The Common Good

It's graduation season, and Brian From mines the best commencement wisdom making the rounds — Eric Church's six guitar strings as six pillars of life (and why faith is the low E that everything else depends on), Rick Warren's sobering reminder that nobody on their deathbed has ever asked for their trophies, and Admiral McRaven's legendary case for why making your bed every morning is actually about the trajectory of your entire day. Then: a genuinely important piece on why parents need to play too — not just schedule their kids' activities, but carve out hobbies, downtime, and unstructured joy for themselves. Research says peak wellbeing hits around $111,000 a year, relationships matter more than wealth, and time may be our greatest currency — but do we actually live like we believe any of that? A 72-year-old grandmother just graduated medical school and is starting her residency, which is either inspiring or convicting depending on where you are with your own dreams. Plus: a company that gave employees a goodie bag instead of a raise, Pizza Hut bringing back the red checkered tablecloths, and a beautiful meditation on why God loves to hear his children cry "help please, Dad."

What do non-denominational and Pentecostal churches have in common — and why are they the only two categories of American Christianity consistently growing right now? Brian From digs into new data that points to something deeper than style or structure: a widespread hunger for experiential, Spirit-filled faith in an age where everything feels artificial. Then: Christian nationalism is becoming a household term, and Brian makes the case that the real danger isn't patriotism — it's when Jesus gets used as a lever for political power rather than worshiped as King. A practical word on evangelism that might actually help: forget the clipboard approach and start asking better questions. Three lighter stories — a woman in Alabama who shot her husband for being annoying, a donor who paid off student loans at commencement, and data showing high-powered dads are finally spending more time with their kids. The doctrine of perseverance unpacked: why you'll still be a Christian tomorrow, and it has nothing to do with your strength. And a genuinely clarifying look at what "pray without ceasing" actually means — hint, it's less about bowing your head and more about living in constant communion. Happy birthday, Carrie.

It's Friday, which means Adam Holtz from Plugged In is back to help you figure out what's actually worth watching — and what to skip. This week: Remarkably Bright Creatures, a quiet, thoughtful drama starring Sally Field as a grieving cleaning woman whose best confidant is a sentient, dying octopus named Marcellus. It's warm, it's mostly clean, and it is absolutely not a kids movie despite the talking sea creature. Then Adam breaks down In the Gray, the new Guy Ritchie thriller with Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, and approximately 60 profanities — which prompts a genuinely useful conversation about how Plugged In thinks about relative versus absolute content standards, and why counting swear words actually matters. Plus a preview of what's coming to the big screen this summer, including the Mandalorian film on the horizon. Find full reviews and parental guides for everything at pluggedin.com.

David Pollack was a first-round NFL draft pick living his childhood dream when a broken neck in his second season ended everything — and he says it was the best thing that ever happened to his faith. The forced stillness he'd never allowed himself finally let him hear from God. Then in 2025, his wife Lindsay was diagnosed with brain cancer, and Pollack discovered that watching someone you love suffer is a completely different test than suffering yourself. He joins Brian From to talk about his new book Every Day Counts, what football taught him about failing forward in faith, and the three R's — reflect, repent, repurpose — that transformed his prayer life from awkward obligation to actual conversation. He also makes a point that lands hard: you have to be selfish in the morning so you can be selfless the rest of the day. If God matters, get up earlier. Plus a college football bonus — David weighs in on Michigan, Illinois, Bryce Underwood, and what he's watching heading into the season. A genuinely fun, genuinely convicting hour.

Over two-thirds of Netflix shows rated for young children contain LGBT characters, themes, or storylines — and the age rating system parents have trusted since 1996 was never designed to flag any of it. Emily Washburn, issues analyst and writer for The Daily Citizen at Focus on the Family, joins Brian From to break down what the FCC is currently investigating, why the board responsible for overseeing TV ratings is stacked almost exclusively with media industry insiders, and what parents can do right now to make their voices heard. The comment process is open, it's simple, and it matters. Emily also points parents toward Plugged In — the most-asked-about topic in their inbox is exactly this one — as a practical resource for navigating what's actually in the movies, shows, and games your kids are consuming. And her closing advice is surprisingly simple: go back to the shows you loved as a kid. They're all on streaming, and your kids might love them too. Visit thedailycitizen.org and fcc.gov to learn more.

By age three, more than half of children are already attached to a screen. And if you're waiting for your kids to be the problem, Amy Lowe has some uncomfortable news: the research points back at us first. Amy, director of Wind Shape Camps for Girls and Families, joins Brian From for a candid conversation about what technology is actually doing to kids, why parents are often the ones driving the habit, and what happens when children spend a week unplugged in nature with counselors who model something different. Spoiler: parents keep saying the same thing when they pick their kids up — "I got my kid back." Amy breaks down the case for holding off on screens as long as possible, why giving kids real-world adventures matters more than we realize, and why being passive about technology means it wins by default. Plus a practical word for parents who are newer to this: you actually know more now than previous generations did, and that's an advantage worth using. Find Wind Shape Camps at windshapecamps.org.

