The Natasha Crain Podcast

Are today’s kids ministries actually helping—or unintentionally hurting—the faith of the next generation?Today I’m joined by family ministry veteran Dr. Josh Mulvihill for a candid, biblically grounded conversation about seven key problems in modern kids and youth ministry and why Christians can no longer afford to ignore them.Drawing from Scripture, church history, and current research, Josh challenges some of the most unquestioned assumptions in evangelical churches today, such as age-segregated worship, attractional entertainment models, and the growing confusion between the church’s role and parents’ God-given responsibility to disciple their children. This conversation is not a hit piece on kids ministry. Both of us love and support children’s and youth ministry when they’re aligned with Scripture. Instead, we hope this episode will be a wake-up call for parents, pastors, grandparents, and church leaders to evaluate how their churches can better reach the next generation. SHOW NOTES:Go to summit.org/natasha to learn about Summit Ministries' conferences for kids ages 13-22 and use code NATASHA26 to get $500 off an in-person conference when you register by March 31.Josh's website and podcast: https://gospelshapedfamily.com/Josh is the Executive Director of Church and Family Ministry at  Renewanation: https://www.renewanation.org/Josh is a board member of Awana: https://www.awana.org/Get Josh's book, "Family Ministry: How Your Church Can Shepherd Parents and Grandparents to Make Disciples": https://www.amazon.com/Family-Ministry-Shepherd-Grandparents-Disciples/dp/1951042093For more on how Dr. George Barna assesses the worldview of survey respondents, see: https://natashacrain.com/what-is-a-biblical-worldview-with-george-barna/. Learn more about my three apologetics books for parents and teachers: https://natashacrain.com/books/Curricula recommended by Josh: Bright https://britecurriculum.com/Gospel Story https://martymachowski.com/book/gospel-story-curriculum/

AI isn’t worldview neutral—and that should deeply concern Christians. In this episode, I talk with Brandon Maddick, co-founder of Dominion, a Christian AI platform created as a biblical alternative to tools like ChatGPT, to explore how artificial intelligence is shaping the way we think. We talk about the secular assumptions built into mainstream AI models, why those assumptions matter as people increasingly turn to AI for guidance and productivity, and how Dominion was intentionally designed to operate from a biblical worldview. Christians need to think carefully about the worldview embedded in the tools we use...because when we ask AI for answers, we should be asking who (or what) is discipling us. SHOW NOTES:Check out Dominion AI for yourself: https://dominion.chat/Subscribe to my new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@natasha_CrainGet my latest book, When Culture Hates You: https://www.amazon.com/When-Culture-Hates-You-Persevering/dp/0736984313 

Most Christians know the Bible teaches that "for those who love God all things work together for good" (Romans 8:28), but in times of suffering, it can be difficult to reconcile that truth with our experiences. My guests today are best-selling authors Clay and Jean E. Jones. They've written an insightful and very practical new book to help believers do exactly that: "How Does God Use Suffering for Our Good?: Living with Hope While Making Sense of Life." Clay and Jean E. have experienced much suffering in their own lives and share very personally how they have lived out biblical truths about suffering in a God-glorifying way. SHOW NOTES:Get their new book here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Does-God-Suffering-Good/dp/0736992235Clay's website: https://clayjones.net/Jean E.'s website: https://www.jeanejones.net/Get my latest book, When Culture Hates You: https://www.amazon.com/When-Culture-Hates-You-Persevering/dp/0736984313Subscribe to my new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@natasha_CrainFollow me on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashacrainauthor/IG: https://www.instagram.com/natasharcrain/X: https://x.com/Natasha_Crain

At the beginning of September, a woman in her 60s named Tyger commented on my ministry's Facebook page. She introduced herself in the comments section as being a transgender atheist and offered some tips on how she thought Christians could best reach trans-identifying people. She continued to comment over the next couple of weeks on various posts. By the end of September, she shared that she had given her life to Jesus at a Charlie Kirk vigil and would be detransitioning. I subsequently got to know Tyger over email, and in today's episode, we have an in-depth conversation in which she shares her life story of what it's like to struggle with your biological sex. It's a fascinating first-hand account that I hope will give you more insight into the challenges people face and why it's so important for Christians to remain firmly rooted in truth.

