Truth Changes Everything

As anxiety, depression, and loneliness continue to rise, fewer people are attending church than ever before. But what if we've overlooked a powerful connection between faith, community, and human flourishing? In this episode of the Truth Changes Everything podcast, we sit down with Rebecca McLaughlin—author of How Church Could (Literally) Save Your Life—to explore the surprising research behind church attendance and well-being. Study after study shows that those who regularly attend religious services tend to be happier, healthier, and even live longer. Why is that? And could church be part of the solution to today's mental health crisis? We tackle some of the biggest questions surrounding faith and community: Why are millions of Americans walking away from church? Is church really different from any other kind of community? Do the benefits of church attendance apply to young people—or just older adults? What about those who have been hurt by the church? How do you stay committed to a church when you don't agree with everything? Rebecca also shares powerful insights on the impact of church on children, teens, and families—and challenges the idea that church is just a "nice add-on" to life rather than something essential. If you've ever wondered whether gathering together in worship actually matters—or if it could even change your life—this conversation is for you. 👍 Like, subscribe, and share if this episode encouraged you!

Many of our listeners know that apologetics is the defense of the Christian faith, but did you know there are multiple ways to do it? Different conversations call for different approaches. How do you engage an atheist who doesn't believe God exists? Must you first establish God's existence before talking about Jesus? And what about the biases we all bring into these discussions? Can the Church itself still serve as a compelling testimony to the truth of Christianity? In this episode, Timothy Paul Jones walks us through five key apologetic methods—classical, evidential, presuppositional, cultural, and ecclesial—and explains how to apply them wisely and winsomely in real-life conversations. Timothy is a professor of Christian apologetics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and pastor at Sojourn Community Church. He is the author of award-winning books including Church as It Is in Heaven, How We Got the Bible, and Christian History Made Easy. He holds degrees from Manhattan Christian College, Midwestern Seminary, and Southern Seminary, and is completing a Ph.D. at Stellenbosch University. Timothy frequently lectures and appears in various media platforms. 🎧 Tune in and discover how to defend your faith thoughtfully, confidently, and with grace. Please send us your feedback and questions to: [email protected]

If you went back in time and you had the opportunity to be involved in an attempt to remove Adolf Hitler from the scene before WWII, would you do it? How you answer this question may determine your position on war, peace, and violence. Is violence sometimes necessary to produce good? Or is war and violence always wrong, no matter the circumstances? How does the Christian worldview best answer this predicament, and how should we as Christians view war in general? Jesus calls us to be peacemakers, so we need to be able to define exactly what that means. Our guest today is Paul Copan, Professor and Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He's a Christian theologian, analytic philosopher, apologist, and author, having written or edited around 45 books and contributed chapters to over 60 more. Paul is perhaps best known for tackling tough questions about God and the Old Testament in books like Is God a Moral Monster?, Is God a Vindictive Bully?, and Did God Really Command Genocide? He's also served as president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society and currently chairs the Philosophy of Religion Group for the Tyndale Fellowship in the UK.

We may think that since the election of President Trump, we are living in a post-woke world. But this is a mistake. Wokeness remains the prevailing worldview in secular culture. So how can Christians thoughtfully engage with the ongoing challenges of wokeness⎯ in the church and everyday life? How do we accurately define wokeness, and why does it remain influential? And how can believers respond with clarity, courage, and compassion? It's vital for us to be equipped with practical steps for conversations, parenting, workplace pressures, and loving our neighbors well. We must stand firm in the truth. Our guest today is Dr. Neil Shenvi, co-author of the book Post-Woke: Asserting a Biblical View of Race, Gender & Sexuality, which we will be discussing in today's conversation. Neil has an A.B. in chemistry from Princeton and a PhD in theoretical chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. He worked as a research scientist at Yale University and Duke University and has published over thirty peer-reviewed scientific papers. In addition, his writings on critical theory have been published by the Journal of Christian Legal Thought, the Gospel Coalition, Ratio Christi, & the Liberty University Law Review, among others. Let's dive in!

