Podcast appearances and mentions of christopher ferguson

4:20 pm: Jorge Martinez, Senior Adviser and National Director of Hispanic Outreach for America First Works joins the program for a conversation about his Washington Times piece in which he writes Donald Trump is rebuilding the country while Biden's failures collapse.4:38 pm: Shawn Fleetwood of The Federalist joins the show for a conversation about his piece on how conservatives need to hold red state RINO's (Republicans in name only) accountable for failing to live up to the will of their constituents.6:05 pm: Tage Flint, Executive Director of Utah Water Ways, joins Rod and Greg for a conversation about why we need to take water conservation more seriously.6:20 pm: Legendary singer/songwriter Barry Manilow joins the show for a conversation about his final tour, which includes a stop at West Valley's Maverik Center on July 14th.6:38 pm: We'll listen back to this week's conversations with Christopher Ferguson, a Professor of Psychology from Stetson University on how recent stats don't support banning cell phones in classrooms, and (at 6:50 pm) with Patrick DeHaan of GasBuddy.com on why Utah's gas prices are still high despite Donald Trump's claims of lower prices.

The Rod and Greg Show Daily Rundown – Tuesday, May 6, 20254:20 pm: Congressman Burgess Owens joins the show for a conversation about recent reports that sports apparel company Nike funded a transgender athlete study, possibly to justify allowing boys to play girls sports.4:38 pm: Christopher Ferguson, a Professor of Psychology at Stetson University, joins the show to discuss his recent piece for Real Clear Investigations about how recent stats do not support cell phone bans in our nation's schools.6:05 pm: Senator Kirk Cullimore joins the program for a conversation about Utah being ranked the top state in the nation for the third consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report, and what must happen to continue to improve.6:38 pm: Neetu Arnold, Policy Analyst at the Manhattan Institute, joins the show to discuss her article about a new merit pay program for teachers in Houston, Texas.6:50 pm: Utah First Lady Abby Cox joins Rod for a conversation about the Live On Suicide Prevention Program.

Lieutenant Joey Sperlazza, Ed.S. is joined by J. Harris Academy of Police Training Instructor Lieutenant Collin Congleton, JD in LEO Radio Episode 32. Collin is a subject matter expert in Use of Force. Collin founded and now supervises the Force Investigation Unit for a major urban Police Department in New Jersey, is a United States Marine Corps combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a nearly 20 year veteran law enforcement professional. He earned a B.S. in National Security Studies (Summa Cum Laude) from New Jersey City University and a Juris Doctorate from Rutgers School of Law (Newark) where he was awarded the prestigious Judge J. Skelly Wright Prize for work in civil rights. He also completed the Certified Public Manager Program at Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration, where his research work on police training reform was nominated for the nationally recognized American Academy of CPM's Askew Award. Some of his certifications include: FBI certified hostage and crisis negotiator; Force Science Institute certified force analyst; Gracie University certified Instructor of Gracie Survival Tactics (GST) Levels Iⅈ NJ PTC certified firearms instructor; NJ certified ICAT and ABLE instructor. Collin is also heavily involved in volunteer work supporting veterans and is an avid practitioner of Brazilian Jiujitsu. Full bios for Joey and Collin are available at JharrisTraining.com. Joey and Collin analyze three incidents in this episode of LEO Radio: • NYPD Officer Involved Shooting of Christopher Ferguson: The New York State Attorney General Office of Special Investigation is currently conducting an investigation into the death of Christopher Ferguson who died on December 5, 2024 following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD 77th Precinct) in Brooklyn. OSI has released videos from body-worn cameras that officers were equipped with during the incident and video from a dashboard camera. The full footage is available on the NYC AG website (https://ag.ny.gov/osi/footage/christopher-ferguson) and on the NYPD YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/I1oAPLhD9GU?si=JsdFy0uw8TZNIw-h) • Cranford, NJ Police Officer Involved Shooting of Kevin Harlfinger: According to the preliminary investigation, officers from the Cranford Police Department were pursuing a stolen vehicle when it crashed in the area of a southbound exit on the Garden State Parkway. After the crash, the driver of the vehicle, Mr. Harlfinger, exchanged gunfire with Cranford Police Officers Christopher Folinusz and Ryan McSharry. Mr. Harlfinger was pronounced deceased at the scene at approximately 12:04 a.m., December 29, 2023. A firearm was recovered near Mr. Harlfinger. Officer Folinusz sustained a non-fatal gunshot wound, was treated at a hospital, and later released. The full footage is available on the NJ AG Website: https://njoag.app.box.com/s/q0so00a1u4lbh1x005yy7gch4nuewvf5• Cleveland Police Officer Involved Shooting of Tamir Rice On November 22, 2014, 12-year-old Tamir Rice, an African-American boy, was fatally shot by Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann while playing with a toy gun at a recreation center; the incident sparked widespread controversy due to the rapid shooting despite the caller mentioning the gun was likely fake and the victim's young age, highlighting issues of police brutality and racial profiling within the Black Lives Matter movement. Tamir Rice was playing with a replica airsoft pistol at a park when someone called 911 to report a person with a gun. The video was released by the Cleveland Police Department, and the incident is well covered with dispatch and 911 audio by News 5 Cleveland: https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/cleveland-metro/tamir-rice-shooitng-video-warning-cleveland-police-release-surveillance-video LEO Radio is a podcast produced by the J. Harris Academy of Police Training. As always, the items described in this podcast are for information only.

In the inaugural episode of Curious Cosmos, join Derrick for a conversation with real-life astronaut Christopher Ferguson! Listen and discover what it's like to be a Top Gun pilot, the experience of looking down at Earth from orbit, and what the future of human spaceflight might look like.Links for this episode:Learn more about Christopher FergusonCurios about what it looked like when Chris saw a hurricane while in orbit? Check out this footage of Hurricane Florence, captured by NASA from ISSLearn more about NASA's Perseverance Mission on MarsCheck out the movie Chris and Derrick discussed, The MartianView a picture of Derrick with the Steel Star that's traveled to space multiple times!

Chris Ferguson, professor of psychology at Stetson University and author of Catastrophe! How Psychology Explains Why Good People Make Bad Situations Worse. Discusses the book and how partisan politics can be a hurdle to solutions.Support the show

Hour 3: Christopher Ferguson, a professor of psychology at Stetson University in Florida, joins Mark Reardon to discuss his latest piece in Real Clear Investigations headlined," How Black Lives Matter Got Police Violence Wrong." Then, Brad Young, 97.1 Legal Analyst with Harris, Dowell, Fischer and Young, discusses this week's Supreme Court decision limiting the power of the EPA to address water pollution, and more headline cases. Later, Mark brings you the Audio Cut of the Day!

------------------Support the channel------------ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter PayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuy PayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9l PayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpz PayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m PayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ------------------Follow me on--------------------- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson is professor of psychology at Stetson University. He is interested in media violence and, in particular, video games. He's the author of Catastrophe!: How Psychology Explains Why Good People Make Bad Situations Worse. In this episode, we focus on “Catastrophe!”. We talk about the cognitive biases that people have during emergencies. We get into topics like trends in suicide rates and blaming social media for it, views on relationships between races in the US. We discuss if the idea of the “madness of crowds” is useful, and availability cascades and social contagion. We talk about how the COVID-19 pandemic became another culture war. We also get into terrorism statistics and how people overreact to it, and the causes of violence and its link to mental disorder. We discuss why it is so hard to tackle climate change. Finally, we talk about how we can manage crises better. -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, HANS FREDRIK SUNDE, BERNARDO SEIXAS, OLAF ALEX, JONATHAN VISSER, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, JOHN CONNORS, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, DAN DEMETRIOU, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, SIMON COLUMBUS, PHIL KAVANAGH, JORGE ESPINHA, MIKKEL STORMYR, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, ALEXANDER DANNBAUER, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, ADANER USMANI, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, NICK GOLDEN, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, EDWARD HALL, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, MORTEN EIKELAND, DR BYRD, DANIEL FRIEDMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, MAU MARIA, PAUL-GEORGE ARNAUD, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, ROOFTOWEL, DIOGO COSTA, ANTON ERIKSSON, CHARLES MOREY, ALEX CHAU, AMAURI MARTÍNEZ, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, PEDRO BONILLA, ZIEGLER, JOÃO BARBOSA, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, STARRY, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, TOM ROTH, THERPMD, IGOR N, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, BARNABAS RADICS, AND MARK CAMPBELL! A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, VEGA GIDEY, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, ROBERT LEWIS, AND AL NICK ORTIZ! AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER, SERGIU CODREANU, AND BOGDAN KANIVETS!

