Older episodes
- 169Episode 159: Can your kid answer why the Bible is true without saying, "Because Mom said so?"Can your kids explain why they trust the Bible without answering, “Because Mom said so”?In this episode, Amy and Tricia Scribner tackle the first of two big questions about the reliability of the New Testament: Do we actually have what the original authors wrote?Skeptics sometimes compare the transmission of Scripture to a giant, centuries-long game of telephone—one person passes a message to another, mistakes pile up, and eventually the message bears little resemblance to the original. But that analogy misses some important facts. The New Testament wasn’t transmitted through one fragile chain of whispered messages. It was copied in writing across multiple communities, languages, and manuscript traditions.Amy and Tricia walk through the work of textual criticism, explaining how scholars compare thousands of surviving manuscripts, translations, and quotations from early Christian writers to reconstruct the wording of the New Testament. They discuss manuscript quantity and quality, the importance of early copies, textual variants, and the “chain of custody” connecting the apostles with later Christian teachers. And yes—there are variants. Lots of them. But simply counting variants can make the evidence sound much scarier than it is. Most involve things such as spelling, word order, or other differences that do not change the meaning of the passage. As Tricia puts it, variants need to be weighed, not merely counted.The takeaway for Mama Bears? We don't have to teach our kids to fear questions about biblical manuscripts. We can give them tools for investigating those questions using Scripture, reason, and reality—and help them understand why the hosts conclude that the New Testament has been reliably transmitted.Main Points CoveredThe New Testament was transmitted through multiple written lines, not like a single game of telephone.The abundance of manuscripts helps establish reliability because textual critics can compare copies across different manuscript families.Earlier and higher-quality manuscripts carry particular weight when scholars reconstruct the original wording.Textual variants should be weighed, not simply counted. Most involve spelling, word order, or other differences that don't affect meaning.We can confidently recover what the New Testament authors wrote, while leaving the separate question of whether their claims are true for the next episode.Resources & Organizations MentionedScriptures:Hebrews 1:3 John 18 Romans 8:1John 7 / John 8:1–11Mark 16:9–20Other Resources:Life-Givers Apologetics by Tricia ScribnerCrows and the Missing Piece by JD CarmolingaThanks to Our SponsorsAquaTruGo to AquaTru.com now for 20% off your purifier using promo code MBA. AquaTru even comes with a 30-day best-tasting water guarantee.Cozy EarthHead to cozyearth.com and use my code MBA for an exclusive 20% off. And if you see a post-purchase survey, mention that you heard about Cozy Earth right here!More from Mama BearCheck out our websiteBuy the Mama Bear Apologetics book (affiliate link)Join Our Email ListHave Us Speak at Your EventFollow us on social media FacebookXInstagramWant to support our ministry?Donate Here—Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co. If you are interested in being a supporting sponsor of the show, please email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co
- 170Mama Bear Movie Minute: The Magic Faraway TreeThe Magical Faraway Tree gets an enthusiastic 11/10 from the Mama Bears for offering something increasingly rare: a whimsical, genuinely family-friendly story centered on imagination, family, and character rather than a heavy-handed agenda.One of the movie’s strongest themes is family unity during hardship. After the Thompson family loses nearly everything because the mother refuses to compromise her moral convictions at work, the parents choose to face the consequences together. Rather than responding with bitterness or victimhood, they turn their circumstances into an adventure. The hosts connect this to Ecclesiastes 4:9 and the importance of spouses remembering that they are on the same team.The movie also models parenting through example. Instead of constantly lecturing their unhappy children about gratitude and attitude, the parents demonstrate optimism, sacrifice, and teamwork themselves. The magical storyline creates opportunities for deeper conversations about dreams, greed, contentment, and the supernatural. The hosts distinguish healthy goal-setting from New Age ideas about manifestation and vision boards, while also asking why people are so drawn to fairy tales and magical worlds. Chapters00:53 The Magical Faraway Tree & childhood imagination03:49 Doing the right thing when it costs everything05:26 Marriage, teamwork & family resilience10:04 Imagination, feminism & responding with grace15:35 Dreams, marriage & parental sacrifice19:31 Magic, wishes & lessons from the Faraway Tree23:45 Dream lists, vision boards & New Age beliefs25:51 Fairy tales, Christianity & the supernatural
