Brian From reflects on the challenges of everyday life—from unexpected financial setbacks to the deeper question of what it means to live a “worthwhile life.” Along the way, he explores stories about humility, admitting mistakes, and the power of meaningful conversations that can even change someone’s mind. The episode also highlights faith in difficult circumstances and why Christians are called to pursue self-control, integrity, and purpose in a culture that often celebrates the opposite.

Brian From reflects on the challenges of everyday life&mdash;from unexpected financial setbacks to the deeper question of what it means to live a &ldquo;worthwhile life.&rdquo; Along the way, he explores stories about humility, admitting mistakes, and the power of meaningful conversations that can even change someone&rsquo;s mind. The episode also highlights faith in difficult circumstances and why Christians are called to pursue self-control, integrity, and purpose in a culture that often celebrates the opposite.

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

Faith, Humility, and Owning Our Mistakes

Mother's Day Sunday is one of the most emotionally loaded mornings on the church calendar — joyful for some, quietly devastating for others. Brian From gets personal about his own family's experience with miscarriage and brings in Dr. Deana Thayer, marriage and parenting associate at Focus on the Family, for an honest conversation about the women who often get left out of the celebration: moms who've experienced infertility or infant loss, stepmoms, foster and adoptive moms, caregivers, and women whose relationship with their own mother carries deep pain. Deana offers practical guidance for pastors, worship leaders, and churchgoers on how to honor Mother's Day without inadvertently causing harm — and issues a gentle but clear warning about the well-meaning platitudes that almost always make things worse. 

Mother's Day Sunday is one of the most emotionally loaded mornings on the church calendar &mdash; joyful for some, quietly devastating for others. Brian From gets personal about his own family's experience with miscarriage and brings in Dr. Deana Thayer, marriage and parenting associate at Focus on the Family, for an honest conversation about the women who often get left out of the celebration: moms who've experienced infertility or infant loss, stepmoms, foster and adoptive moms, caregivers, and women whose relationship with their own mother carries deep pain. Deana offers practical guidance for pastors, worship leaders, and churchgoers on how to honor Mother's Day without inadvertently causing harm &mdash; and issues a gentle but clear warning about the well-meaning platitudes that almost always make things worse.&nbsp;

Honoring Every Woman in the Room with Dr. Deana Thayer

This week was Brian's birthday — and it turns out he shares it with Star Wars Day. That's all the excuse needed to bring Plugged In's Adam Holtz into the conversation for a deep dive on George Lucas's galaxy far, far away. How did a $10 million film with an uncertain release become a cultural watershed that changed cinema forever? What did Lucas actually borrow from — Joseph Campbell, Kurosawa, Flash Gordon, Eastern religion, the Bible — and what does that mean for Christians trying to engage it thoughtfully? Adam breaks down the Force as a theological concept, why the original trilogy still holds up for family viewing, and what went so wrong with the sequel trilogy that Disney may be looking to erase it from canon entirely. A fun, fast conversation perfect for any Star Wars fan trying to think Christianly about one of the most enduring stories in pop culture. Find more of Adam's work at pluggedin.com.

This week was Brian's birthday &mdash; and it turns out he shares it with Star Wars Day. That's all the excuse needed to bring Plugged In's Adam Holtz into the conversation for a deep dive on George Lucas's galaxy far, far away. How did a $10 million film with an uncertain release become a cultural watershed that changed cinema forever? What did Lucas actually borrow from &mdash; Joseph Campbell, Kurosawa, Flash Gordon, Eastern religion, the Bible &mdash; and what does that mean for Christians trying to engage it thoughtfully? Adam breaks down the Force as a theological concept, why the original trilogy still holds up for family viewing, and what went so wrong with the sequel trilogy that Disney may be looking to erase it from canon entirely. A fun, fast conversation perfect for any Star Wars fan trying to think Christianly about one of the most enduring stories in pop culture. Find more of Adam's work at pluggedin.com.

Star Wars, Faith & the Force with Adam Holtz

What if your social media addiction is actually telling you something profound about eternity? Russell Moore makes a startling case in Christianity Today that the infinite scroll isn't just bad for your attention span — it's a counterfeit heaven, and in some ways, a picture of hell. Brian From unpacks that idea alongside a convicting piece from JD Greear on false positive Christianity: if the gospel has changed everything about you, why would your wallet be the one thing left untouched? Then: it's the National Day of Prayer, and Brian makes the case for why political fatigue is no excuse to stop praying for your leaders. Plus — aliens, the Christian faith, and why discovery should embolden belief rather than threaten it. And the story Brian never knew: how Stephen Colbert lost his father and two brothers in a plane crash at age 10, and what 25 years of grief taught him about gratitude.

What if your social media addiction is actually telling you something profound about eternity? Russell Moore makes a startling case in Christianity Today that the infinite scroll isn't just bad for your attention span &mdash; it's a counterfeit heaven, and in some ways, a picture of hell. Brian From unpacks that idea alongside a convicting piece from JD Greear on false positive Christianity: if the gospel has changed everything about you, why would your wallet be the one thing left untouched? Then: it's the National Day of Prayer, and Brian makes the case for why political fatigue is no excuse to stop praying for your leaders. Plus &mdash; aliens, the Christian faith, and why discovery should embolden belief rather than threaten it. And the story Brian never knew: how Stephen Colbert lost his father and two brothers in a plane crash at age 10, and what 25 years of grief taught him about gratitude.

Faith, Humility, and Owning Our Mistakes

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