Christian Parent, Crazy World

Philosophy Professor Peter Boghossian notoriously claimed that “faith is a cognitive sickness that’s been turned into a moral virtue.” He went on to say that every class is an opportunity to help students lose their faith. When the instructors our kids sit under in higher education come in with an agenda like that, Gen Z’s sharp exodus from the faith makes sense. A child would have to be well prep...

Ryan Bomberger has been told that he should have never been born, that he doesn’t deserve to live. Repeatedly. Why? Because Ryan was conceived in rape. Less than 1% of pregnancies begin in the violent act of rape. Yet despite this extremely uncommon occurrence, the pro-choice narrative myopically centers around this rare circumstance as a justification for ending an innocent life. But people seldo...

In our culture, the use of preferred pronouns has become ubiquitous among Gen Zers and beyond. As a parent, you may have noticed this trend and wondered how to approach the subject with your children, especially your younger ones. It's crucial to start having conversations about pronouns and gender identity very young as many schools have embraced an agenda to "break the binary" in kindergarten. ...

There is a truth to glean from a Pennsylvania field that can save the world. And we will miss it… if we don’t turn our eyes to see and our ears to hear. A lot of us are taking stock of where our country is right now. Our heads are spinning as we have watched these recent heartbreaking events unfold. We are dazed and confused. How do we make sense of it all? In this episode, Catherine breaks down t...

Against the backdrop of recent troubling events and escalating tensions, Catherine delves into the profound divisions that have permeated society, emphasizing the critical role of faith in bridging these divides. In this timely episode, Catherine offers 9 guidelines to help heal our nation and bring about unity. These guidelines are not only spiritual but also relational, aiming to bridge the divi...

If we want our kids to stand strong in their faith, we need to have real answers to some of their hardest questions about God and His Word. Why did God use men to write His book? In this episode, Catherine unpacks this question and the powerful, life-altering answer. The fact that God used anointed men to write the Bible reveals this unmistakable truth: God's works through human beings to accompli...

Trying to find wholesome entertainment can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. As Christians, the most we usually hope for is entertainment that doesn’t undermine what we believe. But finding entertainment that actually reinforces Biblical values while wrestling through tough issues, does that even exist? It does. In this episode, Catherine is joined by author Felicia Ferguson to explo...

As parents, we spend a lot of time and energy ensuring that our kids are safe in their physical spaces. We put up safeguards around hour homes. We go to great lengths to live in a safe neighborhood and send our kids to a safe school. But what about our kid’s digital spaces? The threats for our children are as significant in cyberspace as they are in their physical space. Catherine welcomes back Kr...

Few conversations make parents fill more ill-equipped and tongue-tied than discussing the topic of pornography with our kids. How do we even broach the subject? Catherine’s guest has created a book series that does all of the hard work for us. Kristen Jenson is the #1 best-selling author of the Good Pictures Bad Pictures series of read-aloud books, which have been translated into 10 languages. The...

The Surgeon General came out with a very troubling report recently on social media usage among children that should concern us as parents. What are those warnings and what do we as parents need to know to safeguard our kids? Catherine has invited Dr. Walt Mueller back to break it all down for us. Covered in this episode: *Often overlooked good things to celebrate in the area of technology and soci...

Media is bombarding our children at every turn, and at the same time the generation gap is widening. Catherine’s special guest, Dr. Walt Mueller specializes in understanding the next generation—their thought processes, their challenges, and the many ways that entertainment and media are bombarding our kids’ lives with deeply concerning messages. As founder and president of The Center for Parent/Yo...

The mental health crisis in our country is at critical mass. Children are struggling like never before and parents are concerned, as they should be. What foundation do we need to have in place to help our kids to be strong mentally? Catherine’s guest, Dr. Bill Senyard, shares some warning signs that a child is struggling and offers practical ways to establish a strong foundation for your child’s m...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and according to the CDC , our kids are facing a mental health crisis. Consider these recent statistics:   *Suicide & homicide rates in youth ages 10 to 24 are the highest they have been in decades, since 1968. *42% of adolescents are feeling sadness and hopelessness, up 50% from 2011 (57% are females). *22% of all students have considered attempting suici...

