Helping Teens Own Their Faith with Dave Boden

I am delighted to introduce you to todays guest, my friend Alicia Hutchinson. Alicia and I have been online friends for a long time, and I have enjoyed learning from and have been inspired by her through those years. Alicia is a home schooling mom of 4, the founder of the Learning Well Community and the Learning Well Journal. She is not afraid to go deep and in fact, shed much rather go deep than waste time with small talk. As a result, we dive deep right away in this podcast episode where we talk about a lot of things, but especially focus on home schooling in the high school years. I know you will enjoy this episode!

Where to find Alicia:

On her website here

In her home school journal here

On Instagram here and here

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Some favorite quotes from this episode:

Hard things are not bad things, and sometimes theyre the best things! Alicia Hutchinson

The growth that happens from 14-18 is phenomenal and I would not miss that for the world. Alicia Hutchinson

High school is like the frosting on the cake! Alicia Hutchinson

There is a fear that comes with keeping kids home in high school but we dont have to give into that. Greta Eskridge

I cant teach my kids physics, but I bet I can find someone who can! Greta Eskridge

Everything you say yes to, you are saying no to something else. Alicia Hutchinson

Dont forget to pre-order my new book!  Get your copy of Its Time to Talk to Your Kids About PornA Parents Guide to Helping Children and Teens Develop Sexual Integrity clicking on the title of the book. 

Todays episode is extra fun because it is my first episode with a guest from outside the Untied States. Meet Dave Boden, my friend from England! Dave is also the husband of one of my dear friends, Leah Boden, who is also known as Modern Miss Mason. Dave and I thought it was great fun that he was a guest on my show before Leah was. We sure had a great time together in this episode. I especially loved talking to Dave about his heart for reaching the next generation for Christ. Whether you have teens in your life or will one day, this episode will remind you that teenagers and young adults are craving meaning and purpose in their lives and we can help them find that through Jesus. I know youll love this conversation. 

Where to find Dave: 

On Substack here 

His website here 

On Instagram here 

His book Like or Follow here 

His book Parallel Faith here 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Get a discount on bulk orders of Daves book Like or Follow from 10 of Those here 

Some favorite quotes from this episode: 

The heart of my family is all about the next generation. That is what were passionate about. Were captivated by reaching the next generation. Dave Boden 

If were open to teens and we dont think the worst of them, well see theyre such incredible people. At that time of life, theyre so excited about the world and they have ideas and questions and they want to learn. Greta Eskridge 

Discover how Jesus can reframe your world with hope and purpose. Dave Boden 

A part of our call as Christians is to leave our Christian bubble, bridge the gap and go where people are. Dave Boden 

There are three questions every person has: who am I, what am I here for and where do I belong? Young people are asking these questions and searching for the answers. Dave Boden 

Jesus is a real person who answers the real questions in our lives, but the places young people are searching wont necessarily lead them to this answer. Dave Boden 

Your kid might be pretty good at attending church. But the goal of Christianity is not to church people. The goal of Christianity is to help people become like Jesus. Dave Boden 

So for me the end result is how Christ like are my children becoming? And how can our children become Christ like if they dont know Christ? Dave Boden 

Young people are looking for adventure. Theyre looking for a sense of purpose. They are looking to right wrongs. And theyre longing for hope. Dave Boden 

Teen dont want to just be told about their faith. They want to go out and do it! Dave Boden 

Were meant to be inspired by Jesus and then go out and do inspiring things with Jesus! That message is incredible for teenagers! It helps them know theyre called to a great destiny. Dave Boden 

Lets rebel against low expectations! Jesus has incredible expectations for all His disciples. Dave Boden 

Parents are so scared of the teen years. And I just tell them that it is an amazing time! Just like they were incredible humans when they were babies and toddlers and preschoolers, theyre incredible humans when theyre teenagers! Greta Eskridge  

We should say to teens, look at all you can do as a young person of faith! Greta Eskridge  

As parents we need to support our kids as they make their faith their own. And a lot of times that looks like saying, yes, you can have your friends over to sit around and talk about God. Ill make snacks. Greta Eskridge 

The Greta Eskridge Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

This is your reminder to pre-order my new book, Its Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn: a Parents Guide to Helping Children and Teens Develop Sexual Integrity, today!  

