raise a host of questions.Are mothers and fathers essential? Do children do just as well in these new family structures? Is it time to set aside our biases for the traditional family? Are we free to reimagine what a family is? In this episode, Katy Faust concludes this discussion, followed by a panel discussion with Katy, Brett & Erin Kunkle, and John & Sarah Stonestreet.

The proposal of new “normal" family structures are causing the culture to rethink the supremacy of the traditional family. Same-sex parents. Families where children are conceived by assisted reproduction. Single-parent homes formed by divorce. Stepfamilies. Cohabiting parents. These new ways of being a family raise a host of questions.Are mothers and fathers essential? Do children do just as well in these new family structures? Is it time to set aside our biases for the traditional family? Are we free to reimagine what a family is? In this episode, Brett Kunkle and John Stonestreet begin to tackle these tough questions.

How do we teach our kids the Bible effectively? What practical steps can we take with our kids to get them acquainted and interacting with Scripture? In part two of this two-part podcast series, Brett and Erin offer a host of practical ideas that you can implement RIGHT NOW in your home and family life.

Links to Resources Mentioned in the Show:

Questioning the Bible by Jonathan Morrow: https://www.amazon.com/Questioning-Bible-Challenges-Bibles-Authority/dp/0802411789

Scribes & Scripture by John Meade & Peter Gurry: https://www.amazon.com/Scribes-Scripture-Amazing-Story-Bible/dp/1433577895

The Epic Story of the Bible by Greg Gilbert: https://www.amazon.com/Epic-Story-Bible-Read-Understand/dp/143357327X

Playing With Fire by Walt Russell: https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Fire-Bible-Ignites-Change/dp/1576831426

Family Bible Flip Quiz: https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Family-Flip-Quiz/dp/1842361244

International Children’s Bible Handbook: https://www.amazon.com/International-Childrens-Handbook-Lawrence-Richards/dp/0834401339

God’s Timeline—The Big Book of Biblical History: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Bible-Timeline-Biblical-History/dp/1527105903

The Big Book of Bible Questions: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Bible-Questions/dp/1496435249

Come…Meet Jesus: https://www.comemeetjesus.art/

Preparation for the adult world doesn't begin when your kid turns 18. Their preparation is a steady process developed over the course of their childhood and teen years. In this episode, Brett and Erin outline 6 key steps that they've found prepares kids for a successful launch into the adult world. Read the USA Today article Erin mentioned here: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2019/03/18/parents-killing-kids-life-skills-says-poll-showing-college-admissions-scandal-part-of-pattern/3198310002/

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If the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, it should be the primary “textbook” for our kids. But how can we effectively teach them how to read, study, and handle the Bible? In part one of this two-part podcast series, Brett and Erin discuss how our own view of Scripture is the starting point for teaching our kids the Bible.

Links to Resources Mentioned in the Show:

Questioning the Bible by Jonathan Morrow: https://www.amazon.com/Questioning-Bible-Challenges-Bibles-Authority/dp/0802411789

There’s been a lot of upheaval in education over the last few years. As a result, many families have considered homeschooling their children. However, with little to no experience, parents may have a lot of questions and concerns that hold them back. In this episode, Brett & Erin answer the top ten homeschool questions, in order to help you decide whether or not you can and should homeschool your kids.

We’re raising a generation of “fragile” kids. They have difficulty with the regular struggles of life. They define themselves by their negative experiences. And then they blame others for their struggles. As a result, they’re anxious and depressed. So how do we raise RESILIENT kids, who embrace life with confidence? Brett and Erin interview Dr. Kathy Koch about her new book entitled Resilient Kids.

Our lives are filled with so much clutter. We often absorb the cultural pressure to consume more material possessions. What does scripture say about “treasures on earth?” How do we re-orient our lives to treasure the things of God and His Kingdom over our possessions? In this episode, Brett and Erin survey some key biblical passages and then lay out practical steps to eliminate the material possessions that often clutter our lives.

Book — A Practical Guide to Culture: https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Culture-Generation-Navigate/dp/0830781242

It’s a new year and many of us are motivated to outline new year’s resolutions, set new goals, and make big plans. But how do we do so successfully? What can help keep us from setting goals this month and giving up on them next month? In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss a biblical view of planning and offer some practical steps that can help parents and families submit their goal-setting to the Lord and be effective in making and achieving them.

Book — Same-Sex Marriage: https://www.amazon.com/Same-Sex-Marriage-Thoughtful-Approach-Response/dp/080101834X

As we approach the New Year, it's common for people to set goals and make resolutions. However, it's also important to consider what God's will is for our lives as we make these decisions. In this talk, Brett offers biblical teaching on how to discover and know God's will and encourages listeners to think carefully about what it means to be in God's will as they set goals and make plans for the coming year. This is a valuable resource for anyone looking to live intentionally within God's will in the New Year.

During Christmas, families are inundated with all kinds of holiday messages. Some are true and good, while others are false and undermine our focus on the incarnation of Jesus. For parents, this is a key time to “narrate” those messages for our kids. By doing so, we help them notice and become aware of the distractions. In this episode, Brett and Erin walk through some Christmastime examples. In addition, they also discuss a few of their favorite Christmas books, that help our kids and us to direct our attention to the objective meaning of the season.

