What do people actually mean when they say Christian nationalism—and why does the term spark so much confusion, fear, and controversy? In this episode, we slow the conversation down and ask better questions about faith, politics, moral authority, and the role of Christians in public life.

We’re joined by Dr. Todd Williams, president of Cairn University and a longtime scholar of social theory, civic life, and religious liberty. Drawing from decades of teaching and public engagement, Todd helps untangle how labels get weaponized, why neutrality is a myth, and what’s really at stake when Christians talk about law, nationhood, and moral vision.

At the heart of the conversation is a grounding reminder: politics cannot save us—but faith should still shape how we live, vote, and seek the good of our neighbors. This episode challenges fear-driven engagement and calls Christians back to thoughtful, faithful citizenship rooted in the gospel rather than cultural panic.

President Donald Trump’s recent executive order aimed at lowering IVF costs and expanding access has pushed infertility back into the national spotlight. While the order reflects a good and understandable desire—helping couples who long for children—it also arrives in the middle of growing legal, political, and ethical tension. Court rulings, including the Alabama Supreme Court decision recognizing frozen embryos as legally protected children, have forced the country to confront difficult questions about life, personhood, and the limits of government policy. IVF may be discussed in campaign speeches and courtrooms, but behind every headline is a couple carrying grief, hope, and unanswered prayers.

This episode approaches IVF not as a partisan issue, but as a profoundly human and spiritual one. Scripture invites compassion for the pain of infertility while also calling Christians to think carefully about the moral weight of embryos and the means by which life is created. We explore why ethical reflection matters, how the church can avoid both moral indifference and harsh condemnation, and why politics—while influential—can never heal the deepest ache involved. The call for believers is not to choose between conviction and compassion, but to hold both together, walking with couples in truth, mercy, and hope before a God who sees every life and every longing.

In a cultural moment where doubt is often praised and belief treated with suspicion, many people quietly wonder whether faith can still be held with intellectual honesty. In this episode of The Underground Sessions Podcast, we explore that tension with Mary Jo Sharp—a former atheist, philosopher, and Christian apologist who understands skepticism from the inside.

Mary Jo shares her personal journey from disbelief to faith, reflecting on the questions that eventually made atheism feel insufficient and the surprises she encountered after becoming a Christian. Drawing from years of teaching, writing, and ministry, she helps us think carefully about evidence, trust, suffering, beauty, and the problem of evil—while also addressing the emotional and relational barriers that often shape belief just as much as intellectual ones. With insight shaped by ministry in both the Pacific Northwest and the Bible Belt, she offers a nuanced picture of how skepticism differs across cultural contexts.

The conversation closes by turning toward practice: how Christians can engage skeptics without defensiveness or pressure, how churches can create space for honest doubt, and what thoughtful seekers might do if they want to explore faith without pretending certainty. This episode isn’t about winning arguments—it’s about whether belief is still possible, reasonable, and worth pursuing when certainty feels out of reach.

More from Mary Jo Sharp

https://maryjosharp.com/

https://a.co/d/czWgpSr

https://a.co/d/f4u13ip

https://searchnational.org/about

https://reachothers.org/the-reach-podcast

The phrase “changed for good” has become a cultural shorthand for growth, healing, and moral clarity. In this short-form Underground Sessions commentary, we examine how that idea is presented in Wicked: For Good, and why the story it tells about goodness, intention, and transformation resonates so deeply in a culture uneasy with moral judgment. Recent reporting surrounding the film’s press tour—particularly involving Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Ethan Slater—provides an unexpected window into the moral logic beneath the narrative.

This episode contrasts that logic with the Christian understanding of transformation. Rather than treating evil as misunderstanding or harm as sincerity, Scripture offers a more searching diagnosis of the human heart—one that insists on repentance before renewal and truth before healing. Drawing from biblical teaching and classical Christian thought, the commentary asks whether a culture that struggles to name what is wrong can ever produce real change, and why the gospel’s promise is not that we were always good, but that we can be made new.


Thumbnail image: Cynthia Erivo (left) and Ariana Grande at the “Wicked” premiere. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Image modified (subjects isolated from background).

As headlines promise a future without work or poverty, bold claims are being made about technology’s ability to solve the deepest human problems. In this short-form Underground Sessions commentary, we examine the vision put forward by Elon Musk—that humanoid robots could eliminate poverty, make labor optional, and usher in a new era of abundance—and ask what assumptions about humanity, work, and hope are embedded in that promise.

