Some topics we don’t enjoy talking about. But in consideration of Ephesians 5, while it is shameful to mention what the disobedient do in secret, we also have a responsibility to shed light in the dark corners. The pervasiveness of pornography throughout our culture, its effects on individuals and society as a whole, and the current attempts to rename and normalize it certainly fall into that category.

Our guest today was Dr. Michael Youssef who joined us to talk about his new book, The Hidden Enemy: Aggressive Secularism, Radical Islam and the Fight for our Future. We discussed how secularism and silent Christians are leaving a vacuum that radical Islamists are only too ready to fill?

Finally, we are challenged to examine the #HowToEvangelical thread on Twitter and consider carefully how Evangelicals are viewed in our culture. How might Christians engage with the culture in a way that demonstrates what are the true and distinguishing marks of believers: joy, peace, contentment, thankfulness, love?

Easter does not often fall on April Fools Day and it is a great opportunity to proclaim the foolishness of the cross which is the power of salvation for those who believe. In an act seen by the world as utter foolishness, God redeems His Creation. With that knowledge we turn toward the fools in the world who say in their hearts there is no God (Psalm 14:1) and we share with them the radical love of God in Jesus Christ.

Independent Christian Artist Dave Pettigrew shared his heart for addicts and involvement with the “There is Hope” movement. We also talked about his latest project Faith and Gasoline and how the only hope for young and old is Jesus Christ.

Finally, get informed about the upcoming release of the second season of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. Due to extensive backlash, the show now displays a warning, but today’s youth are likely to be exposed. Addressing mental health is an area where the church needs to engage. Find resources and more information here.  

Rather than dismiss the activism of the next generation in the March for Our Lives, we should consider what issue will upset us enough to get involved? Yet despite their energy and enthusiasm, this next diverse and digitally native generation is not our savior. His name is Jesus, and Christians need to be actively engaging with generation Z to introduce them to the one true hope for our culture.

Founder and President of Widow Connection, Miriam Neff, joined us to consider how the church can follow the biblical mandate to care for the 1 million new widows in the United States this year. Her latest book is Not Alone: 11 Inspiring Stories of Courageous Widows from the Bible.

In the final segment, Lisa Morrone challenged us to take small, practical steps towards making our bodies more fit to follow Christ. It is a challenge to ask ourselves if we could have kept up with Jesus for the miles of walking He did during His time on Earth.

We are living in mean times, which Rex Tillerson alluded to in his farewell speech. Christians must resist joining the wide path of coarse talk and self-promotion and look to the shining examples found in Scripture of others who led well in mean times. Over time, even the mean-spirited will be drawn to faithful displays of goodness, truth and beauty.

Executive Director of The Philos Project, Robert Nicholson talked about the intersection of faith and foreign policy in the Middle East. He gave us a sense of the situation on the ground in Israel, an update on project Nineveh, an overview of the relationship between church and state and an idea of current perceptions of the United States’ foreign policy.

From the suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan to the string of bombings in Austin, Texas, we recognize that many are facing unrest, distress and fear today. We also recognize that even once the most current threats are neutralized, until Christ returns, we live among criminals and will never be safe from every threat. Even so, we are called to bear fruit in every season and live as people who are confident in the Lord.

As we approach Holy Week, a wonderful companion to personal worship is Fernando Ortega’s latest recording “The Crucifixion of Jesus.” It was all of our sin that took Jesus from the glory of Heaven and to the cross. This album helps us to linger there.

In the last segment, Tim Muehlhoff introduced some research that shows how a fake good attitude is not fruitful. We might need to wait on interactions involving conflict until we examine our hearts and can find genuine concern for our neighbors there.

As Christians we need to be aware of the plight of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world so we can pray for them and advocate for them to our government officials and come alongside them in whatever other ways we can. (For more on the persecuted church, see our series here.) Andrew Brunson has been charged with terrorism due to his Christianization activities in Turkey. In addition, while Muslim girls kidnapped by Boko Haram from a school in Nigeria have been returned, their Christian classmates have not.

Nick Pitts, author of a Daily Briefing and the executive director for the Institute on Global Engagement at Dallas Baptist University, walked us through his daily process for examining the news and identifying where biblical truth can be applied. We talked about some headline news stories and research and discussed where Christians can engage and bring the light of the gospel to a lonely and relationally-broken world.

Christians are people of truth. Sometimes embracing an unwavering commitment to truth means looking in the mirror when we are characterized in an unflattering way. In response to Jim Carrey’s characterization of White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, we should be looking for truth, and allowing it to reveal if our public witness has been compromised.

Have you ever struggled with big decisions in life and wondered what God’s will is in a given situation? How might we relax into the freedom God grants us? We spoke with Dr. Emerson Eggerichs about his upcoming book The 4 Wills of God: The Way He Directs Our Steps and Frees Us to Direct Our Own.

A law is being challenged as unconstitutional in California that requires pro-life institutions to inform women of where they can obtain a free or low-cost abortion. As we continue to advocate for the unborn, let us also advocate for our reborn imprisoned brothers and sisters in Christ, specifically, Pastor Andrew Brunson who is now facing a much longer imprisonment in Turkey. Lastly, in order to communicate well with others, we have to be able to understand where they are coming from. The latest study from PEW research reveals many differences between millennials and those in their 70’s and 80’s.

What keeps us from hungrily seeking delight in the reading and studying of the Bible? Elyse Fitzpatrick, author of Finding the Love of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation, talks with us about some misrepresentations of God’s Word and beckons us to see the love of Christ on every page.

Christians are sent into the moral mess of the culture with the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we witness the debate on one hand surrounding laws about the minimum age requirement for gun purchase and on the other hand the appropriate minimum age for marriage and abortion without parental consent, believers should consider how to raise adolescents up in every way to maturity in Christ.

Jon Irwin, executive producer of the newly released film I Can Only Imagine, shares how his captivation by the story behind the loved song of the transformational power of the gospel stirred him to make this “rush of hope” available to others. Then, Karen Swallow Prior, author and English professor, went deep with us into the layers of meaning in our words and their potential as weapons or reservoirs of life.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, when a 19-year-old boy is jeered (for saving his first kiss for the right person) and then forcibly kissed by American idol judge Katy Perry during his audition, how can believers be tilling the cultural soil and advocating for the sexual purity of kids and the honor of the marriage bed?  Then, rejoice in the redemption of one young woman who is now using her platform to expose the lies that led to her past life. Finally, a glance at what is happening within a mainline seminary reveals where we are as a culture in terms of the moral revolution.

Alex McFarland, best-selling author and Director of the Center for Christian Worldview and Apologetics at North Greenville University, challenged Christians to consider the single-mindedness of Bill Graham’s ministry and also what leads to revival.