Christian Parent, Crazy World

There isn't a more stressful job in life than raising children to be God-loving, God-fearing, competent, motivated, responsible adults. After all, that is the goal. A large part of that process, we don’t have control over. But there are parts that we do. There are habits we can employ that will reduce stress and promote peace in our parenting.   Catherine’s guest in this episode is Elizabeth Andreyevskiy, a stress coach for Christian moms and host of the Emotionally Healthy Legacy Podcast. A mom of 4 herself, Elizabeth knows the value of emotional wellness in parenting and the impact it has on the whole family. She is passionate about teaching moms how to prioritize their needs guilt free, lower daily stressors, set healthy boundaries and implement healthy habits. Elizabeth teaches moms how to manage mom rage and overcome guilt and shame. She believes that a strong relationship with God and simple mindset shifts can transform moms in their emotional wellness and break destructive patterns.   Elizabeth has 5 simple, practical habits that parents can employ today to de-stress their lives and experience more peace in their parenting, and she shares those life-changing pro tips with the CPCW audience. They are:   1. Get up earlier than your kids to spend time with God. 2. Journal to process your thoughts. 3. Limit your screen time and turn off notifications. 4. Put downtime in your schedule (don’t over schedule). 5. Ask for help.   Sometimes it isn’t the big, shiny new thing that makes the difference in your life. Sometimes it is a simple, practical change, perhaps something that you used to do that you stopped doing, that makes all the difference. Implementing these practical habits will bring peace into your parenting and eliminate stress.   LINKS:   Elizabeth’s website The Emotionally Healthy Legacy Podcast Promised resource: 5 Simple Ways to Calm Down When You Feel Triggered   RESOURCES MENTIONED:   God is Good, But This Isn’t published at inCourage Take Heart: 100 Devotions To Seeing God When Life’s Not Okay Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

According to recent Barna research, reconciling a good God with an evil world is the number one barrier to the Christian faith for the next generation. As parents, if there is an obstacle to our kids’ faith, we need be prepared with some answers.   Catherine’s special guest for this episode is eminently qualified to help us reconcile any difficult question concerning the Christian faith. Dr. Douglas Groothuis is one of the great apologetic voices in the world today. He is the author of 17 books, including Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith, Walking through Twilight: A Wife’s Illness—A Philosopher’s Lament, and most recently, Fire in the Streets: How You Can Confidently Respond to Incendiary Cultural Topics. He is currently a professor of philosophy and the head of the apologetics and ethics program at Denver Seminary.   Dr. Groothuis has a brilliant mind that he has employed for God’s glory and the good of the church for many decades. But most striking in this conversation is not only how this masterful apologist ponders the great perplexities of life through the lens of our faith, but also how he has employed that faith in the midst of great heartache. Dr. Groothuis shares his own deeply personal experience with suffering in the loss of his late wife, Rebecca. His thoughts are deep, and his journey is powerful and poignant.   Every worldview must wrestle with the problem of evil. The Christian worldview provides philosophical and theological answers that are rational and that resonate with the human experience. But most of all, our faith provides hope, meaning, and redemption in life’s heartache. As Dr. Groothuis says, “We can smelt meaning out of suffering.”     RESOURCES:   Dr. Douglas Groothuis website Truth Tribe with Douglas Groothuis (podcast) Dr. Groothuis speaking request   BOOKS REFERENCED:   Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith  (2nd ed.) by Dr. Douglas Groothuis Walking through Twilight: A Wife’s Illness—A Philosopher’s Lament by Dr. Douglas Groothuis   RESEARCHED REFERENCED:   Emerging Gen Z May Deliver Huge Blow to Religion in U.S. (Baptist News Global, 6/8/18)   SCRIPTURES REFERENCED:   Gen. 50:20 Isaiah 50:4 1 Kings 19 John 11:35 Romans 8:28 John 6:68-69 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Woke ideology is everywhere. You can’t escape it. As parents, we need to understand exactly what it is so we can help our kids to understand it. That means we need to know where it came from and where it is going.   Catherine wraps up this two-part series on Woke by digging into the history of Woke philosophy:   Who were the major players? What did they believe? How did they introduce Woke ideology to the West? What tools do they use? What is the ultimate goal of Wokeism?   