The Common Good

Brian interviews four-time Grammy-winning music producer Ricky "Slikk Muzik" Offord about his new book, 33 Days Between Heaven and Hell. Ricky, who has produced for artists including Kirk Franklin, Lecrae, Ariana Grande, and Tori Kelly, shares the harrowing story of a routine gallbladder surgery in 2016 that led to a 33-day coma, multiple cardiac arrests, and an out-of-body experience where he encountered a vast line of people from every nation waiting before heaven's gates. He describes praying for a second chance and vowing to share his story and rededicate his life to Christ, and how that encounter transformed him from simply a successful producer into a man driven by his faith and a calling to point others toward Jesus.

Brian opens with a powerful reflection on preaching at Sheridan Prison this past weekend, describing the depth of community and hunger for God he witnessed in an inmate-run church service — a humbling reminder that God is at work in the hardest places. He shares a new study linking diet soda consumption to cognitive decline, then tackles the uncomfortable question of whether truly heinous sinners, using Jeffrey Dahmer's late-life conversion as the example, can really be saved — landing on the scandalous, humbling truth that none of us deserve grace. Brian reflects on the emotional weight of his son leaving for college and processes change through faith in an unchanging God. He also weighs in on the University of Michigan hiding freshman grades to protect student mental health, the WNBA's ongoing controversy over transgender athletes, a viral list of "19 lies" his generation was sold about adulthood, and closes with a rich JD Greer teaching on how the Ten Commandments function for Christians today as a curb, a map, and a mirror pointing us to Christ.

Brian celebrates Adam Holz's birthday before diving into a striking review from Plugged In on the horror film Ice Cream Man from director Eli Roth, sparked by Roth's own admission that being traumatized by the movie Alien at age eight inspired his career making horror films. Adam reflects on how deeply entertainment can shape a person's life direction, for better or worse, and why paying attention to what kids and grandkids are watching matters. They wrap up with a review of the new Spider-Man film, discussing its themes of friendship and isolation following the character's memory-erasing sacrifice, along with content notes on violence, language, and suggestive material for parents to weigh.

Brian reflects on feeling politically homeless amid the rise of the Democratic Socialist movement and the MAGA movement pulling both parties toward the extremes, grounding his hope in Christ rather than any political tribe. He digs into pastor Josh Howerton's conversation on the Sean Ryan Show about the hard, practical steps of biblical forgiveness — including Howerton's own painful experience with leaked personal details from his church. Brian talks about what defines us apart from external metrics like job titles or church attendance numbers, pointing to identity as beloved children of God. He shares a Gospel Coalition piece on finding God's glory in birdwatching, calls out "clown Christianity" — the exhausting habit of painting over inner brokenness with a happy face — and pushes back on the viral "dump them" culture of cutting off relationships at the first sign of conflict. He also shares Randy Alcorn's reminder that every job, not just full-time ministry, is a platform to glorify God, illustrated by the story of insurance entrepreneur Art DeMoss. Brian closes with a rich meditation on "awe" as the fuel of faith and the antidote to spiritual apathy.

Brian opens reflecting on what to do when life doesn't unfold the way we hoped — leaning on God's unchanging faithfulness even amid disappointment and regret. He wades into WNBA guard Sophie Cunningham's comments on biological males in women's sports and the swift cultural backlash she received, lamenting the loss of civil disagreement in public discourse. A study claiming "true love" requires a six-figure salary gets pushback from Brian, who shares his own experience marrying young and broke. He shares a moving Gospel Coalition piece on the recently uncovered story of Charles Spurgeon's father's imprisonment for debt, and how God used that family failure to shape one of history's greatest preachers. Brian also digs into a fascinating trend piece on young adults ditching smartphones for "dumb phones" to reclaim their mental health and attention, a Relevant Magazine interview with Louis Giglio on how our earthly fathers shape our view of God, a simple "Bible before phone" spiritual discipline from Tyndale House, Tim Chalis on tasting heaven, and closes with a Charles Stanley devotional on the power of praise.

What does authentic masculinity look like in a culture filled with competing messages about what it means to be a man?

Brian Fromm sits down with pastor and author Seth Troutt to discuss his new book, Authentic Masculinity: Leaving Behind the Counterfeits for God's Design. Their conversation explores why so many young men are drawn to online influencers like Andrew Tate, how Christians can reject cultural extremes without losing biblical conviction, and the virtues that define godly manhood.

