Raising a child in this brave new world of social media, preferred pronouns, and enough consumable media to last a thousand lifetimes, exposes them very early in life to influences that threaten the foundational truths of faith and family.Gone are the days of managing daily television consumption and the latest music release that might contain a suggestive lyric or two. Parents trying to raise their children to be moral, upstanding citizens today, are being hurtled through a blender of wokeness, gender ideology, and immorality at an alarming rate.For the Christian parent, or any parent of moral decency for that matter, what can be done about it? Quite simply, it is imperative that we expose our children early to the foundational truths in the Bible.Animator Butch Hartman believes it is vital to pour Scripture into our kids and believes the best way to reach them with the Gospel message is through the use of animation. And Hartman knows a thing or two about animation. As the creator of Nickelodeon’s most successful animated series ever, he is now focusing on making as much Christian content for children and families as he can. Hartman and his wife Julieann recently launched the 40-episode cartoon series “The Garden” which also has an app and companion Bible that includes illustrations of the characters from the series.The Hartmans join us on the Crossmap Podcast to talk about why Butch made the jump to focusing primarily on creating faith-based content. Listen as they share what went into making “The Garden Series” and how their hope is that it will make a lasting impact on children for generations to come.Learn more about The Garden SeriesLinks to Crossmap Crossmap Website Crossmap Facebook

Unfortunately, we live in a world that encourages instant gratification, promoting must-have brands, conveniences, and luxuries. The problem with this is that the gnawing-feeling of dissatisfaction often results.In our quest for lasting contentment we often come to the realization that it cannot be found through worldly things. And furthermore, it is vital that we understand that Jesus wants our hearts to overflow with joy.Drawing from her experiences as a cast member on the long-running reality series, “The Real Housewives of Orange County”, Lydia Mclaughlin believes that by pursuing Biblical obedience in our lives, it is then that we find true freedom in Christ.In her latest book, “Joyfull”, a devotional for women, McLaughlin reminds us that we are most grateful when we shift our focus over to God who offers us true contentment. She has first-hand experience with this as she and her mother learned to be grateful through her mother’s recent cancer journey.McLauglin joins us on the Crossmap Podcast to talk about seeking and finding the joy God has for you. Listen as Lydia shares what to say to people who believe that lasting joy can only be found in worldly pursuits and not the things of God.Links to Lydia MclaughlinJoyfull: 365 Daily DevotionsLinks to Crossmap Crossmap Website Crossmap Facebook

Have you ever heard someone say, “You were born to do this.”  This simple phrase has been uttered countless times over the years whenever someone, due to a natural gifting or possessing a unique set of skills, seems ideally suited for the task at hand.Award-winning actor Max McLean was born to portray C.S. Lewis. Possessing the look, the voice, and even the mannerisms of the legendary literary icon, McLean is brilliant in The Most Reluctant Convert, an independently produced film that was recently released on the Pure Flix Streaming platform. In it, the seasoned veteran of many theatrical productions domestically and abroad, plays an elder C.S. Lewis as he looks back on his remarkable journey from hard-boiled atheist to the most renowned Christian writer of the 20th Century.McLean joins us on the Crossmap Podcast to talk about why people are still drawn to the writing of C.S. Lewis nearly 60 years after his death. Listen as Max shares why it was significant to film the movie in Oxford, England, and whether he views “The Most Reluctant Convert” as Lewis’s greatest literary work.Learn more about The Most Reluctant ConvertLinks to Crossmap Crossmap Website Crossmap Facebook

Sometimes life is just a struggle. Nothing makes sense and when it does you are usually trying to figure out why things happen the way they do. At some point, you most likely will ask the question, “Where is God in all of this?"In the midst of transition or perhaps even a loss, it can feel impossible to imagine how God is working all things together for good like that Scripture verse in Romans tells us.Author Joel Malm has experienced challenging seasons throughout his life and he too has struggled with understanding why things happen the way they do.In his new book, “Connecting the Dots: What God is Doing When Life Doesn’t Make Sense”, Malm teaches readers how to recognize the circular pattern of God’s work in their lives and how to embrace each unknown that confronts you. His hope is to help us realize that each unknown in our lives is really a crucial part of our redemption story.Malm speaks from experience. As the President of Summit Leaders, he has traveled to 70 different countries. And living in some of the world’s most dangerous places has taught him to embrace the unexpected and navigate the tumultuous times that just don’t seem to make sense.Malm joins us on the Crossmap Podcast to talk about the new book, the circular nature of time and what that means to individuals. Listen as Joel shares why God sometimes places us in uncomfortable situations and how you can take your wounds and shape them into your message.Links to Joel Malm Joel's Website Connecting the Dots - Book Links to Crossmap Crossmap Website Crossmap Facebook

