Rooted Parent

In this episode of the Rooted Parent Podcast, Cameron and Anna urge parents to talk to their children about heaven. It's helpful to have these conversations throughout our everyday lives, so that we are not just explaining what the Bible says about heaven when a loved one (or a pet) dies. In this episode, Cameron and Anna break down the what, the why, and the how of having these important spiritua...

In this special episode of the Rooted Parent podcast, Cameron and Anna discuss Cameron's new book Heavenward: How Eternity Impacts Your Life on Earth . In particular, how does a biblical view of heaven impact how you parent your children? For parents who have a child in heaven, you'll find the same comfort Cole found in the writing of Paul. For parents whose children are on earth, you'll discover...

Tune in to a fascinating conversation where host Cameron Cole interviews author Samuel James about his new book,  Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age . You'll want to hear his discussion of "content vs. form"; "software vs. hardware," prompting us to ask the question: how is the technology itself- not just the content we view- shaping our loves, our views of what lif...

In this episode, Cameron and Anna are excited to sit down with guest Collin Hansen of The Gospel Coalition. As an astute thought leader for Christians wrestling with contemporary culture, Hansen shares what he has seen and heard about the impact of smartphones and social media on children and teenagers. He invites us to trust God, but also to be informed and make wise decisions to protect our chil...

In this episode of the Rooted Parent Podcast, Cameron and Anna encourage parents whose kids are NOT HAPPY with the family rules regarding smartphones. We hope this episode will help you hold the line for your child's good. "Listening well and showing compassion is going to go a long way towards staying connected with your child." Resources: Join us at Rooted 2024 in Dallas Texas, October 24-26! Pu...

Licensed professional counselor Alice Churnock of "Ask Alice" podcast fame sits down with Anna to talk about what she has learned from her teenaged clients about the impacts of social media. Because Alice is also a mom, she offers wise practical advice for parents of young teens, who don't yet have a smartphone. Alice also shares guidance for parents who want to pull back on their child's technolo...

In this episode of our technology series, Cameron and Anna discuss the enormous amount of time teenagers (and often, their parents) spend in front of screens on a daily basis. We find that Scripture has a lot to say about "numbering our days [so} that we may get a heart of wisdom" concerning how we spend the time God has given us. "We need to be really careful not to send the message that doing sc...

In this episode of the Rooted Parent podcast, Cameron and Anna tackle a tough topic: the unjust conduct of social media giants like Meta, TikTok, and Pornhub, who knowingly prey on preteens and teens with the intent to create addicts. Much like the tobacco industry, these companies exploit the vulnerability of children and young adults for profit, despite overwhelming evidence of harm to younger u...

Human beings live perpetually aware of their shortcomings, so we are always seeking to justify ourselves by some demonstration of "enoughness." In this episode of the Rooted Parent podcast, Cameron and Anna talk about how we use social media filters as self-justification tools, and how we can teach our kids that the gospel answers our nagging sense of inadequacy.  Resources: Psalm 139: 13-15 Galat...

Instagram is unparalleled in its capacity to stir up envy within us; and envy is unparalleled in its power to destroy relationships. In this episode, Cameron and Anna uncover the backbone of envy and talk about the truths from God's word that provide the corrective for our jealousy and covetousness.  Resources: The Agony of Instagram by Alex Williams The Envy of Eve: Finding Contentment in a Covet...

If there's one thing Christian parents know, it's that walking with Jesus will put us in conflict with the dominant culture. In this episode, Cameron and Anna discuss the difficulty and the imperative of raising children who are willing to be different from their peers, for God's glory and their own thriving. "But when we live Christian lives, we are swimming against the stream of popular culture,...

In this episode of our technology series, Cameron and Anna examine the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke's gospel. When we lead our children to understand that their audience is a good God who loves them and finds them flawless in Christ, they will begin to break free from needing to perform for other people and find rest under the smile of their heavenly Father. "Measuring up...

