Episodes

How can we help our children find their identity through Christ? Today, children believe their self-worth is measured by what people say about them or by what they see and hear on social media. But it can be difficult for them to build self-esteem if they don't understand that they were made in the image of the creator of all things! We can also help them recognize that they are so much more valuable than what others say about them or how they feel about themselves. This is because God created a...

“It’s easier to raise a boy than fix a man.” -Rick Johnson Bestselling author and speaker Rick Johnson founded Better Dads, an organization based on the urgent need to empower men to lead and serve in their families and communities. Rick, an experienced grandparent raising his grandchild, works to influence the whole family with life-changing insights for parents and grandparents on parenting, marriage, and personal growth. His newest book, When Grandparents Become Parents: How to Succeed at Rai...

How can we help our children to learn to relinquish when the world teaches them quitting is never an option? Relinquishment means to abandon, put aside, let go, release, or cease from holding. Relinquishment is not surrendering or giving up for no reason. To surrender means that we admit the enemy has won. When we relinquish, we are releasing to God what we cannot control and letting go for a good reason. Children need opportunities to fulfill their desires, but with the opportunity of success c...

Champ Thornton, Ph.D., and his wife, Robben, live in Newark, Delaware, and have three children. He is the author of many books that children and families can enjoy while staying engaged and learning biblical content, more speicfically, the history of the church and the Bible. He also hosts a ten-minute family podcast called “In the Word, On the Go.” Champ discusses lessons and biblical wisdom from some of his books: The Radical Book for Kids: Exploring the Roots and Shoots of Faith is a fun-fill...

Do you have a child that, no matter what, always seems to be complaining or grumbling? If you have a child who never seems to see the positive in things, is never satisfied, or always seems to be grumbling, there are many ways you can help them transform their heart into a heart that give thanks in all situations. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, it is God's will that we rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. Remember, there are many occurences in the Bible ...

“The average age of exposure to pornography is 8 -11, and I wondered… why aren’t we talking about this?” -Barb Winters. Barb Winters is a pastor’s wife and parent of four adult children, one of who is a recovering pornography addict. She’s a hopeful mom supporting, encouraging, and offering help to parents in this digital world through her writing and speaking engagements. Her book, Healthy Relationships in a Hookup World, will be released in August 2023. Barb discusses how she created her organ...

What are generational parenting patterns and why do they matter? Generational parenting patterns are patterns that are transferred from one generation to another. For example, if your parents screamed at you as a teenager, sometimes you may scream at your own teenagers now because that is the way you were raised. Or even saying things the same way your parents said things to you. “I told you a thousand times, no!” Throughout this episode, Lee Ann gives examples of some parenting patterns parents...

"One out of every twenty adults in America have a biblical worldview. Our worldview begins developing at 15 months of age and is almost fully formed by age 13." -Dr. Barna Dr. George Barna founded the Barna Research Group in 1984 (now The Barna Group) and helped it become a leading marketing research firm focused on the intersection of faith and culture. He currently serves as the executive director of the American Culture and Faith Institute and is President of Metaformation, a faith developmen...

Do you have a child that likes to take control or, may we dare say, is bossy? We as Christian parents should acknowledge children who may be showing signs of being bossy and never ignore them. There are many ways to address children who may be showing signs of bossiness. Ginger Hubbard states, “To redirect a teachable moment is an opportunity to miss a teachable moment.” Children should understand that if they act bossy and tell their friends what to do, their friends may think they are being a ...

God is compassionate and promises to save those who are crushed in spirit! Lisa Appelo is the author of Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It All Falls Apart and speaks to inspire women to cultivate faith in life’s storms. Lisa went to bed happily married one night, and the next day woke up a widow and single mom to her seven children. As a former litigating attorney, Lisa is passionate about rich Bible teaching. She founded a team of writers, Hope in Grief, and serve...

“There is a difference between excellence and perfection. Excellence allows for growth, and perfection doesn’t.” -Dr. Kathy Koch Dr. Kathy Koch, an author, speaker, and follower of Jesus, earned a Ph.D. in reading and educational psychology from Purdue University and influences thousands of parents, teachers, and children worldwide. She is the Founder and President of Celebrate Kids and an associate founder of Ignite the Family. She speaks through keynote messages, seminars, and chapels and is a...

“Today’s kids believe happiness is their right and choice is their right, so they treat God like Amazon Prime. They want him to answer their prayers in the way they want him to answer it, right now.” -Dr. Kathy Koch Dr. Kathy Koch, an author, speaker, and follower of Jesus, earned a Ph.D. in reading and educational psychology from Purdue University and influences thousands of parents, teachers, and children worldwide. She is the Founder and President of Celebrate Kids and an associate founder of...

