The Gospel Shaped Family Podcast

joshmulvihill
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Parenting
  • Weekly

Join Dr. Josh and Jen Mulvihill for conversations about faith and family and learn how to navigate cultural challenges with insight from God’s Word. Josh and Jen provide biblical wisdom and practical solutions on parenting, grandparenting, marriage, and family discipleship and discuss how to disciple children with a biblical worldview. Whether you’re raising children, shepherding a church, or longing to build a legacy of faith in your home, this podcast is for you. Join the Mulvihills as they explore how to shape hearts, homes, and churches around the gospel—one conversation at a time.

  1. 4d ago

    Biblical Characteristics of a Vibrant Family Ministry: How Churches Can Equip Parents and Grandparents

    What does a truly biblical family ministry look like, and why does it matter so much for the health of the church? In this special episode, Josh Mulvihill walks through nine biblical characteristics that shape a vibrant family ministry. He explains why family discipleship is not a trend or program but God’s design for passing on the gospel from one generation to the next. This episode challenges common assumptions about children’s ministry, parenting, and church programs. Josh clarifies the distinct roles of the family and the church, explains why parents and grandparents are the primary disciple-makers, and shows how churches can strengthen homes rather than replace them. Along the way, he shares practical examples from decades of pastoral ministry and family discipleship work. If you are a pastor, ministry leader, parent, or grandparent, this episode will help you think clearly about family worship, children in corporate worship, equipping fathers and mothers, strengthening marriages, and building multi-generational discipleship that lasts. Book 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home: https://xypmuf.s.gy/50gsfpc  Renewanation: https://xypmuf.s.gy/rangsfpc  Gospel Shaped Family Homepage: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfhpc  Sign up to get regular updates: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfpem

  2. Oct 20

    What Parents Need to Know About Choosing a College with Dr. Corbin Hoornbeek

    Is a Christian college worth the sacrifice? Many parents hold a strong conviction for Christian education through high school, then waver when the college decision arrives. In this episode, Josh and Jen talk with Dr. Corbin Hoornbeek, president of University of Northwestern in St. Paul, about the purpose of higher education and how to choose a school with the end in mind. Dr. Hoornbeek explains why education is the formation of the whole person, not only career preparation, and why the worldview behind the teaching sets the trajectory of a young adult’s life. He gives parents direct questions to ask on a campus visit, including whether a school requires its faculty to hold to its statement of faith and whether it is financially stable. You will also hear three practical ways to lower the cost: dual enrollment credits in high school, the gap between sticker price and real price, and scholarships most families never ask about. If you are helping a son or daughter decide what comes after graduation, this conversation offers clarity and encouragement. Book 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home: https://xypmuf.s.gy/50gsfpc  Renewanation: https://xypmuf.s.gy/rangsfpc  Gospel Shaped Family Homepage: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfhpc    Sign up to get regular updates: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfpem     University of Northwestern, St. Paul : https://www.unwsp.edu/

  3. Oct 13

    Raising Children in the Age of AI with Jeremiah May

    Most parents know their children are using AI for homework. Far fewer know that 70% of teens have used an AI companion app, and about half are regular users, developing an ongoing "relationship" with an avatar that talks back. In this episode, Josh and Jen sit down with Jeremiah May, a homeschool dad of three, a former educator, and the producer behind this show, to unpack what AI actually is, how it's showing up in children' s lives, and what parents can do about it. Jeremiah walks through the practical basics first: what makes generative AI different from a search engine, why he tells his own children (and his ministry team) to treat anything typed into an AI tool like a postcard that anyone could read, and a personal story about an AI editing tool that accidentally lifted 15 to 20 percent of a published book, word for word, from a book. From there the conversation moves into the harder questions: when AI homework help becomes cheating, why AI companion apps raise real concerns about children substituting a lifeless interaction for real relationship, and where the line sits between using AI as a tool and leaning on it as a crutch. Underneath it all is a simple conviction: a child's ability to think well, whether about AI or anything else, is built on the same foundation it has always taken, logic, biblical literacy, and a home where truth gets tested against Scripture. Jeremiah offers parents a clear, workable way to think about AI boundaries that doesn't require becoming an expert overnight. Book 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home: https://xypmuf.s.gy/50gsfpc  Renewanation: https://xypmuf.s.gy/rangsfpc  Gospel Shaped Family Homepage: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfhpc    Sign up to get regular updates: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfpem

  4. Oct 6

    Reclaiming Real Life in a Digital World with Arlene Pellicane

    Arlene Pellicane has a sobering number for parents: if a boy plays video games a fairly conservative ten hours a week starting at age nine, he'll have spent a full year of his life in front of a gaming console by the time he's twenty-one. If a girl is on social media the similar amount of time, she will spend a full year of her life on social media. In this episode, Arlene, author of The Great Tech Reset: Reclaiming Real Life for Christian Families, joins Josh and Jen to talk honestly about what screens are costing our children and what to do about it. Arlene walks through her ABCD framework for the harms of unchecked screen time, why boredom is a gift rather than a problem to solve, and why delaying a phone or social media account tends to produce a more mature, self-governed teenager than handing one over early and hoping to monitor it. She also unpacks two of the most common myths parents use to justify giving kids devices sooner than they should. This conversation goes beyond screen time limits to the deeper stewardship question underneath: what is discipling our children when we're not watching? Arlene makes the case that families have an opportunity, not just a restriction, in front of them, and offers a practical, faith-rooted starting point for any family ready to reclaim real life together. Book 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home: https://xypmuf.s.gy/50gsfpc  Renewanation: https://xypmuf.s.gy/rangsfpc  Gospel Shaped Family Homepage: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfhpc    Sign up to get regular updates: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfpem     Grab a free copy of The Great Tech Reset at TechResetBook.com (while supplies last, courtesy of Summit Ministries)

