On This Episode:

GRATEFULNESS IN AN ENTITLED TIME

Happy Thanksgiving! We live in a time totally unimpressed with our relatively easy lives. I have some thoughts to encourage you to be blown away by the physical and spiritual blessings we enjoy.

ADVENT WEEK 1: HOPE

One of main themes of Christmas is light invading the darkness. We live in a weary world that needs the thrill of hope. We live in a captive world that longs for Emmanuel – God with us. To appreciate fully the light that has come and will come again, we need to take the time to understand how dark it is.

INCARNATION – WHAT WE DO WITH OUR BODIES MATTERS

God chose to put on flesh and dwell among us. This means A LOT. One implication is God’s value of the physical world and how when we live, where we live, and what we do is eternally meaningful.

MUCH MORE

On This Episode:

ON MARRIAGE

I’m finally a married man, and I couldn’t be happier. I highly recommend marriage, first because of the companionship. There’s nothing like coming home to your best friend (I’m also fortunate my best friend is a beautiful woman). But second, I recommend it because it calls us higher and to be better. I also recommend all inclusive resorts in Cancun! I have some other thoughts to share on my wedding and the first two glorious weeks of marriage.

DON’T LET THE ELECTION GET YOU DOWN

Elections used to affect me emotionally. If you’re disappointed, let me challenge you on that to ask if elections have too much a hold of your heart.

MY ELECTION 2022 TAKE-AWAYS

1. It was a tie – maybe a slight win for the Right.

2. The only political brand more toxic than liberalism is Trumpism. I’ll prove it.

3. Abortion, sadly, mattered a lot – but not as much as the Left is saying.

4. Ticket-splitting is back and favors candidates just being the more normal of the two.

5. Conservatives need to USE early voting and mail-in voting instead of being skeptical of it.

6. Marriage and parenthood are starting to be emerging voter blocs.

On This Episode:

ELECTION 2022 PREDICTIONS AND ANALYSIS

What happened in this election is one party talked about the economy, crime, and inflation while the other talked about a terrible event at the Capitol 2 years ago, “threats to democracy,” and their love for abortion. The issues people care about right now aligned with the first party while the second party yelled at them for not caring about other things. That will ultimately mean a 25-30 net pickup in the House for Republicans and a 53-47 control of the Senate for Republicans.

GRANTING COVID AMNESTY?

An Atlantic writer recently proposed that we grant amnesty for those that ended up getting so much wrong about their Covid response. I definitely want to offer grace and understanding to regular people who were driven into semi-madness because of media manipulation and a bad news bias. However, for the leaders who imposed their policies with the attitude of being the only arbiters of truth, we must accountability. Fortunately through court rulings, election outcomes, and new paradigms, we’re getting a lot of that accountability.

THE PAUL PELOSI STORY

I’ve noticed that too many conservatives – and way too many Christians – are given to conspiracy theories. That is happening around this story. At the same time, I’m noticing an opposite delusion on the other side that this attacks is directly related to conservative rhetoric or that violence is uniquely on the Right. We have to be people who diminish temperatures, call people to reality, and pray for peace.

On This Episode:

LEARNING FROM BRIDGET JONES’ DIARY

A listener sent me an effective line from this popular series of books that highlights a them of my show: our crisis of meaning and the negative effect thereof. This also served as a great reminder to watch, listen, and read with discernment – filtering everything through Scripture.

ELECTION SEASON BRINGS MADNESS TO PULPITS

From a “Renew America” rally in a church to Stacey Abrams taking the mic at a church on Sunday morning, Biblical illiteracy ranging to heresy is pouring out of our political process. I’ll play you the audio and provide critique.

ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PANIC

Near the end of the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations, various hysterical people warned us of martial law impositions or an unwillingness to give up power. That’s happening again regarding right-leaning candidates likely gaining majorities in a few weeks. These claims have always proved false, and our institutions always hold up. There needs to be accountability for the panic-causing press.