The problem of pain has plagued humanity since the beginning of time. Many great apologists have grappled with the reality of suffering, endeavoring to form a theologically sound answer to life’s hardest question. In this poignant exchange, a couple of moms wrestle with pain and suffering from a distinctly maternal point of view. Catherine and her guest from across the great pond, Ruth Jackson, ha...

In the last episode, Catherine highlighted the five primary apologetic approaches for defending the Christian faith. While varying greatly on inception points, strategy, philosophy and subject matter, all of the approaches agree on the superiority of one defense. That is—EXPERIENCE. A person’s experience with God is powerful and preeminent. Offering a personal testimony of how God has transformed...

Catherine offers a powerful message worthy of CP/CW’s 100th episode by revealing the #1 factor in maintaining a vibrant, lifelong faith, which corresponds perfectly with the #1 prayer every parent should pray over their kids. The answer to this question should interest us as followers of Christ personally and as parents. In her apologetic studies, Catherine discovered one defense of the faith that...

Many people look at the Christian faith as just a religion of do’s and don’ts.   Is it?   This is a question we need to be very clear on as parents., for ourselves and for our kids. If our children think that the faith is just about all the things we can’t do and all the things we have to do, then they don’t really understand what Christianity is all about. And they probably won’t stick around. Th...

The youth exodus is a very real concern for Christian parents. Much of CP/CW’s content is aimed at assuaging this falling away from the faith in our youth.   But what does a parent do when they have a child who is questioning or has left the faith? How do you parent the prodigal child?   Catherine answers these questions with hard-earned, first-hand experience by offering these vital guidelines:  ...

Studies show that a majority of kids raised in Christian homes are leaving the faith when they leave the nest. It is vital that we understand the primary reasons why young people no longer believe if we want to help them return to the faith.   In this episode, Catherine airs an important conversation she had recently on the Redeeming the Chaos Podcast with Laurie Christine. Catherine and Laurie di...

There is no formula for raising a child to be a lifelong follower of Christ. There is no 5 or 10 or even 20-step program to raising godly kids. Parents have a vital part to play as we commit to raise our children biblically, but we cannot choose the faith for our kids.   So what happens when you do your part as parents. You are diligent about training your kids biblically, and the spiritual format...

Raising kids to stand strong in the faith while living in a godless culture is the greatest challenge Christian parents face today. In a world where a majority of kids from Christian households leave the faith after leaving the nest, what can Christian parents do to establish a firm spiritual foundation for their children?   Catherine and Pastor DJ Harry look to the book of Daniel to answer that q...

As parents, we have a central role to play in passing on faith and freedom to the next generation. The spiritual soil of our kid’s lives is nurtured first and foremost by us through modeling the biblical life, through education and prayer, and through the stories we pass on to our kids about the faith.   Catherine wraps up a trilogy of conversations with world-renowned freedom expert, Os Guinness,...

The crisis of leadership in our country is palpable right now, and Christian parents feel that challenge in big ways and small. We don’t have a pure choice at the ballot box, particularly on the national stage. Many Christians have a crisis of conscious when choosing a presidential leader. How should we respond? Catherine continues her conversation with the world-renowned author, philosopher, hist...

There's a lot we don't understand about freedom in this country. Lasting freedom, in any quantifiable sense, is very new to the historical landscape. After all, the United States fought a bloody revolution to acquire it just a few centuries ago.   But where did the idea of freedom come from? What prerequisites are necessary to achieve freedom? And most importantly... What is necessary to keep free...

Something in the human soul cries out for equality. It is certainly a virtue that our culture lauds and espouses.   Where does the idea of equality come from? Can we arrive at the concept of equality from a naturalistic or humanistic worldview? How do we obtain equality?   Catherine’s special guest in this episode is an expert in the fields of philosophy, theology, and apologetics. Dr. Douglas Gro...