The Common Good Podcast

Brian reflects on a season of family transitions, then moves through a series of short devotional and cultural topics: Wendell Berry’s legacy, a take on old fashioned baby names, a critique of Anne Hathaway’s abortion comments, and a look at JD Vance’s candid comments about doubt. The episode also includes a sermon style reading of the Samaritan woman at the well and a meditation on Philippians 2 and the biblical view of the body.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian talks with Steve Van Noort and Scott Wyatt, lead and assistant pastors of Sojourn Church, a new PCA church plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan started through the Detroit Project. Steve explains their mission to specifically reach the unchurched and lost rather than draw people from other congregations, and describes the church's DNA of gospel-centered worship, community, and mission — including weekly communion, expository preaching, and members going out to community colleges and local parks to have spiritual conversations. Scott, who came from two decades in campus ministry with Cru, shares an encouraging observation: young adults and teenagers today are showing surprising openness to the gospel after growing up largely without church exposure. Steve explains the church's name, drawn from 1 Peter's language of believers as "sojourners and strangers" journeying together toward their true home in Christ, and the two cast a vision for changed lives five years down the road.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian discusses the disturbing new Netflix docuseries on the death of pastor's wife Mika Miller and the alleged abuse she suffered, pushing back hard against the narrative that her husband's horrific actions represent normative evangelical teaching on marriage. He shares a Nine Marks article on how pastors and church families can protect their kids from growing bitter toward the church even after painful experiences, drawing on his own story of being let go from the church he planted. Brian highlights a viral moment of poor sportsmanship backfiring when a Texas high school football team refused to shake hands before a game and lost 38-0 at halftime, and digs into a Detroit Public Schools program paying students up to $1,000 a year just for attendance amid a chronic absenteeism crisis. He shares a moving Christianity Today profile of former MLB star Daryl Strawberry, whose journey from addiction and prison to prison ministry now brings hope to society's most forgotten, plus a Gospel Coalition reflection on the surprising peace found in intentionally not knowing answers by blocking search engines, and closes with a Charles Stanley devotional on the practice of listening for God's voice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian defends a well-known pastor criticized for using AI as a research tool in sermon preparation, arguing it's no different than consulting commentaries as long as it stays in its proper place in the process. He shares a powerful Christianity Today testimony from David Washington, a former Chicago gang member who found faith after a Baptist church moved into his violent neighborhood, and who now pastors a church in that same community. Brian digs into Gavin Ortlund's Gospel Coalition piece on Old Testament messianic prophecy as an underappreciated argument for the truth of Christianity, and shares a feel-good story of a Wyoming pizzeria turning a costly prank order into a donation for hospital emergency room staff. He warns against trusting algorithm-curated news as much as professional editors, encourages listeners to read across the political spectrum, and shares a Relevant Magazine piece reassuring anyone who feels "behind in life" that comparison-driven timelines are largely a myth. Drawing from Nehemiah's heartbreak-fueled calling, Brian challenges listeners to identify both what breaks their heart and where they have unique access to do something about it, and closes with Ray Ortlund's case from Ecclesiastes for "bold enjoyment" as a legitimate, even wise, Christian way of life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian talks with Jeremy Sims, professor of spiritual formation and author of The Way of the Spirit: Recognizing and Responding to God's Subtle Movements. Jeremy explains "attentiveness to the Spirit" — the practice of recognizing the Holy Spirit's quiet, often unspectacular work drawing us toward Jesus — and why the noise and distraction of modern life make that so difficult. He shares practical habits from his own life, including a disciplined morning routine and fifteen years of ongoing spiritual direction, and unpacks the book's framework of seven "waypoints," or seasons of life that open us to particular movements of the Spirit. Jeremy walks through the first waypoint, transition or "liminality," using Mary, the mother of Jesus, as an exemplar of "holy acquiescence" — releasing our own plans to embrace God's larger, unseen work in our lives.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian opens frustrated by what he sees as performative culture at every level — from politicians renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America" to grandstanding pastors — contrasting it with Jesus's call for authentic inner transformation over outward appearance. He shares a study linking over 150 minutes of daily social media use to rising rates of self-reported depression, and digs into a Christianity Today piece arguing that worship isn't meant to be primarily about how it makes us feel, but about giving God the glory He's due regardless of our emotions. Brian plays a clip from pastor Eric Reed making the case that saving faith isn't mere mental belief in Jesus but genuine submission to Him as Lord and King. He also shares a Relevant Magazine piece on shifting from a transactional relationship with God to a relational one, a wild follow-up story about a former Chick-fil-A employee's $80,000 mac-and-cheese fraud scheme, and closes with sobering research on the poor mental health of worship leaders and a broader reflection on the need for greater character and integrity among church leaders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Filling in for Adam Holz once again, Plugged In's Paul Asay joins Brian for a fun Friday lineup. They dig into Coyote vs. Acme, the long-shelved live-action/animated hybrid where Wile E. Coyote finally sues Acme Corporation (run by Foghorn Leghorn) for decades of exploding gadgets, now getting a theatrical release after a distributor rescued it from Warner Brothers' tax write-off shelf. Paul highlights its nostalgic charm and message of persistence, alongside some mild language and cartoon violence parents should weigh. They also cover Beyond Belief, a Christian throwback film set in the 1980s Christian music scene featuring cameos from the actual band Petra, following a teen guitarist who takes a literal word from God — "run" — as a call to train for a marathon on the same day as his band's make-or-break battle of the bands.