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Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World: A Gospel-Centered Approach
"This book is a gift to all parents trying to navigate the complexity of raising children in today's world. ... I wish I could make this book required reading for every parent." - Christine Caine, founder of A21 and Propel WomenHow can you raise your children to not just to survive but to thrive in a world filled with complex and confusing conversations about gender, sexuality, and relationships? Navigating the birds and bees is challenging enough for parents. Kids today are faced with all sorts of complex issues, and often at a very early age. When is it too early to talk about sex? How can we begin to view the gender conversation? How do we help our kids not to approach the world fearfully but to walk into it confidently--even in the world's most controversial spaces? Laurie and Matt Krieg believe that, as a Christian parent, you can approach sexual topics with confidence and grace by laying a solid gospel-centered foundation from early childhood onward. Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World offers you theological guidance, parenting principles, and age-appropriate insights for addressing complex issues in healthy issues like marriage and singleness, God's design for sex, same-sex attraction and sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual abuse, and pornography. In Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World, you'll learn Present God's purpose for both marriage and singleness Explain God's design for sex with clarity Discuss gender identity from a biblical perspective Protect your children from sexual abuse Prevent porn addiction Promote online safeguards Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World is a timely and essential resource for today's Christian parents. Rather than retreating in fear, you can respond to the brokenness of the world with the goodness, truth, and beauty of the gospel and help your kids to do the same. Cast a gospel vision for your kids so that no matter how they experience sexual brokenness within them or around them, they have the tools they need to choose the way of Jesus no matter what.
- GenresParentingNonfiction
240 pages, Paperback
Published January 13, 2026
38 people are currently reading
542 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 21, 2026
A great resource for parents that I would recommend!
Positives:
•How-to guide for talking with kids about a wide range of issues related to sexuality from a biblical worldview
•Positive view of marriage AND singleness
•Gospel-lens for every conversation rather than a whack-a-mole, issue-based approach
•Real-life examples of conversations
•The author has lots of experience as a parent and therapist
Weaknesses:
•Not a ton of new information. If you’ve already been looking into this topic for a while, there likely won’t be anything super new to you
•Repetitive—each two chapters (Lay the Foundation and Walk the Foundation) could have been condensed into one
Overall impression:
If you’re looking for a “How to talk to your kids about ______” guide, look no further. I appreciate Krieg’s gospel approach and would recommend it for young parents looking for help in this area.
Many thanks to IVP and Netgalley for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.
Positives:
•How-to guide for talking with kids about a wide range of issues related to sexuality from a biblical worldview
•Positive view of marriage AND singleness
•Gospel-lens for every conversation rather than a whack-a-mole, issue-based approach
•Real-life examples of conversations
•The author has lots of experience as a parent and therapist
Weaknesses:
•Not a ton of new information. If you’ve already been looking into this topic for a while, there likely won’t be anything super new to you
•Repetitive—each two chapters (Lay the Foundation and Walk the Foundation) could have been condensed into one
Overall impression:
If you’re looking for a “How to talk to your kids about ______” guide, look no further. I appreciate Krieg’s gospel approach and would recommend it for young parents looking for help in this area.
Many thanks to IVP and Netgalley for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.
January 28, 2026
This book was easy to read and incredibly practical. I appreciated the clear, real-life examples of conversations to have with kids around sex, gender, and porn—the specific language and terms were especially helpful and took a lot of the guesswork out of hard conversations. I also loved the list of additional resources at the back of the book. While there were a few minor points I didn’t fully agree with, overall it’s a great resource that I would absolutely recommend. This is a book I’ll return for reminders and guidance in my teaching and hopefully one day in parenting too!
January 19, 2026
Note: I am a Christian woman with a historical biblical worldview.
This is a well-written book on how to have healthy, age appropriate conversations with our children around God’s design for sexuality, our bodies, body safety, and pornography. I really appreciated Laurie’s background and her willingness to share parts of her personal story and how she has journeyed towards healing with Jesus. She briefly shares her past experiences with childhood abuse and feelings of same-sex attraction. I really enjoy learning from Christians who hold to a biblical worldview and can offer insight into the LGBTQ+ conversation. I found Laurie’s approach well-researched, full of humility, and very gospel-centered.
