Christian Parent, Crazy World

Catherine continues in a series on dealing with the difficult parts of Scripture by discussing two often misunderstood aspects of God’s nature: his mercy and his justice. These attributes are opposite ends of the divine pendulum. If we don’t understand them, we don’t understand who God is. We must properly comprehend these parts of God’s character if we want to prevent our kids from falling for the mischaracterizations of God that abound in our culture. In a tour through literature that ends with a fascinating story from a world-renowned theologian, Catherine unpacks these beautiful attributes of God. He is passionately concerned about justice, but he is equally if not more concerned about mercy. Time and time and time again we see that God forgoes justice and gives mercy. Mercy literally runs through God’s veins. But God does not force his mercy upon us. If we don’t choose to receive God’s mercy, we will receive his justice. We must teach our kids that God is merciful and He is just. How he interacts with us is up to us. So, we must teach our kids to choose wisely.OTHER EPISODES IN THIS SERIES:Episode 31: Why Does the Bible Say… Fill in the Blank? – https://bit.ly/3xX9XnVEpisode 32: How Can Parents Deal with the Difficult Parts of Scripture? - https://bit.ly/3NouE1P Episode 33: Is the God of the Old Testament a Monster? - https://bit.ly/3nmxtWFSummary for the Merchant of Venice: https://bit.ly/3uFPJOTPortia’s Speech: https://poets.org/poem/merchant-venice-act-iv-scene-i-quality-mercy-not-strained“Holiness and Justice” by Dr. R. C. Sproul: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/holiness-of-god/holiness-and-justice SCRIPTURES CITED:Psalm 82:3Isaiah 1:17Micah 6:8Jeremiah 1:5Psalm 139Psalm 56:8Genesis 16:1-16 (Story of Hagar)FOLLOW CATHERINE:Email questions or answers to Catherine: catherine@catherinesegars.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There are many out there who would mischaracterize God. We need to prepare our kids for these mischaracterizations of God. We must not ignore, sanitize, or downplay the difficult parts of Scripture. We must address them head on and give our kids an accurate understanding of who God is.If we read the Old Testament honestly, we will see a God of great compassion and mercy. A God who pleads with his people to choose wisely. A God who continually points to his plan of salvation for all mankind – Jesus. And Jesus continually points back to God in the Old Testament. You can’t separate the God of the Old Testament and Jesus. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6OTHER EPISODES IN THIS SERIES:Episode 31: Why Does the Bible Say… Fill in the Blank? – https://bit.ly/3xX9XnVEpisode 32: How Can Parents Deal with the Difficult Parts of Scripture? - https://bit.ly/3NouE1P RESOURCES MENTIONED:A New Kind of Apologist by Sean McDowell: https://seanmcdowell.org/item/a-new-kind-of-apologistScary Mary Film Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T5_0AGdFic&t=3sScary Mrs. Doubtfire Film Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ckv_Dz-SioRichard Dawkins Quote: https://strangenotions.com/richard-dawkins-and-the-god-of-the-old-testament/Episode 4: Is Christianity Just a Religion of Do’s and Don’ts?: https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/is-christianity-just-a-religion-of-dos-and-donts-episode-4FOLLOW CATHERINE:Email questions or answers to Catherine: catherine@catherinesegars.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Catherine continues in her series on dealing with difficult parts of Scripture with installment two. In this episode, Catherine applies the practical guidelines that she gave in episode 31 to a difficult story from the Bible that led a young college-age Christian to abandon his faith. Our kids are getting blindsided by parts of the Bible that they haven’t heard or haven’t properly considered, and this is causing many young believers to leave the faith.We need to help our kids find reasonable, rational answers for why the Bible is true. As you walk with Catherine through this difficult part of Scripture, you will learn how to provide those answers yourself.GUIDELINES for dealing with the difficult part of Scripture:1. Take away the ambush.2. Don’t ignore the question.3. Don’t downplay the question.4. Pray about it.5. Get to work. (Research)6. Stand on what you know.7. Wrestle out loud.RESOURCES MENTIONED:Episode 31: Why does the Bible Say… Fill in the Blank?: https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/why-does-the-bible-say-fill-in-the-blank-episode-31A