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian talks with Gary Schneeberger, assistant to the president for media relations at Focus on the Family, about the ministry's search for a new president as Jim Daly, nearing 65, begins a planned transition after 20 years of leadership. Gary explains the search process — conducted with the help of a search firm over an expected 12 to 18 months, landing near the ministry's 50th anniversary in 2027 — and reflects on Daly's legacy of refocusing the organization on marriage, parenting, and walking out faith in the public square, following founder Dr. James Dobson's more prophetic, public-policy-driven era. Gary shares why Daly wants to model a healthy leadership handoff to a next-generation leader attuned to today's cultural challenges, and says the top qualification the board is seeking is unchanged biblical conviction consistent with the ministry's 50-year history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian opens with a heavy reflection on catastrophic glacial flooding in Nepal, using the tragedy to talk about the fragility of life and living with urgency and eternal perspective. He calls out a Christian social media user who publicly declared Dolly Parton "likely in hell" within hours of her death, arguing that gentleness and humility should govern how believers speak about someone's eternal state. Brian shares a Wall Street Journal piece on the surprising mental health benefits of travel and disconnection, and a Russell Moore column praising Dolly Parton's self-respect and freedom from shame rather than shamelessness. He digs into Carl Vaters's list of assumptions big churches make that unintentionally harm small churches, and closes with a striking John Piper clip on "Christian hedonism" — the idea that sin is driven by desire for pleasure, and that the Christian life is won not through duty but through a superior joy found in Jesus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian, a former youth pastor himself, talks with Sarah Zylstra of The Gospel Coalition about her article investigating why so many church youth pastor positions sit unfilled. Sarah traces youth ministry's evolution from the evangelistic, games-and-pizza model of the 80s and 90s through the seeker-sensitive movement, and explains why today's culture — phones, AI-mediated friendships, isolation, kids not driving, and packed extracurricular schedules — has made the job significantly harder, even as many youth pastors say the last five years have been the most rewarding of their careers. They discuss the shifting perception of youth ministry as "unserious," why some churches are restructuring the role into broader family-discipleship positions, and practical encouragement for pastors and churches trying to keep student ministry moving forward, including smaller group settings and empowering parent volunteers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian talks with Dr. Winfred Neely, professor and author of A Love to Live By: Rediscovering Agape Love in Scripture. Winfred unpacks why he chose the term "agape" rather than "Christian love" — because the church hasn't always lived up to that name — and explains how the New Testament's vision of love extends radically to everyone, including enemies, without approving of everything they do. Drawing especially from the Gospel of John and 1 John, Winfred paints a striking picture of what could change if the church truly practiced agape love: healing across racial and ethnic divides, stronger marriages, healthier homes free of abuse, and a watching world taking notice of something genuinely different happening in the church.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian pays tribute to the passing of Dolly Parton at 80, reflecting on her decades-long marriage, her genuine kindness, and closing the hour with nine of her most striking public statements about prayer, faith, and heaven. He shares a bizarre and troubling story of four Georgia pastors publicly apologizing after sending anonymous packets falsely accusing another pastor of plagiarism, reflecting on the need for churches to hold themselves to a higher standard. Brian digs into John Piper's teaching on "the pleasure trap" — how earthly pleasures are meant to point our hearts toward God rather than become idols — and shares Alan Noble's Gospel Coalition piece arguing that a Christian's suffering, while mysterious, is never meaningless. He closes reflecting on financial anxiety and contentment after reading about a Michael Jordan jersey expected to sell for $10 million alongside rising healthcare cost anxiety among ordinary Americans, along with the surprising power of nostalgic worship music to remind us of God's faithfulness over time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian shares an inspiring underdog story of an Alabama high school football team snapping a 101-game losing streak with a dramatic comeback win. He digs into a New York Magazine feature on the "pay-to-play childhood" of expensive, all-consuming travel youth sports, encouraging parents to weigh their own family's priorities rather than following outside pressure either way. Brian shares a Gospel Coalition piece on grieving well — honestly, patiently, in community, with gratitude and hope — from a pastor whose wife battled advanced cancer, and Randy Alcorn's reflection on investing in relational and eternal "riches" over earthly ones, illustrated by a powerful adoption story. He digs into Tim Challies's teaching on the discipline of good listening as an act of love and ministry, reflects on the danger of "performative" Christianity in a social-media-saturated culture, and closes with a story about Mike Pence's respectful treatment of a transgender former staffer as a model of holding convictions while extending genuine compassion.