Drawing on Scripture and cultural analysis, this episode explores whether poverty is truly a technical problem, what role work plays in human purpose, and why abundance alone has never healed the human heart. Rather than rejecting technology outright, the commentary offers a sober framework for discernment—affirming innovation as a tool while rejecting the idea that progress itself can save. The question left before listeners is simple but unavoidable: where does true hope come from, and what kind of future are we actually being formed to desire?

As attention centered on the Stranger Things finale, a larger shift in the entertainment landscape went largely unnoticed—one with significant implications for how moral categories are formed and sustained. This short-form Underground Sessions commentary examines how competing streaming platforms shape public assumptions about evil, responsibility, authority, and hope, and why the consolidation of cultural storytellers matters far beyond market share.

Focusing on Stranger Things as a case study, the episode explores how modern storytelling frames evil primarily through the lens of trauma, while alternative cultural narratives emphasize order and restraint. Drawing on Scripture, the commentary considers what these frameworks explain well, where they fall short, and why Christian theology insists on addressing both guilt and grace. The result is a sober reflection on which stories can withstand moral collapse—and which cannot.

For decades, Rob Reiner helped shape America’s moral imagination through film, television, and cultural influence—telling stories rooted in justice, love, and the promise of moral progress. This week, that narrative collided with devastating tragedy. In this short-form Underground Sessions commentary, we pause before rushing to political, psychological, or ideological explanations and ask a harder question: What happens when a culture that promises moral progress cannot explain moral collapse?

This episode offers a sober, biblically grounded reflection on the limits of secular moral frameworks and why evil continues to shock a culture convinced it has moved beyond it. Without sensationalism or moral grandstanding, we explore what Scripture says about the human heart, why progress without God fails to produce peace, and how the gospel uniquely confronts tragedy with truth, accountability, and hope.



Photo by Gage Skidmore, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

The Underground Sessions Podcast returns to a story with major implications at the crossroads of faith, culture, and public policy. In this episode, we revisit the case of First Choice Women’s Resource Center v. Platkin, which was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on December 2. We explore why a small New Jersey nonprofit—known for providing free resources and compassionate support to women and families—found itself facing an aggressive state investigation, and what broader questions this moment raises for nonprofits, churches, and ministries nationwide.

Executive Director Aimee Huber joins us once again to share what it was like to sit inside the Supreme Court chambers as the justices weighed in on the state’s sweeping subpoena. We’re also joined by Caleb Dalton, counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, who helps unpack the legal stakes, the surprising alliances surrounding the case, and the constitutional principles being tested. Together, they offer a firsthand look at the arguments, the most revealing exchanges with the justices, and the potential paths forward.

Finally, we look ahead. What happens if the Court rules narrowly? What would a broader ruling mean for the freedoms of religious organizations and charitable nonprofits across the country? And how should believers think, pray, and stay engaged as we wait for a decision expected no later than June? This inspiring conversation calls listeners to understand the moment, support those on the front lines, and remain steadfast in hope as First Choice continues its mission to serve women with dignity and care.

In this compelling episode, Pastor Bob sits down with Dr. Todd Hall from Biola University’s Rosemead School of Psychology to explore the quiet epidemic behind much of our cultural unrest: disconnection. Drawing from his book The Connected Life, Dr. Hall unpacks the theory of relational spirituality: how our early relationships shape not only how we relate to others, but how we relate to God.

Together, they examine the rising loneliness in our culture, the impact of attachment theory on spiritual formation, and the common but misguided routes many Christians take in pursuit of growth. What emerges is a timely challenge for church leaders and communities: to rethink discipleship not as information transfer, but as relational transformation.

If you've ever wondered why some people "know God" yet struggle to trust Him, or why vulnerability feels like a risk in Christian community; this conversation is for you.

More on Todd and his new book:
https://www.connectedlifebook.com/

Welcome back to the Underground Sessions Podcast! In this episode, Pastor Bob is joined by Philip Dearborn, President of the Association of Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). They have an engaging discussion covering the history of education, the current landscape of higher education as well as some helpful advice as you are considering college. Join as we discuss this very important topic! Like and subscribe if you are watching us on YouTube; follow us if you are listening on Apple Podcasts. 
 
ABHE Website: https://www.abhe.org/