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.

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 &mdash; 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.

The idea of “the common good” has a rich history within the Christian church. It’s the notion that, as we pursue Jesus in our lives and in the lives of others, we are fulfilling God’s purposes for His creation. This pursuit can be messy. It means rolling up our sleeves and creating space for hard conversations about real issues that impact our lives. Things like parenting, marriage, finances, politics, art, and culture. On The Common Good, Brian From creates space to have these conversations, to sit with the big questions that we all have, to sometimes disagree, but to always look for the chance to create common good, by following after Jesus. Brian welcome listeners to join them in these conversations, to bring their own questions, hopes, and struggles, and to ultimately share in a journey to see God’s design for all of us fulfilled.

The idea of &ldquo;the common good&rdquo; has a rich history within the Christian church. It&rsquo;s the notion that, as we pursue Jesus in our lives and in the lives of others, we are fulfilling God&rsquo;s purposes for His creation. This pursuit can be messy. It means rolling up our sleeves and creating space for hard conversations about real issues that impact our lives. Things like parenting, marriage, finances, politics, art, and culture. On The Common Good, Brian From creates space to have these conversations, to sit with the big questions that we all have, to sometimes disagree, but to always look for the chance to create common good, by following after Jesus. Brian welcome listeners to join them in these conversations, to bring their own questions, hopes, and struggles, and to ultimately share in a journey to see God&rsquo;s design for all of us fulfilled.

The Common Good Podcast

The Common Good

A Tragic Loss on the Football Field, and When Unhealed Illness Brings Shame

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.

Brian welcomes back Dr. Lina Abujamra &mdash; 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.

All Your Life: Closing the Gap Between Spiritual Awakening and Real Discipleship with Dr. Lina Abujamra

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.

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" &mdash; the modern problem of having many shallow connections but few deep ones &mdash; 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.

Dropping a Son Off at College, Sandy Patty's Comeback, and How to Forgive Someone Who Isn't Sorry

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.

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 &mdash; 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.

A Tragic Loss on the Football Field, and When Unhealed Illness Brings Shame

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