THE CHANGING MUSCULAR CONSERVATISM

I’ve been chronicling the change in the church and on the Right regarding the role of government and the role of Christians in government. I’m still wrestling through it myself. In this installment, I have an argument from the Federalist that makes the full-throated argument that folks on the Right need to embrace the thinking of the Left: get power and use it to impose our ideas.

On This Episode

THE U.S. UNDER JUDGMENT

I recently heard a sermon that, in part, itemizes the actions and attitudes that invite God’s wrath on a people. As I heard it, I was personally convicted, but I also saw that the US is INVITING God’s judgment on us in very specific ways. I also lay out how His judgment is already being made clear.

THE “HE GETS US” CAMPAIGN

Some group is spending $100 million to “re-introduce” and “re-brand” Jesus to the United States, using slick TV ads and a clever website. As the adage goes, “clarity is kindness,” and I’m finding an issue that the campaign is clear about almost nothing. They seem to want to generate interest and curiosity about Jesus – and it stops there. I’ll give details.

ECONOMIC POLICY MATTERS BECAUSE IT HELPS OR HURTS PEOPLE

A fundamental Biblical worldview holding is that we desire flourishing and dignity for every human. History has demonstrated particular policies are best for humans. I recently saw stories on retirement funds being decimated by the market and middle- and lower-income families struggling with inflation. We should pursue policies that encourage growth and an environment where people have the dignity of self-reliance through work.

COVID FOLLOW UP PART… I DON’T REMEMBER

We just found that ACT scores are at an historic low, and it’s being blamed, in part, on a year of lost schooling. From time to time, I like to re-visit how we responded to Covid and the years-long consequences that response will have. I have a couple stories to this end.

On This Episode:

NATURAL DISASTERS RUIN THE GENDER NARRATIVE

The national narrative regarding gender has morphed and then radicalized over the past 50 years. We have folks who seem to embrace a full egalitarian relationship between men and women. During hurricane Ian, though, I noticed women were mostly doing the hard work of caring for the hurting while men were out sandbagging, rescuing in boats, repairing power lines and cleaning sewers.

When progressive gender ideology bumped up against reality that God designed, reality won. There are beautiful differences between men and women. We need each other. Let’s honor that.

LEFTISM WOKE-ISM CONTINUES TO BUILD ITS RELIGIOUS DOCTRINE

I’ve been establishing for years that Leftist Progressivism is a RELIGION – not a political ideology. It has its own origin story, fall story, and plan of salvation/redemption. It has its own symbols and creedal/doctrinal statements.

Recently, I noticed that their art has taken on the quality of 90s Christian art. It stopped caring about being good and primarily now cares about just making a point in favor of the religion.

I noticed ANOTHER way progressive Leftism is forming its theology. I’ll tell you about it.

ABORTION AND TWO SENATE RACES

The Republican running for governor in Arizona, I think, is sort of kook, but she gave a MODEL answer recently about abortion from which pro-life people can learn a lot. I’ll play the audio. Additionally, the Republican candidate for Senate in Georgia is being accused of paying for an abortion in the past. I’ll walk through the scant details and ethics surrounding his support.

COLD CIVIL WAR IS GETTING HOTTER

I’ve been saying for almost 7 years that the US is in a “Cold Civil War.” We hate each other – but we’re not hurting each other. Recently, though, an 84-year-old woman canvassing for a pro-life cause was shot in Michigan. Cayler Ellingson was killed in the Dakotas, and his killer said Cayler was a “Republican extremist.” I desperately want to find a way to cool down the country’s temper and tenor.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM UPDATES

The Supreme Court will hear a case where a Christian web designer wants to be free not to take on business for gay weddings. Her argument is iron clad, and I expect her to win – a GIGANTIC victory for religious liberty over the regime of sexual identity being the chief purpose of humanity. Additionally, CVS recently fired a Catholic woman for wanting an accommodation in not fulfilling prescription for abortion bills. The odd part is that they GRANTED the accommodation for four years. What changed?

