Jerry Riendeau, staff member with Cru at James Madison University, joined Brian to chat about the ministry of Cru and his article, “Join a “hyper local” church.”     

Learn more about Cru at cru.org and connect with Jerry on Twitter at @jerryriii

Jerry Riendeau, staff member with <a href="https://www.jmucru.com/">Cru at James Madison University</a>, joined Brian to chat about <a href="https://www.cru.org/">the ministry of Cru</a> and his article, <a href="https://www.jmucru.com/2021/07/join-a-hyper-local-church/">&ldquo;Join a &ldquo;hyper local&rdquo; church.&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Learn more about Cru at <a href="https://www.cru.org/">cru.org</a> and connect with Jerry on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jerryriii?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@jerryriii</a>

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: Jerry Riendeau, staff member with Cru at James Madison University - Discussion on his article, “Join a “hyper local” church” - August 12, 2021

Brian Fromm sits down with Adam Holtz from Plugged In — Focus on the Family's entertainment review ministry — to talk about Michael, the new Michael Jackson biopic covering his rise from Gary, Indiana to global superstardom. Is it a fair portrait, or does it sidestep the harder questions? Adam breaks down what the film gets right, why legal realities shaped what it couldn't show, and what it means for the value of the biopic genre altogether.

Then, Adam pulls back the curtain on Plugged In's popular Theology Of series — deep-dive explorations of the spiritual worldviews embedded in major entertainment franchises like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and the latest entry: Doom. Yes, that Doom. It turns out a demon-shooting shooter from 1993 has more theological substance than you'd expect.

Plus — what's coming this summer? Adam previews Spider-Man: Brand New Day and why it may be the movie to watch.

Find Adam and the full Theology Of series at pluggedin.com.

Brian Fromm sits down with Adam Holtz from Plugged In &mdash; Focus on the Family's entertainment review ministry &mdash; to talk about Michael, the new Michael Jackson biopic covering his rise from Gary, Indiana to global superstardom. Is it a fair portrait, or does it sidestep the harder questions? Adam breaks down what the film gets right, why legal realities shaped what it couldn't show, and what it means for the value of the biopic genre altogether.
Then, Adam pulls back the curtain on Plugged In's popular Theology Of series &mdash; deep-dive explorations of the spiritual worldviews embedded in major entertainment franchises like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and the latest entry: Doom. Yes, that Doom. It turns out a demon-shooting shooter from 1993 has more theological substance than you'd expect.
Plus &mdash; what's coming this summer? Adam previews Spider-Man: Brand New Day and why it may be the movie to watch.
Find Adam and the full Theology Of series at pluggedin.com.

Pop Stars, Demons, and Spiritual Discernment — with Adam Holtz of Plugged In

It's a big Friday in the From household — prom night for two kids at Wheaton Academy — and Brian opens the hour with something deeper than small talk: a reflection on what springtime is actually trying to tell us. From the birds waking up to the grass turning green again, Brian makes the case that God didn't design seasons by accident. The cycle of death and new life is a picture written into creation itself, and for anyone living under the weight of broken dreams or regret, it carries a message worth hearing.

From there, Brian revisits a Trevin Wax piece on hypocrisy and repentance that's been rattling around in his head — and lands on a phrase worth sitting with: shoot high and repent often. Moral mediocrity dressed up as humility, Wax warns, is just a different kind of rot.

Brian also reflects on NFL wide receiver Cooper Kupp's remarks at a men's event in Minnesota, where Kupp articulated something rare: a clear-eyed understanding of why he plays football, and it isn't for Super Bowls. Then Brian weighs in on the unraveling Mike Vrabel/Diana Russini scandal — not to pile on, but to ask the harder question it raises about the hidden corners in all of our lives.

Rounding out the hour: a story on young Americans doing a month-long smartphone detox, a meditation on what the great Bible stories all have in common, and a look at Randy Alcorn's vision of worship, music, and ordinary life in heaven.

It's a big Friday in the From household &mdash; prom night for two kids at Wheaton Academy &mdash; and Brian opens the hour with something deeper than small talk: a reflection on what springtime is actually trying to tell us. From the birds waking up to the grass turning green again, Brian makes the case that God didn't design seasons by accident. The cycle of death and new life is a picture written into creation itself, and for anyone living under the weight of broken dreams or regret, it carries a message worth hearing.
From there, Brian revisits a Trevin Wax piece on hypocrisy and repentance that's been rattling around in his head &mdash; and lands on a phrase worth sitting with: shoot high and repent often. Moral mediocrity dressed up as humility, Wax warns, is just a different kind of rot.
Brian also reflects on NFL wide receiver Cooper Kupp's remarks at a men's event in Minnesota, where Kupp articulated something rare: a clear-eyed understanding of why he plays football, and it isn't for Super Bowls. Then Brian weighs in on the unraveling Mike Vrabel/Diana Russini scandal &mdash; not to pile on, but to ask the harder question it raises about the hidden corners in all of our lives.
Rounding out the hour: a story on young Americans doing a month-long smartphone detox, a meditation on what the great Bible stories all have in common, and a look at Randy Alcorn's vision of worship, music, and ordinary life in heaven.

Springtime, Repentance, and the God Who Does Extraordinary Things

Artificial intelligence is everywhere — and so are the big questions surrounding it. Is AI going to save the world, or destroy it? And what does any of it mean for people of faith?

In this episode, Brian From sits down with Emily Tsiao, a writer for Focus on the Family's Plugged In, to unpack the ethical and theological dimensions of AI. They dig into her recent article Reflecting on the AI Doc, or How I Didn't Change My Mind About Apocalypticism — a response to a documentary featuring conversations with the CEOs of OpenAI and Anthropic — and why Emily's core takeaway remains the same: God is still in control.

Emily walks through the practical questions too — using AI for creative work, the ethics of AI-generated content, what it means for learning and education, and why letting a machine speak for you might cost you more than you realize.

Whether you're an everyday ChatGPT user or just trying to figure out what to think, this conversation is a grounded, thoughtful place to start.

Find more of Emily's work at PluggedIn.com.

Artificial intelligence is everywhere &mdash; and so are the big questions surrounding it. Is AI going to save the world, or destroy it? And what does any of it mean for people of faith?
In this episode, Brian From sits down with Emily Tsiao, a writer for Focus on the Family's Plugged In, to unpack the ethical and theological dimensions of AI. They dig into her recent article Reflecting on the AI Doc, or How I Didn't Change My Mind About Apocalypticism &mdash; a response to a documentary featuring conversations with the CEOs of OpenAI and Anthropic &mdash; and why Emily's core takeaway remains the same: God is still in control.
Emily walks through the practical questions too &mdash; using AI for creative work, the ethics of AI-generated content, what it means for learning and education, and why letting a machine speak for you might cost you more than you realize.
Whether you're an everyday ChatGPT user or just trying to figure out what to think, this conversation is a grounded, thoughtful place to start.
Find more of Emily's work at PluggedIn.com.

Guest: Jerry Riendeau, staff member with Cru at James Madison University - Discussion on his article, “Join a “hyper local” church” - August 12, 2021

The Common Good

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