Seth also offers practical wisdom on building meaningful male friendships, becoming a more intentional husband, and leading as a father—even if you feel like you've fallen short in the past. Whether you're raising sons, mentoring young men, or simply seeking to grow in your own faith, this conversation provides a thoughtful, hope-filled vision for biblical masculinity in today's world

Brian welcomes singer-songwriter and author Laura Story to discuss her new book Stand in Awe: How Reverence Transforms Our Worship and Our Lives. Laura unpacks what reverence really means — approaching God with humility and surrender rather than treating Him like "a genie in a lamp" — and walks through four common tendencies that erode it: casual worship, self-focused worship, shallow worship, and distracted worship. She talks about living out that reverence seven days a week, not just on Sunday mornings, and points to Isaiah's vision in Isaiah 6 as a model of awe leading to surrender and mission. The conversation closes with the story behind her hit song "Blessings," written in the aftermath of her husband's brain tumor diagnosis and the lasting brain injury that followed, and how she's stepped back from touring to focus on her four kids while continuing to write and record.

Back from vacation, Brian reflects on a week away with his family in Wisconsin — soaking up time together before his son leaves for college and his daughter departs on a Fulbright — and uses it to talk about the spiritual importance of disconnecting and Sabbath rest as an act of trust in God. He shares a Christianity Today study on how U.S. churches have grown more ethnically diverse while pastors talk less about it from the pulpit, and reflects on unity as the deeper biblical goal. Brian also digs into a fascinating piece on the disappearance of America's "third places" — bars, bowling alleys, movie theaters — and what it means for community life, plus a beautiful clip from 82-year-old apologist John Lennox on what he's most looking forward to in eternity. After a detour through a viral "plane preacher" story on Alaska Airlines as a cautionary tale in bad evangelism, he closes with a thoughtful Desiring God piece on how to process hypocrisy in Christian leaders without losing your own faith, and a Tim Chalis reflection on whether anyone can harden their heart beyond God's reach.

Brian opens reflecting on an upcoming family vacation and the bittersweet reality that change is the only constant, then turns to a Christianity Today piece on First Church in Charlestown — a 400-year-old congregation now down to two members — as a warning about what happens when a church drifts from the gospel. He talks candidly about feeling overwhelmed by life's decisions, leaning on 49ers linebacker Fred Warner's return from a gruesome injury to make the case for living fully in the present since nothing is guaranteed but Christ. Brian also touches on Gen Z's budget-friendly approach to dating, a bizarre AI deepfake video of former NYC mayor Eric Adams, and pushes back on podcaster Jennifer Welch's viral criticism of Christian homeschooling, encouraging listeners to choose what's best for their own family without shame. He closes with a rich double feature: John Stonestreet on how churches can unintentionally shrink the gospel into something private and small, and a Gospel Coalition piece on how God's best work is "cross-shaped" — using unlikely, ordinary people (fishermen, tax collectors, a table-busser named Stephen) to change the world, and using suffering as the soil for resurrection life.

Brian catches up with Adam Holz of Plugged In for their weekly look at movies and streaming through a Christian lens. They dig into swirling controversy over whether Rotten Tomatoes scores for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey are being manipulated, and why inflated IMAX ticket prices may be masking softer actual attendance. Adam reviews Netflix's full reboot of Little House on the Prairie, a faithful if lower-stakes retelling of the Ingalls family's move to Kansas. They also cover The Dink, a PG-13 pickleball-versus-tennis sports comedy on Apple TV with plenty of sensuality and language to watch for, and Bad Counselors, an unusual Fathom Events satire that mashes up Christian camp culture with a hungover-college-kids premise — irreverent but ultimately well-intentioned for a high-school-and-up audience.

Brian welcomes Kim Trobee from Focus on the Family for a conversation timed to National Aunt and Uncle Day (July 26). Kim explains why aunts and uncles occupy a unique space in a child's life: one step removed from the parent-child conflict, able to ask questions, share humanizing stories, and reinforce a family's rules without becoming "the bad guy." She also warns against the real danger of aunts and uncles undermining parents, especially in blended or divorced families, and offers practical ways to stay close across long distances — social media, birthday cards, and simply showing up as a steady, loving presence. Brian and Kim close with an encouragement for any aunt or uncle listening to reach out this week.

