On the eve of the midterm elections, Brian From reminds listeners that Philippians 3 places our citizenship in heaven, so Christians can care about the results without losing their peace. He asks for prayer for Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell after a frightening neck injury, and plays Mike Leach’s famous rant about Halloween candy. Marking Reformation Day, he shares Mark Dever’s explanation of why the Reformation’s recovery of assurance of salvation set Europe on fire. He chuckles at a lawsuit claiming the McRib misleads customers, and shares a Gospel Coalition piece on praying Psalm 79 for the persecuted church with humility and hope. In the second hour, Brian plays a sermon clip on God as our strength, weighs a dietitian’s advice to let kids eat as much Halloween candy as they want, and reacts to a survey finding three in four European pilots admit to falling asleep in the cockpit. He addresses fears about a possible escalation of the war with Iran, shares Tim Challies’s tips for resolving conflict in marriage, and closes with five Latin phrases that capture Martin Luther’s life and theology.

On the eve of the midterm elections, Brian From reminds listeners that Philippians 3 places our citizenship in heaven, so Christians can care about the results without losing their peace. He asks for prayer for Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell after a frightening neck injury, and plays Mike Leach&rsquo;s famous rant about Halloween candy. Marking Reformation Day, he shares Mark Dever&rsquo;s explanation of why the Reformation&rsquo;s recovery of assurance of salvation set Europe on fire. He chuckles at a lawsuit claiming the McRib misleads customers, and shares a Gospel Coalition piece on praying Psalm 79 for the persecuted church with humility and hope. In the second hour, Brian plays a sermon clip on God as our strength, weighs a dietitian&rsquo;s advice to let kids eat as much Halloween candy as they want, and reacts to a survey finding three in four European pilots admit to falling asleep in the cockpit. He addresses fears about a possible escalation of the war with Iran, shares Tim Challies&rsquo;s tips for resolving conflict in marriage, and closes with five Latin phrases that capture Martin Luther&rsquo;s life and theology.

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

Our Citizenship Is in Heaven, Even on the Eve of the Midterms

Brian From welcomes fellow Chicago radio host and pastor Karl Clauson, co-host of Karl and Crew on Moody Radio and lead pastor of 180 Chicago Church, to discuss his new book, The Unstoppable Gospel: From Powerless Belief to a True Faith That Changes Everything. Karl describes a crisis inside the church: many people who have walked an aisle or prayed a prayer carry what he calls a “hallucination of salvation” without real repentance or surrender to Christ. He traces “decisionism” back to the well-intentioned altar calls of the Great Awakenings and contrasts it with the multiplying fruit of a truly changed life. Karl shares his own story of growing up in church before surrendering to Jesus at 23, and urges pastors to recover Jesus’ call to “repent and believe,” noting that many church leaders estimate a large share of their congregations may not personally know Christ. Brian also shares his own high school moment of realizing he knew a lot about God without truly knowing Him.

Brian From welcomes fellow Chicago radio host and pastor Karl Clauson, co-host of Karl and Crew on Moody Radio and lead pastor of 180 Chicago Church, to discuss his new book, The Unstoppable Gospel: From Powerless Belief to a True Faith That Changes Everything. Karl describes a crisis inside the church: many people who have walked an aisle or prayed a prayer carry what he calls a &ldquo;hallucination of salvation&rdquo; without real repentance or surrender to Christ. He traces &ldquo;decisionism&rdquo; back to the well-intentioned altar calls of the Great Awakenings and contrasts it with the multiplying fruit of a truly changed life. Karl shares his own story of growing up in church before surrendering to Jesus at 23, and urges pastors to recover Jesus&rsquo; call to &ldquo;repent and believe,&rdquo; noting that many church leaders estimate a large share of their congregations may not personally know Christ. Brian also shares his own high school moment of realizing he knew a lot about God without truly knowing Him.

Karl Clauson Warns of a ‘Hallucination of Salvation’ and Calls the Church Back to the Unstoppable Gospel

Brian From talks with Dr. Peter Larson, senior director of WinShape Marriage, about his Christian Post article on keeping marriages connected amid busy schedules, constant phone checking, and the new pull of AI. Drawing on 31 years of marriage, Peter offers four simple habits. First, greet each other like you mean it, to avoid the “roommate drift.” Second, say good things out loud, with phrases like “you’re my person” and “I’m on your team” that build up a couple’s relational bank account. Third, stay curious about who your spouse is becoming, since life’s joys and losses change us all. Fourth, protect time together through small, consistent rituals like a walk after dinner. For couples who feel they’re failing, he encourages starting with just one small step today. He also invites listeners to learn about WinShape’s Christ-centered marriage retreats at winshapemarriage.org.

Brian From talks with Dr. Peter Larson, senior director of WinShape Marriage, about his Christian Post article on keeping marriages connected amid busy schedules, constant phone checking, and the new pull of AI. Drawing on 31 years of marriage, Peter offers four simple habits. First, greet each other like you mean it, to avoid the &ldquo;roommate drift.&rdquo; Second, say good things out loud, with phrases like &ldquo;you&rsquo;re my person&rdquo; and &ldquo;I&rsquo;m on your team&rdquo; that build up a couple&rsquo;s relational bank account. Third, stay curious about who your spouse is becoming, since life&rsquo;s joys and losses change us all. Fourth, protect time together through small, consistent rituals like a walk after dinner. For couples who feel they&rsquo;re failing, he encourages starting with just one small step today. He also invites listeners to learn about WinShape&rsquo;s Christ-centered marriage retreats at winshapemarriage.org.

WinShape Marriage’s Dr. Peter Larson Shares Four Simple Ways to Stay Connected in a Distracted Age

Brian From starts the weekend hoarse after his daughter’s volleyball team came back from seven match points down to win a regional title, a reminder to persevere because of Christ’s victory. On Halloween weekend, he shares Jim Denison’s observation that a death-avoidant culture reveals its fascination with mortality this time of year, and encourages listeners to use the holiday to get to know their neighbors. He celebrates Cheerios finally adding resealable bags, then shares a moving Gospel Coalition story of two Christians imprisoned in Iran who asked for prayer that they wouldn’t be released until they finished discipling fellow inmates, ahead of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Brian notes that Pope Leo cast a mail-in ballot in Illinois’s midterms, walks through a Christianity Today interview with conservative pastor Demetrius Minor on why he opposes the death penalty, and reads the Assemblies of God’s 1984 guidelines for Christian voters, which he finds strikingly relevant today. He closes with a Desiring God reflection on autumn, mortality, and how Jesus has conquered death.

Brian From starts the weekend hoarse after his daughter&rsquo;s volleyball team came back from seven match points down to win a regional title, a reminder to persevere because of Christ&rsquo;s victory. On Halloween weekend, he shares Jim Denison&rsquo;s observation that a death-avoidant culture reveals its fascination with mortality this time of year, and encourages listeners to use the holiday to get to know their neighbors. He celebrates Cheerios finally adding resealable bags, then shares a moving Gospel Coalition story of two Christians imprisoned in Iran who asked for prayer that they wouldn&rsquo;t be released until they finished discipling fellow inmates, ahead of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Brian notes that Pope Leo cast a mail-in ballot in Illinois&rsquo;s midterms, walks through a Christianity Today interview with conservative pastor Demetrius Minor on why he opposes the death penalty, and reads the Assemblies of God&rsquo;s 1984 guidelines for Christian voters, which he finds strikingly relevant today. He closes with a Desiring God reflection on autumn, mortality, and how Jesus has conquered death.

Our Citizenship Is in Heaven, Even on the Eve of the Midterms

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