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

Rachel Scott, author of Taking the Five Leaps

A popular tarot card reader with nearly a million followers deleted her entire platform after coming to faith in Christ, saying simply, "Jesus Christ has saved my life." She lost 30,000 followers overnight, and Brian From holds her story up as evidence that God is still doing the kind of dramatic, costly transformation we read about in the book of Acts. As America's 250th birthday approaches, Brian digs into what proper Christian patriotism actually looks like, drawing on Augustine and Daniel Darling's guidance: love your country, give thanks for it, work for its renewal, but keep that love rightly ordered beneath love for God. Meanwhile in England, King Charles is redefining his role from "Defender of the Faith" to "protector of space for faith" — a shift Albert Mohler calls a window into where post-Christian secularization eventually leads. Two pieces wrestle honestly with the gap between the Christianity we market and the Christianity we actually live: one on why Christians should stop pretending faith is easy, and another making the case that doubt, far from disqualifying you, can actually deepen and strengthen genuine faith. Venezuelan churches step up to fill gaps the government can't after the devastating earthquake. And Brian closes with a personal reflection on John Mark — the disciple who failed, was written off by Paul, and was later called "useful" by that same Paul — as a picture of how no one's worst moment has to be their final chapter.

A popular tarot card reader with nearly a million followers deleted her entire platform after coming to faith in Christ, saying simply, "Jesus Christ has saved my life." She lost 30,000 followers overnight, and Brian From holds her story up as evidence that God is still doing the kind of dramatic, costly transformation we read about in the book of Acts. As America's 250th birthday approaches, Brian digs into what proper Christian patriotism actually looks like, drawing on Augustine and Daniel Darling's guidance: love your country, give thanks for it, work for its renewal, but keep that love rightly ordered beneath love for God. Meanwhile in England, King Charles is redefining his role from "Defender of the Faith" to "protector of space for faith" &mdash; a shift Albert Mohler calls a window into where post-Christian secularization eventually leads. Two pieces wrestle honestly with the gap between the Christianity we market and the Christianity we actually live: one on why Christians should stop pretending faith is easy, and another making the case that doubt, far from disqualifying you, can actually deepen and strengthen genuine faith. Venezuelan churches step up to fill gaps the government can't after the devastating earthquake. And Brian closes with a personal reflection on John Mark &mdash; the disciple who failed, was written off by Paul, and was later called "useful" by that same Paul &mdash; as a picture of how no one's worst moment has to be their final chapter.

Proper Christian Patriotism & the Redemption of John Mark

Why does the word "Appalachia" conjure a specific image in your mind, even if you've never been there? Ben Norquist, co-author of Every Somewhere Sacred: Rescuing a Theology of Place in the American Imagination, joins Brian From to unpack what he and co-author Brian Miller call "land stories" — the often inaccurate, sometimes harmful narratives American Christians tell about places and the people who live there. Some of these stories operate on the surface, shaping how we think about a region like Appalachia. Others run far deeper, tracing back centuries to colonial-era assumptions about who belongs on land and who doesn't, assumptions that still quietly shape modern politics and attitudes toward immigrants and neighbors. Drawing on his own research sitting across the table from Palestinian Christians and professors, Ben makes a careful, humble case that most American Christians' mental picture of Palestine and the Holy Land comes from inherited narratives rather than direct encounter, and he invites listeners to hold that imagination loosely and become genuine students of a place rather than passive recipients of a story. Find Ben's writing at the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice's Substack, and look for Every Somewhere Sacred wherever books are sold.

Why does the word "Appalachia" conjure a specific image in your mind, even if you've never been there? Ben Norquist, co-author of Every Somewhere Sacred: Rescuing a Theology of Place in the American Imagination, joins Brian From to unpack what he and co-author Brian Miller call "land stories" &mdash; the often inaccurate, sometimes harmful narratives American Christians tell about places and the people who live there. Some of these stories operate on the surface, shaping how we think about a region like Appalachia. Others run far deeper, tracing back centuries to colonial-era assumptions about who belongs on land and who doesn't, assumptions that still quietly shape modern politics and attitudes toward immigrants and neighbors. Drawing on his own research sitting across the table from Palestinian Christians and professors, Ben makes a careful, humble case that most American Christians' mental picture of Palestine and the Holy Land comes from inherited narratives rather than direct encounter, and he invites listeners to hold that imagination loosely and become genuine students of a place rather than passive recipients of a story. Find Ben's writing at the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice's Substack, and look for Every Somewhere Sacred wherever books are sold.

Rethinking How Christians Tell Stories About Land with Ben Norquist

World Cup visitors have discovered something unexpected about American culture: ranch dressing. Brian From opens with that lighthearted detail before diving into heavier territory — a record 25 million adults under 35 are now living with their parents, driven primarily by housing affordability rather than unemployment, and what that means for a generation's sense of independence and identity. A Twitter debate erupts after a pastor suggests young children are too distracting in worship services and should stay in kids' ministry, sparking pushback from those citing research on family worship and faith retention — Brian lands in the middle, advocating for excellent kids' ministry without mandating it. A deep dive into Barnabas, arguably the most underrated figure in the book of Acts — trustworthy with people and resources, an advocate for the overlooked like Paul and John Mark, and a leader who knew exactly when to step back and let others surpass him. Former President Obama's reflections on George Washington's contradictions spark a broader conversation about how to hold both admiration and honest critique of flawed people, including ourselves. A local church's closing after losing its theological grounding prompts sober reflection on what happens when churches drift from scripture and mission. Relevant Magazine examines how social media is quietly terrorizing Christians' prayer lives by making true silence nearly impossible to access. And the Buffalo Bills' decision not to honor OJ Simpson in their new stadium becomes a pointed challenge to the church: do we honor character, or just platform and results?

World Cup visitors have discovered something unexpected about American culture: ranch dressing. Brian From opens with that lighthearted detail before diving into heavier territory &mdash; a record 25 million adults under 35 are now living with their parents, driven primarily by housing affordability rather than unemployment, and what that means for a generation's sense of independence and identity. A Twitter debate erupts after a pastor suggests young children are too distracting in worship services and should stay in kids' ministry, sparking pushback from those citing research on family worship and faith retention &mdash; Brian lands in the middle, advocating for excellent kids' ministry without mandating it. A deep dive into Barnabas, arguably the most underrated figure in the book of Acts &mdash; trustworthy with people and resources, an advocate for the overlooked like Paul and John Mark, and a leader who knew exactly when to step back and let others surpass him. Former President Obama's reflections on George Washington's contradictions spark a broader conversation about how to hold both admiration and honest critique of flawed people, including ourselves. A local church's closing after losing its theological grounding prompts sober reflection on what happens when churches drift from scripture and mission. Relevant Magazine examines how social media is quietly terrorizing Christians' prayer lives by making true silence nearly impossible to access. And the Buffalo Bills' decision not to honor OJ Simpson in their new stadium becomes a pointed challenge to the church: do we honor character, or just platform and results?

Rachel Scott, author of Taking the Five Leaps

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