Catherine answers those questions by giving an aerial view of Woke’s history and then shows where it is headed.   OTHER EPISODES IN THIS SERIES: Ep. 64 "What Gives Woke Ideology Its Power?" PODCASTS REFERENCED & CONSULTED:   CPCW Worldview Series: Ep. 6 “5 Reasons You Should Teach Your Kids about Other Worldviews” Ep. 7 “What Worldviews Are Competing with Your Kids’ Faith?” Ep. 8 “What Sets the Christian Worldview Apart from Other Worldviews” Ep. 9 “How Does the Christian Worldview Create a World We All Want to Live in?”   Red Pilled America Woke Army Series (re-released) Ep. 120 Woke Army (Part One) Ep. 121 Woke Army (Part Two) Ep. 122 Woke Army (Part Three) Ep. 123 Woke Army (Part Four) Ep. 124 Woke Army (Part Five)   The Liz Wheeler Show Ep. 4 What Do You Like about Being White? Ep. 270 The Cult of Woke Is… an Actual Cult (with Dr. James Lindsay) Ep. 291 How To Extract Your Friends and Family from the Woke Cult (with Dr. James Lindsay)   RESOURCES CONSULTED:   “Karl Marx Lived in Fifth and Neglected His Children” (HubPages, 6/21/10)   “BLM removes page on ‘nuclear family structure’ amid NFL vet’s criticism” (New York Post, 9/24/2020)   “Blood-boiling moment woke Stanford law school students taunt conservative judge invited to speak there—before dean of ‘equity’ ambushed him with pious speech accusing him of ‘harm’” (Harriet Alexander, Daily Mail, 3/11/23)   “Terrified swimming champion Riley Gaines is ambushed by screaming trans activists and ‘hit twice by a guy in a dress’ after Saving Women’s Sports speech at San Fran State Uniersity – as cops say there were no arrests” (Rohan Gupta, Daily Mail, 4/7/23)   “High School volleyball Player Injured by Trans Athlete Speaks Out to Megyn Kelly, with Payton McNabb” (The Megyn Kelly Show, 4/28/23)   “How the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ between Venus and Serena Williams and World No. 203 Karsten Braasch played out” (Urvi Mehra, Sportskeeda, 6/22/23)   “Dear Patti LuPone: The ‘Christian Right’ and the Taliban are far from the same” (Billy Hallowell, The Washington Times, 4/27/23)   Want more on Christian Apologetics for Parents? Visit https://www.crosswalk.com/author/catherine-segars  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Woke ideology permeates our culture. It has saturated our airwaves—sung in our songs, read in our novels, acted out in our films, espoused by our educators, preached by our politicians, and even (re)written into our history.   But what exactly is woke, and what makes it so powerful?   Catherine begins a new two-part solo series on woke ideology by looking at the long view of history to properly establish the platform it rests on. After all, you can’t de-platform something unless you understand what is holding it up. There is a kernel of truth that perpetuates this dangerous philosophy.   So in this episode, Catherine identifies that truth by examining the abuse of power operating in hierarchical structures throughout human history, from the Egyptian subjugation of the Israelites to the conquest of Canaan to the Hebrew occupation by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and Romans. She also examines this oppressive structure in the Japanese Heian period, European feudalism, and the Indian caste system.   What is the woke answer to oppression?   Erase the hierarchy. Defund the Police. Demolish our legal system. Destroy the nuclear family. Put children on par with parents in the home.   What is God’s answer?   It is an entirely different way of doing things. Jesus said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.” (Matt. 20:25-28)   God doesn’t erase the hierarchy. He turns it upside down. Those in charge must serve, not make slaves of others.   Woke cannot answer the problems it criticizes. But we’ve got to recognize the tiny bit of truth that woke ideology gets right if we want to explain everything it gets wrong.   RESOURCES MENTIONED:   Stolen Youth: How Radicals Are Erasing Innocence and Indoctrinating a Generation by Bethany Mandel   “I Was Asked To Define Woke. My Humiliation Went Viral” by Bethany Mandel in Newsweek The Last Samurai,  Warner Brothers Picture   SCRIPTURES REFERENCED:   Colossians 3:25 Isaiah 1:17 Psalm 72:4 Zechariah 7:10 James 1:27   Want more on Christian Apologetics for Parents? Visit https://www.crosswalk.com/author/catherine-segars/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

