In this episode of Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer is joined by John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center, to discuss the Truth Rising Project—a collaboration between the Colson Center and Focus on the Family.

John explains how Truth Rising emerged from a growing realization: many of the cultural “hypotheticals” Christians debated decades ago have become lived realities. The project frames our moment as what Oz Guinness calls a civilizational moment—a tipping point where cultures become “clipped off” from the roots that once animated them, often leading to decline, upheaval, or (rarely) renewal.

A key theme in the conversation is the difference between faithfulness and effectiveness. James presses the question: What happens when faithfulness doesn’t seem to “work”? John responds by grounding Christian hope not in saving Western civilization, but in the resurrection of Jesus Christ—and echoes Chuck Colson’s memorable line: “Despair is a sin.” Not because outcomes are guaranteed to improve, but because Christ is risen and his kingdom is the true story of the world.

The discussion then turns to cultural destabilization, dehumanization, and what it looks like to live “against the grain of reality.” John and James reflect on the way ideas produce real-world consequences—how societies can treat moral realities like “speed limits” (negotiable) when they function more like “gravity” (inescapable).

Finally, John highlights stories featured in Truth Rising—especially Jack Phillips and Chloe Cole—as examples of courage and costly faithfulness in public life. The episode closes with a practical invitation: Truth Rising is free, designed to equip Christians and churches to live with hope, clarity, and conviction in this moment.

Key topics bullets


Why Colson Center + Focus on the Family launched Truth Rising


Oz Guinness and the idea of a “civilizational moment”


Faithfulness vs. effectiveness—and why hope is rooted in resurrection


“Despair is a sin” (Chuck Colson) and the logic of Christian hope


Dehumanization, identity confusion, and cultural decline


Truth vs. “renegotiated reality”: gravity vs. speed limits


Jack Phillips, Chloe Cole, and the cost of courageous obedience


How to access the free documentary and 8-part study

You can find out more about the Truth Rising project at https://www.truthrising.com.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

🔗 Download a free resource "Making Everyday Decisions So That God Gets the Glory" from Useful to God:www.usefultogod.com

To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on Christianity.com.

📢 Stay Connected & Keep Growing!

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to Thinking Christian so you never miss an insightful conversation!

This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. “Whether we’re helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments, Trinity has the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org/ 

In this episode of&nbsp;Thinking Christian, Dr. James Spencer is joined by John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center, to discuss the Truth Rising Project&mdash;a collaboration between the Colson Center and Focus on the Family.
John explains how Truth Rising emerged from a growing realization: many of the cultural &ldquo;hypotheticals&rdquo; Christians debated decades ago have become lived realities. The project frames our moment as what Oz Guinness calls a civilizational moment&mdash;a tipping point where cultures become &ldquo;clipped off&rdquo; from the roots that once animated them, often leading to decline, upheaval, or (rarely) renewal.
A key theme in the conversation is the difference between faithfulness and effectiveness. James presses the question: What happens when faithfulness doesn&rsquo;t seem to &ldquo;work&rdquo;? John responds by grounding Christian hope not in saving Western civilization, but in the resurrection of Jesus Christ&mdash;and echoes Chuck Colson&rsquo;s memorable line: &ldquo;Despair is a sin.&rdquo; Not because outcomes are guaranteed to improve, but because Christ is risen and his kingdom is the true story of the world.
The discussion then turns to cultural destabilization, dehumanization, and what it looks like to live &ldquo;against the grain of reality.&rdquo; John and James reflect on the way ideas produce real-world consequences&mdash;how societies can treat moral realities like &ldquo;speed limits&rdquo; (negotiable) when they function more like &ldquo;gravity&rdquo; (inescapable).
Finally, John highlights stories featured in Truth Rising&mdash;especially Jack Phillips and Chloe Cole&mdash;as examples of courage and costly faithfulness in public life. The episode closes with a practical invitation: Truth Rising is free, designed to equip Christians and churches to live with hope, clarity, and conviction in this moment.
Key topics bullets
<ul>
<li>
Why Colson Center + Focus on the Family launched Truth Rising
</li>
<li>
Oz Guinness and the idea of a &ldquo;civilizational moment&rdquo;
</li>
<li>
Faithfulness vs. effectiveness&mdash;and why hope is rooted in resurrection
</li>
<li>
&ldquo;Despair is a sin&rdquo; (Chuck Colson) and the logic of Christian hope
</li>
<li>
Dehumanization, identity confusion, and cultural decline
</li>
<li>
Truth vs. &ldquo;renegotiated reality&rdquo;: gravity vs. speed limits
</li>
<li>
Jack Phillips, Chloe Cole, and the cost of courageous obedience
</li>
<li>
How to access the free documentary and 8-part study
</li>
</ul>
You can find out more about the Truth Rising project at <a href="https://www.truthrising.com">https://www.truthrising.com</a>.
Subscribe&nbsp;to our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Useful_toGod">YouTube channel</a>
🔗&nbsp;Download a free resource "Making Everyday Decisions So That God Gets the Glory" from Useful to God:<a href="https://www.usefultogod.com/">www.usefultogod.com</a>
To read James's article on this topic, check out his author page on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.christianity.com/author/james-spencer/">Christianity.com</a>.
📢 Stay Connected &amp; Keep Growing!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to&nbsp;subscribe&nbsp;to&nbsp;Thinking Christian&nbsp;so you never miss an insightful conversation!
This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management.&nbsp;&ldquo;Whether we&rsquo;re helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments, Trinity has the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk.&nbsp;Call us at&nbsp;1-800-793-8548&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://trinitycredit.org/">https://trinitycredit.org/</a>&nbsp;

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Find more from James at https://usefultogod.com/.

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.
Find more from James at <a href="https://usefultogod.com/">https://usefultogod.com/</a>.

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.

Thinking Christian: Clear Theology for a Confusing World

Christians shouldn’t just think. They should think Christian. Join Dr. James Spencer and guests for calm, thoughtful, theological discussions about a variety of topics Christians face every day. The Thinking Christian Podcast will help you grow spiritually and learn theology as you seek to be faithful in a world that is becoming increasingly proficient at telling stories that deny Christ.
Find more from James at <a href="https://usefultogod.com/">https://usefultogod.com/.</a>

Truth Rising Project: Hope, Truth, Identity, and Calling for Christians Today (John Stonestreet)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/a34c2971-95d9-48ab-84d4-b3e8016c305b/transcript