Welcome to the Truth Changes Everything podcast! Today, we're taking a slightly different turn—we're talking about the Colson Center Fellows Program, a rigorous, faith‑shaping program that equips Christians to think deeply, live faithfully, and engage culture thoughtfully. The Fellows Program is designed to help participants develop a biblical worldview, wrestle with big questions about life, faith, and society, and then take that learning into their families, communities, and workplaces. Today, we're thrilled to be joined by a few graduates of the program. They'll share what they've learned, how it's shaped their parenting, mentoring, and leadership, and how they've applied those lessons in real life. Whether you're a parent, mentor, or just someone curious about growing in your faith and thinking biblically about the world, this conversation is packed with insight. Let's welcome our guests, Kimberly Ford and Kelly McMullin, and dive in! Please send us your feedback and questions to: [email protected]

In a world full of confusion, where truth feels optional and identity seems up for grabs, how can young Christians stand firm and live out a faith that actually makes sense of reality? For decades, Summit Ministries has been helping students do just that—training them to think biblically, defend truth, and engage culture with courage and grace. Today, we're joined by John Stonestreet, President of the Colson Center and long-time Summit faculty member, to talk about how Summit shapes the next generation of Christian leaders, what challenges students are facing today, and how Jesus still changes everything. John is a sought-after author and speaker on areas of faith and culture, theology, worldview, education and apologetics. He is the daily voice of Breakpoint, the nationally syndicated commentary on the culture, founded by the late Chuck Colson. He is also the voice of The Point, a daily one-minute feature on worldview, apologetics, and cultural issues. He also helped create the documentary, Truth Rising, and has been a member of our Summit team for some time now. Please send us your feedback and questions to: [email protected].

Today, we're talking about something every follower of Jesus should consider carefully—influence. Whether we notice it or not, we're constantly shaping the people around us. But what does Christlike influence actually look like, and how do we steward it well? We'll explore how faith reframes our understanding of persuasion, leadership, and everyday impact—and why influence becomes most powerful when it flows "from above." My guest today is Brian Ahearn. Brian is the Chief Influence Officer at Influence PEOPLE and a faculty member at the Cialdini Institute. He's an international speaker, coach, and consultant, and one of only a dozen people worldwide to hold the Cialdini Method Certified Trainer designation, as well as the Pre-suasion Trainer certification. He's written four books on influence, including Influence PEOPLE, named one of the Top 100 Influence Books of All Time. His LinkedIn courses have reached more than 800,000 learners, and his TEDx Talk on pre-suasion has surpassed one million views. Please send us your feedback and questions to: [email protected].

Our world is being re-educated. Universities once devoted to truth and reason have become centers for ideology and activism, shaping a generation to believe that truth is relative, morality is subjective, and power is all that matters. But what happens when a culture loses confidence in truth itself? And how can Christians think clearly—and live faithfully—when the classroom becomes the battlefield of ideas? Today we'll be talking about how truth changes the way we think, the way we live, and the way we stand in a culture that's forgotten what truth even is. Our guest today is Corey Miller. Corey grew up in Utah as a seventh-generation Mormon. He came to Christ, and later became a pastor, philosophy professor, campus minister, and now serves as the president/CEO of Ratio Christi (RatioChristi.org). He has authored or edited five books, including his latest book, The Progressive Miseducation of America: Confronting the Cultural Revolution from the Classroom to Your Community. He holds three master's degrees, along with a PhD from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. His thinking centers on the intersection of faith, reason, and culture. Please send us your feedback and questions to: [email protected].

Do you ever wonder if Jesus really claimed to be God? Maybe you've heard people say, "Jesus never said he was God," or you've been asked, "Why believe Jesus is divine if he never claimed it?" These questions don't just come from skeptics outside the church—they show up in church, too. Even if you're not coming from a place of doubt, you might still wonder how well what we're taught about Jesus matches up with what he actually said. So, did the historical Jesus really claim to be divine? That's what today's discussion is all about. Today we're honored to have on Dr. Mikel Del Rosario. Mikel is a professor of Bible and theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He has coauthored 31 journal articles on apologetics and cultural engagement in Bibliotheca Sacra alongside his mentor, Darrell L. Bock. A member of the Evangelical Theological Society, Del Rosario hosts The Apologetics Guy Show, a podcast on YouTube and the Christianity Today Network, and previously hosted Dallas Theological Seminary's cultural engagement podcast, The Table. He lives in Chicago with his wife, where he enjoys teaching, writing, and engaging with culture. Please send us your feedback and questions to: [email protected]

