In this podcast, David and Curtis return from trips around the world to give us a philosophical insight on courage. From Churchill to Lord of The Rings, stories of virtue can influence our own actions when tests cross our paths. They talk about the power of narratives and how they can build moral courage and character. Both dig into their past to bring up personal models of strength that have influenced who they are today. They wrap up with a critical look at political institutions under this moral framework.

What does it look like to have Christian hope in this chaotic world?

Jesse Wiese robbed a bank and spent eight-and-a-half years in prison.

We toss around words like “conservative” and “progressive” without really understanding – or agreeing on – the meaning of these terms.  

This week David and Curtis are joined by Eric Costanzo, a Southern Baptist pastor from Tulsa, Oklahoma who has led his own congregation in the practice of welcoming refugees and immigrants in their community. Eric is also the co-author of the book “Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church”. Join us for this challenging discussion that, based on the number of times it’s mentioned in scripture (plus Jesus’ own experience as a displaced refugee), is an issue near to God’s own heart.

There is no shortage of punditry, analysis and Monday morning quarterbacking about this week’s midterm elections, including David’s own work at the Dispatch. In this podcast, however, David and Curtis try to take a slightly broader (dare we say higher?) view, to ask not only the raw political questions, but also the broader questions about what this election might be signaling for our country, our culture, and our church. What are the signs we should be paying attention to, and how should we as Christians be thinking, praying and responding to them?

Episode 51 - Does Jesus Need an Ad Campaign? with Jason Vanderground

This week David and Curtis are joined by David Skeel, one of the world’s leading experts on bankruptcy law and the Chairman of the Financial Oversight & Management Board for Puerto Rico, which was responsible for helping the territory restructure and cut its public debt by 80%. David brings a unique perspective as both a legal scholar and follower of Christ, particularly around how our understanding of debt can and should image Biblical values while not being strictly prescribed by Biblical law. 

So how should Christians be approaching the midterm elections? Apart from the basic question of who to vote for, are there perhaps deeper questions to consider? What about the fact that 60% of Americans will have an election denier on their ballot this year? Is our democracy as unstable as a game of Jenga? Join David and Curtis for this enlightening discussion around the midterms and how we as Christians should be thinking about our role in the process.

Anxiety is everywhere. It feels as though it is at crisis levels individually, and is also spilling over into our culture at large, particularly in the political arena. This week David and Curtis are joined by a live studio audience in Washington, DC to talk about our personal and cultural anxiety. Fortunately, they also offer some good news. Drawing upon Curtis’ upcoming book “The Anxiety Opportunity”, we learn how Christians can actually view anxiety as an opportunity to grow closer to a Savior who was constantly approached by anxious people, and who experienced very real human anxiety himself.