Podcast appearances and mentions of colson fellows

If your day of choosing between your faith and your job hasn't come yet, it may be just around the corner. Related Resource What Would You Say?: Is Religious Freedom an Excuse for Discrimination? ___________ Register for the 2025 Great Lakes Symposium: Truth, Love, and Humor: Faith Without Fear at colsoncenter.org/truth. 

Christians should get there first.  ___________ Learn more about the impact of the Colson Fellows program at colsonfellows.org. 

In a culture that increasingly devalues children and mothering, Rachael Carman challenges us to rediscover the profound beauty and value of motherhood, including the moments that feel tiring or even mundane. The vulnerability, sacrifice, and invisible acts of motherhood aren't just duties to endure but sacred opportunities to meet Jesus and become more like Him.  Show Notes:  Apologia Curriculum  The Kristin Lavransdatter Trilogy by Sigrid Undset    Hey, listeners! You've probably heard me talk about the Colson Fellows Program here on Strong Women. I'm excited to let you know that the Colson Fellows team hosts one-hour, live, informational webinars that allow you to hear an overview of the program and get your questions answered. The webinars are hosted by the Vice President and Dean of the Colson Fellowship – my good friend, Michael Craven. If you enjoy the conversations we have on Strong Women and want to think more deeply about your place in God's story of redemption, the Colson Fellows Program might be for you. Colson Fellows will take you on a deep dive study of Christian worldview through books, devotionals, meetings with likeminded peers, and more. If you're interested, but have questions about the workload, cohort formats, or anything else, I encourage you to sign up for the next live, Colson Fellows informational webinar. You can find a full list of webinar dates and register today at colsonfellows.org/webinar.    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

“Hard” is not hell; it leads to treasures in heaven.  ___________ Register for the informational Colson Fellows webinar on May 8 at colsonfellows.org/webinar. 

As moms or teachers or mentors, how do we help the young people in our lives grow deep roots of faith before they launch into the world? Today's guest has some practical answers. As Educators Specialist here at the Colson Center, Billy Hutchinson is all about helping Christian educators form their students in the Christian worldview. But this episode isn't just for educators! If you play any influential role in the life of a young person, you'll find encouragement and help in this conversation.  Show Notes:  A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today's World by John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle  Kingmaker by Sonia Purnell  The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt: The Women Who Created a President by Edward O'Keefe   The Colson Educators Program  The Colson Fellows Program   The Identity Project    Want to know what it takes to be a Colson Fellow? Well, you can find out from someone who's already been through it by checking out the Pursuit series on the Colson Fellows blog. There, you can read testimonies of men and women like you from different backgrounds who took on the challenge of the Colson Fellows Program and came out on the other side transformed. Start with Catherine Wheeler's story. She was in my Colson Fellows cohort when I was a leader. She's an OBGYN and former abortionist whose transformation story really is amazing. You can read Catherine's testimony and many others by visiting colsonfellows.org/stories.   You don't have to look far to notice cancel culture is everywhere. Maybe your teen is nervous to speak up at school about being pro-life because she's afraid her opinion will be dismissed. Maybe you're hesitant to voice concerns at work because you're worried about backlash from your co-workers. These situations are common, but speaking the truth with love is our calling as Christians. The Colson Educators course, "Navigating Cancel Culture," can help. In partnership with "No Safe Spaces," the Colson Center and Brett Kunkle teach you how to understand cancel culture, recognize where it shows up, and respond with a Christian perspective. Ready to learn more? Sign up at colsoneducators.org.    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Colson Fellows is having a definitive impact on the campus of Northwest Christian School.  School superintendent completed the program three years ago.  Two years ago, three teachers went through it, and collectively, their rave reviews have inspired even more teachers to participate.  This year, that number is close to twenty!Colson Fellows is a masters-level, year-long deep-dive into Biblical worldview.  The program equips the fellows to understand the Biblical foundations for issues that are, right now, impacting our culture in some pretty negative ways.Today, we are joined by Ellen Millard (high school chemistry) and Alana Heater (freshman Bible) as they present their case for why all NCS faculty and staff should run through the program...and their case for why YOU should consider the same.For more information on Colson Fellows, please follow this link.Fore more information on the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, click here. "Kingdom Culture Conversations" is a podcast created through Frameworks, a Biblical worldview initiative of Northwest Christian School.For more information on Frameworks, please visit: https://frameworks.ncsaz.org/For more information on Northwest Christian School, visit: https://www.ncsaz.org/To reach out to Geoff Brown, please email gbrown@ncsaz.org or you can reach him by cell phone: (623)225-5573.

