There’s no doubt that abortion will take center stage in this year’s election. From Roe v. Wade’s overturning to IVF controversies to Trump’s recent abortion stance to surprising state laws surrounding the issue, abortion is all over the news right now and Josh Brahm joins us this week to discuss. But he’s not the stereotypical pro-lifer. In fact, …

Greg Lawson discusses Ohio's housing crisis and what policy makers are doing about it Greg Lawson, Research Fellow at the Buckeye Institute, Ohio's conservative think tank, joins News in Focus to discuss with Chris Long Ohio's housing crisis and what legislators are doing about it. Rising costs due to inflation, high interest rates, and the lack of…

It’s not just a toddler group. Emphasis on the ‘just’. That’s the title and message of a new report which urges churches to take their midweek parents and toddler groups more seriously. These groups are not just about toys on mats and beakers of juice for tired mums, but vital for children’s flourishing and also for drawing families into the wider …

Iran attacks Israel - Court places injunction on H.B 68 - Inflation climbs in March - Statehouse update on this week's News in Focus The world breathes a sigh of relief as missile attack on Israel is thwarted by the Iron Dome. Inflation and the economic outlook is not good for the Biden Administration. ACLU files lawsuit against Ohio's Safe Act H.B…

Have you ever wished you could get inside the head of a Christian going through a deconstruction journey? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Today, we’re joined by Abigail Favale, a Professor of Women’s Studies and author of “Into the Deep: An Unlikely Catholic Conversion,” to hear how she went from an evangelical upbringing to postmodern femini…

It is not just the Church of England and the Catholic Church which has been wrestling with divisions over same-sex marriage in recent years. The Baptist Union is also split between those who believe God affirms gay marriage and those who hold to a traditional opposition to it. Yet unlike other denominations, the Baptists have come recently to an in…

Did you know that 40% of American children are born to unmarried parents? Contrast that with the 1960s when this overall rate was less than 10%. So, why such a dramatic increase? And what impact is this having on our society? Melissa Kearney, author of the controversial book, “The Two-Parent Privilege,” joins the podcast today to weigh in. Listen a…

Standing By Israel With Laurie Cardoza Moore Israel is fighting the war against HAMAS in Gaza. Many in the international community, including the U.S. State Department, are calling for Israel to stand down. Israel is determined to eradicate those HAMAS terrorists who committed the atrocities on October 7th, the day that modern Israel suffered its w…

Ecumenism. Even the word itself is probably putting some of you off right now. A tiresome bit of churchy jargon that has no relevance for your church or spiritual life, right? But working for unity across churches and denominations is for some a genuine passion, an urgent priority, even a lifetime’s ministry. Earlier this year, a group of Catholic …

Donald Trump. Christ is King. Candace Owens. Antisemitism. Buckle up! On this episode, we’re examining all sorts of current events to prove that commingling politics and faith compromises the Church’s witness. First, Keith and Patrick discuss the Trump-endorsed “God Bless the USA” Bible and how this mashup conflates our citizenship in heaven with o…

White House disrespects Christians and Easter-Declares Transgender Day Christian leaders and political leaders rebuke the Biden Administration for its disregard of Christianity's holiest day on the calendar. Easter Sunday is the celebration of Christ's resurrection in the Christian church worldwide. From our beginning as a nation, Presidents have a…

Sports used to unify us. But today? Politics has checked into the game. And in many ways, introducing controversial topics into the sports world has benched more frequent conversations surrounding faith. Today’s guest, Jason Romano, knows a thing or two about this after working for 17 years as a content creator and producer at ESPN. He joins Keith …

AG Yost discusses nitrogen hypoxia as a remedy to carry out Ohio's death penalty. Attorney General Dave Yost joined Representatives Brian Stewart and Phil Plummer in a recent press conference announcing legislation that would include nitrogen hypoxia as a method to carry out Ohio's death penalty. In recent years, Ohio, along with other states who h…

Many of England’s biggest football clubs – today some of the country’s largest entertainment businesses – were originally started by local churches 150 years ago. Fascinatingly, the connections between Christianity and football are not solely a historical quirk either. There are Christians playing the game at every level, managing teams and running…

Youth movement in the conservative ranks - Will it grow? Mark Harrington of Created Equal joins me to discuss the Days of Action for the pro-life cause in Ohio starting April 11th and 12th in Cleveland. Discussing the American Conservative Youth Union with its president, Aidan Haggard. Aidan discusses the importance of civics in education. He is me…

The Gospel is more political than you may think. But how do we guard against our political ideologies turning into partisan idolatry? Today’s guest, Joshua Butler, joins Patrick to discuss further insights from his recent book, The Party Crasher: How Jesus Disrupts Politics as Usual and Redeems Our Partisan Divide. Hear him introduce four political…

Just before Christmas, the Catholic Church surprisingly announced priests could offer pastoral blessings to same-sex couples for the first time. The announcement has been a jolt of energy to the church, delighting liberals who have been quick to publicise their blessings, and equally infuriating conservatives. Why has the backlash been so vociferou…

Pledging allegiance to the American flag. Singing the national anthem. Voting. Being patriotic. Is there a place for these things in the Christian life? Buckle up because this one will probably offend everyone in some way (including Patrick!). In this episode, we welcome Preston Sprinkle back on the podcast to discuss his newest book, “Exiles: The …

Election update with OCA President Chris Long With one week to go, things are tightening up in the Ohio U.S. Senate race. It is very close between Frank LaRose and Bernie Moreno with Matt Dolan trailing close behind. Early vote turnout is low and everyone is looking to the Tuesday March 19th Primary, as the stakes are getting high. President Trump …

Almost nobody has heard of Sir Paul Marshall until a few weeks ago. But, thanks to his Twitter account, the multi-millionaire hedge funder and media mogul has become briefly famous, or perhaps infamous. An investigation has revealed Marshall had a private Twitter account which had liked and re-posted dozens of hardline anti-Muslim and far-right twe…

Have you noticed this trend? People spend about 90% of their time diagnosing today’s problems and only 10% focusing on (typically weak) solutions. This is true of Christians, too. Why are we more known for what we’re against rather than what we’re for? Today, Keith and Patrick dissect this trend and confess how this podcast has even taken part. The…

AG Yost discusses nitrogen hypoxia as a remedy to carry out Ohio's death penalty Attorney General Dave Yost joined Representatives Brian Stewart and Phil Plummer in a recent press conference announcing legislation that would include nitrogen hypoxia as a method to carry out Ohio's death penalty. In recent years, Ohio, along with other states who ha…

Do you view your faith through the prism of politics? Or do you view politics through the prism of your faith? Today’s guest, Tim Alberta, believes that too many American evangelicals have lost their way, striving for political gains over furthering the Gospel. On this episode, he shares insights with Keith from his latest book, The Kingdom, The Po…

Education is the Key to the Future Success of Conservatism in America Part 1 The 15th annual Bringing America Back To Life pro-life convention will be held on March 8th and 9th at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Independence. Here to talk about the great lineup of speakers and breakout sessions is the Executive Director of Cleveland Right to Life, Kate…

After the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, the Church of England embarked on a racial reckoning just like so many institutions. This produced a landmark report and a new racial justice unit. But more than three years on, has any progress been made in dismantling prejudice and discrimination in the national church?…

Keith Simon and Russell Moore discusses the shift in the pro-life movement, the challenges of the post-Christian right, controversy and change in his own life, the fracturing in the church, the loss of trust in the church, the importance of repentance and a credible Christian voice, the perception of Christian nationalism in politics, and the issue…

Incentives motivate human behavior. Incentives can be external or internal. The Bible uses incentives to encourage obedience to God. Incentives are everywhere and shape decisions in many areas of life. While incentives can solve problems, they sometimes have unintended effects or corrupt motivations. God offers incentives for those who love him lik…

On-Air Candidate Forum with Bernie Moreno and Frank LaRose Continuing with our Candidate Forum interviews, today we interview two candidates for the U.S. Senate Republican Primary - Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno and Secretary of State Frank LaRose. We asked questions of the candidates concerning the national debt, the southern border crisis, …

A Christian gospel singer was approached by the police while busking in central London. In a video of the conversation, one of the officers tells the singer she is not allowed to sing church songs outside of church grounds, and later sticks her tongue out. For many of those furiously sharing this video online, it is further evidence of how the secu…

In this conversation, Keith Simon interviews Julie Slattery, the president of Authentic Intimacy, about navigating issues of sexuality and faith. They discuss the silence and polarity around sexuality in both culture and the church, the spiritual aspect of sex, the differences between sex inside and outside of marriage, and the misconceptions surro…

On-Air Candidate Forum for the 13th Congressional District Part 1 - Kevin Coughlin Part 2 - Chris Banweg Here are the questions that were asked of the candidates. Tell us why you’re running for congress in the 13th What is your position on the southern border? What should congress do about the 34 trillion dollars in national debt? Due to the federa…

Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the government of Iran has sought to tightly control its small Christian minority and suppress the spread of Christianity throughout the population. But the Women Life Freedom anti-government protest movement has rocked the Islamist regime. Millions of Iranians have defied the strict interpretation of Islam the…

In this conversation, Nicholas Kristof discusses his experiences in dangerous situations, his views on religion and faith, and the importance of respecting different perspectives. He explores the decline of Christianity's cultural influence, the dangers of echo chambers, and the impact of economic factors on communities. Kristof also addresses the …

The American dream is slipping away. Today's housing crisis and the history of mortgage lending with Jack Boyle. Jack Boyle who had a career for 35 years in mortgage finance will be a presenter at the March Forum on Ohio's Housing Crisis hosted by the Ohio Christian Alliance. Presenters will also include State Senator Andy Brenner who is currently …

