Benjamin Vrbicek, Lead Teaching Pastor at Community Evangelical Free Church, Managing Editor for Gospel-Centered Discipleship, and Coauthor of “Blogging for God’s Glory in a Clickbait World,” joined Brian and Aubrey to talk about his new book, “Shepherd & Sheep: Essays on Loving & Leading in a Local Church.” 

Learn more about Benjamin and his books at his blog, fanandflame.com and connect with him on Twitter at @BenjaminVrbicek 

Benjamin Vrbicek, Lead Teaching Pastor at <a href="https://www.communityfreechurch.org/">Community Evangelical Free Church</a>, Managing Editor for <a href="https://gcdiscipleship.com/">Gospel-Centered Discipleship</a>, and Coauthor of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blogging-Gods-Glory-Clickbait-World/dp/1734849428">&ldquo;Blogging for God&rsquo;s Glory in a Clickbait World,&rdquo;</a> joined Brian and Aubrey to talk about his new book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shepherd-Sheep-Essays-Loving-Leading/dp/1734849487">&ldquo;Shepherd &amp; Sheep: Essays on Loving &amp; Leading in a Local Church.&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;
Learn more about Benjamin and his books at his blog, <a href="https://benjaminvrbicek.com/">fanandflame.com</a> and connect with him on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/benjaminvrbicek?lang=en">@BenjaminVrbicek</a>&nbsp;

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

Guest: Benjamin Vrbicek, Lead Teaching Pastor at Community Evangelical Free Church and Managing Editor for Gospel-Centered Discipleship - Discussion on his new book, “Shepherd & Sheep: Essays on Loving & Leading in a Local Church” - October 26, 2021

Before the fireworks and the barbecue, Brian From sits down with Zach Mettler of Focus on the Family's Daily Citizen to dig into one of the most contested questions in American history: what role did faith actually play in the founding of this nation? Zach makes the case that you simply cannot understand the founding without understanding Christianity's essential role — tracing it back not to 1776 but to 1607, when the English settlers at Cape Henry knelt in the sand, prayed, and planted a cross before establishing Jamestown. The Bible was the single most cited source among the founding fathers according to a landmark 20th century study, and the Declaration of Independence references God five times — making it as much a theological document as a political one. Zach also engages honestly with the complications: founding fathers on a spectrum from orthodox Christians like John Jay to heterodox figures like Jefferson, the irreconcilable tension of declaring all men equal while holding slaves, and what we do with that legacy. He closes with what Os Guinness calls the civilizational choice before America right now: recommit to its founding principles, find something else to root itself in, or decline. Find Focus on the Family's documentary Faith in America on YouTube or at thedailycitizen.org.

Before the fireworks and the barbecue, Brian From sits down with Zach Mettler of Focus on the Family's Daily Citizen to dig into one of the most contested questions in American history: what role did faith actually play in the founding of this nation? Zach makes the case that you simply cannot understand the founding without understanding Christianity's essential role &mdash; tracing it back not to 1776 but to 1607, when the English settlers at Cape Henry knelt in the sand, prayed, and planted a cross before establishing Jamestown. The Bible was the single most cited source among the founding fathers according to a landmark 20th century study, and the Declaration of Independence references God five times &mdash; making it as much a theological document as a political one. Zach also engages honestly with the complications: founding fathers on a spectrum from orthodox Christians like John Jay to heterodox figures like Jefferson, the irreconcilable tension of declaring all men equal while holding slaves, and what we do with that legacy. He closes with what Os Guinness calls the civilizational choice before America right now: recommit to its founding principles, find something else to root itself in, or decline. Find Focus on the Family's documentary Faith in America on YouTube or at thedailycitizen.org.

