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The Teach Your Children Well Podcast

The Teach Your Children Well Podcast

By: InterVarsity Press
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Christian parents have a daunting task: helping their kids to love and follow Jesus in a world that doesn’t. But with the right tools, perspectives, and practices, discipling the next generation can be a creative, joyful, and faith-building adventure. Join Sarah Cowan Johnson, award-winning author of Teach Your Children Well, as she and her guests examine how the biblical story offers wisdom and good news for the twenty-first century parent.

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Episodes
  • Forming Lifelong Followers of Jesus with Sarah Cowan Johnson and special host Andrew Mook

    Forming Lifelong Followers of Jesus with Sarah Cowan Johnson and special host Andrew Mook
    Aug 25 2025
    What does it take to raise resilient, Jesus-following kids when it feels like you’re swimming upstream against culture, norms, and sometimes even your own doubts?In this final extended episode of the season, Sarah Cowan Johnson hands over the mic to Andrew Mook, founding pastor of Sanctuary Church in Providence, Rhode Island, to turn the tables and interview her. Together, Sarah and Andrew dig deep into the major themes, surprises, and the most memorable moments from this season of The Teach Your Children Well Podcast.Reflecting on their shared passion for family discipleship, Sarah and Andrew examine why discipleship is at the heart of all parenting, how the Western church’s default approaches are often falling short, and what it looks like to help kids and ourselves embrace a faith that lasts. They candidly tackle the dizzying array of cultural narratives bombarding parents, how to “decode” the world for your kids, and ways to build rhythms of faith into busy family life, even when you feel spiritually dry or out of your depth.They talk about various topics from swimming upstream in areas of sexuality, technology, and hurried family schedules, to building weird but wonderful faith communities, to why boundaries, not legalism, are essential to spiritual formation at home. You'll also hear directly from Sarah’s son Silas, whose honest reflections add both humor and practical wisdom for parents eager to see faith flourish in the next generation.This episode is candid, encouraging, and deeply practical, reminding every parent that though the way of Jesus can seem lonely or hard, you’re not alone. Together, small habits and honest conversations can shape a faith that lasts through every stage of life.Listen to the full conversation now.This episode highlights the following themes:Why discipleship is the key to faith that lastsWays for spiritually dry parents to lead with authenticity, not perfectionThe crucial but overlooked role of faith communities in raising resilient kidsLinks from the episode:Learn more about Andrew Mook and Sanctuary ChurchListen to sermons from Sanctuary ChurchListen to Sanctuary Music and Andrew’s project, Breton YardLearn more about Sarah Cowan JohnsonRead Teach Your Children Well by Sarah Cowan JohnsonRead The Anxious Generation by Jonathan HaidtRead Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know by Melissa KrugerExplore Sarah’s library of family discipleship practices and resources hereLearn more about prayer journaling and imaginative prayerHear Sarah’s talk on hearing God’s voice as a familyVisit Sarah’s websites here and hereRead the transcript hereTake the survey hereCredits✅Special offer: Visit ivpress.com and use the code IVPTEACH25 for 25% off and free US shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode.✅Producers: Kaitlin Borek, Helen Lee, and Travis Albritton✅Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts✅Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne✅Podcast Art: Kate Lillard✅Theme Song: "Childlike Wonder" by ReveilleDisclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.As an Amazon Affiliate, this channel earns commissions from qualifying purchases when you use the links above.
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Forming Healthy Boundaries to Manage Family Stress with Tracie Braylock

    Forming Healthy Boundaries to Manage Family Stress with Tracie Braylock
    Aug 18 2025

    Parenting under constant stress and busyness takes a real toll, not just on our health, relationships, and spiritual well-being, but also on our children.

    In this episode of The Teach Your Children Well Podcast, Tracie Braylock, holistic nurse educator, wellness consultant, and author of Radical Relaxation: Releasing the Stress You Were Never Meant to Carry, joins host Sarah Cowan Johnson to talk about the real and lasting impact of stress on parents and children. Drawing on her expertise in mind-body-spirit wellness, Tracie explains how stress shows up in families physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and why the Surgeon General’s recent advisory is a wake-up call for us all.