While I didn’t learn a whole lot of new stuff, it’s still an informed and needed book, great for parents with younger children. Ideally twelve and below.
The appendixes at the end were nice: how to talk with kids between ages 7-10 about sex, what if we suspect something’s sexually abusive has happened to our kids, and where should I send my kids to school?
There is also an extensive list of resources at the end of the book.
I really loved the title of the book! We cannot control all the choices our kids will make in life, nor can we protect them from everything forever. But we can teach them wisdom and how to view sex from God’s point of view, offering appropriate respect and love for those who believe differently than we do.
I am grateful for Laurie and Matt’s voices and leadership in the Christian conversations around sexuality and healing.
This is a well-written book on how to have healthy, age appropriate conversations with our children around God’s design for sexuality, our bodies, body safety, and pornography. I really appreciated Laurie’s background and her willingness to share parts of her personal story and how she has journeyed towards healing with Jesus. She briefly shares her past experiences with childhood abuse and feelings of same-sex attraction. I really enjoy learning from Christians who hold to a biblical worldview and can offer insight into the LGBTQ+ conversation. I found Laurie’s approach well-researched, full of humility, and very gospel-centered.
While I didn’t learn a whole lot of new stuff, it’s still an informed and needed book, great for parents with younger children. Ideally twelve and below.
The appendixes at the end were nice: how to talk with kids between ages 7-10 about sex, what if we suspect something’s sexually abusive has happened to our kids, and where should I send my kids to school?
There is also an extensive list of resources at the end of the book.
I really loved the title of the book! We cannot control all the choices our kids will make in life, nor can we protect them from everything forever. But we can teach them wisdom and how to view sex from God’s point of view, offering appropriate respect and love for those who believe differently than we do.
I am grateful for Laurie and Matt’s voices and leadership in the Christian conversations around sexuality and healing.
January 29, 2026
As someone who isn’t a parent but wants to be thoughtful and well informed for the (biological or non-biological) children I hope to have someday, I found this to be an incredible resource. Highly recommend!
January 26, 2026
I would definitely recommend this book. It gives such good language for talking about sexuality.
January 16, 2026
TLDR: All in all, I felt this book was a huge flop because it is not only derivative, uninspired, and repetitive; it's also harboring a harmful and one-note message. I would encourage parents to look for additional resources.
I picked up this book on netgalley, because I wanted to know what she had to say. Wow, there is a lot to unpack here. Basically, Laurie Krieg is soft-launching herself as the face of conversion therapy, in the form of little podcasts, blogs, and now parenting books. Let me be clear: This book has nothing profound or new in it in that regard, but it did sadden me as I read it and made it clear to me that this book has significant potential to be harmful to so many families and young children.
Now, I say this, not because the content is Christian-oriented, or quotes the gospel; it's because while this book makes use of a lot of metaphor, soft language, and therapy speak, the message is the same as many that came before it: Being gay, trans, or otherwise LGBTQ+ is unacceptable, and if you are, you either push it away and get over it, or you're "broken." The statistics in the book are extremely questionable, and seem overwhelmingly like a fearmongering tactic. That said, a very TRUE statistic is that people who have undergone conversion therapy are 88% more likely to be suicidal. 75% are more likely to make plans to undergo suicide. LGBTQ youth in rejecting/unsupportive environments are 8 times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers, and having ONLY ONE SUPPORTIVE ADULT in their lives REDUCES SUICIDALITY by 40%!!! When I say this has potential to harm families; it's not just about the relationships suffering; it's about making sure you have a child ALIVE to nurture that relationship.