Christopher Ferguson holds a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Central Florida. He has clinical experience particularly in working with offender and juvenile justice populations as well as conducting evaluations for child protective services. Chris is the author of "How Madness Shaped History: An Eccentric Array of Maniacal Rulers, Raving Narcissists, and Psychotic Visionaries" considers the impact of psychology on world events, looking at how mental illness and personality disorders have affected history. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/out-of-the-blank-podcast/support

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Christopher Ferguson about masculinity, homelessness, and mental health. They discuss his APA resignation letter and APA's guidelines for boys and men. They also discuss the challenges and potential solutions for homelessness and institutionalization. They also review some of the political progress over the past two years and many other topics. Christopher Ferguson is a clinical psychologist, professor, and writer. He teaches psychology at Stetson University and continues to conduct research on mass media violence. He is the author of two non-fiction books. He is the author of a handful of books including the most recent book, Catastrophe! How Psychology Explains Why Good People Make Bad Decisions Worse. You can find many links to his various publications and articles at his website.  Twitter: @cjferguson1111 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit convergingdialogues.substack.com

Christopher Ferguson ponders the source of his family--and wonders, what does family really mean?

Christopher Ferguson, PhD, is a psychologist who has served as a co-chair of psychology at Stetson University in Florida and is currently a professor there. In 2014, Dr. Ferguson was named a fellow of the American Psychological Association. He further served as president of the APA's Society for Media and Technology, and at the end of 2021, Dr. Ferguson resigned from the APA due to concerns that the organization is no longer dedicated to science and good clinical practice. Dr. Ferguson has written extensively on the effects of media - ranging from video game violence, to the television series 13 Reasons Why, to role-playing games. Dr. Ferguson is also a published author who has written both fiction and nonfiction. His book, How Madness Shaped History: https://www.amazon.com/How-Madness-Shaped-History-Narcissists/dp/1633885747 Chris on Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/christopher-j-ferguson-phdNote: Information contained in this video is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment or consultation with a mental health professional or business consultant.

VIDEO EPISODE: Orcs aren't' racist, Dungeon's and Dragons never radicalized anyone, and playing video games does not make you racist. These are general statements cited over the years as basic facts in the news media, yet they are almost universally wrong. We interview Stetson University Psychologist Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson, who published more against bad pop-science fads than almost anyone. Ferguson is the premier expert in the United States on video game violence and has written extensively at Psychology Today and other outlets. We go with Dr. Ferguson into these false narratives, especially when they orbit politics and nerd culture. Even the scientific establishment, like the American Psychological Association, will feature junk science in gussied up papers. Why politics is de-railing good science and how Ferguson would hope to solve the problem. Ferguson is into the science of video gaming. Ferguson's Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJFerguson1111 Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/christopher-j-ferguson-phd Ours: The Happy Warrior Podcast is a conservatarian interview podcast deep-diving into the most important stories of the day. Happy Warrior Subtack: https://happywarrior.substack.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HappyWarriorP Youtube: https://bit.ly/2ItbgBY Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happywarriorpete Description From Psychology Today: Christopher J. Ferguson, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Stetson University. He is interested in media violence and, in particular, video games. He has been invited to speak at Vice President Biden's task force and a 2013 Institute of Medicine/CDC panel on the subject. In summer 2018, I testified at the School Safety Commission. His research has generally indicated that exposure to media violence has little effect on societal violence. Ferguson has emphasized that media effects must be studied independently rather than taking a "one size fits all" approach. Thus, advertising may get us to switch from one product to another even if video games don't turn kids into mass killers. Dr. Ferguson is also interested in the sociology of media research itself...how political pressure, social, moral panics, and culture war can distort media effects research into "opinions with numbers." Dr. Ferguson is a consummate geek, interested in everything from science fiction to Dungeons and Dragons in his spare time. He and his son are fans of the Lego series of video games. Dr. Ferguson also likes strategy games such as Europa Universalis. His career proves to parents once and for all, yes, your child CAN make a career out of video games... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/happywarrior/message

Orcs aren't' racist, Dungeon's and Dragons never radicalized anyone, and playing video games does not make you racist. These are general statements cited over the years as basic facts in the news media, yet they are almost universally wrong. We interview Stetson University Psychologist Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson, who published more against bad pop-science fads than almost anyone. Ferguson is the premier expert in the United States on video game violence and has written extensively at Psychology Today and other outlets. We go with Dr. Ferguson into these false narratives, especially when they orbit politics and nerd culture. Even the scientific establishment, like the American Psychological Association, will feature junk science in gussied up papers. Why politics is de-railing good science and how Ferguson would hope to solve the problem. Ferguson is into the science of video gaming. Ferguson's Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJFerguson1111 Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/christopher-j-ferguson-phd Ours: The Happy Warrior Podcast is a conservatarian interview podcast deep-diving into the most important stories of the day. Happy Warrior Subtack: https://happywarrior.substack.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HappyWarriorP Youtube: https://bit.ly/2ItbgBY Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happywarriorpete Description From Psychology Today: Christopher J. Ferguson, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology at Stetson University. He is interested in media violence and, in particular, video games. He has been invited to speak at Vice President Biden's task force and a 2013 Institute of Medicine/CDC panel on the subject. In summer 2018, I testified at the School Safety Commission. His research has generally indicated that exposure to media violence has little effect on societal violence. Ferguson has emphasized that media effects must be studied independently rather than taking a "one size fits all" approach. Thus, advertising may get us to switch from one product to another even if video games don't turn kids into mass killers. Dr. Ferguson is also interested in the sociology of media research itself...how political pressure, social, moral panics, and culture war can distort media effects research into "opinions with numbers." Dr. Ferguson is a consummate geek, interested in everything from science fiction to Dungeons and Dragons in his spare time. He and his son are fans of the Lego series of video games. Dr. Ferguson also likes strategy games such as Europa Universalis. His career proves to parents once and for all, yes, your child CAN make a career out of video games... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/happywarrior/message

St Patty's day 2007 should have been a fun night for Corporal Christopher Ferguson and his battle buddies, as they had just returned from a deployment to Iraq. But unfortunately for him, Christopher would be dead seven days later. He had "fallen, been pushed, or jumped" from a 3rd story apartment balcony off the post. However, CID on FT Hood took the case from Killeen PD. The family was never approached by CID, Christophers unit, or anyone else. The Soldiers at the party were on a gag order. Christopher's death was never investigated. No authority took responsibility. Christopher's death was ruled an accident. It was reopened in 2020 by KPD, pending medical records. It was closed again just last week with no explanation. This was a blatant coverup by FT HOOD. Please join us as Christopher's sister tells his story.

Christopher's website: https://www.christopherjferguson.com/ Follow Christopher on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJFerguson1111 Christopher's Amazon page, with links to his books, including ‘Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong', ‘Suicide Kings', and ‘How Madness Shaped History: An Eccentric Array of Maniacal Rulers, Raving Narcissists, and Psychotic Visionaries': https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christopher-J-Ferguson/e/B0034NGO00/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_2 Christopher's Substack: https://grimoiremanor.substack.com/ Christopher's Areo articles: https://areomagazine.com/author/cjferguson1111/ References Christopher's article ‘My APA Resignation' in Quillette: https://quillette.com/2021/12/31/my-apa-resignation/ More on the ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders The Goldwater rule: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldwater_rule Timestamps 00.57 Introduction. 2:36 Christopher discusses the flaws of the American Psychological Association (APA) and his association with and resignation from it. 7:22 The new groupthink and monoculture among organisations and associations, including and specifically the APA, on ‘systemic/structural racism': instead of focusing on their original missions, such theoretical and scientific organisations seem to be very focused on this newly fashionable issue (it is important to note that this is a separate issue from the truth or falsehood of systemic/structural racism itself). The problem of ‘institutional capture'. 12:39 The victory of politics and politicking (‘political correctness') over scientific investigation. The flaws of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) trainings: how the promulgation of these is based on business and profit rather than science. 16:52 Iona reads from Christopher's Quillette piece on his resignation from the APA; discussion on the problem of political correctness over scientific integrity ensues, including how rapidly this has become an issue. How this will damage psychology and how it is perceived as a discipline. 21:58 The task of psychology, especially clinical psychology, with particular reference to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), versus this new consensus. Iona reads from Christopher's ‘How Madness Shaped History'. Christopher discusses the problems, from a psychological point of view, with ‘lived experience' and ‘safetyism'. 30:37 The differences between dealing with issues, both contentious and banal, on a societal level versus an individual, psychological level, with reference to sexual assault and obesity. 38:55 A discussion of more problems in psychology, with particular reference to the ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'. 49:12 How effective are pharmaceuticals in treating mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia? 54:28 The bureaucracy of mental health care and the relation of problems like homelessness, criminal violence, and police shootings to mental health issues. Why we need to return to some kind of state-sponsored asylum-like system (but one which is humane and rational) 1:01:02 The connections between mental health problems and violence and why we are so hesitant to talk about these. How do we deal with such issues? 1:06:25 A discussion of science denialism and opportunism by ideologues on both left and right: people adopt scientific positions that support their views and ignore ones that contradict their views. 1:13:57 Political tribalism in the pandemic versus science (on all sides). 1:22:05 The Goldwater rule. 1:28:34 Last words.

