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How can Christian parents confidently navigate conversations about sexuality and gender in today's progressive culture? Rachel Gilson, author of Parenting Without Panic: In an LGBT-Affirming World, Discipling Our Kids with Jesus' Truth and Love, shares her powerful personal experiences and insights with hosts Dave and Ann Wilson. Rachel offers parents a biblical framework for discussing sensitive topics like same-sex attraction and transgender identities.

Show Notes and Resources

• Learn more about Rachel on her website 
• Purchase "Parenting Without Panic" online
• Buy other books written by Rachel at the FamilyLife online store 

• Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com.
• See resources from our past podcasts.
• Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app!
• Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
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Outward appearance isn’t always a true reflection of who a person really is. Each of us is unique and complex—and created in God’s image.

Trusting God’s love when you don’t feel it, plus how skeptics strengthened Justin Brierley’s faith, and balancing reverence and honesty in prayer.    

Featured musical artist: Austin Stone Worship

Roundtable: Does God Really Care About Me?

It’s easy to say “Jesus loves me” in church or when things are going well, but how do you have the faith to say it when God feels incredibly distant? What if circumstances in your life challenge your perception of His goodness, and now you’re wondering if He’s even there? Our guests open up about difficult seasons they’ve been through, the lies they’re tempted to believe about God and themselves, and what it looks like to fight for faith. If you’re wondering if God cares — not in general, but about you in particular — you’ll be encouraged by their stories.      

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Culture: Why I’m Still a Christian

When was the last time you shared your faith with a non-Christian? Justin Brierley has been conversing with atheists and agnostics (including Richard Dawkins) for years, and he’s passionate about equipping believers to examine secular arguments, test them with Scripture science, and common sense, and then be lights in our culture’s darkness. If you’re intimidated by unbelievers’ unbelief and what they have to say about it, Justin will help you find both courage and kindness for the conversation.

 Why I’m Still a Christian: After Two Decades of Conversations with Skeptics and Atheists–The Reason I Believe

Watch This Segment on YouTube

Visit Justin’s Website 

Hear Justin on the ReFocus Podcast 

Inbox: Yelling at God

When life is hard and you’re sad, angry, disappointed or scared, how do you pray honestly to God while still showing reverence and respect? Pastor Mark Bates weighs in.  

Find us on YouTube 

Come to terms with the reality of depravity through Pastor Chuck Swindoll’s message on Romans 1:18–25. Discover the biblical meaning of God’s wrath and better understand His character.

From the Series: Romans: The Christian’s Constitution

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Popular guest Dr. Randy Schroeder discusses habits you can integrate into your marriage. Jim talks to Randy about pursuing the daily essentials of affection in your marriage, promoting emotional closeness, and leaving and cleaving properly. On the second day, they discussed positive communication habits, conflict resolution, and guarding your relationship well.

I approached our local McDonald's manager with an idea for using his restaurant one night. I asked him if he would let our Campus Life group have it for a candlelight dinner at McDonald's. He said, "Well, that sounds creative, but we can't close and just shut the public out. But we can allow you to come in."

Well, they close at 11:00 on a weeknight, so we thought we'd come in there late. So we did it at 9:30. We set up the tables with tablecloths and candles on every table (it was kind of cool!) and all our staff dressed in tuxedos so we could serve them formally at McDonald's. We had a strolling violinist, can you believe it? We called it The Chateau De La Mac. We had about 100 teenagers come from the local high school packed in there and they loved that event. Now, did other customers come in? Yes. Did they stay? No. We took up every seat at McDonald's. We had so packed every corner of that place there was simply no room for anyone or anything else.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Holy Spirit Takeovers."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God tells about the birthday of the church, the Day of Pentecost - Acts 2, beginning in verse 1. "When the Day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like a blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting." Then verse 4, "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit."

Now, this is actually a picture of what happens when revival, when a stirring of God, when a great work of God is about to break out. Now, Pentecost only happened one time. It's a unique event. But spiritual revival is a recurring event in the life of the church. Scattered through the history of the church are those extraordinary, unpredictable, incredible, powerful Spirit take-overs called revival. We've seen a hint of that at some Christian colleges in recent years. And the key is in that word filled. It means there's no room for anything else.

