Free speech. Religious liberty. Where do these rights come from? We’re joined by WORLD’s Steve West to talk about our liberties and their origins.



Check out The Concurrently Companion for this week’s downloadable episode guide including discussion questions and scripture for further study. Sign up for the News Coach Newsletter at gwnews.com/newsletters.

We would love to hear from you. You can send us a message at [email protected]. What current events or cultural issues are you wrestling through with your kids and teens? Let us know. We want to work through it with you.

See more from the News Coach, including episode transcripts.

Further Resources:

• Read “Embattled on All Sides, Does Religious Liberty Have a Future?” by Andrew T. Walker at The Gospel Coalition.
• At Axis.org, read “A Parent’s Guide to Sabbath & Rest.” 
• Find more from Steve West at wng.org

Concurrently is produced by God’s WORLD News. We provide current events materials for kids and teens that show how God is working in the world. To learn more about God’s WORLD News and browse sample magazines, visit gwnews.com.

Panda politics, bullfight bans, and Google’s big blunder. Read along online.

Welcome to the Play-by-Play. Every other week, we’re taking three recent stories from our God’s WORLD News publications and breaking them down to help you spark conversation in the home or the classroom.

Today's stories:

Discover: Pandas are back. Read it at God’s Big WORLD.

Explore: Bullfight ban. Read it at WORLDkids.

Discern: Google AI Gets a Makeover. Read it at WORLDteen.

Today's Conversation Kickoff: What are your favorite traditions? They could be family traditions, church traditions, or traditions in your local community!

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. — Ephesians 2:4-6

How do we cultivate a right understanding of disability? We’re joined by author Stephanie Hubach to explore culture’s shifting attitudes on this topic and discover a biblical alternative.

Check out The Concurrently Companion for this week’s downloadable episode guide including discussion questions and scripture for further study. Sign up for the News Coach Newsletter at gwnews.com/newsletters.

We would love to hear from you. You can send us a message at [email protected]. What current events or cultural issues are you wrestling through with your kids and teens? Let us know. We want to work through it with you.

See more from the News Coach, including episode transcripts.

Further Resources:

• For more from Steph Hubach, visit stephaniehubach.com.
• Hear the redemptive story of a young man with Down syndrome on The World and Everything In It.
• What do we mean by “made in God’s image”? Learn more at the Bible Project.

Concurrently is produced by God’s WORLD News. We provide current events materials for kids and teens that show how God is working in the world. To learn more about God’s WORLD News and browse sample magazines, visit gwnews.com.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Sam Allberry’s God’s Go-Togethers.

Author Sam Allberry has a new book for kids called God’s Go-Togethers. This colorful book features siblings Lila and Ethan as they visit the beach and discover that God not only made the sand and sea to go together, but He made men and women to go together, too. God’s Go-Togethers offers a thoughtful look at the biblical design for people and provides a helpful foundation for explaining why God made men and women as a special pair to complement each other in marriage and beyond. Learn more at GodsGoTogethers.com.

It’s a presidential election year in the United States. What discipleship pitfalls might election season bring–and what opportunities does it present? We’re joined by author Kaitlyn Schiess to explore whole-person politics.

Check out The Concurrently Companion for this week’s downloadable episode guide including discussion questions and scripture for further study. Sign up for the News Coach Newsletter at gwnews.com/newsletters.

We would love to hear from you. You can send us a message at [email protected]. What current events or cultural issues are you wrestling through with your kids and teens? Let us know. We want to work through it with you.

See more from the News Coach, including episode transcripts.

Further Resources:

• Visit Kaitlyn Schiess’ website ro find more great resources for navigating election season.
• Check out Kaitlyn’s books, The Liturgy of Politics: Spiritual Formation for the Sake of our Neighbor and The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics and Where We Go from Here.
• Read “Coming to Terms with Politics” at the News Coach blog.

