How do you fight with a brother without burning the whole thing down? ⚔️   Live from Fight Laugh Feast 2026: Holy Wars, Pastor Michael Foster of East River Church takes up the sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15:36-41 and draws six principles for fighting well in the church. Peace is not the same as quiet, ordinary correction keeps small things small, our loyalties and fears shape how we see a fight, good things have to be rightly ordered, some resolutions stay messy until heaven, and not every quarrel is yours to settle. Along the way: why he doesn't want fans, why the church needs more no's, and why you should never take a pound of flesh when an ounce will do.   In this episode: 00:00 Acts 15:36-41: Paul and Barnabas part ways over John Mark 01:30 Why Michael is back at a CREC-adjacent event (and a Norm Macdonald story) 06:14 Six principles from Acts 15 on how to fight with brothers 06:28 1. Conflict is a normal, necessary part of the Christian life: peace vs. quiet 12:08 Some conflicts need more than one conversation: rules of engagement in the church 18:56 3. Family, friendships, money and fear intensify our fights (Barnabas and Mark) 24:19 Cool-kids-table Christianity: "I don't want fans. I want to be your brother." 26:18 4. Good things in the wrong order: why the church needs more no's 34:36 5. Messy resolutions: never take a pound of flesh when an ounce will do 40:18 6. Not every conflict deserves your attention (Proverbs 26:17) 46:35 Encouragement for the weary: stand and fight where you must   About Michael Foster: Michael Foster is the senior pastor of East River Church in Batavia, Ohio, just outside Cincinnati, and the co-author with Bnonn Tennant of It's Good to Be a Man: A Handbook for Godly Masculinity (Canon Press). He is a graduate of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. East River Church: https://eastriverchurch.org It's Good to Be a Man: https://www.itsgoodtobeaman.com Michael on X: https://x.com/thisisfoster   Subscribe and support CrossPolitic: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CROSSPOLITIC Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1LNAL9P0bqodNbw987S3Jp Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crosspolitic-show/id1523382406 CrossPolitic: https://crosspolitic.com Fight Laugh Feast: https://fightlaughfeast.com   #CrossPolitic, #FightLaughFeast, #FLF2026, #HolyWars, #MichaelFoster, #Acts15, #ChristianConflict, #Church, #ChurchDiscipline, #Peacemaking, #Reformed, #ChristianLiving, #Pastor

How did America go from a church on every corner to a culture in free fall? Live at Fight Laugh Feast's Holy Wars conference, Gabe "Waterboy" Rench sits down with Pastor Doug Wilson for a panel and audience Q&A. They cover a church that is Christian enough to dislike what's happening but not repentant enough to say "Christ over all," where America really turned, Boomers and Zoomers, raising children who aren't "breeders for the secularists," and why AI may be the next great idol. In this episode:00:00 Gabe's on-stage "intervention" and why CrossPolitic started in 201604:31 30,000 churches in Texas. So how did we get here?07:22 Christian enough to complain, not repentant enough to repent: Christ over all of life08:27 A culture going bankrupt one department at a time13:38 Where America turned: WWII, the courts, and Machen's Christianity and Liberalism21:00 Was the Civil War the real hinge?24:47 Boomers and younger generations: pride and bitterness32:33 Reformation and revival: Moscow's kids, and Finney vs. Whitefield and Edwards36:31 Audience Q&A: is there a third-generation curse?39:16 Faithfulness vs. inaction: "Geronimo, Amen"42:37 Trusting God for your children's salvation, and the $3.75 memory45:53 Boomers vs. Zoomers: forgiveness and the fifth commandment50:15 Influencer vs. influential51:21 Is AI the next false religion in the West?55:00 What loosened America's hold on Christianity: the "wall of separation"56:46 Can the mainline denominations be retaken? About Doug Wilson:Doug Wilson is pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, a prolific author (including Standing on the Promises, mentioned in this episode), and a regular voice at Fight Laugh Feast.Blog: https://dougwils.comBooks: https://canonpress.com Watch, listen and support CrossPolitic:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CROSSPOLITICSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1LNAL9P0bqodNbw987S3JpApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crosspolitic-show/id1523382406Website: https://crosspolitic.com and https://fightlaughfeast.com #CrossPolitic, #FightLaughFeast, #DougWilson, #HolyWars, #ChristianNews, #Politics, #Culture, #Church, #Reformation, #ChurchAndState, #ArtificialIntelligence, #Parenting, #GenZ, #Boomers