You don't have to choose between studying theology and being passionate about Jesus. In fact, our study of God should lead to love for God. Today I'm joined by theologian, Bible teacher, and author Phylicia Masonheimer, who shows us the beauty of studying theology for the love of Christ. No matter your circumstances, education, or age, you have an invitation to grow in the love and knowledge of God every day.   Every Woman a Theologian Podcast: Verity with Phylician Masonheimer  When Life and Beliefs Collide by Carolyn Custis James  Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë  Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung    Lent is a time to reflect on our need for salvation, repent of our sins, and prepare to celebrate Christ's resurrection with deep gratitude. Our team has created a free guide with weekly hymns, prayers, and artwork to help prepare your heart for Easter. Join the Strong Women community and download your free copy today at colsoncenter.org/lent.    Hey, listeners! You've probably heard me talk about the Colson Fellows Program here on Strong Women. I'm excited to let you know that the Colson Fellows team hosts one-hour, live, informational webinars that allow you to hear an overview of the program and get your questions answered. The webinars are hosted by the Vice President and Dean of the Colson Fellowship – my good friend, Michael Craven. If you enjoy the conversations we have on Strong Women and want to think more deeply about your place in God's story of redemption, the Colson Fellows Program might be for you. Colson Fellows will take you on a deep dive study of Christian worldview through books, devotionals, meetings with likeminded peers, and more. If you're interested, but have questions about the workload, cohort formats, or anything else, I encourage you to sign up for the next live, Colson Fellows informational webinar. You can find a full list of webinar dates and register today at colsonfellows.org/webinar.    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Take a peek at the Colson Fellows Program through three women who are in the middle of it! Brooke Colón, the Colson Fellows Director, gives us a glimpse at the Program and how it can transform your faith. Then, Martha and Grace, two current Colson Fellows-in-Training, share how the Program has challenged their thinking and strengthened their faith.    How Now Shall We Live? by Chuck Colson  Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis  Knowing God by J.I. Packer  2025 Colson Center National Conference      Lent is a time to reflect on our need for salvation, repent of our sins, and prepare to celebrate Christ's resurrection with deep gratitude. Our team has created a free guide with weekly hymns, prayers, and artwork to help prepare your heart for Easter. Join the Strong Women community and download your free copy today at colsoncenter.org/lent.   Mental illness and suicide rates have reached critical levels in our culture. As Christians, we have an opportunity to share the hope and healing of Christ with those who feel hopeless. That's why the Colson Educators created Hope Always: How to be a Force for Life in a Culture of Suicide. In this free online course, Dr. Matthew Sleeth explores today's mental health challenges, highlights how Scripture speaks to sufferers, and provides practical guidance for how we can talk about suicide prevention in our families, churches, and schools. Sign up for Hope Always today and learn how to be a force for life in the places God has called you. You can sign up today at colsoneducators.org.    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc   

John Stonestreet has a conversation with the Dean of the Colson Fellows Program, Michael Craven, on being the Church in a time of chaos, creating culture, and the power of a Christian worldview. Learn more about the Colson Fellows Program at colsonfellows.org. 

Take heart parents. You have the right to give your baby a full life in all circumstances.  __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program and apply at colsonfellows.org.

Why some find it hard to admit this world is perfectly designed by a Creator.  Related Resource What Would You Say?: Does Technology Make Religion Obsolete? Breakpoint Forum: The Perils and Promise of Artificial Intelligence __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program and apply at colsonfellows.org. 

Sports gambling is growing at an alarming rate with the expected carnage left in its wake. And John talks to David Bahnsen about retirement and the value of work.   Recommendations The 21 Film Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Segment 1 - Sports Betting Breakpoint: The Super Bowl and Sports Gambling: America's Newest Addiction WORLD: Culture Friday: Faith, forgiveness, and football What Would You Say?: Who Was Saint Valentine? Breakpoint: The 21: Telling the Story of the Men Martyred on a Libyan Beach a Decade Ago The 21 Film Segment 2 - The Value of Work with David Bahnsen Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life by David L. Bahnsen BONUS Breakpoint: Christian Hope in Economic Uncertainty with David Bahnsen The World and Everything in It podcast 2025 Colson Center National Conference __________ Get your copy of Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life by David L. Bahnsen with your gift of any amount at colsoncenter.org/february. Learn more about the Colson Fellows program and apply at colsonfellows.org.

Another presidential executive order puts an end to men in women's sports in America, at least for now. And John and Maria discuss the search for meaning and self-esteem.   Recommendations Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life by David Bahnsen C.S. Lewis Song by Brooke Fraser Segment 1 - Men in Women's Sports Executive Order: KEEPING MEN OUT OF WOMEN'S SPORTS XX-XY Athletics Clothing Segment 2 - The Search for Meaning NYT: 'The Interview': Digital Drugs Have Us Hooked. Dr. Anna Lembke Sees a Way Out. First Things: How Happiness Studies Lets Us Down by J. Budziszewski Psychology as Religion: The Cult of Self-Worship by Paul C. Vitz Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life by David Bahnsen 10 Books that Screwed Up the World: And 5 Others That Didn't Help by Benjamin Wiker __________ Get your copy of Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life by David L. Bahnsen with your gift of any amount at colsoncenter.org/february. Learn more about the Colson Fellows program and apply at colsonfellows.org.   

From volunteering in her teen years to now serving as Director, Aimee Huber has worked with First Choice Pregnancy Resource Centers in New Jersey for 33 years. When the state unfairly targeted First Choice in 2022, God called Aimee to a deeper level of trust in Him. Through this ongoing challenge, Aimee has learned to find her strength in the God who does unexpected things.  First Choice Women's Resource Centers in New Jersey  Alliance Defending Freedom  Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur    The Church Affiliate program brings the Colson Fellows program to your local church. Pastors and church leaders can go through the Colson Fellows program for free, so they are able to launch a Church Affiliate's cohort an bring worldview training to their church members. For more details, visit  colsoncenter.org/church.    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center, which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them. Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on social media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc     

If cloning farm animals is illegal, should society clone children? __________ Register for the Colson Fellows on November 14 Church Affiliate Informational Webinar at colsoncenter.org/church. 