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian opens with heavy hearts over the tragic death of a Wisconsin high school quarterback following a football injury, reflecting on the fragility and brevity of life. He shares insights from a sermon on what actually fuels a lifestyle of service — not guilt, but gratitude for what Christ has done. Brian discusses a Christianity Today review of the late Charlie Kirk's posthumous book on Sabbath-keeping, and its surprisingly countercultural call to unplug from the "endless noise" of modern life. He digs into a deeply personal Gospel Coalition article by a pastor with terminal brain cancer wrestling with the shame that can come when prayers for healing go unanswered, and a fascinating piece on why so few pastors quit ministry despite widespread burnout. Brian closes with Matt Redman's case for "vertical" worship songs that point to God rather than ourselves, and a Charles Stanley devotional on Jesus calming the storm as a picture of overcoming fear through God's presence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian welcomes back Dr. Lina Abujamra — physician, founder of Living With Power Ministries, and author of the new book All Your Life: What It Really Means to Live for Jesus. Lina discusses the encouraging wave of young people coming to faith today, but warns of a widening gap between spiritual awakening and true discipleship, fueled partly by social media's curated, outcome-based version of Christianity that leaves young believers disillusioned when God's plan doesn't match the highlight reel. She makes the case for a theology of suffering as part of genuine spiritual formation, and challenges older believers not to be "gun shy" about mentoring the next generation through the nitty-gritty, one-on-one work of discipleship. Lina closes with a word of hope for anyone listening who feels like they're barely holding on, pointing to Psalm 42 and the security believers have in Christ.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian reflects on the whirlwind week of moving his son into Grove City College, wrestling with the mix of pride, sadness, and trust required to release a child into independence and let their faith become their own. He shares the surprising comeback of Christian music legend Sandy Patty, releasing new music a decade after her farewell tour at age 70. Brian reacts to a CBS/YouGov poll showing a striking number of Democrats holding a more favorable view of socialism than capitalism, and shares JD Greer's "Adore, Acknowledge, Appeal" framework for prayer drawn from Nehemiah. He digs into the "friendship depth gap" — the modern problem of having many shallow connections but few deep ones — and a Christianity Today piece cautioning against Texas lawmakers seeking to redefine Islam to strip it of religious liberty protections, warning that restricting freedom for one faith opens the door to restricting it for all. He closes with a thoughtful piece on how to forgive someone who never says sorry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Filling in for Adam Holz, Plugged In's Paul Asay joins Brian for a rich conversation on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, discussing how the film softens Homer's original, more selfish Odysseus into a more sympathetic, regret-capable character, and pointing out surprising echoes of Christian themes — humility before a higher power, a quasi-baptism scene, and the Golden Rule woven throughout. Paul also recommends The Magic Faraway Tree, a new family film starring Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield about screen-addicted kids whose parents pull them into a magical, tech-free adventure, with some fantasy elements Christian families should weigh. He closes with an all-time classic recommendation for family movie night: The Princess Bride.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian reflects on an emotional weekend leading up to taking his son to college, weaving in a review of The Odyssey and its theme of longing for home as a picture of the Christian's longing for heaven. He shares a deeply concerning survey finding that over half of Gen Z investors are redirecting retirement savings into sports betting, and covers a wild story of brawls erupting at the Wisconsin State Fair. Brian also digs into an Atlantic piece on the "romance recession" — the disconnect between young people wanting marriage and actually dating — and unpacks the viral term "LARPing" (performative, inauthentic behavior), applying it to the danger of "spiritual LARPing," or hypocrisy, that Jesus condemned in the Pharisees. He closes with a sobering but hopeful Nine Marks article on the Bible's repeated pattern of flawed fathers and the gospel's invitation to repentance and restoration, plus a rich walk through the hope of Romans 8.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian dives into a wild Little League World Series scandal out of Oklahoma, where a dominant regional program appears to have committed years of eligibility fraud, prompting reflection on how adults ruin youth sports for kids. He shares Michael W. Smith's caution about celebrity culture and lost reverence in modern worship music, and a study showing couples who simply walk together report stronger marriages and better conflict resolution. Brian reflects on Seth Rogan's joking fear of "dying with too much money" as a window into deeper questions of legacy and significance rooted in identity in Christ rather than accomplishment. He digs into a Relevant Magazine piece on the growing gambling epidemic among young men fueled by prediction markets like Kalshi, shares a viral clip of a Little League coach reminding a struggling pitcher that "Jesus is still Lord" whether he strikes batters out or walks them, and closes with a Gospel Coalition piece making the case for reading the book of Revelation symbolically rather than strictly literally.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian catches up with Adam Holz of Plugged In for a packed summer movie roundup. They discuss Spider-Man's stunning box office run — nearing $2 billion globally and challenging Avatar's all-time record — along with its content notes on language and suggestive material. Adam reviews two competing dinosaur movies, Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie and The End of Oak Street, plus The Brink of War, a slow-burning historical drama starring Jeff Daniels as Ronald Reagan depicting the 1986 Reykjavik summit with Gorbachev. They close with Elijah Peel, a Christian film about a hard-partying rock star's conversion after a health scare, and a candid conversation about how much grit and realism audiences want in faith-based films.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian talks with Emerson Collins, Focus on the Family's program manager of parenting and youth, about Bring Your Bible to School Day, taking place October 1 this year. What started in 2014 with 8,000 students has grown to over a million participants nationwide, encouraging students to carry their Bibles and have a conversation about their faith. Emerson explains the heart behind the campaign — equipping the next generation to defend their faith amid difficult questions and a constant battle for their attention from phones and social media — and shares the ongoing "Live It Challenge" for families to keep growing in their biblical worldview year-round. He also encourages nervous parents and students alike, and offers a simple challenge for families to start reading Scripture together tonight.