The Good Citizen Podcast

In this episode, I share seven key lessons I learned while completing a verse-by-verse study of the book of Acts. Also, Professor Sean O’Neill joins me for an interview-style discussion on the reliability of the book of Acts (and the New Testament generally), including the accuracy of official/government titles recounted by Luke; the interplay between Herod and Rome; Paul’s Roman citizenship, and the incredible details of Paul’s sea voyage in Acts 27. This Christmas (and all year round), we can be confident that our faith is rooted in real people and real places. And we can know that God‘s Word is a sure foundation for our lives and families. Big Idea for the Series: The early church carried the gospel throughout the known world in approximately 30 years and transformed an empire in 3 centuries. Now the church seems intimidated, uncertain amidst swift cultural changes. So, what did the early Christians, commanded by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, do that we are not doing? Here are their Acts, and may they inspire our own. Here are some of Professor O’Neill’s credentials: Bachelors, University of Michigan; — Masters and PhD, University of Cincinnati – Bronze age archeology. Egypt. Teaching at Hanover College since 2011 in the Dept. of Classical Studies (focusing on the archaeology, language, literature, and history of the Ancient Mediterranean world). Published scholarship on topics ranging from the archaeological site of Troy to the art and archaeology of Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt. Ancient Language and Literature studies have included working on (and teaching) texts in Latin, Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew, Hieroglyphic Egyptian, and Demotic Egyptian. Can read and write 11 languages. Key Lessons: Christ is King. We have Holy Spirit Power. Don’t Do Ministry Alone. The Gospel is for All People. Expect Persecution. The Church is God’s Plan A. The Word does the Work. Click Here to Watch on YouTubeThe post #405 Acts: Postscript – Key Lessons and Reliability with Professor Sean O’Neill first appeared on The Good Citizen Project.

I recently spent a week in Israel on an incredible trip split between visiting Biblical/historical sites and understanding the geopolitical situation in the region post-Oct. 7th. In this episode, I share three key lessons from my time in the Holy Land. The video is linked below if interested in seeing the pictures and places I describe in this episode. A couple more detailed notes: First, a few reflections on the spiritual impact. I have studied the Bible most of my life. After touring so many Biblical sites over the last week, I have the sense that I have read the Bible in black-and-white but now see it in color. A few highlights: 1. Visiting the Garden Tomb and Golgotha was, of course, a powerful experience. As one of two sites believed to be the location of Christ’s tomb (the other is at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; the Garden Tomb is favored by many Protestants/evangelicals), we observed communion, read Scripture, and sang hymns. He is risen! 2. Walking up the Pilgrim Road from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount brings the Gospel and the book of Acts to life. Christ almost certainly walked up these same stones. Lost to history for almost 2,000 years, this road and the City of David is currently being excavated, and archaeologists found coins and a Roman sword still in its leather scabbard dating from the first Jewish revolt in AD 66-70. Website if interested: https://cityofdavid.org.il/…/5-things-to-know-about…/ 3. I just finished preaching through the trials of Paul in Caesarea toward the end of the book of Acts, and archeologists recently uncovered a cell in the palace that may have held Paul! There is also a stone commemorating Pilate’s renovation of the palace originally built by Herod the Great. Real people. Real places. 4. Visiting the House of Peter and the synagogue in Caperneum where Jesus taught as well as a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee were powerful moments. Concerning the geopolitical situation, I have always generally supported Israel. I do not read Gen. 12:2-3 as a requirement to endorse all actions of the Israeli government, but I do recognize Israel as a part of God’s ongoing plan in human history (see Rom. 11; “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. ..God hath not cast away His people which he foreknew.”). This trip highlighted Israel’s determined and proportional efforts to defend its interests in the region and the importance of US support. A couple highlights: 1. Along with a few other pastors, I had an opportunity to connect with Ambassador Leiter (Israeli ambassador to the US). We even had an opportunity to pray with him–a powerful moment as he shared with us that a memorial for his son Moshe (killed in Gaza) would be held the next day. 2. Hearing testimony from released hostage Yair Horn was gutwrenching, as he shared his harrowing story of 498 days in Hamas captivity. Also, we heard a first-hand account of a resident of Netiv Ha’asara–one of the communities hit on Oct. 7th. She described how her close neighbors were murdered that day. The Nova festival site also echoed of the same hatred and butchery as the sites in Poland. 3. We visited the border with Gaza, West Bank, and Syria. I was aware of this before, but an IDF spokesperson explained in greater detail the necessity of an attorney to sign off on strikes on Hamas in Gaza and the routine humanitarian assistance supplied to Gaza but intercepted by Hamas. This trip also gave me great sympathy for the people of Gaza as Hamas refuses to hold elections; diverts aid to military use; places military infrastructure such as rocket launchers and tunnels in or around civilian buildings (including a Boy Scout building and near a hospital); and threatens civilians with injury or death if they leave buildings when notified by the IDF of military operations in the area. Praying that the current ceasefire in Gaza holds. 4. On a lighter note, Israel’s technological developments are remarkable–especially in the area of water technology. Israel’s desalinization plants now have the capacity to pump water back into the Sea of Galilee. And Israel has made the desert bloom. A memorable trip for so many reasons, and grateful to Christians United for Israel (CUFI) for the opportunity. Click Here to watch on YouTubeThe post #404 3 Lessons from the Holy Land first appeared on The Good Citizen Project.