Krieg tells her kids many times over that you must be nice to people who are different, but that they are not like "us" and not living aligned with god. Krieg details multiple times that she experiences primarily sapphic or lesbian-aligned attraction, and her explanation for "biblical marriage" and for the role of marital sex are both rather confusing or disturbing at times. She describes biblical marriage as being a mirror to the way god loves the church, as a "marriage of two vastly different things" - as though physical differences of genitals are the perfect metaphor for the difference between a god and his congregation. In this case, who represents god? The metaphor falls apart pretty quickly because it relies on cherry picking which differences are ok to accept and which aren't.
As far as the role of marital sex, obviously it's for making babies, but also is a metaphor for the covenant made when Jesus died for our sins? No wonder she struggles in her marriage. What's wild is that there are so many moments that almost hit the mark, before they veer into regressive advice. For instance, there are many conversations she has with her kids about different people, or about what they want for their own futures... and then she'll kind of pump the breaks and say "well god wants this for you, right?" And none of these are true solutions. For instance, she says that despite struggling for years with gay feelings, and trauma from being a CSA survivor, she "gives that over to Jesus" and it's just... fine? If you're gay, don't worry! You can either Stop That Shit or just be single and celibate forever. Doesn't that seem reasonable? (It's not reasonable or sustainable) Also, when she says she can't find an expert on LGBTQ issues, it's because she's not treating LGBTQ community leaders as the experts on themselves. It's so easy to just ask someone a question! Generally speaking, they'll be truthful and kind.
What really gets me is that the whole concept of sexual brokenness is an insidious non sequitur that simultaneously condemns and erases people different from what the gospel (but in this case, Laurie) deems acceptable. Being LGBTQ means you're sexually broken, but guess what? EVERYONE is broken in some way, right? So we all have to submit and fix that. And the language of sexual brokenness is SO negative, and primed to be aimed at victims of sexual abuse and violence. Again, not new, but deeply harmful!!
All in all, I felt this book was a huge flop because it is not only derivative, uninspired, and repetitive; it's also harboring a harmful and one-note message.
I am an out lesbian, in a very loving and wholesome marriage to my wife. I work as a children's librarian, and consistently find resources for families of many faiths. I was raised in the church, and found my own spiritual path later in life. I deeply respect spiritual journeys and devotional work. I utilize my own reflections, meditations, and devotional studies as well. Many of the spiritual aspects of studying your religion and spiritual devotion with your family, can be done regardless of your orientation or anyone else's. I would highly encourage parents who want to read this book, to seek out some other sources for comparison. Talk to your neighbors and community members, even if they think differently! The best way to learn about someone else is to ask. Laurie only presents one path forward, and it is not a path for all.
You may start here:
https://www.qchristian.org/resources/...
I picked up this book on netgalley, because I wanted to know what she had to say. Wow, there is a lot to unpack here. Basically, Laurie Krieg is soft-launching herself as the face of conversion therapy, in the form of little podcasts, blogs, and now parenting books. Let me be clear: This book has nothing profound or new in it in that regard, but it did sadden me as I read it and made it clear to me that this book has significant potential to be harmful to so many families and young children.
Now, I say this, not because the content is Christian-oriented, or quotes the gospel; it's because while this book makes use of a lot of metaphor, soft language, and therapy speak, the message is the same as many that came before it: Being gay, trans, or otherwise LGBTQ+ is unacceptable, and if you are, you either push it away and get over it, or you're "broken." The statistics in the book are extremely questionable, and seem overwhelmingly like a fearmongering tactic. That said, a very TRUE statistic is that people who have undergone conversion therapy are 88% more likely to be suicidal. 75% are more likely to make plans to undergo suicide. LGBTQ youth in rejecting/unsupportive environments are 8 times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers, and having ONLY ONE SUPPORTIVE ADULT in their lives REDUCES SUICIDALITY by 40%!!! When I say this has potential to harm families; it's not just about the relationships suffering; it's about making sure you have a child ALIVE to nurture that relationship.