New Kind of Apologist by Sean McDowell, Chapter 6: “Don’t Blame Us, It’s in the Bible” by Dan Kimball: https://seanmcdowell.org/item/a-new-kind-of-apologistSCRIPTURES REFERENCED:- James 1:5- The Exodus & the ten plagues: Exodus 1-12- Herod’s massacre of the innocent: Matthew 2:1-18- Exodus 1:22- Galatians 6:7-9 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There is stuff in the Bible that is hard to understand and difficult to explain. And too often, the first time many Christian kids encounter these difficult parts of the Bible is when an atheist professor brings them up in a class, or a friend who is a secular humanist challenges them in the cafeteria or at work. Kids are getting blindsided because they didn’t cover those topics in Sunday School or in their youth group. Moms and dads, we aren’t doing our kids any favors when we skip these parts of the Bible. In this episode, Catherine discusses what can happen when our kids get questions about parts of the Bible that they’ve never considered or even heard before. Then she offers 7 practical guidelines on how to approach these sections of Scripture with your kids.GUIDELINES: 1. Take away the ambush. 2. Don’t ignore the question.3 .Don’t downplay the question. 4. Pray about it.5. Get to work. (Research)6. Stand on what you know.7. Wrestle out loud. ARTICLES & PODCASTS MENTIONED:1. “How Do I Deal with the Terribly Disturbing Parts of Scripture?”: https://bit.ly/3wWtlC6 2. “Why Does the Bible Tell Women to be Silent and Not to Teach?”: https://bit.ly/38Xw1Gy3. “Christian Kids Are Leaving the Faith. What Can We Do About It?”: https://bit.ly/3t0WUjt4. CPCW Episode 2: “What is the Key for Our Kids to Have an Authentic Faith?”: https://bit.ly/3z7o5NJ 5. CPCW Episode 3: “How Do I Teach My Kids to Contend for Their Faith?”: https://bit.ly/3a5DDa6 RESOURCES CITED:A New Kind of Apologist by Sean McDowell: https://bit.ly/3M4rfnX The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask by Mark Mittelberg: https://bit.ly/391XJlkSCRIPTURES CITED:James 1:5FOLLOW CATHERINE:Email questions or answers to Catherine catherine@catherinesegars.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode, Catherine tackles a question that every parent needs to have firmly settled: is it ok to question God and the Christian faith? Kids are coming home from school, extracurricular activities, higher education, work, or even church with serious questions about their beliefs. This is a good thing. But how do you handle that? How do we help our kids with these difficult topics? How do we encourage them to seek answers?Catherine answers those questions in this episode of CHRISTIAN PARENT/CRAZY WORLD. And she gives some critically important advice on how to prepare for the tough conversations that inevitably arise in our parenting.*REFERENCES CITED:The Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism and Applied Apologetics at Colorado Christian University:https://www.ccu.edu/strobelcenter/https://www.ccu.edu/The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel: https://bit.ly/3MfjZXoThe Case for Christ for Kids by Lee Strobel: https://bit.ly/3PzHsVsThe Case for Christ Movie DVD: https://bit.ly/3MlYggDChristian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith by Dr. Douglas Groothuis: https://bit.ly/39XeRZH*SCRIPTURE REFERENCED:Acts 17Job 38Luke 1:18Luke 1:38Proverbs 25:2*FOLLOW CATHERINE: https://catherinesegars.com/https://www.instagram.com/catherinesegars/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When it comes to defending your faith, you don’t always need to play defense. Sometimes you need to go on the offense. These 7 guidelines will help you and your kiddos challenge cultural lies and lead others to the truth. You and your children need to:1. Always define your terms.2. Question everything.3. Challenge labels. (Don’t label and discard.)4. Don’t Cancel. Instead, consult.5. Don’t censor lies. Defeat lies with the truth.6. Use the boycott wisely. 