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian reflects on a heartbreaking update in the case of a drunk driver who killed a new bride, troubled by her father's response minimizing her responsibility, and reflects on the real consequences of our choices. He wrestles with a Religion News article on political campaigns branding opposing clergy candidates as "not real pastors," arguing it's not our place to make sweeping judgments about someone's faith from a political microphone. He shares Russell Moore's piece on the disturbing rise of interest in blasphemy laws among some Christian nationalists, and why external religious conformity was never Jesus's goal. Brian digs into a fascinating study finding improv theater classes uniquely help anxious teens build empathy and collaboration skills, reflects on a Gospel Coalition piece on staying rooted in Scripture amid cultural drift, laughs through a viral list of things considered normal parenting in the 1970s that would be unthinkable today, and shares a Christianity Today piece on the importance of letting kids take healthy risks. He closes with a Charles Stanley devotional on Jesus washing his disciples' feet as the ultimate picture of humility.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian, a former youth pastor himself, talks with Steve Eatmon, author of 10 Mistakes I Made in Youth Ministry and What You Can Learn from Them, about lessons from over a decade in student ministry. Steve reflects on mistakes like prioritizing entertainment over gospel-centered depth, neglecting to equip parents as the primary disciplers of their kids, and fostering an "us versus them" bubble mentality that separates students from the broader church. They discuss why youth need multiple adult relationships beyond just a youth pastor to help them transition into adulthood, and push back on the idea that students are merely "the church of the future" rather than a vital part of the church right now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian talks with Dr. Heather Holleman, Penn State writing professor and author, about the final book in her middle-grade series, This Seat Is Yours, which follows a seventh-grade girl discovering her identity as "seated with Christ" from Ephesians 2:6. Heather discusses the decline of pleasure reading among middle schoolers amid short-form media and AI book summaries, and why fiction remains a powerful tool for mental, emotional, and spiritual development. She walks through the series' arc — rejection, jealousy, popularity, and purpose — and explains the "seated and sent" framework she and her husband use to help both kids and adults move from comparison and anxiety into a settled identity in Christ that overflows into blessing others.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian starts light with a study on how good posture doesn't just help your body but actually improves mood and decision-making — vindicating moms everywhere. He shares the disconcerting experience of repeated tornado warnings in the Chicago suburbs this summer and reflects on what it means to surrender control to God when the weather, and life, feel chaotic. He digs into a New York Times piece asking whether letting kids play alone outside should be criminalized, and shares an encouraging social media post reminding pastors that the local church can't be replaced by big podcasts and platforms. Brian reads through the "hope passage" of Romans 5 in full, reflects on the growing political extremism on both the left and right, and shares a "Really?" moment from the Wall Street Journal on parents attending their Gen Z kids' job interviews. He closes with Andy Davis on the value of Scripture memorization for ministry and a Paul David Tripp reflection on the counterintuitive blessing found in mourning over sin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian confesses to becoming "that dad" who chases down every light left on in the house amid rising utility costs, using it as a jumping-off point for a candid conversation about financial stress and what it looks like to build a budget and a life of contentment on faith rather than anxiety. He digs into a Christianity Today piece contrasting Texas's new Bible-inclusive public school reading list with Connecticut's optional Arab and Islamic studies curriculum, arguing public schools shouldn't be in the business of shaping worldview either direction. Brian shares a Reuters poll showing bipartisan support for stronger social media regulation to protect kids, arguing government has a role but parents bear the ultimate responsibility. He also covers Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signing a bill expanding late-term abortion access, a Max Lucado piece offering six practical steps toward forgiveness, a Crossway article on what to do when feelings don't line up with Scripture, and closes with a rich conversation on Rich Villodas's book The Narrow Path and the difference between "peacekeeping" and true biblical "peacemaking."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian interviews four-time Grammy-winning music producer Ricky "Slikk Muzik" Offord about his new book, 33 Days Between Heaven and Hell. Ricky, who has produced for artists including Kirk Franklin, Lecrae, Ariana Grande, and Tori Kelly, shares the harrowing story of a routine gallbladder surgery in 2016 that led to a 33-day coma, multiple cardiac arrests, and an out-of-body experience where he encountered a vast line of people from every nation waiting before heaven's gates. He describes praying for a second chance and vowing to share his story and rededicate his life to Christ, and how that encounter transformed him from simply a successful producer into a man driven by his faith and a calling to point others toward Jesus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian opens with a powerful reflection on preaching at Sheridan Prison this past weekend, describing the depth of community and hunger for God he witnessed in an inmate-run church service — a humbling reminder that God is at work in the hardest places. He shares a new study linking diet soda consumption to cognitive decline, then tackles the uncomfortable question of whether truly heinous sinners, using Jeffrey Dahmer's late-life conversion as the example, can really be saved — landing on the scandalous, humbling truth that none of us deserve grace. Brian reflects on the emotional weight of his son leaving for college and processes change through faith in an unchanging God. He also weighs in on the University of Michigan hiding freshman grades to protect student mental health, the WNBA's ongoing controversy over transgender athletes, a viral list of "19 lies" his generation was sold about adulthood, and closes with a rich JD Greer teaching on how the Ten Commandments function for Christians today as a curb, a map, and a mirror pointing us to Christ.