The story which dominated the UK church world last year was undoubtedly the revelations about Mike Pilavachi and Soul Survivor. But while the C of E’s investigation into him confirmed he had acted inappropriately at the Watford church he led, the story has often been veiled in vague terms and muttered innuendo. What exactly did he do to those young…

In this conversation, Patrick and Justin Whitmel Earley explore the role of discipleship and healthy spiritual practices in addressing problems and shaping personal and family life. It emphasizes the importance of forming habits to overcome fear and irritability in parenting and highlights the influence of parents' habits on their children. The imp…

Jack Boyle who had a career for 35 years in mortgage finance will be a presenter at the March Forum on Ohio's Housing Crisis hosted by the Ohio Christian Alliance. Presenters will also include State Senator Andy Brenner who is currently serving on the Ohio Senate Select Committee on Housing. In this introductory discussion, Jack takes us through th…

The Life Movement and the Way Forward with Peter Range of Ohio Right to Life In the aftermath of the effort to defeat the passage of Issue 1, the abortion rights amendment, the pro-life movement is re-engaging to educate a younger voter and to start the discussion to advance a pro-life culture among 18-35 year-olds. Exit polls indicated that the pr…

Christians spend an awful lot of time thinking about how and why people join the church. But we rarely consider the opposite – all of those who leave. Every year, an entirely uncounted number of people give up on going to church. Some continue to believe and practice faith outside a worshipping community, others abandon Christianity entirely. Who a…

Patrick and Keith discuss the ongoing debate between evangelicals on how to engage politics and culture. Should Christian punch right and coddle left? Should Christians have No Enemies To The Right? Or is there a different and more faithful way of engaging with politics as a Christian? They make observations on the arguments and explore how Christi…

Statehouse Update with Greg Lawson Part 2 Candidate Spotlight with Charles Tassell President Trump wins the Iowa Caucuses in a resounding landslide. The Primaries now move on the New Hampshire and South Carolina. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich stated that President Trump is the nominee and the other candidates are also-rans at this point. Greg Lawson…

Abuse scandals. Famous deaths. A lot of reports. And a even more arguing about same-sex relationships. 2023 was a busy year for church news, and 2024 is already shaping up to be more of the same. But before the last 12 months is totally swamped by what’s already kicked off this year, let’s take a brief look back at some of the most consequential st…

Philip Yancey's story is a compelling journey of faith, doubt, and grace. Raised in a toxic, fundamentalist church, he grew disillusioned, seeing God misrepresented. His faith hung on by a thread in college, where he became a campus rebel, a heretic in the eyes of many. But Yancey didn't abandon his faith; instead, he deconstructed it to rebuild so…

Veto Override Vote on H.B. 68 Wednesday at the Ohio Statehouse Speaker Stephens has called for the General Assembly to reconvene Wednesday January 10th at the Ohio Statehouse - first session of the new year. The main agenda item is the veto override vote on H.B. 68, the Ohio SAFE Act. Sixty votes are needed. The issue has become a national one, as …

End Times, the mark of the beast, and the Antichrist. Oh, my! Were these your takeaways from reading Revelation? You’re not alone! Today’s guest, Scot McKnight, author of Revelation for the Rest of Us, also grew up viewing this book as a prediction of End Times events. But what’s wrong with reading Revelation as a predictive prophecy? What’s the re…

Elected officials swatted - Calls to override the veto on H.B. 68 go out News in Focus launches the new year 2024. State Senator Andy Brenner shares his experience of being swatted last week along with State Attorney General Dave Yost and two other elected officials in an apparent attack from the political left. The swatting occurred on the anniver…

A city on a hill. The light of the world. The hope of nations. Are these about Jesus or America? These ideas might come from the Bible, but politicians love to apply them to our country. Why? And is there a problem with doing that? Today, Patrick speaks with Kaitlyn Scheiss, author of The Bible and the Ballot: How Scripture Has Been Used And Abused…

State Rep Reggie Stoltzfus on H.B. 68 the Ohio SAFE Act Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus of Ohio's 50th District discusses with OCA President Chris Long the importance of protecting girls' and women's sports in H.B. 68. The bill also bans hormone blocking drugs and life-altering surgeries for minors in Ohio. The gender dysphoria psychosis being pushed by publ…

Andrew Wilson discusses the importance of history and why Christians should care about it. He explains that our understanding of history shapes our worldview and influences how we navigate contemporary issues. Wilson also explores the significance of the year 1776, arguing that it played a crucial role in shaping the modern West. He highlights key …

Ever since October 7th, the world has been transfixed with horror at the violence and war unfolding in Israel and Gaza. First the brutal Hamas terrorist attack which left over a thousand dead and hundreds more snatched as hostages. Then the devastating Israeli bombing campaign, which has killed thousands more. And now Israeli soldiers and tanks fig…