CrossCurrent Podcasts

CrossCurrent Podcasts

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CrossCurrent Podcasts episodes

  • Christian Parent, Crazy World - Has Culture Hijacked the Purpose of Our Parenting? (w/ Candace Nassar) - Ep. 193

    What if the core purpose of your parenting isn’t what you’ve always believed? In a world obsessed with outcomes and control, Christian parents are challenged to embrace a radical shift: letting go of ownership and stepping into the liberating role of an ambassador for Christ in their children’s lives.

    In this transformative episode of Christian Parent/Crazy World, host Catherine welcomes Candace Nassar, founder and executive director of MomQ, a mentor-led discipleship ministry designed to equip Christian mothers with biblical wisdom for every season. Drawing from her own journey from a secular background to devoted Christ-follower, Candace Nassar offers authentic insight and practical encouragement, inviting parents to rethink how—and why—they parent.

    What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

    Redefining the Mission: Purposeful Parenting

    • Why it’s easy to skip over the “why” of parenting and focus on performance or success (00:22)

    • The critical distinction between “ownership parenting” and “ambassador parenting”—and how this shift can transform your family (02:06, 25:56)

    A Testimony of Transformation

    • Candace Nassar’s powerful story: from a broken home and secular ambitions to surrendering everything for Christ and discovering her true identity as a mother (04:49, 13:04)

    • The generational impact when one mother bravely says “yes” to God

    Cultural Pressure & Parental Stress—Setting a New Foundation

    • Why our culture pushes parents to control, manage, and perform—and how this leads to overwhelming stress, anxiety, and fear (19:36)

    • How social media and comparison culture fuel burnout and feelings of inadequacy

    Trust vs. Control: Finding Freedom

    • “Control is what I tend to when I’m struggling to trust.” How to spot control creeping into your parenting, even in well-intentioned moments (29:41)

    • Practical red flags: When anxiety spikes, it may be a sign you’re crossing the line into ownership (39:01)

    Ambassador Parenting: The Heart of Christ at Home

    • Candace Nassar shares how parenting as Christ’s ambassador reframes discipline, discipleship, and daily rhythms (41:32)

    • “Gentle firmness”: Rejecting harsh authoritarianism and passive permissiveness by modeling the compassion and boundaries of Jesus (46:45)

    • Infusing faith into the ordinary—dinnertime reflections, spontaneous prayers, and seeing God in daily moments (48:56)

    Moving Forward: Grace and Growth

    • Step-by-step guidance for moms convicted by ownership parenting—beginning with honest reflection and a prayer: “Lord, search my heart. Show me where I’m trying to control, and help me trust you more.” (52:05)

    • Key takeaway: The ultimate goal is not to raise successful children, but kingdom-minded disciples who love and serve the Lord (55:21)

    Standout Quotes:

    • “If we get the foundation wrong, even with the best intentions, we can end up striving for outcomes that were never ours to control.” — Catherine

    • “When we realize our children aren’t ours to own but to steward for God, it changes everything.” — Candace Nassar

    • “Control is an illusion. If we can’t trust God with our kids, parenting becomes exhausting.” — Candace Nassar

    About the Guest:
    Candace Nassar is the founder and executive director of MomQ and a passionate mentor to Christian moms nationwide. With a background in business and education, and extensive ministry experience, she helps mothers move from striving and s

    1 hr 1 min
  • Focus on the Family with Jim Daly - Exposing the Realities of Teen Dating Abuse

    Abuse and manipulation in teen relationships are devastating and sadly often happen without parents ever knowing. Identifying the warning signs and how to support a teen or young adult who is going through abuse is crucial. Dee Dee describes a manipulative, physically and emotionally abusive teen relationship she suffered and offers poignant insight into understanding how a teen or young adult might be feeling amidst abuse, and the thought processes that led someone into that kind of situation.

    Get "It Doesn't Start with a Punch" free with your gift.

    Praying for Your Teen's Heart and Future -- Lift your child up to God and raise them in Christ with this FREE video series. Jodie Berndt will give you tips on finding peace in God as a parent, rooting your teen's identity in Christ, showing love despite challenges and more.

    Get More Episode Resources 

    Do you have a story or comment on how Focus on the Family impacted you or your family? Leave a message for Jim Daly!

    If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

    28 min
  • Them Before Us Podcast - Them Before Us #110 | Welfare, Feminism, and the Vanishing Black Family | Delano Squires

    In 1965, about 24% of Black children were born to unmarried parents, and today that number sits around 70%. Delano Squires [ @squire429⁩ ] is the author of The Vanishing Black Family and director of the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Human Flourishing at the Heritage Foundation.

    In his book, he explains how, through slavery and the aftermath, Black Americans demonstrated a great dedication to preserving their marriages and families, but welfare pushed fathers out, and feminism told mothers they didn’t need them. He also lays out a child-first plan to rebuild marriage through the church, the schoolhouse, the state house, and the culture.

    Get your copy of "The Vanishing Black Family: How Welfare and Feminism Made Marriage Optional and Children Vulnerable here: https://amzn.to/3VCXtkU

    Follow the author on X: @DelanoSquires

    43 min
  • Breakpoint - Remembering the Horror of the October 7th Attacks, Religious Liberty on Trial and the Parents Role in Education

    Wednesday was the third anniversary of the Hamas attack in Gaza. Religious liberty continues to fight for its life in courts across America. And should Christians send their children to public schools?

    Segment 1 – October 7 Anniversary

    • Remembering Oct 7

    • Breakpoint article on Islam

    Segment 2 – Religious Liberty On Trial

    • University Heights Ohio case

    • St. Mary Catholic vs Roy

    1 hr 1 min
  • New Books in Christian Studies - Tyrants and Traders: Tintagel, Arthur and the Lost Kings with Ken Dark (Bloomsbury, 2026)

    How Roman Britain ended is one of the most controversial questions in British history. Unique among former Roman citizens in Western Europe, the Britons established long-lived kingdoms, resisting 'barbarian' political takeover for centuries. Yet so little is known of them from written records that even the names of most of their kings are effectively lost to history.

    Packed with the latest discoveries and ground-breaking research, in Tyrants and Traders: Tintagel, Arthur and the Lost Kings (Bloomsbury, 2026) Professor Ken Dark brings the fascinating, but mysterious, world of these rulers and their kingdoms to life. Archaeological evidence, along with re-analysis of the few existing texts, reveals an unexpectedly sophisticated society, connected to a wider international network of trade and cultural contacts than might until recently have seemed imaginable. Professor Dark demonstrates through the latest archaeological discoveries that Tintagel – an eroded coastal stronghold in Cornwall, closely associated with the later legend of King Arthur – was a royal fortress and trading centre of one of the most important British kingdoms of this period.

    This is a historical period filled with memorable characters and stories: from the outraged churchman Gildas, attempting to reform the corrupt rulers he thought threatened civilized life itself, to St. Patrick, who played a major part in converting Ireland to Christianity, to no less than King Arthur – whose historical existence Professor Dark shows to be much more likely than usually supposed.

     

    This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.


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    38 min

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