Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World: A Gospel-Centered Approach

by Laurie Krieg, Matt Krieg (Contributor), Dan Allender (Foreword)

"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.

Genres: Parenting, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Sexuality, Counselling, Faith, Spirituality

240 pages, Paperback

Published January 13, 2026

Reviews

[Ericka Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding! Practical and relatable, loved the writing style, research and action steps. So helpful and important for Christian parents.

[Jessica Pool · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is geared toward parents of younger kids. While it is not perfect, I think the author does a really great job of offering some guidance (that can be adapted to your particular circumstances) to help us talk to our kids about things that are hard to talk about.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Isaac Eames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for Christian parents of kids 12 and under that equips parents with both a theological foundation and practical ways to press into the more awkward but ever important topics. Offers a much needed map that doesn't rely on fear, guilt, or shame but rather the beauty of how God has made our bodies.

If you've done a lot of reading on these topics, I'm sure there's overlap with what they touch on (but that's a good thing, right?). If you haven't done a lot of reading on how to help your child navigate puberty and all that comes with it, this is a great first book to read.


Definitely my bias going into reading this, but I absolutely loved the practical phrase they give to talk to their kids so they grow up knowing both marriage and singlessness are equally beautiful gifts.

As with any book, there were a couple things I might not fully be bought into, but nothing detrimental to me personally. I wouldn't disagree with anyone who would rate this a 4.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Lydia Bindon · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really interested to read this book, but it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.

The chapter on pornography is quite helpful, and she also has good tips on talking about sex in age-appropriate ways if you have little kids. I appreciate her overall value on talking to kids about sex.

However, I don’t think I could recommend the book for a few reasons, and they’re kind of big ones. The first one is that one of her two foundational “gospel themes” for this book is that “God wants to be one with us.” Not just with us, but ONE with us. She says this explicitly multiple times, and I…don’t think it’s biblical, at all. God being WITH us as a human in Jesus, God being WITH us through the Holy Spirit now, God being WITH us in the new heavens and earth, are the mind-blowing hope of the Bible. We get to be with him!! …but that’s not the same thing as being ONE with him. I think she reaaaaally wanted the marriage analogy to work here but she stretched it so far it was unbiblical.

Also, the way she talks about sex reminds me a bit of some quotes from the (much maligned) book Beautiful Union, which also stretches sex as an analogy/icon way too much. I definitely got some vibes from that here and it gave me a bit of an off feeling. Among other things, she talks about how a marriage covenant isn’t ratified until there’s consummation (does this mean if you marry a chronically ill or disabled person who can’t have sex, your covenant isn’t real??), and Jesus’ covenant is ratified with his body, so there’s an analogy between sex and Communion because we do both repeatedly. It got weird, folks.

Those are the biggest two because they are legitimate theological doubts. I had other differences with the book, including: 1) the feeling that it was theologically aimed mostly for people with Reformed beliefs; 2) objections to her idea that people who aren’t Christian can’t be trusted as much (I have non-Christian friends that I would trust with my kids’ lives, and was wondering what she and her kids are missing by holding/teaching this suspicious outlook, especially considering professed Christian beliefs aren’t a guarantee of that a person is safe around kids); 3) a sometimes heavy-handed didactic approach that I feel might not stand the test of time once the kids are older or encounter other beliefs or decide they don’t fit “our beliefs” all the time; and 4) her very unhelpful idea that codependency is “relational idolatry” rather than, you know, maybe a sign that someone grew up with an alcoholic or unhealthy parent.

I liked the end more than the beginning because there was more research and helpful conversation framing, but due to the issues with the whole way it tries to support this biblically, I can’t recommend it.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Cassie Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World" emphasized that both marriage and singleness are equally beautiful gifts to their kids, which was great. While there were a few minor points I didn’t fully agree with, overall this is a strong guide that I would absolutely recommend. We can’t control all the choices our kids will make or protect them from everything forever, but this book equips parents to help their children understand sex from a God-centered perspective.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laurie does a beautiful job of breaking down complex sexual and social issues surrounding sexuality and fitting them into the framework of the gospel.
She breaks each issue into Lay the Foundation- how to teach- and Walk the Foundation- how to live
She starts with the Gospel and then walks through Marriage and Singleness, Gender, God’s design for Sex, Honor our bodies and Honor God with our minds.
And the last quarter of the book is full of next step resources and sample conversations so the information becomes very practical and useful

[Anna Shaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pushing back the darkness and ushering in the light.