Have you ever grieved so deeply that you can't find the words to pray? In seasons of suffering, praying prayers written by other believers can help us bring our weary hearts to the Lord. Jessika Sanders and Eric Schumacher have written a book of these prayers, In His Hands: Prayers for Your Child or Baby in a Medical Crisis. They join us this week to talk about the comfort and power of prayer in times of suffering.      In His Hands: Prayers for Your Child or Baby in a Medical Crisis by Jessika Sanders and Eric Schumacher  Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard  You're Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's Design and Why That's Good News by Kelly Kapic  Praying Through Ministries    The Church Affiliate program brings the Colson Fellows program to your local church. Pastors and church leaders can go through the Colson Fellows program for free, so they are able to launch a Church Affiliate's cohort an bring worldview training to their church members. For more details, visit colsoncenter.org/church.   The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc     

The presidential debate left more questions than answers. John and Maria discuss the implications. Proponents of using chemicals and surgery on gender-confused kids are changing their terminology. And we look at how different denominations are handling the question of women in the pulpit.   Recommendations Great Lakes Symposium (join in person or online!)   Segment 1 - Presidential Debate Watch the first 2024 presidential debate between Biden and Trump Breakpoint: Trump Announces His Position on Life Post-Roe Breakpoint: The War on Pregnancy Resource Centers The Good Life by Chuck Colson  Segment 2 - The Language of Transgender Politics The gaslighting has begun by Maria Baer on WORLD Segment 3 - Women's Ordination   __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program and apply for the upcoming class at colsonfellows.org. Support the ongoing production of Breakpoint at colsoncenter.org/june.

As the West loses touch with its Creator, by what authority do we agree on inalienable rights? Related Resources: Do Children's Rights Override Parental Rights? _______ To apply for the Colson Fellows program, visit colsonfellows.org.

What about the training and formation of teachers? __________ Apply for the Colson Fellows program at colsonfellows.org/apply. 

Are Americans dropping their rainbow zeal because of a zealot takeover? __________ To apply for the Colson Fellows program, visit colsonfellows.org.

June 25, 2024 Dr. Glenn Sunshine, former Professor of History @ Central Connecticut University, Senior Faculty Member of the Colson Fellows, Founder & President of Every Square Inch Mini- stries & author of a number of books, including the one we will address on this program: “SLAYING LEVIATHAN: LIMITED GOVERNMENT & RESISTANCE in the CHRISTIAN TRADITION”   Subscribe: iTunes  TuneIn Android RSS Feed Listen:

Christianity is to be lived courageously outward facing for this time and place.  __________ Apply for the Colson Fellows Program at colsonfellows.org/apply. 

The famous artist revealed his hope in Christ in his many sonnets.   __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program at colsonfellows.org. 

The harassment of cake artist Jack Phillips continues as he finds himself back in court. The Surgeon General is recommending social media sites post a health hazard warning. And megachurch pastor Robert Morris resigns over allegations of inappropriate behavior.   Recommendations Colson Fellows Program Great Lakes Symposium on Christian Worldview Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado Segment 1 - Jack is Back in Court Why Jack Still Won't Bake the Cake  Justice for Jack with ADF 303 Creative v. Elenis Breakpoint: The Courage to Change One's Mind Segment 2 - Social Media Warning Surgeon General Calls for Warning Labels on Social Media Platforms  Segment 3 - Another Celebrity Pastor Falls Texas megachurch pastor resigns amid allegations he sexually abused a minor  __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program and apply for the upcoming class at colsonfellows.org.  Support the ongoing production of Breakpoint at colsoncenter.org/june. 

Choosing culture over Christ, Mainline Protestantism is in its last days. __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program at colsonfellows.org. 

Our post-Christian culture often promotes justice at the expense of mercy. God takes injustice seriously, and His forgiveness is the only thing in the universe that can deal with the full weight of injustice while also securing our redemption. According to theologian and apologist Amy Orr-Ewing, Christians have a precious opportunity in this cultural moment to show our neighbors how God meets their need for both justice and mercy through the cross. Amy joins us this week for an encouraging and hope-filled conversation Where is God in All the Suffering? by Amy Orr-Ewing  Lead Like the Real You by Amy Orr-Ewing (coming August 2024)  Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis  Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World by Tom Holland  Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily Worship prayer book by Jonathan Gibson Registration is now open for the Great Lakes Symposium on Christian Worldview, which is on Thursday, July 25th at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. John Stonestreet is going to be joined by Alisa Childers and Ryan Bomberger of the Radiance Foundation. The topic for the evening is going to be truth and its counterfeit, discerning the lies that take people captive. This event is free and you can attend in person in Bay Harbor, Michigan, or online via a live stream. Register today at GreatLakesSymposium.org. Time is running out to apply for the Colson Fellows program. Applications close on June 30th. Do you want to understand this cultural moment so that you can live faithfully in it? Join a dedicated group of Christians who share that same desire. Colson Fellows dive into thought provoking books, webinars, devotionals and monthly cohort meetings to learn the biblical story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. They come to understand this cultural moment in light of the big story. As a result, they find unshakable hope and take action. Participating in God's work of restoration, wherever he calls them. Discover timeless wisdom for this time and place in the Colson Fellows program. Submit your application before June 30th at ColsonFellows.org/apply. The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

A small but ambitious group of activists committed to the “long game” changed the landscape of marriage. __________ To join the Colson Fellows program, visit colsonfellows.org.

