CrossCurrent Podcasts

Before we jump in: CJ and I are live on YouTube every Tuesday morning at 11am Eastern teaching the Kingdom Writers Workshop, where we're learning to partner with God in our writing instead of doing it on our own.

Every session comes with a free worksheet, and the replays are yours for life. Grab yours at https://trainingauthors.com/kingdomwriters

You have been working on this book for years. Not sitting around doing nothing, actually working, and you are still standing in the same place. That is the part almost nobody talks about.

CJ and Shelley walk through five Christian writing mistakes that keep Kingdom Writers stuck for years. What makes them costly is that every one of them feels like progress while you are doing it.

Rewriting chapter one until it has been rewritten more times than the rest of the book has been written. Waiting for a big block of time that your season never actually delivers. Buying one more course, because preparation is safe and a first draft is exposure.

Then the one that hides best: writing with nobody waiting for your next chapter. And the last one, waiting to feel qualified, as though a publishing contract were God's validation of your calling rather than a business decision made by a company.

Anthony Trollope wrote 47 novels in 15-minute blocks while working full time as a post office inspector. None of these five mean you have failed. They mean you have been working without a way through.

Born Again: Romanticism and Fundamentalism (U Toronto Press, 2025) examines the deep historical roots of fundamentalism in Protestantism and the imaginative traditions of Romantic literature. It explores how the resurgence of fundamentalist thought within “born again” Christianity seeks to repress the trauma of modernity through the belief that the world must be radically transformed to align with a divine standard.

By analysing the logic of this repression, the book reveals an alternative vision: a “revivalist rebirth” that offers a new ethical imperative to creatively shape the world in collaboration with others. Thinkers such as Immanuel Kant, Percy Shelley, and Friedrich Schlegel are central to the analysis, as are the literary works Faust and Frankenstein. Jeffrey Champlin illustrates how a revivalist imagination challenges blind faith, presenting figures of life reawakened to conscious moral and political engagement. Engaging with Arendt’s politics of natality and Derrida’s ethics of survival, Born Again offers pathways to reimagine a world that confronts the profound losses fueling fundamentalist ideologies, making it a timely and thought-provoking exploration for contemporary readers.

Jeffrey Champlin is Director of the Learning Commons and Lecturer in the Humanities at Bard College Berlin. His research emphasizes connections between literature and political theory. 

Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. 

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There is a type of children’s book that we haven’t talked much about here in twelve years of Read-Aloud Revival. But it’s one that almost anyone who has spent time with babies knows well: board books.

Board books are how so many of our kids meet stories and books for the first time. They’re often the first books babies and littles are able to really get their hands (and mouths!) on, and experience touching the pictures and turning the pages for themselves. 

So today, we’re going to do a bit of a deep dive on board books, and I couldn’t think of a better person to join me for this than bestselling author and illustrator Tabitha Paige. Tabitha is a speech language pathologist as well as a creator of absolutely stunning board books, and in this episode she shares all about what they can do for our littlest readers as well as what to look for when choosing board books. 

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• How board books create positive experiences that make kids want to come back to books again and again
• Why realistic illustrations are an important tool for building vocabulary
• The way the multi-sensory experience of physically interacting with a board book enhances learning

Learn more about Sarah Mackenzie:

• Read-Aloud Revival
• Waxwing Books
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

Find the rest of the show notes at: readaloudrevival.com/tabitha-paige

What causes believers to feel distant from God? In this conversation, Pastor Gary Thomas continues to unmask the lies that keep us striving, doubting, and disconnected. Sharing from his new book, The Life You Were Reborn to Live, Gary invites us to exchange falsehoods for the rich, soul-satisfying relationship God designed us to enjoy.

Get "The Life You Were Reborn to Live"

Learn how to connect with God every day! -- Pastor John Burke, author of Soul Revolution, will show you how to remember God’s presence throughout the day and pursue His will in each moment. It’s simple, doesn’t take much time, and it could change your life.

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God has revealed to us the end of the story. And it is very good, because He is. 

__________

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What does it take to recognize great talent before the rest of the world sees it?

In this conversation, Kurt Luidhardt sits down with legendary music executive, producer, and entrepreneur Michael Blanton, whose career has helped shape Christian music through his work with artists including Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and Rich Mullins.

Michael shares the stories behind Age to Age, “Friends,” “Awesome God,” and Amy Grant’s crossover success with Heart in Motion. He also explains how the same instincts he used to develop artists now help businesses discover their unique value, strengthen their brands, and reach new audiences.

The conversation also explores faith, family, changing technology, AI, and Michael’s involvement with the Music Bible, an ambitious project turning Scripture into music verse by verse.

Key Takeaways

00:00 Creating the First Music Bible With AI

00:35 Meet Michael Blanton

01:50 How Michael Helped Develop Amy Grant’s Career

05:28 The Album That Changed Everything for Amy Grant

07:09 Discovering Michael W. Smith and the Story Behind “Friends”

10:14 Rich Mullins and the Story Behind “Awesome God”

11:49 What Michael Looks for When Discovering Talent

13:26 Turning a Struggling Artist Into a Pop Success

15:40 Pursuing Entertainment Without Compromising Faith

17:13 Taking Amy Grant Into Mainstream Pop Music

17:49 How Heart in Motion Became a Breakthrough Album

23:40 Applying Music Industry Lessons to Business and Branding

25:13 Helping an Established Radio Brand Embrace Podcasting

26:17 Finding and Naming a Business’s “Secret Sauce”

28:54 How Michael Found His Way Into the Music Industry

31:28 How the Music Industry Has Changed for Independent Artists

34:11 Why Businesses Often Get Too Close to Their Own Brand

37:06 Why Family Became Michael’s Definition of Success

38:53 The Daily Faith Practice That Keeps Michael Grounded

54:29 Michael’s Next Chapter With Blanton Entertainment and the Music Bible

Resources

Blanton Entertainment

https://blantonentertainment.com

The Music Bible

https://www.themusicbible.org

Word Records

https://www.curb.com/word-records/

Reunion Records

https://www.providentlabelgroup.com

Amy Grant

https://www.amygrant.com

Michael W. Smith

https://michaelwsmith.com

Rich Mullins

https://www.richmullins.com

Age to Age – Amy Grant

https://music.apple.com/us/album/age-to-age/727497027

Heart in Motion – Amy Grant

https://shop.amygrant.com/products/heart-in-motion-30th-anniversary-double-disc-cd

Connect with Liberty Spenders™:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/libertyspenders

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• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/libertyspenders

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• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXn-vzlA03r59neWZD0ofJA

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Licensed counselor and mom Michelle Nietert brings her trademark stories, humor, and practical wisdom to parents navigating the teen and young adult years. Drawing from her newest devotional, Strong and Secure, Michelle shares candidly about her own struggles — from parenting teenagers to launching her daughter into college — and the lessons God has taught her along the way.

Praying for Your Teen's Heart and Future -- Lift your child up to God and raise them in Christ with this FREE video series. Jodie Berndt will give you tips on finding peace in God as a parent, rooting your teen's identity in Christ, showing love despite challenges and more.

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Do you have a story or comment on how Focus on the Family impacted you or your family? Leave a message for Jim Daly!

If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.