The MAVEN Parent Podcast

Our kids are growing up in a culture that undermines their confidence in knowing truth and reality. “Live your own truth” and “that’s true for you but not for me” are the mantras of the day. How do we teach our kids truth and restore their confidence that we can know God’s truth? Brett and Erin discuss this ubiquitous parenting challenge and offer ways to think carefully about the nature of truth.

For Christians, reading is vital. God has primarily spoken to us through the written word, in His Holy Word. Therefore, we must cultivate a LOVE for reading in our kids, if we want to equip them with an absolutely essential tool for their spiritual growth. But how can we get our kids to read? How do we help them fall in love with reading? In this podcast episode, Brett and Erin interview Carole Jo...

Many parenting experts and psychologists will argue that children, particularly young kids, have no “impulse control.” What does this mean? What are the implications for discipline and parenting? And how do current ideas about impulse control fit with a biblical view of children, discipline and parenting? Brett and Erin tackle these questions in this episode.

If you asked most Christian parents, church history is probably not at the top of the list of topics we think we NEED to teach our kids about. However, if we don’t teach them about this vital subject, we can seriously handicap their faith. In this episode, Brett and Erin list the reasons WHY we should teach church history to our kids and then provide practical advice on HOW to teach it effectively...

In this episode, Brett and Erin respond to a popular pastors tweet about the indoctrination of kids in school. They discuss whether or not parents should actually be concerned and then evaluate four recommendations the pastor offers parents about the discipleship of our kids.

School is out and summer is in full swing. However, having the kids home more or losing the structure of the school-year calendar, can present challenges for parents. Rather than feeling stuck “entertaining” your kids or letting screens take over, parents who are intentional can make summer a very productive time. How? Brett and Erin discuss one simple tool to take control of your kids’ summer.

What is a worldview and why does it even matter? These questions are absolutely vital to answer, as we train up our kids in the Christian faith. Recently, Brett spoke on this topic at the Navigate Worldview Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. In this talk, he discusses how everyone has a worldview but most people have never thought carefully about why they believe what they believe. Ironically, one’s...

In the second half of their parent talk at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio in April 2022, Brett and Erin continue to dispel the cultural lies about gender and then begin to paint a biblical picture of God’s design for gender.

How does our culture most powerfully shape us? By presenting to us what is, and therefore should be, normal. And what is the culture presenting to our young people as the norm regarding sex and gender? In this talk given to the parents at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio in April 2022, Brett and Erin walk through a multitude of examples from the culture. Then they provide some clear thinking to hel...

Is it legitimate to legislate our moral views on abortion? Are pro-lifers inconsistent because they only care about the unborn and not the already-born? Brett & Erin bring some clear thinking to help answer these common objections to the pro-life position.

With the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion on Roe v. Wade this week, abortion is THE hot topic. So, should we take this opportunity to talk to our kids about this explosive issue? In this episode, Brett & Erin discuss why and how to talk to your kids about abortion.

Parents struggle with how much to  protect their kids from the difficulties of life. When it comes to the reality of death, are our kids ready to confront the pain and suffering that accompanies it? Should we take them to a funeral? In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss  a biblical worldview perspective on life and death and how it should inform our parenting on this tough issue.

Recently, Disney has been in the news for its LGBTQ activism. Disney executives have said they want to incorporate more LGBTQ characters into their shows and movies. So what’s a parent to do? Should Christian parents let their kids watch Disney? In this episode, Brett and Erin work through this issue thoughtfully, while also providing practical steps for parents.

Time is fundamental to life. We live in time. We organize our lives according to it. We can’t escape time. And yet, many of us have never thought about how our Christian faith relates to time. In this episode, Brett and Erin talk about the Christian Calendar and how it is a practical tool to bring God’s Story to the center of our lives and organize our lives around Him, rather than ourselves. SHOW...

Recently, Brett spoke to parents at Arbor Road Church in Southern California. During the Q & A, there were a lot of questions regarding kids and technology, so Brett and Erin decided to tackle them in this episode.

There's a lot of modern parenting advice out there that says we should let kids "feel what they feel." By allowing them to display any and all emotions, even by way of tantrum, we are allegedly giving them a safe place for those feelings. But how does this modern advice stack up with the ancient wisdom of Scripture? Should parents tolerate tantrums or is there a better way? In this episode, Brett...

In our culture, family dysfunction and brokenness is pervasive. For many, broken families are simply the new normal. As such, Christians cannot overlook the powerful impact a healthy and harmonious home will have on those around us. So how can we cultivate a family life that brings stability, strength, peace and harmony? This session will provide practical guidance on raising a family in the midst...

We know we should pray as parents, but WHY do we pray? What does the very act of praying mean? Brett & Erin recently joined the Colson Center for a brief discussion on why prayer is a significant and powerful part of parenting.

Ideas have consequences...and bad ideas have victims. When it comes to Transgender ideology, the victims are usually children and students. In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss some of the consequences of affirming the culture’s view of gender identity and what practical steps parents can take to help their kids navigate this new reality.

Transgender ideology says that one’s gender is determined solely by an individual’s thoughts or feelings about oneself. The result? Gender can be anything you make it. In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss how, ironically, this view ends up doing away with any meaningful sense of gender altogether. The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: https://smile.amazon.com/Rise-Triumph-Modern-Self-Individ...

Women’s collegiate swimming has erupted in controversy, as Lia Thomas, a trans woman who competes on the Penn St. women’s swim team breaks records and dominates competition. In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss these recent events and how Christian parents should think about the issues surrounding gender identity and how we can help our kids navigate transgender ideology. https://bariweiss.subs...

The Bible is filled with miracle accounts so why don’t Christians talk much about the miraculous? Do we really believe that miracles are possible, even probable? How do miracle stories strengthen our faith in God? Brett and Erin interview Dr. J.P. Moreland about his new book, A Simple Guide to Experience Miracles: Instruction and Inspiration for Living Supernaturally in Christ. Get JP's book on Mi...

The last two years have been difficult and anxiety and depression have hit epidemic levels in both parents and our kids. How do can we navigate anxiety successfully? In this episode, Brett and Erin interview Dr. J.P. Moreland about his book, Finding Quiet: My Story of Overcoming Anxiety and the Practices That Brought Peace. Get JP's book: https://smile.amazon.com/Finding-Quiet-Overcoming-Anxiety-P...

In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss their journey into homeschooling. After having kids in both public and private schools, what reasons led them to pursue the homeschool option? And how did they think about objections to homeschooling, like socialization or having our kids be “salt and light” in the public system? Brett and Erin discuss all of this and more in this podcast episode.

We’re changing things up for this episode of the MAVEN Parent podcast! Brett and Erin ask each other some unrehearsed and unanticipated parenting questions. Their answers are very personal and reveal some parental wisdom borne out of struggle.