At some point, every parent will have to work through a crisis with their kids. Whether their child deals with a substance addiction or battles an eating disorder or questions their sexuality or walks away from the faith, parents need encouragement and strategy to work through these difficult seasons.   Joining Catherine again to discuss parenting through the hard times is best-selling author Laine Lawson Craft. Laine’s brand new book, The Parent’s Battle Plan: Warfare Strategies to Win Back Your Prodigal, covers a plethora of parenting potholes. Together, Catherine and Laine cover this vital parenting ground:   Maintaining self-care in a crisis Evicting enablement Establishing healthy boundaries Changing the rules Responding to manipulation Dealing with the judgment of others Establishing community Finding a Christian counselor Guarding our minds from discouragement Praying the Word over our children   And at the end of this episode, these ladies offer a powerful, Spirit-filled prayer to wage war in the heavenlies for this next generation.   LINKS:   Laine’s Book: The Parent’s Battle Plan: Warfare Strategies to Win Back Your Prodigal Laine’s website Laine’s Instagram Page Laine’s Facebook Page Laine’s podcast: Warfare Parenting Podcast   To receive a free copy of “Scriptures to Pray Over Children Who Have Walked Away from the Faith,” subscribe HERE   STUDY REFERENCED:   “45% of Parents with Adult Children Are Helping Them Pay Their Bills” (Money.com)   RELATED ARTICLES:   Crosswalk: “What Every Parent Needs to Know about the Prodigal Child” by Catherine Segars   Crosswalk: “What To Do if Your Child Has Walked Away from the Faith” by Catherine Segars (2/2/22) Lifeway Research: “Most Teenagers Drop Out of Church When They Become Young Adults” (1/15/19) Cold-Case Christianity: “UPDATED: Are Young People Really Leaving Christianity” by J. Warner Wallace (1/12/19) Barna Research: “Atheism Doubles Among Gen Z” (1/24/18)   SCRIPTURES REFERENCED:   Isaiah 43:5-6 Isaiah 54: 13,15,17 Romans 4:17 Jeremiah 31:16-17 Want more on Christian Apologetics for Parents? Visit https://www.crosswalk.com/author/catherine-segars/   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Statistics show that a majority of Christian kids are leaving the faith when they leave the nest. That means a majority of Christian parents are parenting a prodigal child. Support for those walking through the prodigal journey is one of the greatest needs for parents in the body of Christ today.   Where does the prodigal parent start?   Joining Catherine to discuss parenting prodigal children in a two-part series is bestselling author Laine Lawson Craft. Laine’s brand new book, The Parent’s Battle Plan: Warfare Strategies to Win Back Your Prodigal, chronicles her 15-year journey with multiple prodigal children who struggled with drugs, sex, depression, suicidal ideation, and so much more.   Parenting has always been hard, but it’s even harder in today’s dark world. Children are bombarded with technology, peer pressures, and substances that can lead to devastating repercussions for not only the child, but also their family. Today’s youth are just one click away from a destructive path.   How do parents recover from the shock, panic, and guilt they feel when a child chooses a destructive path? What can parents do to help their children when they continue making self-destructive life choices?  How can parents partner with God, the perfect parent, to win back their child?   In this episode, Catherine and Laine answer these questions while pointing parents to the single greatest weapon we have in the battle to win back a prodigal child—that is prayer.   Laine’s Bio: Laine Lawson Craft is an award-winning author, popular media host, and in-demand speaker. The founder and publisher of WHOAwomen magazine (2010-2018), she regularly hosts online challenges and masterclasses as well as Facebook Live events that reach thousands. Her Livin' Lively with Laine podcast encourages women around the world, and her Warfare Parenting podcast encourages parents of adult children.    Links: Laine’s website Laine’s Instagram Page Laine’s Facebook Page Warfare Parenting Podcast   To receive a free copy of “Scriptures to Pray Over Children Who Have Walked Away from the Faith,” subscribe HERE   REFERENCED AND RELATED PODCASTS: EPISODE 13: 4 Types of Prayer Every Believer Should Know EPISODE 14: How To Battle for Your Kids in Prayer EPISODE 15: What Should I Expect When I Battle in Prayer? EPISODE 26: What Every Parent Needs to Know about the Prodigal Child EPISODE 12: What To Do if Your Child Walks Away from the Faith   BOOKS REFERENCED: The Parent’s Battle Plan: Warfare Strategies to Win Back Your Prodigal by Laine Lawson Craft Intercessory Prayer: How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven and Earth by Dutch Sheets   RELATED ARTICLES:  “What Every Parent Needs to Know about the Prodigal Child” by Catherine Segars (3/22/22) “What To Do if Your Child Has Walked Away from the Faith” by Catherine Segars (11/2/22) "Christian Kids Are Leaving the Faith. What Can We Do about It?" by Catherine Segars (2/9/22) Lifeway Research: “Most Teenagers Drop Out of Church When They Become Young Adults” (1/15/19) Cold-Case Christianity: “UPDATED: Are Young People Really Leaving Christianity” by J. Warner Wallace (1/12/19) Barna Research: “Atheism Doubles Among Gen Z” (1/24/18)   SCRIPTURES REFERENCED:  Deuteronomy 20:4  Matthew 16:19, 18:18  Mark 11:23  Luke 10:19  John 10:10  James 1:5  Romans 8:28    Want more on Christian Apologetics for Parents? Visit https://www.crosswalk.com/author/catherine-segars/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you wake up anxious first thing in the morning? Is your mind racing with thoughts of what you need to get done today and what you failed to do yesterday? If this is a pattern for you, we challenge you to break the morning cycle of worry with prayer! In this episode preview from Teach Us to Pray, host Christina Patterson shares what to pray in the morning for a worry-free day.   Discover More Episodes of 'Teach Us to Pray' with Christina Patterson: 3 Signs God Is Trying to Get Your Attention: https://apple.co/3pmZYHN / https://spoti.fi/42uBdYS  How to Turn Your Worries into Prayers: https://apple.co/3I4FPgd / https://spoti.fi/3VTyWUO  How to Pray When You Sense God Moving You In a New Direction: https://apple.co/42tOrVJ / https://spoti.fi/3BoBwIJ  Why Prayer Is So Hard: https://apple.co/3pz8jZ9 / https://spoti.fi/3LUNSx9   Follow the Show, 'Teach Us to Pray': Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NBnXgt Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3NXSghL   Want more on Christian Apologetics for Parents? Visit https://www.crosswalk.com/author/catherine-segars  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

May is mental health awareness month, and more families than ever are battling challenges in this area of health. Catherine and her special guest, Peyton Garland, dive deep into the topics of OCD, anxiety, and depression in this episode to offer unique insights, education, and encouragement to weary parents.   Peyton has a powerful testimony of how God is using a mental health disorder in her life for her good and for His glory. Having dealt with obsessive compulsive thoughts since early childhood, Peyton breaks down the four primary types of “sticky thoughts” that people who battle OCD contend with. They are:   Mental Thoughts & Taboo Rituals (a.k.a. Religious OCD) Symmetry Contamination Harm   Peyton expertly navigates the detours and dead ends associated with these compulsive thoughts, and Catherine shares the victory she has experienced in her 17-year battle with clinical depression, highlighting the most dangerous prayer you can pray as a Christian! Along the way, these ladies offer hope while pointing families that deal with mental health disorders towards healing.   Peyton Garland is an author and coffee shop hopper who loves connecting people to a grace bigger than expected. Her debut book, Not So by Myself, was ranked on Kharis Publishing's 2021 Bestseller List. Meanwhile, Wipf & Stock recently released her second title: Tired, Hungry, & Kinda Faithful. Outside the writing world, Peyton is a pilot's wife, dog mom, and soon-to-be boy mom who loves reading WWII fiction and faithfully defending the Oxford comma.    LINKS:   Peyton’s website Peyton’s blog: Uncured & Okay Peyton’s Instagram & Facebook Pages   BOOKS REFERENCED: Tired, Hungry, and Kinda Faithful: Where Exhaustion and Exile Meet God by Peyton Garland Not So By Myself: A safe space where God doesn’t fix the loneliness but sits with you instead by Peyton Garland The Book of Mysteries by Jonathan Cahn (day 191)   ARTICLES REFERENCED: “To the Mama with a Mental Health Disorder” by Peyton Garland “A Few Not So Stereotypical Thoughts on OCD” by Peyton Garland “What I Wish People Knew about Mental Illness” by Catherine Segars “What I Wish People with Mental Illness Knew” by Catherine Segars   SCRIPTURES REFERENCED: Psalm 40:1-3 2 Corinthians 10:5 1 Timothy 2:7 Want more on Christian Apologetics for Parents? Visit https://www.crosswalk.com/author/catherine-segars/   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode, Catherine continues her riveting conversation Blake Howard, the committed church kid raised in a Christian home who struggled with same sex attraction from a very young age. Then, tragically, Blake was molested and bullied in school for acting gay. So after high school, he became gay. He was also addicted to drugs and was doing drag to receive the love and affirmation that his heart longed for. Blake shares this part of his testimony in Episode 59.   Now you will hear the rest of the story… as Paul Harvey used to say. You will hear about Blake’s dramatic alter-call conversion to belief in Christ, his deliverance from drug addiction through the power of the Holy Spirit, and his continued struggle with homosexuality and eventual complete submission to Christ in that area of his life. You’ll also hear about his marriage and parenting and how he came to be a minister.   It is an incredible story!   