Charlie Kirk and the Cross: Little Charlies or Little Jesuses?

Oct 9, 2025

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Is political loyalty pulling our hearts away from Jesus?

Craig speaks with Brian Drinkwine, a pastor and church planter who’s seen both the beauty and the brokenness of the American church. After one of Brian’s posts about Charlie Kirk’s death went viral, he found himself in the middle of a national conversation about faith, politics, and misplaced allegiance.

Brian shares his story, from growing up in a strict Baptist home to planting churches across the country, and how he learned that following Jesus means laying down every other flag. Together, he and Craig talk about what happens when believers confuse the Kingdom of God with the kingdoms of this world.

They dig into:

Why early Christians were persecuted for refusing to worship Caesar
How politics can sneak in and take the place of Christ
What real repentance looks like when we’ve mixed faith with empire
The freedom that comes when our only loyalty is to Jesus first

Brian also shares how he’s helping others recognize political idolatry and live out the words, “No King but Christ.”

Take a listen and ask yourself: where does your allegiance really lie…the flag or the cross?

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Key Moments:

(0:22) Discussing reactions to Charlie Kirk's death

(0:48) Brian Drinkwine's background

(4:09) The viral post about Charlie Kirk

(10:45) Addressing the church's response

(23:52) Reflections on the memorial service

(29:19) The danger of political allegiance

(35:32) Early church perspective on empire

(41:34) The malaise in modern Christianity

(54:46) Christian nationalism and its impact

(1:06:56) Tools for self-reflection

(1:17:34) Conclusion and future discussions

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