Episode 575 - Christian Children: Jr. Pharisees or Children of God?

About this episode

Steve Wood challenges parents and teachers to examine the spiritual formation of Christian children, contrasting outward religiosity with authentic faith.

In this episode of Faith & Family Bible Study, Steve Wood challenges parents and teachers to examine how Christian children are being formed. Drawing from Gospel of Matthew 3, he contrasts outward religiosity without repentance—exemplified by the Pharisees—with authentic, Spirit-filled faith. Steve explains why much modern catechesis emphasizes religious facts and behavior while failing to touch the heart, contributing to the widespread falling away of youth. The key to true spiritual formation, he argues, is a lived experience of adoption as sons and daughters of God through baptism, as taught in Epistle to the Galatians. The episode calls parents to pray for a full awakening of their children’s baptismal inheritance and to surround them with believers alive in the Holy Spirit. For more resources, visit us online at www.BibleforCatholics.com.

People in this episode

Host: Steve Wood

Topics covered

• Christian children
• spiritual formation
• baptism
• Pharisees
• catechesis

Keywords

• faith
• youth
• religiosity
• repentance
• Holy Spirit

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Bible for Catholics

Books & works: Christian Children: Jr. Pharisees, Gospel of Matthew 3, Epistle to the Galatians

More episodes of Faith & Family Bible Podcast with Steve Wood

• Episode 580 - Stay off Ladders! Cautions about Sermon on the Mount · April 17, 2026 · 15 min
• Episode 579 - Youth Discipleship, Part II · April 9, 2026 · 15 min
• Episode 578 - Youth Discipleship, Part I · April 2, 2026 · 15 min
• Episode 577 - The Way to Change the World: Discipleship · March 26, 2026 · 15 min
• Episode 576 - How to Face Serious Temptation · March 19, 2026 · 15 min
• Episode 574 - How Prodigal Sons and Daughters Can Have a Relationship with Jesus · March 5, 2026 · 15 min