Episodes
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More than two thousand years ago God broke through the barrier separating sinful humanity from a Holy God and took on human flesh in the form of a tiny baby. Christianity says all of human history had been building to that monumental event that separated time. Why did God, the creator of the universe, decide to enter our world, not as an avenging angel, but as a vulnerable and innocent baby? It's because of love. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Pastor Max Lucado, best-selling author and preacher, talks about the true meaning of Christmas. That Christmas set into motion the life-altering cosmos calamity that closed the chasm between God and sinful man."Christmas", says Lucado, "begins what Easter celebrates." The two highest holy days of the Christain calendar are eternally linked. While Christmas has become much more commercialized with shopping and Santa taking center stage, it hasn't changed the reality that the peace and joy we talk about on Christmas cards and ad slogans, flows only from this one event, the birth of Jesus: "For God so loved the world!"
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While religions of the world have some similarities, like the
importance of family or mercy, Christianity makes a claim no other religion
makes; that the founder of the faith is God in human form, Jesus. Every other
religion tells followers, "this is the way to God." But Jesus says, "I
am the way." Christianity says God has come to us. That means Christmas is
all about the doctrine of the Incarnation, God taking on human flesh, born of a
woman, entering into our world and the conditions under which we live, in order
to save us from ourselves.
The secular culture is very eager to have Christians
pay more attention to superfluous trappings of the season, the glitz and
glamour, rather than the real meaning of Christmas. On this episode of
Lighthouse Faith podcast, Hank Hanegraaff, the Bible Answer Man, explores what
the Incarnation should mean to us, and why the Virgin Mary should be understood
in the fullness of the gift she gave the world in saying "Yes" to
God's invitation to be the mother of the Savior.
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Missing episodes?
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The Martin Scorsese production of "The Saints", now streaming on Fox Nation, is wrapping up its first four episodes this week with Maximillian Kolbe, a Polish priest who sacrificed his life in a Nazi concentration camp so that another prisoner could be spared. The series will continue in the Spring, during the Lenton season, with four more stories of extraordinary people of faith: Francis Of Assisi, Thomas Becket, Mary Magdalene and Moses the Black. And after that, the creator of the project Matti Leshem, wants audience input about who they want to see next. The Catholic Church recognizes more than ten-thousand saints, so there's a lot to choose from for future episodes. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Leshem, who is Jewish, talks about working with Academy Award-winning director Scorsese, and how even people who aren't Catholic or Christian can be inspired by these stories of regular men and women, whose faith compelled them to unimaginable heights of bravery and courage.
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We are now in the Advent season, the four weeks leading up to Christmas and the joy of Jesus' birth. Like Advent itself, the birth of the Savior has a lot of back story. Woven through the Bible's Old Testament are hundreds of prophecies that tell of a Messiah that will be born sometime in the future. Many of the prophecies, like those in Isaiah, are written centuries before the birth of Jesus. Cumulatively, they predict the conditions of the birth, the location of the birth, who he will be born to, what he is coming to do and so much more. Jesus fulfills every one of those prophecies. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, evangelist Anne Graham Lotz and investigative filmmaker Tim Mahoney delve into the prophecies of the Old Testament and the archeological evidence that shows that the core tenets of Christianity are grounded in the historical record. Mahoney's Patterns of Evidence production house has investigated the archeological evidence biblical prophecies and events from the Exodus to his most recent on Israel Dilemma that explores the Israel's covenant with God and the land. Lotz, well-known author and Christian speaker, is the daughter of the late evangelist Billy Graham.
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Fleeing from Europe to the New World for religious freedom in 1620, the Pilgrims intended to settle in northern Virginia, not far from Jamestown where there was an established community. But their ship was blown off course and landed instead at Plymouth, Massachusetts. And because they were in unsettled territory, the Pilgrims (before disembarking the Mayflower) created a document that became the prototype for America's Declaration of Independence and
Constitution. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, author and historian Dr. Jerry Newcombe explores the faith steeped history of Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims who landed in the New World and created the essence of the American experiment, the agreement for self-government, a civil body politic under God. The very first Thanksgiving, as the Pilgrims sat down with the Indians to share a meal, was always about giving thanks to an Almighty God, through whose Providence they were brought to a new land. Unfortunately, the education system in this land of the free has worked to erase God from the history books. But Newcombe, the Executive Director of Providence Forum, is pushing back.