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian celebrates Adam Holz's birthday before diving into a striking review from Plugged In on the horror film Ice Cream Man from director Eli Roth, sparked by Roth's own admission that being traumatized by the movie Alien at age eight inspired his career making horror films. Adam reflects on how deeply entertainment can shape a person's life direction, for better or worse, and why paying attention to what kids and grandkids are watching matters. They wrap up with a review of the new Spider-Man film, discussing its themes of friendship and isolation following the character's memory-erasing sacrifice, along with content notes on violence, language, and suggestive material for parents to weigh.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian reflects on feeling politically homeless amid the rise of the Democratic Socialist movement and the MAGA movement pulling both parties toward the extremes, grounding his hope in Christ rather than any political tribe. He digs into pastor Josh Howerton's conversation on the Sean Ryan Show about the hard, practical steps of biblical forgiveness — including Howerton's own painful experience with leaked personal details from his church. Brian talks about what defines us apart from external metrics like job titles or church attendance numbers, pointing to identity as beloved children of God. He shares a Gospel Coalition piece on finding God's glory in birdwatching, calls out "clown Christianity" — the exhausting habit of painting over inner brokenness with a happy face — and pushes back on the viral "dump them" culture of cutting off relationships at the first sign of conflict. He also shares Randy Alcorn's reminder that every job, not just full-time ministry, is a platform to glorify God, illustrated by the story of insurance entrepreneur Art DeMoss. Brian closes with a rich meditation on "awe" as the fuel of faith and the antidote to spiritual apathy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian opens reflecting on what to do when life doesn't unfold the way we hoped — leaning on God's unchanging faithfulness even amid disappointment and regret. He wades into WNBA guard Sophie Cunningham's comments on biological males in women's sports and the swift cultural backlash she received, lamenting the loss of civil disagreement in public discourse. A study claiming "true love" requires a six-figure salary gets pushback from Brian, who shares his own experience marrying young and broke. He shares a moving Gospel Coalition piece on the recently uncovered story of Charles Spurgeon's father's imprisonment for debt, and how God used that family failure to shape one of history's greatest preachers. Brian also digs into a fascinating trend piece on young adults ditching smartphones for "dumb phones" to reclaim their mental health and attention, a Relevant Magazine interview with Louis Giglio on how our earthly fathers shape our view of God, a simple "Bible before phone" spiritual discipline from Tyndale House, Tim Chalis on tasting heaven, and closes with a Charles Stanley devotional on the power of praise.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does authentic masculinity look like in a culture filled with competing messages about what it means to be a man? Brian Fromm sits down with pastor and author Seth Troutt to discuss his new book, Authentic Masculinity: Leaving Behind the Counterfeits for God's Design. Their conversation explores why so many young men are drawn to online influencers like Andrew Tate, how Christians can reject cultural extremes without losing biblical conviction, and the virtues that define godly manhood. Seth also offers practical wisdom on building meaningful male friendships, becoming a more intentional husband, and leading as a father—even if you feel like you've fallen short in the past. Whether you're raising sons, mentoring young men, or simply seeking to grow in your own faith, this conversation provides a thoughtful, hope-filled vision for biblical masculinity in today's worldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian welcomes singer-songwriter and author Laura Story to discuss her new book Stand in Awe: How Reverence Transforms Our Worship and Our Lives. Laura unpacks what reverence really means — approaching God with humility and surrender rather than treating Him like "a genie in a lamp" — and walks through four common tendencies that erode it: casual worship, self-focused worship, shallow worship, and distracted worship. She talks about living out that reverence seven days a week, not just on Sunday mornings, and points to Isaiah's vision in Isaiah 6 as a model of awe leading to surrender and mission. The conversation closes with the story behind her hit song "Blessings," written in the aftermath of her husband's brain tumor diagnosis and the lasting brain injury that followed, and how she's stepped back from touring to focus on her four kids while continuing to write and record.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back from vacation, Brian reflects on a week away with his family in Wisconsin — soaking up time together before his son leaves for college and his daughter departs on a Fulbright — and uses it to talk about the spiritual importance of disconnecting and Sabbath rest as an act of trust in God. He shares a Christianity Today study on how U.S. churches have grown more ethnically diverse while pastors talk less about it from the pulpit, and reflects on unity as the deeper biblical goal. Brian also digs into a fascinating piece on the disappearance of America's "third places" — bars, bowling alleys, movie theaters — and what it means for community life, plus a beautiful clip from 82-year-old apologist John Lennox on what he's most looking forward to in eternity. After a detour through a viral "plane preacher" story on Alaska Airlines as a cautionary tale in bad evangelism, he closes with a thoughtful Desiring God piece on how to process hypocrisy in Christian leaders without losing your own faith, and a Tim Chalis reflection on whether anyone can harden their heart beyond God's reach.