Sometimes we forget how radical and powerful God's grace is. This week's guest, Toni McFadden, has not forgotten. Toni travels the country to speak about abortion, promote healthy sexuality and relationships, and advocate for the unborn. After Toni had an abortion in high school, God transformed her life through radical salvation, healing, and a new calling. Her life testifies to how Jesus forgives our sin and redeems our stories.    Toni's Website   Redeemed: My Journey After Abortion by Toni McFadden or at https://tonimcfadden.com/  Campus Crusade for Christ (Now Cru)  Forgiven and Set Free: A Bible Study for Women Seeking Healing after Abortion by Linda Cochrane   The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis   Live Action  March for Life  Pro Love Ministries and Love Line  On the Threshold of Hope: Opening the Door to Healing for Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Diane Mandt Langberg   “Remembering Pro-Life Trailblazer Mildred Jefferson,” Feb 4, 2020 Commentary from The Heritage Foundation     Strong Women listeners, the Colson Center is accepting applications for the Colson Fellows program Class of ‘25, until June 30th. This flagship program takes participants on a ten-month journey into the study of the Christian life and worldview. Why? Because Christians need to understand the entire biblical story so we can properly order our lives and the world around us in a way that rightly relates to us God, self, others, and creation. You can expect to deepen your relationship with Christ, gain clarity in your calling, develop practical skills and wisdom, and join a powerful network of commissioned Colson Fellows around the globe. Ultimately, you'll be equipped to make an impact for God's Kingdom right where he has placed you. To learn more and apply before the June 30th deadline, go to www.colsonfellows.org. Please note, tuition increases $50 for all applications submitted after June 5, so submit your applications soon!      The Strong Women podcast exists to display the beautifully diverse ways God invites and equips women to participate in His story, encouraging us to step out of shallow definitions of womanhood and into the freedom of strong womanhood in Christ. Strong Women is a listener-funded program from the Colson Center that is only available for free because it has already been paid for by hundreds of listeners like you. To support the ongoing production of Strong Women, visit colsoncenter.org/give today.    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women  Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

A look into the Colson Fellows program and how it helps churches in this cultural moment. __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program by going to colsonfellows.org.

Christians know that babies are blessings, not burdens. __________ To learn more about Colson Fellows, go to colsonfellows.org.

Living with unmet longings often feels like suffering. Rachel Miller knows, from experience, that our longings confront us with an opportunity to struggle toward God and community, rather than away from them. Her latest book is When It Hurts to Hope: Honest Conversations about Living with Unmet Longing. She joins us this week to talk about wrestling with longings and desires, and correcting the bad theology that worsens our suffering.    Rachel's Website  When It Hurts to Hope, Honest Conversations About Living with Unmet Longing by Rachel Miller  The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan  The Midnight Library by Matt Haig  Emma by Jane Austen    As Christians, we're called to love God with all our minds, and be transformed by the renewal of our minds. Without a mind that's shaped by God's Word, we'll struggle to champion the truth, beauty, and goodness of God's Kingdom in this time and place. To address this problem, Michael Craven, Vice President of Equipping and Mobilization at the Colson Center has written a brand-new, free e-book called The Christian Mind: Its Necessity to Christian Relevance and Renewal. It's a primer on developing a thoroughly Christian mind for the sake of the Kingdom. If you want a more robust faith that actually shapes how you live in the world today, or if you're wondering why cultivating a Christian mind really matters, you should read this book. You can grab your free copy by going to colsoncenter.org/book.    Strong Women listeners, the Colson Center is accepting applications for the Colson Fellows program Class of ‘25, until June 30th. This flagship program takes participants on a ten-month journey into the study of the Christian life and worldview. Why? Because Christians need to understand the entire biblical story so we can properly order our lives and the world around us in a way that rightly relates to us God, self, others, and creation. You can expect to deepen your relationship with Christ, gain clarity in your calling, develop practical skills and wisdom, and join a powerful network of commissioned Colson Fellows around the globe. Ultimately, you'll be equipped to make an impact for God's Kingdom right where he has placed you. To learn more and apply before the June 30th deadline, go to www.colsonfellows.org. Please note, tuition increases $50 for all applications submitted after June 5, so submit your applications soon!     The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women  Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc   

John Stonestreet and Maria Baer discuss the ongoing anti-Israel student protests on college campuses across the country. Colorado has passed a bill forcing teachers to refer to students by any of their chosen pronouns and the Biden administration pushes to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug.   Recommendations All Creatures Great and Small We Were the Lucky Ones Segment 1 - The protests on college campuses continue The Contradiction of “Queers for Palestine”  What the Pro-Palestinian Protests are Really About  Antisemitism Awareness Act Segment 2 - Colorado's Chosen Name proposal  Colorado bill would require schools to use students' chosen names HOUSE BILL 24-1039 The Department of Education's Title IX Regulations Segment 3 - The Biden Admin to Reclassify Marijuana Biden admin will move to reclassify marijuana as ‘less dangerous drug' in historic shift  Breakpoint: Marijuana And Psychosis In Teens Breakpoint: Marijuana And Teen Suicide Breakpoint: More Studies Show The Harm Of Recreational Marijuana Use __________ Claim your copy of The Beginning and End of All Things with your gift of any amount to the Colson Center at colsoncenter.org/april. Learn more about the Colson Fellows program at colsonfellows.org. 

