The Natasha Crain Podcast

The latest worldview research from the Cultural Research Center, led by renowned researcher Dr. George Barna, are shockingly disappointing from a Christian perspective. Most self-identified Christians don't understand even the basics of biblical Christianity. In this eye-opening episode, George and I dig into some of the key findings on Americans' understanding of God and the implications for the church today.MENTIONED IN THE SHOW (in order of mention):My first interview with George Barna (Sep 2022): https://natashacrain.com/what-is-a-biblical-worldview-with-george-barna/  Cross Examined Instructor Academy: https://crossexamined.org/what-is-cia/Take the Worldview Assessment yourself: http://www.acuworldview.com/ Coupon Code for 30% off: 79NJEQXW

Dr. Len Munsil is president of Arizona Christian University, which seeks to be America's premier biblical worldview university. While the vast majority of Christian colleges today are significantly compromising their biblical foundations, Arizona Christian is a great example of one that isn't. So what does that look like in practice? How are many Christian colleges compromising, and what are the keys to changing that? Dr. Munsil shares excellent insights on those questions in this episode.MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:Arizona Christian University: https://www.arizonachristian.edu/My interview with Dr. Everett Piper on the state of Christian colleges: https://natashacrain.com/the-state-of-christian-colleges-with-dr-everett-piper/My newest book, When Culture Hates You: https://www.amazon.com/When-Culture-Hates-You-Persevering/dp/0736984313 

The website and X account protestia.com got ahold of a training video from Andy Stanley's hugely influential North Point Church on how middle school leaders should respond to trans-identifying kids and their families. The video features Britt Kitchen, the middle school ministry director at North Point, effectively encouraging leaders to affirm trans identities (I say effectively because he doesn't explicitly say that, but it's the implication of all he's presenting). In this episode, I play and respond to 6 brief clips from the video. It's a tragic case study of how unbiblical ideas are being pushed from within the church.Watch the original 6-minute video the clips are pulled from here: https://x.com/Protestia/status/1905574394732118425

Today I'm responding to an X post from author and speaker Preston Sprinkle:“My political theology has allowed me to be so hopeful in this political season. I reject the empire, yet submit to it, because Jesus is king. I embrace and celebrate Christ's multiethnic kingdom and the many ways we are spreading good in the world. Christians should not be captivated by the binary political playing field that's been handed to us by Babylon.”I evaluate his frequent political claim that Christians are like exiles in Babylon (an analogy that fails greatly) and address why this quote represents an unbiblical view of politics.Get my new book When Culture Hates You: Persevering for the Common Good as Christians in a Hostile Public Square here: https://www.amazon.com/When-Culture-Hates-You-Persevering/dp/0736984313

Sean and I discuss some fascinating subjects from a new book he edited called Apologetics for an Ever-Changing Culture: A Biblical and Culturally Relevant Approach to Talking about God. Sean is a professor of Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He is the author, editor, or co-author of more than 20 books and has one of the top apologetics YouTube channels. Check out the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0736989277/Sean's website: https://seanmcdowell.org/Get Unshaken Conference Tickets: https://unshakenconference.com/

In today's episode, I talk with Melissa Dougherty about her groundbreaking new book, Happy Lies: How a Movement You (Probably) Never Heard Of Shaped Our Self-Obsessed World. As I said in my endorsement of the book, "Happy Lies is the most important book that Christians don't know they need. Melissa connects dots that give readers a wealth of aha moments and provides invaluable insights that bring clarity to some of the most pervasive errors in the church. As a bonus, she does it all in a writing style that makes it fun and engaging to read."Get the book: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Lies-Movement-Probably-Self-Obsessed/dp/0310368863Subscribe to Melissa's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MelissaDougherty

My new book, When Culture Hates You: Persevering for the Common Good as Christians in a Hostile Public Square, is out TODAY! In this brief episode, I tell you a bit about the book and answer the question some are asking: Does the culture actually hate Christians?GET YOUR COPY TODAY!Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/When-Culture-Hates-You-Persevering/dp/0736984313ChristianBook.com: https://www.christianbook.com/culture-persevering-christians-hostile-public-square/9780736984317/pd/984311?event=BRSRCG|PSEN

Today I'm addressing the following tweet from someone who is troubled by Christians and others who are concerned about public policy related to transgender issues: “For all those who are terrified of trans people and believe this is more important than any other issue, can you please let me know just once when a trans person harmed you? One personal, specific story please.”