Christopher Ferguson is a professor of psychology at Stetson University and the author of, "How Madness Shaped History: An Eccentric Array of Maniacal Rulers, Raving Narcissists, and Psychotic Visionaries." In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with him about mental illness, personality disorders, and "madness," and how these have all shaped history, as well as about how our modern understanding of things like anxiety, depression, and narcissism, is impacting discourse, politics, and individual lives. Watch this video on Patreon. To gain early access to select episodes and Patreon-only content please sign up as a patron. The Same Drugs is on Twitter @the_samedrugs. Stay up to date with The Same Drugs on Substack. Watch The Same Drugs on YouTube. Please consider becoming a supporter of The Same Drugs on Anchor! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-same-drugs/support

Revisiting: Social Media & Mental Health with Christopher FergusonWe're finishing up our two week long retrospective with one more "look back" episode. Today we're revisiting our episode on Social Media featuring an interview with Christopher Ferguson sharing his expertise as a psychology professor with Dr. Fedrick. Several months later and this episode is just as topical as ever. So enjoy this last revisit episode and tune in Monday for a brand new episode of Calm, Cool, & Connected.There are currently over 4.5 billion people in the world using at least one social network. Influencers, celebrities and regular people all take to Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks to share their lives. But what effect does social media use have on mental health? For this episode of Calm, Cool & Connected, we are joined by Christopher J. Ferguson, a professor of psychology at Stetson University. He helps us examine the effects of social media on our mental state! Key Takeaways from Liz's talk with Chris: • Hear how social media has positive effects on mental health• Learn why pre-existing mental health conditions are exacerbated by social media• Find out some ways parents can mitigate risks when it comes to kids and social media use • Learn: what exactly is “doom scrolling”?• Hear why the block and mute buttons are tools for mental healthAll of this and more on today's episode!Send Christopher an email: cjferguson1111@aol.comConnect with Christopher on Twitter: CJFerguson1111Learn more about Professor Ferguson on his website: www.ChristopherJFerguson.com For more information on Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick, visit her website: evolvecounselingaz.comConnect with Dr, Fedrick on Instagram: @drelizabethfedrickWatch the video interview hereHave a question you'd like answered on the show? Leave us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/CalmCoolConnectedFor more great Calm, Cool and Connected content, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, and all the popular podcasting platforms. (RSS)  https://3cstvshow.buzzsprout.comAlready subscribed? Please take a moment to rate and review the podcast so that we can reach as many people that need the help as we can: https://3cstvshow.buzzsprout.com DISCLAIMER: THE CONSULTATIONS OR INTERACTIONS OFFERED ARE NOT MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY. THE CONSULTATION IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT STRUCTURED IN A WAY TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING/PSYCHOTHERAPY/THERAPY/ DIAGNOSING OF ANY KIND. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT CALM COOL AND CONNECTED IS NOT PROVIDING INFORMATION AS YOUR TREATING MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR, PHYSICIAN, ATTORNEY, LEGAL COUNSEL, EMPLOYER, MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. We offer no guarantees or promise of results from event nor assume liability for any information provided. 

In this special episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Angel Eduardo about many of his recent essays on starmanning, race, and Superman. They are joined by cameos from Christopher Ferguson, Wilfred Reilly, and Stephen Clouse about these topics. The first part of the conversation focuses on Angel's concept of starmanning and his origins for coming up with the term. They discuss the differences between the strawman, steelman, and starman arguments. They talk about some of the criticisms of starmanning and how to use this concept in applied practice. The second part of the conversation focuses on the current conversations surrounding Critical Race Theory (CRT). They talk about the problems of CRT and some of the ever-evolving miscommunication around CRT. They talk about the idea of whether a moral panic about CRT is warranted and what the endgame is with CRT. They spend some time discussing the impact CRT has in the education system and the differences between teaching and practice in schools. They also talk about the socioeconomic variables with CRT and the multivariate challenges within society. The third part of the episode centers on the topic of Superman. They discuss whether Superman has to be white and the ideas of a Black Superman. They talk about the challenges of representation with established stories. They described the lessons from Greek philosophy for many of the themes in superhero stories. They explain why narrative is central for myths and superhero stories and the role religion plays in these stories. They consider whether Superman's ethics map onto the Aristotelian "good." They also consider the morality from the Batman story and the idea of wanting personal particulars to superimpose the universal themes within these stories. They also talk about whether it is possible to pull away from religious overtures in modern myths and many other topics. Angel Eduardo is a writer, musician, photographer, and designer based in New York City. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from CUNY and is a staff writer at Idealist. Find the articles discussed in this episode at his website and on twitter: @strangeledweird  Christopher Ferguson is a clinical psychologist, professor, and writer. He teaches psychology at Stetson University and continues to conduct research on mass media violence. He is the author of two non-fiction books. His first book, Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong and his most recent book, How Madness Shaped History: An Eccentric Array of Maniacal Rulers, Raving Narcissists, and psychotic Visionaries are both available here. You can find many links to his various publications and articles at his website. Twitter: @cjferguson1111 Wilfred Reilly is a political scientist and Associate professor at Kentucky State University. He is the author of Hate Crime Hoax and Taboo both of which can be found here. Twitter: @wil_da_beast630 Stephen Clouse is a political science PhD candidate with his primary focus on ancient Greek philosophy, specifically Aristotelian philosophy, along with early American political thought. You can find his writing here and here. You can also follow him on Twitter: @sclouse2

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Christopher Ferguson about violence in mass media such as video games, madness with historical and political figures, and the implications for our society. They discuss the standard view of violent mass media and the idea that they influence behaviors in society. They talk about how reward-based video games are less common and do not translate to behavior within society. They discuss the current literature on violence in mass media and social behavior. They also mention some practical elements of kids playing video games. The second half of the conversation centered around Chris' new book and some of the motivations for writing the book. They talk about the importance of understanding the psychological profiles of historical and political leaders and why that matters. They parse out the differences between insanity, madness, and mental illness. They dialogue about some of the history of institutionalization and de-institutionalization. They also discuss challenges with diagnostic criteria, delineations between psychopathy and sociopathy, and the progressive changes within society.  Christopher Ferguson is a clinical psychologist, professor, and writer. He teaches psychology at Stetson University and continues to conduct research on mass media violence. He is the author of two non-fiction books. His first book, Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong and his most recent book, How Madness Shaped History: An Eccentric Array of Maniacal Rulers, Raving Narcissists, and psychotic Visionaries are both available here. You can find many links to his various publications and articles at his website.          Twitter: @cjferguson1111

On this episode of The Lou Perez Podcast I talk with Christopher Ferguson, Stetson University professor and author of How Madness Shaped History, about mental health, mobs, and bingeing serial killer documentaries on Netflix. CHRIS'S SOCIAL @CJFerguson1111 www.ChristopherJFerguson.com How Madness Shaped History: https://amzn.to/306anHS LOU'S SOCIAL Support thelouperez.locals.com   @TheLouPerez www.TheLouPerez.com https://www.instagram.com/thelouperez/ https://www.minds.com/LouPerez/ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lou-perez-podcast/id1535032081 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KAtC7eFS3NHWMZp2UgMVU Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-lou-perez-podcast Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2b7d4d82-d9cf-4a1e-85b7-d0d2b7089d46/The-Lou-Perez-Podcast Theme music by Scott Hampton http://scotthamptoncomposer.com/  I was the Head Writer and Producer of the Webby Award-winning comedy channel We the Internet TV. During my tenure at WTI, I made the kind of comedy that gets you put on lists and your words in the Wall Street Journal: “How I Became a ‘Far-Right Radical.”   No longer with WTI, I am now fully independent and free to take on subjects I've always wanted to.   In addition to producing sketch comedy, stand-up, and opinion writing, I also host The Lou Perez Podcast with new episodes every week.   How'd I start out?   I began doing improv and sketch comedy while an undergrad at New York University, where I was part of the comedy group the Wicked Wicked Hammerkatz.   For years, I performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (both in NYC and L.A.) in sketch shows with the Hammerkatz and my comedy duo, Greg and Lou. G&L are probably best known for our sketch "Wolverine's Claws Suck," which has over 20 million views on various platforms.   I was a writer for Fox Sports' @TheBuzzer; produced The Attendants with the Above Average Network; produced pilots for FOX Digital and MSN Games; and was a comedy producer on TruTV's Impractical Jokers.   I hosted the stand-up show Uncle Lou's Safe Place for two years in Los Angeles, performed at the Big Pine Comedy Festival, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, and co-created the political comedy podcast Unsafe Space.   I taught creative writing at the City College of New York, "writing the web series" for Writing Pad, and comedy writing workshops for the Moving Picture Institute.