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian opens reflecting on an upcoming family vacation and the bittersweet reality that change is the only constant, then turns to a Christianity Today piece on First Church in Charlestown — a 400-year-old congregation now down to two members — as a warning about what happens when a church drifts from the gospel. He talks candidly about feeling overwhelmed by life's decisions, leaning on 49ers linebacker Fred Warner's return from a gruesome injury to make the case for living fully in the present since nothing is guaranteed but Christ. Brian also touches on Gen Z's budget-friendly approach to dating, a bizarre AI deepfake video of former NYC mayor Eric Adams, and pushes back on podcaster Jennifer Welch's viral criticism of Christian homeschooling, encouraging listeners to choose what's best for their own family without shame. He closes with a rich double feature: John Stonestreet on how churches can unintentionally shrink the gospel into something private and small, and a Gospel Coalition piece on how God's best work is "cross-shaped" — using unlikely, ordinary people (fishermen, tax collectors, a table-busser named Stephen) to change the world, and using suffering as the soil for resurrection life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian catches up with Adam Holz of Plugged In for their weekly look at movies and streaming through a Christian lens. They dig into swirling controversy over whether Rotten Tomatoes scores for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey are being manipulated, and why inflated IMAX ticket prices may be masking softer actual attendance. Adam reviews Netflix's full reboot of Little House on the Prairie, a faithful if lower-stakes retelling of the Ingalls family's move to Kansas. They also cover The Dink, a PG-13 pickleball-versus-tennis sports comedy on Apple TV with plenty of sensuality and language to watch for, and Bad Counselors, an unusual Fathom Events satire that mashes up Christian camp culture with a hungover-college-kids premise — irreverent but ultimately well-intentioned for a high-school-and-up audience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian welcomes Kim Trobee from Focus on the Family for a conversation timed to National Aunt and Uncle Day (July 26). Kim explains why aunts and uncles occupy a unique space in a child's life: one step removed from the parent-child conflict, able to ask questions, share humanizing stories, and reinforce a family's rules without becoming "the bad guy." She also warns against the real danger of aunts and uncles undermining parents, especially in blended or divorced families, and offers practical ways to stay close across long distances — social media, birthday cards, and simply showing up as a steady, loving presence. Brian and Kim close with an encouragement for any aunt or uncle listening to reach out this week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian opens with a reflection on Prince George's thirteenth birthday to unpack how quickly we label people — by politics, by past mistakes, by tribe — and makes the case that Christians are called to trade every label for one: child of God. From there he turns to a Russell Moore piece on C.S. Lewis, unpacking Aslan's line to Edmund in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe — "there is no need to talk to him about what is past" — as a picture of how Christ receives us after failure. Brian also shares a middle-age TV-and-brain-health study, his own decision to step back from social media before vacation, a Tim Chalis story about a boy's first taste of an orange as a metaphor for tasting heaven, and a look at overcrowding at Yosemite this summer. He closes with reflections on prioritizing date nights in marriage, a Wall Street Journal piece on adults cutting off their parents, a Gospel Coalition piece on finding hope amid "doomerism," and a classic Tim Keller clip on faith being filled with thinking rather than opposed to it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our culture spends billions trying to convince us that aging is something to fear—or even hide. But what if the Bible tells a very different story? Brian Fromm sits down with bestselling author and Bible teacher Jen Wilkin to discuss her new book, Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World. Together they explore how modern culture equates growing older with irrelevance, why Scripture presents aging as a gift rather than a curse, and how Christians can embrace every stage of life with purpose. Jen also shares how caring for her mother at the end of life reshaped her understanding of aging, why caregiving is central to the Christian life, and what churches must do now to prepare for America's rapidly aging population. Whether you're entering midlife, caring for aging parents, or leading a church, this conversation offers a hopeful, biblical perspective on growing older with wisdom, dignity, and faith.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A serial Guinness World Record holder from Idaho just balanced 195 rolls of toilet paper on his forehead for 30 seconds — and Brian From is genuinely impressed by the teamwork involved. From there, a rich and timely piece from Mere Orthodoxy on rest: Americans have accepted a mindset where busyness is the norm and vacation is the only escape valve, but that's not what Jesus modeled or taught. Sabbath isn't a two-week getaway once a year — it's a regular rhythm woven into the week, the month, the season. Brian challenges listeners to identify where rest actually fits in their daily lives, not just when they can afford to disappear. Then a meditation on Romans 11:33-36 and the great "therefore" of Romans 12:1 — in view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice — unpacking what it means that our entire response to the gospel is worship, not performance. A pointed segment on the fine line between conviction and condemnation, and why so many Christians live under shame that scripture never intended for them to carry. And a closing devotion from the late Dr. Charles Stanley on loneliness — drawing on Elijah on Mount Sinai, Jesus praying alone in Gethsemane while his disciples slept, and the handoff from Moses to a terrified Joshua — with a single, grounding promise underneath all of it: His companionship is real, present, and enough.