Gender ideology is the biggest lie capturing young people today. The Church is called to care for the victims of this lie while walking in truth and love. Mary Rice Hasson joins us this week to share how Christians can offer a better hope than gender ideology and practically love those who struggle with their identity.    As believers, we were never meant to simply wait around until Jesus returns. We have been called to participate with God in the renewal of all creation. To understand this beautiful calling and take your place as an agent of renewal, request a copy of The Beginning and End of All Things, by Edward Klink. This month we'll send you a copy as a thank you for your donation to the Colson Center. Request a copy by giving a gift of any amount to the Colson Center in April at colsoncenter.org/swklinkresource.    The Colson Fellows program was designed for men and women with full, busy lives. The program combines theological, spiritual, and worldview formation through a carefully curated combination of readings, daily devotions, live webinars, and monthly meetings with your peers. Interesting but wondering if you have the time or what it takes to complete the program? I assure you, it's well worth your investment and has been completed by many women in all stages and seasons of life. Interested in learning more? You can explore the program and submit an application at colsonfellows.org.  The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women  Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc   

This week we're joined by author and illustrator Ned Bustard. Ned lost his wife Leslie to cancer last year, but her beautiful spirit and faith are captured in the new book, Tiny Thoughts That I've Been Thinking. Leslie saw God's goodness in life's smallest details and infused ordinary moments with Christ's light. Come hear about her legacy of faith and the exercise of trusting God's plan in the face of grief and uncertainty.    www.WorldsEndImages.com    www.PoeticUnderpinnings.com    www.SquareHaloBooks.com    Tiny Thoughts That I've Been Thinking: Selected Writings of Leslie Anne Bustard edited by Ned Bustard or find it on Square Halo Books  Every Moment Holy by Douglas McKelvey and Illustrated by Ned Bustard  Square Halo Books Podcast  The Habit Podcast with Jonathan Rogers  Isaac Newton's letters  You Are What You Love by James K Smith  Knowing God by J.I. Packer  Why Everything That Doesn't Matter, Matters So Much: The Way of Love in a World of Hurt by Andi Ashworth and Charlie Peacock  Poet Anne Bradstreet    Creation is about more than HOW God created the world. It's about why. From the beginning, God's purpose has been to dwell with His image bearers in unbroken fellowship. It's tempting to think that our sin ruined that plan, and that Jesus was God's Plan B. But as Edward Klink says, Jesus and the Church were always Plan A. More than that, God is not replacing creation; He's renewing it, and you and I have been invited to participate in that renewal as God's agents of redemption. Klink's latest book, The Beginning and End of All Things, will give you a bigger, more accurate perspective on God's plan for creation and your place in it. Request a copy by giving a gift of any amount to the Colson Center in April at colsoncenter.org/swklinkresource.   The Colson Fellows program was designed for men and women with full, busy lives. The program combines theological, spiritual, and worldview formation through a carefully curated combination of readings, daily devotions, live webinars, and monthly meetings with your peers. Interesting but wondering if you have the time or what it takes to complete the program? I assure you, it's well worth your investment and has been completed by many women in all stages and seasons of life. Interested in learning more? You can explore the program and submit an application at colsonfellows.org.    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women  Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Elisabeth Elliot was an imperfect yet faithful Christ-follower with a complex life story. This week, Ellen Vaughn returns to discuss Being Elisabeth Elliot, volume two of her amazing biography of Elliot's life. Tune in to hear about Elisabeth's return from foreign missions, her writings, her struggles with loneliness, and the complexities of her later life and marriages.    Strong Women Podcast 34. The Life of Elisabeth Elliot with Ellen Vaughn  Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn  Being Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn  These Strange Ashes by Elisabeth Elliot  International Cooperating Ministries    Creation is about more than HOW God created the world. It's about why. From the beginning, God's purpose has been to dwell with His image bearers in unbroken fellowship. It's tempting to think that our sin ruined that plan, and that Jesus was God's Plan B. But as Edward Klink says, Jesus and the Church were always Plan A. More than that, God is not replacing creation; He's renewing it, and you and I have been invited to participate in that renewal as God's agents of redemption. Klink's latest book, The Beginning and End of All Things, will give you a bigger, more accurate perspective on God's plan for creation and your place in it. Request a copy by giving a gift of any amount to the Colson Center in April at colsoncenter.org/swklinkresource.   The Colson Fellows program was designed for men and women with full, busy lives. The program combines theological, spiritual, and worldview formation through a carefully curated combination of readings, daily devotions, live webinars, and monthly meetings with your peers. Interested but wondering if you have the time or what it takes to complete the program? I assure you, it's well worth your investment and has been completed by many women in all stages and seasons of life. Interested in learning more? You can explore the program and submit an application at colsonfellows.org.    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women  Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

You can't have Christianity's fruit without its root.  __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program at colsonfellows.org. 

Did you know that the U.S. is one of the most active sex-trafficking countries in the world? Amid these sobering statistics, Vicki Proffit spends her time caring for survivors and pointing them to the love of Jesus. Vicki is the Executive Director of Sarah's Home, a sanctuary for survivors of sex trafficking in Colorado. In this live interview, she shares powerful stories of how God has revealed Himself as the ultimate provider, guiding her work and transforming lives. You'll be encouraged by Vicki's testimony of listening to God's voice, leaning on Him completely, and the miraculous ways He has worked through prayer. Listen to the end to hear an audience Q&A.    Sarah's Home  Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God by Henry Blackaby  The Power of a Praying Mom: Powerful Prayers for You and Your Children by Stormie Omartian  The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian  The Power of a Praying Woman by Stormie Omartian  The Watchmaker's Daughter: The True Story of World War II Heroine Corrie ten Boom by Larry Loftis  The hotline numbers are:  Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline:  844-264-5437     Colorado Hotline for Human Trafficking call 866-455-5075 or text 720-999-9724     National Hotline for Sex Trafficking 888-373-7888  Life Decisions.me    Creation is about more than HOW God created the world. It's about why. From the beginning, God's purpose has been to dwell with His image bearers in unbroken fellowship. It's tempting to think that our sin ruined that plan, and that Jesus was God's Plan B. But as Edward Klink says, Jesus and the Church were always Plan A. More than that, God is not replacing creation; He's renewing it, and you and I have been invited to participate in that renewal as God's agents of redemption. Klink's latest book, The Beginning and End of All Things, will give you a bigger, more accurate perspective on God's plan for creation and your place in it. Request a copy by giving a gift of any amount to the Colson Center in April at colsoncenter.org/swklinkresource.   The Colson Fellows program was designed for men and women with full, busy lives. The program combines theological, spiritual, and worldview formation through a carefully curated combination of readings, daily devotions, live webinars, and monthly meetings with your peers. Interesting but wondering if you have the time or what it takes to complete the program? I assure you, it's well worth your investment and has been completed by many women in all stages and seasons of life. Interested in learning more? You can explore the program and submit an application at colsonfellows.org.  The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women  Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