This week, we talk to Christopher Ferguson, a professor of psychology at Stetson University. We talk about his new book, How Madness Shaped History, American politics, cancel culture, and political polarization. Ferguson, C. J. (2020). How madness shaped history: An eccentric array of maniacal rulers, raving narcissists, and psychotic visionaries. United States: Prometheus Books. https://www.google.com/books/edition/How_Madness_Shaped_History/K-iQDwAAQBAJ?hl=en Ryan Long: When Wokes and Racists Actually Agree on Everything: https://youtu.be/Ev373c7wSRg

Welcome to season two of Conversations with Coleman and to the first episode of the New Year.Today's guest is Christopher Ferguson. Christopher is an American psychologist who serves as a professor and co-chair of psychology at Stetson University in Florida. He previously served as an associate professor of psychology and criminal justice at Texas A&M International University and in 2014, he was named a fellow of the APA.Christopher and I talked about the definition of mental illness, prescribing Adderall to children, the link between creativity and mental illness, how mental illness affected historical figures like Alexander the Great, Hitler, and Stalin. I also asked Christopher to assess the mental state of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.Recording date: 08 Jan 2021

Welcome to season two of Conversations with Coleman and to the first episode of the New Year. Today’s guest is Christopher Ferguson. Christopher is an American psychologist who serves as a professor and co-chair of psychology at Stetson University in Florida. He previously served as an associate professor of psychology and criminal justice at Texas A&M International University and in 2014, he was named a fellow of the APA. Christopher and I talked about the definition of mental illness, prescribing Adderall to children, the link between creativity and mental illness, how mental illness affected historical figures like Alexander the Great, Hitler, and Stalin. I also asked Christopher to assess the mental state of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Recording date: 08 Jan 2021

In March 2007, a soldier named Christopher Ferguson died after allegedly falling from an apartment balcony. Since Christopher's death, his sister Christina McDonald has tried to uncover what really happened to her brother. He is another soldier who died under unusual circumstances at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. The Army ruled his death a suicide. Christine has spoken to a few soldiers who were with Christopher the night he died. She has been given conflicting stories. Supposedly he fell to his death, but another soldier claimed Christopher jumped to his death. Christine also spoke to a young girl who wasn't in the military, but was staying in the apartment. She witnessed Christopher get physically assaulted and then put into a headlock. The After placing Christopher in a headlock, the girl saw Christopher get dragged out on the balcony. Seconds later, she heard Christopher screaming in agony. Within a few days, he would die from injuries sustained from his fall. Christine has tried to find out if Christopher actually fell or did one of his fellow soldiers throw him off the balcony? Be sure to listen to episode 61 of the Catch my Killer podcast as Christine McDonald tells the story about the death of her younger brother Christopher Ferguson in 2007. If you know anything about what happened to Christopher, you can message the podcast at catchmykiller@gmail.com or contact Christine through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christina.mcdonald.357/ or email her: Christinamcdonald81@gmail.comPlease also visit my website for more information about my true crime and paranormal newspaper columns at www.themarcabe.com. You can also help support my podcast by making a Paypal donation to augustlake@fuse.net at https://bit.ly/39iw6iz. If you would like to contact me about this podcast, please email me at catchmykiller@gmail.com.

------------------Support the channel------------ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/the-dissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter PayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuy PayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9l PayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpz PayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m PayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ------------------Follow me on--------------------- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson is professor of psychology at Stetson University. He is interested in media violence and, in particular, video games. Dr. Ferguson is also interested in the sociology of media research itself...how political pressure, social moral panics and culture war can distort media effects research into "opinions with numbers.". He's the author of How Madness Shaped History: An Eccentric Array of Maniacal Rulers, Raving Narcissists, and Psychotic Visionaries. In this episode, we talk about the psychological effects of media, and How Madness Shaped History. We start by talking about a bit of the history of how people tend to demonize new technology. We then get into specific technologies, like videogames, movies, and series. We address specifically 13 Reasons Why, and screen time. Finally, we cover come of the main topics of How Madness Shaped History, and discuss things like a distinction between madness, mental illness, and insanity; how complicated it is to diagnose historical figures; if mental health professionals should diagnose politicians; and how someone gets mad. -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, PER HELGE LARSEN, LAU GUERREIRO, JERRY MULLER, HANS FREDRIK SUNDE, BERNARDO SEIXAS, HERBERT GINTIS, RUTGER VOS, RICARDO VLADIMIRO, BO WINEGARD, CRAIG HEALY, OLAF ALEX, PHILIP KURIAN, JONATHAN VISSER, DAVID DIAS, ANJAN KATTA, JAKOB KLINKBY, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, JOHN CONNORS, PAULINA BARREN, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, DAN DEMETRIOU, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ARTHUR KOH, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, MAX BEILBY, COLIN HOLBROOK, SUSAN PINKER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, PABLO SANTURBANO, SIMON COLUMBUS, PHIL KAVANAGH, JORGE ESPINHA, CORY CLARK, MARK BLYTH, ROBERTO INGUANZO, MIKKEL STORMYR, ERIC NEURMANN, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, BERNARD HUGUENEY, ALEXANDER DANNBAUER, OMARI HICKSON, PHYLICIA STEVENS, FERGAL CUSSEN, YEVHEN BODRENKO, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, DON ROSS, JOÃO ALVES DA SILVA, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, OZLEM BULUT, NATHAN NGUYEN, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, J.W., JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, IDAN SOLON, ROMAIN ROCH, DMITRY GRIGORYEV, AND DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA! A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, IAN GILLIGAN, SERGIU CODREANU, LUIS CAYETANO, MATTHEW LAVENDER, TOM VANEGDOM, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, VEGA GIDEY, AND NIRUBAN BALACHANDRAN! AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MICHAL RUSIECKI, ROSEY, AND JAMES PRATT!

Rover watched the police open fire on an SUV. Principal in Holocaust controversy fired again in Florida. Woman wants her husband to repay her because she pays most of the expenses. Dr. Christopher Ferguson calls in to explain his study that says porn does not cause sexual aggression. Dan Costa with Tech Tuesday. Terrorist attack in Austria.

A new study published in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science reanalyzed the data potentially linking video games to aggression in children and found little if any correlation between the two. Lead author Christopher Ferguson of Stetson University talks with APS's Charles Blue on the history and plausibility of connecting violent video games with aggressive outcomes in children.  

Socially Anxious Children at School (0:00:00) Between homework, sports, trying to fit in, and a million other things, school can be a stressful place. For students that suffer from depression or social anxiety, these stresses are amplified even more. With mental illness issues becoming more recognized among younger generations, how can we be supportive of those students that may be suffering in silence? Dr. Christine Fonseca has made a great effort in researching solutions to this conflict during her career as an educational psychologist and award-winning author. She provides us tips on how we can help our anxious students have positive school experiences. Fame or Family (0:14:47) What would it be like to stand onstage in a sold-out theatre, under the bright lights, singing the songs that are making you famous? What would it be like to do this while knowing that you have a wife and daughter at home who are counting on you? Erick Baker shares his story of fame and family as a singer/songwriter sensation. Anatomy of Resentment (0:35:09) Have you ever felt resentment for something that originally seemed so silly? Licensed social worker, Robert Taibbi, joins us to explain the anatomy of resentment, as well as give us the tools to deal with it. Let Them Play (0:50:36) Parent's all want the same things for their kids—don't they? We want them to be successful, happy, well adjusted—all that jazz. But what can we do to make sure that our kids get there? It might not be the first thing you think of when you're worrying about your child's development, but playtime is really so important for young minds. Here to tell us a little more about why that is and how we can make sure we're encouraging good, productive playtime for our kids is Dr. Magdalena Battles, author of Let Them Play! The Importance of Play and 100 Child Development Activities. Launching Leaders Worldwide (1:05:04) You've had disappointment after disappointment. Nothing is going your way it feels like your goals are unattainable. You know that there has to be something you can do to reach those heights, but what is it? How can you fulfill those dreams? Steve Hitz is one of the creators of a course called Launching Leaders that's all about getting people on the path to their dreams.  Educational Gaming (1:17:04) We've all heard the warnings for kids playing too much video games and how it can lead to violence, aggression, and other kinds of addictions. Yet as the smartphone has taken the front seat in all things technology, how often are we all playing games? Many listeners may be holding a high score on “Candy Crush” as we speak. As some will continue to resist or ignore the ever growing gaming culture, many are choosing to embrace it, and even use it as a tool for education and stress management. Here to talk about this new wave of gaming is Dr. Christopher Ferguson, a professor of psychology at Stetson University, and friend of The Lisa Show.