  5. Sep 29

    5 Practices of Highly Effective Teachers (For Parents, Grandparents, Pastors, and Educators)

    Every parent, grandparent, pastor, and educator is a teacher, whether or not that title is on a door. The real question is not whether we are teaching. It is whether anyone is actually learning. In this episode, Josh and Jen make the case that a student's failure to learn is often a teacher's failure to teach, and that the two are far more connected than our modern education system admits. Josh and Jen walk through five practices of highly effective teachers: knowing that the purpose of teaching is learning, building a theology of teaching before you build a lesson plan, sharpening communication so your message does its job, rightly handling the Word of God, and driving toward one central big idea instead of scattering a dozen. Along the way they cover the Hebrew connection between teaching and learning in Deuteronomy, why curriculum fads like outcomes-based education and social-emotional learning keep cycling through schools, and how unclear positions on doctrine undermines the authority of Scripture in the living room or classroom. This is foundational work for anyone stewarding the next generation. Teaching is a lot like gardening. Planting seeds is the easy part. The watering, the weeding, and the tending contributes to the amount of fruit. Book 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home: https://xypmuf.s.gy/50gsfpc  Renewanation: https://xypmuf.s.gy/rangsfpc  Gospel Shaped Family Homepage: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfhpc    Sign up to get regular updates: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfpem

  6. Sep 22

    7 Things To Do if a Child is Not Walking With Jesus

    When a child you've raised in the faith walks away from Jesus, the pain can feel overwhelming. Guilt, shame, and confusion often follow—but you're not alone. In nearly every audience Josh speaks to, over 50% of parents admit to having a child not walking with the Lord. In this episode, Josh and Jen address one of the most painful questions families face: What do I do now? Drawing from Scripture and pastoral experience, they walk through seven specific, biblical actions parents can take to navigate this heartbreaking season with faith, humility, and hope. From daily prayer and prioritizing relationship over control to welcoming your child home and trusting God's timing, this conversation offers both comfort and direction for parents in crisis. If you're struggling with a prodigal child, this episode is for you. Book 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home: https://xypmuf.s.gy/50gsfpc  Renewanation: https://xypmuf.s.gy/rangsfpc  Gospel Shaped Family Homepage: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfhpc    Sign up to get regular updates: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfpem

  7. Sep 15

    5 Things Worth the Money for Your Family

    When children are in the picture, the budget tightens fast. Diapers, clothes, phones, college—the expenses never stop. But not all spending is equal. In this episode, Josh and Jen share five investments they've made in their family that have genuinely paid dividends in health, relationships, and spiritual growth. From organic food and quality books to family vacations and date nights, these aren't luxuries—they're stewardship decisions that strengthen your home for the long haul. Plus, a bonus tip on why Christmas cards matter more than you'd think. If you're trying to be wise with family finances while investing in what truly matters, this conversation will help you reimagine where your money goes and why it's worth it. Book 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home: https://xypmuf.s.gy/50gsfpc  Renewanation: https://xypmuf.s.gy/rangsfpc  Gospel Shaped Family Homepage: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfhpc    Sign up to get regular updates: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfpem

  8. Sep 8

    7 Ways to Help Children Develop Biblical Literacy

    Biblical illiteracy is a growing problem among young Christians, and the numbers are sobering. In this episode, Josh and Jen unpack what the research actually shows about Bible reading and biblical worldview, and why the two are so closely connected. They walk through seven practical, doable steps parents and grandparents can take to help children grow familiar with Scripture, from building a daily reading habit to teaching the Bible's big story of creation, rebellion, redemption, and restoration. You'll also hear why giving your child their own full-text Bible matters, and how tools like commentaries and concordances can help children study Scripture on their own. This episode is a practical roadmap for any parent who wants their children rooted in God's Word for life. Book 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home: https://xypmuf.s.gy/50gsfpc  Renewanation: https://xypmuf.s.gy/rangsfpc  Gospel Shaped Family Homepage: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfhpc    Sign up to get regular updates: https://xypmuf.s.gy/gsfpem

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Join Dr. Josh and Jen Mulvihill for conversations about faith and family and learn how to navigate cultural challenges with insight from God’s Word. Josh and Jen provide biblical wisdom and practical solutions on parenting, grandparenting, marriage, and family discipleship and discuss how to disciple children with a biblical worldview. Whether you’re raising children, shepherding a church, or longing to build a legacy of faith in your home, this podcast is for you. Join the Mulvihills as they explore how to shape hearts, homes, and churches around the gospel—one conversation at a time.

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