Parenting teenagers can sometimes feel like walking a tightrope.

On the one hand, we want to equip our kids to be independent adults, capable of navigating a complex world on their own.

But on the other hand, we want to protect them, offering guardrails and guidance as they grow.

But how do we keep these two priorities in balance?

My guest today is Paul Tripp, and he offers practical advice and encouragement to parents

seeking to raise their teenagers to know God and feel ready to go into the world. He shares how

so many of the difficult situations facing our teens come back to the issue of identity

and how parents can cultivate a foundation that teens can trust as they begin to ask and answer important questions for themselves.

Paul also addresses real-world questions like when you should give your kid his or her first smartphone

and what to do when your teen doesn't want to go to church.

Paul is a pastor, an award-winning author, and an international conference speaker.

He's written numerous books, including his newest with Crossway,

New Morning Mercies for teens, a daily gospel devotional,

adapted from his best-selling book, New Morning Mercies.

Let's get started.

Well, Paul, thanks so much for joining me again on the Crossby podcast.

Well, I always love our conversation, so I'm glad we're doing it again.

Yeah.

Well, today we're going to talk about some common questions and issues that I think parents often face in relation to raising teens,

raising teenage children, years of a child's life that can come with their own unique set of

joys, but also obviously some challenges too.

But before we get into some of those specific teen-related questions that parents sometimes have,

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