Most Christians would never fall for the health-and-wealth gospel. But what about the version that promises comfort instead of cash? Or the one that trades a fat bank account for a platform and an audience? Brian From digs into what Relevant Magazine is calling the new prosperity gospel — and it hits closer to home than a TV preacher ever could. Then: Philippians 4 and the peace that doesn't just reduce anxiety but surpasses understanding entirely — what that actually means and how to access it. Russell Moore on teaching the book of Hebrews 20 years apart and discovering the Bible hadn't changed, but he had — and why that's exactly how a living, active Word is supposed to work. Randy Alcorn on learning to hear God's still small voice, and why abiding matters more than straining. And JD Greear on why generosity isn't a financial test at all — it's a trust test. Three motivations from 2 Corinthians 8 that reframe giving entirely: grace, joy, and follow through.

Who or what is forming you? That's the question at the center of this wide-ranging hour. Brian From starts with gas prices hitting $5 a gallon and what anxiety about money keeps pointing us back to, then moves into a fascinating piece on how Gen Z is asking a fundamentally different theological question than previous generations — not "why do bad things happen to good people," but "why don't bad things happen to bad people?" It's a shift that reveals a generation desensitized to sin but hungry for justice, and it has real implications for how the church disciples young people. Then: Ben Sasse is dying publicly and dying well, and Tim Challies makes the case that his greatest legacy may be his final one — while reminding us that faithfulness is faithfulness whether your audience is millions or three. A grieving dad completes the UK Three Peaks Challenge wearing a vest the weight of his late daughter, and Brian unpacks what carrying grief actually looks like. Plus: Chris Bryant, identity, and what happens when everything you thought defined you gets taken away. And a closing meditation on Peter letting down his nets one more time — tired, doubtful, and obedient anyway.

May is National Foster Care Month, and the numbers are staggering — over 400,000 children are currently in foster care, many of them waiting for a family to say yes. Brian From sits down with Dr. Kimberly Offutt, Executive Branch Director for Bethany Christian Services, for an honest conversation about what foster care actually involves, why it's hard, and why it's worth it. Dr. Offutt brings 24 years of experience to the table — and a deeply personal perspective as a foster and adoptive mom who raised four children who entered the system. She breaks down what the training process looks like, why foster families are asked to care not just for the child but for the whole struggling family around them, and what it means to hold open the door to adoption. Then she closes with a direct challenge to churches: there's a church on every corner, and if each one identified just one family to step in for one child, the body of Christ could solve this crisis alone. James 1:27 was never just a verse. It's a call to action.

Two major studies just dropped a finding that should reshape how churches think about discipleship: the number one reason Americans leave Christianity isn't church hurt, politics, or scandal — it's that they stopped believing. Brian From unpacks what that means and why it points to a discipleship crisis hiding in plain sight. Then: repentance. Not the vegetable-eating, obligatory kind, but the gift kind — the one Luther put first in his 95 theses and the one Scripture consistently frames as a reason for joy. Plus, a pencil is running for governor of Oregon to protest the state's worst-in-the-nation fourth grade reading scores, and somehow that becomes a meditation on Sabbath rest and why recess matters as much for adults as it does for kids. A sobering update on the ongoing slaughter of Christians in Northern Nigeria — a reminder of what it costs to follow Jesus in other parts of the world — and a close look at the calling of Peter: what it means to leave your nets immediately, and what step of faith might be waiting for you right now.

The tabernacle wasn't designed by committee — every measurement, every furnishing, every detail was a blueprint from heaven itself. Rabbi Kirt Schneider, host of Discovering the Jewish Jesus, joins Brian From to unpack his new book The Mystery of the Tabernacle: Ancient Secrets for Experiencing the Divine Presence, and the conversation is one you won't want to rush. The fence with one entrance. The brazen altar and the transfer of sin. The brass laver made from mirrors, and what it means to let the Spirit show you who you really are. Rabbi Schneider makes the case that understanding the Hebrew roots of the faith isn't just an academic exercise — it's what solidifies your confidence that Jesus is the only way, especially in a cultural moment when even many Christians are quietly beginning to doubt it. A rich, fast conversation that barely scratches the surface. Pick up The Mystery of the Tabernacle wherever books are sold.

The Chosen has become one of the most remarkable storytelling phenomena in the history of Christian media — and the biggest moments are still ahead. Brian From sits down with Stacey Baxter, Senior Director of Marketing Growth and Engagement at Come and See, the organization behind The Chosen, to talk about what makes the show connect with believers and skeptics alike, how it's being translated into 600 languages to reach every corner of the world, and what's coming next. Season six arrives on Amazon Prime this November, a theatrical crucifixion film hits theaters in spring 2027, and the resurrection gets its own film in spring 2028 — timed, not coincidentally, with Easter. Stacey also explains how the show pushes viewers back to scripture rather than away from it, and why Come and See is actively looking for church partners to use The Chosen as an outreach tool. If you've never started watching, Stacey's advice is simple: season one, episode one, and don't plan on sleeping.

