In this episode of the Gospel Shaped Family Podcast, Josh and Jen address two cultural ideas shaping modern homes—child-led parenting and marriage as a capstone—and help listeners think through both from a biblical perspective.

They discuss why giving children authority in the home leads to confusion, inconsistency, and spiritual harm, and how Scripture calls parents to lovingly lead with truth and discipline that produces holiness.

Then, they turn to the growing trend of delaying marriage as a personal achievement rather than viewing it as a foundation for life. With biblical wisdom and real-life experience, Josh and Jen show why early marriage often leads to stronger families, shared growth, and deeper faith.

In this episode:

• What “child-led” parenting gets wrong about human nature
• Why biblical discipline is about holiness, not control
• How the “capstone” view of marriage distorts God’s design
• Research showing the benefits of early marriage
• How parents can model God’s order and authority in the home

Book 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home: https://bit.ly/50thingspc

Renewanation: https://bit.ly/rangsfpc 

Gospel Shaped Family Homepage: https://bit.ly/gsfhpc 

Bible in 365: https://bit.ly/b365gsfpc 

SchoolHouse Rocked Podcast: https://www.schoolhouserocked.com/episodes 

Child Led Parenting: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/10/27/were-doing-child-led-parenting

Marriage as a Capstone vs Cornerstone: https://praxiscircle.com/blog/marriage-capstone-event-or-cornerstone-for-life

Marry Early and Flourish Together:  https://ifstudies.org/blog/marry-early-and-flourish-together 

Is Marrying Later Always Better?: https://nationalmarriageproject.org/2022-state-our-unions 

Servant Not Savior by Levi Secord: https://amzn.to/3LLduQK

The Flip Side of Feminism by Suzanne Venker: https://amzn.to/49qr0TI

How to Build a Better Life by Suzanne Venker: https://amzn.to/43BlXvZ

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