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The book of Acts seems to sit benignly in the Bible, following the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It's presented almost as a travelogue of what happens to the apostles and the growing community devoted to a man named Jesus who was crucified. But Acts, if read properly, is quite subversive, and a potential source of great fear for the kings and rulers of the world because it directly challenges their authority, says Dr. N.T. Wright. Acts, written by the Apostle Luke, announces that the Kingdom of God has been launched, and that Jesus is its head. Why is this a problem for us today? Because the Western world's 'Separation of Church and State' is a wobbly philosophy if in fact Jesus is King, and really can't be lived out to its most extreme manifestations, that they are on a collision course we can in fact see today in politics and the culture. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Dr. Wright, author, theologian, scholar, and Anglican priest, explains his new book, "The Challenge of Acts: Rediscovering What the Church Was and Is". Wright says, "Acts is a dangerous book; and if people take it seriously, it's still dangerous today because the powerbrokers don't like the idea that actually there is this thing called the Kingdom of God." Luke also wrote one of the two Gospels that includes the narratives of Jesus's birth. Luke describes it as the Royal Birth, of a King that will be at odds with all the Kings of the earth.
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The election is over, and Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States come January 20th, 2025. The voters have spoken and they've spoken decisively; the popular vote, the electoral college vote, the Senate, and the House likely. What's also very clear is how religious voters were key to Trump's victory. In almost every faith category, Catholics, Evangelicals, Jews -- Trump increased his share of the spiritual pie. It's proof that America's strong faith foundation still holds and that the path to the White House still runs through the nation's pews. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Dr. Alex McFarland, faith and culture expert, breaks down why Bible believing Christians were key to Trump's victory. And how it was more than a difference over politics, but in fact a widening gap of worldviews.
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Ryan Bomberger has a challenge to the ladies of "The View"- have him on the show to debate all things related to abortion. He knows it's a long shot that they'll extend an invitation but it's worth a try. For that matter Bomberger also has a challenge to Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Senator Raphael Warnock, Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake and even Melania Trump. All of whom he says have position on abortion that rankle him. Bomberger is the co-founder, along with his wife Bethany, of The Radiance Foundation, a faith-based pro-life advocacy non-profit. Its mission is to "illuminate" that every human being, no matter how they are conceived, has inherent and God-given, equal worth. Bomberger boldly tells anyone and everyone, "I was
conceived in rape, but adopted in love." He's one of 10 children of different races, adopted by the Bomberger family. He's just written an op-ed to answer the question, "What About Rape?" When abortion is debated, cases of rape and incest are often used to justify the cessation of a life in the womb. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Bomberger answers that question and more. For him, abortion is personal. He says, "Imagine for a moment, watching repeated news stories where people say that a person like you shouldn't exist. Imagine hearing, over and over again, that you should be dead. Imagine someone telling you on TV or in real life, that you should’ve been aborted."
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God made humans male and female not to build a divisive wall around their strengths and weaknesses, but to create a powerful union of husband and wife. Both have traits the other doesn't have. It doesn't make men and women better or worse... it makes them different. New York Times bestselling author Lisa Bevere is pushing back against the secular culture's obsession with gender ideology that she says is destroying the God-given image of male and female. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Bevere talks about her book "The Fight for Female, Reclaiming Our Divine Identity". Bevere is no feminist. In fact, she says feminism to her is teaching women how to be men. Instead, she's empowering women to be women; strong enough to be wives and mothers, and noble enough to see in their male counterparts a co-traveler on a journey of faith.
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Have you ever wondered why so many Evangelicals are starting to
drift to the left? There's a good reason. Daily Wire journalist Megan Basham's
new book uncovers the infiltration of conservative Evangelical churches by
far-left billionaires like George Soros and Pierre Omidyar, the founder of
eBay. Since around 2013 there's been a concerted effort to essentially buy off
pastors through opportunities or large amounts of funding if they support
left-leaning causes like climate change and abortion.
On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Basham talks about the research for her book, "Shepherds For Sale: How Evangelical Leaders Traded the Truth for a Leftist Agenda." Back in 2013 the likes of Soros and others saw religious voters as the one huge impediment to advancing their vision of America. Organizations like Soros' "Open Society Foundation" learned how to use the language of faith in order to lure pastors and their congregations to look more favorably toward a wide range of issues from the environment to gender ideology. Basham says, "They talked about how they could harness the power of high-profile Evangelical leaders in the hopes of influencing the rank and file in the pews."
