Brian From sits down with longtime Focus on the Family counselor Rob Jackson to talk about why the Christmas season can intensify grief, loneliness, and emotional struggle for so many. Jackson offers practical wisdom on healthy coping, supporting loved ones, and dismantling unhelpful Christian stigmas around sadness, counseling, and mental health. Their conversation provides compassionate guidance—and a reminder that no one has to walk through a painful holiday season alone.

Brian From sits down with longtime Focus on the Family counselor Rob Jackson to talk about why the Christmas season can intensify grief, loneliness, and emotional struggle for so many. Jackson offers practical wisdom on healthy coping, supporting loved ones, and dismantling unhelpful Christian stigmas around sadness, counseling, and mental health. Their conversation provides compassionate guidance&mdash;and a reminder that no one has to walk through a painful holiday season alone.

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

When the Holidays Hurt: Rob Jackson on Grief, Mental Health, and Finding Hope

Brian shares a comically frustrating weekend story — a single leaf clogging his garage drain and flooding his basement despite recent drainage work — and draws out the spiritual lesson that we're never as in control as we think, and the small "leaves" in our lives can throw everything off course. He pushes back on President Trump barring CNN, MS Now, and Politico reporters from the White House, arguing the move threatens press freedom regardless of one's opinion of those outlets. Brian shares Kathy Keller's reflections on how her late husband Tim Keller conducted funerals by pointing people to Jesus rather than eulogizing the deceased, and discusses a Christianity Today roundtable on rethinking retirement not as maximum leisure but as a continued season of Christian purpose and "becoming." He shares a study finding that group discussion, not solo reflection, is what actually helps people spot fake news — tying it to the power of Christian community and discipleship — and closes with Tim Challies's case for the underrated "ministry of presence," simply showing up faithfully to church.

Brian shares a comically frustrating weekend story &mdash; a single leaf clogging his garage drain and flooding his basement despite recent drainage work &mdash; and draws out the spiritual lesson that we're never as in control as we think, and the small "leaves" in our lives can throw everything off course. He pushes back on President Trump barring CNN, MS Now, and Politico reporters from the White House, arguing the move threatens press freedom regardless of one's opinion of those outlets. Brian shares Kathy Keller's reflections on how her late husband Tim Keller conducted funerals by pointing people to Jesus rather than eulogizing the deceased, and discusses a Christianity Today roundtable on rethinking retirement not as maximum leisure but as a continued season of Christian purpose and "becoming." He shares a study finding that group discussion, not solo reflection, is what actually helps people spot fake news &mdash; tying it to the power of Christian community and discipleship &mdash; and closes with Tim Challies's case for the underrated "ministry of presence," simply showing up faithfully to church.

A Rogue Leaf Floods the Basement, and the Ministry of Presence

Brian opens with a rich theological reflection on living coram Deo — before the face of God — arguing that God's presence isn't confined to two hours of Sunday worship but fills the other 166 hours of ordinary work and life. He calls out the cruelty he witnessed in Christian social media responses to a seminary student's video about pursuing a Master of Divinity, arguing online meanness reveals true character rather than excusing it. Brian reacts to reports the Trump administration is considering federal subsidies for stay-at-home parents, questioning the shift toward government handouts regardless of party. He shares a Christianity Today piece distinguishing "niceness" from biblical kindness, arguing Christians are called to speak hard truths without reveling in others' humiliation. Brian discusses a striking shift in global missions — the West now receiving as many missionaries as it sends — and plays a clip of JD Greer wrestling with the ethics of sports gambling ahead of football season. He closes with Greer's essay explaining why he rejects Christian nationalism, and a reflection on C.S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces and its answer to the problem of evil and divine silence.

Brian opens with a rich theological reflection on living coram Deo &mdash; before the face of God &mdash; arguing that God's presence isn't confined to two hours of Sunday worship but fills the other 166 hours of ordinary work and life. He calls out the cruelty he witnessed in Christian social media responses to a seminary student's video about pursuing a Master of Divinity, arguing online meanness reveals true character rather than excusing it. Brian reacts to reports the Trump administration is considering federal subsidies for stay-at-home parents, questioning the shift toward government handouts regardless of party. He shares a Christianity Today piece distinguishing "niceness" from biblical kindness, arguing Christians are called to speak hard truths without reveling in others' humiliation. Brian discusses a striking shift in global missions &mdash; the West now receiving as many missionaries as it sends &mdash; and plays a clip of JD Greer wrestling with the ethics of sports gambling ahead of football season. He closes with Greer's essay explaining why he rejects Christian nationalism, and a reflection on C.S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces and its answer to the problem of evil and divine silence.

Living in God's Presence Daily, and Should the Church Speak Out on Sports Gambling?

Brian catches up with Adam Holz of Plugged In for a lighter Friday roundup. They discuss Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, a Halloween-themed stop-motion comedy spoofing classic horror tropes when a hair-growth tonic turns a bald farmer into a mistaken "monster," with a same-gender couple briefly appearing and some content notes for younger or sensitive viewers. Adam also reviews Daniel and the Fiery Furnace, the latest in a wave of biblical dramas following the success of The Chosen, praising its effort to set up the broader biblical context before diving into Daniel's story in Babylon, while noting the usual minor artistic liberties common to the genre. They close with Adam's personal recommendation for a rainy day double feature: the World War II films Pressure and Nuremberg.

Brian catches up with Adam Holz of Plugged In for a lighter Friday roundup. They discuss Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, a Halloween-themed stop-motion comedy spoofing classic horror tropes when a hair-growth tonic turns a bald farmer into a mistaken "monster," with a same-gender couple briefly appearing and some content notes for younger or sensitive viewers. Adam also reviews Daniel and the Fiery Furnace, the latest in a wave of biblical dramas following the success of The Chosen, praising its effort to set up the broader biblical context before diving into Daniel's story in Babylon, while noting the usual minor artistic liberties common to the genre. They close with Adam's personal recommendation for a rainy day double feature: the World War II films Pressure and Nuremberg.

When the Holidays Hurt: Rob Jackson on Grief, Mental Health, and Finding Hope

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