Helpful, practical, direct. I don’t agree with everything but I appreciate her willingness to engage on tangible issues all parents face. Even parents of new babies and toddlers would benefit from this book. I’m glad I read it while my kids are 4 and 2. Thank you Laurie for sharing your wisdom with us.

[Grant Klinefelter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good and important book. I look forward to discussing it and promoting it to many!

[Jordan Swails]

Incredibly well-researched with practical and helpful advice, spurred on by horrifying statistics. Required reading.

[Justin Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5/5) I have eaten up the Kriegs’ work over the years from Impossible Marriage to the Hole in My Heart podcast and they never fails to breathe humanity and gospel richness into the conversations they seek to facilitate around sexuality, gender and now specifically how that all collides in parenting. As a single person with a budding heart of fatherhood toward spiritual children in my life, Raising Wise Kids gives me humbling perspective on the overwhelm parents feel on the daily, let alone how to navigate conversations in the sexuality and gender space. The anecdotal conversations paired with foundational theology for each topic Laurie tackled were a hopeful picture of the grace-cushioned pursuit of training kids in the way they should go. Some of it definitely healed my own lack of sex education/discipleship. Now I’m left desperately recommending this to all of my friends, this is the stuff!

[Nan Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so helpful. The way Laurie laid the gospel foundation for each topic in one chapter and then showed you ways to practically walk that out in the next…this type A mom thanks you!

[Brayden Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really helpful book for intentionally thinking through how to shepherd and guide your kids into age appropriate conversations about sexuality, pornography, body safety, marriage, and gender in a world that seems either deeply afraid or laissez-faire. The research in this book needs to be well known for our generation of parents. Cheesy at times but easy to overlook that.

[Nathan Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very gospel centered! Laurie covers a wide range of topics in an informative and compassionate manner.

[Sarah Beth Rizzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very helpful and practical. I didn’t agree with the author on everything, but her reasoning was sound and I appreciated her point of view. Actual scripts are what more parenting books should include. Also, her middle child is Juliet, so clearly we are kindred spirits.

[Cassandra Hungerford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would definitely recommend this book. It gives such good language for talking about sexuality.

[Morgan Bloodsmith · Rating 1 out of 5]

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/...

[Laurie Krieg · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Amber Garrett Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve been a little timid about starting conversations with your kids about sexuality or if you feel overwhelmed about where to begin, Laurie Krieg’s newest book is a very approachable place to start. I read it cover to cover (and did a lot of underlining); Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World is a book I recommend to Christian parents of kids ages 3-10 with no hesitation.

Laurie is warm. Her writing is relatable and easy to digest. This is not a dense theology textbook that leaves you feeling intimidated or underqualified. You could easily read this book in a few sittings and walk away with practical ideas you can begin using with your kids right away.

I deeply appreciate that Laurie starts with the gospel, which is exactly where we all should start when talking to our kids about sex, sexuality, and gender. She continually brings parents back to the reality that we teach the gospel first and alongside every other conversation about these topics. This isn't a book the stokes panic over the culture or encourages desperate hand-wringing. Rather, Raising Wise Kids help kids understand God’s design for bodies, relationships, marriage, singleness, and identity within the larger story of redemption.

The structure of the book reflects that goal well. Laurie talks about “laying the foundation” and then “walking the foundation.” She first introduces foundational truths about marriage and singleness, gender, sex, bodies, and minds, then gives parents practical ways to teach and reinforce those truths in everyday life. We can't build if we never take the time to put down a foundation. We have to teach kids the core truths of God's wisdom before we can add nuance and go deeper as they get older.

Another strength of the book is how personal it feels. Laurie shares stories from her own family often, including places where she misspoke or learned from a mistake. She gives many tangible ways parents can respond to cultural messaging while remaining true to historic sexual ethics. She never comes across as preachy or finger-wagging. Instead, she writes like someone sitting across the table from you, genuinely wanting to help. It is obvious throughout the book that she cares deeply about children, parents, LGBT+ people, and the Church’s witness.