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The grade school rhyme about Christopher Columbus will not suffice in today's Woke world, "Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 14-hundred and 92." That's what Columbus Day, a national holiday, commemorates, the Italian explorer's founding of the Americas. Some municipalities have changed the title to "Indigenous Peoples Day", to honor the natives Columbus encountered, or conquered, or displaced... depending on which history class you take. But Columbus's intent, though, was to find a new Western trade route to Asia, since Turkey, conquered by the forces of Islamic Jihad, cut off the Eastern passages. Columbus, in his underestimating the circumference of the earth, may have stumbled onto the New World, but does that make him unworthy of accolades? And does it mean he was motivated by greed instead of the Gospel? No, says historian William Federer. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Federer, an author and national speaker, gives a veritable graduate school class on the centuries of history that leads up to Columbus's journey across the Atlantic, his spiritual motivation for lobbying the Queen of Spain to sponsor him, and the subsequent effects of what has happened in the centuries since, as even those who've benefited from the establishment of the United States of America have forgotten its roots. Columbus may have had no idea that a vast swath of land, another continent lay in his path to Asia; in fact, till his death he thought he had found a shorter, western trade route. But there was no mistaking that his faith in a God, who moves mountains and calms the raging seas, was real.
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Scripture says, "The battle belongs to the Lord", (1 Samuel 17:47). Coach Joe Kennedy can attest to that. His whole life of trials and frustrations, anger and pain, were preparing him for a battle over the right to pray on a football field. Kennedy is famous for winning a Supreme
Court case in 2022, after being fired for praying on the 50 yard line after
every game, as he promised God he would do, win or lose. Now a major motion
picture will be released about his life and court battle. Actor Eric Close
(Nashville, Suits, American Sniper), portrays Kennedy in the film.
On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Kennedy and Close talk about making the
film, and how they worked together in understanding Joe's journey from being a
forgotten child, tossed between homes and growing up angry, to becoming a
Marine, marriage, and then to a high school football coach. All the while, says
Kennedy, God's hand was there. He says, "I didn't see until later in life
that God had his fingerprints all the way from when I was in the womb, and all
those trials and tribulations I went through. I didn't see how they fit all the
puzzle pieces into the bigger picture, and it prepared me for the Marine Corps,
prepared me for this battle."
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For author and national Christian speaker Craig Huey, the group "Evangelicals For Harris" is bent on deception. Granted Donald Trump is no angel he says, but at least his policies were pro-life and protected religious freedoms far greater than the Biden/Harris administration. And yet, the left-leaning Evangelicals have launched a major seven-figure ad campaign targeting Evangelicals in swing states through Christian media, Google, TikTok and sites where only Christians will see them. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Huey talks about his book "The Christian Voter: How to Vote For, Not Against Your Values to Transform Culture and Politics", and takes aim at the new campaign and its clever marketing strategy that uses the image and powerhouse preaching of deceased evangelist Billy Graham, to make the point that Trump is unfit to be the leader of the United States. But Huey, who's worked in marketing for decades, says it's a classic misdirect, but one that could have a tremendous impact on the election if you just look at the numbers. According to Huey's research, nearly 7 million Evangelicals in swing states did not vote in 2020. In Michigan, nearly 1.3 million Evangelicals did not vote. Trump lost the state by 154,000. Huey explains that the campaign is not so much
about convincing Evangelicals to vote for Harris, as much as it is about convincing enough of them NOT to come out to vote for Trump.
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With the overturning of Roe v Wade two years ago, which sent the issue of abortion back to the states, the political battle over abortion entered a new phase that has seemed to stymie those on both sides of the argument. Shawn Carney, founder of the pro-life national organization, "40 Days For Life", says that the Supreme Court decision was probably a shocker for both Republicans and Democrats, for different reasons of course. For decades the question has been over your stance on abortion, are you for it or against it? Each side being able to simply check a box. But neither side got too far into the weeds to actually discuss abortion; what it is, and what it isn't. But that's exactly where we are today as several states now have abortion matters on the ballot this election. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Carney talks about his new book, "What To Say When 2: How to Discuss, Clarify, and Question Abortion in a Hostile Culture". Like its title suggests, it's a "how to" for people of faith, and no faith, to respectfully debate a very contentious and controversial topic. Carney also grades how both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris did during their debate. He says Trump could have done better, and Harris didn't do as well as she thinks she did.
