The Common Good Podcast

Brian From
  • 4.9 (34)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Daily

The idea of “the common good” has a rich history within the Christian church. It’s the notion that, as we pursue Jesus in our lives and in the lives of others, we are fulfilling God’s purposes for His creation. This pursuit can be messy. It means rolling up our sleeves and creating space for hard conversations about real issues that impact our lives. Things like parenting, marriage, finances, politics, art, and culture. On The Common Good, Brian From creates space to have these conversations, to sit with the big questions that we all have, to sometimes disagree, but to always look for the chance to create common good, by following after Jesus. Brian welcome listeners to join them in these conversations, to bring their own questions, hopes, and struggles, and to ultimately share in a journey to see God’s design for all of us fulfilled.

  1. 5h ago

    Ending Fatherlessness with Jeff Ford

    Jeff Ford leads Man Up and Go, an organization dedicated to ending fatherlessness by championing healthy biblical masculinity — and his story starts with an adoption class he and his wife wandered into back in 2010. That decision led to adopting two kids from Ethiopia and China, a mission trip to Uganda that changed his life, and eventually a full-time calling to disciple men toward what he calls being a "Patros" — an ancient word meaning father, rooted in Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 4:15 about spiritual fathers who pass on wisdom to the next generation. Brian From talks with his old Wheaton College dormmate about his new book, The Way of the Patros, 74 short, three-minute chapters built for the average guy in any town to grow as a man of faith a few minutes at a time. Jeff doesn't shy away from hard data either — citing a stat that the average man has less than one close friend — and makes the case that healthy masculinity requires real vulnerability, brotherhood, and putting faith into action, not just talk. Learn more at manupandgo.org and patros.us, and find The Way of the Patros on Amazon, available for presale through July 28. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    11 min

  2. 23h ago

    Sin's Consequences & Trusting God When Life Is Hard

    "Judge not, lest ye be judged" might be the most misapplied verse in scripture. Brian From walks through Rachel Gilson's piece at the Gospel Coalition unpacking what Jesus actually meant in Matthew 7 — it's not a prohibition on moral discernment, but a call to humble self-examination before correcting others, with love as the motive, not arrogance. Then a sobering reflection on the consequences of sin, prompted by reports that a sports journalist lost an $800,000 job after an affair with a married NFL coach came to light — a reminder that sin entangles even when it's never publicly exposed. Four years after the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, Brian clarifies a common misunderstanding: abortion wasn't eliminated, it was returned to the states, and the pro-life cause remains fundamentally grassroots. A genuinely helpful piece from Relevant Magazine on feeling spiritually stuck even when you're doing everything "right" — and why dryness isn't a sign of failure but often where real growth quietly happens. A new study links anxiety and depression in young people to difficulty recalling positive memories, with real implications for parents about prioritizing shared experiences. And a closing reflection from Randy Alcorn on choosing daily to trust God's sovereignty — even when life is genuinely hard. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    57 min

  3. 1d ago

    Pixar Parables, the World Cup & Why God Allows Suffering

    What does it actually mean to worship? Brian From makes the case from Romans 11 and 12 that worship is far bigger than singing or a Sunday gathering — it's offering your entire body and life as a living sacrifice, every day, in every decision. From there, a genuinely fun detour into Relevant Magazine's piece on the "gospel according to Pixar," tracing surprisingly biblical themes through Toy Story, The Incredibles, WALL-E, and Inside Out — including the case that real leadership looks less like a throne and more like a foot washing. Then Randy Alcorn tackles one of the hardest questions in the Christian life: why does God permit evil and suffering, and why do so many churches fail to prepare people for it before it hits? A viral story about a lawn-mowing YouTuber whose followers raised $685,000 for a grieving widow becomes a picture of internet generosity done right. A frustrating New York Times piece on rising "gray divorce" rates among couples married 25+ years gets a pointed response: marriages don't have to drift into apathy, but it takes ongoing work at every stage. Christian ministries are using the World Cup's massive audience as an unprecedented evangelism opportunity, prompting the question of what opportunities exist in your own life. And a closing reflection on play as a spiritual discipline — and why a Christian's inability to play might reveal a view of God that's too small. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 6m

  4. 2d ago

    Raising Resilient Kids & Doing Everything as Unto the Lord

    Two Father's Day moments from the US Open stick with Brian From — a 17-year-old amateur inviting his dad to caddy the final hole, and Wyndham Clark's father surprising him with a red-eye flight after the win. From there, a beautiful walk through John 21 and the restoration of Peter: how Jesus doesn't just forgive Peter's three denials but fully reinstates him with the same calling, three times — and how the church Peter goes on to lead in Acts doesn't happen without that moment on the beach. A genuinely practical conversation about raising resilient kids in an age of helicopter and snowplow parenting, built around the idea that struggle, not comfort, is what makes children strong — and a hopeful Gospel Coalition report showing that parents, not churches or youth groups, remain the single biggest predictor of whether kids keep the faith into adulthood. Reflections on reading through 2 Samuel and the life of David, and why the Bible's major figures almost never had it easy — a corrective to the idea that faithfulness should produce ease. Trust in the federal government hits an all-time low, and Brian asks the uncomfortable parallel question about trust in pastors and the church. Plus the true story behind the movie The Roof Man, and a closing devotion on doing everything — work, parenting, service — as unto the Lord. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 9m

  5. 5d ago

    Juneteenth, Spurgeon's Last Words & Casting Your Anxiety on a Father Who Cares

    On Juneteenth, Brian From walks through the history behind the holiday — the more than two-year gap between the Emancipation Proclamation and the day Union troops finally reached Galveston, Texas to declare freedom for 250,000 enslaved Texans — and what it means for the church to commemorate and remember well. A Johnson & Johnson executive says a cure for certain cancers could realistically be within reach in the next decade, and Brian roots that hope in something deeper: our ultimate hope isn't the eradication of disease, but the eradication of sin and death through Christ. Ahead of Father's Day, a moving reflection on the "fathers in the faith" who shape us beyond our biological dads, paired with the extraordinary final words ever preached by Charles Spurgeon before his death. Three San Francisco Giants pitchers wrote a Bible verse about God's covenant on their caps during Pride Night, sparking backlash — Brian walks through what happened and why he thinks they handled a genuinely difficult moment with restraint. A look back at Matt Chandler's 2021 warning against churches becoming ideologically uniform rather than spiritually unified. The story of Jonah, reframed as a story about judgmentalism and the failure to recognize our own desperate need for grace. And a closing word from 1 Peter 5 on casting anxiety on a Father who genuinely cares for you. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    58 min

  6. 6d ago

    Toy Story 5, Robin Hood Gets Dark & Young Washington with Adam Holtz

    31 years after the original Toy Story changed animation forever, the franchise returns with a fifth installment that's better than the much-maligned fourth — and surprisingly timely. Adam Holtz from Plugged In joins Brian From to break down the plot: Woody is now part of a street toy gang after kids traded toys for screens, and the story leans hard into questions about childhood, isolation, and what happens when a tween's parents finally hand over a tablet. Then a hard pass: The Death of Robin Hood starring Hugh Jackman is a deeply cynical, blood-soaked reimagining where Robin Hood was never noble to begin with — "Graveheart" might be the more honest title. But there's a genuine recommendation in the mix: Young Washington from the Irwin brothers (the team behind Woodlawn and Jesus Revolution), a well-made historical drama about a young, unproven George Washington trying to earn the woman he loves and the respect of his country decades before the Revolution. Full reviews at pluggedin.com before you head to the theater this Fourth of July weekend. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    10 min

  7. 6d ago

    Jermaine Wilson's Story of Fatherhood Restored

    Jermaine Wilson learned how to be a father in prison. Born into a generational cycle of incarceration — his mother was 15 when she had her first child, his father in and out of his life — Jermaine committed his first crime at 12 and was sentenced to three years for drug possession at 20, leaving behind an eight-month-old son. Ahead of Father's Day, he shares with Brian From how Prison Fellowship's discipleship program and Angel Tree gift initiative became the turning point: a single Christmas present, delivered on his behalf by a local church, reconnected him with his son after months of silence and reopened a relationship he thought might be lost for good. Jermaine talks candidly about learning to depend on his Heavenly Father in order to become a present, prayerful father himself, and about his current work as Mission Ambassador for Prison Fellowship, advocating for second chances and ministering to incarcerated men and women across the country. His message to any dad who feels like he's already failed: God doesn't make mistakes, He makes miracles — and as long as you have breath, it's not too late to show up. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    9 min

  8. 6d ago

    What Good Fathering Actually Looks Like with Dr. Danny Huerta

    Girls who were close to their dads at 16 or 17 had better mental health at age 33 — a finding from a 17-year longitudinal study. Boys with close relationships with their fathers are three times less likely to struggle with behavioral issues, anxiety, or depression. Ahead of Father's Day, Dr. Danny Huerta, VP of Parenting and Youth at Focus on the Family, joins Brian From to unpack what he calls "the dad effect" — and the research backing it up. Danny walks through what good fathering actually looks like in practice (hint: not perfection, but intentional presence, self-control, and consistent guidance), offers five mindsets dads can grow into, and gets personal about the hard transition of watching his own kids leave home and get married. He also has a direct word for dads who feel like they've already dropped the ball: you're not alone, and it's never too late to ask your kid the question, "What's one thing you wish I knew about you?" Find Focus on the Family's dad resources, including a parenting report card and a seven traits assessment, at focusonthefamily.com/dad. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    10 min
See All (2K)

4.9
out of 5
34 Ratings

About

The idea of “the common good” has a rich history within the Christian church. It’s the notion that, as we pursue Jesus in our lives and in the lives of others, we are fulfilling God’s purposes for His creation. This pursuit can be messy. It means rolling up our sleeves and creating space for hard conversations about real issues that impact our lives. Things like parenting, marriage, finances, politics, art, and culture. On The Common Good, Brian From creates space to have these conversations, to sit with the big questions that we all have, to sometimes disagree, but to always look for the chance to create common good, by following after Jesus. Brian welcome listeners to join them in these conversations, to bring their own questions, hopes, and struggles, and to ultimately share in a journey to see God’s design for all of us fulfilled.

Information

You Might Also Like