The MAVEN Parent Podcast

Kids are curious—they're created in God's Image after all. So naturally, throughout the years they spend in our homes and churches, they will have many questions about the Christian faith and worldview. HOW adults respond to their questions and doubts can profoundly shape how intellectually strong and sturdy they perceive the Christian faith to be. In this episode, Brett and Erin read through the testimony of Larry Sanger, a philosopher and cofounder of Wikipedia, about what drove him to become a skeptic of Christianity and explore how critical it can be to provide sound answers to our children's faith questions. Listen to Larry Sanger's full testimony here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fXQpccnc8U Find Dr. Craig's animated videos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idDoRftSuRU&list=PL3gdeV4Rk9EfL-NyraEGXXwSjDNeMaRoX Check out MAVEN's online courses at https://equip.maventruth.com/store MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

The work of raising thankful kids—and avoiding entitlement—starts early. In this episode, Brett and Erin address 5 easy steps you can take if you want to raise entitled kids...which is 5 easy steps to AVOID if you want to raise thankful kids instead. Register for our upcoming MAVEN Conferences at https://www.mavenconferences.com/ Check out MAVEN's online courses at https://equip.maventruth.com/store MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/ 

The Center for Biblical Engagement surveyed more than 100,000 people and found that engaging the Bible four or more days per week has a profound impact on an individual’s life. Indeed, engaging God’s Word is the single most powerful predictor of spiritual growth. In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss the results of this ground-breaking study and outline practical steps to get your kids into the Bible. MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

Social scientist and cultural critic Jonathan Haidt recently wrote an important article entitled, “What Kids Told Us About How to Get Them Off Their Phones.” In this episode, Brett & Erin discuss Haidt’s piece and his research findings about kids, smartphones and the new phenomenon of a phone-based childhood. They also discuss how unstructured free time is key in getting kids off their phones and providing them with a healthy upbringing. Read the original article here: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/08/kids-smartphones-play-freedom/683742/  MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

Are your kids ready for their Christian faith to be challenged? Is Christianity true? What’s the evidence? And do those questions even matter, if we cannot also make the case that Christianity is good? In this episode, Brett and Erin chat with Frank Turek, in-the-trenches apologist and author of the book “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist,” about the contemporary objections to Christianity that our kids will face and how we can help them answer the challenges. MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

Summer is in full swing, and Brett and Erin are busy speaking to parents across the country! So, while they're on the road, we're diving into the MAVEN Parent Podcast archives to revisit some of Brett and Erin's favorite episodes. God has designed each and every human being in unique and wonderful ways, and that includes our kids! So how do we discover those things that are special about our children? And how can we be intentional in encouraging our kids in their God-given uniqueness? In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss these questions and offer practical tips from their own experiences for getting to know your kid's unique qualities. MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

Most teens go through a phase of disrespect—it's not a matter of if, but when. Modern parenting advice often claims that "better connection" is the fix. But that alone just doesn't cut it in real life. So what does work? In this episode, Brett and Erin walk through 10 practical steps you can take to handle disrespect and help cultivate a foundation of mutual respect that will serve your kid well in adulthood. Listen to Part 1 on this conversation on disrespect: https://linktw.in/xNgQqL MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/ 

How should parents respond when their teenagers are disrespectful? Let’s be honest—we’ve all probably thrown some attitude as teens. But when you’re on the receiving end as a parent, teen snark can feel relentless and exhausting. And as parents, we may be desperate for help to know how to handle our teen's habitual disrespectful tones towards us. There's a lot of parenting advice floating around these days and we want to make sure we're clinging to what's biblical and effective. In this episode, Brett and Erin react to a video from popular YouTube parenting expert Coach M, who offers her take on understanding and addressing teen disrespect. They break down her approach and discuss how it aligns—or doesn’t—with a Christian worldview of human nature. Watch the full video from Coach M for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRA65JfelzI MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

The immigration topic is a big one, encompassing multiple issues. Open borders. Assimilation. National sovereignty. These topics are emotionally charged and debated in our culture. But what wisdom does Scripture shine on these topics? In this episode, Brett and Erin continue their discussion on immigration, borders, national sovereignty, how Scripture informs these issues, and how we can talk to our kids about them. Read the "Theology of Immigration" article: https://firstthings.com/theology-of-immigration/ Breakpoint: https://www.breakpoint.org/breakpoint-immigration-families-and-jesus/ Watch part 1 of this conversation on immigration: https://linktw.in/pPqFCT Check out our interview with Dawn Duran: https://linktw.in/vpsipF MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/ 

The issue of immigration is everywhere in the news these days. From mass deportations to protests and riots in major cities, this is a topic that is immensely controversial and emotionally charged. As Christians, how do we even begin to navigate conversations about immigration with our friends, family, and kids? In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss the topic of immigration and unpack how Scripture equips us with a framework to think well about this much-debated topic. U.S. Code banning Illegal Immigration: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1325 MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/ 

It is fashionable in today's world to either criticize and publicly profess your disdain for your country or blindly stamp everything your country does as good. Many young people today did not receive a robust civic education (and maybe we didn't either!). How can we combat this trend in the next generation? In this episode, Brett and Erin chat with Dawn Duran, author of the book "A Reasoned Patriotism: Critical Thinking and Civic Duty in an Age of Polarization," about how teaching our kids civics is essential to helping them develop a balanced love of country and skills for thoughtful engagement as citizens. Read The Battle Hymn of the Republic: https://songofamerica.net/song/battle-hymn-of-the-republic/  Get Dawn's book: https://a.co/d/4TWFpIS Find out more about Dawn here: https://areasonedpatriotism.com/ Listen to Dawn's podcast here: https://thenewmasonjar.com/ Read Articles by Dawn: https://thediscerninghomeeducator.substack.com/ MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/ 