Concurrently is produced by God’s WORLD News. We provide current events materials for kids and teens that show how God is working in the world. To learn more about God’s WORLD News and browse sample magazines, visit gwnews.com.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Sam Allberry’s God’s Go-Togethers.

Author Sam Allberry has a new book for kids called God’s Go-Togethers. This colorful book features siblings Lila and Ethan as they visit the beach and discover that God not only made the sand and sea to go together, but He made men and women to go together, too. God’s Go-Togethers offers a thoughtful look at the biblical design for people and provides a helpful foundation for explaining why God made men and women as a special pair to complement each other in marriage and beyond. Learn more at GodsGoTogethers.com.

Violins made from boats, AI country music, and Hong Kong’s protest anthem. Read along online.

Welcome to the Play-by-Play. Every other week, we’re taking three recent stories from our God’s WORLD News publications and breaking them down to help you spark conversation in the home or the classroom.

Today's stories:

Discover: Sail into song. Read it at God’s Big WORLD.

Explore: AI with a Twang. Read it at WORLDkids.

Discern: No Protest Song Allowed. Read it at WORLDteen.

Today's Conversation Kickoff: If you could learn to play any instrument, what instrument would you learn? Instruments you already know don’t count!

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. — Psalm 100:1-3

Another school year is ending. The news has us jumping from topic to topic, but we want to reflect, connect the dots, and trace the thread between the conversations. We’re joined by Amy Auten to look back at what we’ve learned in 2024 so far.

Check out The Concurrently Companion for this week’s downloadable episode guide including discussion questions and scripture for further study. Sign up for the News Coach Newsletter at gwnews.com/newsletters.

We would love to hear from you. You can send us a message at [email protected]. What current events or cultural issues are you wrestling through with your kids and teens? Let us know. We want to work through it with you.

See more from the News Coach, including episode transcripts.

Further Resources:

• See Gavin Ortlund’s excellent exploration of a biblical view of mental health.
• Read more about mental health from counselor Michael Coggin at the News Coach blog.

Concurrently is produced by God’s WORLD News. We provide current events materials for kids and teens that show how God is working in the world. To learn more about God’s WORLD News and browse sample magazines, visit gwnews.com.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Sam Allberry’s God’s Go-Togethers.

Author Sam Allberry has a new book for kids called God’s Go-Togethers. This colorful book features siblings Lila and Ethan as they visit the beach and discover that God not only made the sand and sea to go together, but He made men and women to go together, too. God’s Go-Togethers offers a thoughtful look at the biblical design for people and provides a helpful foundation for explaining why God made men and women as a special pair to complement each other in marriage and beyond. Learn more at GodsGoTogethers.com.

o complement each other in marriage and beyond. Learn more at GodsGoTogethers.com.

We’re joined by Professor Nancy Pearcey to talk about discipling boys in a culture opposed to masculinity. Where did the idea of “toxic masculinity” come from? How do we promote a biblical picture of masculinity?

Check out The Concurrently Companion for this week’s downloadable episode guide including discussion questions and scripture for further study. Sign up for the News Coach Newsletter at gwnews.com/newsletters.

We would love to hear from you. You can send us a message at [email protected]. What current events or cultural issues are you wrestling through with your kids and teens? Let us know. We want to work through it with you.

See more from the News Coach, including episode transcripts.

Further Resources:

• Check out Nancy Pearcey’s book The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes.
• Listen to our previous episode about gender, Girl power and God’s purpose for gender.
• At The Atlantic, read Anne-Marie Slaughter’s “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All.”

Concurrently is produced by God’s WORLD News. We provide current events materials for kids and teens that show how God is working in the world. To learn more about God’s WORLD News and browse sample magazines, visit gwnews.com.



Today’s episode is sponsored by Sam Allberry’s God’s Go-Togethers.

Author Sam Allberry has a new book for kids called God’s Go-Togethers. This colorful book features siblings Lila and Ethan as they visit the beach and discover that God not only made the sand and sea to go together, but He made men and women to go together, too. God’s Go-Togethers offers a thoughtful look at the biblical design for people and provides a helpful foundation for explaining why God made men and women as a special pair to complement each other in marriage and beyond. Learn more at GodsGoTogethers.com.