Brian opens with a reflection on Prince George's thirteenth birthday to unpack how quickly we label people — by politics, by past mistakes, by tribe — and makes the case that Christians are called to trade every label for one: child of God. From there he turns to a Russell Moore piece on C.S. Lewis, unpacking Aslan's line to Edmund in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe — "there is no need to talk to him about what is past" — as a picture of how Christ receives us after failure. Brian also shares a middle-age TV-and-brain-health study, his own decision to step back from social media before vacation, a Tim Chalis story about a boy's first taste of an orange as a metaphor for tasting heaven, and a look at overcrowding at Yosemite this summer. He closes with reflections on prioritizing date nights in marriage, a Wall Street Journal piece on adults cutting off their parents, a Gospel Coalition piece on finding hope amid "doomerism," and a classic Tim Keller clip on faith being filled with thinking rather than opposed to it.

Our culture spends billions trying to convince us that aging is something to fear—or even hide. But what if the Bible tells a very different story?

Brian Fromm sits down with bestselling author and Bible teacher Jen Wilkin to discuss her new book, Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World. Together they explore how modern culture equates growing older with irrelevance, why Scripture presents aging as a gift rather than a curse, and how Christians can embrace every stage of life with purpose.

Jen also shares how caring for her mother at the end of life reshaped her understanding of aging, why caregiving is central to the Christian life, and what churches must do now to prepare for America's rapidly aging population.

Whether you're entering midlife, caring for aging parents, or leading a church, this conversation offers a hopeful, biblical perspective on growing older with wisdom, dignity, and faith.

A serial Guinness World Record holder from Idaho just balanced 195 rolls of toilet paper on his forehead for 30 seconds — and Brian From is genuinely impressed by the teamwork involved. From there, a rich and timely piece from Mere Orthodoxy on rest: Americans have accepted a mindset where busyness is the norm and vacation is the only escape valve, but that's not what Jesus modeled or taught. Sabbath isn't a two-week getaway once a year — it's a regular rhythm woven into the week, the month, the season. Brian challenges listeners to identify where rest actually fits in their daily lives, not just when they can afford to disappear. Then a meditation on Romans 11:33-36 and the great "therefore" of Romans 12:1 — in view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice — unpacking what it means that our entire response to the gospel is worship, not performance. A pointed segment on the fine line between conviction and condemnation, and why so many Christians live under shame that scripture never intended for them to carry. And a closing devotion from the late Dr. Charles Stanley on loneliness — drawing on Elijah on Mount Sinai, Jesus praying alone in Gethsemane while his disciples slept, and the handoff from Moses to a terrified Joshua — with a single, grounding promise underneath all of it: His companionship is real, present, and enough.

How do we get the Bible? Why should we read it? How do we interpret it? Todd Chipman, author of 10 Questions About the Bible: 30 Devotions for Kids, Teens, and Families, joins Brian From to answer those questions in a way that actually works for junior high students, high schoolers, and their parents. Todd walks through the arc of his book — from the general (where did the Bible come from?) to the specific (how do we read it well?) — and makes a case that's easy to miss: we're doing kids a disservice by feeding them only a verse a day. Scripture is meant to be read in bigger chunks, the way chapters flow into each other, the way John 9's blind man cast out of the synagogue sets up John 10's Good Shepherd who welcomes him in. He also has an encouraging word for the adult who hasn't opened their Bible in years and doesn't know where to start: God's word is living and always fresh, so just start today, maybe skim a little, and let it become infectious. Families are using the book around the kitchen table; Sunday school classes are making it a curriculum; book clubs are forming around it. Find 10 Questions About the Bible at crossway.org or Amazon.

Spain wins the World Cup over Argentina in extra time — one goal over eight games of tournament play — and Brian From gives it its due before moving on to what's actually on his heart this Monday. He opens with a moment from Sunday morning worship at Compass Church's Hinsdale campus that stopped him cold: singing "Holy, Holy, Holy" in the middle of a set of newer songs, and the way that declaration of God's transcendence and otherness still cuts through everything else. From there, a reflection on three weeks of preaching and the particular pressure of standing behind a pulpit: it becomes very difficult to preach sermons you're ignoring in your own life. Brian shares his message on finishing well, drawn from Paul's words in 2 Timothy 4 — I have fought the good fight, finished the race, kept the faith — and applies it to the decisions we make today that shape who we'll be at the end. A practical, balanced piece on why people leave churches, why they shouldn't, and how to do it well if the time truly comes — including a direct challenge to have the difficult conversation with your pastor before you go. And a closing piece on theoretical Christian living: the evangelical allergy to the practical, the habit of burying every application in so many caveats it changes no one's life, and the call to a faith that doesn't just stay in the armchair but moves from the pew to the pavement.