Rod Arquette Show Daily Rundown - Friday, August 9, 20194:20 pm: Former Utah lawmaker Steve Urquhart joins Rod to discuss a bill he has written, and he hopes a current lawmaker will sponsor, that would protect any citizen initiative passed by voters from being gutted by the state legislature5:05 pm: Roger Morgan, Chairman and Founder of the Take Back America Campaign, joins the show for a conversation about the connection between mass shooters and marijuana use6:05 pm: Natalie Gochnour, an associate dean at the University of Utah business school, joins the program to discuss why she says all Utah residents, not just those in Salt Lake City, should be interested in the city’s mayoral election6:20 pm: Dr. Scott Aberegg, a pulmonologist at the University of Utah, joins the show to discuss the dangers of vaping6:35 pm: We’ll listen back to Rod’s conversations this week with Christopher Ferguson, a psychology professor at Stetson University, on his studies that show there are no connections between video games and real life violence, and (at 6:50 pm) with Michael Hammond, legislative counsel for Gun Owners of America, who says gun violence stops if there are also good guys with guns

Rod Arquette Show Daily Rundown - Tuesday, August 6, 20194:20 pm: Utah Governor Gary Herbert joins Rod for a conversation about what he thinks might be done to curb gun violence both in Utah and across the country4:35 pm: Author Suzanne Venker, a Fox News contributor, joins the program to discuss her recent piece that outlines how the vast majority of mass shooters come from broken homes without a father present5:05 pm: Stetson University psychology professor Christopher Ferguson joins the show to discuss the results of recent studies that show there is no connection between violent video games and real-life violent acts6:05 pm: Julie Valentine, a nursing professor at BYU and a member of the Wasatch Forensic Nurses, joins the show to discuss a new medical record system that will allow faster testing of rape kits statewide6:20 pm: Salt Lake County Council chairwoman Aimee Winder Newton recently toured the area where the proposed Olympia Hills development would be built and joins the show to share her thoughts on how the area might handle the added occupancy6:35 pm: Michael Hammond, Legislative Counsel for Gun Owners of America, joins the show to discuss the results of some studies that show good guys with guns are capable of stopping violent acts

Abbe Cluck of Yale University on Purdue Pharma reaches opioid settlement with Oklahoma. Christopher Oldstone-Moore of Wright State University on what do beards tell us about politics, culture and religion. Ross King, author of "Leonardo and the Last Supper" on the real secrets of DaVinci's Last Supper. Christopher Ferguson of Stetson University on tech addiction. Alan Marcus of the University of Connecticut on holocaust and education. Artist Patrick Dougherty on sticks becoming majestic art.

Conventional wisdom says that impressionable individuals will imitate all kinds of behaviors they see in movies and on TV — including suicide, especially in the wake of the TV series "13 Reasons Why." But is there such a thing as suicide contagion? The evidence is weak, according to Christopher Ferguson, PhD, who details a scientific review he conducted to try to answer that question. APA is currently seeking proposals for APA 2020, click here to learn more https://convention.apa.org/proposals

Wayne McCormack of the Univ of Utah explains presidential pardons. Author Jennifer Adams reviews "Varina" Christopher Ferguson of the Univ of Central Florida debunks myths about tech addiction. Alexis Hiniker of the Univ of Washington suggests design changes for apps to make them more interactive for children. Sam Payne of The Apple Seed shares a story. Author Shane Snow's new book is "Dream Teams: Working Together Without Falling Apart."

Photo by Paul Inkles via Flickr How many hours per week do your boys spend in front of a screen? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children ages 6-10 now spend 6 hours per day using screens as entertainment. That figure doesn't count time spent learning via screens at school, or videochatting with grandma and grandpa. In this episode, Jen & Janet discuss: Expert recommendations for screen time vs. reality Whether or not screen addiction is a "thing" Signs that your son might be spending too much time with screens How to help boys establish a balance between screentime and other activities The upside of screens Links we mentioned (or should have!) in Episode 106: Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction is Hijacking Our Kids - And How to Break the Trance  -- book by Nicholas Kardaras, PhD Family Media Use Plan – interactive tool from the American Academy of Pediatrics Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (& Survive) In Their Digital World – book by Devorah Heitner Is Screen Time Really All That Bad? – blog post by Jennifer L.W. Fink The Link Between Freedom & Video Games – blog post by Jennifer L.W. Fink Moral Combat: Why the War of Violent Video Games is Wrong -- book by Patrick Markey and Christopher Ferguson

  - Many of the stories we hear about the video games influencing acts of mass violence are exaggerated or incorrect - The flaws of the research pointing to violent content as a cause of actual violence - How video games and other media can incidentally lower violence - Guests Dr. Patrick Markey and Dr. Christopher Ferguson discuss their book and research that runs against the tide of popular opinion about the harmful effects of video games   Links - Dr. Christopher Ferguson's website - Dr. Patrick Markey - Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong - LOOT   +++++++   About +7 Intelligence   +7 Intelligence is the podcast about how games impact people. Each episode explores a different perspective on how games profoundly influence the real world. Interviews with game designers, psychologists, professionals, and everyday players discuss the unique way that games influence their life and work.   +++++++   Listen to the show:   Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play | Radiopublic RSS feed   Find the show online: +7 Intelligence Website On Twitter: @7_Intelligence On Facebook: @plus7intelligence +7 Intelligence is a member of the Podglomerate network.   +++++++   Music by Creo Epilogue by Creo is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a time of nation-wide unrest and division, it's surprising to hear that politicians from both sides of the aisle are united on one thing: violent video games are bad and must be stopped. Blamed for everything from school shootings, suicide, and even rickets, video games have been shouldering the burden for our society’s ills for a long time now (or, at the very least, ever since comic books and ozzy osbourne have taken a back seat as the source of all evil). Politicians, pundits, and even psychologists, are quick to point a finger at the guns in video games in order to make sense of the guns in the hands of real life people, especially when those guns are in the hands of school shooters. But is playing too much Call of Duty really causing killing sprees? Christopher Ferguson and Patrick Markey are two psychology experts who have been on the front line of the violent video game debate for years. Their new book, Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong, debunks the stark picture media, politicians, and other personalities tend to paint in order to sway public opinion about the impact of gaming. In this episode, with complete honesty and extensive research, the informative (and often entertaining) Ferguson and Markey duo lays the data out on the table to reframe the conversation on the real life effects of gaming. Patrick M. Markey is a professor of psychology, the director of the Interpersonal Research Laboratory at Villanova University, and a former president of the Society for Interpersonal Theory and Research. Markey received his doctorate from the University of California. Chris Ferguson is professor of psychology and director of the Psychotechnology Lab at Stetson University as well as a fellow of the American Psychological Association. He has a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Central Florida. This episode kicks off Gaming Broad(cast)'s new mini series exploring the relationship between violence and video games.  Stuff we mentioned...Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is WrongAmerican Psychological AssociationAPA Review in 2015 Confirms Link Between Playing Violent Video Games and AggressionHillary Clinton on video game violence (comparing it to lung cancer)James Dallas Egbert III (Michigan State University student whose suicide was blamed on Dungeons & Dragons)Mazes and Monsters with Tom HanksAssassin’s Creed 4The families of Columbine victims sue the makers of DOOM, blaming them for tragedyLeland Yee (politician against violent video games, later charged with real life arms trafficking)Proof that Chris really did meet with Former Vice President Joe Biden and talked about video gamesHilary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump on the same page when it comes to gamesGames for ChangeTransfer of LearningThe Oregon Trail (video game)  JD (The Broad)Website: GamingBroadly.comTwitter: @JayDeeCepticonInstagram: @JayDeeCepticon Patrick M. Markey, PhD (The Cast)Website:PatrickMarkey.comTwitter:@PatMarkey Christopher J. Ferguson, PhD (The Cast)Website: ChristopherJFerguson.comTwitter: @CJFerguson1111 Gaming Broad(cast) is the official podcast of GamingBroadly.com. Thank you to everyone who has liked, subscribed, and commented about Gaming Broad(cast) on Apple Podcasts! You can also follow this podcast on Spotify, Podbean, Stitcher, Google Music, or subscribe directly using our RSS feed. Want some gamey goodness in your email inbox? Sign up for some occasional(ly) playful newsletter updates. Thanks to Los Kurados for the use of their song "Rojo Y Azul" for the intro and outro music of our podcast.

