Ahead of Grandparents' Day on September 13, Brian talks with Dr. Joannie DeBrito, licensed marriage and family therapist with Focus on the Family, about the unique role grandparents play in discipling the next generation. Joannie describes grandparents as "secondary parents" whose greatest gift to their grandchildren is modeling respect for the children's own parents, even when navigating disagreements. She offers practical ideas for long-distance grandparents — weekly video calls, parallel neighborhood walks over the phone, and old-fashioned cards and care packages — and addresses the painful and increasingly common trend of estrangement between adult children and grandparents. Joannie encourages grandparents in that situation to keep communication open where possible, examine their own role honestly, and lean on prayer, sharing that reconciliation often comes when adult children realize the value of what their parents offered. She closes by pointing listeners to resources through Legacy Coalition, a ministry dedicated to helping Christian grandparents disciple their grandchildren.

Ahead of Grandparents' Day on September 13, Brian talks with Dr. Joannie DeBrito, licensed marriage and family therapist with Focus on the Family, about the unique role grandparents play in discipling the next generation. Joannie describes grandparents as "secondary parents" whose greatest gift to their grandchildren is modeling respect for the children's own parents, even when navigating disagreements. She offers practical ideas for long-distance grandparents &mdash; weekly video calls, parallel neighborhood walks over the phone, and old-fashioned cards and care packages &mdash; and addresses the painful and increasingly common trend of estrangement between adult children and grandparents. Joannie encourages grandparents in that situation to keep communication open where possible, examine their own role honestly, and lean on prayer, sharing that reconciliation often comes when adult children realize the value of what their parents offered. She closes by pointing listeners to resources through Legacy Coalition, a ministry dedicated to helping Christian grandparents disciple their grandchildren.

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

Grandparents' Day: Building a Legacy of Faith Across Generations

On the 25th anniversary of September 11th, Brian shares a deeply personal memory of Jerry Paskins, a kind, ordinary man from his home church in New Jersey who was killed in the North Tower while on a business trip, putting a face to the tragedy's staggering scale. He wrestles with Colin Hansen's Christianity Today piece on the problem of evil, affirming that evil is real, death is inevitable, God remains sovereign, and God remains good — even when we can't reconcile all three. Brian discusses a Gospel Coalition article revisiting theologian J. Gresham Machen's 93-year-old argument against teaching the Bible in public schools, applied to Texas's new mandated curriculum, making the case that Scripture belongs with parents and the church rather than the state. He closes the hour reading extensively from Tim Keller's sermon delivered at Redeemer Presbyterian Church just days after 9/11, "Truth, Tears, Anger, and Grace," reflecting on Jesus's example of entering into grief before offering resurrection hope.

On the 25th anniversary of September 11th, Brian shares a deeply personal memory of Jerry Paskins, a kind, ordinary man from his home church in New Jersey who was killed in the North Tower while on a business trip, putting a face to the tragedy's staggering scale. He wrestles with Colin Hansen's Christianity Today piece on the problem of evil, affirming that evil is real, death is inevitable, God remains sovereign, and God remains good &mdash; even when we can't reconcile all three. Brian discusses a Gospel Coalition article revisiting theologian J. Gresham Machen's 93-year-old argument against teaching the Bible in public schools, applied to Texas's new mandated curriculum, making the case that Scripture belongs with parents and the church rather than the state. He closes the hour reading extensively from Tim Keller's sermon delivered at Redeemer Presbyterian Church just days after 9/11, "Truth, Tears, Anger, and Grace," reflecting on Jesus's example of entering into grief before offering resurrection hope.

25 Years After 9/11: A Personal Story, the Problem of Evil, and Tim Keller's Sermon of Comfort

On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Brian catches up with Adam Holz of Plugged In to discuss the best films for remembering that day and passing its history on to a generation too young to have lived it, recommending Flight 93, World Trade Center, and Zero Dark Thirty. They reflect on how differently the tragedy would unfold in today's smartphone and social-media-saturated world compared to 2001. Adam also shares that Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ is returning to theaters for a limited one-week release through Fathom Events ahead of its upcoming sequels, The Resurrection of the Christ, and he and Brian wrestle candidly with the film's unmatched spiritual power alongside its brutally graphic depiction of the crucifixion. They close with Brian's own belated review of The Odyssey, which he finally saw in theaters.

On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Brian catches up with Adam Holz of Plugged In to discuss the best films for remembering that day and passing its history on to a generation too young to have lived it, recommending Flight 93, World Trade Center, and Zero Dark Thirty. They reflect on how differently the tragedy would unfold in today's smartphone and social-media-saturated world compared to 2001. Adam also shares that Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ is returning to theaters for a limited one-week release through Fathom Events ahead of its upcoming sequels, The Resurrection of the Christ, and he and Brian wrestle candidly with the film's unmatched spiritual power alongside its brutally graphic depiction of the crucifixion. They close with Brian's own belated review of The Odyssey, which he finally saw in theaters.

Remembering 9/11 Through Film, and The Passion of the Christ Returns to Theaters with Adam Holz

On the eve of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Brian reflects on that day's lasting impact and shares the inspiring story of Wells Crowther, "the man in the red bandana," who saved up to 18 lives in the South Tower before losing his own. On the one-year anniversary of Charlie Kirk's assassination, Brian laments how quickly the killing of a young husband and father became politicized and memed rather than mourned as an act of senseless violence. He raises alarm over recent comments from a former Anthropic employee warning AI could threaten humanity within a decade, and calls for greater regulatory attention. Brian digs into a Gospel Coalition piece calling American Christians to reclaim the term "evangelical" from its political connotations and reconnect with the global evangelical movement, shares Paul Washer's reflection after a near-fatal heart attack on regretting not loving more rather than not working more, and discusses new Lifeway research showing church attendance growth concentrated in larger churches at the expense of shrinking smaller ones — a shift researchers attribute more to transfer growth than new conversions. He closes with a story about R.C. Sproul's humble response when pressed to say Billy Graham wouldn't be in heaven, modeling grace across theological disagreement.

On the eve of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Brian reflects on that day's lasting impact and shares the inspiring story of Wells Crowther, "the man in the red bandana," who saved up to 18 lives in the South Tower before losing his own. On the one-year anniversary of Charlie Kirk's assassination, Brian laments how quickly the killing of a young husband and father became politicized and memed rather than mourned as an act of senseless violence. He raises alarm over recent comments from a former Anthropic employee warning AI could threaten humanity within a decade, and calls for greater regulatory attention. Brian digs into a Gospel Coalition piece calling American Christians to reclaim the term "evangelical" from its political connotations and reconnect with the global evangelical movement, shares Paul Washer's reflection after a near-fatal heart attack on regretting not loving more rather than not working more, and discusses new Lifeway research showing church attendance growth concentrated in larger churches at the expense of shrinking smaller ones &mdash; a shift researchers attribute more to transfer growth than new conversions. He closes with a story about R.C. Sproul's humble response when pressed to say Billy Graham wouldn't be in heaven, modeling grace across theological disagreement.

Grandparents' Day: Building a Legacy of Faith Across Generations

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