On This Episode:

LESSONS FROM A CS LEWIS PLAY

My soon-to-be wife got us tickets to see what was an incredible biopic play about CS Lewis last week. I left wanting to preserve some examples he gave us about having an intellectual but simple faith as well as understanding how pleasures and pains are all hints much more profound truths. I'll provide details

A STORY THAT'S HARD TO BELIEVE FOR ME

The morning after that play, we found that my fiancé's car was STOLEN.  Stolen. In the Upstate of South Carolina from a nice complex -- it's crazy to me.  I have some thoughts on that event and how it made me think about our broader crime problem generally.

YOU'RE BEING LIED TO ABOUT ITALY'S ELECTION

The next Italian Prime Minister isn't a fascist. Her party isn't related to Mussolini's in any meaningful way.  Much more important is what her victory says about the state of life in the west. Her victory is akin to Brexit, the movements behind Donald Trump AND Bernie Sanders, and other recent election results in Europe. I have a lot to say here about what these results are responding to and what they mean for the future.

On This Episode:

DESANTIS, ABBOTT, AND FLYING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

When Governors most affected by the 8,000 humans crossing our border each day sent many of them to New York, Chicago, and Washington DC, I thought it was a good and right decision. Small Texas towns don't have the resources to sustain the 2 million people who illegally cross the border this year. Moreover, the folks who govern and largely populate these cities need to be shown what their lawless, open-border policies cost and cause. Leftist border policy is inhumane, and they need to see the human cost.

Then those governors, however, took it one step too far. Humans are not props for political arguments. Sending these folks to Kamala Harris's residence and to Martha's vineyard was trolling. You might have laughed at the trolling, but it wasn't right. It's unproductive. 

This was a lesson of doing the right thing in the wrong way. The Left need to see the consequences of their inane, immoral border policies, but as we make arguments, let's make them humanely.

LESSONS YOUNG PEOPLE NEED

I recently spoke to a group of college students on some of the themes they'll need as they enter adulthood. I emphasized practical ways to build discipline -- because motivation is brittle and fleeting. We talked about the dangerous and safe places to derive meaning and then finally about why we should embrace getting older and leaving childishness behind.

SOCIAL MEDIA LAW UPHELD

I'm struggling with this one. Texas passed a law saying large social media companies can't censor their users. My libertarian streak bristles at this idea. It's their companies, so leave them alone. The lawyers defending Texas's law, though, made some compelling points. I wrestle with the competing interests on show.

A LOT MORE

On This Episode:

LISTENER SUBMISSIONS

I finally catch up on some email from listeners:

-One says I've gone soft, and that the more cantankerous Cory was better. I'm not going back there, though.

-What do I actually think about the End Times and how the world ends?

-Are pharmaceutical companies responding to malignant incentives when it comes to depression treatments?

-Is the idea of extra-terrestrial life compatible with a Biblical worldview?

CRIME IS DRIVING A TON OF VOTERS AWAY FROM THE LEFT

A caller into a C-SPAN show made the case that he prefers the Left to run the federal government (for social programs), but that the Right should run local and state governments because they take crime and safety seriously. I have some thoughts on that.

LEARNING FROM THE QUEEN

It seems a lot of the admiration for the Queen was that she fulfilled her duties to her family and her country. We live in an age that says to live for no one but yourself. We operate in a time that calls us to reject our responsibilities to our parents, siblings, community, church, and everyone else. We're told me must live to be our truest selves -- no matter the cost. The Queen exemplified choosing duty over self. We should celebrate and emulate that.

JOE SCARBOROUGH MANGLES THE BIBLE REGARDING ABORTION

Admittedly, I got too angry with this one. Joe thinks he knows a lot of Bible. He doesn't, and it was obvious. I'll correct his idiotic theology on abortion.