Dr. Darren Whitehead is a pastor, author, and founder of Church of the City in Nashville, Tennessee. And his most recent book The Digital Fast: 40 Days to Detox Your Mind and Reclaim What Matters Most offers a transformative approach to breaking free from the grip of smartphones, social media, and constant digital distractions. 

In this conversation, Mike and Darren explore:

• The hidden costs of our tech addiction and how it’s rewiring our brains.
• Practical steps to detox from digital overload and rediscover joy, presence, and connection.
• The impact of social media on mental health, especially for teenagers, and how parents can lead the way in creating healthier tech habits.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Digital Fast by Dr. Darren Whitehead
• The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
• The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch
• The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God by Justin Brierley

Beneath The Headlines is a Lakelight Institute production.

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In this episode of "Beneath the Headlines," host Mike Woodruff interviews Glen Scrivener, an Australian writer, pastor, and apologist currently living in the UK. The conversation centers around Scrivener's book "The Air We Breathe" which explores how modern Western values like human rights, equality, progress, and compassion are deeply rooted in Christian thought and tradition.

Key points discussed include:

• How many secular intellectuals (like Tom Holland, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and Louise Perry) are reconsidering Christianity's role in shaping Western civilization
• Scrivener's "3-2-1" course, a digital evangelism program that has reached thousands
• The current state of Christianity in different regions (particularly England, Australia, and America)
• The potential future directions of Western society, including both secular and religious trends
• The challenge of connecting modern secular values back to their Christian origins

The conversation offers an interesting perspective on how Christianity continues to influence modern thought, even among those who don't identify as religious, and discusses the current cultural shifts happening around faith and secularism.

Join Pastor Mike Woodruff and guest Collin Hansen, editor-in-chief of The Gospel Coalition, as they explore:

• The evolution of journalism from traditional reporting to advocacy
• Challenges in discerning truth in today's media landscape
• Impact of changing media on faith and society
• Strategies for thoughtful news consumption
• The importance of local journalism
• Hansen's upcoming book on theodicy and evil
• The enduring relevance of World War II in shaping moral understanding

Key topics include:

• Media bias and its effects
• The 2016 election's impact on news reporting
• Balancing faith perspectives with current events
• Cultural apologetics in the modern age

Tune in for insights on maintaining a balanced, faith-informed view in our complex information age.

Enjoy listening to Mike lead a panel discussion about restoring trust at the sold-out inaugural Lakelight Institute Good Work Summit.  Panelists include Dr. David Miller (Director of Princeton Faith and Work Initiative), Mike Zafirovski (former President of Motorola) and Tom Tropp (Chief Ethics Officer at Gallagher).

Today Mike’s guest is American philosopher Christian Miller, PhD, an award-winning professor from Wake Forest University who recently authored The Character Gap, has authored numerous other books and articles, and is a regular contributor to publications including Forbes.  He is also director of The Honesty Project. Mike and Dr. Miller discuss his work and how our character shapes our lives.

This week we are sharing with you a link to a podcast that Mike appeared on as a guest.

In it, he talks about the importance of thinking well, particularly at this moment in history when we are allowing other voices to think for us. Mike argues for more “white space” as the volume and velocity of life is increasing every day. Mike also talks about some of his news rules including “less is more.”

On this week’s podcast, Mike’s guest is journalist, podcaster, and author Collin Hanson, who recently published a book on one of the 21st century’s most influential church leaders--Tim Keller.  Collin is vice president for content and editor in chief of The Gospel Coalition, as well as executive director of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics.  Listen to Mike and Collin go behind-the-scenes on the life of Tim Keller and also discuss our need for an even more intentional voice of reason and hope in the midst of the cultural milieu of the moment.

This week’s Press On guest is Dr. Jeff Brannon, chair of the Biblical Studies Department at Belhaven University, and author of the recently published The Hope of Life After Death: A Biblical Theology of the Resurrection. Dr. Brannon and Mike discuss the hope of Christ’s resurrection, which changes everything.

In today’s podcast, Mike talks with Ian Vaillancourt, a professor in Ontario and an award winning author about his most recent book, The Dawning of Redemption, which provides an accessible overview of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). Dr. Vaillancourt is particularly focused on the way the Bible is an unified work and the big themes are introduced early.