“We have to understand that all kids are motivated. It’s not a question of how do I get them motivated; it’s how do I redirect their motivation to something healthy.” -Dr. Kathy Koch Dr. Kathy Koch, an author, speaker, and follower of Jesus, earned a Ph.D. in reading and educational psychology from Purdue University and influences thousands of parents, teachers, and children worldwide. She is the Founder and President of Celebrate Kids and an associate founder of Ignite the Family. She speaks th...

In the typical order of things, parents give, and children receive. Sometimes, though, this gets reversed… So, what is parentification? Parentification is when the parent delegates their duties to a child, and the child ends up with too many parental responsibilities and sometimes even takes the role of caregiver to keep the family functioning. Parentification can help a child gain competence and other positive benefits, but it can also be detrimental. Lee Ann elaborates on the following topics ...

“If we can just expose them in small, controlled dosages when we are still there to guide them through it, it can really help build immunity to false ideas.” -Elizabeth Urbanowicz Elizabeth Urbanowicz is a follower of Jesus, passionate about equipping kids to understand the truth of the Christian worldview. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education, an M.S. in Education, and an M.A. in Christian Apologetics. Elizabeth spent the first decade of her professional career teaching elementary students ...

Do you deal with mom guilt? Well, if so, this episode is for you. "When I brought my firstborn home from the hospital, I was snapping the buttons on his onesie to get him to sleep, and I snapped the last snap by his neck and pinched his skin. He let out a piercing scream and started crying. I never forgot it because I felt so guilty about it! I recently saw a mother at the grocery store with her toddler, and her baby kept trying to crawl out of the seat in the cart. In frustration, as she was pu...

Lisa Tawn Bergren is a best-selling, award-winning author who has written over seventy books! She writes in many different genres, from historical women’s fiction to illustrated Christian children’s books to time travel and spiritual suspense. Some of her books include the best-selling God Gave Us Series, Nana the Great Comes to Visit, and Upside-Down Prayers for Parents. Lisa talks about her journey of writing Christian books and her successful career writing adult fiction. Her inspiration for ...

Can sports actually help our children grow spiritually? Sports are one of the best ways to keep children busy and out of trouble. And most importantly, it can help prepare them to run the race that brings eternal life. During this episode, Lee Ann elaborates on how sports can benefit your child’s spiritual growth and how they can also teach them Christlike characteristics. Sports: Help children do better academically, teaching them problem-solving skills and teamwork. Boosts self-esteem and redu...

“One in five children will be sexually abused by their 18th birthday in the United States! 34% of perpetrators are family members, 58% are acquaintances, and 7% are strangers.” -Justin Holcomb Justin Holcomb, Ph.D., is a minister and professor of theology at Reformed and Theological Seminary and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He has authored, co-authored, and edited more than twenty books! Lindsey Holcomb, Justin’s wife, works in non-profit development, advocates for abuse survivors, and i...

“People really need to get plugged into their local pregnancy centers and really get plugged into their local pro-life community because we still have a big fight ahead of us.” -Abby Johnson Abby Johnson continues to share her conversion story from being an abortion clinic leader to the amazing pro-life activist she is today. She relates the story in the Bible about Paul’s conversion to Christianity and the true hero, Ananias, to her own story. Paul would be her, and the true hero, Ananias, woul...

“We wanted people’s lives to be changed. We wanted people’s hearts to be converted. We wanted people to walk in pro-choice and walk out pro-life.” -Abby Johnson Abby Johnson, wife and mother of 8, worked for Planned Parenthood for eight years to become the clinic director. But, she walked away from her job after witnessing a 13-week-old fetus during an ultrasound-guided abortion. She went on to be the founder of, And Then There Were None, which is the only ministry in the nation that helps abort...

Don't you think it's a crazy name for a clinic that aborts children... Planned Parenthood? Abortion is the killing of humans. Our children should understand what the sanctity of human life means. When we help our children understand the value of human life, it also helps them understand why it is important to be respectful and loving towards each other. Lee Ann elaborates on the following ways to help children understand and honor the sanctity of life throughout this episode: We can explain that...

God has given us a tool of gratitude; when you choose to look at things differently and be grateful, you can work to overcome anxiety! Caris Snider is a Christian communicator delivering the hope of God through speaking, writing, worship, and life coaching. She is the author of, Anxiety Elephants: A 31-Day Devotional to Help Stomp Out Your Anxiety, Anxiety Elephants for Tween Boys: A 90-Day Devotional, and Anxiety Elephants for Teen Girls: A 90-Day Devotional. Her passion for conveying the impor...

Joe Carter is a senior writer for The Gospel Coalition, the author of The Life and Faith Field Guide for Parents, the editor of the NIV Lifehacks Bible, and the co-author of How to Argue Like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from History’s Greatest Communicator. He also serves as an associate pastor at McLean Bible Church in Arlington, Virginia. Joe elaborates on how the decision-making process is circular. The day-to-day decisions we make determine our knowledge, character, and worldview, and in turn...