The Family Discipleship Podcast #139 – Talking to Kids About Salvation and Suffering with Champ Thornton and Beth Broom
Mar 23, 2026
Beth Broom, licensed counselor working in church-based ministry who helps families talk about suffering. Champ Thornton, children and family resources director and author focused on middle-grade theology. They discuss why asking questions fuels discipleship. They explore helping kids wrestle with salvation and suffering, creating honest, Scripture-rooted conversations, and building better resources for 8–14 year olds.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Questions Turn Lessons Into Discovery
- Questions spark conversation and discovery rather than just delivering information.
- Champ compares questioning to archaeology: small clues lead to uncovering deeper truths during family interactions like car rides or devotions.
Four Year Old Asks Big Theology Question
- Champ recalls a four-year-old who drove a theological question during family Bible time.
- He admits sometimes he can't answer immediately and brings his wife into the conversation or promises to think and return to it later.
Make Repentance And Faith A Habit
- Teach repentance and faith as ongoing habits, not a single event.
- Champ recommends practicing daily short acts of turning from sin and turning to Christ with young children to form lifelong patterns.