I have been asked to write this book for years and now, I have! Your pre-orders are tremendously helpful in growing the reach this book will have. I need your help in getting this book into as many hands as I possibly can, so pre-order and share away! 

You can pre order Its Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn here 

In todays episode, I get to talk with my friend Amber Johnston. Amber is a wife, a home-schooling mom to 4, a world traveler, author and speaker. She is also a world changer! One of the things that has most impressed me about Amber in my years of knowing her is the way she sees something that needs to be done and she does it. This is the way she changes the world. It is inspiring and hopeful. We talk about this and so much more in this episode. You are sure to enjoy it. 

Where to find Amber: 

Find Ambers website here 

Find Ambers first book, A Place to Belong, here 

Find Ambers second book, Soul School, here 

Find Amber on Instagram here 

Where to find the books mentioned in todays episode: 

Find Soul School here 

Find The Read Aloud Family here 

Find Honey for a Childs Heart here 

Find Honey for a Womans Heart here 

Find Honey for a Teens Heart here 

Find Book Girl here 

Find Read for the Heart here 

Some favorite quotes from todays episode: 

The freedom of home schooling is one of, if not the best parts of home schooling. Even as a kid, I recognized the beauty of the freedom of home schooling. Greta Eskridge  

My husband originally suggested home school and I burst out laughing. It was literally the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. Then I joined a home-schooling group and that changed everything for me becau was in constant community. Amber Johnston 

Those moms gently and consistently told me I was the best. They spoke truth into me and built me up and that made all the difference. Amber Johnston 

My kids were always visitors to someone elses stories and that was something we had to radically change. Amber Johnston 

You know your kids and you know what makes their learning come alive. Thats a beautiful part of home schooling. Greta Eskridge 

If there is a book you want to read but it hasnt been written yet, then you must write it. Toni Morrison 

Dont complain. Dont talk about it. Be about it! Amber Johnston 

I am really proud to have that work not just for home school moms but into perpetuity and into society and to be able to say there was a point in time when these authors and illustrators were given their flowers and really focused on. Amber Johnston 

The Greta Eskridge Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Reminder to pre-order my new book, Its Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn: a Parents Guide to Helping Children and Teens Develop Sexual Integrity, right now and it will arrive at your door step March 4, 2025! You all have been asking for this book for years and I have been praying I could write it for years and now, I have. Please go ahead and pre-order it now as that is tremendously helpful in the reach this book will have. And then share the heck out of it, OK? Ill need your help in getting this book into as many hands as I possibly can. 

You can pre order Its Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn here 

Todays episode is part 2 of my conversation with Anna and Nathan Sutherland. Today I get to speak with Nathan and our conversation it going to enlighten and inspire you! Nathan and his wife Anna are the founders of Gospel Tech, an organization that exists to equip families to use tech in a God honoring way in a tech saturated world. Rather than painting all tech as bad, Anna and Nathan want to help families talk about tech, communicate the gospel and connect the hope in the gospel to the use of tech. It is a beautiful mission and they are doing it so well! 

In an effort to get more of this message into the hands of more people, Nathan wrote the book, Gospel-Centered Tech: Raising Faithful Followers of Christ in a Digitally Distracted World. This book will enlighten and inspire you to push forward in using tch in the best way possible with your familya way that honors God. Yes, you can honor God with your tech use! Nathans book and our conversation is honest and helpful and it is also hopeful. That is such an important element whenever we talk about tech use and screen time. It is not all doom and gloom! I know you are going to love this episode like I did. 

Where to find Nathan: 

Find Nathans book here 

Learn more about Gospel Tech here 

Follow Gospel Tech on Instagram here 

Some favorite quotes from todays episode: 

There are two kinds of tech: tool tech and drool tech. Tech that helps us build is on the tool side and tech that helps us consume is on the drool side. Nathan Sutherland 

Drool tch comes to the table with its own goals. It wants to take our time and our focus and our money. And until we understand that, were going to wonder why we keep fighting with our family. Were never going to understand why its always Fortnite and never Microsoft Word. Nathan Sutherland 

We arent perfect in our tech use. But the goal isnt to be perfect. The goal is to be humble enough to recognize we need a savior and that applies to our tech too. Anna Sutherland 