One of the greatest paradoxes in American life is a Thursday dedicated to quiet gratitude followed by a Friday dedicated to a frenzied pursuit of more. In the midst of a mental health crisis and a quickly changing world, Scripture calls us to an often forgotten, daily practice that demands attention more than one day a year. Here’s why gratitude is the secret ingredient to greatness and how to practice it in your life and sphere of influence. It’s not an option. It prevents Friday frenzy. It’s the secret sauce. It comes in daily doses. Key Takeaways: “The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts.  No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.”  ~H.U. Westermayer Great question from Michael Hyatt, “What does this make possible?” Practical ideas for practicing gratitude. You learn what you need to learn and you change what you need to change to do what you want to do. Lessons from Victor Frankel, Corrie Ten Boom, and Winston Churchill. The post #403 Gratitude: The Secret Ingredient of Greatness [Encore] first appeared on The Good Citizen Project.

I spent several days last week touring Holocaust sites in Poland with a group from Christians United for Israel. Especially since Oct. 7th and the concerning rise of antisemitism in the US, Holocaust sites such as Auschwitz are a somber and moving reminder of hatred and murder on an industrialized scale and the remarkable resilience of the Jewish people. Many are familiar with the scale of the Holocaust, and it is difficult to grasp the murder of 6 million human beings. A few specific stories helped highlight the deep evil and horror of what happened, including: -the graves of appr. 800 children in the Buczyna forest, dropped from truck beds (while alive) into a mass grave and killed with grenades and machine guns. This was in keeping with Hitler’s command to “take care of the children” first, and approximately 1.5 million of the victims of the Holocaust were children. a bathtub in a private bath built by a Nazi officer in the crematorium at the Majdanek death camp, meaning he heated his water with the flames fueled by the bodies of victims. allied troops finding 2 tons of human hair cut from victims for use in German industry, meaning the hair of at least 40,000 women. Some was still in braids in the display at Auschwitz. picture taken by the Germans at Birkenau to prove the efficiency of the “final solution”–showing confused children and concerned mothers with just minutes to live as they are unknowingly sent to the gas chambers. In the midst of this soul-wrenching evil, there were stories of incredible resilience: sewer drains in the Jewish cemetery in Warsaw used to smuggle food into and escape from the Warsaw Ghetto. Halina Barinbaum, a 13-year old girl firsr sent to Majdanek and then Auschwitz. Her mother, father, and brothers were all killed; but she survived, moved to Israel, married, and eventually returned to Majdanek to tell her story and find closure. a copy of the moonscape drawing of Peter Gentz, a 14-year old Holocaust victim, has now been carried twice into space. our guide was a relative of a Holocaust survivor, and he routinely guides Israeli army units in tours in Poland. The nation of Israel exists despite Hitler’s efforts. As Justice Jackson said so well in his opening statement at the Nuremberg trials, “The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating, that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored, because it cannot survive their being repeated.”The post #402 3 Reflections after Visiting Auschwitz first appeared on The Good Citizen Project.

Due to the breakdown of the family, tighter government budgets, and positive legal developments, the church currently has a unique if not a once-in-a-generation opportunity to impact their communities and point to Jesus. Will we seize the moment? In this sermon, I draw lessons from the partnership between Pharaoh and Joseph, unpack the  current opportunity before the church, and explain practical ways church leaders and other committed Christians can steward this “Joseph Moment” in their communities. Outline: Government is God’s Idea. God gave Joseph favor. Joseph had authority. God’s Glory and the Common Good. A Joseph Moment or a Moses Moment. Key Takeaways: Link to Good Citizen Project speaking page. Explanation of how churches can impact foster care. The county-based state transformation model. The church-led, state-based national transformation strategy. Knowing when and how to serve alongside government and when to confront government. How to steward our unique “Joseph Moment.” The post #401 A Joseph Moment: Lessons from an Ancient Partnership, the Church’s Current Opportunities and How to Steward the Moment first appeared on The Good Citizen Project.