7. Go directly to the original source.Moms and dads, let’s be a force for good in the way we engage others to think and act!ARTICLES REFERENCED OR CONSULTED:6 Guidelines for Challenging Our Culture: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/guidelines-for-challenging-our-culture.htmlNew York Post: “Judge Jackson declines to define ‘woman,’ says she’s ‘not a biologist’,”: https://bit.ly/3MGi5yUDUK News: “Columbia student who escaped North Korea says she sees similarities in the US”: https://bit.ly/3vz9xUCBritish Library: “Learning Voices of the Holocaust”: https://bit.ly/3w4zHOq United Holocaust Memorial Museum: “Adolf Hitler Issues Comment on the “Jewish Question”: https://bit.ly/3vBGqjQ The Independent: “Jen Psaki Urges Spotify to take further action on Joe Rogan: ‘More can be done’”: https://bit.ly/3y4CeKPThe New York Post: “The White House Is Spreading Vile Lies about the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill”: https://bit.ly/3MGkBVO PODCASTS REFERENCED:Episode 19: 6 Guidelines to Living a Counter-Cultural Life: https://bit.ly/3vSNlE2SCRIPTURES REFERENCED: Ephesians 6:12**Follow Catherine:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinesegars/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How powerful are our words? Can they change the future? In this episode of CPCW, Catherine takes a fascinating, prophetic look at how words have the power to shape reality in the past, present, and future. Our leaders are using words to confuse and distort reality. But as faith-filled parents, we can use our words through prayer to effect change in our lives, in our kid’s lives, and in the world. When our words have the power of TRUTH behind them, God’ truth in His Word, and when they are connected to His will—things can change. Radically.Let hope stir within you, moms and dads. Do our words have the power to change the future? You be they do. If our words are backed with the Word of God and the will of God, they can change everything for the better. So speak to the wall that your child is facing and command it to come down in the name of Jesus.SCRIPTURES REFERENCED:Proverbs 18:21Genesis 1:3Romans 4:17Galatians 6:9Scripture List to pray over your children: https://catherinesegars.com/resourcesPODCASTS REFERENCED:The Glenn Beck Show: Episode 136, “How the War In Ukraine Fast Tracks the Great Reset” (starting at 1:09): https://apple.co/3OkPmBbCPCW Truth Series:Episode 23: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO OUR FAITH AND OUR CULTURE TODAY? We established that truth is central and foundational to the Christian faith. https://bit.ly/3MhyAkREpisode 24: WHAT IS THE ENEMY’S GREATEST WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN OUR LIVES? The greatest WMD in Satan’s toolbox is the lie. Words are powerful. God created the entire universe through the spoken word, which is precisely why the enemy wants to attack truth by redefining words. And his favorite thing to do is to take a word and make it mean its opposite. https://bit.ly/3vtoxlI Episode 25: HOW DID WE END UP WITH 50+ GENDERS AND DRAG QUEEN STORY HOUR? In this episode, we discussed nominalism, a philosophical doctrine that says there is no such thing as universal truth so there is no such thing as universals in reality. https://bit.ly/3M46UzMEpisode 26: WHAT EVERY PARENT NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE PRODIGAL CHILD. This vital episode brings some much needed truth to our parenting by discussing the four stages of parenting and sharing the most important question you could ever ask your child. https://bit.ly/3uRgNep Other podcasts mentioned:Episode 14: HOW TO BATTLE FOR YOUR KIDS IN PRAYER: https://bit.ly/37ma1EDEpisode 13: FOUR TYPES OF PRAYER EVERY BELIEVER SHOULD KNOW https://bit.ly/38367QZ ARTICLES REFERENCED:New York Post: “Judge Jackson declines to define ‘woman,’ says she’s ‘not a biologist’” Read here: https://bit.ly/3L9e8CF Books by Dutch Sheets on prayer: Intercessory Prayer: How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven and Earth: https://bit.ly/3vtRKNtAuthority in Prayer: Praying with Power and Purpose: https://bit.ly/3xCUGtLWatchman Prayer: Protecting Your Family, Home, and Community from the Enemy's Schemes: https://bit.ly/3uWOYBvSPEECH REFERENCED:Ronald Reagan’s 1987 “Tear Down This Wall” Speech Listen here: Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Get to know Catherine better in this wacky bonus episode of CP/CW as she shares a very fun and lively interview with Larry Roberts from the recent Spark Media Conference in Nashville, TN. Hear more about her background, how the podcast started, her passion for Christian apologetics, her two miraculous trips to the maternity ward in her 40s, and more than you ever wanted to know about Nashville hot chicken. What do Christian apologetics and Nashville hot chicken have in common? Tune in to find out.Resources Cited:https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2016/10/01/why-nashville-anderson-bourdain-parts-unknown-sot.cnnFollow Catherine:https://catherinesegars.com/https://www.instagram.com/catherinesegars/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What Every Parent Needs to Know about the Prodigal Child – Episode 26*CONGRATULATIONS to CHRISTIAN PARENT/CRAZY WORLD for being named the 2022 Best Kids and Family Podcast by Spark Media.