Welcome to my first quick response episode, in which I respond briefly to popular claims I see online that sound good and draw in a lot of Christians, but fail from a biblical and/or logical perspective.Today, I respond to a Tweet from Rev. Benjamin Cremer, a progressive Christian on X who has quickly been gaining influence with a lot of people. Here's the post:“Dear Christian, If your religion is really about 'saving souls' then you wouldn't demand for it to be legislated. Because making someone follow your religion by force of law against their will is an extremely effective way to ensure they reject your God in their hearts."Before you listen, see if you can identify three types of errors: logical, civic, and biblical.

Today I'm talking with my good friends from the Center for Biblical Unity, Monique Duson and Krista Bontrager, about their new book, Walking in Unity: Biblical Answers to Questions on Race and Racism. Ever since 2020, there have been all kinds of discussions about race in the church, and unfortunately a lot of those discussions have included some very unbiblical ways of thinking. I'm so grateful that Krista and Monique have written this excellent and accessible book that counteracts culture's problematic ideas. In this conversation, we cover all kinds of topics, like:What is the difference between anti-racism, racial reconciliation, and biblical unity?Should the church see disparities between races as evidence of racism?Why haven't churches been better at biblical discernment with respect to identifying unbiblical ideas about race and racism?How much should the church be addressing racial justice? Is it mostly a “progressive” issue?Is a “colorblind” approach the best solution? Should all churches be multiethnic?And much more.Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Unity-Biblical-Answers-Questions/dp/0736990895Learn more about the Center for Biblical Unity here: https://www.centerforbiblicalunity.com/

Today I talk with Seth Gruber about his new documentary that exposes the "hidden history of the secular moral revolution and the architects of our current culture of death." Seth's documentary and corresponding book are called The 1916 Project and reveal the long, devastating trajectory of how we got to where we are today as a culture that celebrates the choice to kill preborn babies. The film and book are both amazing, and I highly recommend them.Seth and I also discuss the importance of Christians voting in this election and why, even with Trump's weakened stance on abortion, there's no moral equivalence between his and Harris's platforms. You can watch The 1916 Project documentary for FREE now until the election on X! Go here: https://x.com/1916projectfilmLearn more about The 1916 Project and how you can screen it at your church: https://the1916project.com/Get The 1916 Project book: https://www.amazon.com/1916-Project-Lyin-Witch-Were/dp/B0D79VN7VMConnect with Seth:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sethdgruber/X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/sgruber91Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sethgruberofficial/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SethGruberShow

What is the state of Christian colleges today? Is a Christian college education worth the money? How should parents evaluate a given Christian college to determine if it's biblically sound? What are some signs that a school is going progressive? These are just a few of the questions I discuss with my guest today, Dr. Everett Piper. Dr. Piper was president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University for 17 years, during which time he led his school from relative obscurity to a position of national recognition and influence. He presently serves as a contributing columnist for The Washington Times and his commentary on religion, education, leadership and politics is featured in local and national media outlets coast to coast. Dr. Piper is also the author of the national best-selling book, Not a Daycare: The Devastating Consequences of Abandoning Truth.Website: dreverettpiper.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/dreverettpiper

Cold-case homicide detective, popular national speaker, and best-selling author J. Warner Wallace joins me to talk about his new book, The Truth in True Crime: What Investigating Death Teaches Us About the Meaning of Life. Jim has incredibly unique and valuable insights about life from his many years working homicide cases. In this episode, he shares some of his greatest learnings from "investigating death."  GET THE BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-True-Crime-Investigating-Teaches/dp/0310111374

My guest today is Dr. Erwin Lutzer. Dr. Lutzer is pastor emeritus of The Moody Church, where he served as the senior pastor for 36 years. He is an award-winning author of many books, including We Will Not Be Silenced, and the featured speaker on two radio programs heard on more than 750 outlets worldwide. In this episode, we talk about Dr. Lutzer's brand new book (just released today!), called The Eclipse of God: Our Nation's Disastrous Search for a More Inclusive Deity (and What We Must Do About It). I had the honor of reading an early copy and endorsing it, and I highly recommend it. As I said in my endorsement, “I can't think of a better book to quickly bring Christians up to speed on the key forces that have led to our culture's disastrous attempt to redefine and abandon God.” We had a fantastic conversation in this episode about how America's gotten to the point of worshipping a self-made deity rather than the one true God. Don't miss this! Dr. Lutzer will give you insights into our current cultural moment that you won't forget.

The After Party is a small group curriculum and corresponding book that's being heavily promoted this election year to individuals, churches, and Christian institutions. The marketing is designed to attract churches who would like to simply encourage charitable communication around politics, but the execution is designed to convince Christians that they shouldn't be so conservative. In this episode, I do a deep dive on the book to make the case that it's not what it's marketed to be and that it should absolutely be avoided by the church. This podcast is available in article form at https://natashacrain.com/how-the-after-party-curriculum-is-sowing-political-confusion-in-the-church/. 

