KNEO Podcast

The headlines from Virginia and New Jersey aren’t the whole story. What’s happening inside America’s churches is shaping the way people think, vote, and live far more than a single election night. We sit down with David Closson of Family Research Council to unpack new nationwide research on regular churchgoers—folks in the pews weekly—and the picture is both sobering and hopeful.

On the hopeful side, the data show an unmistakable hunger for worldview training. Large majorities want clear, Bible-based teaching on religious freedom, social and political responsibility, human sexuality, and the value of life. Gen Z and millennials are showing up more, streaming worship music, and downloading spiritual apps at record rates. People are searching for truth and meaning, and they’re walking through church doors to find it.

The sobering side: core doctrine is slipping. Only 61% of frequent attenders affirm an orthodox view of God, and a growing share substitute new-age “higher consciousness” language for biblical truth. Even more alarming, support for abortion has risen among regular churchgoers over the past two years. We talk candidly about why this is happening—years of pastoral silence on contested moral issues, syncretism from cultural influences, and the assumption that attendance equals discipleship. Then we lay out a better way: chapter-and-verse clarity on issues Scripture addresses directly, coupled with pastoral courage and congregational ownership of spiritual growth.

You’ll leave with practical resources: FRC’s Center for Biblical Worldview, Summit Ministries for students and young adults, the Colson Center’s programs and media, and David Closson’s book Life After Roe, which integrates theology, history, and strategy for the pro-life cause. The thread through it all is simple and urgent—formation beats slogans. If we teach and live the whole counsel of God, public witness follows and civic choices change.

If this conversation sharpened your thinking, share it with a friend. What topic do you want us to tackle with chapter-and-verse clarity next?

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Why should Christians be creationists? We’ve been looking at ten reasons why, and here’s number eight.

Jesus died physically and rose from the dead physically. Now, if life evolved over millions of years, then death existed before sin. And the punishment for sin isn’t physical death. So why did Jesus have to come and physically die?

Jesus’ death demands a physical Adam who physically rebelled against God. Paul mentions this several times in his writings.

We can look forward to a day when death will be no more because Jesus paid the penalty for our sin and rose again. Someday we’ll be physically raised with him.

This week we begin studying Romans chapter 2 as Gary teaches on secular man and finding God in nature.

Today, Pastor Jack teaches that faith is not just belief, but action in spite of uncertainty. Faith can push you to do what seems irrational to others, but it’s that very boldness that can change the outcome.

Salvation is a free gift from God with no strings attached. But Dr. Tony Evans explains that following Christ here on earth comes at a price that not everyone is willing to pay—and that true commitment demands surrender.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Titus 2

The amazing grace of God is what writes our spiritual biographies. Titus 2:11-15 explains how God saved us, and brought us from grace to glory.

First, this passage reminds us what grace brought: salvation.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men…” (Titus 2:11).

Without Jesus, we are spiritually dead, separated from God. We are considered devilish, disobedient to God, and depraved in our humanity. We cannot redeem our depravity and earn salvation; however, God brought salvation to us, because of His grace.

Adrian Rogers says, “You’re not saved by the merit of man, but by the mercy of God; not by the goodness of man, but by the grace of God. Salvation is not a reward for the righteous; it is a gift for the guilty.”

Secondly, Titus 2 reveals what grace taught: sanctification.

“...teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age…” (Titus 2:12).

Though saved by grace, we cannot continue to live in sin. There is nothing to earn, yet there is so much to learn. We must engage in discipleship and study God’s Word.

Third, Titus 2 explains what grace sought: service.

“...who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14).

Grace is a gift at the cost of the giver, and we have been purchased by the blood of Jesus. We are also purified from the inside out; we don’t work for God’s love, but our good works are a sign that we love the Lord.

This passage also calls us peculiar; we are meant to be different, set apart, a trophy of grace used for the service of God.

Finally, this passage shows us what grace wrought: glorification.

“...looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:13).

The story is not over yet; what began in grace will end in glory. As believers, we have a glorious hope that He will come again. And one day, we will see Him, the one who saved us by His grace.

Apply it to your life

Do you have the blessed hope of Christ’s return in you? Remember the amazing grace of God today, which brought salvation to you while you were dead in your sins.

Listen in as Mark Gregston reflects on how today’s teens struggle to distinguish “true life” from the filtered world of social media. He explains that constant exposure to idealized images and comparisons fuels loneliness, anxiety and low self-worth. Mark encourages parents to help their teens critically evaluate online content, ask “Is this real?” and maintain perspective by balancing social media with genuine relationships. Ultimately, he urges families to teach discernment, set boundaries and foster affirmation at home so that teens find their value in truth, not digital illusions.

Would you like to ask Mark a question? Visit markgregston.com to send him your parenting questions today!

Parenting Today's Teens is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be, visit parentingtodayteens.org. 

Have you ever sat down to watch an hour of television, and ended up staying there the whole night? Or scooped yourself a bowl of ice cream, only to eat the entire carton? Most of us have been guilty of such relatively minor overindulgences. But they serve as an important reminder that pleasure can become addictive. Dr. Robert Jeffress explains how pleasure lured the prodigal son away from his father.

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