The longing for secure belonging is part of being human, but the longing can be particularly acute for teenagers. In this episode of the Rooted Parent podcast, Cameron and Anna discuss how this longing feeds into our children's participation on social media platforms.  "So much of the tension and the anxiety that involves social media and technology and kids has to do with this developmental, huma...

In this episode of the Rooted Parent Podcast, Cameron and Anna discuss the God-ordained goodness of our bodies. Since the early days of the church, Christians have fought the Greek teaching that matter and the body are bad, and we must escape the physical world. Through the Incarnation of Jesus and the goodness of God's creation, we know that God intends for us to embrace our embodied humanity. To...

Continuing the conversation about viewing technology through the lens of biblical discipleship, Cameron and Anna encourage parents to communicate gently with their children on the topic of technology. Listening well and asking good questions may not make your child feel better about your rules, but these things do dignify the image of God in your child.  "The number one developmental question that...

In the first episode of our new season, Cameron and Anna will talk about what it looks like to have a discipleship mindset regarding our kids and technology. Our desire as parents is to raise children who love Jesus and have their own relationship with him. With Scripture as our guide, we can teach our children to handle technological tools with godly wisdom, to be faithful to God's Word when they...

Join Cameron and Anna for this fascinating interview with Jim Davis and Michael Graham, authors of The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back ? According to the research commissioned by Davis and Graham, 40 million people have left the American church in the last several decades. Americans are most vulnerable to dechurching between the ages o...

In this joint episode with Danny Kwon, host of the Rooted Youth Ministry podcast, Anna welcomes Mike McGarry, author of a newly released book for teenagers,  Discover: Questioning Your Way to Faith . As a veteran youth worker, father and husband, Mike is no stranger to the difficult questions kids ask. In his book, Mike answers twenty tough questions with insight, compassion, and theological integ...

In this final episode of our three-part series, Cameron and Anna focus on what it looks like to parent out of the grace of Jesus. Almost as soon as our babies are born, parents discover that our best efforts are not enough, our sin trips us up continually, and we often don't have a clue if we have done well or made things worse for our children. Into this difficult place come the immeasurable rich...

Cameron and Anna take a pause in the summertime to review what it means to parent out of the rest of the gospel, the wisdom of Scripture, and the grace of Jesus. In this second episode of a three-part series, they examine what it looks like for parents to let the wisdom of Scripture guide their decision-making. "The Holy Spirit of God is stronger than both the internal and the external pressures t...

Cameron and Anna take a pause in the summertime to review what it means to parent out of the rest of the gospel, the wisdom of Scripture, and the grace of Jesus. In this first episode of a three-part series, they examine the gospel and what it looks like for parents to rest in the finished work of Christ even as we do the hard work of parenting. Rather than trying to justify ourselves either throu...

In this episode of the Rooted Parent Podcast, Anna talks with Jared Kennedy, husband and father of three daughters. Jared works as an editor with The Gospel Coalition and is the founder of The Gospel-Centered Family. Jared shares what he believes a gospel-centered family looks like- and it's a combination of dedicated family time, chickens, prayer requests, and lots of ice cream, among other thing...

In this episode of the Rooted Parent Podcast, we share an interview from our sister podcast, Ask Alice.  Alice Churnock interviews author and mental health counselor, Liz Edrington on her 31-day teen devotional:  Anxiety: Finding the Better Story. Listen in as these two experts in teenage anxiety discuss common misconceptions of anxiety, how to spot patterns of anxious behavior in your child, and...

For parents who dread the hormones, changes, and challenges of the teen years: you will find so much comfort and hope in our interview with author and counselor Kristen Hatton. Kristen is a mother of three grown children, a pastors' wife, and a counselor, and she is well acquainted with how parents anxiously anticipate what life will be like with teenagers in the house. In her newest book, Parenti...

In the final episode of our season "What the Bible Says About Parenting," Cameron and Anna take a look at Salome, the mother of James and John, the sister of Mary- who happens to be Jesus' aunt. When she requests that her sons be allowed to sit at the right and left hands of Jesus in his kingdom, she seeks earthly power for her sons, she thinks it is up to manage her boys' lives, and she fails to...