By Andy Hale
Few parenting conversations can generate anxiety as quickly as sexuality, gender, relationships and the world our children are growing up in. But what if parents began those conversations not with fear or prohibition, but with the goodness of God? This week on the CBF Podcast Convers
ation, Andy Hale welcomes author, speaker and podcast host Laurie Krieg to discuss her new book, Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World. Drawing from her own family, ministry and years of helping Christians navigate questions of sexuality, Laurie offers parents a gospel-centered framework for approaching some of the most complicated conversations they will have with their children.
At the heart of Laurie’s approach is the conviction that the goal is not simply to protect children from difficult realities, but to help them develop wisdom. Andy and Laurie explore why the first messages children receive about sexuality matter so deeply, how parents can create what Laurie calls a gospel “anchoring bias,” and why healthy formation requires both a strong foundation and age-appropriate exposure to the world children will inevitably encounter. They also discuss the risks of silence, the importance of beginning conversations earlier and more naturally and why the biblical story starts with the goodness of God’s creation rather than a list of things to avoid.
Perhaps most importantly, this conversation offers grace for parents who already feel behind, overwhelmed or afraid of getting it wrong. Laurie reminds us that faithful parenting does not require flawless conversations or perfect answers. It means building a foundation strong enough to weather life’s storms, returning again and again to the gospel and trusting that grace is available for children and parents alike. For families and churches seeking to form young people with wisdom, courage and compassion, this episode offers a hopeful place to begin.
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This podcast is presented by:
- Baylor’s Garland School of Social Work: Social workers can be found addressing the full scope of the human experience in churches, schools, prisons, government agencies, senior living centers, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies.
- Baptist Seminary of Kentucky: BSK equips leaders through their Homegrown Initiative, offering ministry leaders training and growth that fits into their busy schedules.
- The Gardner-Webb School of Divinity: The Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity aims to equip, nurture, encourage, and support men and women for their very best service in the Kingdom of God.
- The Center for Congregational Health: Strengthening congregations through consulting, leadership coaching, and intentional ministry.
- The Baptist House of Studies at Union Presbyterian Seminary: Exists by God’s grace to educate, inspire, and support generations of bold, faithful servant leaders as they seek actively to participate in God’s mission in the world.
- Community Transformation Center: Through educational opportunities, community conversations, and research initiatives in collaboration with universities and local leaders, PBACTC is at the forefront of integrating spiritual care into holistic community development.
- Creation Justice Ministries: Creation Justice Ministries equips churches to turn conviction into faithful action with Scripture-based resources, worship guides, and community support to pursue environmental justice and care for God’s creation.
- Dawnings: Through prayerful discernment, storytelling, and collaborative visioning, Dawnings helps churches rediscover their calling and imagine their next chapter—guided by trained facilitators and grounded in God’s ongoing story.
- Congregational Ministries Team of CBF Global: Through coaching, resources, and collaborative support, CBF’s Congregational Ministries Team helps churches and ministers cultivate the five traits of thriving—Rooted Relationships, Compelling Clarity, Holy Tenacity, Strategic Agility, and Dynamic Collaboration—for faithful and flourishing ministry.
- Karis Parenting: Looking for a gift for new families, resource options for Children’s Moments, or even just a beautiful book to read at home with your preschoolers? Karis Parenting is here to help. Karis Parenting is an independent publisher from First Baptist Church of Asheville.
- Faith X: We work with congregations, judicatories, and denominational bodies to assess their strengths and weaknesses, explore missional opportunities and challenges in the neighborhoods they serve, and leverage their strengths to engage community issues. We achieve this through data-grounded consulting, training, and coaching approach.
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Andy Hale is the creator and host of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Podcast. Hale is the Associate Executive Coordinator of CBF North Carolina. He’s also served as CBF’s Church Start Specialist, the founding pastor of Mosaic Church of Clayton, and the senior pastor of University Baptist Church of Baton Rouge. Follow on Twitter @haleandy.