Megan Basham's new book, Shepherds for Sale: How Evangelical Leaders Traded the Truth for a Leftist Agenda, has become the source of much discussion and controversy in the few days it's been out. In this episode, Megan and I talk about the central thesis of her book, the evidence for it, and why Christians should be concerned. She also responds to many of the objections people have had to it over the last few days. Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Shepherds-Sale-Evangelical-Leaders-Leftist/dp/0063413442

Deception of many different kinds is a pervasive problem in the church today. The problem with deception, of course, is that people rarely know when they're being deceived. In this episode, I talk about some of the most pressing examples of deception in the church with pastor Jack Hibbs based on his new book, Living in the Daze of Deception: How to Discern Truth from Culture's Lies. Pastor Jack is the founding pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, which is a community of 10,000 members in southern California. His podcast attracts 250,000 listeners monthly, and he broadcasts to 800 radio stations daily. MENTIONED ON THE SHOWUnshaken Conference tickets and information: https://unshakenconference.com/ Register for a Summit Summer Conference and get $200 off with code NATASHA200 at summit.org/natasha Pastor Jack's newest book, Living in the Daze of Deception: How to Discern Truth from Culture's Lies https://www.amazon.com/Living-Daze-Deception-Discern-Cultures/dp/073698738XPastor Jack Hibbs' website: https://jackhibbs.com/

Culture has gone through an enormous shift in the last few years, and raising kids with a confident faith is more challenging than ever. Today I talk with Dr. Jeff Myers about the biggest faith challenges today and how parents (and grandparents!) should respond. Dr. Jeff is the president of Summit Ministries and is one of America's most respected authorities on youth leadership development. This is a conversation that every Christian concerned about the next generation needs to hear (and that should be all of us!). MENTIONED ON THE SHOWRegister for a Summit Summer Conference and get $200 off with code NATASHA200 at summit.org/natasha (and an additional $100 off if you do so before March 31!)Unshaken Conference https://unshakenconference.com/My apologetics books for parents:Keeping Your Kids on God's Side https://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Your-Kids-Gods-Side/dp/0736965084 Talking with Your Kids about God https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Your-Kids-about-Conversations/dp/0801075521Talking with Your Kids about Jesus https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Your-Kids-about-Jesus/dp/080107553X/Parenting Gen Z by Jason Jimenez https://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Gen-Guiding-through-Hostile/dp/1646070070Legacy Coalition https://legacycoalition.com/

Today I'm featuring the work of a very important organization that every Christian should know about: Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). ADF is one of the leading Christian law firms committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, marriage and family, parental rights, and the sanctity of life. Ryan Bangert, Senior VP at ADF, joins me to talk specifically about parental rights in this episode. He offers a wealth of information on this subject that is vital for parents to understand.SHOW NOTES:ADF's website: https://adflegal.org/Sign up for ADF email updates here: https://adflegal.org/email-sign-upADF Ministry Alliance (affordable religious freedom legal help for ministries): https://www.adfministryalliance.org/Financially support ADF here: https://adflegal.org/support/grants-funding

Super Bowl Sunday is in a few days, and He Gets Us will once again be running ads as part of their $100 million advertising campaign intended to "rescue Jesus's reputation." Last year, I wrote a viral article on 7 key problems with it. Since people will be talking about it all over again this week, I've done an updated evaluation of the campaign, including reviewing all 43 days of their Bible reading plans. Today I walk through my case that the campaign continues to be very problematic. Mentioned in the show:A written version of this podcast is available here: https://natashacrain.com/here-comes-the-he-gets-us-campaign-again-why-its-portrayal-of-jesus-is-still-a-problem/Last year's article is here: https://natashacrain.com/7-problems-with-the-he-gets-us-campaign/My Unshaken Faith episode with Alisa Childers on how Jesus never claimed that it was bad to be "religious": https://blubrry.com/1470671/96136650/17-myth-of-the-modern-day-pharisee/

Seth Gruber is a bold and passionate pro-life speaker and the founder of The White Rose Resistance. His mission is to be a voice for unborn children and to educate and expose culture to the evil of abortion until every person has the right to be born. In today's episode, Seth and I talk about the state of the pro-life movement post-Roe, the history of evil that led to where we are today with the killing of babies, the softness of today's church on cultural issues, and much more. SHOW NOTES:Seth's websiteSeth's ministry: The White Rose Resistance (Get Involved!)Seth's talk that I called the “Most Powerful Talk I've Ever Heard”Seth's podcastSeth with Jack Hibbs on “Happening Now” at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills

In this part 2 on public schools (see episode 34 for part 1), my guest Andy White explains seven things Christian parents can and should be doing to know what's going on in their child's school and classroom. In the second hour, Andy answers a dozen questions from listeners.MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:Gateways https://gogateways.org/Rise Up Christian Educators https://riseupchristianeducators.com/Prepare the Way https://www.preparetheway.us/ Association of Christian Schools International https://www.acsi.org/ Christopher Rufo https://christopherrufo.com/ Daily Signal from the Heritage Foundation https://www.dailysignal.com/ Critical Dilemma by Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Dilemma-Theories-Justice-Ideology_Implications/dp/073698870X/ 

This is the third part of my series on educational choices for Christian families. In today's episode, I interview Andy White, a Christian who has been a public high school principal for the last 19 years. Our purpose is NOT to tell every Christian parent to leave public schools; we know that every family has different considerations and opportunities. Rather, our purpose is to educate Christian parents who do continue to have their kids in public schools on what concerns they should watch out for. A subsequent episode will address what parents can do in response.

Many Christians are finding that it's getting harder and harder to engage in faith conversations with nonbelievers. With culture becoming increasingly hostile to Christian beliefs (particularly on morality), it's natural to want to just slink away...but that's not what we're called to do. The good news is, it can be easier than you think to have fruitful conversations. Today I talk with Greg Koukl, president of Stand to Reason, about how Christians can learn to engage more effectively simply by asking good questions. We'll show you how. MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:Greg's newest book, Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges: https://www.amazon.com/Street-Smarts-Questions-Christianitys-Challenges/dp/0310139139Greg's organization, Stand to Reason: www.str.orgGreg's recent podcast episode, "Decision Making and the Will of God": https://www.str.org/w/decision-making-and-the-will-of-god-the-biblical-model

We're raising kids in an increasingly challenging world--which means we have to be intentional in raising them in a counter cultural way. But if we're not careful in how we do it, it can lead to our kids' resentment of Christianity over time. In today's short episode, I talk about four ways that can happen and how to avoid it. MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:Talking with Your Kids about God: https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Your-Kids-about-Conversations/dp/0801075521

Even Christians struggle with believing what the Bible says sometimes. We want to believe it's God's Word, but there can be doubts that nag at us. Can miracles really happen? If they can, why should we believe some of the stranger miracles in the Bible like a talking donkey? Why would God leave enough uncertainty around what the Bible says that people can come to such different conclusions about it? Even if we believe that the Gospels report some true things about Jesus, how can we be confident that we should believe everything  the Gospels say?  Today, cold-case homicide detective, national speaker, and bestselling author J. Warner Wallace joins me to discuss these questions and more, in honor of the release of the updated and expanded version of his modern classic, Cold-Case Christianity.  MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:Cold-Case Christianity (Updated & Expanded Edition) J. Warner Wallace's website: www.coldcasechristianity.comInvestigating the evidence for Mormonism: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/investigating-the-evidence-for-mormonism-in-six-steps/

Social media has been a popular place to share deconversion stories over the last few years, and sometimes so many people resonate with those posts that they go viral to some extent (being liked and shared by thousands of people).There's one that's being shared all over Facebook right now, written this week by a lady named Myndee Mack. At the time of this writing, it has 8,000+ likes/loves, 7,000+ comments, and over 3,000+ shares. Clearly, Myndee's post is compelling to many.Here is my response to the reasoning and theological clarity/accuracy of what she wrote.NOTE: This is an audio version of a written blog post--many people requested I do a recording. You can find the original post here: https://natashacrain.com/a-christian-response-to-a-viral-deconversion-post/

This is part 2 of my episode, "Public, Private, or Homeschool: Thinking Through Your Child's Education (Part 1)." In this part, I talk about the widely varied types of Christian private school options available to parents, breaking them into four general categories: progressive Christian schools, nominally Christian schools, committed Christian schools with a mainstream educational philosophy, and committed Christian schools with an alternative educational philosophy. Additionally, I answer questions listeners submitted online, such as:--How do you prevent your kids from being in "Christian bubble" if they aren't in public school?--How do you discern if a "Christian" school is really Christian?--How do you prevent your kids from being jaded by the nominal Christianity they are likely to encounter with classmates at a Christian school?--What should you do if the administration and/or teachers at your current Christian school are leaning leftward?--How much does a school's denomination matter?...and more.Note that I was originally going to discuss public school as well in part 2, but due to length, I've made this a stand alone episode. Part 3 will discuss public school and is forthcoming.Mentioned in this episode:Episode 9 of the Unshaken Faith podcast: "How to Discern a Church Website" https://blubrry.com/1470671/94556853/9-how-to-discern-a-church-website/Battle for the American Mind book by Pete Hegseth: https://www.amazon.com/Battle-American-Mind-Uprooting-Miseducation/dp/0063215047