Washington State isn't a lost cause. Christians have just never taken the field. 🔥   On CrossPolitic 101 with the Waterboy, Gabe Rench sits down with Pastor Adam James, executive pastor of Grace City Church in Wenatchee, who recently ran for State Representative in Washington's 12th Legislative District and leads the Washington chapter of For Liberty and Justice. In 10 Washington legislative districts, conservatives lost their last competitive races by less than 4%, while more than a million self-identified Christians in the state didn't vote. Adam and Gabe talk about the church's responsibility for the decline of the culture, men's ministry and Stronger Man Nation, what For Liberty and Justice is doing to raise up godly candidates, and the big ballot issues this November: Idaho's Proposition 1, Washington's three citizen initiatives, and five Washington Supreme Court seats.   In this episode 00:00 Fight Laugh Feast Canada and the Businessmakers Conference 02:03 Welcome, Adam James 03:49 Why Adam ran for office 07:03 41,000 votes from a majority in Washington 10:31 The three problems: progressive policy, the GOP establishment, and the church 14:57 Stronger Man Nation and raising up godly men 20:47 What is For Liberty and Justice? 27:59 "Success is obedience, not victory": record-breaking fundraising 28:46 Idaho's Proposition 1 and binding the conscience 32:12 Washington's initiatives and its 1970 abortion vote 33:41 Five Washington Supreme Court seats on the ballot 35:29 How to get involved, plus the Olympia rally   About our guest Pastor Adam James is a co-founder and executive pastor of Grace City Church in Wenatchee, Washington, and the Washington State director of For Liberty and Justice. A North Central Washington native, he and his wife, Erin, have raised four children. In 2026 he ran for State Representative in Legislative District 12, Position 2, and his campaign set state records for contributions raised in 24 hours. For Liberty and Justice: https://forlibertyandjustice.us | https://fljwashington.com Campaign: https://www.james4wa.com   Events Rally at the Washington State Capitol, Olympia: Saturday, October 24, 1-3 PM. Worship and prayer in the Rotunda, then speakers on the Capitol steps. Fight Laugh Feast Canada, April 29-May 1, London, Ontario: https://fightlaughfeast.com Businessmakers Conference, late May, Nashville, TN: https://businessmakers.network Idaho voter guide: https://patriotsforidaho.com Election Day is November 3. Know your ballot and vote.   Watch, listen and support YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CROSSPOLITIC Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1LNAL9P0bqodNbw987S3Jp Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crosspolitic-show/id1523382406 CrossPolitic: https://crosspolitic.com Fight Laugh Feast: https://fightlaughfeast.com   #CrossPolitic, #FightLaughFeast, #ChristianNews, #Politics, #WashingtonState, #ForLibertyAndJustice, #Election2026, #VoteNoOnProp1, #Idaho, #ChristianVoters, #ChurchMilitant, #WASupremeCourt, #ProLife

How do you take a dying church with women elders and lead it into a confessional, Reformed denomination without losing the people? 