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Taylor & Brian give a quick overview of the favorite books they read in 2021.  Brian's List The Warmth of Other Suns  Isabel Wilkerson Journey to Love - Matt Mikolotas  Born a Crime by Trevor Noah  How to Fight Racism by Tisby  Christian Conviction by Ragsdale  Honorable Mention (or books we've already talked about) Book of Secrets & Book of Answers by Al Tait  Everyone’s Job by Dane Tyner (catch our interview with him last Spring) Urban Legends of the OT by David A. Croteau and Gary Yates Surviving the Holidays survival guide  Taylor's List  The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas The Archer by Paulo Coehlo Why Does God Care Who I Sleep With? by Sam Allberry Better with Every Breath by Jim Thornber No Fail Meetings by Michael S. Hyatt Honorable mention  Modern Chess Openings, 15th Ed. by Nick De Firmian Dune by Frank Herbert Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity―and Why This Harms Everybody by Pluckrose, Helen Unchanging Witness: The Consistent Christian Teaching on Homosexuality in Scripture and Tradition by Fortson III, S. Donald 

Oklahoma is welcoming the third highest number of Afghan refugees. There are plenty of voices saying plenty of things, but we're asking: "What does it mean to think Biblically about this?" In this episode, we'll teach a few principles that are central to the Bible and central to this topic. We'll also share why you need to quit listening to voices that are shouting instructions antithetical to the cause of Jesus.  https://cceok.org/refugees https://worldrelief.org  

A recent interview with Adele left Brian & Taylor speechless - and that's hard to do. Her newest song, "Go easy on me," deserves a conversation because it taps into a basic human pursuit - the search for happiness. 

Mars Hill Church was skyrocketing in membership, budgets, and global impact, but their dynamic leader was destroying lives in the process. We diagnose the tragic fall of an influential church and their leader-turned-authoritarian, Mark Driscoll. But more importantly, we learn how every leader, eldership, and church member have responsibilities in guiding their church towards God-honoring health. 

One of the greatest acts of love and evangelism is to learn to speak in ways that connect deeply with the hearts of others. Even if you aren't a linguist, you can learn to seek ways to communicate God's love in unique ways.  We mention the great book, Peace Child. Read the book and then watch this short film about their return. Plus, Taylor dramatically emphasizes the word "also." 

The guys reflect on what they've learned from Acts 16 and how to put it into practice. Plus, they share a story of a friend who may be turning from disbelief to belief. 

The Philippian jailer had seen it all - all but an example of sacrificial mercy. So when Paul and Silas saved his life through unbelievable mercy, his unbelief came crumbling down. This is the third episode in a series looking at three separate stories from Acts 16. 

Some people don't need an explanation; they need a life-changing, God-powered experience.  In Acts 16, we read 3 stories: 3 different people, 3 distinct backgrounds, 3 specific needs. Knowing these needs helps us better know how to pray and act as we partner with God in the greatest work of all – the saving of people. God doesn’t need us to partner with Him, but He invites us nonetheless. Welcome to Part 2 of our study. (Note: We gleaned some helpful study from Martyn Lloyd Jones and Tim Keller. And my wonderful summer intern, Peyton Miller, found helpful words for us to use.) 

Every person who does not yet believe in Jesus needs rescued by Him. But each individual has specific needs. Knowing these needs helps us better know how to pray and act as we partner with God in the greatest work of all – the saving of people. God doesn’t need us to partner with Him, but He invites us nonetheless. In Acts 16, we read 3 stories: 3 different people, 3 distinct backgrounds, 3 specific needs. In this first story, we see that sometimes a person in disbelief just needs an explanation.  (Note: We gleaned some helpful study from Martyn Lloyd Jones and Tim Keller. And my wonderful summer intern, Peyton Miller, found helpful words for us to use.) 

The guys celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the Echo Podcast. Taylor guesses what our most-downloaded episodes have been, and they both share a few things they are loving during this season. 

Years after Jonathan died, David still found a way to honor their friendship. Someone's life would never be the same.  

We continue learning how to be a great friend as we study the friendship of David and Jonathan. Behind every thoughtful act is a good thought.  To study more:  Read I Samuel 20:1-23 Why was this a good plan? How did David show thoughtfulness to Jonathan? How did Jonathan show thoughtfulness to David?

Jonathan and David's friendship grew deep because they placed their trust in one another. It's hard to be friends with someone whose guard is always raised. And stay tuned to the end where we tell 3 horrendously gross stories that happened at one of our favorite places - Barnes & Noble. 

When it comes to friendships, there's something we often get wrong. In this first of four episodes about friendships, we'll reveal the secret sauce of great friendships by telling the story of David and Jonathan. As many return to school, a sports team, or a new job, we made these episodes with kids and adults in mind. 

It's so easy to lose heart when our good deeds appear to not do any good. Thank the Lord for people like William Wilberforce, whose perseverance changed the world. 

“Wisdom is holding two contradictory truths in our mind, simultaneously, Hope and despair. A life without despair is a life without hope. Holding these two ideas in our head is life itself.” The film, "First Reformed," is about extremes: two very different churches, two very different pastors, two competing emotions, and two radically different paths forward.  All of us will enter a season of despair. Where will we turn? 

We all have a need to belong, to be wanted, to be loved. God made us this way. We'll talk about that and the delightful, emotional, new movie, "Hunt For Wilderpeople." 

We can't think of a worse situation: "Recant your faith or watch a whole village be tortured and killed." That's the terrible dilemma at the heart of the movie, "Silence." Whew. This is a tough one. 

Why does it feel as though time flies? How do you live when you've lost everything? What is the value of multigenerational relationships? The superb movie, Up, takes a deep dive into these profound questions. Not only does it make us cry and laugh. It makes us think. 

If you had the powers of God, how would you do? How would the world do? The hit movie, Bruce Almighty, takes a shot at answering this question with hilarious and thought-provoking results. We'll talk about this and why we love Morgan Freeman's role as God.