We need to know understanding what operant conditioning is so that we can have compassion for our kid when theyre stuck in the loop of social media or a video game. Greta Eskridge 

Technology isnt fair. Its designed to increase engagement and build habits. That is not an accident. Theyre using a mind bending amount of data to give you things you didnt even know you wanted. And to make you think you need things that you never wanted. Nathan Sutherland 

The definition of addiction is when you give up what you need to get what you want. Nathan Sutherland 

When we understand how tech works it gives us the opportunity to come to our kids with compassion and grace and understanding rather than the frustration we often resort to. Greta Eskridge 

Dumb phones are great! Greta Eskridge  

Porn is bombastic now. I dont know if the porn I saw in 7th grade even counts as porn anymore. Im not 100% sure that we adults understand what kids are experiencing from their pocket device or their friend showed them on the bus. Nathan Sutherland 

Its not about porn proofing. Its about equipping them to make the best choices. Its about not being afraid to bring it up with them. Its about not being afraid to answer their questions. These are all things we can do to help our kids be resilient in this world that is saturated with porn. Greta Eskridge 

I shared some big news at the start of this episode: my new book is available for pre-order! Thats right, you can go pre-order my next book, Its Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn: a Parents Guide to Helping Children and Teens Develop Sexual Integrity, right now and it will arrive at your door step March 4, 2025! I am just overjoyed to be sharing this book with parents and giving them the tools they need to talk to their kids about a subject that can feel daunting, uncomfortable, scary, painful or just too difficult. Or maybe a mix of all of those things. I am here to help! You all have been asking for this book for years and I have been praying I could write it for years and now, I have. Please go ahead and pre-order it now as that is tremendously helpful in the reach this book will have. And then share the heck out of it, OK? Ill need your help in getting this book into as many homes as I possible can. 

Pre Order Its Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn here 

And now, for the rest of todays episode:  I get to speak with Anna Sutherland and our conversation it going to inspire and excite you! Anna and her husband Nathan are the founders of Gospel Tech, an organization that exists to equip families to use tech in a God honoring way in a tech saturated world. Rather than painting all tech as bad, Anna and Nathan want to help families talk about tech, communicate the gospel and connect the hope in the gospel to the use of tech. It is a beautiful mission and they are doing it so well! 

In alignment with that mission, Anna just wrote a book called The Graceful Disconnect:  25 Days to a Quieter Heart in a Tech Saturated World. In this episode I get to talk with Anna and Nathan, but really focus on Annas book. Next week youll get to hear from Nathan and his book! Annas book is a challenge, but it is a doable challenge. And an inspiring one that most of us, if were honest, need to take part in. I cant wait for you to learn more as you listen. 

Where to find Anna: 

Find Annas book here 

Learn more about Gospel Tech here 

Follow Gospel Tech on Instagram here 

Some favorite quotes from todays episode: 

*Moms, this is why I am writing to you. As much as wed like to turn a blind eye to that screen time number that pops up (our own and our childrens) we simply cannot. We are fools if we think the conditions of our hearts arent impacted by what we digitally consume. Anna Sutherland 

*Most conversations take at least seven minutes to really begin. Sherry Turkle 

*The car is a space where we default to isolation. What if, instead, it became a place for conversation and connection? Anna Sutherland 

*You can speak a common language because you share the time in the car instead of everyone doing their own thing. Greta Eskridge  

*Even as a kid, I recognized there was a break in connection when people put their headphones on. Greta Eskridge 

*Were playing the long game as parents. We want these kids to launch and to be successful adults. Our job is teach them how to do that. Life is a parenting opportunity. Anna Sutherland 

*Tech is the easy default because we dont have to deal with our kids. But easy is not the goal. Anna Sutherland 

*My grandma was a stay-at-home mom and her ministry was cookies. Thats attainable. I can make cookies! And she prayed for us every day and its incredible to have that kind of prayer covering. She made a difference for the kingdom. Anna Sutherland 

Dont forget to subscribe to this podcast. And Id be so very grateful if you leave a 5 star rating and a short review of the podcast. 

Reviews are incredibly helpful to me as a new podcaster. 

Thank you for listening and being part of my team.  

I love you guys! 

Greta