A major theme running throughout the book is “the metaphor of marriage.” Laurie argues that marriage ultimately points beyond itself to God’s desire for union with His people: "God desires to be one with us." This becomes the lens through which she discusses the topic of each chapter: marriage and singleness, gender, sex, bodies, and minds. While the book gives parents a solid start, I would not describe Raising Wise Kids as an exhaustive theological treatment of sexuality or LGBT+ topics (though I don't think it's trying to do so). Parents looking for deep theological nuance or extensive cultural analysis will eventually want to study additional resources. 

I also appreciated the tone Laurie brings to difficult topics. She shares hard truths and heartbreaking statistics without stirring fear or outrage. Readers looking for a culture warrior approach will not find it here. Her posture is much more pastoral than combative, though some readers may feel the heavily therapeutic language (anchoring bias, parenting styles, attachment styles, right-brain anxiety) is too heavy and wish for sharper definitions or deeper engagement in certain sections. But honestly, that may be part of the book’s greatest strength. It does not overwhelm parents who are just beginning these conversations. It tenderly invites them in, gives them a place to start, and reminds them that discipleship around sexuality really does begin during toddlerhood.

My recommendation? Get Laurie’s book. Get my book. Start the conversations with your kids. Lay the foundation. Walk the foundation.

[Joel Childers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for parents and church leaders for kids under 12 wrestling with how to approach gender and sexuality questions with their kids. Most parents I talk with think they know what they believe about gender and sexuality, but often don’t know why or how to talk about it with their kids. As Kriegg argues: if we wait to think about these questions until our kids hear about them somewhere else, then someone else is already “the expert,” and we’ll likely be afraid or defensive. She advocates for early, frequent, age-appropriate conversations rooted in the gospel.

Each pair of chapters focuses on a different issue (sex, gender, pornography, body safety, etc.). The first chapter in the pair provides a theological foundation for approaching the issue, and the second chapter is extremely practical (is in: “here’s what you might say if your three year old asks you about ____ while you’re cleaning the bathroom on a random Tuesday”). She also often provides age-appropriate approaches, dividing suggestions for kids 0-3. 4-7, and so on up to age 12. She’s clear that she’s not trying to give specific scripts for every situation, but her ideas and suggestions are good.


This book is hyper-relevant to our current moment, which means it likely won’t have much longevity. That said, each new generation must raise kids in a new age, and this book is designed for ours!

Krieg is operating using traditional Christian views of gender and sexuality, but she doesn’t with compassion and curiosity. Even if you don’t agree with her theology on every point (I’m not sure I do), her suggestions are sure to spark fruitful ideas for how to handle tough conversations with little ones.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[LizNReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with great guidance/suggestions.
As someone who has 4 kids between ages 3-7, I can truly appreciate what this book has to offer. I have to say that my kids have not asked questions like the children Laurie speaks of, Idk if it’s because they’re homeschooled so they’re not as exposed to certain things, but it definitely has prepared me in the off chance I’m sidetracked by such a question by one of my kids. My main goal now is to educate myself better and find a person I can turn to when I have questions (I have a few priests on mind).
This was a great read, and I can’t thank you enough Laurie for doing the research and speaking from experience.

Thank you NetGalley, InterVarsity Press, & Laurie Krieg for this eARC.

[Tami Hungerford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book may quite possibly be the best and most important book to read as a parent. And especially a gospel centered family as it constantly goes back to Gods good design and why it matters. Not to shame anyone else that chooses the opposite, but it’s just if the design is in such a way then living out that design is how you will thrive the best and glorify the one who made you.

First of its kind that I’ve seen. Thank you Krieg family for this book!!

[Marie Bagdanov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend for parents! This book has a great framework for explaining sexuality and I agree with a lot of her approaches. Eager to follow her scripts. Best piece of advice: “think of the sex talk has not one big moment but rather a series of small moments/talks.” We need to talk openly (age—appropriate) and without shame to our kids about sex.

[Patrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Laurie for this important book. It's scary, but you've given direction for navigating the path.

I certainly wasn't the perfect Mom, but I'm glad I'm not raising little ones today. Prayers to all the Mommas who are. We live in scary times but God is still in loving control.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Nicholas Pokorny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much needed conversation from authors who acknowledge the need for grace-filled conversations about topics that personally never were grace-filled