The Common Good Podcast

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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Brian talks with Emerson Collins, Focus on the Family's program manager of parenting and youth, about Bring Your Bible to School Day, taking place October 1 this year. What started in 2014 with 8,000 students has grown to over a million participants nationwide, encouraging students to carry their Bibles and have a conversation about their faith. Emerson explains the heart behind the campaign — equipping the next generation to defend their faith amid difficult questions and a constant battle for their attention from phones and social media — and shares the ongoing "Live It Challenge" for families to keep growing in their biblical worldview year-round. He also encourages nervous parents and students alike, and offers a simple challenge for families to start reading Scripture together tonight.

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Brian reflects on a heartbreaking update in the case of a drunk driver who killed a new bride, troubled by her father's response minimizing her responsibility, and reflects on the real consequences of our choices. He wrestles with a Religion News article on political campaigns branding opposing clergy candidates as "not real pastors," arguing it's not our place to make sweeping judgments about someone's faith from a political microphone. He shares Russell Moore's piece on the disturbing rise of interest in blasphemy laws among some Christian nationalists, and why external religious conformity was never Jesus's goal. Brian digs into a fascinating study finding improv theater classes uniquely help anxious teens build empathy and collaboration skills, reflects on a Gospel Coalition piece on staying rooted in Scripture amid cultural drift, laughs through a viral list of things considered normal parenting in the 1970s that would be unthinkable today, and shares a Christianity Today piece on the importance of letting kids take healthy risks. He closes with a Charles Stanley devotional on Jesus washing his disciples' feet as the ultimate picture of humility.

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Brian, a former youth pastor himself, talks with Steve Eatmon, author of 10 Mistakes I Made in Youth Ministry and What You Can Learn from Them, about lessons from over a decade in student ministry. Steve reflects on mistakes like prioritizing entertainment over gospel-centered depth, neglecting to equip parents as the primary disciplers of their kids, and fostering an "us versus them" bubble mentality that separates students from the broader church. They discuss why youth need multiple adult relationships beyond just a youth pastor to help them transition into adulthood, and push back on the idea that students are merely "the church of the future" rather than a vital part of the church right now.

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Brian talks with Dr. Heather Holleman, Penn State writing professor and author, about the final book in her middle-grade series, This Seat Is Yours, which follows a seventh-grade girl discovering her identity as "seated with Christ" from Ephesians 2:6. Heather discusses the decline of pleasure reading among middle schoolers amid short-form media and AI book summaries, and why fiction remains a powerful tool for mental, emotional, and spiritual development. She walks through the series' arc — rejection, jealousy, popularity, and purpose — and explains the "seated and sent" framework she and her husband use to help both kids and adults move from comparison and anxiety into a settled identity in Christ that overflows into blessing others.

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Brian starts light with a study on how good posture doesn't just help your body but actually improves mood and decision-making — vindicating moms everywhere. He shares the disconcerting experience of repeated tornado warnings in the Chicago suburbs this summer and reflects on what it means to surrender control to God when the weather, and life, feel chaotic. He digs into a New York Times piece asking whether letting kids play alone outside should be criminalized, and shares an encouraging social media post reminding pastors that the local church can't be replaced by big podcasts and platforms. Brian reads through the "hope passage" of Romans 5 in full, reflects on the growing political extremism on both the left and right, and shares a "Really?" moment from the Wall Street Journal on parents attending their Gen Z kids' job interviews. He closes with Andy Davis on the value of Scripture memorization for ministry and a Paul David Tripp reflection on the counterintuitive blessing found in mourning over sin.

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Brian confesses to becoming "that dad" who chases down every light left on in the house amid rising utility costs, using it as a jumping-off point for a candid conversation about financial stress and what it looks like to build a budget and a life of contentment on faith rather than anxiety. He digs into a Christianity Today piece contrasting Texas's new Bible-inclusive public school reading list with Connecticut's optional Arab and Islamic studies curriculum, arguing public schools shouldn't be in the business of shaping worldview either direction. Brian shares a Reuters poll showing bipartisan support for stronger social media regulation to protect kids, arguing government has a role but parents bear the ultimate responsibility. He also covers Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signing a bill expanding late-term abortion access, a Max Lucado piece offering six practical steps toward forgiveness, a Crossway article on what to do when feelings don't line up with Scripture, and closes with a rich conversation on Rich Villodas's book The Narrow Path and the difference between "peacekeeping" and true biblical "peacemaking."

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Brian interviews four-time Grammy-winning music producer Ricky "Slikk Muzik" Offord about his new book, 33 Days Between Heaven and Hell. Ricky, who has produced for artists including Kirk Franklin, Lecrae, Ariana Grande, and Tori Kelly, shares the harrowing story of a routine gallbladder surgery in 2016 that led to a 33-day coma, multiple cardiac arrests, and an out-of-body experience where he encountered a vast line of people from every nation waiting before heaven's gates. He describes praying for a second chance and vowing to share his story and rededicate his life to Christ, and how that encounter transformed him from simply a successful producer into a man driven by his faith and a calling to point others toward Jesus.

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Brian opens with a powerful reflection on preaching at Sheridan Prison this past weekend, describing the depth of community and hunger for God he witnessed in an inmate-run church service — a humbling reminder that God is at work in the hardest places. He shares a new study linking diet soda consumption to cognitive decline, then tackles the uncomfortable question of whether truly heinous sinners, using Jeffrey Dahmer's late-life conversion as the example, can really be saved — landing on the scandalous, humbling truth that none of us deserve grace. Brian reflects on the emotional weight of his son leaving for college and processes change through faith in an unchanging God. He also weighs in on the University of Michigan hiding freshman grades to protect student mental health, the WNBA's ongoing controversy over transgender athletes, a viral list of "19 lies" his generation was sold about adulthood, and closes with a rich JD Greer teaching on how the Ten Commandments function for Christians today as a curb, a map, and a mirror pointing us to Christ.

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