As a new year begins, many of us are setting new goals, habits, and resolutions. But before we set goals for our spiritual growth, we need to examine our expectations. Are we challenging ourselves and our kids to goals that will really grow us in our relationship and knowledge of the Lord? In this episode, Brett and Erin reflect on a recent article by Bible teacher Jen Wilkin, discuss how the growing crisis of biblical literacy in the church and low expectations for discipleship and learning are failing both adults and the next generation.

Read the article by Jen Wilkin: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/01/bible-reading-plan-literacy-jen-wilkin/

Read the State of Theology report: https://thestateoftheology.com/

Invest in your student’s faith by sending them to Summit’s Student Conferences! Go to www.summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN26 to save $250 today.

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Apathy and faith deconstruction are increasingly common among the next generation, while much of the biblical teaching and discipleship students receive remains shallow. So how can we help students move beyond indifference toward a faith that is thoughtful, resilient, and lived out? In this episode, Brett and Erin talk with Ryan Pauly, MAVEN’s Director of Immersive Experiences, about what he’s seen effectively help students move from apathy about their faith to genuine conviction, and even a desire to share it with others.

Check out more about MAVEN's Immersive Experiences: https://maventruth.com/immersive-experience/

Invest in your student’s faith by sending them to Summit’s Student Conferences! Go to www.summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN26 to save $250 today.

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As Christmas and the end of the year approach, it’s easy to get caught up rushing from one holiday party to the next shopping trip and miss the deeper purpose of the season. In this episode, Brett and Erin discuss why Advent and Christmas are meaningful opportunities to slow down as a family, remember Christ’s birth, and intentionally look back on the year to see God’s faithfulness. They offer practical ideas and family traditions to help you do this together at home as the year comes to a close.

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The news never slows down! And if staying informed feels overwhelming for adults, it’s no wonder we may hesitate to bring global events into conversations with our kids. But God is at work everywhere—and our kids need to see that and build the skills they’ll need to navigate the news as adults. In this podcast, Brett and Erin are joined by Brian Basham and Caleb Bailey from WORLD Watch, a Christian news show that helps families explore world events together through short, compelling, 10-minute episodes.

Check out WORLD Watch: https://worldwatch.news/

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If your kids ask, “Why can’t all religions lead to God?”, would you know how to answer? In this episode, Brett and Erin continue their discussion about why Jesus is the only way to salvation and illustrate how you can respond to the top 3 most common objections to this critical Christian doctrine.

Watch our first conversation on this topic "What Does the Bible Teach About Jesus?": https://linktw.in/xGhuRL

Learn more about the "Soul Searching" study of teens mentioned by Brett: https://a.co/d/0IY23Ya

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Thanksgiving is a perfect opportunity to teach kids gratitude, but it’s easy for us to get distracted by busyness and miss those moments of reflection and thankfulness. In this episode, Brett and Erin share simple but meaningful family liturgies and traditions you can incorporate around the dinner table this Thanksgiving to help you reclaim the gratitude at the heart of the holiday.

Get "The Thanksgiving Story" by Alice Dalgliesh - https://a.co/d/0plUxW2

Get "Thank You Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving" - https://a.co/d/6UgzQVb

Get "The Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving" by Ann Mcgovern - https://a.co/d/86NgDcA

Get "Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience" by Melanie Kirkpatrick: https://a.co/d/9sLw7ZJ

Check out the Erin's Strong Woman interview with Melanie Kirkpatrick: https://youtu.be/UdNP-2fBhCQ?si=tRUpv9VD7CBHfcxI

Invest in your student’s faith by sending them to Summit’s Student Conferences! Go to www.summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN26 to save $250 today.

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Christian pop star, Forrest Frank made some viral comments in recent months giving his reasons for why he doesn't drink anymore. Much of Evangelical Christianity would share Frank's view and advocate for total abstinence. But what does Scripture say about alcohol? Is it sinful to drink? In this episode, Brett and Erin look at Frank's reasons for abstaining from alcohol, what Scripture teaches, and what our view of alcohol says about our wider understanding of sanctification.

Watch Forrest Frank's video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LXkmEa9goX8

Check out the book "What Would Jesus Drink?" by Joel McDermin: https://a.co/d/5RqZW4O

Check out the book "Wine in the Word" by Gisela H. Kreglinger: https://a.co/d/d4MDqbW

Invest in your student’s faith by sending them to Summit’s Student Conferences! Go to www.summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN26 to save $250 today.

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Parenting teenagers is intimidating. It's a whole new season that's full of change—one that can be both daunting and difficult. But beyond the teenage eye rolls and moodiness, there's real joy and opportunity to be found in this season. In this episode, Brett and Erin speak with Shelley Komoszewski, from Josh McDowell Ministries and a mom of two girls, about how you can navigate the task of being a parent to teenagers, how to set them up for successfully becoming adults, and the unexpected joy of this often tough season of growth.

Watch Shelley's 2024 MAVEN Conference talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwyAk9xDPJg

Invest in your student’s faith by sending them to Summit’s Student Conferences! Go to www.summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN26 to save $250 today.

MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/ 

A core Christian doctrine is that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. But in today's culture of pluralism and inclusivity, this is a widely unpopular belief—one that's often branded as unloving. So why do we, as Christians, hold to it? In this episode, Brett and Erin examine what the Bible says about who Jesus is and why He is the only way. They also share practical ways to help you answer your kids’ questions and objections about this crucial truth of the Christian faith.

Invest in your student’s faith by sending them to Summit’s Student Conferences! Go to www.summit.org/maven and use code MAVEN26 to save $250 today.

Learn more about Impact 360 at https://www.impact360institute.org/

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Parents, should you send your kids to a secular university? Increasingly, the recommendation from church leaders is a resounding no. Our culture is confused about everything—from gender to race—and academia sits at the epicenter of that confusion, influencing entertainment, politics, and even the church. But how did we get here? In this episode, Brett and Erin chat with Dr. Corey Miller, author and President of Ratio Christi, about his book "The Progressive Miseducation of America," which narrates how the cultural revolution changed universities and academia from schools founded by Christians to strongholds of Critical Theory.

Get Dr. Miller's book here: https://a.co/d/5mppsYs

Learn more about Ratio Christi here: https://ratiochristi.org/

Download Ratio Christi's PDF Booklets: https://press.ratiochristi.org/

Surveys Mentioned by Dr. Miller:

Americans and Biblical Worldview: https://www.arizonachristian.edu/2023/02/28/biblical-worldview-among-u-s-adults-drops-33-since-start-of-covid-19-pandemic/

Pastors and Biblical Worldview: https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/AWVI2022_Release05_Digital.pdf

Evangelical Pastors and Biblical Worldview: https://www.arizonachristian.edu/2022/05/26/only-half-of-evangelical-pastors-hold-biblical-worldview/

Yale Student Survey: https://buckleyinstitute.com/annual-surveys/

Check out Impact360: https://www.impact360institute.org/

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