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do we get the Bible? Why should we read it? How do we interpret it? Todd Chipman, author of 10 Questions About the Bible: 30 Devotions for Kids, Teens, and Families, joins Brian From to answer those questions in a way that actually works for junior high students, high schoolers, and their parents. Todd walks through the arc of his book — from the general (where did the Bible come from?) to the specific (how do we read it well?) — and makes a case that's easy to miss: we're doing kids a disservice by feeding them only a verse a day. Scripture is meant to be read in bigger chunks, the way chapters flow into each other, the way John 9's blind man cast out of the synagogue sets up John 10's Good Shepherd who welcomes him in. He also has an encouraging word for the adult who hasn't opened their Bible in years and doesn't know where to start: God's word is living and always fresh, so just start today, maybe skim a little, and let it become infectious. Families are using the book around the kitchen table; Sunday school classes are making it a curriculum; book clubs are forming around it. Find 10 Questions About the Bible at crossway.org or Amazon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spain wins the World Cup over Argentina in extra time — one goal over eight games of tournament play — and Brian From gives it its due before moving on to what's actually on his heart this Monday. He opens with a moment from Sunday morning worship at Compass Church's Hinsdale campus that stopped him cold: singing "Holy, Holy, Holy" in the middle of a set of newer songs, and the way that declaration of God's transcendence and otherness still cuts through everything else. From there, a reflection on three weeks of preaching and the particular pressure of standing behind a pulpit: it becomes very difficult to preach sermons you're ignoring in your own life. Brian shares his message on finishing well, drawn from Paul's words in 2 Timothy 4 — I have fought the good fight, finished the race, kept the faith — and applies it to the decisions we make today that shape who we'll be at the end. A practical, balanced piece on why people leave churches, why they shouldn't, and how to do it well if the time truly comes — including a direct challenge to have the difficult conversation with your pastor before you go. And a closing piece on theoretical Christian living: the evangelical allergy to the practical, the habit of burying every application in so many caveats it changes no one's life, and the call to a faith that doesn't just stay in the armchair but moves from the pew to the pavement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canadian wildfire smoke is still blanketing the Midwest, and Brian From opens with the theological thread underneath the inconvenience: control and comfort are the two great idols of American culture, and weather has a way of stripping both bare at once. On a happier note, his daughter is home from five weeks of intensive Arabic study in Washington DC, all three kids are under one roof for the next month, and Brian takes a moment to speak directly to parents of young children: the days are long, but the years go fast — don't take it for granted. Relevant Magazine ranks the top ten fictional pastors on television, and the winner is Reverend Timothy Lovejoy from The Simpsons — a punchline who is also, the piece argues, the most honest portrait of ministry burnout television has ever managed. A nostalgic look back at Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life campaign of 2002, when twelve thousand American churches read the same book and preached the same sermons simultaneously — and what it says about our capacity for unity then and now. And then the unexpected closer: a viral clip of Shaquille O'Neal reflecting on his divorce from inside a 76,000 square foot house where no one else was home. No kids in the gym, no one in the rooms. Brian holds it up as a modern reading of Ecclesiastes — the man who had everything, admits he was greedy, and was left with nothing that mattered. What are you building your life around? Only one thing fills the house.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everybody's talking about The Odyssey — Christopher Nolan's sweeping epic starring Matt Damon as Odysseus — and Adam Holtz from Plugged In joins Brian From to give the full breakdown. The film generated significant pre-release controversy over casting choices including a Black actress as Helen of Troy and Elliot Page as a warrior, plus concerns about a more progressive interpretation of Homer's source material. But the early numbers tell a different story: 96% from critics and 97% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Adam notes something worth acknowledging: the movie's version of Odysseus is actually more redemptive than the original — a faithful family man trying to get home to his wife and son after 20 years, not the arrogant womanizer of Homer's text. The R rating is the real curveball: the violence is intense but not gory, and Adam traces the rating almost entirely to three F-words — one over the PG-13 threshold — in what he reads as a very deliberate creative decision. His bottom line: know your family's convictions, because this R-rated film is less problematic than a lot of movies that carry that same rating. And teaser: Little House on the Prairie is coming up next week. Full review at pluggedin.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Family movie night sounds simple — but Bret Eckelberry, managing editor and movie reviewer at Plugged In, makes the case that it's one of the most powerful tools in a parent's toolbox. He joins Brian From to talk about why shared screen experiences matter, how to get resistant kids on board, and what movies actually make for great family nights. His picks span the decades: Inside Out for its remarkable ability to give families a shared emotional vocabulary; Toy Story 5 for its surprisingly timely take on screen addiction and the value of real-world friendships (when it hits streaming); and The Rookie, the 2002 Dennis Quaid film about a high school teacher who gets a second shot at his baseball dream — really a story about a man growing into his role as a husband and father. Brian and Bret also tackle the deeper question of whether family movie night always needs a discussion point (short answer: no — sometimes laughing together is the whole point), and Bret confesses the classic family movie he's always been happy to skip. His pick for a family with 8 and 10-year-olds this weekend: the original Lilo and Stitch. Find full reviews and family movie night recommendations at pluggedin.