Making light, swimming to sea, and seeking freedom. Read along online.

Welcome to the Play-by-Play. Every other week, we’re taking three recent stories from our God’s WORLD News publications and breaking them down to help you spark conversation in the home or the classroom.

Today's stories:

Discover: He brings light to darkness. Read it at God’s Big WORLD.

Explore: Swim Free, Baby Orca. Read it at WORLDkids.

Discern: A Call for Release. Read it at WORLDteen.

Today's Conversation Kickoff: Inventors use their God-given talents to improve daily life in all sorts of ways. Which technological invention could you simply not live without? It could be something from recent history or something invented waaaay in the past.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. — Isaiah 61:1

How do we handle mystery and truth without falling for the temptation of conspiracy theories? What makes conspiracy theories so tantalizing? And how can we offer our kids a better story?

Check out The Concurrently Companion for this week’s downloadable episode guide including discussion questions and scripture for further study. Sign up for the News Coach Newsletter at gwnews.com/newsletters.

We would love to hear from you. You can send us a message at [email protected]. What current events or cultural issues are you wrestling through with your kids and teens? Let us know. We want to work through it with you.

See more from the News Coach, including episode transcripts.

Further Resources:

• Read “A Parent’s Guide to Conspiracy Theories” at Axis.
• Learn more about the stages of conspiracy theory escalation at Scientific American.
• Read about the conspiracy theories surrounding the Baltimore bridge collapse and the solar eclipse.

Concurrently is produced by God’s WORLD News. We provide current events materials for kids and teens that show how God is working in the world. To learn more about God’s WORLD News and browse sample magazines, visit gwnews.com.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Sam Allberry’s God’s Go-Togethers.

Author Sam Allberry has a new book for kids called God’s Go-Togethers. This colorful book features siblings Lila and Ethan as they visit the beach and discover that God not only made the sand and sea to go together, but He made men and women to go together, too. God’s Go-Togethers offers a thoughtful look at the biblical design for people and provides a helpful foundation for explaining why God made men and women as a special pair to complement each other in marriage and beyond. Learn more at GodsGoTogethers.com.

What is materialism? How can we offer our kids and teens a better alternative? We’re joined by WORLD’s Max Belz and Amy Auten on today’s episode.



Check out The Concurrently Companion for this week’s downloadable episode guide including discussion questions and scripture for further study. Sign up for the News Coach Newsletter at gwnews.com/newsletters.

We would love to hear from you. You can send us a message at [email protected]. What current events or cultural issues are you wrestling through with your kids and teens? Let us know. We want to work through it with you.

See more from the News Coach, including episode transcripts.

Further Resources:

• Read author Marilynne Robinson’s interview with Ezra Klein for New York Times.
• At the Gospel Coalition, read “Materialism Is Easy to Decry and Hard to Avoid” by Kathy Keller.
• Learn more about worldview thinking at the News Coach blog.

Concurrently is produced by God’s WORLD News. We provide current events materials for kids and teens that show how God is working in the world. To learn more about God’s WORLD News and browse sample magazines, visit gwnews.com.

Today’s episode is sponsored by New College Franklin.

Through the college years, students go through an intense period of growth - intellectually, spiritually, socially, and emotionally. So as you are thinking about college options, consider not only what you want to do, but who you want to be. New College Franklin is dedicated to spiritually forming students by discipling them through the seven liberal arts for wisdom, virtue, and service. As a four-year classical, Christian, liberal arts college, nestled in downtown Franklin, Tennessee, New College Franklin focuses on the great ideas, the Trivium, and the Quadrivium; to contemplate the good, the true, and the beautiful, and to go out into the world for Christ's kingdom with humility and confidence. Applications are still open for the 2024-2025 school year. Find out more at newcollegefranklin.edu/world.