You've probably noticed that it seems everything is about transgender issues today. Why, exactly, is that? Why is everyone talking about transgenderism in particular? Why are we seeing an explosion of people identifying as trans? What's even involved in the transition process, in particular for the growing number of teens who are pursuing a gender change? What about the popular claim that if we don't support transitions, people will commit suicide? How, as Christians, do we respond to all of this in truth and love?Author, speaker, and radio show host Dr. Frank Turek is joining me today to talk about all of these questions and many more—including a bunch of personal questions about transgender issues that were submitted by people who follow my Facebook author page (https://www.facebook.com/natashacrainauthor). Mentioned in the show:Frank's latest book: Correct, Not Politically Correct: About Same-Sex Marriage and Transgenderism (Expanded Third Edition) https://www.amazon.com/Correct-Not-Politically-Same-Sex-Transgenderism/dp/1607087073 OR order from Impact Apologetics (Amazon has been out of stock): https://impactapologetics.com/correct-not-politically-correct-about-same-sex-marriage-and-transgenderism-2023-edition/Frank's ministry, Cross Examined: https://crossexamined.org/ Cross Examined Instructor Academy: https://crossexamined.org/what-is-cia/ Abigail Shrier's book, Irreversible Damage: https://www.amazon.com/Irreversible-Damage-Transgender-Seducing-Daughters/dp/168451228X/ Jordan Peterson's YouTube interview with detransitioner Chloe Cole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O3MzPeomqs Article on research censorship: “My Research on Gender Dysphoria Was Censored. But I Won't Be.” https://www.thefp.com/p/trans-activists-killed-my-scientific-paper Frank's book, Legislating Morality: Is It Wise? Is It Legal? Is It Possible?: https://www.amazon.com/Legislating-Morality-Wise-Legal-Possible/dp/1592441521/ Frank's article, “Sex at Work”: https://crossexamined.org/sex-at-work/

In her newest book, The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes, bestselling author and speaker Nancy Pearcey explains how secularism has villainized the concept of masculinity. For example,  one media researcher analyzed more than 2,000 mass media portrayals of men and found that more than 75 percent of all media representations of men portrayed them as “villains, aggressors, perverts, and philanderers.” How did we get here? How did we get to the point where men are seen so negatively that they're literally considered by many to be “toxic”? And what does the Bible say about what it means to be a man? Nancy and I dig into these critically important questions in today's episode.Learn more about Nancy's work: https://www.nancypearcey.com/Purchase The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes: https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-War-Masculinity-Christianity-Reconciles/dp/0801075734Follow Nancy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyRPearceyAuthor

How you educate your child should be a very intentional choice--certainly not something you default into just because you haven't considered the various options available. But how is that decision best made from a Christian worldview perspective? In Part 1 of this episode, I walk through 6 key principles to keep in mind, followed by my thoughts on and experiences with homeschool in particular. In the next episode (Part 2), I'll go on to talk about Christian private school and then public school. 

Today I have the honor of talking with someone who I think is one of the best, if not the best, Christian models of navigating this tough culture with grace AND truth. Dr. Sean McDowell is a gifted communicator with a passion for equipping the church, and especially young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. In this episode, we go deep into the question of how we can better balance grace and truth in our interactions with a hostile culture--and also in our interactions with fellow believers. MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:Unshaken Conference info and tickets: https://unshakenconference.com/Unshaken Faith Podcast with Alisa Childers: https://blubrry.com/1470671/Sean's website: https://seanmcdowell.org/Sean's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SeanMcDowellSean's interview with progressive pastor Brandan Robertson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOTjzVZihfMSean's interview with progressive pastor Colby Martin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXjWhEHpxP0Sean's latest book, "A Rebel's Manifesto: Choosing Truth, Real Justice, and Love amid the Noise of Today's World": https://www.amazon.com/Rebels-Manifesto-Choosing-Justice-Todays/dp/1496443926

Cultural Marxism. Equity. Socialism. DEI. CRT. Anti-Racism. Collective Guilt. Christians can no longer stay silent about the divide between the Bible's truth and the world's lies. In today's episode, I talk with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor emeritus of The Moody Church, where he served as senior pastor for 36 years. Dr. Lutzer clearly explains the most prevalent lies today and walks through the reasons we should have the courage to proclaim truth.MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:Get Dr. Lutzer's book, No Reason to Hide, here: https://www.amazon.com/No-Reason-Hide-Standing-Collapsing/dp/0736986871More information and tickets for the Unshaken Conference: https://unshakenconference.com/Subscribe to my Unshaken Faith Podcast with Alisa Childers: https://blubrry.com/1470671/

