How do we become more like Jesus in the New Year? As Christ-followers, we are called to be conformed to the image of Jesus, so what are some practical ways that we can do that? In our first podcast of 2021, Jonathan helps us think biblically about our "New Year's Resolutions" by using the VIM Pattern from Dallas Willard's Renovation of the Heart. Let's start this year by expanding our vision for life with God, and arranging our lives around what it would take to make that kind of life happen. We'd also love for you to start your year with us learning more about the next generation! We are thrilled to announce the launch of Gen Z Vol. 2: Caring for Young Souls and Cultivating Resilience. On January 27th, we'll have a virtual launch experience where we'll talk about the new book and share some of our findings. You don't want to miss it! You can register for the event at whoisgenz.com. You can find out more about all of our experiences for students at impact360.org.

How can Christians teach and talk about sexual purity in a way that's relevant today? What does the Bible say about love and sex? What does it say about marriage and singleness? The world has a lot to say about love, sex, and relationships. The love that the world tells us to pursue is all about self and about following your heart’s desires. But what is the Christian worldview on love? This week on the podcast Jonathan sits down with our friend Sean McDowell to talk about his new book Chasing Love: Sex, Love, and Relationships in a Confused Culture. Join us as we talk about God's design for sex, why we desire to be loved, what Jesus says about singleness, recovering from sexual brokenness, what sexual purity looks like in 2020, and tons more! Sean McDowell is a gifted communicator with a passion for equipping the church, and in particular young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. He connects with audiences in a tangible way through humor and stories while imparting hard evidence and logical support for viewing all areas of life through a biblical worldview. Sean is an associate professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Biola University. You can pre-order Sean's new book Chasing Love here and find his many other works here. You can also connect with Sean and read his blog at seanmcdowell.org. For more information about Impact 360 Institute, visit impact360.org.

How do you grow in discernment in a culture of confusion, and many times outright deception? There are tons and tons of messages that we are inundated with every single day. Between social media, entertainment, news outlets, and lots more, we're constantly hearing different stories. So how do we as Christians grow in discernment in a culture that is so confused? This week on the podcast, Jonathan gives us some really timely advice on how to do just that. Join us this week as we talk about the importance of defining our terms, renewing our minds with the Scriptures, reading and evaluating messages in context, and more! Learn more at impact360.org

In 2020, COVID-19 has given people an unexpected opportunity to think about what it means to be human and valuable, and how to protect the vulnerable. And yet, people are as divided as ever about the issue of abortion. As Christians, how should we think about and articulate the pro-life conversation in our current cultural moment? Morally speaking, the pro-life issue is simple. The unborn are human, and abortion ends that human life. But abortion is also an issue that touches many others. In our current landscape, abortion touches so many different ideas that it can be difficult and complex to navigate. This week on the podcast, Jonathan sits down with Megan Almon of Life Training Institute to discuss how to articulate and defend the pro-life view in 2020. Join us as we discuss how to avoid an "us vs. them" mentality, the importance of framing things well in conversation, understanding the issue of abortion from a legal and judicial point of view, and how to move forward in a loving way. You can also find our previous conversation with Megan about making the case for life here. Megan Almon has trained tens of thousands of individuals in the U.S. and abroad to articulate and defend the pro-life view since joining Life Training Institute as a speaker in 2009. As a wife, mom, athlete, artist, avid reader, and teacher, she has a unique perspective that endears her to any audience. Megan was part of the 2002 SEC championship women’s gymnastics team at the University of Georgia. She worked as an award-winning journalist until 2008 and was awarded a Master of Arts degree in Christian Apologetics from Biola University in 2011. Megan and her husband, Tripp, who serves as Director of Programs and Semester with Summit Ministries, have been married since 2003 and have two children, Neely and Rogan. Megan enjoys spending time with her family at their home in Manitou Springs, Co., and is still known to practice handstands in her kitchen. She has served as faculty at Summit Ministries and Impact 360 Institute. You can find out more about Megan and LTI at prolifetraining.com. Listen to more episodes and learn about the work of Impact 360 Institute at impact360.org.

Why is it important for the next generation to share their faith? How can faith leaders train Gen Z to evangelize and share the Gospel? How can we help teens see sharing their faith as "normal"? According to our recent study, only about 4% of Gen Z students have a biblical worldview, and more than half of teens (58%) believe that many religions can lead to God, and there is not "one true religion". Because of this, it can sometimes be scary for the next generation to share their faith, which has led to a lack of evangelism within the next generation. Many of us can relate! But Jesus has called us to share our faith and make disciples. How do we train next generation Christians to share their faith with their peers? This week on the podcast Jonathan sits down with Greg Stier, Founder and CEO of Dare 2 Share, a ministry that equips teens to share their faith and builds youth ministries that advance the Gospel. Jonathan and Greg talk about a framework for helping teens to share the Gospel, how to start a conversation about God, why it's so important for us to share the Gospel, how to help Gen Z see evangelism as normal, and more. Greg Stier is the Founder and CEO of Dare 2 Share and Lead THE Cause, and is the author of several books including Gospelize Your Youth Ministry. Through his ministry, Greg has trained over a million teens to share their faith and start Gospel movements. You can find more resources from Greg at Dare2Share.org, including the Life in 6 Words mobile app, free downloadable tools, and the Gospelize podcast.

How do we keep a clear mind with a big picture perspective when circumstances are constantly changing? How do we remain faithful to God in the midst of our current difficult circumstances? This week on the podcast, we're reflecting on the life and lessons of Dr. J.I. Packer, the author of Knowing God and many other Christian classics. Earlier this summer, one of our heroes in the faith, Dr. J.I. Packer went to be with the Lord at the age of 93. Dr. Packer was truly a gift to the Church, and some of his best lessons are found in his excellent work, Knowing God. This week on the podcast we're talking through some lessons from that book about how to keep a kingdom perspective, the difference between optimism and biblical hope, and how we can trust God in the midst of difficult circumstances. When things get hard, we can sometimes lose sight of what's really important. At Impact 360 Institute, we're here to be an ally for you as we grow in knowing God together, even in the midst of uncertainty. For more information about our on-campus experiences and online courses, please visit impact360.org.