John and Maria share thoughts on this most holy of weeks in the Christian faith. It's the most dangerous of seasons for Christians in Nigeria. And the abortion pill goes on trial at the Supreme Court. Holy Week Recommendations Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell  Lent for Everyone by N.T. Wright  Death On A Friday Afternoon by Richard John Neuhaus  The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible   Segment 1 - SCOTUS Oral Arguments on Abortion Pill Supreme Court appears likely to allow abortion drug to remain available  Abortion access again before Supreme Court  Erin Hawley: The Woman Arguing Against the Abortion Pill  The Strong Women Podcast Segment 2 - Persecution of Nigerian Christians In Nigeria, parents finally able to see children who were abducted from school in early March  As Easter approaches, Christian persecution is on the rise  Hold Nigeria accountable for its failure to stop internal religious violence  ICON: International Committee on Nigeria Segment 3 - Holy Week Truth, Love, and Maundy Thursday  __________ Claim your copy of Deconstruction of Christianity with your gift of any amount to the Colson Center this month at colsoncenter.org/march.  Learn more about the Colson Fellows program at colsonfellows.org. 

We are forgetful people. But as we rehearse the story of the Gospel together through redemptive spiritual rhythms, we can remember and be shaped by truth. As we commemorate Christ's death and resurrection this Holy Week, Father Michael Williams joins us to talk about the story of Easter, the Church calendar, and how God forms us through participation in the life of the Church.    The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher  Christian Theology: An Introduction by Alister E. McGrath  Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution by Carl R. Trueman  Deep Anglicanism by Gerald McDermott  After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man by Michael Ward   Death on a Friday Afternoon by Richard John Newhouse    Doubts and hard questions are a welcome part of the Christian life. But many young Christians today are being encouraged to “deconstruct” their faith. Culture becomes the standard of truth instead of Scripture, and many young believers walk away from faith altogether. To help the Church offer a better way to those who are deconstructing, Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett have written The Deconstruction of Christianity. They define what deconstruction really is, why it's appealing to so many, and why it's harmful. They also equip us to love those who are deconstructing by welcoming the hard questions while also upholding truth. This month, get a copy of The Deconstruction of Christianity by giving a gift of any amount to the Colson Center at colsoncenter.org/swdeconstruction  If you've listened for a while, you've probably heard me talk about the Colson Fellows program and what a transformational experience it has been in my life and the lives of many fellow believers. The Colson Fellows program was designed for men and women with full, busy lives. The program combines theological, spiritual, and worldview formation through a carefully curated combination of readings, daily devotions, live webinars, and monthly meetings with your peers. Interesting but wondering if you have the time or what it takes to complete the program? I assure you, it's well worth your investment and has been completed by many women in all stages and seasons of life. Interested in learning more? You can explore the program and submit an application at colsonfellows.org.  The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women  Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

It's time for a revival of Christian imagination inspired by God instead of self and online likes. __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program at colsonfellows.org. 

Not many of us associate discipline, commitment, and obedience with joy and freedom—but today's guest, Pamela Patnode, knows that these things lead to flourishing and joy in the Christian life. When we live according to God's design by loving Him and others, we experience true life. Listen in and let Pamela's testimony encourage you to cultivate a life of commitment to the Lord.     Doubts and hard questions are a welcome part of the Christian life. But many young Christians today are being encouraged to “deconstruct” their faith. To help the Church offer a better way to those who are deconstructing, Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett have written The Deconstruction of Christianity. They define what deconstruction really is, why it's appealing to so many, and why it's harmful. They also equip us to love those who are deconstructing by welcoming the hard questions while also upholding truth. This month, get a copy of The Deconstruction of Christianity by giving a gift of any amount to the Colson Center at colsoncenter.org/swdeconstruction  St. Paul Seminary  Catholic School Leadership Program  You Are What You Love by James K. Smith  Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis  Benedictine Daily Prayer: A Short Breviary  The Road to Eternal Life: Reflections on the Prologue of the Rule of St. Benedict by Fr. Michael Casey   The Magnificat Prayer Booklet  Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions by Arthur Bennett (Editor)  The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis  The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation by Rod Dreher   The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer  Wisdom from the Psalms by Dr. Peter Kreeft  How to Think Like Shakespeare: Lessons from a Renaissance Education by Scott Newstock  If you've listened for a while, you've probably heard me talk about the Colson Fellows program and what a transformational experience it has been in my life and the lives of many fellow believers. The Colson Fellows program was designed for men and women with full, busy lives. The program combines theological, spiritual, and worldview formation through a carefully curated combination of readings, daily devotions, live webinars, and monthly meetings with your peers. Interesting but wondering if you have the time or what it takes to complete the program? I assure you, it's well worth your investment and has been completed by many women in all stages and seasons of life. Interested in learning more? You can explore the program and submit an application at colsonfellows.org.  The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what's happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Despite what oracles of a post-Christian society promised, the kids are far from happier and free. __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program at colsonfellows.org. 