Brian From is fresh off a monumental weekend — his oldest daughter Madeline's college graduation at Hope College in Holland, Michigan — and the joy of that milestone runs through this whole hour. But the reflections go deeper than cap and gown. The chaplain's baccalaureate message on 2 Corinthians 2 leaves Brian with a simple, searching question: when people are in your presence, do they get a whiff of Christ? Then, a throwaway line from Nike's new CEO — "we struggle when we forget who we are serving" — turns into a pointed word for the church and for anyone whose life has quietly drifted toward self. Plus: a Wall Street Journal piece on the rise of the "beta mom" and why the pendulum may have swung too far, new survey data suggesting peak life satisfaction hits at age 52 (good news for Brian at 49), a Gospel Coalition piece on the most alarming political divide in Gen Z — and it's not Democrat vs. Republican — and a closing devotion from Charles Stanley on what it actually means to be aware of God's presence in your daily life, not just on Sundays.

Mother's Day Sunday is one of the most emotionally loaded mornings on the church calendar — joyful for some, quietly devastating for others. Brian From gets personal about his own family's experience with miscarriage and brings in Dr. Deana Thayer, marriage and parenting associate at Focus on the Family, for an honest conversation about the women who often get left out of the celebration: moms who've experienced infertility or infant loss, stepmoms, foster and adoptive moms, caregivers, and women whose relationship with their own mother carries deep pain. Deana offers practical guidance for pastors, worship leaders, and churchgoers on how to honor Mother's Day without inadvertently causing harm — and issues a gentle but clear warning about the well-meaning platitudes that almost always make things worse. 

This week was Brian's birthday — and it turns out he shares it with Star Wars Day. That's all the excuse needed to bring Plugged In's Adam Holtz into the conversation for a deep dive on George Lucas's galaxy far, far away. How did a $10 million film with an uncertain release become a cultural watershed that changed cinema forever? What did Lucas actually borrow from — Joseph Campbell, Kurosawa, Flash Gordon, Eastern religion, the Bible — and what does that mean for Christians trying to engage it thoughtfully? Adam breaks down the Force as a theological concept, why the original trilogy still holds up for family viewing, and what went so wrong with the sequel trilogy that Disney may be looking to erase it from canon entirely. A fun, fast conversation perfect for any Star Wars fan trying to think Christianly about one of the most enduring stories in pop culture. Find more of Adam's work at pluggedin.com.

What if your social media addiction is actually telling you something profound about eternity? Russell Moore makes a startling case in Christianity Today that the infinite scroll isn't just bad for your attention span — it's a counterfeit heaven, and in some ways, a picture of hell. Brian From unpacks that idea alongside a convicting piece from JD Greear on false positive Christianity: if the gospel has changed everything about you, why would your wallet be the one thing left untouched? Then: it's the National Day of Prayer, and Brian makes the case for why political fatigue is no excuse to stop praying for your leaders. Plus — aliens, the Christian faith, and why discovery should embolden belief rather than threaten it. And the story Brian never knew: how Stephen Colbert lost his father and two brothers in a plane crash at age 10, and what 25 years of grief taught him about gratitude.

What's the sin hiding in plain sight — the one we've dressed up as confidence and call leadership? Brian From tackles pride head-on, drawing from Trevin Wax's convicting piece on why the Church has largely given arrogance a pass even as it ravages our culture and our leaders. Then: a look at altar calls — are they entry points or endpoints? Joseph Woraru's challenge from the Gospel Coalition Africa edition raises the harder question: why do so many respond but so few remain? Plus, Tim Keller on how to spot the idols you didn't know you had, John MacArthur's final sermon and what he chose to say about heaven, a word on the Church — broken, faithful, and still God's Plan A — and a closing devotion on why slowing down to meditate on God's Word is time better spent than almost anything else on your calendar.

What does it actually mean for a church to be successful? Host Brian Fromm draws on years of pastoral experience to push back on the idea that attendance numbers are the ultimate measure of a church's health — and offers a more honest framework for what thriving congregations actually look like. Plus: three practical encouragements for Christians walking through a hard season, a look at how to worship God when he feels distant, and the remarkable true story of a BYU offensive lineman who turned down a $1.5 million NFL contract to become a $22,000-a-year math teacher — all because of his convictions. Brian also reflects on the Savannah Bananas' origin story, what it means to take a real risk on something you believe in, and why joy in God was never meant to be a solo experience.

Author and former law enforcement officer Adam Davis joins Brian to talk about his new 90-day devotional, Bulletproof Family, co-written with Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Adam shares why strong families don't happen by accident — they're built through spiritual discipline, intentional presence, and the willingness to own your mistakes.

It's Brian's birthday — 49 years old and staring 50 in the face — and that milestone has him in a reflective mood. On this episode of The Common Good, Brian weaves together a handful of compelling threads: the challenging call to forgive even when bitterness feels justified, a sobering statistic about one-third of Americans currently experiencing an existential crisis, the Kentucky Derby's surprise winner and the life lesson it carries, and a powerful warning from the book of Judges about what happens when faith goes unguarded for just one generation. Brian also shares his personal take on capital punishment after listening to Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History, and closes with a devotional from Dr. Charles Stanley on what it actually means to walk wisely. A wide-ranging, honest, and deeply personal hour of radio.