Jesus wants us to be humble, but we can misunderstand the nature of that humility and start to believe the world's claims that we're being arrogant about things that we're not being arrogant about. In this episode, I walk you through how to respond to charges of moral arrogance ("Who are you to judge?"), epistemic arrogance ("Who are you to be so confident that you know what's true better than others?"), and biblical arrogance (“Who are you to think your biblical interpretation is better than mine…or anyone else's?”).Mentioned in the episode:Unshaken Conference: https://unshakenconference.com/Unshaken Faith Podcast with Alisa Childers: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unshaken-faith/id1657921515My apologetics books: https://natashacrain.com/books/My Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashacrainauthorMy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natasharcrain/

The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a popular and fast-growing new movement of Christians who emphasize signs and wonders and teach that God is giving new revelation through new apostles and prophets today. Some churches associated with those teachings have even become household names—you've probably heard of the widely influential Bethel Church, for example. But are NAR teachings consistent with the historic Christian faith? That's the question my guest today, Holly Pivec, seeks to answer in her new book, Counterfeit Kingdom: The Dangers of New Revelation, New Prophets, and New Age Practices in the Church, which she co-authored with Biola professor Douglas Geivett.Holly is a blogger, author, and speaker, as well as a pastor's wife and homeschooling mom. She has a master's degree in Christian apologetics from Biola University. She has coauthored three books about the New Apostolic Reformation and writes a popular blog, which you can read at hollypivec.com. Connect with Holly:  www.hollypivec.comOrder Counterfeit Kingdom: https://www.amazon.com/Counterfeit-Kingdom-Revelation-Prophets-Practices/dp/1087757495My books:Faithfully Different: https://www.amazon.com/Faithfully-Different-Regaining-Biblical-Clarity/dp/0736984291/Talking with Your Kids about Jesus: https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Your-Kids-about-Jesus/dp/080107553XTalking with Your Kids about God: https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Your-Kids-about-Conversations/dp/0801075521Keeping Your Kids on God's Side: https://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Your-Kids-Gods-Side/dp/0736965084 Connect with me:Website and Blog: https://www.natashacrain.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashacrainauthor/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natasharcrain/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NatashaCrainAuthor

In today's secular culture, there is a lot of popular-level wisdom that passes as self-evident truth we should all just accept--statements like live your truth; you are enough; authenticity is everything; God just wants you to be happy; you shouldn't judge. These are claims about reality that sound good…but are they really good when we define good by the standard of God's Word?In today's show, I'm welcoming back my friend Alisa Childers to talk about the lies we hear in culture and how secular wisdom so often fails. That's the subject of her brand new book, Live Your Truth and Other Lives: Exposing Popular Deceptions That Make Us Anxious, Exhausted, and Self-Obsessed.Connect with Alisa at https://alisachilders.com/. Grab her new book here: https://www.amazon.com/Live-Your-Truth-Other-Lies/dp/1496455665 My books:Faithfully Different: https://www.amazon.com/Faithfully-Different-Regaining-Biblical-Clarity/dp/0736984291/Talking with Your Kids about Jesus: https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Your-Kids-about-Jesus/dp/080107553XTalking with Your Kids about God: https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Your-Kids-about-Conversations/dp/0801075521Keeping Your Kids on God's Side: https://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Your-Kids-Gods-Side/dp/0736965084 Connect with me on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashacrainauthor/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natasharcrain/

If you have followed my content for any amount of time in the last year, you have heard me talk repeatedly about the jarring statistics related to the shrinking percent of Americans who have a biblical worldview. I've written and talked about a lot of different studies and numbers, but two of the most pertinent data points are these: 65% of Americans self identify as Christians, but research on people's actual beliefs and behavior shows that only about 6% have a biblical worldview. This huge gap has numerous implications for the church today. But how exactly do researchers define a biblical worldview? How do they get to that 6% estimate? In this episode, I get into all the details with Dr. George Barna, who is the Director of Research for Arizona Christian University's Cultural Research Center.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:2017 Worldview study conducted by the Barna Group and Summit Ministries: https://www.barna.com/research/competing-worldviews-influence-todays-christians/Research on "syncretism" as top worldview in America:https://www.arizonachristian.edu/2021/04/13/vast-majority-of-americans-stitch-together-patchwork-worldview-of-conflicting-beliefs-making-syncretism-top-worldview-among-u-s-adults/ Newest research data on the worldview of pastors: https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CRC_AWVIRelease_07_Digital.pdfSign up for research updates from the Cultural Research Center:https://www.arizonachristian.edu/culturalresearchcenter/latest-research/