In a prolife world, recent reports about rape rates would be a shocking story about crime and not about access to abortion. __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program at ColsonFellows.org. 

Maria Baer interviews Colson Center vice president Michael Craven to hear about how the Colson Fellows program spurs participants to enter God's story, discern this cultural moment, and become agents of change in their own communities. Learn more about the Colson Fellows program at colsonfellows.org. 

The Colson Center offers a program equipping believers to respond outwardly to the cultural moment. __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program and apply today at colsonfellows.org. 

The West's staggering embrace of assisted suicide and why Christians must proclaim the imago Dei message. __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program and apply today at colsonfellows.org. 

The Colson Center offers a program equipping believers to respond outwardly to the cultural moment. __________ Learn more about the Colson Fellows program and apply for our next class at colsonfellows.org. Register for the next Breakpoint Forum “The Perils and Promise of Artificial Intelligence” at breakpoint.org/forum. 

We're excited to announce the Colson Fellows program is now accepting applications for the 2024-2025 cohort. As a Breakpoint listener, you probably pick up on how the daily commentaries do the work of translation for you. We take a story or issue being discussed in our culture right now and model how to think through it from a Christian worldview. But, if you're interested in going deeper - in discovering how to develop the wisdom and skills needed to walk wisely in this cultural moment - then the Colson Fellows program might be for you. This ten-month program combines theological, spiritual, and worldview formation through a carefully curated combination of readings, daily devotions, live webinars, and monthly meetings with your peers. With both in-person and fully online offerings, you can choose the format that works best with your stage in life. Interested in learning more? You can explore the program and submit an application at colsonfellows.org.  ______________ Despite progressive states trying to ban APR, the treatment is proving to be safe for moms and lifesaving for babies. 

To see this What Would You Say? video in its entirety and to share it with others, go to whatwouldyousay.org. Or, you can look up the What Would You Say? channel on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to be notified each time a new video is released.   _________ Among the unexpected stories of 2023 was a renewed interest in all things extraterrestrial: from images of alien corpses; to retired high-ranking military officials claiming secret government programs launched to capture UFOs; to a strange encounter with Las Vegas police officers. The public interest in whether there's anything out there is as high as ever. But what would the existence of alien life mean for Christianity?   That's the question tackled in a brand new video, part of the What Would You Say? series, called “Would the Discovery of Alien Life Disprove Christianity?”   Many people assume that if any evidence were to be discovered for extraterrestrial life, it would be devastating to the Christian worldview. However, according to my colleague, Shane Morris, that's not necessarily the case. In fact, according to Shane, “There's nothing in the Christian view of the world that excludes the possibility that God created life on other planets.” In this video, Shane offers three things to keep in mind. First, that “despite the hype of science fiction and decades of searching, there is currently no evidence for life on other planets.”   [A]fter decades of looking and listening and exploring the heavens for that life, we've come up empty-handed. So much so, in fact, that physicists and astronomers have named the emptiness the Fermi Paradox, which refers to “the discrepancy between the lack of conclusive evidence of advanced extraterrestrial life and the apparently high likelihood of its existence.” In other words, if life happens easily, “Where is everybody?”    Ward and his co-author, Donald Brownlee, argue in Rare Earth that life doesn't happen that easily, and assuming that it does is the real mistake. At least a dozen special conditions found on our planet are probably necessary for the existence of intelligent life, including a precise orbital distance from our star, heavy elements, liquid water, a moon, a magnetic field, not too much gravity, a nearby gas giant, and having a star like our Sun, which, as it turns out, is anything but “ordinary.”    Shane's second point is that “even if intelligent life were found elsewhere in the universe, it wouldn't necessarily present a problem for Christianity.”  Before Star Trek or Star Wars existed, C.S. Lewis wrote his Space Trilogy. In it, he famously imagined alien races that never fell into sin. And in a few essays, Lewis wrestled with whether the existence of real-life extraterrestrials would threaten Christianity. According to Lewis, the Bible never says God created the vast cosmos only for humans…   For Lewis, intelligent aliens created and loved by God posed no problem, nor would they contradict the Bible. In the same essay, he cautioned that the Bible was not intended to satisfy our curiosity about such things but as an instruction manual for salvation. But he also warned that humans are in no position to tell God what He can and cannot do with His vast universe.     And finally, Shane states that “the Bible teaches that there are other beings in the universe, but they're not what materialists expect, and they do not always come in peace.”   Some biblical scholars, like the late Dr. Michael Heiser, have suggested that some alleged alien encounters may be the result of demonic activity and possession. After all, in 2 Corinthians 11:14 Paul warned that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.    This means that Christians need not believe every story of alien abductions or close encounters, but we need not immediately dismiss them as jokes or conspiracy theories. Christianity teaches that we are not alone in the universe, that it is full of intelligent entities, both good and evil, and that all were created by and remain under the power of God.    The existence of extraterrestrial life is still speculation, but the Christian worldview has more room for mysteries than our secular, materialist age does. It offers a bigger, more thorough, and more satisfying explanation for the universe.    That was Shane Morris answering the question “What would the discovery of extraterrestrial life mean for Christianity?”  To see the whole video and to share it with others, go to whatwouldyousay.org. Or, you can look up the What Would You Say? channel on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to be notified each time a new video is released.   This Breakpoint was co-authored by Shane Morris. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.  ______ As a Breakpoint listener, you probably pick up on how the daily commentaries do the work of translation for you. We take a story or issue being discussed in our culture right now and model how to think through it from a Christian worldview. But, if you're interested in going deeper, in discovering how to develop the wisdom and skills needed to walk wisely in this cultural moment, then the Colson Fellows program might be for you. This ten-month program combines theological, spiritual, and worldview formation through a carefully curated combination of readings, daily devotions, live webinars, and monthly meetings with your peers. With both in-person and fully online offerings, you can choose the format that works best with your stage in life. Interested in learning more? You can explore the program and submit an application at colsonfellows.org.

