Brian talks with Dr. Winfred Neely, professor and author of A Love to Live By: Rediscovering Agape Love in Scripture. Winfred unpacks why he chose the term "agape" rather than "Christian love" — because the church hasn't always lived up to that name — and explains how the New Testament's vision of love extends radically to everyone, including enemies, without approving of everything they do. Drawing especially from the Gospel of John and 1 John, Winfred paints a striking picture of what could change if the church truly practiced agape love: healing across racial and ethnic divides, stronger marriages, healthier homes free of abuse, and a watching world taking notice of something genuinely different happening in the church.

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Brian pays tribute to the passing of Dolly Parton at 80, reflecting on her decades-long marriage, her genuine kindness, and closing the hour with nine of her most striking public statements about prayer, faith, and heaven. He shares a bizarre and troubling story of four Georgia pastors publicly apologizing after sending anonymous packets falsely accusing another pastor of plagiarism, reflecting on the need for churches to hold themselves to a higher standard. Brian digs into John Piper's teaching on "the pleasure trap" — how earthly pleasures are meant to point our hearts toward God rather than become idols — and shares Alan Noble's Gospel Coalition piece arguing that a Christian's suffering, while mysterious, is never meaningless. He closes reflecting on financial anxiety and contentment after reading about a Michael Jordan jersey expected to sell for $10 million alongside rising healthcare cost anxiety among ordinary Americans, along with the surprising power of nostalgic worship music to remind us of God's faithfulness over time.

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Brian shares an inspiring underdog story of an Alabama high school football team snapping a 101-game losing streak with a dramatic comeback win. He digs into a New York Magazine feature on the "pay-to-play childhood" of expensive, all-consuming travel youth sports, encouraging parents to weigh their own family's priorities rather than following outside pressure either way. Brian shares a Gospel Coalition piece on grieving well — honestly, patiently, in community, with gratitude and hope — from a pastor whose wife battled advanced cancer, and Randy Alcorn's reflection on investing in relational and eternal "riches" over earthly ones, illustrated by a powerful adoption story. He digs into Tim Challies's teaching on the discipline of good listening as an act of love and ministry, reflects on the danger of "performative" Christianity in a social-media-saturated culture, and closes with a story about Mike Pence's respectful treatment of a transgender former staffer as a model of holding convictions while extending genuine compassion.

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Brian opens with heavy hearts over the tragic death of a Wisconsin high school quarterback following a football injury, reflecting on the fragility and brevity of life. He shares insights from a sermon on what actually fuels a lifestyle of service — not guilt, but gratitude for what Christ has done. Brian discusses a Christianity Today review of the late Charlie Kirk's posthumous book on Sabbath-keeping, and its surprisingly countercultural call to unplug from the "endless noise" of modern life. He digs into a deeply personal Gospel Coalition article by a pastor with terminal brain cancer wrestling with the shame that can come when prayers for healing go unanswered, and a fascinating piece on why so few pastors quit ministry despite widespread burnout. Brian closes with Matt Redman's case for "vertical" worship songs that point to God rather than ourselves, and a Charles Stanley devotional on Jesus calming the storm as a picture of overcoming fear through God's presence.

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Brian welcomes back Dr. Lina Abujamra — physician, founder of Living With Power Ministries, and author of the new book All Your Life: What It Really Means to Live for Jesus. Lina discusses the encouraging wave of young people coming to faith today, but warns of a widening gap between spiritual awakening and true discipleship, fueled partly by social media's curated, outcome-based version of Christianity that leaves young believers disillusioned when God's plan doesn't match the highlight reel. She makes the case for a theology of suffering as part of genuine spiritual formation, and challenges older believers not to be "gun shy" about mentoring the next generation through the nitty-gritty, one-on-one work of discipleship. Lina closes with a word of hope for anyone listening who feels like they're barely holding on, pointing to Psalm 42 and the security believers have in Christ.

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Brian reflects on the whirlwind week of moving his son into Grove City College, wrestling with the mix of pride, sadness, and trust required to release a child into independence and let their faith become their own. He shares the surprising comeback of Christian music legend Sandy Patty, releasing new music a decade after her farewell tour at age 70. Brian reacts to a CBS/YouGov poll showing a striking number of Democrats holding a more favorable view of socialism than capitalism, and shares JD Greer's "Adore, Acknowledge, Appeal" framework for prayer drawn from Nehemiah. He digs into the "friendship depth gap" — the modern problem of having many shallow connections but few deep ones — and a Christianity Today piece cautioning against Texas lawmakers seeking to redefine Islam to strip it of religious liberty protections, warning that restricting freedom for one faith opens the door to restricting it for all. He closes with a thoughtful piece on how to forgive someone who never says sorry.

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Filling in for Adam Holz, Plugged In's Paul Asay joins Brian for a rich conversation on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, discussing how the film softens Homer's original, more selfish Odysseus into a more sympathetic, regret-capable character, and pointing out surprising echoes of Christian themes — humility before a higher power, a quasi-baptism scene, and the Golden Rule woven throughout. Paul also recommends The Magic Faraway Tree, a new family film starring Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield about screen-addicted kids whose parents pull them into a magical, tech-free adventure, with some fantasy elements Christian families should weigh. He closes with an all-time classic recommendation for family movie night: The Princess Bride.

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Brian reflects on an emotional weekend leading up to taking his son to college, weaving in a review of The Odyssey and its theme of longing for home as a picture of the Christian's longing for heaven. He shares a deeply concerning survey finding that over half of Gen Z investors are redirecting retirement savings into sports betting, and covers a wild story of brawls erupting at the Wisconsin State Fair. Brian also digs into an Atlantic piece on the "romance recession" — the disconnect between young people wanting marriage and actually dating — and unpacks the viral term "LARPing" (performative, inauthentic behavior), applying it to the danger of "spiritual LARPing," or hypocrisy, that Jesus condemned in the Pharisees. He closes with a sobering but hopeful Nine Marks article on the Bible's repeated pattern of flawed fathers and the gospel's invitation to repentance and restoration, plus a rich walk through the hope of Romans 8.

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Brian dives into a wild Little League World Series scandal out of Oklahoma, where a dominant regional program appears to have committed years of eligibility fraud, prompting reflection on how adults ruin youth sports for kids. He shares Michael W. Smith's caution about celebrity culture and lost reverence in modern worship music, and a study showing couples who simply walk together report stronger marriages and better conflict resolution. Brian reflects on Seth Rogan's joking fear of "dying with too much money" as a window into deeper questions of legacy and significance rooted in identity in Christ rather than accomplishment. He digs into a Relevant Magazine piece on the growing gambling epidemic among young men fueled by prediction markets like Kalshi, shares a viral clip of a Little League coach reminding a struggling pitcher that "Jesus is still Lord" whether he strikes batters out or walks them, and closes with a Gospel Coalition piece making the case for reading the book of Revelation symbolically rather than strictly literally.

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Brian catches up with Adam Holz of Plugged In for a packed summer movie roundup. They discuss Spider-Man's stunning box office run — nearing $2 billion globally and challenging Avatar's all-time record — along with its content notes on language and suggestive material. Adam reviews two competing dinosaur movies, Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie and The End of Oak Street, plus The Brink of War, a slow-burning historical drama starring Jeff Daniels as Ronald Reagan depicting the 1986 Reykjavik summit with Gorbachev. They close with Elijah Peel, a Christian film about a hard-partying rock star's conversion after a health scare, and a candid conversation about how much grit and realism audiences want in faith-based films.

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