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Jason Concepcion have a spoiler-free discussion about their impressions of the perplexing 'Mass Effect: Andromeda,' Bioware's brain drain, and the ways in which recent releases have raised the bar for big-budget games (0:45). Then they bring on authors and psychologists Patrick Markey and Christopher Ferguson to talk about their research into the effects of violent video games and their new book, 'Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong' (23:25).

Few songs can claim to be - quite literally - as far reaching as the 1967 classic 'Can't Take My Eyes off You'. In this edition of Radio 4's 'Soul Music', we hear from former astronaut Christopher Ferguson who heard this song as an early morning wake-up call aboard the space shuttle Endeavour. And from mum of two Michelle Noakes who sang this classic piece to the baby she was told she may never be able to carry. We also hear from the honeymoon couple whose marriage proposal began with a hundred strong 'flash mob' performance of this track and from Frankie Valli himself, who reflects on one of the most moving performances he ever gave when he sang 'Can't Take My Eyes off You' to a crowd of recently returned Vietnam Veterans. DJ Mark Radcliff recalls the many artists since Valli that have covered this song (not least his mum as she sang along to the Andy Williams version) and composer Bob Gaudio tells us how this now universally famous piece of music began life in a room over looking Central Park with a melody originally penned for a children's nursery rhyme. Producer: Nicola Humphries.