If you're interested in discovering how to develop the wisdom and skills needed to walk wisely in this cultural moment, then the Colson Fellows program might be for you. This ten-month program combines theological, spiritual, and worldview formation through a carefully curated combination of readings, daily devotions, live webinars, and monthly meetings with your peers. With both in-person and fully online offerings, you can choose the format that works best with your stage in life. Interested in learning more? You can explore the program and submit an application at colsonfellows.org.  _______ A pitfall of the fallen human mind is how narratives shape our perception of the world, even outweighing facts and common sense. For example, nuclear power is one of the safest ways to generate electricity. According to the Our World in Data report, nuclear is 99.8% safer than coal in terms of deaths per unit of power. Yet because of three dramatic accidents and the press surrounding them—Three Mile Island in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986, and Fukushima in 2011—nuclear power is widely perceived as extraordinarily dangerous and in need of claustrophobic regulation.  Similarly, a narrative pushed by many in the press aims at rendering something else radioactive: homeschooling. As a Washington Post analysis found late last year, homeschooling is America's fastest growing form of education. Around 2.7 million students are homeschooled in America today, up by about a million since before the pandemic. For Washington Post reporters, this is scary.   One article described homeschooling as a “largely unregulated practice once confined to the ideological fringe,” whose rise in popularity is leading critics “to sound alarms.” In it, an emeritus Harvard Law professor ominously warned, “Policymakers should think, ‘Wow—this is a lot of kids.' We should worry about whether they're learning anything.'”   A school board member from Florida echoed their concern: “Many of these parents don't have any understanding of education. The price will be very big to us, and to society. But that won't show up for a few years.”  In a Washington Post story from December 2, Peter Jamison recounted the tragic death of an 11-year-old California boy named Roman Lopez, from severe neglect and abuse. Though, as in most such cases, the story involved a broken and blended family—a factor children's rights activist Katy Faust points out is a consistent risk—according to The Washington Post, the thing to blame was that Lopez's stepmom said she was homeschooling him.   “Home education was an easy way to avoid the scrutiny of teachers, principals, guidance counselors,” suggests Jamison. Yet, he admits,   Little research exists on the link between home schooling and child abuse. The few studies conducted in recent years have not shown that home-schooled children are at significantly greater risk of mistreatment than those who attend public, private or charter schools.    And the Post wasn't finished. Nine days later, the Post devoted an article aimed at debunking the work of homeschool researcher and advocate Brian Ray, who has long argued that homeschoolers out-perform their public schooled peers. With little content to criticize Ray's methodology, the Post devoted space to quoting anti-homeschooling activists and Ray's aggrieved adult daughter.  And then, three days after Christmas, the Post ran another article by Peter Jamison on the growing fear among homeschooling families that state funding in the form of vouchers will come with increased government oversight. Leaving little doubt where he stands on the issue of state oversight, he threw in a story about a network of Nazi homeschoolers in Ohio.   These articles reveal not only the biases of Washington Post reporters and their willingness to use scare stories in place of data, but they also expose crucial questions they are unwilling to ask, as well as assumptions about the role of parents and the state when it comes to education.   To simultaneously note how homeschooling has exploded in popularity but, in almost every article, refuse to ask why the popularity, is at best, a stunning lack of curiosity. If asked, I suspect the parents of the over two-and-a-half million homeschoolers in America, would say something about endless school closures during COVID, ideological indoctrination in public school classrooms, the fact that standardized test scores are at a 30-year low, and that administrators and school boards act and, at times, articulate that they know better, and parents should butt out. Perhaps many parents concluded they could do a better job teaching their kids. Perhaps they didn't think they should “butt out.” Perhaps they are not comfortable with the lack of oversight in classrooms, and over teachers and school boards. Perhaps, they are skeptical of the “experts” who are “sounding alarms” about homeschooling while ignoring the massive failures of the current state-run system.  Ultimately, The Washington Post's breathless attacks on homeschooling reveal an unquestioned assumption that children belong primarily to the state and not to parents. The rise in homeschooling, Christian schooling, parent-run charter schools, and other innovations show that more and more families are rejecting that assumption. In doing so, they are acknowledging the biblical expectation that parents, not the state, are ultimately responsible for teaching and raising children.   If the press wants to keep giving homeschooling the nuclear power treatment, they should also develop some curiosity about why so many parents are choosing, often at great sacrifice, to take their children's education back into their own hands. And they should ask what that says about the status quo.  This Breakpoint was co-authored by Shane Morris. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.