Was America Really Founded on Christian Faith? Zach Mettler on America 250

It's Fourth of July weekend, it's a hundred degrees outside, and Paul Asay from Plugged In joins Brian From with a perfect excuse to sit in air-conditioned darkness for two hours. First up: Minions and Monsters, the latest entry in the franchise that somehow keeps going — fun and frenetic as always, but parents should know there are some darker spiritual elements from a spell book and at least one real swear word that feels out of place. Then a genuine recommendation for the holiday weekend: Young Washington, a historically grounded action film about George Washington before the wigs and the dentures, back when he was just a Virginian colonial trying to make his name in the French and Indian War. Paul — who reads presidential biographies for fun — calls out the liberties it takes while vouching for its historical core, and notes a welcome faith element alongside the battle sequences. For streaming at home: Enola Holmes 3 on Netflix brings Sherlock's younger sister to the altar while Moriarty tries to ruin the wedding. And in a delightful bonus, Brian puts Paul on the spot about what he's actually watching — the answer involves Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas, and a 1952 western that Paul still hasn't forgiven for its famously annoying kid. Full reviews at pluggedin.com.

It's Fourth of July weekend, it's a hundred degrees outside, and Paul Asay from Plugged In joins Brian From with a perfect excuse to sit in air-conditioned darkness for two hours. First up: Minions and Monsters, the latest entry in the franchise that somehow keeps going &mdash; fun and frenetic as always, but parents should know there are some darker spiritual elements from a spell book and at least one real swear word that feels out of place. Then a genuine recommendation for the holiday weekend: Young Washington, a historically grounded action film about George Washington before the wigs and the dentures, back when he was just a Virginian colonial trying to make his name in the French and Indian War. Paul &mdash; who reads presidential biographies for fun &mdash; calls out the liberties it takes while vouching for its historical core, and notes a welcome faith element alongside the battle sequences. For streaming at home: Enola Holmes 3 on Netflix brings Sherlock's younger sister to the altar while Moriarty tries to ruin the wedding. And in a delightful bonus, Brian puts Paul on the spot about what he's actually watching &mdash; the answer involves Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas, and a 1952 western that Paul still hasn't forgiven for its famously annoying kid. Full reviews at pluggedin.com.

Young Washington, Minions & Monsters with Paul Asay of Plugged In

The American Bible Society has been taking the temperature of America's relationship with scripture for 16 years, and the honest summary from editor-in-chief John Plake is this: it's complicated. Bible use has been slowly eroding since the 1970s, and while there's a "movable middle" of 74 million curious but unengaged Americans who represent real opportunity, things aren't simply getting better. The newest chapter of the State of the Bible report focuses on AI — specifically, how Americans are using it to try to understand scripture. The findings are nuanced: biblically literate people tend to use AI effectively because they can identify when it gets things wrong, while people with no biblical background are most likely to be misled without knowing it. John makes a pointed observation: following Jesus is not a do-it-yourself task, and a chatbot is no substitute for a community of people faithfully walking together. He also shares the tangible benefits of Bible engagement backed by the data — lower anxiety, better close relationships, higher human flourishing scores across the board — and closes with three practical steps for anyone who's been putting off engaging with scripture. Find the full report at stateofthebible.org and a personalized starting point at nextstep.bible.

The American Bible Society has been taking the temperature of America's relationship with scripture for 16 years, and the honest summary from editor-in-chief John Plake is this: it's complicated. Bible use has been slowly eroding since the 1970s, and while there's a "movable middle" of 74 million curious but unengaged Americans who represent real opportunity, things aren't simply getting better. The newest chapter of the State of the Bible report focuses on AI &mdash; specifically, how Americans are using it to try to understand scripture. The findings are nuanced: biblically literate people tend to use AI effectively because they can identify when it gets things wrong, while people with no biblical background are most likely to be misled without knowing it. John makes a pointed observation: following Jesus is not a do-it-yourself task, and a chatbot is no substitute for a community of people faithfully walking together. He also shares the tangible benefits of Bible engagement backed by the data &mdash; lower anxiety, better close relationships, higher human flourishing scores across the board &mdash; and closes with three practical steps for anyone who's been putting off engaging with scripture. Find the full report at stateofthebible.org and a personalized starting point at nextstep.bible.

Guest: Benjamin Vrbicek, Lead Teaching Pastor at Community Evangelical Free Church and Managing Editor for Gospel-Centered Discipleship - Discussion on his new book, “Shepherd & Sheep: Essays on Loving & Leading in a Local Church” - October 26, 2021

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