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canadian wildfire smoke is blanketing Chicago and stretching all the way to New York, and Brian From turns the haze into a parable: the decisions we make set off domino effects that ripple far beyond us, affecting people we love and people we'll never meet. Then a personal update — his son's summer baseball team won their league championship in what turned out to be the last game before he heads to college, and his daughter returns tomorrow from five weeks of intensive Arabic study in Washington DC before a nine-month Fulbright scholarship in the fall. Life is moving. Last night's ESPYs honored a Michigan missionary who pitched in Major League Baseball — a story about what happens when fame and faith intersect in unexpected ways. A meditation on contentment drawn from Philippians 4 and a Gospel Coalition piece on the abundant life. And a closing sermon preview from Brian's role as campus pastor at Compass Church's Hinsdale location, centered on one of the most obscure and haunting figures in the New Testament: Demas. He's mentioned twice as part of Paul's team — and then disappears, described in 2 Timothy 4 as having "loved the present world" and deserted Paul entirely. Brian's challenge: the goal of the Christian life is not to start well. It's to finish well. Don't be Demas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a hundred degrees outside and your kids are asking what's next — Melissa Paredes, Senior Director of Content Marketing at Wycliffe Bible Translators, has an answer that's actually good for them. She joins Brian From to talk about Kate and Mac, a free series of printable, downloadable resources Wycliffe has been producing for twelve years: kids travel the world with a 14-year-old missionary kid named Kate and her pet macaw Mac, learning about different languages, cultures, and how much God loves people regardless of where they live or what language they speak. Activities include decoding exercises that simulate what it's like to encounter scripture in a new language, games, crafts, recipes, and devotionals — all available monthly at wycliffe.org/kids. Melissa also shares her own story: a missionary kid who moved overseas at 12 and lived there through 18, she credits those cross-cultural years with shaping everything about her worldview. For parents of teens and young adults, Wycliffe's Purpose 7-9 resource — including an interactive quiz, devotional, and discussion guide — is available at wycliffe.org/purpose.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it mean for the gospel to be functionally central — not just theologically true in the abstract, but actually animating the way a pastor preaches, thinks, and lives? Mike Bullmore, author of The Heart of Preaching: The Functional Centrality of the Gospel in the Life and Work of the Preacher, joins Brian From to answer that question. A veteran pastor who planted Crossway Community Church 28 years ago and now preaches at Park Community Church in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, Mike makes a simple but convicting diagnosis: the moment a preacher reserves gospel proclamation only for evangelistic sermons and then shifts to discipleship content for believers, he's already gone off course. The gospel isn't just the entry point — it's the flywheel that keeps everything else moving. He also speaks directly to the pastor who has quietly grown apathetic, lost the awe, and is grinding through sermons on fumes — with a word from Psalm 103 about God's compassion and a surprisingly practical prescription involving the Gospel of Mark and the book of Leviticus. Find The Heart of Preaching at Amazon or crossway.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back to school season is just around the corner, and Brian From sits down with Julie Messina, principal of St. Peter Lutheran School in Schaumburg, Illinois — a school that has been educating families for 189 years and sits on 30 acres in the middle of the suburbs. Julie talks about what makes a private Lutheran school distinctive: daily prayer, weekly chapel, classroom buddy programs pairing older and younger students, and class sizes averaging around ten students per teacher. She pushes back on the assumption that private Christian schools offer less than public schools — St. Peter has Lego club, chess club, cross country, volleyball, basketball, cheer and dance — and shares what alumni consistently say when they come back: "High school was a breeze. You prepared us so well." Brian also highlights the school voucher program available through AM1160 at elevensixtyhope.com for families concerned about tuition, and Julie points to the Kirsch Flat scholarship fund — supported by an annual golf outing — for additional financial assistance. Visit stpeterlcms.org to schedule a tour or learn more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chosen is being translated into 600 languages — and Wendy Lord, Vice President of Localization at Come and See Foundation, is overseeing the effort. She joins Brian From to talk about what that actually looks like on the ground: a theologian in India working through the Assamese translation who says the show is bringing fresh life to his own faith, a woman in Spain whose small group ministered to her for twelve years until she watched The Chosen and said "I finally get it." Then the conversation turns to AI — and Wendy makes a careful, specific case for it. In majority languages like Spanish and French, human voice actors and dubbing teams do the work. But in lower-resourced minority languages where those resources don't exist, AI is filling the gap in remarkable ways: accelerating Bible translation four to sixteen times faster than just a few years ago, and even applying the voices of The Chosen's original cast to single-person recordings so that pre-literate and illiterate communities who can't read subtitles can now hear the story of Jesus in their heart language. Wendy also shares what's coming next — Moses, the book of Acts, and a pipeline of new projects expanding far beyond the original seven seasons. Find The Chosen in the free Chosen mobile app, now available in 125 languages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Russia, you can now rent a barbecue companion for $15 to $65 a day — jokes and anecdotes included, no lasting friendship expected. Brian From opens with that story as a window into something both funny and genuinely heartbreaking about the loneliness epidemic. Then a personal story: getting pulled over late at night with his son in the car, expired plates, and the surprisingly rich spiritual parallel — what happens when those lights come on behind you, and do you repent or make excuses? Former congressman Ben Sass is walking his terminal cancer diagnosis publicly and with remarkable faith, and Brian reflects on what it means to display your theology when the stakes are as high as they get. A pointed look at the lukewarm church of Laodicea in Revelation 3 — hot or cold, not somewhere in between — and what it means for a congregation to be spiritually comfortable, wealthy, and quietly dying. A meditation on what faith looks like when God feels silent, drawing on the stories of the bleeding woman and Jairus's daughter in Mark 5, and the startling private letters of Mother Teresa, who spent decades feeling God's complete absence while continuing to serve the poorest of the poor. The paradox of faith, Brian concludes, is that it often shines brightest not in clarity but in darkness — and what feels like absence will in time reveal itself as a deeper presence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.