Krieg tells her kids many times over that you must be nice to people who are different, but that they are not like "us" and not living aligned with god. Krieg details multiple times that she experiences primarily sapphic or lesbian-aligned attraction, and her explanation for "biblical marriage" and for the role of marital sex are both rather confusing or disturbing at times. She describes biblical marriage as being a mirror to the way god loves the church, as a "marriage of two vastly different things" - as though physical differences of genitals are the perfect metaphor for the difference between a god and his congregation. In this case, who represents god? The metaphor falls apart pretty quickly because it relies on cherry picking which differences are ok to accept and which aren't.
As far as the role of marital sex, obviously it's for making babies, but also is a metaphor for the covenant made when Jesus died for our sins? No wonder she struggles in her marriage. What's wild is that there are so many moments that almost hit the mark, before they veer into regressive advice. For instance, there are many conversations she has with her kids about different people, or about what they want for their own futures... and then she'll kind of pump the breaks and say "well god wants this for you, right?" And none of these are true solutions. For instance, she says that despite struggling for years with gay feelings, and trauma from being a CSA survivor, she "gives that over to Jesus" and it's just... fine? If you're gay, don't worry! You can either Stop That Shit or just be single and celibate forever. Doesn't that seem reasonable? (It's not reasonable or sustainable) Also, when she says she can't find an expert on LGBTQ issues, it's because she's not treating LGBTQ community leaders as the experts on themselves. It's so easy to just ask someone a question! Generally speaking, they'll be truthful and kind.
What really gets me is that the whole concept of sexual brokenness is an insidious non sequitur that simultaneously condemns and erases people different from what the gospel (but in this case, Laurie) deems acceptable. Being LGBTQ means you're sexually broken, but guess what? EVERYONE is broken in some way, right? So we all have to submit and fix that. And the language of sexual brokenness is SO negative, and primed to be aimed at victims of sexual abuse and violence. Again, not new, but deeply harmful!!
All in all, I felt this book was a huge flop because it is not only derivative, uninspired, and repetitive; it's also harboring a harmful and one-note message.
I am an out lesbian, in a very loving and wholesome marriage to my wife. I work as a children's librarian, and consistently find resources for families of many faiths. I was raised in the church, and found my own spiritual path later in life. I deeply respect spiritual journeys and devotional work. I utilize my own reflections, meditations, and devotional studies as well. Many of the spiritual aspects of studying your religion and spiritual devotion with your family, can be done regardless of your orientation or anyone else's. I would highly encourage parents who want to read this book, to seek out some other sources for comparison. Talk to your neighbors and community members, even if they think differently! The best way to learn about someone else is to ask. Laurie only presents one path forward, and it is not a path for all.
You may start here:
https://www.qchristian.org/resources/...
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was interested in reading this book after I heard this couple on a podcast. They were great at giving real tips to continually discuss the topic of marriage, sex, gender, and many more in an age appropriate way. I always believe it’s better to have multiple “talks” rather than one big talk when it comes to important topics such as these. That’s reflected in this book. The real life dialogues are so helpful in the book. It gives some examples of how these conversations could be had in your own home.
I love that they offer the fundamental belief and then the practical application. I think we need more authors to write on this because there are so many ways to go about parenting and growing with our children in these topics.
I love that it is being discussed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I love that they offer the fundamental belief and then the practical application. I think we need more authors to write on this because there are so many ways to go about parenting and growing with our children in these topics.
I love that it is being discussed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
February 4, 2026
Outstanding guide to parents of kids 12 and under. Krieg does a great job of providing rich biblical foundations underlying wise practical advice. Her transparency and personal style make the book fun and easy to read. She does not dodge hard questions, and offers concrete guidance to parents, and for people who influence kids. Highly recommended.
November 21, 2025
It's a joy to offer what we have been processing for 11 years in sexuality ministry + 11 years as parents. I pray it blesses you.
February 2, 2026
Man, there is stuff in here that’s pretty dark, but the topic is needed and this is helpful on the ground level to think through things.
January 26, 2026
As a parent (and just regular Christian human) this book is both incredibly helpful and peaceful. Laurie has such a gift for calming scary topics, re-inspiring awe for the gospel, and helping people feel confident and equipped to disciple their kids. I will be recommending this one to everyone!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews