Breakpoint

John Stonestreet and Maria Bear discuss the memorial services for 9/11 and how younger generations make light of historical tragedies. Also, an evaluation of the recent reports from Aurora, CO and Springfield, OH, and the implications of large-scale immigration in a weakening culture. Finally, they correct the falsehoods about abortion stated by both candidates during this week’s Presidential debate. 

Recommendations

The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff

Lighthouse Voices featuring Samuel James

Everyone is Numbing Out by Catherine Shannon 

Segment 1 - Rem...

The ideology is an insatiable and merciless “religion” without a savior.

Related Resource

What Would You Say? - Is America a Racist Country? 

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Anymore, it’s not as much about convincing abortion advocates to switch sides, but getting pro-lifers to speak up.

Related Resource

What Would You Say?: When Does Life Begin?

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The Widening of God’s Mercy describes a different God.

Related Resource

WWYS - God Didn't Punish Sodom and Gomorrah for Homosexuality 

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Reason one million why America needs Christian educators. 

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Claim your copy of After Humanity by Michael Ward or Strange New World by Carl Trueman, along with exclusive accompanying digital content for each, with your gift of any amount to the Colson Center at colsoncenter.org/september. 

Deconstructing everything leads to false history. 

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Register for the upcoming Lighthouse Voices featuring Samuel James, author of Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age, at colsoncenter.org/lighthouse. 

A well-respected theologian has a new book on God’s mercy that has many questioning his conclusions. Is free speech in jeopardy, not just overseas but here in America? John and Maria will look at the latest developments on our constitutional rights.

Recommendations

Our Bodies Tell God's Story by Christopher West

Event in Cleveland, OH: United Voices Against Antisemitism

Segment 1 - Richard Hays on God's Mercy

These were the 6 Israeli hostages taken by Hamas found dead in Gaza on Sunday

The latest on the Georgia hig...

What’s in a name?

Related Resources

WWYS - Do I Really Need to Go to Church?

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Register for the upcoming Lighthouse Voices featuring Samuel D. Jones, author of Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age, at colsoncenter.org/lighthouse.

Pope John Paul II on what the body is for.

Related Resources

WWYS - What Does the Bible Say About Sex?

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Do we belong here, and in such high numbers?

Related Resources

WWYS - Save the Planet. Dont Have Kids.

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Digital technology has changed the world, and that’s good for spreading the Gospel.

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For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org. 

The marketplace is fertile soil for Christians to excel for the Kingdom.

Related Resouce

BONUS Breakpoint: Christian Hope in Economic Uncertainty with David Bahnsen

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Laws affecting abortion are changing both in good and bad ways. And we’ll talk about the shocking details looking into violence against women around the world.

Recommendations

Tom Lake by Anne Patchett

Upcoming Lighthouse Voices with Samuel D. James

Segment 1 - Where Are We on Abortion?

BBC: Abortion clinic payout woman shocked at prayer arrest

7 activists convicted of FACE Act violations by blockading Michigan abortion clinic

Trump says he opposes six-week abortion ban adopted by his home state of Florida

Segm...

The pain of infertility does not justify procreation by all means necessary.

Related Resouce

What Would You Say?: Are Reproductive Technologies a Good Way for People to Have Babies? 

What Would You Say?: Is IVF Ethical? 

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“The Talk” just doesn’t cut it anymore.

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From disbeliever to the most important Church influencer.

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Don’t believe your lying eyes.

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From “safe, legal, and rare” to openly celebrating evil.

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One author has poignantly written “we're not in an age of change, but a change of age.” John and Maria discuss that idea as it relates to culture, the church, and ideology in general.

Recommendations

Add to the Beauty by Sara Groves

The Confessions of Saint Augustine

Segment 1 - Shifts in Culture

A Change of Age

A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today's World by John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle 

A Free People's Suicide: Sustainable Freedom and the Amer...

Christ reminds us to not be alarmed, but to stay steadfast in Him.

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A talk from Dr. Kathy Koch

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We weren’t made to live in a marriage-arid society. 

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It’s all a show in the city of man.

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Wagering on God without hesitation.

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Access to abortion does free men, but not in a good way.

Related Resources

What Would You Say?: Make the Pro-Life Case in 60 Seconds 

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John and Maria look back at last week’s Breakpoint Forum on Christians and voting. Unrest is increasing in the UK over immigration. And many of America’s corporations are rethinking their commitment to DEI.

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Hank the Cowdog

PASCAL'S PENSÉES

Segment 1 - Should Christians Vote?

Find recordings of previous Breakpoint Forums on The Colson Center YouTube page.

Breakpoint: Pete Buttigieg Says It Out Loud

Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience

Segment 2 - Unrest in the UK

BBC: Wh...

Regulations refusing Christian care in the foster and adoption systems are a bad idea.

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Children belong to God, entrusted to parents.

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Reserve your spot for the Lighthouse Voices event with Samuel James at colsoncenter.org/lighthouse. 

John Stonestreet spoke with David Bahnsen of the Bahnsen Group to discuss the importance of having Christian hope in times of economic instability.

Additional Resources

What’s behind the big stock market plunge? by David Bahnsen

Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life by David Bahnsen

Breakpoint This Week: A Volatile Stock Market Leads to Fears and the Democrats Pick Their Candidate for Vice President

The landscape of unbelief in America.

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Tolkien is more than a right-wing prophet. 

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A lot of panic made its way through the news on Monday as the stock market fell by a thousand points. And John and Maria look at the record of Vice-Presidential candidate Tim Walz.

Recommendations

Pro-Child Politics by Katy Faust

Stay tuned for next week's bonus podcast featuring David Bahnsen!

Segment 1 - Stock Market Downturn

What’s behind the big stock market plunge? by David Bahnsen

Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life by David Bahnsen

Segment 2 - VP Candidate Tim Walz<...

Businesses are backtracking on DEI, and consumers are to thank.

Related Resources

What Would You Say? Should We Try to Erase Economic Inequality?

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Excessive mental health therapy may do more harm than good. 

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How should Christians think about their vote? 

Related Resources

What Would You Say: How Do I Vote When I Don’t Like either Candidate?

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The person and work of Jesus is still Good News, even in era like ours.

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Non-believing influencers are sounding a lot like believers.

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Some have called the opening ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics decadent, offensive, and even satanic. And in the games, themselves, more controversy as a boxer with xy chromosomes takes out a female boxer in less than a minute.

Recommendations

Jonathan Pageau on Symbolism Explained: The Olympics Opening Ceremony is Worse than You Thought

Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran

Village Creek Bible Camp

Segment 1 - Paris Opening Ceremonies

Turkish Olympic pistol shooter goes viral after nonchalant composure leads to silver me...

Christians must tell the truth, no matter the party.

Related Resources 

What Would You Say?: Churches Shouldn't Get Involved with Political Issues

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No number of laws will mitigate a lack of virtuous living. 

Additional Resources:

Colson Educators “Hope Always” Course

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States are helping families limit smartphones for kids.

Related Resources

What Would You Say?: Identitfying Misinformation

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A truncated history of France gives a warped view of freedom.

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Christians don’t worship Zeus. 

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Violent protests against Israel descended on the nation's capital as Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress. Party leaders move their support to Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential campaign. And chaos results after a CrowdStrike software upgrade goes wrong. 

Recommendations

The Colson Center on YouTube

Morning After the Revolution by Nellie Bowles

Segment 1 - The Attempted Assassination of Former President Trump

TIME: Pro-Palestinian Protesters Burn American Flags and Deface Monuments Amid Clashes With Police in D.C.

FOX: Mag...

The Chariots of Fire runner’s faith and its impact on today’s Olympians.

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Obsession with social media fame is not the typical ‘rite of passage’ we’ve seen throughout history.

Student protests and trusting the “cult of youth.”

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Pets shouldn’t have more legal rights than image bearers. 

Does this matter without an understanding of what sex is for and where it belongs?

Related resouces

WWYS: Is Pornography Victimless?

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Political solutions aren’t always the answer to societal problems.

A stunning turn from Truth.

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Avoiding the intoxicating lure of checking out.

Three cases that will be consequential for years to come.

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Reproductive technology that separates father from child has consequences. 

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump raises questions about the providence of God. And at the Republican convention this week, party leaders appeared to be putting as much distance between themselves and evangelicals as possible.

Recommendations

Crossroads: God, Providence and the Trump bullet

Is the Republican Party Becoming Pro-choice?

The Briefing Special Edition

The Colson Fellows Program

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi

Segment 1 - The Attempted Assassination of Former President Trump

Breakpoint: The Attempted Assassination of a Pres...

Westernization without Christianity doesn’t work.

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Pot propaganda is lying.

Lessons from Nero and the Great Fire of Rome. 

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Who is the God Americans claim, and what does this say about society?

How new language is obscuring the debate about life.

Related Resources

Breakpoint Forum: Understanding Critical Theory

What Would You Say?: Is Critical Theory Biblical?

