CrossCurrent Podcasts

How do we raise children who stand strong—and even shine—in a culture determined to pull them away from God?

In this special archive series of Christian Parent/Crazy World, host Catherine dives deep into one of the most urgent questions facing Christian parents: How can we prepare our kids to stand firm in a “Babylonian” culture bent on swaying their faith?

To answer this, Catherine welcomes DJ Harry , senior pastor of Needham’s Grove Baptist Church in Central North Carolina and cohost of the Better Together podcast. With over two decades of experience in pastoral ministry (and a background in education), DJ Harry brings powerful insights drawn from the biblical life of Daniel—a young man who stood unwaveringly for God while surrounded by pressure and compromise.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

• Timeless Lessons from Daniel:
  Drawing from the extraordinary story of Daniel and his friends, listeners are invited to reimagine the Book of Daniel as a parenting manual for today. How did teenagers like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego maintain unwavering faith in the heart of Babylon—a culture that tried to erase everything they knew and believed?

• You Can’t Choose When or How Your Child Will Be Tested:
  As DJ Harry recounts, “We don’t get to set the time or the age when our children are going to be pressured.” Like Daniel’s parents, we rarely know how or when our children’s faith will face its hardest tests, but we can choose how we prepare them now.

• The Power of a Well-Rounded Foundation:
  Daniel and his peers were chosen because of their well-rounded competence—in wisdom, learning, and character. Catherine Segars and DJ Harry challenge parents to nurture not just spiritual knowledge but also curiosity, learning, and character in their children.

• Facing the Reality of “Babylon” Today:
  The episode acknowledges the modern pressures—academic, social, and spiritual—that Christian kids face, often at younger ages than ever before. The analogy to ancient Babylon becomes all too relevant.

• Where Most of the Crowd Goes Missing:
  Listeners are reminded that most of the young men taken to Babylon “became good Babylonian young men,” disappearing into the crowd. Only a faithful few—like Daniel and his friends—stood apart. What made the difference, and how can parents cultivate that difference at home?

• Practical Encouragement for Uncertain Times:
  Personal anecdotes, including a health scare in DJ Harry 's family, bring home the message that we don’t know what tomorrow holds. Our task as parents is to lay the seeds now—academically, spiritually, emotionally—without presuming on time.

Standout Moment:
DJ Harry reveals, “If I want my children to have the greatest opportunity to have an impact in their Babylon, then part of that preparation is preparing them to lead in culture.”

Why This Matters:
In an age when research shows most church-raised kids drift from faith under cultural pressure, this episode is a wake-up call: intentional, daily spiritual formation and well-rounded preparation matter more than ever.

About the Guest:
DJ Harry is the senior pastor of Needham's Grove Baptist Church in Central North Carolina and co-hosts the Better Together podcast with his wife, Lori. With a background as both a science teacher and pastor, he brings real-world experience to this biblical discussion on parenting.

Parenting Takeaway:
Are you cultivating an environment where your children gain not just faith,

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Receive a copy of the Helping Kids Through Life’s Changes bundle and an audio download of "Peace Pirates" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.
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Do you have a story or comment on how Focus on the Family impacted you or your family? Leave a message for Jim Daly! 

Dr. Thaddeus Williams explains what's causing the catastrophic loss of meaning today and how the person of Jesus Christ provides what the world needs most. 

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For more resources visit breakpoint.org. 

An organization started by Chuck Colson celebrates 50 years of caring for inmates and their families. An online video reveals how much family means to children. And who is going to care for the growing number of people aging alone?

Segment 1 – Prison Fellowship's 50th Anniversary; The Story of Family

• Prison Fellowship

• They Loved Me Without Looking video

Segment 2 – Solo Aging

• NPR article on solo aging

Segment 3 – Revealing Oxford Debate

Jenn sits down with Zac Kadau and Alissa Hollander from Life International, a global ministry equipping Christian leaders in over 170 countries, to talk about what defending human dignity actually looks like on the ground.

They get into surrogacy recruitment overseas, polygamy, honor and shame cultures, and the story of a pastor whose public repentance changed 36 churches.

Find Life International at lifeinternational.com.

Get more resources to defend the rights of children:

Web: thembeforeus.com

Substack: thembeforeus.substack.com

Instagram: @them_before_us

X: @thembeforeus

Based on his book Making Your Marriage a Fortress, Gary Thomas helps couples anticipate and weather the inevitable storms of life. He says that they can grow closer to each other and God through these experiences. He provides encouragement and hope for couples who are currently struggling, as well as offering a preparatory warning to couples who haven’t yet faced a crisis and need to know that such crises are inevitable.

Receive a copy of the Helping Kids Through Life’s Changes bundle and an audio download of "Making Your Marriage a Fortress" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.

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.

What are we telling humans about themselves, and why has the definition changed in this civilizational moment? 

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To get access to every talk from this year's Colson Center National Conference, visit colsoncenter.org/august.