And along the way, you will get some priceless, hard-earned advice on how to walk in relationship with the people in your life who struggle with same sex attraction and gender dysphoria… all from a guy who knows exactly what they need because he’s been there.   Blake Howard is the Associate Pastor & Creative Director at Xtreme Harvest Church in San Antonio, TX. Blake graduated from Ramp School of Ministry in Hamilton, AL.   To see clips from this interview and find inspiring supplemental quotes and posts, connect with Catherine on Instagram and Facebook . To receive updates about each new podcast and free resources like Scripture songs, Bible verses to pray over prodigal children, and a topical index of Scriptures for prayer, subscribe to Catherine’s website.   LINKS: Blake’s Instagram & Facebook Pages   BOOK REFERENCED: From Mascara to Manhood by Benjamin Blake Howard Gay Awareness: Discovering the Heart of the Father and the Mind of Christ on Sexuality by Landon Schott   SCRIPTURES REFERENCED: Romans 5:8-10   OTHER EPISODES IN THIS SERIES: Episode 59: How Does a Committed Church Kid Become a Drag Queen?   RELATED PODCASTS WITH BLAKE HOWARD: Red Pilled America, Episode 149: Bondage, February 10, 2023 Allie Beth Stuckey, Episode 748: From Drag Queen & Drug Dealer to Jesus Follower   CPCW Series on Sexuality: Episode 45: How Do We Help Our Kids to Understand Biblical Sexuality? Episode 46: How to Talk to Your Kids about Biblical Sexuality Episode 47: What is Our Culture Teaching Kids about Sexuality Episode 48: How Our Culture is Distorting Sexuality and Harming Children   RELATED ARTICLES “Understanding Biblical Sexuality and How To Talk about It with Your Children” by Erin A. Barry and Catherine Segars “What Culture Is Teaching Our Kids about Sexuality: 7 Ways to Respond” by Erin A. Barry and Catherine Segars Want more on Christian Apologetics for Parents? Visit https://www.crosswalk.com/author/catherine-segars/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We've all heard the story of a kid in the church youth group who is now on a destructive path. Many parents are living this story. Sometimes the lessons we teach our kids don’t stick. The faith we hand down doesn’t become their own. They have outside influences that erode the foundation that us parents seek so diligently to build.   In this episode, Catherine shares a cautionary tale of a young man who was raised in the church, in the Bible belt, and yet he chose a very destructive path. Blake Howard found love and affirmation under layers of make-up and pounds fake body parts. There are a lot of lessons that parents can learn from his story. Catherine and Blake discuss:   Why we need to talk to our kids about sex early, and how to go about that. The effects of bullying on kids who are struggling in the area of sexuality. How the church often reinforces unhealthy ideas about gender. How to help our kids understand masculinity and femininity. The effects of worldly affirmation.   Along the way, you will see how a church kid can slowly descend into a life of sexual confusion and gender dysphoria, all from a guy who has been there and has a lot of wisdom to offer.   And while today’s tale is tragic, in the very next episode you will hear how this same young man went from being a drag queen to being a minister of the Gospel.    Only God could write a story like that!   Blake Howard is the Associate Pastor & Creative Director at Xtreme Harvest Church in San Antonio, TX. Blake graduated from Ramp School of Ministry in Hamilton, AL.   To see clips from this interview and find inspiring supplemental quotes and posts, connect with Catherine on Instagram and Facebook . To receive updates about each new podcast and free resources like Scripture songs, Bible verses to pray over prodigal children, and a topical index of Scriptures for prayer, subscribe to Catherine’s website.   Episode Links: Blake’s Instagram & Facebook Pages   BOOK REFERENCED: From Mascara to Manhood by Benjamin Blake Howard God’s Design for Sex Series (4 books) by Stan & Brenna Jones   PODCASTS REFERENCED: Red Pilled America, Episode 149: Bondage, February 10, 2023 Allie Beth Stuckey, Episode 748: From Drag Queen & Drug Dealer to Jesus Follower CPCW Series on Sexuality: Episode 45: How Do We Help Our Kids to Understand Biblical Sexuality? Episode 46: How to Talk to Your Kids about Biblical Sexuality Episode 47: What is Our Culture Teaching Kids about Sexuality Episode 48: How Our Culture is Distorting Sexuality and Harming Children   ARTICLES REFERENCED: “Understanding Biblical Sexuality and How To Talk about It with Your Children” by Erin A. Barry and Catherine Segars “What Culture Is Teaching Our Kids about Sexuality: 7 Ways to Respond” by Erin A. Barry and Catherine Segars Want more on Christian Apologetics for Parents? Visit https://www.crosswalk.com/author/catherine-segars/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.