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The Christian God is the best explanation for the world we experience.

The roles of divine providence and the human condition.

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Christians should safeguard the truth of what makes women valuable.

Women are leaning left and bucking mediating institutions.

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No one wins with “A’s for everyone.”  

The GOP’s new platform takes a noticeable turn on abortion. Public educators are growing increasingly comfortable discussing therapy with students. And two states are looking to increase the visibility of the Ten Commandments in public schools.

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The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

What Would You Say?: What is Abortion Pill Reversal, and is it Safe?

Segment 1 - Shift in GOP Platform

Trump says abortion legislation should be left to states

Breakpoint: A “You Are Here” Moment for the Pro-Life Movement with Ryan Anderson...

Senate committee proposal will require the registration of women 18 and older for military service.

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How Scripture can inform a well-rounded life.

Research shows that siblings are good for us.

As the RNC changes its stance on abortion, defenders of life must engage the small battles to win the war. 

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What faithfulness to Christ under a totalitarian government can do. 

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Activists are working hard to convince that abortion makes everyone safer, including babies.

Emily Colson looks back on her father’s public fall from glory and redemption in Christ.

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Surgeon exposes hospital’s negligence of care for children.

The lifelong power of lasting connections. 

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For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment go to Breakpoint.org. 

How women got pressured into long-term birth control.

John Stonestreet and Maria Baer discuss celebrating America’s independence in a time of political uncertainty and the decline of companies celebrating pride month. Also, what does it mean to be a “Christian nation”?

Recommendations

Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier

Great Lakes Symposium: Truth and its Counterfeits

Segment 1 - What does it mean to be proud to be an American? 

Read the full Supreme Court decision on Trump and presidential immunity

Segment 2 - The Fall of Pride Month

Breakpoint: Support Drops for Same-Sex ‘Marriage’

The world offers detachment and indulgence; Christ offers forgiveness and freedom.

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The irony of lawsuits filed against a Louisiana bill. 

Turning to God and His eternal truths will heal our nation.

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Fidelity is not a line crossed; it’s a direction taken.  

The reliability of the Word of God is continuously confirmed with tangible, touchable discoveries. 

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The decision will have implications across the U.S. on the legality of “transition care” for minors.

It may be easier to just bake the cake, but Christians have a higher calling.   

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Reserve your place at the Great Lakes Symposium at greatlakessymposium.org. 

Men and women in lifelong marriage are happiest.

What are the fruits when we focus in and not up?

How do we answer this cultural moment?

Related resources: How to Have a Conversation: Difficult Circumstances

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Find more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment at Breakpoint.org. 

The presidential debate left more questions than answers. John and Maria discuss the implications. Proponents of using chemicals and surgery on gender-confused kids are changing their terminology. And we look at how different denominations are handling the question of women in the pulpit.

Recommendations

Maria Baer on Substack

Great Lakes Symposium (join in person or online!)

Segment 1 - Presidential Debate

Watch the first 2024 presidential debate between Biden and Trump

Breakpoint: Trump Announces His Position on Life Post-Roe

Breakpoint: The War on Pre...

As the West loses touch with its Creator, by what authority do we agree on inalienable rights?

Related Resources: Do Children’s Rights Override Parental Rights?

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Trans-identifying swimmer Lia Thomas is barred from the 2024 Olympics.

What about the training and formation of teachers?

Related resources: 

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Employee religious conviction rights a new battleground as more drugstore chains offer the abortion pill.

Are Americans dropping their rainbow zeal because of a zealot takeover?

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The federal government pushes harder on gender transition interventions as other nations pull back.

Ramped up legislation throughout the U.S. seeks to attack pro-life care.

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A professional call to halt “gender affirming care” in the U.S.

Christianity is to be lived courageously outward facing for this time and place. 

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May the Lord of peace be with our troops always.

The harassment of cake artist Jack Phillips continues as he finds himself back in court. The Surgeon General is recommending social media sites post a health hazard warning. And once again the church is forced to deal with questions of a failed leader and what restoration looks like.

Recommendations

Colson Fellows Program

Great Lakes Symposium on Christian Worldview

Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado

Segment 1 - Jack is Back in Court

Why Jack Still Won’t Bake the Cake 

Justice for Jack with ADF

30...

The famous artist revealed his hope in Christ in his many sonnets.  

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Former politician and activist converts from atheist to Christian.

Restoring our impersonal bodies to God’s original intention.

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Dads in prison need their kids.