Pastor Tim Bales: July 17, 2011 Going Beyond, Part XII, “Beyond Obligation.” If you're new to the church or haven't been here in a while, I'm not Pastor Jeff. My name is Pastor Tim, and I'm the Discipleship Pastor here at Faith Community Church. I'm often tucked away in the classroom, so you may not be as familiar with me. Pastor Jeff is on a well-needed vacation with his family. I believe he's in northern California enjoying the redwoods; so he gave me the opportunity to preach, and here I am. We've been going through a series for several weeks now, if you're new to the church or haven't been here in a while. We're going through the “Going Beyond” series. We're talking about taking our faith to the next level. We've talked about several topics already: “Beyond Giving,” giving sacrificially; and “Beyond Success,” what it looks like to be successful as a Christian. Last week we talked about going “Beyond Mediocrity” and the warning that God gives us that He doesn't like lukewarm Christians. This week, we're talking about “Going Beyond: Obligation.” I imagine that everyone at some point in your life, if you haven't in the past-maybe in the future-if you've ever been at a low point, been frustrated, or if you're just looking for guidance, you've looked up to Heaven and said, “God, what do You really want from me?” Now, if you're still waiting for an answer, I have good news for you. He's going to answer that for us today. Today, I want to share with you your obligation to God and our freedom in Christ. My desire is that we will have a clearer understanding of what God truly desires, what He deserves, and that we will consider whether or not we are offering it to Him. Let's talk about obligation. I'm sure you are somewhat familiar with that word, but I want to look at that word because it has certain aspects that we're going to be talking about this morning. By definition, we could say that an obligation is a morally-based expectation of commitment or loyalty to repay a debt owed. You have obligations; you understand this. You have moral obligations. You have a moral obligation to your family, if you have children, to provide them with food, a roof over their head, security, shelter, and education. If you have past relationships, you understand your moral responsibility to child support. You also have financial obligations. You have financial obligations if you have a mortgage or a loan. If you've taken money from the bank, you have an obligation to pay it back. If you go to work, your employer has an obligation to pay you for the work that you do. In the sports world, the athletes who sign contracts have an obligation to live up to a certain level of performance in order to earn all the millions of dollars they've been promised. We have financial obligations. You also have legal obligations. On the way to church today, you were obligated to stop at the stop sign or light. There are other laws we are obligated to obey. When Pastor Jeff asked me if I would be willing to preach today, I had an obligation to follow through, to show up here, and to share what God has laid upon my heart. We also recognize that with an obligation, if there is failure to meet that obligation, bad things start to happen; and there is judgment that is incurred. If I fail to live up to the obligations of the law, I may end up in jail. If I fail to live up to my obligations as a good husband, I may end up divorced. If I fail to pay back the money I owe on my mortgage, I may end up in foreclosure. When we fail to live up to our obligations, bad things start to happen. We recognize with an obligation, there is a cost involved. There is a debt incurred; and then if we fail to meet that obligation, there is judgment. Okay? That's pretty clear. I think we get that much. Now I want to share with you one more illustration that comes from recent headlines. Maybe you're familiar with this. It is about the space shuttle Atlantis. If you're not familiar with it, nine days ago-on Friday at 10:30 a.m.-the last space shuttle was launched into orbit under the Space Program. The Space Program has now been shut down. Future missions will be funded by private investors. For all practical purposes, the Space Program-which has gone on for decades-is now shut down, so it was a pretty exciting opportunity if you were able to watch it. I don't know if this excites women as much as it does men, but there is just something really cool about strapping yourself to a rocket, putting flammable liquids inside, and lighting it with a match. That's just really cool! Maybe some of you ladies understood what we're trying to say [based on] the Fourth of July with fireworks. There is just something that draws our attention to things that shoot up into the air. As I was watching, I went to Nasa.com, I think it was. I watched this for about 45 minutes. The events leading up to the moments before the launch consisted of talking about the weather and the precision of the calculations before they would be launched up into orbit 234 miles. Right now they're orbiting the earth every 90 minutes at 234 miles high. It's just interesting to me, but as I was listening, I recognized very clearly that NASA had a plan. Their plan was to join the International Space Station in this endeavor to benefit all of mankind. They wanted to join in this effort, and they called upon four astronauts: Christopher Ferguson; a pilot, Doug Hurley; mission specialist, Sandy Magnus; and Rex Walheim. This is the kind of mission that makes you proud to be an American. We're reaching beyond our four walls to benefit mankind. NASA shares with these four astronauts the vision. They catch the vision, and they recognize that we are looking for a better tomorrow to benefit mankind, to bring international peace on some level because the International Space Station is represented by so many different countries to increase our knowledge of the created universe we live in. They took in the vision, and then NASA poured commitment into these four individuals. They poured in their efforts, their time commitments, and they poured in a great price tag financially. The estimated cost to spend the space shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station was $1 billion for just this mission. That's a lot of money! Considering all that NASA has invested into these four individuals, do you think they had an obligation to show up for the launch? Yes! They had a great obligation. If they hadn't shown up, there would be a great disappointment by NASA and by the American people everywhere. We're going to come back to that in a while, but we get the idea of obligation. There is a cost; there is a debt; and then there is a judgment for failure to meet that obligation. What is our obligation to God? He created us; He sets the standard of how we relate to Him. How can we please Him? Maybe another way to ask this question-it's kind of cold-but what are the rules I need to follow in order to get into Heaven? That's the bare minimum of what we want to know. Fortunately, God made it very clear to the Israelites what He expected of them by giving Him His law, what He expected of them to be in right relationship with Him. This story starts back in Exodus. You may be familiar with it. The Israelites were in bondage for 400 years in the land of Egypt. They cried out to God; they prayed to Him, and God responded. He sent them Moses to draw them out of the land of Egypt. He performed these great plagues and these manifestations of His power, and He drew them out of the land of Egypt and into the wilderness. Eventually, He led them to the base of Mt. Sinai. At Mt. Sinai, God appeared to them in this great pomp and circumstance by thunder and lightning and a booming voice. He gave them the Ten Commandments, the Mosaic Law. Later on, He gave them the details of what He wanted them to abide by: the Sacrificial Law; the atonement for their sins; to be giving a tithe of what God has blessed them with of their first fruits; and to celebrate certain festivals. God laid out for them a detailed list of what they ought to do in order to be in right relationship with Him. The Jews took that upon themselves-at times doing very well, at times not so well; but for the next 1,500 years, they lived under this law until Jesus came and made a very pointed statement. He said in Matthew 5:20 (page 959 of pew Bibles), “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Now keep in mind that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were the holiest people on the planet at that time. Jesus had just said that the holiest people on the planet failed to live up to their obligation to please God in a right relationship. Then the natural response for us is if the holiest people on the planet can't live up to God's expectations, who can? Jesus' point is if you're living under the law and living by your sinful nature and your faith does not go beyond what you do for God, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. There's nothing you can do to acquire God's pleasure, His favor. There is nothing you can do; it's impossible. Why would God give us this standard that we can't live up to? Let's talk more about that. The main Passage I want to look at this morning is in Romans 8:1-14 (page 1118 of pew Bibles). Paul is talking to the church in Rome, but by extension, he's talking to Christians in general. This is a fairly long Passage, so I encourage you to just hang in there. We'll get through all of it. There is a lot of information in there. It talks about our relationship with God under the old law and under God's grace in Christ Jesus. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful Man to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you. [Romans 8:12, page 1118], “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation-but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Jesus says that there is a standard we cannot live up to. There is an obligation. Regarding obligation, if there is a failure to meet that obligation, there is judgment. I like what Paul has to say in Verses 7-8. It's very clear, “…the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.” It's impossible. “Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” Why would God create us with an obligation, a standard that we cannot live up to? His perfect character cannot tolerate anything less than perfection. We cannot live up to His standard. Why would He do that? What is our obligation to God? Our obligation, under God's law, is to die in our sin, to suffer God's wrath. That's our obligation. That's what God created us to do. Thanks a lot, God! The law obligates us to sin. What a pitiful place to be! We are sinful. Paul says, “We are condemned. We are hostile to God, and we cannot please Him.” This message keeps getting worse, doesn't it? Hang in there with me, and like a good sitcom, we'll get this all nicely wrapped up in a half hour. But, if we don't take time to start here, if we don't realize the magnitude of our spiritual depravity, we cannot fully appreciate what Christ has done. The reality is our sin really does cause God pain. When I lose my temper, it hurts my family, and it also hurts God's heart. When I use His name in vain, I rob God of His due glory. When we doubt, we are not trusting Him. When we live in sexual immorality, we mock His power. When I pursue selfish dreams of wealth and grandeur, I'm saying, “God, You're not generous enough.” When I say that I am a Christian and yet do these things, I am a detriment to the name of God and to His church. Sin destroys relationships. It hurts people. It can ruin you financially. It affects every part of your life. Sin is a big problem in God's book. It's as if we were saying, “I am the God of my life.” In Romans 3:23 (page 1114), it says, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” All of us have sinned; therefore we are obligated to die in our sin, to suffer God's wrath. Keep in mind that death is not ceasing to exist. When you die, you don't just go poof! and everything is over. It's not like that. Death is separation from life, and life comes from God. We are separated from God because of our sin and obligated to suffer His wrath. The Bible is very clear that we are eternal beings. At the end of Matthew 25, Jesus said, “Those who obey God will go off to eternal life, and those who reject God will go off to eternal punishment.” That's hard to hear. We are eternal beings. I like what the Christian author and theologian, C.S. Lewis, has to say. He said, “You have never met a mere mortal, somebody who will die and then cease to exist.” You have never met a mere mortal person. We are creatures of infinite glory or everlasting destruction, and each one of us is helping everyone else to one of these destinations-even within the church. There are people living under the sinful nature, living under this law that we cannot live up to. We are obligated to die in our sin and suffer God's wrath. It may be somebody sitting next to you. It may be the person sitting in your very own seat. As a church staff, we are reading a book together chapter by chapter. It's called, “Radical.” I mentioned it before. Maybe you recognized it. It's by Dr. David Platt, who is a young pastor of a mega-church in Birmingham, Alabama. He made a comment [that we came across] this past week when we were reading together that I could not help but empathize with as a fellow pastor. Maybe as a Christian you will be able to empathize with this as well, or you've had this same thought. He says, “As a pastor, I shudder at the thought and lie awake at night when I consider the possibility that scores of people who sit before me on a Sunday morning might think that they are saved when they are not. Oh, God, may this not be true of our congregation.” Jesus says at the beginning of Matthew 7 (page 961) that you will know a tree by its fruit. “A good tree bears good fruit. A bad tree bears bad fruit.” A Christian will bear fruit for Christ. At the end of that same chapter in Verse 21, Matthew 7:21, Jesus says, “‘Not all who say to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only He who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven.'” What Jesus is saying is some people call themselves Christians, but they're not. They call themselves Christians, yet they are still living under their own selfish, sinful nature. We think that we can be Christians and still live in sin because, after all, we're forgiven. That's what Christ did on the cross, right? Maybe we try to hide our sin from other people and think that somehow we can fool God into believing that we're pretty good. You may know people like this. You may know people who say, “I'm not really worried about Heaven and hell because nobody has ever really been there. You know what? If I go to hell, so what-because all my friends will be there, and it will be a great big party.” Well, I don't think that's the picture God paints for us in Scripture; and I really don't believe it's going to be all that pleasant. I don't ever plan on going there to find out, and I can't even say I've been to Heaven; but I know that the Bible paints a very pleasant picture of Heaven and a very unpleasant picture of hell. Jesus, who was the Creator of all, had this to say about hell, “It would be better for you to cut off your own hand or your feet or to gauge out your own eyes than to allow you to let your sins send you into the eternal fire of hell.” Something tells me Jesus is trying to get our attention here. Something tells me that there is an important message that he wants us to understand about how unpleasant hell is. If we continue to live under the law of our sinful nature, we are obligated to die in our sin. You may be looking at the Passage that we looked at and saying, “Now, Pastor Tim, I realize what you're saying. It sounds really bad, but I think you missed Verse 1 here. It says, ‘There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.' What about that?” Well, I'm so glad you asked. I have great news. The Bible says in 1 John 4:8 (page 1209), “…God is love.” God is love, so why would He create people to be condemned to die, to suffer His wrath, and have no way out? Because He had to. Because He needed to show us the depth of our spiritual, our sinful condition in order that we might understand the depth of His love for us. He had to give