How did sexually explicit books make their way into public school libraries — and why are some organizations fighting so hard to keep them there? In this eye-opening conversation, I sit down with Karen England, founder of TakeBackTheClassroom.com, to unpack what’s really happening and what YOU can do to get filth out of your local public school libraries.Explore TakeBackTheClassroom.com: takebacktheclassroom.comLearn more about Summit Conferences: www.summit.org/natashaUse my code NATASHA26 to get $250 off your registration for in-person conferences!Get my latest book, When Culture Hates You: www.amazon.com/When-Culture-Hates-You-Persevering/dp/0736984313

More and more people are talking about Christian persecution in Nigeria, but reports are often conflicting. Some Nigerians--even Nigerian Christians--claim the reports are entirely false. Others claim it's only an ethnic dispute, not a religious one. Some say U.S. leaders are blowing the story out of proportion in order to work our way in and take mineral rights. Still others say it's just a sad story of "bandits" taking advantage of people for financial gain...not anything resembling a Christian-targeted genocide. What's actually going on?In this episode, I sort all of this out with Judd Saul, Executive Director of Equipping the Persecuted. Judd has been on the ground in Nigeria over a period of 10 years and shares his firsthand knowledge of what the reality is. Mentioned in the Show:This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xcmibUjT2s8Equipping the Persecuted site: www.equippingthepersecuted.orgTruth Nigeria: www.truthnigeria.comFollow Judd Saul on X: www.x.com/juddsaulFollow Equipping the Persecuted on Facebook: www.facebook.com/EquippingThePersecuted

There are many competing ideas for how to solve the homelessness crisis in America, and they're often a product of competing worldviews. Today, I'm joined by Bryan Crain (yes, he's my husband!), president of Orange County Rescue Mission, to talk about the homelessness crisis from a biblical worldview and the Trump administration's recent Executive Order on "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets." If you've ever wondered what can and should be done to help the homeless AND make the streets safer for everyone else, you don't want to miss this episode.MENTIONED ON THE SHOW:My first episode with Bryan: www.natashacrain.com/the-homelessness-crisis-from-a-biblical-perspective-with-bryan-crain/Conversations on a Bench (OCRM): www.rescuemission.org/conversationsConversations on a Bench (all locations): conversationsonabench.org/Orange County Rescue Mission: www.rescuemission.orgCity Gate Network: www.citygatenetwork.orgMy book, Faithfully Different: www.amazon.com/dp/0736984291Michael Shellenberger's book, San Fransicko: www.amazon.com/San-Fransicko-Progressives-Ruin-Cities/dp/0063093626

Bill Federer, a historian and best-selling author, dives deep into the complex history of how Christianity and politics intersected in America. He explains the shift from self-governance in ancient Israel to the monarchy, and how the Reformation reshaped church authority. Federer discusses the Mayflower Compact and its role in civil governance, along with the evolving interpretation of the First Amendment. He highlights the importance of Christian engagement in public life, arguing that silence in the face of ungodliness equates to consent.

Charlie wasn’t killed just because he was a Christian. Charlie was hated and targeted because he was attempting to influence the public square in a way that would shape society according to biblical views that run contrary to the popular moral consensus. As Christians, we need to understand the difference...and why biblical Christianity is, indeed, a public faith. I break it down biblically in this episode.SHOW NOTES1. Read my social media posts from the following week here:On X: https://x.com/Natasha_CrainOn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashacrainauthor/ 2. The following are the recommended ways shared by Turning Point USA to support, donate, and get involved:To support the Kirk family, visit: http://givesendgo.com/kirkfamilyTo make a contribution to TPUSA to further Charlie Kirk’s legacy, visit: http://TPUSA.com/donateTo get involved with TPUSA, visit: http://TPUSA.com/getinvolvedTo start a TPUSA chapter at your college or Club America at your high school, visit: http://TPUSA.com/startachapter

In this episode, I read my recent article, "The One Big Beautiful Bill Isn’t as Unchristian as Everyone Seems to Think." You've surely heard progressives (both Christian and nonbelievers) lament how unbiblical and "against the teachings of Jesus" the OBBB is, especially due to its reduction in Medicaid and SNAP benefits. But is it inherently unjust to take away government benefits from those in need? That's the question I address today.MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:Original article source: https://natashacrain.com/the-one-big-beautiful-bill-isnt-as-unchristian-as-everyone-seems-to-think/My latest book, When Culture Hates You: https://www.amazon.com/When-Culture-Hates-You-Persevering/dp/0736984313Article from The Center for Biblical Unity on "8 Things Christians Can Say and Do Concerning the Illegal Immigration and Deportation Situation": https://www.centerforbiblicalunity.com/post/8-things-christians-can-say-and-do-concerning-the-illegal-immigration-and-deportation-situation