Our group filled that McDonald's that night. And even though others wanted space, we had taken over by filling every corner. Now, if you want to let that happen with the Holy Spirit in your life, or in the life of your church, then that's how revival begins; to move out everything else that could take up space. There's no room for anything now but the Holy Spirit. In fact, this Greek word that says, "The wind filled the room and the Spirit filled the people" is used a lot of different ways. It was used as a sponge that was soaked with vinegar when Jesus was on the cross. There was no room for any other liquid. It talks about people who were full of food at another place in the Bible; stuffed - no room for any more food.

The word filled is also used about being filled with an emotion like anger...a consuming emotion where there's no room for any other feeling. Saturated, stuffed, consumed with the Holy Spirit. That's a Spirit takeover, and that's the culminating experience of the Christian life. It's funny we start with no room for Christ in our life; then we make room for Him. We let Him in, and as we grow we finally get restless with spiritual mediocrity and sameness. And then we say, "Lord, would You make me so there's no room for anything but You in every corner of my life?"

Oh, look, you may not understand all the theology of this reviving take-over - this filling of the Holy Spirit. I don't either. You may not fully understand this yielding of every corner of you for whatever He wants. The question is, "Do you want it? Do you want to be totally His; to be saturated with the Holy Spirit of Almighty God?" Then tell Him that. You are ready for His revival.

Ask Him for that kind of filling 'til there's just no room for anyone else's agenda.

Lisa and Freddie McMillan own a unique restaurant in Brewton, Alabama. They offer a full hot meal to all who stand in line—at no charge. This couple has invested from their own savings to make a difference for senior citizens who often go without meals and rarely enjoy a restaurant experience. A donation box receives contributions. Lisa says, “Sometimes we find nothing there. Sometimes a thank-you note. Sometimes $1,000. Always, we have everything we need. Our goal is to feed the need, restore dignity, and develop community.”

Caring for the needy can seem a daunting task—unless we depend on God! The gospels include records of Jesus feeding thousands by inviting His disciples to participate: “You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). In Acts we learn that in the early church, believers “shared everything they had” (4:32) so that “there were no needy persons among them” (v. 34). Many of them sold property and gave the proceeds to the apostles who “distributed to anyone who had need” (vv. 34-35). Understanding their possessions ultimately belonged to God, they voluntarily invested from what they owned in the lives of others.

God provides. Sometimes by His own hand and sometimes through the hands of His people. He feeds our need so that we can feed the need of others.

Where we bank may seem like a routine decision, but it could be one of the most meaningful financial choices we make. Most of us consider our bank account a safe place to park our money. But what if even our checking or savings account could quietly make a difference for God’s Kingdom? On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West explores. Then, it’s on to your financial questions. That’s Faith & Finance Live, where biblical wisdom meets today’s finances—weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

Faith & Finance Live is a listener supported program on Moody Radio.  To join our team of supporters, click here.

To support the ministry of FaithFi, click here.

To learn more about Rob West, click here.

To learn more about Faith & Finance Live, click here.

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It’s Witness Wednesday!

In this episode of Wretched Radio, host Todd Friel travels to Georgia Tech. He engages with several students, challenging their views on evolution, morality, and Christianity. Through thought-provoking conversations, Todd explains the gospel, sin, and redemption, aiming to awaken these student’s consciences and encourage them to consider the God that created them.

Segment 1:

• Eduardo grew up Catholic, but unsure of afterlife: says he’s a “good person.”

• Admits to breaking God’s commandments but hopes for mercy.

• Todd explains the gospel as Jesus paying Eduardo’s moral debt — the only way to avoid hell.

Segment 2:

• Joey believes in evolution and rejects intelligent design despite his programming background.

• Confesses to lying, stealing, lusting — yet insists morality can exist without God.

• Todd appeals to Joey’s conscience and shares how Jesus satisfies both God’s justice and mercy.

Segment 3:

• Raised Catholic, now more loosely “Christian”; admits to sinning and doubts personal goodness.

• Learns why God gave the commandments — not to “win” but to show we’re sinners in need of a Savior.

• Hears a clear, full explanation of the gospel.

Segment 4:

• Doesn’t consider himself religious but has “heard it all before.”

• Acknowledges sin and God’s standard — but questions grace, responsibility, and eternal consequences.

• Todd likens salvation to a costly rescue and urges Riley to respond to Jesus’ kindness, not just fear judgment.

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