How do we have honest, respectful, and Bible-centered conversations on race and unity? What do we do with our fears of saying or doing the wrong thing, or not saying or doing the right thing? How do we bring together empathy, care, and appropriate action on one hand, and careful thinking using biblical categories and goals on the other? In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes this: “I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph. 4:1-6). Paul's message here is one that urges the Ephesians to pursue unity with God and one another. In our current cultural moment, this timeless message of unity is one that we desperately need. The conversations going on in our world right now in regard to race and unity are crucial. But how do we have these conversations in a way that is both helpful and biblical? You may be running into this problem of wanting to help, but being afraid to say or do the wrong thing. That's why this week on the podcast Jonathan sits down with our new friend Monique Duson, the president and founder of The Center for Biblical Unity. Join us this week as we discuss why it's important to start with the idea that God gives us our identity, how to think carefully about race using biblical categories, the differences between the gospel and critical race theory, how to move forward in biblical unity, and much more! Monique Duson is the founder and president of The Center for Biblical Unity, which aims to use Scripture to define humanity, race, racism, and justice. Monique's vision is to promote a vision for racial healing based on the historic Christian worldview. She has a BA in Sociology from Biola University and is currently pursuing an MA in Theology from Talbot School of Theology. Monique contributed to the upcoming book Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth, and is hosting the first annual UP conference with Women in Apologetics. You can connect with Monique and CFBU at centerforbiblicalunity.com. For more resources listed on today's podcast, check out: The Third Option by Miles McPherson and Oneness Embraced by Tony Evans.

How should Christians respond to the killing of George Floyd? Like us, you may have watched the video of George Floyd’s death and were horrified by it. And like us, you may be asking questions like “What can be said that will help?” and “What can be done?” It’s clear that not saying anything is absolutely not an option. But how can Christians respond in a way that is helpful? This week on the podcast, we’re sharing a message from Dr. Tony Evans that is challenging, helpful, and timely. Dr. Evans’ book Oneness Embraced: Reconciliation, The Kingdom, and How We Are Stronger Together is a fantastic resource for building a biblically-centered and kingdom-minded approach to racial reconciliation, and we are so thankful to get to learn from Dr. Evans this week. Join us as we learn about how we as the church can respond to this injustice in a way that is both helpful and effective. Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, TX. He is the founder and president of The Urban Alternative, the chaplain of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, and author of over 100 books, booklets, and Bible studies. He is the first African American to earn a Doctorate of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and has been named one of the 12 most effective speakers in the English speaking world by Baylor University. Dr. Evans holds the honor of writing and publishing the first full Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American. His radio broadcast can be heard on more than 1300 U.S. outlets daily, and in more than 130 countries. He is also the founder of The Tony Evans Training Center, an online learning platform for seminary quality courses at a fraction of the cost for any person in any place. For more information, you can visit TonyEvans.org.

What is the good life? Is it all about being happy? Should Christians pursue happiness in their daily lives? What did Jesus teach about happiness? 51% of Gen Z say that their goal in life is to be happy. Everyone wants to be happy, and we spend our time, energy, and money to get it. It can be exhausting! But what if the happiness that we’re striving for isn’t the happiness that we were created for? The truth is that there is a path to true happiness, and it’s found in Jesus. This week on the podcast Jonathan sits down with Dr. Derwin Gray to discuss his new book, The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches About Finding True Happiness. Join us this week as we talk about living life as God intended, true happiness as defined in the Beatitudes, how happiness and holiness are two sides of the same coin, and much more. Dr. Derwin L. Gray is the founding and lead Pastor of Transformation Church, a multiethnic, multigenerational, mission-shaped community in Indian Land, South Carolina, located just south of Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to his role at Transformation Church, Derwin speaks at conferences nationwide. He is the author of several books including Hero: Unleashing God’s Power in a Man’s Heart, Limitless Life: You Are More Than Your Past When God Holds Your Future, Crazy Grace for Crazy Times Bible Study, The High-Definition Leader, and the book we talked about today, The Good Life. You can find Dr. Gray online at derwingray.com. For more information about life-changing programs from Impact 360 Institute, visit impact360.org.

How do we as Christians navigate ideas like intersectionality and critical theory? How do we navigate issues like sex, race, and gender in this current moment? How can parents and students have good conversations about sex and gender with their friends? What does discipleship look like for those with same-sex attraction? What does biblical friendship and family look like? This week on the podcast we've got part 2 of our conversation with our friend Christopher Yuan. Join us this week as we answer these questions and talk about the value of asking good questions and being a good listener, a biblical view of singleness, how to engage with others in a gospel-centered way, and more! Dr. Christopher Yuan has taught the Bible at Moody Bible Institute for over ten years and his speaking ministry on faith and sexuality has reached five continents. He speaks at conferences, on college campuses, and in churches. He has co-authored with his mother their memoir, Out of a Far Country: A Gay Son’s Journey to God, A Broken Mother’s Search for Hope (100,000 copies sold and now in seven languages). He is also the author of Giving a Voice to the Voiceless. Christopher graduated from Moody Bible Institute in 2005, Wheaton College Graduate School in 2007 with a Master of Arts in Biblical Exegesis and received his doctorate of ministry in 2014 from Bethel Seminary. Dr. Yuan’s newest book is Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story. Find out more about Impact 360 Institute's programs and resources, visit impact360.org.