What if the people we overlook in church are the ones God calls indispensable? What if disability isn't a barrier to ministry, but a doorway to rediscovering the heart of Christ? Inclusion isn't just about access—it's about transformation. In a world shaped by ability and performance, the church has a chance to lead differently. This episode explores how embracing those with disabilities can reshape our communities, renew our mission, and reveal the true nature of the gospel. Our guest today is Russ Ewell. Russ is an author, minister, and social entrepreneur, as well as the lead pastor of Bay Area Christian Church. As a father to sons with Autism and Down Syndrome, he has found purpose in overcoming human limits through family, faith, and technology. As CEO of Digital Scribbler and founder of Hope Technology Group, E-Sports, and Deep Spirituality, he has created tools and communities that empower the silenced and marginalized. His work in AAC tech, inclusive sports, and spiritual leadership has earned a Jefferson Award and Congressional Citation. He inspires transformative thinking, leadership, and a personal, powerful relationship with God. Please send us your feedback and questions to: [email protected]

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of helping your kids see the world the way God does? Or maybe parenting leaves you feeling a little disoriented—like you're spinning upside-down? You're not alone. We all love our kids and want them to have a flourishing faith and embrace God's upside-down Kingdom. Today, we're honored to have Matt Jones and Janel Greig on the show. They are co-hosts of Summit's newest podcast: Upside-Down Parenting! In the podcast, they offer practical insights, biblical wisdom, and encouragement to help you navigate the tough times and everyday challenges of parenting. If parenting sometimes feels upside-down, that's okay. Following God's design often is upside-down compared to the world around us—and that's exactly what makes it so powerful. Subscribe to Upside-Down Parenting on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or subscribe on YouTube!

What happens when the church no longer sits at the center of culture? How do we make sense of a world where millions are leaving the pews, yet traces of Christianity still shape the very stories people tell about meaning, beauty, and truth? Beneath the surface of shifting cultural narratives lies a deeper question: how can we reawaken the memory of Christianity in hearts that no longer know its hope? This is where cultural apologetics steps in. Our guest today is Collin Hansen. Collin serves as vice president for content and editor-in-chief of The Gospel Coalition. He hosts the Gospelbound podcast and has written and contributed to many books, including Timothy Keller: His Spiritual & Intellectual Formation and Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential. He is a member of Iron City Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and he is an adjunct professor at Beeson Divinity School, where he also co-chairs the advisory board. Please send us your feedback and questions to: [email protected]

Truth Rising isn't just a documentary—it's a call to courage for Christians navigating a culture redefining faith, identity, and morality. In this episode, Dr. Jeff sits down with John Stonestreet of the Colson Center as they explore the civilizational moment we're living in and why clarity and conviction matter more than ever for Christians. Through the lens of Truth Rising, they discuss how ordinary believers can make an extraordinary impact by choosing courage over fear and grounding their lives in Christ-centered truth. Truth Rising: The Study is a four-part small group study designed to move Christians from feeling powerless in the face of civilizational decline to realizing their God-given calling in history. Built on the framework of hope, truth, identity, and calling, each lesson teaches a key ingredient of the Christian worldview so Christians can be equipped with unshakeable confidence in the Truth. Then, each teaching video is followed by the inspiring story of a Christian who lived out the Truth to show what courage can look like in our cultural moment. Truth Rising: The Study is taught by John Stonestreet, President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, featuring the inspiring stories of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Jack Phillips, Chloe Cole, and Omega Buckner. Learn more at colsoncenter.org/truth.

In this episode of Truth Changes Everything, astronomer Hugh Ross explores the ways God has revealed Himself through both Scripture and creation. Drawing from the "two books" God has given humanity—the Bible and the natural world—Hugh shows how evidence in the cosmos points to a wise and loving Creator. Parents will discover practical insights on helping their children understand God's handiwork and nurturing a faith that can stand up to questions about science, the universe, and belief. Send us your feedback and questions to: [email protected]!