Equipping and discipling kids effectively in today’s world requires that we have some basic understanding of the culture they’re growing up in. Recently, Brett spoke at a church in Southern California, examining the current cultural mindset and how it shapes our kids and us. The “expressive individualism” that Brett discusses can have profound consequences for our children and students.

The meaning and significance of Christmas are easily muted or lost amidst the busyness and consumerism of the season. By the time Christmas morning arrives, we’re tired and unfocused and left to feel guilty that maybe we didn’t give Jesus His proper place during the holidays. So how can we slow down the Christmas season and cultivate homes where “Jesus is the reason for the season” is not merely a Christian cliche? In this episode, Brett and Erin offer one powerful idea for your family.

Live your truth. Be who you are. Follow your heart. These cultural mantras may sound positive and even enlightening, but they unhinge us from reality and leave us empty. In this episode, Brett and Erin are joined by Alisa Childers to discuss her new book, Live Your Truth and Other Lies. Alisa identifies some of the most prominent lies of our culture and how we can navigate them with our children and students.

These days, young adults (18+) seem to be stuck in a season of prolonged adolescence. It's tough and emotional for parents to launch our children into adulthood, and, parents, let's be honest, sometimes we don't want to let them go! How can we begin preparing our teens for this new life phase? How can we get out of their way? How do we equip them to become responsible adults? In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss how to launch your young adult into the world successfully.

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Brett and Erin are joined by special guest Alisa Childers to discuss her book Another Gospel? and the challenges of Progressive Christianity.

How our kids “hang out” nowadays is a lot different than when we were growing up. Instead of going outside to play or spending time face-to-face, they constantly chat over text or play video games online while talking to friends with a headset. But should we let them? If so, how much of their socializing should be mediated through screens and technology? Does socialization through technology have an impact on their mental health? In this episode, Brett and Erin think biblically about what it means to be human and how a Christian worldview informs how approach to socialization via technology, and then offer some practical steps parents can take.

Most parents feel ill-prepared to manage their kids’ use of technology and protect them from a myriad of harms. So we solicited parents’ specific questions on technology for this podcast episode. How do monitor and protect kids who are more tech-savvy than their parents? What are the best parental online tools? What about parents who don’t see eye-to-eye on how to manage technology? What are some good books to help parents get on the same page? Brett and Erin weigh in on these important questions.

What are examples of the kind of manners we should teach our kids? How do manners have an impact on the character development of our kids? What are some practical tips for effectively teaching our kids manners? Brett and Erin get practical in this episode.

Should parents emphasize the teaching of manners? Are manners that big of a deal in the larger scheme of parenting? How does a Christian worldview inform our view on manners? In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss the oft-neglected topic of manners.

Today MAVEN joins forces with the Colson Center’s Strong Woman podcast! Brett and Erin sit down with John and Sarah Stonestreet to discuss humanity's origin story and the implications for men, women, and our families. Amid cultural confusion about what a woman is, John and Brett give practical advice for how to navigate transgender ideology for ourselves and our kids.

How can parents inoculate their kids from the false ideas of the surrounding culture? How do we prepare ourselves for the questions and conversations we will inevitably have to have with kids? And what’s the result if we don’t talk about culture with our kids? In this episode, Brett and Erin collect a few parenting tips on navigating culture with our kids from John and Sarah Stonestreet.

In this episode, Brett & Erin take some time to respond to questions from our listeners. They address some follow questions from a recent podcast (“Should We Get Rid of Kids’ Sunday Schoo?”) about implementing ideas for kids’ discipleship in the local church and in a couple’s Bible study. Brett and Erin provide some very practical advice. They also address an objection from a listener regarding what a Christian worldview is and how it relates to the topic of discipline. Keep the questions coming!

God has designed every human being in unique and wonderful ways, and that includes our kids. So how do we discover those things that are special about our children? How can we be intentional in encouraging our kids in their uniqueness? Brett and Erin discuss these questions and offer practical tips.

It seems like parents are bombarded with discouraging news headlines every single day. So how do we navigate a world of bad news? How do we think carefully and Christianly about the latest study or negative news story? Brett and Erin discuss a couple of recent headlines and show how we can think our way through them.

What happens when you never tell a kid "no" or set limits around what they can and can't do? As we explored last week, that's a quick recipe for raising a narcissist. In this episode, Brett and Erin react and respond to a viral TikTok video from creator arelyvictoriaa where she lists the "controversial ways" she is raising her son without many limits.

Watch the TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2QYVP3F/

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So often our first impulse is to take our parenting questions straight to the internet. We’ll ask Siri or Google answers to our questions. But is finding information online the same as gaining knowledge and wisdom? Are there better, more biblical sources that we should first consult? Brett and Erin discuss how scripture points us to true sources of wisdom for our parenting journey.

Is it a real possibility that your kids will have a dramatic NEGATIVE impact on your Christian faith? Are you tempted to compromise God’s moral standards because your kids are? Are your kids catechizing you? Brett and Erin discuss how our kids’ struggles with God can slowly erode the faith of the adults who love them.

Scott Klusendorf is one of the top pro-life apologists in the nation. Brett & Erin sit down with Scott to discuss his personal story, how he got into pro-life work, the implications of the recent Supreme Court decision regarding Roe v. Wade and how to equip the next generation to defend the life of the unborn.