There is a crisis of homelessness happening across the country, and many Christians wonder what can and should be done. This is an important question because not all attempts at helping the homeless are equally beneficial nor are they equally consistent with a biblical worldview. Bryan Crain, Chief Operating Officer of the Orange County Rescue Mission, joins me to discuss what helping the homeless looks like from a biblical worldview perspective, how that compares to secular homeless program models (such as "housing first"), and takes a variety of questions about homelessness submitted by my podcast listeners online. (Bryan also happens to be my husband!) If you've ever wondered how to help the homeless you pass by on the streets, this is an episode not to miss.MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:Orange County Rescue Mission (OCRM): https://www.rescuemission.org/Video from OCRM graduation (includes several stories of graduates): https://www.rescuemission.org/video/2021-fall-graduation-orange-county-rescue-mission/Directory of Gospel Rescue Missions nationwide: https://www.citygatenetwork.org/agrm/Locate_a_Mission.aspDonate to OCRM: https://www.rescuemission.org/give-now/Recommended books: When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian FikkertToxic Charity by Robert Lupton

Not only is mainstream media no longer trying to be objective, but they're also openly advocating for specific viewpoints. And not only are they openly advocating for specific viewpoints, but they're also strategically manipulating public thought. In this episode, I break down five implicit messages that mainstream media trumpets to push culture toward a uniformity of thought that's nearly always at odds with a Christian worldview. Mentioned in this episode:My newest book, Faithfully Different: https://www.amazon.com/Faithfully-Different-Regaining-Biblical-Clarity/dp/0736984291My article, "Are Christians the New Extremists? Yes, and That's Okay" (also available in podcast form): https://natashacrain.com/are-christians-the-new-extremists-yes-and-thats-okay/ AP Stylebook for covering transgender issues: https://www.apstylebook.com/topical_most_recent#transgenderThe Alliance Defending Freedom: https://adflegal.org/Abigail Shrier's must-read book, Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters https://www.amazon.com/Irreversible-Damage-Transgender-Seducing-Daughters/dp/168451228X/Fact-Checking 6 Claims about Life After Roe v. Wade: https://www.dailysignal.com/2022/07/28/fact-checking-6-claims-about-life-after-roe-v-wadeMy last podcast on "Why Christians Must Care about Politics": https://natashacrain.com/why-christians-must-care-about-politics/

There are few things more controversial than whether Christians should be involved with politics, and if so, to what degree and how that involvement should happen. In this episode, I break down two basic premises for thinking well about this subject:1. Christians have the right, politically speaking, to advocate for our views in the public square.2. Christians have the calling, spiritually speaking, to advocate for the good of others.I then respond to seven problematic ideas on the topic found in Pastor Andy Stanley's new book, "Not In It to Win It." (To be clear, these are problems I believe there are with what he wrote, not problems he is presenting.)

My guest today is the best-selling author and nationally known speaker Dr. Frank Turek. Frank has a fascinating new book out called Hollywood Heroes: How Your Favorite Movies Reveal God. Hollywood Heroes shows how our culture's favorite movie heroes are patterned after the ultimate hero—Jesus of Nazareth— and how the stories we see played out on the big screen parallel the real-world fight between good and evil. This is a unique and powerful book for starting faith conversations with people you may otherwise have trouble engaging with...especially teens! In this episode, we walk through examples from the book, show how they can be used to initiate conversations, and discuss the importance of Christians engaging with culture.Mentioned in the show:Frank's website: CrossExamined.orgFrank's radio broadcast with Pastor Jack Hibbs on California bill AB-2223: https://crossexamined.org/jack-hibbs-vs-infanticide/For more on AB-2223, see this brief article from Focus on the Family: https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/california-legislation-would-decriminalize-killing-newborns/Hollywood Heroes information and purchase links: https://hollywoodheroesbook.com/Information on and application for Cross Examined Instructor Academy: https://crossexamined.org/what-is-cia/Follow Frank and CrossExamined on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CrossExamined.org), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/drfrankturek/), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/CrossExamined). 

Author, speaker, and podcaster Alisa Childers joins me to discuss a series of popular ideas found in progressive Christian writings, using the recent bestselling book If God is Love, Don't Be a Jerk by John Pavlovitz as a case study. We explain why each idea is in conflict with a biblical worldview for those who accept the inspiration and authority of the Bible as God's Word.  Mentioned in this episode:My newly released book, Faithfully Different: Regaining Biblical Clarity in a Secular CultureMy Facebook read along group for Faithfully DifferentAlisa's book, Another GospelConnect with Alisa online:FacebookInstagramYouTubeWebsiteConnect with me online:FacebookInstagramWebsite