The urge to search online for parenting advice is strong! We use Google or AI tools to search all the time. Why wouldn't a topic like parenting be any different? Especially if you're in a pinch and need some quick ideas for how to move forward. In this episode, Brett and Erin unpack why we have this impulse to Google for wisdom and where we can look instead for solid parenting help. Check out our episode on Google and parenting advice: https://youtu.be/jWYhhO-c8tI Need something for the your teens to do this summer? Check out Summit's Student Conferences at: www.summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN25 to save $300 when you register. MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/  

Summer is in full swing and with it the temptation for kids to waste their new found free time with screens. How can we help our kids and teens take full advantage of their summer free time without binging screen time? In this episode, Brett and Erin talk about how to kick the kids outside and help them build good habits with a screen-free summer. Need something for the your teens to do this summer? Check out Summit's Student Conferences at: www.summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN25 to save $300 when you register. MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

The messages about women and femininity in our culture are incredibly loud. Feminism. Gender Ideology. Social media. Entertainment. Music. These are all competing for the attention of our little girls. As Christian parents, how can we help our daughters discover the femininity that God has given them when the world around us is so confused? In this episode, Brett and Erin continue their conversation with Focus on the Family's Glenn Stanton, author of the book "Raising Secure Daughters and Confident Sons," about the beautiful differences between men and women and what girls need from both mom and dad to grow into the young women they were made to be. Don't miss Part 1 of our conversation with Glenn: https://linktw.in/pagipW Get Glenn’s book here: https://a.co/d/axodBXK  Check out Summit's Student Conferences at: https://summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN25 to save $300 when you register. MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

The cultural conversation over gender, masculinity and femininity hasn't let up. Why? Because a secular culture can only offer confusion. However, Christians are well-positioned to lead the way forward, knowing the God who designed masculinity and femininity. But what exactly does this look like in real life? And how do we help our sons and daughters explore and embrace their sex. In this first episode of a two-part series, Brett and Erin interview author Glenn Stanton from Focus on the Family about his book "Raising Secure Daughters and Confident Sons," and hone in on the topic of masculinity. Get Glenn's book here: https://a.co/d/aWg47ER Check out Summit's Student Conferences at: https://summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN25 to save $300 when you register. MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/ 

It's not easy to lose a parent. It’s a season of life that we all must navigate at some point in our lives and one that raises many questions about how we should view life and death as Christians. How does the Christian worldview apply to funerals? Is there a Christian view of cremation versus burial? In this episode, Brett and Erin reflect upon the loss of Brett's dad, which occurred in April of 2025, and all that they had to think through in preparing for that event. Check out Summit's Student Conferences at: https://summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN25 to save $300 when you register. Spend a day with MAVEN! Get your tickets for the 2025 Texas MAVEN Conference in Dallas-Fort Worth: https://www.mavenconferences.com/texas

There's a popular belief in our culture today that having kids is hard, a burden, and a sure way to lose your independence. In short, having kids is a quick path to being unhappy in the mind of the culture, and if something doesn't make you happy, it's not worth pursuing. But is this idea true? Many of you parents out there would likely answer: No! In this episode, Brett and Erin react and respond to recent comments made by Gen Z pop singer Chappell Roan about how she doesn't know any parents who are happy. Read the study about parent happiness: https://ifstudies.org/blog/who-is-happiest-married-mothers-and-fathers-per-the-latest-general-social-survey Check out Summit's Student Conferences at: https://summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN25 to save $300 when you register. MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/ 

Does God send good people to Hell? What about people who have never heard about Jesus—do they go to hell? And is an eternity in hell a fitting punishment? These are common questions about the doctrine of Hell. In this episode, Brett and Erin bring their series on Hell to a close by addressing these common objections. Catch Part 1 of our series on Hell here: https://linktw.in/JhhfkC Catch Part 2 of our series on Hell here: https://linktw.in/RwSlJv Check out Summit's Student Conferences at: https://summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN25 to save $300 when you register. Spend a day with MAVEN! Get your tickets for the 2025 Texas MAVEN Conference in Dallas-Fort Worth: https://www.mavenconferences.com/texas MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/ 

The topic of Hell is a difficult one. The culture has many objections to this Christian doctrine. And inevitably, we need to help our kids navigate their questions about Hell. How could a loving God send people to Hell? Does God send people to Hell against their will? In this episode, Brett and Erin look at answers to the biggest questions and objections your kids may have about Hell, it's existence, and God's love and judgment. Catch Part 1 of the conversation here: https://linktw.in/JhhfkC Check out Summit's Student Conferences at: https://summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN25 to save $300 when you register. Spend a day with MAVEN! Get your tickets for the 2025 Texas MAVEN Conference in Dallas-Fort Worth: https://www.mavenconferences.com/texas MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

Let's be honest, Christians avoid discussing the topic of hell. But the Christian worldview informs us that Hell is a very real place and the ultimate consequence for our unrepentance and sinful rejection of our Creator. Indeed, eternity is at stake. Therefore, hell should be something we talk about, especially with our kids, because we don't want anyone to experience complete and final separation from God. But how can we help our kids understand the reality and serious nature of hell? In this episode, Brett and Erin define what Hell is and discuss how you can start practically talking to your kids about it. Check out Summit's Student Conferences at: https://summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN25 to save $300 when you register. Spend a day with MAVEN! Get your Early Bird tickets for the 2025 Texas MAVEN Conference in Dallas-Fort Worth before the offer closes this Wednesday (April 30th) at midnight. https://www.mavenconferences.com/texas MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/