It was former president Lyndon B. Johnson who once said, “At times, history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man’s unending search for freedom.”Whether it be consciously or subconsciously, turning points in our lives are when an important change takes place which in turn affects our future. One small change, thought to be inconsequential at the time, can open up a world of new possibilities or close the door on a period in our lives we would rather forget. Perhaps it is transitioning between being single and being married. A career change, the decision to quit something, or the courage to leave everything behind could be the catalyst for a turning point.Former heavyweight boxing champion of the world, George Foreman, sees his entire life as a series of turning points. From fleeing a life of crime in the streets as a youth, to making the reluctant decision to lace up a pair of boxing gloves for the first time, to dedicating his life to Jesus Christ as an adult, Foreman knows firsthand how one small change can have life-lasting impact.Foreman is the subject of a new biopic releasing this weekend called “Big George Foreman”. Starring Khris Davis, Forest Whitaker, and Jasmine Mathews, the movie tells the miraculous story of a young man destined for failure who rose to prominence through sheer grit, determination, and the will to win.Foreman joins us on the Crossmap Podcast to talk about the new movie and his rivalry-turned friendship with Muhammed Ali. Listen as George shares about the turning points that defined who he is as a fighter, a businessman, and most importantly as a man of God.Big George Foreman Movie WebsiteLinks to Crossmap Crossmap Website Crossmap Facebook

Authors frequently get asked where the inspiration came from for their latest story. For some, it was something they experienced in their own life that was so unique and interesting that they felt it needed to be shared with a larger audience. For others, perhaps a flair of creativity allowed them to conjure up a story from their own imagination. For New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, the idea for her latest project came from a random encounter she had on an airplane.Prior to the new six-episode Pure Flix mini series, A Thousand Tomorrows, based on her novel of the same name, Kingsbury found herself sitting beside a professional bull rider on a cross-country flight. He not only educated her about the sport, but also confided the precarious nature of his rough and tumble profession that could destroy his life in an instant.Thus the seeds for a new writing project were planted. In what would eventually become a three-book series, A Thousand Tomorrows is about Cody Gunnar, a nationally-known bull rider who stands apart from his peers, mainly because he has rejected everything about his past – family, friends, and anything not associated with the rodeo. But then Ali Daniels, a fellow rodeo competitor enters his life. Together, they discover that God only knows how many tomorrows they will have together.Kingsbury and her writing collaborator son, Tyler Russell, join us on the Crossmap Podcast to talk about the process for adapting a novel into a television series and the vital importance of sacrifice and forgiveness in our lives. Listen as Karen and Tyler share that ultimately life is all about being transparent, vulnerable, and open to God’s leading.A Thousand Tomorrows Book on Amazon Watch on PureFlix Links to Crossmap Crossmap Website Crossmap Facebook

I think we would all admit that it would be great to have a closer relationship with God. Despite our best intentions, we often drift away from our faith. Life seems more exciting making our own decisions, without any direct input or guidance from God. The problem is that it never seems to end well. Disappointment happens, stress, anxiety, and even depression sets in, eventually leaving us desperate for the comforting and guiding hand of God in our lives. I guess it’s all part of the journey each and every one of us is on. The road from where we are to where God wants us to be is filled with many challenges and sometimes daunting obstacles.  Popular singer/songwriter Micah Tyler has spent a great deal of his adult life writing songs that address the very challenges that have already been mentioned. Through his lyrics and words, Micah’s desire is to encourage believers to experience the mercy and mission of a closer connection with God, and to pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus, regardless of what we might be going through. In his debut devotional book, “Walking Free: Taking Small Steps to a Big God”, that was inspired by his popular worship song of the same name, Micah encourages readers to take small steps away from the things of this world and all the empty promises it offers and walk toward the good things of God and the knowledge of knowing Jesus more deeply. Micah joins us on the Crossmap Podcast to talk about how the process of writing a book isn’t all that different from writing a song.  He says that like most songs, devotional books are born out of intense experiences or personal pain. Listen as Micah shares that ultimately it’s all about being transparent, vulnerable, and open to God’s leading.Links to Micah Micah's Website Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook Subscribe on YouTube Links to Crossmap Crossmap Website Crossmap Facebook

Throughout His ministry, Jesus specifically bridged the gap with the ostracized, the outcast, and the overlooked. He told His followers to do the same.  To make this happen, we must make every effort to make disciples of Jesus, and not duplicates of ourselves. This means we must live and love one another, even when we don’t want to. We must build relationships with those who are different from us. We must go beyond the boundaries of unspoken rules and invisible lines. Former megachurch pastor and author Jimmy Rollins believes we must embrace God’s kingdom of truth. And in doing so, we are better together than we are divided. In fact, in his latest book, “Love Outside the Lines: Beyond the Boundaries of Race, Difference, and Preference", Rollins encourages us to exemplify a life of dynamic diversity at church, at work, at home, and most importantly within ourselves. This is the path to unity. This is what will build a flourishing Christ-culture in our lives as well as others. Rollins joins us on the Crossmap Podcast to talk about the pursuit of unity by listening to each other’s pain and through that experience discover the beauty of culture. Listen as he shares effective ways to address division, racism, and microaggression through family conversations.Links to Jimmy Rollins Jimmy Rollins Website Love Outside the Lines - Book Links to Crossmap Crossmap Website Crossmap Facebook

We have been hearing these terms a lot lately coming from the leadership of many public schools across the United States.“It’s a Diversity initiative."“We are doing this to provide more equity and inclusion for our students."This all sounds great but the reality is our schools are training up a generation of students to view themselves as victims.Sadly, many progressives today perpetuate the idea that we can fix our society by emphasizing opportunities and inherited guilt of people groups based on the color of their skin.Leonydus Johnson has been heavily criticized by progressives as a traitor of his own race for his views on Critical Race Theory. As an African-American male, he has been vilified because he has focused on establishing color-based collectives rather than focusing on the merits of individuals.In his latest book, “Raising Victims: The Pernicious Rise of Critical Race Theory", Johnson explores Critical Race Theory’s influence in education and the media, explaining how colorblindness is the only way to achieve the society that Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of … that we should be judged by the content of our character not the color of our skin. Johnson joins us on the Crossmap Podcast to talk about why critical race theory contradicts itself. Listen as he shares how people can reasonably have belief in Christian principles and in CRT at the same time and how focusing on race can change our identity and isolate us.Leonydus Johnson Links Leonydus Website Raising Victims: The Pernicious Rise of Critical Race Theory Twitter Instagram YouTube Links to Crossmap Crossmap Website Crossmap Facebook

In June 1971, a headline on the cover of Time Magazine trumpeted “The Jesus Revolution". As readers dug into the inside pages of the cover story they found the following statement:“Jesus is alive and well and living in the radical spiritual fervor of a growing number of young Americans who have proclaimed an extraordinary religious revolution in his name. Their message: the Bible is true, miracles happen, God really did so love the world that he gave it his only begotten son."However, strangely enough, just five years earlier, the same magazine featured a cover shrouded in darkness that blurted out in bold red ink: “Is God Dead?"Hmm. What happened during those five years to create such a cultural difference? Why such a seismic shift in the way people viewed Jesus Christ?What took place was a revival, as young people far and wide, disillusioned by the Vietnam war, civil unrest, and the feeling of hopelessness, found a place of belonging, compassion, understanding, and empathy for people, all rooted in their love for Jesus Christ. This happening was called simply the “Jesus Movement".What was happening in the late 1960s and the early 1970s is not a whole lot different from what we are experiencing today. People are still disillusioned by war and civil unrest, as well as cancel culture, gender issues, the right to life, wokeness, and on and on it goes. It would be easy to suggest another revival is desperately needed.“Jesus Revolution" is a new movie from Kingdom Story Company that examines what exactly took place during those turbulent years of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the hippie culture that was seemingly taking over the country at the time. It explores how the radical love of Jesus brought revival to a nation reeling from the wounds inflicted by mankind. My guest today, Kevin Downes, has had a front row seat to the making of “Jesus Revolution". As a co-founder of Kingdom Story Company and a producer on the film, he has been able to help cultivate the film’s powerful message of hope and revival that will undoubtedly pierce the hearts of moviegoers near and far.Kevin joins us on the Crossmap Podcast to talk about whether a revival of such epic proportions could happen today. Listen as he shares how this movie can serve as a kick-off of sorts to ushering in a new hunger for Jesus Christ that has not been seen in 50 years, and why right now is the right time for ’Jesus Revolution’.Links to Kevin Downes Kingdom Story Company Kevin on Twitter Kevin on Instagram Links to Crossmap Crossmap Website Crossmap Facebook