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We are in the final stretch of a very contentious presidential cycle. The two candidates vying for American votes couldn't be more different than day and night, and we're not talking about race or gender. They represent two almost diametrically opposite political views and two different visions for the future of the United States of America. What's more challenging for people of the Christian faith is the question, "How can you be a witness to the gospel in casting your vote when neither party or candidate is fully committed to Christian values?" Dr. James Spencer advises that they do what Jesus said to His disciples, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." In other words, be informed but still bow to the authority of God to whom also the government is under, even if it doesn't operate that way. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Dr. Spencer, best-selling author and president of the D.L. Moody Center in Northfield, MA, talks about his new book written for just a moment as this, "Serpents and Doves: Christians, Politics, and the Art of Bearing Witness." This "Serpents & Doves" directive is like threading a needle. It brings up the very problematic New Testament Bible verse about God giving government authority, Romans 13. Spencer explains how believers should interpret it, and why it's so important to understand its ramifications and how to stay true to your faith values when casting your vote.
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Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee calls the newest installment of the God's Not Dead film series a story made for this moment in history. He says it's a little like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington updated to this modern age where faith in God is not as publicly proclaimed and religious freedom totters in the wake of Woke political agendas. Huckabee plays himself in the film, and on this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, he jokes about getting his Oscar speech ready. But in all seriousness, this film, subtitled "In God We Trust", is meant to inspire millions of Christians, especially the 40 million who sat out last election, to make their voices heard at the ballot box this November. He says every vote counts. He also talks about why he, as an Evangelical Christian, still supports former President Donald Trump, and why even now, sees him as the best candidate to lead America... and why Kamala Harris is not.
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Pastor Max Lucado has never been an end times kind of preacher. It's just not a major factor in his preaching wheelhouse, which is why his most recent book, "What Happens Next: A Traveler's Guide Through The End Of This Age" seems at first a departure from his normal uplifting spiritual guidance. Predicting the end of the world has become a bit of a cottage industry of late. But prognosticators wouldn't pursue the subject if there wasn't widespread interest and attention given to it. Even though Jesus said no one but the Father would know the actual date and time, it hasn't stopped the forecasting. However, Jesus did tell His followers the conditions to look for when the end times will be upon us: "Wars and rumors of wars... famines and earthquakes." But Pastor Max says the 'when' of the end times is not nearly as important as the condition of our hearts, which is something we can address every moment of every day. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Pastor Max explains that the main point of his book is that, if you have clarity about the future, if you know what your ultimate destiny is, that allows you to be courageous about the here and now, and be able trust in the God who controls it all.
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First of all, there is no party called "Christian Nationalists". That's why many conservative Christians are stymied by how to respond to the left's accusations of Christian Nationalism. So, with that in mind, it makes more sense to have two Christians representing each side of the debate, talk with each other about what Christian Nationalism is, and what it is not. The problem though is that it is a term created and defined by liberals and tends to strike fear for those on the political left. It describes what liberals believe Christian conservatives want to achieve politically for their faith, a theocracy where Christianity is the favored religion. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Dr. Alex McFarland and Pastor Doug Pagitt, respectively challenge and debate each other. McFarland is a Christian evangelist, author and speaker on culture and religion. Pagitt is the founder of Vote Common Good and a self-described progressive on issues concerning faith and politics. If you're a liberal Christian who can listen to a conservative, or a conservative Christian who can listen to a liberal, then congratulations; you are part of the work crew who will help repair and rebuild the Body of Christ.
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An investigation is underway involving an anti-Christian group that targeted a family of ten and almost succeeded in having the couple's children taken away from them. But the details of what led to the scare should shock everyone. JD and Britney Lott are both veterans. The couple in their 30's are the proud parents of eight children ranging in age from a newborn to young teens. They have a following of some 600,000 on social media as they travel the globe posting their events, praising God and homeschooling their children. But an anti-Christian group on Reddit began targeting them, claiming their children were abused and also making false claims to the Florida Department of Families. On the basis of those false claims, a social worker contacted them demanding that they submit their newborn to inspection or risk having all their children taken away. The Lott's contacted an attorney and The Family Freedom project. They were eventually cleared of any wrongdoing, but the fact remains that people who pedal in hate can weaponize a government agency to do their bidding. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith, the Lotts tell their story. It's a cautionary tale of social media's dark side, and also how what happened to the Lotts can easily happen to anyone.
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