    Tracie and Sarah discuss the societal and cultural pressures that keep families trapped in cycles of busyness, the myths that convince us we have to “do it all,” and the quiet damage that pace inflicts on our bodies, families, and homes. This is a must-listen as they share practical ideas for breaking free from cultural norms that increase stress in families and instead creating rhythms of rest and sabbath in family life.

    This episode is both grounding and hopeful, reminding parents that small, intentional changes can bring more peace, connection, and health into their homes.

    Listen to the full conversation now.

    This episode highlights the following themes:

    • The physical, emotional, and spiritual impact of parental stress on families
    • Practical ways to recognize, manage, and reduce stress at home
    • The biblical wisdom of sabbath rest and boundaries

    Links from the episode:

    • Learn more about Tracie Braylock
    • Read Radical Relaxation by Tracie Braylock
    • Learn more about Sarah Cowan Johnson
    • Read Teach Your Children Well by Sarah Cowan Johnson
    • Read the Surgeon General’s Advisory here
    • Learn more about Sarah’s family sabbath practice here or on her website
    • Read the transcript here
    • Take the survey here

    Credits

    ✅Special offer: Visit ivpress.com and use the code IVPTEACH25 for 25% off and free US shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode.

    ✅Producers: Kaitlin Borek, Helen Lee, and Travis Albritton

    ✅Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts

    ✅Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne

    ✅Podcast Art: Kate Lillard

    ✅Theme Song: "Childlike Wonder" by Reveille

    Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
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    44 mins
  • Forming a Healthy View of Christian Sexuality in Our Kids with Rachel Joy Welcher

    Forming a Healthy View of Christian Sexuality in Our Kids with Rachel Joy Welcher
    Aug 11 2025

    Feeling unsure about how to talk to your kids about sex?

    Many Christian parents want to raise their kids with a healthy understanding of sex, sexuality, and identity. But most don’t know where to start. Some are still working through their own experiences with shame or silence. Others are afraid of saying the wrong thing.

    In this episode of The Teach Your Children Well Podcast, author, editor, and poet Rachel Joy Welcher joins Sarah Cowan Johnson to help parents move from a fear-based narrative about sex to a redemptive, biblical vision of sexuality. Drawing from her book Talking Back to Purity Culture, Rachel unpacks what the church got wrong about sex, how those messages impacted a generation of Christians, and how parents can do things differently with their own children.

    Sarah and Rachel explore how to teach kids that sex is not merely about setting boundaries but about love of God and love of neighbor. They talk about giving our kids a theology of desire, the importance of honesty and nuance, and how to walk with children through big questions with compassion and hope.

    Don’t let fear or shame lead the conversation. This episode will help you start honest, gospel-centered talks about sex, identity, and God’s good design with confidence and compassion.

    Tune in now.

    This episode highlights the following themes:

    • How purity culture shaped Christian views of sex and bodies
    • Practical ways to talk about sex without shame or fear
    • How to affirm your child’s dignity while teaching self-control, consent, and character

    Links from the episode:

    • Learn more about Rachel Joy Welcher
    • Read Talking Back to Purity Culture by Rachel Joy Welcher
    • Read Rachel Joy Welcher’s IVP Kids book, Charlie Can’t Sleep!
    • Read Rachel Joy Welcher’s poetry
    • Learn more about Sarah Cowan Johnson
    • Read Teach Your Children Well by Sarah Cowan Johnson
    • Read Redeeming Sex: Naked Conversations About Sexuality and Spirituality by Debra Hirsch
    • Learn more about Axis and subscribe to their Culture Translator emails
    • Learn more about Sarah’s recommended resources on sexuality here
    • Read the transcript here
    • Take the survey here

    Credits

    ✅Special offer: Visit ivpress.com and use the code IVPTEACH25 for 25% off and free US shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode.

    ✅Producers: Kaitlin Borek, Helen Lee, and Travis Albritton

    ✅Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts

    ✅Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne

    ✅Podcast Art: Kate Lillard

    ✅Theme Song: "Childlike Wonder" by Reveille

    Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

    As an Amazon Affiliate, this channel earns commissions from qualifying purchases when you use the links above.
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
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