* https://bit.ly/3qmrx1K Catherine brings some much-needed truth to our perspective on parenting in this episode of CPCW by discussing what is the parent’s responsibility, what is the child’s responsibility, and what is God’s responsibility. By addressing the four stages of a child’s development, Catherine delineates the proper role of the parent throughout your child’s life. And Catherine will share what is the greatest question you could ever ask your child. The fact is, some kids are hardwired to do things the hard way. They are made to push the boundaries. By examining God’s response to the wandering child in Scripture, we can gain clarity, insight, direction, and hope as parents in our pursuit of godliness ourselves. RESOURCES MENTIONED:“What Every Parent Needs to Know about the Prodigal Child” https://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/what-every-parent-needs-to-know-about-the-prodigal-child.htmlChrist-Centered Parenting by Russell Moore and Phillip Bethancourt: https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/christ-centered-parenting-bible-study-book-P005790851SCRIPTURES CITED:The Prodigal Son: Luke 15The Fall: Genesis 3PODCASTS REFERENCED: Episode 4: “Is Christianity Just a Religion of Do’s and Don’ts”: https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/is-christianity-just-a-religion-of-dos-and-donts-episode-4Episode 12: “What To Do if Your Child Walks Away from the Faith”: https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/what-to-do-if-your-child-walks-away-from-the-faith-episode-12Episode 14: “How To Battle for Your Kids in Prayer”: https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/how-to-battle-for-your-kids-in-prayer-episode-14Follow Catherine:https://catherinesegars.com/https://www.instagram.com/catherinesegars/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Catherine continues in a series on truth by examining another way that the enemy is attacking the Christian faith and the next generation. In this episode, Catherine connects the dots between a prominent philosophical movement and the current state of gender and sexuality in our culture. The influence of nominalism has led not only to the denial of universal truth, but the denial of universals in reality. This denial is having a tremendous impact on society and our children, especially in the area of sexual identity and gender.The Christian faith is not a nominalist doctrine. It is a faith that supports universal concepts in reality—universal truth being chief among them. As parents, we need to teach our kids that Jesus is truth and truth is universal, and therefore there are universal truths all around us. There are trees and clouds and cats and dogs. There are boys and girls. These aren’t just names that we’ve forced onto things and people—they are truths that correspond to reality, the reality that God created. Equally true is the fact that there is a God who loves us no matter what we believe or what we do. And because God loves us, He wants us to walk in the truth. Because when we don’t walk in the truth, we hurt ourselves and others. We must teach our children what is true, and we must teach them to love like Jesus. Don’t forget to leave a review of CPCW on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify!WORK CITED:Drag Quest Story Hour: https://www.dragqueenstoryhour.org/Does Scripture Oppress or Liberate Women?: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/women/does-scripture-oppress-or-liberate-women.htmlC. K. Chesterton Quote: https://bit.ly/3vphIU1Episode 11: What Does It Mean to Speak the Truth in Love?: https://bit.ly/35oUaUuJohn 8:32WORKS CONSULTED:Socratic Logic by Peter KreeftIs It Possible to be a Christian and a Modern Feminist?: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/women/is-it-possible-to-be-a-christian-and-a-modern-feminist.html19th Amendment: Women’s Suffrage, History.com: https://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/19th-amendment-1Domestic Violence in the United States, Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/law/crime-and-law-enforcement/domestic-violenceTrans Athletes Like Lia Thompson are Destroying Women’s Sports, New York Post: https://nypost.com/2022/01/26/trans-athletes-like-lia-thomas-are-destroying-womens-sports/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.