Breakpoint Podcast — BONUS: Children in the Image of God

Host: John Stonestreet

Guests: Dr. Jeff Myers (Summit Ministries), Dr. Kathy Koch (Celebrate Kids)

Release Date: January 21, 2026

Episode Overview

This special edition of the Breakpoint Podcast discusses the timely book "Raising Gender Confident Kids," co-authored by Dr. Jeff Myers and Dr. Kathy Koch. The conversation explores how parents, teachers, and church leaders can help children understand their identity as made in the image of God—specifically addressing gender and identity confusion prevalent in culture. The episode provides biblical perspective, practical advice, and encouragement for proactively forming children's confidence in their God-given identity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shifting Cultural Landscape on Gender & Identity

• The guests observe a recent deceleration in the aggressive cultural promotion of transgender ideology (01:28), yet underline that confusion around gender and identity remains persistent—especially among youth and in schools (02:54).
  • Dr. Myers: “You get to the point where you’re just so chock full of it you couldn’t take another bite and you’re just tired of it... [But] parents have not become confident in helping their children understand that this gender spectrum idea is a lie.” (01:54)

2. Foundations of Identity: More Than Gender

• Identity Dysphoria: Dr. Kathy Koch explains that gender confusion is a subset of a larger identity crisis (03:23). Children today struggle not only with gender but with broader uncertainty about their self-worth and purpose.
• Parental Response: The panel notes that disengagement or uncertainty among parents, teachers, or pastors often reflects a deeper lack of confidence in the biblical narrative about human identity (12:18).

3. The Importance of ‘Gender Confidence’

• Definition: Gender confidence means having “confidence in God as a good, strategic, intentional creator who doesn’t make mistakes, and He thinks us into existence” (06:56). Children’s sense of self is meant to be rooted in biblical truth, not cultural trends or stereotypes.
  • Dr. Koch: “The second thing we learn [in Genesis 1:27] is our gender. So it obviously is important to God.” (07:17)
  • Dr. Myers: Highlights the choice to use "gender" for its accessibility while recognizing cultural misuses of the term (08:09).

4. Language Confusion and Cultural Influence

• They discuss how ambiguous or novel language (particularly around sex, gender, performance) plays a role in confusion, and the need for clarity and biblical grounding (06:56, 09:35).

5. Parenting in a Confused Culture

• Intentional Affirmation: The panel emphasizes the importance of affirming a child's biological sex and personality, separate from stereotypes (15:40, 21:29).

  • “If you have a son who twirls ... say, ‘Man, you look so great when you twirl. I’m glad you’re a little boy.’” (11:24 - Koch)

• Storytelling Matters: Sharing personal stories about breaking stereotypes can build confidence and “fight back against the stereotype.” (21:07, 23:14)

  • Examples include male chefs or female engineers, and personal anecdotes of how normal diversity within genders should be celebrated—not cause for confusion.

6. Propaganda, Peer Pressure, and Social Contagion

• Dr. Myers connects today’s gender confusion, especially among girls, to both postmodern academic roots (Foucault, rise of gender studies) and contemporary social media “contagion” (26:28).
  • “She said to me, I had to leave my school and go to a different school. Why? I was the only girl left in my class. Every other girl in the class decided she was a boy.” (29:23 - Myers)
• Dr. Koch notes a common belief: “If they've been hurt emotionally, sexually, physically, mentally, then they're going to become a boy ... because the boys have power and I'll never be hurt again.” (30:13)

7. Practical Guidance for Parents

For Parents of Younger Kids (15:12)

• Remove pressure to conform to stereotypes—let children’s interests inform their expression within their biological sex.
• Affirm and model security in your own God-given gender.
• Be ready for difficult questions and answer truthfully, age-appropriately, with calm assurance.

When Facing Direct Conversations (31:13)

• Use open-ended, non-panic responses like “What makes you think so?” and “What have you heard or seen?” (31:49)
  • Koch: “If you look like you’re panicked, they might actually change the question, and you’re never going to be able to then minister hope to them.” (32:27)
• Recognize that children may raise these concerns due to bullying, teasing, or exposure to propaganda—not necessarily a deep personal conviction.

On Therapy and Finding Help (35:00)

• Seek Christian therapists and explicitly ask their approach to gender issues.
• Address comorbid mental health issues (anxiety, depression, trauma); gender confusion is often a symptom, not the root cause (36:07).

Give Children Space and Option to Reconsider (45:30)

• “Kids have to have a place to be able to back away from something they’ve embraced ... We have to give them a way to say, look, if you ever get to the place where this is just not working for you anymore, let’s talk.” (45:45 - Myers)

Uphold Biblical Truth with Compassion

• Model truth consistently; set healthy boundaries, even if this means separating children from harmful influences or peer groups (40:41).
• “Be sad before you’re mad”—understand and validate your children’s feelings, but guide them lovingly toward truth (40:13).

8. Media and Social Influence

• The role of social media in accelerating confusion is heavily critiqued. The group encourages limiting or monitoring social media use, given its outsized influence on young people's self-perception and exposure to radical ideologies (45:16).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Parents have not become confident in helping their children understand that this gender spectrum idea is a lie.” — Dr. Jeff Myers (01:54)
• “There’s so much confusion about identity in general, and that gender confusion is a subset of that that hasn’t gone away. Identity confusion is still here.” — Dr. Kathy Koch (03:06)
• “Gender confidence is ultimately a confidence in God as a good, strategic, intentional creator who doesn’t make mistakes.” — Dr. Kathy Koch (07:03)
• “Should we use pronouns that people tell us they prefer or not? All of those kinds of things we address in the book and through the frequently asked questions.” — Dr. Jeff Myers (47:38)
• “Kids have to have a place to be able to back away from something they’ve embraced that they don’t necessarily embrace anymore.” — Dr. Jeff Myers (45:45)
• “If you look like you’re panicked, they might actually change the question, and you’re never going to be able to then minister hope to them, so ... prepare so that you can act and not react.” — Dr. Kathy Koch (32:28)
• “Almost 90% of young adults who are able to go through puberty without receiving medical treatment, no intervention, medically resolve to an identity that’s coherent with their biological sex.” — Dr. Jeff Myers (38:47)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------|--------------| | Cultural shift in gender discourse | 00:04–02:54 | | Identity confusion and the insufficiency of self-ID | 02:54–04:45 | | What is “gender confidence”? | 06:23–07:54 | | Stories & breaking gender stereotypes | 21:07–24:47 | | Propaganda & influence on young girls | 25:56–29:49 | | Parent responses to a child raising identity issues | 31:13–34:57 | | Finding trustworthy counselors & therapists | 35:10–37:30 | | The importance of letting puberty run its course | 39:20–41:24 | | Building long-term trust and truth-telling habits | 44:13–45:16 | | Allowing for “exit ramps” out of transgender identity | 45:30–46:08 | | Free resources and book info | 46:58–47:38 |

Additional Resources

• Book: Raising Gender Confident Kids — available for free through Summit Ministries (46:58)
• Website: genderconfidentkids.com — FAQ, supporting materials, and resource lists

Tone & Takeaway

The tone is candid, compassionate, and practical. The hosts encourage parents and influencers to move beyond fear or silence, equipping them to guide children with both conviction and empathy, rooted in the Christian worldview. Listeners are reminded that while the cultural context is fraught, biblical truth and healthy relationships at home remain essential, powerful tools for guiding the next generation.