One of the key questions at the heart of the Santa Claus debate is "Will telling my child about Santa cause them to doubt God?" It's a good question, and surely we don't want that to happen. But we also know that children have often have vivid imaginations where they believe and love fairy tales, myths, and wild impossibilities. Could their openness to the impossible actually help point them toward Christ, even when they learn the truth about Santa? In this episode, Brett and Erin read columnist Tony Woodlief's article "OK, Virginia, There’s No Santa Claus. But There Is God" and discuss the critical role that fairy tales and myths (such as Santa Claus) play in priming our children's imaginations for believing in the greatest myth that is true.

Read the article: https://catholiceducation.org/en/author/tony-woodlief

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While believing in Santa as a little kid can be fun and even a little magical, there's a certain level of discernment and intentionality Christian parents need to have surrounding Santa in Christmas celebrations. How do we make sure our kids see that Christ is at the center of Christmas and not Santa Claus? How do we navigate the "Mom, is Santa real" question? When should we break the news to them? In this episode, Brett and Erin continue their conversation on Santa Claus and provide practical ways to incorporate Santa while keeping Christ at the center of Christmas.

Article on the historical St. Nicholas: https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/who-is-santa-and-what-does-he-have-to-do-with-christmas.html

Study on Santa and Faith in God: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081208180345.htm

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Is it lying to tell your kids about Santa Claus? And if you "lie" to them about Santa, can it make them question other beliefs you've passed on to them—for instance, the existence of God? In this episode, Brett and Erin explore the Santa conversation and the question of whether this common Christmas tradition is moral or not. MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

Christmas season is upon us, and so are the flurry of advertisements and distractions from the culture drawing our attention away from this season's true meaning: the Birth of Christ, our Savior. As parents, what traditions can we instill in our kids to remind them that Christmas is about more than gifts? In this episode, Brett and Erin chat with Cindy Rollins—a podcast host, author of several books, and a veteran homeschool mom—about her family's Advent tradition of listening to Handel's classical masterpiece: Messiah.

Access the Advent playlists here: https://www.youtube.com/@cindyrollins6053/playlists

Sign up for Cindy's Advent Discipleship Group: https://morningtimeformoms.com/events/worthy-is-the-lamb-moms-advent-discipleship/

Get Cindy's Advent book here: https://www.amazon.com/Hallelujah-Cultivating-Traditions-Handels-Messiah/dp/1944435077

Check out our brand new video course on homeschooling featuring Cindy Rollins: https://equip.maventruth.com/raising-lifelong-learners-course

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Wokeness. Social justice. Critical race theory. Identity politics. How do we help our families and churches navigate a host of ideas that seem antithetical to Christianity? First, we must understand the worldview behind it all: Critical theory. In this episode, Brett and Erin speak with Dr. Neil Shenvi, a theoretical chemist, Christian apologist, and author of the recent book, Critical Dilemma. Dr. Shenvi provides a helpful and accessible understanding of Critical Theory and how it's seeped into the evangelical church.

Check out Neil's articles and work here: https://shenviapologetics.com

Pick up your copy of Neil and Pat Sawyer's book here: https://criticaldilemma.com 

Our culture is fixated on identity. Race, gender, sexuality—these are all identities that our culture entices our kids to declare. As parents, we must ensure our kids are equipped with a solid understanding of who they are as people made in the Image of God and as Christians. In this episode, Brett and Erin continue their conversation with Monique Duson and Krista Bontrager as. they breakdown identity as it's laid out in the Christian worldview, give practical ways to navigate cultural terms about identity, and talk to kids about who they are.

Listen to Part 1 of this conversation here: https://linktw.in/NLElln

Get your copy of Walking in Unity here: https://walkinginunity.com

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The church is a mess when it comes to race. Culture is already divided over the topic, and many churches and leaders have adopted secular ideas and conclusions about race and attempted to Christianize them. But what does Scripture say about things like race, racism, justice, and diversity? In today's episode, Brett and Erin sit down with Monique Duson and Krista Bontrager from the Center for Biblical Unity about their new book Walking in Unity, which tackles these topics head on with a Biblical perspective.

Get your copy of Walking in Unity here: https://walkinginunity.com

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Is preferring one political party's platform over another's unbiblical? In this episode, Brett and Erin continue the conversation from last week about pastor Matt Chandler's viral sermon on politics. This time they look at some of Matt Chandler's claims about partisanship, the Republican Party, and the Christian's role in it all. Don't miss Part 1 of this conversation: https://linktw.in/aNejMb Watch Matt Chandler's sermon here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R4wP4xIydU MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

With two weeks to go before the presidential election, politics is at the forefront of the cultural conversation. Over the weekend, megachurch pastor Matt Chandler's sermon about politics went viral and sparked debate about the church's relationship to politics, partisanship, and more. In this episode, Brett and Erin watch and respond to the specific claims and ideas put forth in Chandler's viral sermon.

Link to Matt Chandler's sermon: https://youtu.be/1R4wP4xIydU?si=0L_4_-US9HvU6sq2

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For faithful Christian parents and leaders, protecting our kids from the ideas and values of the secular culture is not a long-term solution. Some protection is good but ultimately, we must EQUIP them to engage cultural challenges with the truth of the Christian worldview. So, we must first consider who is "waiting for our kids" and what objections and challenges they'll hear and encounter. And then we need a practical plan to equip the next generation. In this episode, we're airing a recent talk given by Brett at Frisco Bible Church, where he unpacks the challenges and shares a very practical plan to this ever-present problem.

UPCOMING FREE VIRTUAL EVENT: Don't miss our upcoming livestream "Practical Ways to Navigate the #1 Parenting Issue of Our Day" with special guest Jonathan Morrow on October 22nd at 6 pm Pacific. Register today: https://linktw.in/XsAKcC

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