🔥 On CrossPolitic One-on-One with the Waterboy, Gabe Rench sits down with Pastor Scott Pettus, head pastor of First Church Artesia in Artesia, New Mexico. Scott grew up in Artesia, served 25 years in the Marine Corps, came into the Reformed faith in 2017, and took the pulpit of a small Presbyterian church in 2021. The church was down to three families and eight people, with two women elders who hired him knowing where he stood. Four years later it is seated as a church in the CREC, and nobody left. Scott shares how patience, teaching and love got them there, what ministry looks like in a small town full of nominal Christianity, and his advice for anyone in a less-than-ideal church. In this episode00:00 Fight Laugh Feast recap and the new Fight Laugh Feast Canada conference in London, Ontario02:28 Meet Pastor Scott Pettus: First Church Artesia, founded 1903 as First Presbyterian03:52 Growing up in Artesia, 25 years in the Marines, and coming home05:23 Baptized Southern Baptist, then into the Reformed faith in 201707:01 Seminary at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary while still in uniform08:25 Back in Artesia: ministering to federal law enforcement trainees, then called to First Church10:12 Hired by a church with women elders, knowing his biblical stance11:52 From women elders to the CREC in four years without shutting the church down14:36 Ministering in a small town: everybody has a church, nobody goes18:47 Getting out into the town: talk radio, the county fair and living out Christ20:05 Advice for reforming a church: patience, a battle plan, and don't leave the platoon behind22:57 Where to find Pastor Scott and First Church Artesia About our guestPastor Scott Pettus is head pastor of First Church Artesia in Artesia, New Mexico, a Westminster Confession church that grew out of First Presbyterian Church, chartered in 1903. A retired U.S. Marine, he returned to his hometown with his wife, Marty, and has been the church's pastor since June 2021. He holds a master's degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, hosts a local talk radio show, and blogs as a "church militant" man at Militant Ministry.Church: https://artesiareformed.comBlog: https://militantministry.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/FirstChurchArtesiaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstchurchartesia Fight Laugh Feast Canada is coming in May. Tell your Canadian friends and sign up at https://fightlaughfeast.com Watch, listen and supportYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CROSSPOLITICSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1LNAL9P0bqodNbw987S3JpApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crosspolitic-show/id1523382406CrossPolitic: https://crosspolitic.comFight Laugh Feast: https://fightlaughfeast.com #CrossPolitic, #FightLaughFeast, #CREC, #ReformedChurch, #Presbyterian, #ChurchReformation, #WomenElders, #ChurchMilitant, #NewMexico, #Pastor, #ChristianPodcast, #Reformed

Propaganda isn't coming for your mind someday. It's already at the door. 🔥   Live from the Fight Laugh Feast Conference 2026 in Nashville, Gabe "Waterboy" Rench sits down with Pastor Toby Sumpter, Choc Knox, Bubu Jarmulak and Doug TenNapel to talk about the holy war over what you believe. Where the word "propaganda" came from and why Christians shouldn't surrender the tool, what COVID revealed about the church, why real church beats online content, and why the real fight has always been over your children. Plus live audience Q&A on revivalism, multitasking, discernment for kids and whether Christians should be creating content.   In this episode: 18:54 Where "propaganda" came from and why Christians should take it back 27:20 COVID: the Christians who refused to fold 29:06 "Caesar is Lord," 1984 and the faithful who stand 40:17 Confront people, not just content: why the church gathered matters 43:32 Movie theaters, church and the most uninterrupted hour in America 52:52 When singing praise became "dangerous" 57:43 The fight is over your children (and it always has been) 62:01 Audience Q&A: the anxious bench, multitasking, discernment for kids and creating content   Panel: Gabe "Waterboy" Rench, host of CrossPolitic Pastor Toby Sumpter Choc Knox Bubu Jarmulak Doug TenNapel   Subscribe and support: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CROSSPOLITIC Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1LNAL9P0bqodNbw987S3Jp Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crosspolitic-show/id1523382406 Website: https://crosspolitic.com Fight Laugh Feast: https://fightlaughfeast.com   #CrossPolitic, #FightLaughFeast, #FLF2026, #Propaganda, #ChristianWorldview, #Church, #COVID, #Family, #Parenting, #Christendom, #Culture, #Politics