us the free will to choose to love Him because love cannot be demanded. It must be freely offered. He wants us to love Him. God didn't want us to suffer or to die for our sin, but because of His righteous integrity, He had to maintain justice. We mentioned under the definition of obligation, if there is a failure to meet that obligation, there is judgment-the judgment of God's wrath. Therefore, God sent His only Son into the world to be a sin offering for us, to die in our place on the cross. Under God's law, we are obligated to die. Because of what Christ did, we are freed from that obligation. We are freed from the obligation to die in our sin and to suffer God's wrath. Everybody has been freed from that obligation, but not all choose to receive that gift. Romans 6:23 (page 1117) says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” A gift needs to be received. It's offered, but it's not necessarily received. It is as though all of us, all of humankind, have been placed into a big prison cell with bars and gates. The door is closed and locked, and you are put on death row and will certainly die. There is no way out. Then someone comes along; they unlock the bolt and open the door. They say, “You are free to go.” Some people get up and are really excited. They go out to a new freedom. They enjoy a new life and immense joy because of their new freedom. Then there are others who choose to stay in that prison. Why would they do that? “It's safe in here and secure. I know what to expect. I get three square meals a day and get to watch television. What more is there? What could be better than that?” Because of this deception, this lie, that there is nothing better beyond the prison cell walls, they choose to remain in that prison. They're missing out on a great freedom. It's a personal choice though. It's made by you. It's not made by your parents; it's not made because you were baptized as an infant into the church. It's not because of your good church attendance. It's not even because of some magical prayer you prayed in the past. Receiving Christ is a paradigm shift. It's a lifestyle change where you exchange your will for Christ's will in your life. It's received through faith in Christ's sacrifice on the cross. We need to be careful here because we may be guilty of something that the early church was guilty of. We recognize what Christ did on the cross in forgiving our sins, but that doesn't give me the license and the freedom just to live as I want. That doesn't mean I can go out and live a sexually-immoral life because God has forgiven my sins. It doesn't mean I don't need to worry about tithing, what I do with my money, or obeying God because God has forgiven me and I can live anyway I want. Well, the early church did this, and that was not God's intention. In fact, Paul had to address this. He addressed it in 1 Corinthians 9:21(page 1134). He said, “(…I am not freed from God's law, but I am under Christ's law)…” We are free from the penalty of our sin. We are free from the obligation to die and suffer God's wrath. You are either under a law that brings death or you are under the freedom of the law that brings life. By default, you are under the law that brings death. Now earlier we mentioned the definition of an obligation. There is a cost involved, and we mentioned that Jesus Christ died and paid the cost for our salvation. What happens when there is a cost? There is a debt incurred. Ironically, choosing freedom from our old obligation-choosing Christ-leaves us with a new obligation, but not for sin and death. If you should so choose to receive Christ's gift of salvation, you are obligated to live by the Spirit of God. I like what Paul very clearly says in Romans 7:12, “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the sinful nature.” In Romans 7:9, Paul makes a contrast. There is a shift in focus. In Verses 7:5-8, he talks about our sinful nature, our condemnation, our inability to please God. In Verse 9, there is a change. He says, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” This is very serious stuff. He is speaking to people who are not condemned. What makes them different? Is it because Jesus died? In part, yes, but not fully. It is because they have the Spirit of God living in them. The key to eternal life is in the Spirit of God which we receive through faith in Christ. How do we know that we have the Spirit of God? Well, Paul tells us in Romans 7:5 (page 1118), “Our minds are on what the Spirit desires.” What does that look like? Does having the Spirit of God in my life mean I have to go to church every week? That's a good thing, but not necessarily. Does it mean that I enjoy going to church every week? Well, that would be good too, but not necessarily. Does it mean that I read my Bible every day or pray for hours on end? Does that mean that I have the Spirit of God in me? It might, but not necessarily. If I am blessed by God in my life-if I'm healthy, if everything is going well-and is the sign of God's blessing showering down upon me, is that a sign that I have the Spirit of God in me? Well, I know a lot of missionaries from the past and people who were holy people who did not have very pleasant lives and did not appear to us to have the blessing of God upon them; yet they were very holy and the Spirit of God lived through them in a mighty way. So, what does it look like? How do we know that we have the Spirit of God? Well, the Spirit of God brings peace in your life; joy in your relationships; patience in your trials; love in your marriage; self-control in temptation. It makes you wise so you can make good decisions. It helps you to resist sin, anger, and jealousy. When you overflow with the Spirit, you become a blessing to others, not a burden. You give to other people and you don't take. People start to like you more; you realize that you start to love people more too because you recognize that they're made in the image of God, and God loves them too. The Spirit of God is the promise-the seal of our eternal life with Him. It is the opportunity to be in God's presence, to praise Him, and to live out our purpose that He's created us for; to bring glory to Him with our lives and not glory to ourselves. When you have the Spirit of God, you are passionate about the things that God is passionate about. You love what He loves; you hate what He hates. If there is an injustice, it makes you angry. If there is corruption, it grieves your heart. The will of God will consume you, and you will not be able to sit down and do nothing about it. If you are truly a follower of Christ, then you are obligated to live by the Spirit of God because the Spirit of God defines the life of Christ. If you do not have the Spirit of God, then you are truly missing out on God's greatest blessings. I mentioned before that we'd come back to that illustration about the space shuttle Atlantis because there is an element of that obligation that we haven't talked much about. We mentioned that they were obligated to show up for the launch, but the reality is that Commander Christopher Ferguson had the freedom to choose to say no. He had the freedom to walk away. He could have said, “You know what? It's been a great journey these past several years. I've learned a lot. It's really interesting, but you know what? The whole flammable liquid thing gets me a little uneasy. The lighting of the match and shooting up in the air, I'm not so sure about that. Quite frankly, my wife reminded me I have a dinner appointment tonight, and I don't want to miss that. You know what she would have to say about that? It might send her into orbit.” That would be ridiculous! That would be ridiculous if he failed to show up, but the reality is he has the freedom to choose; but this is what he's living for. This is what defines his life as being his purpose right now. This is what he was trained to do. People are looking to him as an icon of American pride, scientific advancement, and a symbol of what man can do. It would be a huge disappointment to NASA and to everyone else, all Americans all around, if he failed to show up for the launch. Yet, many people who call themselves Christians have done just that. God has shared with us His great vision to bless mankind. He has called us. He has given us this vision. He has equipped us with all we need to be successful, and we have actually responded with, “Yes, I want to be a part of this exciting plan to bless mankind.” Just like the billions of dollars spent on the International Space Station, Jesus' priceless blood was the cost for the mission that we elected to choose. Yet many Christians never follow through with their obligation. They never launch. They just sit there on the launch pad looking all pretty with this potential but never achieving anything. Like other people at times in my life, I have found that I am too busy with my own agenda to listen to the Spirit of God. At times, I tend to be more interested in happiness than holiness, [more concerned about] momentary pleasures than eternal joy. I spend more time being concerned with storing up treasures for my retirement than treasures in Heaven. I'm more bothered by what other people do wrong than my own sinful behavior. Quite frankly, oftentimes I'm more focused on me. When it's time for God to show up in a situation and I see there is a need, or I see somebody who is hurting, the best I can do is say, “I'll pray for you,” “I hope you get better,” or “I'm sure that God will provide.” That is not what God had in mind. At that point, if the Spirit of God is in you, He will prick your heart and say, “No, that's not what I want. I don't want you to pray for them. I want you to say, ‘Hey, I'm here to pray with you right now. I can tell that you're hurting. Tell me more about it. Talk to me. I want to listen.'” I don't want to just hope that you get better. I want to say, “You know what? Can I bring you a meal? I can see that you're sick? Can I bring you to a doctor appointment? Do you need a ride? What can I do to help you through this difficult time?” Instead of saying, “You know what? I can see that you're struggling, whether it be financially or you have a need…” Instead of saying, “I'm sure that God will provide. He's a generous God,” ask what has God given me that I have to offer? He has given us what we have that we might be a blessing to other people. God wants us to be concerned about what He is concerned about, even in the little things. Under God's law in our sinful nature, we are obligated to die, obligated to suffer His wrath. In Christ, we are freed from that obligation. If we choose to receive that obligation, then we are obligated to live by the Spirit of God. So, back to what God wants from us. Well, Old Testament/New Testament, it hasn't really changed. In fact, it goes back even before the law. What God really wants from us…is us. He wants our love and devotion. We asked the question before: what are the rules I need to follow in order to get to Heaven? Well, there really is only one rule. God says, “Love Me. Love Me with all your heart. Don't just like Me like you would like a friend on Facebook. Love Me with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength-more than money, success, power, or things that bring momentary happiness. More than anything, love Me with all your heart.” When you love God like that, then you will have the Spirit of God living in you, and oh, the power of God's love. The power of God's love holds within it the solution for world peace; an end to war; an end to poverty, to sickness, and corruption. God's love can even fix a messed-up life. My heart is still concerned as a pastor that there may be some in our own congregation who may think that they are Christians, but are they really? I don't want anyone to stand before God only to be rejected and to have them turn to God and say, “Why didn't You tell me?” He is telling you right now. Do you know without a doubt that you are living by the Spirit of God, the Spirit of God is in you, and you are loving Him with all your heart? I might not be able to tell you the exact day or time, but I can tell you without a doubt that there was a time in my life when I gave my life to Christ. I was about seven years old, and my mom had shared with me the condition of my sinful nature and the good news that I have in Christ. I said, “Yes, God, I give You my life. Whatever You ask, I will do.” In just a minute, we're going to pray, but before we do, I want to say it again: not everyone who calls himself a Christian will enter the Kingdom of God, Matthew 7:21. Having said that, you can be confident of your salvation-you can be assured of your salvation-by being honest, open, and vulnerable before God about the condition of your heart. Maybe you've grown up in the church and have been warming a pew for years, but you know you're not wholly-devoted. You take a look at your life and you clearly know that God is not pleased with all areas of your life. Are you really living by the Spirit? Is the Spirit of God in you? Today you are faced with a choice. You can choose to live in freedom by the Spirit, or you can choose to live, again, by your sinful nature under the law that you cannot live up to the obligation, and you are destined to die and to suffer God's wrath. I want to ask you to bow your heads and close your eyes. If there is any chance that anyone in this room might be among those who think that they are saved and are not, let's take care of that right now. I'm not going to ask anyone to raise their hands or stand up, say your name, come forward or anything because I don't want you to be swayed by what other people are doing. I want this to be honest, open, and genuine in your own heart before God because if it's not honest, open, and genuine, it will not stick. First, I want to ask if you know this morning that you are living in the Spirit, I want to ask you to pray right now wherever you're at in silence. I ask that you pray that the Spirit of God would move in our congregation. If you want to make today a turning point in your life; if you've never given your life to Christ; if you want to say, “Yes, I want to stop living for myself and want to put God at the center of my life”; if you have never given your life to Christ, I want you to pray with me silently right now: God, I know that I am a sinner. You've told me this in Your Book, and I believe it. I recognize that in my sin, I am obligated to die and to suffer Your wrath. I thank You for what Christ did on the cross, freeing me from that obligation; and I choose today to give my life to You. I don't know exactly what it looks like to live in the Spirit, but I want to learn and I want to please You with my life. Thank You for showing me the Truth. Give me the strength and surround me with people who will show me the way, that I might live my life for You. I ask that in Jesus' name. If you've been in the church for years but know you aren't truly following God with your whole heart or if at one time in your life, you were living by the Spirit and now you've fallen away, I want you to draw a line in the sand today and turn your life around. Get back on track. If that describes you this morning, I want you to pray with me silently where you're at: Heavenly Father, I know what You've done for me, and I thank You for what Christ did on the cross; but if I look at my life right now and if I'm honest with You, my life does not please You. I'm living under my sinful nature, my selfish desires. Lord, if I'm living under my sinful nature, there is judgment to be had. I recognize, Lord, that You have destined me for greater things. I want to live for You with my whole life. Help me to launch out of my place of apathy that I might show the world and shine Your light on what You have done for them. God, I draw a line in the sand, and I'm turning my life in a new direction. Thank You for reaching into my life and reminding me what Christ has done and giving me a second chance to live my whole life for You. Thank You, God, for Your generosity, for Your forgiveness, for Your blessing. Lord, we pray that Your Spirit will bless our congregation now. Wherever we're at, we give our lives to You, that You might be glorified in our lives, in our community, and our families. Lord, help us to shine our lights with Your glory. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.