- 171Mama Bear Movie Minute: In your DreamsIn this Mama Bear Movie Minute, Hillary, Alexa, and Anja examine Netflix’s In Your Dreams through worldview insights, potential issues, and invitations for conversation. One of the movie’s strongest themes is the contrast between a perfect fantasy and an imperfect but meaningful reality. Stevie ultimately realizes that having everything she wants isn’t worthwhile if it means giving up her real relationships. The hosts connect this to free will, suffering, and the value of authentic relationships.The movie also creates an opportunity to discuss occultism and spiritual discernment. The children pursue magical help because it promises something good, illustrating how curiosity and the desire for control can make occult practices appealing. The hosts appreciate that parents can use the story to discuss these dangers without introducing children to actual occult practices.Their primary concerns are the movie’s “dumb dad” trope and portrayal of marriage and divorce. The father is loving but frequently portrayed as irresponsible or unnecessary, while marriage can seem like something that simply works—or doesn’t—rather than a covenant requiring commitment and sacrifice.Finally, the hosts encourage parents to focus on Stevie’s tendency to carry problems that belong to adults. Parents can pause the movie when she tries to fix everything herself and remind children that they can bring their fears and burdens to their parents and to God rather than feeling responsible for solving family problems alone.In This Episode00:34 — In Your Dreams: story setup and Stevie’s mission to save her family01:42 — Perfect dreams versus meaningful, imperfect reality02:47 — Free will, suffering, and why imperfection matters03:04 — Occultism, curiosity, magic, and the promise of getting what we want04:52 — Lucid dreaming and questions about New Age/occult connections05:43 — Potential issues: the “dumb dad” trope08:05 — Fathers portrayed as superfluous and concerns about divorce08:41 — Representation, marriage, commitment, and covenant10:07 — Divorce, responsibility, and its effects on children11:20 — Using the movie to discuss occult practices and discernment12:24 — Teaching children to bring problems to their parents13:03 — Perfectionism, anxiety, and bringing burdens to God13:29 — Practical invitation: pause the movie and talk
- 172Episode 160: Are we raising resilient daughters or mommy martyrs? Four things every woman needs to cultivate in herself and her daughter.Amy Davison examines the rise of “mommy martyr” content—social media posts that portray motherhood, marriage, and family life through a lens of victimhood, resentment, and emotional collapse. She explains how co-rumination and social media validation can reinforce negative thinking rather than promote healing. As an alternative, Amy encourages women to cultivate four things in themselves and their daughters: a biblical worldview, homemaking skills, resilience, and Christ-like community. Ultimately, she encourages struggling moms to seek genuine help and godly community rather than allowing online venting to shape their identity or view of their families.Main Points CoveredWhat is Mommy Martyr content?How has Co-Rumination & Social Media contributed to this type of content?Four things every woman needs to cultivate:A biblical worldviewHomemaking skillsResilienceChrist-like communityResources & Organizations MentionedScriptures:Proverbs 14:1Proverbs 18:21Ephesians 4:29Genesis 1:27Psalm 139:13–14Ephesians 2:1–102 Corinthians 5:17Genesis 2:18, 22–23Psalm 127:3Proverbs 17:6Proverbs 31Titus 2:3–5Thanks to Our SponsorsOur Presenting Sponsor is American Heritage Girls: Visit americanheritagegirls.org/MBA to get a free parenting resource and learn more about what American Heritage Girls is doing.Air DoctorAirDoctor comes with a 30-day money back guarantee so if you don’t love it, just send it back for a refund, minus shipping! Head to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code MBA and you’ll receive up to $300 off air purifiers! Exclusive to podcast customers, you will also receive a free 3 year warranty on any unit, which is an additional $84 value! Lock this special offer by using our promo code MBA at checkout!More from Mama BearCheck out our websiteBuy the Mama Bear Apologetics book (affiliate link)Join Our Email ListHave Us Speak at Your EventFollow us on social media FacebookXInstagramWant to support our ministry?Donate Here—Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co. If you are interested in being a supporting sponsor of the show, please email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co
- 173Mama Bear Movie Minute: The BreadwinnerAlexa and Anja discuss Breadwinners, a family comedy about a stay-at-home mom whose business takes off and a breadwinning dad who suddenly finds himself managing the home and their three daughters. They explore family teamwork, recognizing individual strengths, adapting to unexpected changes, and being present with your kids.They also discuss the movie’s “clueless dad” trope, the unequal household load many moms carry, and how families can think biblically about responsibilities and gender roles without becoming overly rigid. Scriptures discussed include 1 Corinthians 12:12, Ephesians, Luke 10, and 1 Thessalonians 5:11. In This Episode00:00:00 — Welcome & Breadwinners introduction 00:01:30 — Movie premise and plot summary 00:02:26 — Dad learns to play to his strengths 00:05:21 — Different parenting styles & avoiding micromanagement 00:08:26 — Spiritual gifts, teamwork & family unity 00:10:05 — Growing through stressful family transitions 00:12:10 — Movie concerns: stereotypes & the “dumb dad” trope 00:14:22 — Moms, mental load & unequal household responsibilities 00:18:00 — Conversations to have with your kids 00:19:21 — Gender roles, biblical boundaries & family freedom
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