Canadian wildfire smoke is still blanketing the Midwest, and Brian From opens with the theological thread underneath the inconvenience: control and comfort are the two great idols of American culture, and weather has a way of stripping both bare at once. On a happier note, his daughter is home from five weeks of intensive Arabic study in Washington DC, all three kids are under one roof for the next month, and Brian takes a moment to speak directly to parents of young children: the days are long, but the years go fast — don't take it for granted. Relevant Magazine ranks the top ten fictional pastors on television, and the winner is Reverend Timothy Lovejoy from The Simpsons — a punchline who is also, the piece argues, the most honest portrait of ministry burnout television has ever managed. A nostalgic look back at Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life campaign of 2002, when twelve thousand American churches read the same book and preached the same sermons simultaneously — and what it says about our capacity for unity then and now. And then the unexpected closer: a viral clip of Shaquille O'Neal reflecting on his divorce from inside a 76,000 square foot house where no one else was home. No kids in the gym, no one in the rooms. Brian holds it up as a modern reading of Ecclesiastes — the man who had everything, admits he was greedy, and was left with nothing that mattered. What are you building your life around? Only one thing fills the house.

Everybody's talking about The Odyssey — Christopher Nolan's sweeping epic starring Matt Damon as Odysseus — and Adam Holtz from Plugged In joins Brian From to give the full breakdown. The film generated significant pre-release controversy over casting choices including a Black actress as Helen of Troy and Elliot Page as a warrior, plus concerns about a more progressive interpretation of Homer's source material. But the early numbers tell a different story: 96% from critics and 97% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Adam notes something worth acknowledging: the movie's version of Odysseus is actually more redemptive than the original — a faithful family man trying to get home to his wife and son after 20 years, not the arrogant womanizer of Homer's text. The R rating is the real curveball: the violence is intense but not gory, and Adam traces the rating almost entirely to three F-words — one over the PG-13 threshold — in what he reads as a very deliberate creative decision. His bottom line: know your family's convictions, because this R-rated film is less problematic than a lot of movies that carry that same rating. And teaser: Little House on the Prairie is coming up next week. Full review at pluggedin.com.

Family movie night sounds simple — but Bret Eckelberry, managing editor and movie reviewer at Plugged In, makes the case that it's one of the most powerful tools in a parent's toolbox. He joins Brian From to talk about why shared screen experiences matter, how to get resistant kids on board, and what movies actually make for great family nights. His picks span the decades: Inside Out for its remarkable ability to give families a shared emotional vocabulary; Toy Story 5 for its surprisingly timely take on screen addiction and the value of real-world friendships (when it hits streaming); and The Rookie, the 2002 Dennis Quaid film about a high school teacher who gets a second shot at his baseball dream — really a story about a man growing into his role as a husband and father. Brian and Bret also tackle the deeper question of whether family movie night always needs a discussion point (short answer: no — sometimes laughing together is the whole point), and Bret confesses the classic family movie he's always been happy to skip. His pick for a family with 8 and 10-year-olds this weekend: the original Lilo and Stitch. Find full reviews and family movie night recommendations at pluggedin.com.

Canadian wildfire smoke is blanketing Chicago and stretching all the way to New York, and Brian From turns the haze into a parable: the decisions we make set off domino effects that ripple far beyond us, affecting people we love and people we'll never meet. Then a personal update — his son's summer baseball team won their league championship in what turned out to be the last game before he heads to college, and his daughter returns tomorrow from five weeks of intensive Arabic study in Washington DC before a nine-month Fulbright scholarship in the fall. Life is moving. Last night's ESPYs honored a Michigan missionary who pitched in Major League Baseball — a story about what happens when fame and faith intersect in unexpected ways. A meditation on contentment drawn from Philippians 4 and a Gospel Coalition piece on the abundant life. And a closing sermon preview from Brian's role as campus pastor at Compass Church's Hinsdale location, centered on one of the most obscure and haunting figures in the New Testament: Demas. He's mentioned twice as part of Paul's team — and then disappears, described in 2 Timothy 4 as having "loved the present world" and deserted Paul entirely. Brian's challenge: the goal of the Christian life is not to start well. It's to finish well. Don't be Demas.