This weekend, Saturday Night Live cast member Cecily Strong played a character called Goober the Clown who had an abortion when she was 23 and now talks to people about how normal abortion is in between clown jokes.Every single one of us should be asking how on earth we, as a culture, have arrived at such a moment.Here's my answer.Mentioned in the episode:Faithfully Different launch team details and application link: https://natashacrain.com/join-the-book-launch-team-for-faithfully-different/Form to redeem offer for the pre-order bonus of a FREE audiobook for Faithfully Different: https://natashacrain.com/faithfully-different/Blog post on which this episode is based: https://natashacrain.com/how-culture-got-to-the-point-where-saturday-night-live-is-promoting-abortion-in-a-clown-outfit/Saturday Night Live skit video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exSZQICbSb8Carl Trueman's book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution: https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Triumph-Modern-Self-Individualism/dp/1433556332

There are plenty of high profile cancel culture examples that grab sustained public attention, but it's the everyday cancel culture that picks off person after person without national attention that's far more insidious...because the cumulative seriousness of what's happening isn't obvious to many people. In this episode, I discuss a recent example and walk through three things every Christian should understand about the fast but quiet creeping of everyday cancel culture.Mentioned in the episode:Pre-order details for my new book, Faithfully Different: https://natashacrain.com/faithfully-different/My article from last year on why secular social justice "warriors" often hate Christians so much: https://natashacrain.com/how-to-explain-to-your-kids-why-social-justice-warriors-hate-christians-so-much/

When parents start to see the importance of teaching their kids apologetics (how to make a case for and defend the truth of Christianity), they often start reading books but then feel stuck as to HOW to pass the knowledge on to their kids. At what age do you start? What if your kids aren't interested? What subjects should you cover? What subjects should you start with? What if you can't answer the questions that come up? In this episode, I cover all kinds of ideas for how to make apologetics part of your discipleship--for kids of all ages.Mentioned in this episode:Information on the new Talking with Your Kids about Jesus curriculum releasing in October 2021: https://natashacrain.com/talking-with-your-kids-about-jesus-video-curriculum-now-available-for-pre-order/My three apologetics books for parents are Keeping Your Kids on God's Side, Talking with Your Kids about God, and Talking with Your Kids about Jesus. You can read about the differences, see the tables of contents, and view endorsements here: https://natashacrain.com/books-by-natasha-crain/My podcast episode "How to Teach Your Kids about Non-Christian Worldviews" is episode #2 in your podcast player.

Have you noticed how any view that doesn't track with the mainstream secular consensus today is considered "extreme"? Even Facebook is now encouraging people to report when they've been exposed to so-called "extremist" content. While it used to be that extremists were those who committed ideological acts of violence, today extremism is increasingly being defined with respect to how far a view lies from popular consensus.And guess what? Christians with a biblical worldview fall squarely in the newly defined extremist camp. (Welcome!)It's really important to understand--and, in many ways, embrace--your position here. I explain why in this episode. Blog version available at: https://natashacrain.com/are-christians-the-new-extremists-yes-and-thats-okay/

There's something that often goes unsaid in discussions about the importance of critical thinking: Not everyone we interact with will actually VALUE good logic and critical thinking. Many people think emotionally rather than critically and that has a lot of implications for Christians engaging with culture. It's not enough to learn to think well...we have to learn how to think well AND how to deal with the fact that a lot of people don't CARE about thinking well. In this episode, I highlight eight points to consider when thinking logically in an illogical culture.

If you spend any time around Christians, you'll hear about the “hope we have in Jesus.” But  we're often trying to offer people (including our kids) something they're not even hungry for. In this episode, I share why kids need to more fully understand the true hopelessness of the world in order to hunger for the hope we have in Jesus.Resources mentioned in this episode:My book, Talking with Your Kids about Jesus.Original article: "One of the Greatest Gifts to Give Your Kids This Easter is a Sense of Hopelessness."

In an opinion piece for The New York Times titled, “Progressive Christians Arise! Hallelujah!” Nicholas Kristof made the case this week that “with a churchgoing Democrat in the White House, faith becomes more complicated in America”…and that that's a good thing. In this episode, I explain why that's NOT the case, and break down Kristof's article point by point. This is an audio version of my blog post, "No, The Growth of Progressive Christian Politicians is Not a Good Thing for America [A Response to the New York Times Opinion Piece by Nicholas Kristof]."

There are a lot of competing ideas in today's culture, and it's important that Christians understand how to think critically about the nature of these ideas from a worldview perspective. In this episode, I explain THE most important thing that separates a biblical worldview from a secular worldview and give several examples of how to respond to common secular sentiments accordingly (for example, "Don't you want to be on the right side of history?"). 

The idea that Christians need to fix a growing reputation problem in our society is becoming increasingly common in conversations on social media and even in articles by well known Christian leaders. The assumption is that we've collectively gone wrong in recent months (or years), and now we've got to quickly do something about it…before the world thinks even worse of us. In this episode, I explain why I think this is wrong-headed and dangerous.This is the audio version of my blog post found here.