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The battle for your life starts in your mind - and most people are losing it without even realizing. Jeff Touchstone and co-host John Burris unpack the spiritual and psychological war over your thoughts, showing why anxiety, comparison, rumination, and destructive inputs shape far more than your mood. Jeff brings his psychology background and biblical framework to the table, while John pushes back, asks the hard questions, and grounds the conversation in real-life faith. Together, they connect cognitive behavioral therapy, scripture, and the helmet of salvation into one practical challenge: guard what you think, question what you believe, and stop letting culture disciple your mind. You’ll discover:

• How thoughts, interpretations, emotions, and behavior form a chain that can either trap you or transform you
• Why cognitive distortions like catastrophizing, mind reading, and overgeneralization feel so convincing
• What Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:8, and Ephesians 6 actually say about mental battles
• How stress, comparison, and constant information intake can reshape your worldview
• Why replacing thoughts matters more than suppressing them, and why prayer, scripture, and accountability change the fight

This episode doesn’t treat faith and psychology as enemies. It shows where they overlap, where they differ, and why both matter when you’re trying to live with a renewed mind in a noisy world. Essential listening if you’re wrestling with anxiety, overthinking, spiritual fatigue, or the feeling that your mind is constantly under attack. If you’re ready to stop being shaped by fear, culture, and false narratives, this conversation gives you a clearer way forward.

Suffering is not proof that God has left you. It may be the place where you meet Him most clearly.Jeff Touchstone is joined by John Burris and Pastor Israel Cox for an honest, deeply personal conversation about one of Christianity's hardest questions: if God is good, loving, and all powerful, why does He allow suffering? Jeff opens up about betrayal, loss, grief, and the seasons that nearly broke him, while John and Israel bring pastoral wisdom, biblical clarity, and hard-won perspective to the pain so many believers carry in silence.You will discover:

• Why suffering is not always the result of a specific sin
• How the fall of humanity changed creation itself
• What Job teaches when life makes no sense
• Why free will explains some evil, but not all of it
• How the cross shows God is not distant from pain
• Why lament is not weakness, but a biblical response to grief

John Burris highlights the danger of trying to force neat answers onto messy pain, and Pastor Israel Cox points to the deep hope Christians have in a God who enters suffering rather than watching from afar. Together, they wrestle with the difference between God's permission and God's approval, the limits of human understanding, and the reality that sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is simply stay with God in the dark.This episode is for anyone grieving, questioning, doubting, or trying to keep their faith alive in the middle of heartbreak. If you've ever wondered where God is when life falls apart, this conversation offers more than an explanation - it offers hope, truth, and the reminder that the story is not over.Perfect for believers walking through loss, Christians wrestling with hard questions, and anyone who needs to hear that God has not abandoned them. The suffering may be real, but it is not the end of the story.

Culture changes. God does not. And if you have ever wondered whether the Bible still speaks with authority in a world that keeps rewriting the rules, this conversation will challenge, convict, and strengthen you.Jeff Touchstone and John take on one of the most sensitive questions Christians face today: what happens when Scripture clashes with modern culture? From Romans 12:2 to Jesus’ confrontation of the Pharisees, they lay out why believers are called to be transformed by God’s Word, not conformed to the shifting standards around them. The conversation gets honest fast, touching on truth, identity, repentance, and the pressure to make Christianity fit personal preference.You’ll discover:

• Why “truth” cannot be based on majority opinion, feelings, or trends
• How the Bible separates moral commands from ceremonial laws
• Why Jesus’ teaching on marriage, sexuality, and holiness still stands
• The difference between repentance that changes direction and apology that changes nothing
• Why the church cannot trade conviction for comfort, popularity, or platform

Jeff and John also tackle progressive Christianity, the danger of redefining Jesus into a mascot for modern approval, and what it means to actually live as salt and light in a culture that often rejects both. They don’t stop at critique - they press toward action, calling believers to love people deeply, speak truth with gentleness, and test every message against Scripture.This episode is for anyone who feels the tension between biblical conviction and cultural pressure - pastors, parents, young believers, longtime Christians, and anyone trying to understand what it really means to follow Jesus in a world that keeps moving the goalposts.If you need clarity, courage, or a firmer foundation, this is essential listening. The question is not whether culture will change. The question is whether you will let God’s Word change you.

You cannot build a strong faith on a Bible you never open. This episode cuts straight to the heart of why reading and studying Scripture is not optional - it is the foundation for knowing God, resisting deception, and living with real spiritual strength. Jeff Touchstone and John Burris tackle the difference between casually reading the Bible and actually studying it with purpose. They unpack why so many believers struggle to stay in the Word, why culture so easily reshapes our thinking, and how Scripture becomes the source of discernment in a world full of counterfeits. From 2 Timothy 3:16-17 to Psalm 119:105, they show how God’s Word equips, corrects, and guides you one step at a time.You'll discover:

• Why Scripture is not just inspiring, but essential for Christian growth
• The danger of using verses out of context or treating the Bible like an emergency manual
• How to ask better questions when you read, including who wrote it, who it was written to, and how it points to Christ
• The difference between reading, studying, and applying the Bible
• Why discernment matters more than memorization alone
• Practical ways to retain what you read through repetition, meditation, and consistency

Jeff and John also address common objections and questions, including Bible canon history, false teaching, cultural pressure, and where to start if you feel intimidated by Scripture. Their answer is simple: start with Jesus, keep going every day, and let the Word reshape your mind before the world does. Perfect for new believers, longtime Christians who feel stuck, and anyone who wants to stop treating the Bible like a backup plan and start letting it transform their life.

Welcome to the very first episode of Forge of Faith! In this inaugural episode, we lay the foundation for everything to come by exploring why the Bible still matters in today's world and why God's truth remains unchanging in an ever-changing culture.

Join Jeff Touchstone as we discuss the mission behind Forge of Faith, the importance of building our lives on Scripture rather than opinions or emotions, and why every believer should be prepared to confidently defend their faith. Whether you're a lifelong Christian or simply seeking answers, this episode will challenge you to dig deeper into God's Word and pursue a faith that is rooted in truth.

If you're ready to strengthen your faith, sharpen your understanding of Scripture, and grow closer to Christ, you're in the right place.