Here’s why and how churches should step up during the government shutdown. Yesterday, the administration announced that SNAP benefits will be partially funded as the government shutdown continues (though there is some speculation the shutdown could end as early as tomorrow after the election). Many churches have stepped up efforts to supply food pantries and connect with their communities during this uncertainty. As with any ministry and opportunity, it is important to ask: are these efforts simply meeting an immediate need (which is certainly important short-term) or are they part of a broader, effective community hub strategy that leads to evangelistic conversations and life transformation? In this conversation with Merlin Gonzales from Faith, Hope, and Love, Merlin shares his story and explains how to effectively serve our neighbors’ spiritual and physical needs.The post #400 How to Turn a Food Pantry into a Community Hub with Merlin Gonzales [Encore] first appeared on The Good Citizen Project.

In Acts 28, Paul survives a snake bite, meets believers already in Rome, and marches into the imperial city in chains–but on mission. Here, the narrative of the book of Acts closes with Paul preaching the kingdom of God boldly in the center of Roman power and authority. What happened to his trial? Where did he go after his release? How did his journey end? In this sermon, I conclude our verse-by-verse study of this remarkable book, do my best to trace Paul’s “4th Missionary Journey,” and share the book’s anything-but-anticlimactic ending and encouragement to all believers. Big Idea: The early church carried the gospel throughout the known world in approximately 30 years and transformed an empire in 3 centuries. Now the church seems intimidated, uncertain amidst swift cultural changes. So, what did the early Christians, commanded by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, do that we are not doing? Here are their Acts, and may they inspire our own. Hospitable Barbarians The Hope of Israel Chained Guards The 4th Missionary Journey Key Takeaways: The importance of Christian hospitality. How the work of the Holy Spirit outpaced Paul. The population and power of Rome when Paul entered the city. How the kingdom of God subverted Roman authority and eventually transformed the empire. A recounting of Paul’s final journey and death by execution. The anything-but-anticlimactic ending of the book of Acts. The post #399 Acts 28 first appeared on The Good Citizen Project.

Dr. Wayne Grudem, a prominent theologian and author, explores the intersection of faith and politics. He discusses the motivation behind his book, Politics According to the Bible, emphasizing the need for a biblical perspective on government. Grudem reflects on his unique experiences, such as a White House visit, and stresses the importance of Christian engagement in local politics. He also highlights the impact of Christian influence on the judicial system and warns against passivity, urging believers to preach the whole counsel of God in all aspects of life.

Photo: Members of the Hoosier Leadership Series, an effort of Indiana Family Institute, praying in front of the US Capitol after hearing about Kirk’s assassination on September 10, 2025. A little over a month has passed since Charlie Kirk’s public assassination at Utah Valley University, and much has transpired since. Thousands of prayer vigils and memorials have been held, TPUSA has reported over 121,000 requests to start new campus chapters, many churches are reporting a surge in church attendance (especially among young men), and many members of Gen Z and Gen Alpha are speaking up about their faith and political beliefs. I have interacted with a number of church leaders around the country in the last month and prayed over and thought through Kirk’s life and legacy, his memorial service, and other developments since in an attempt to understand and steward the moment. Here are a few reflections: A tale of two movements. Spiritual renewal or conservative resurgence? Or both? Courage, persuasion, and influence as the way forward. The post #397 Reflections on the Aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s Assassination first appeared on The Good Citizen Project.

Given the continuing debate on religion’s impact in American public life and especially discussions about Christian nationalism, it is important to review America’s unique approach to church/state relations and its principled commitment to religious liberty. In this interview, Dr. John Wilsey sets out the history of religious freedom as Biblical principle and conservative idea and the harmony between the “spirit of freedom” and the “spirit of religion” observed by Alexis De Tocqueville in his travels in early America. Then, he he chronicles key thinkers and movements in modern conservatism and explains the Biblical motivations behind religious liberty as rooted in the gospel and created order. Curious about the intersection of church and state or the proper application of faith in public life? Interested in the history of Christian citizenship and the conservative movement? This episode is for you. John D. Wilsey is professor of church history and chair of the Department of Church History and Historical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He is also a research fellow with the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy. His publications include American Exceptionalism and Civil Religion: Reassessing the History of an Idea, God’s Cold Warrior: The Life and Faith of John Foster Dulles, and Religious Freedom: A Conservative Primer. Key Takeaways: The pivot into apathy by many Christian citizens. “[Anglo-American civilization] is the product … of two perfectly distinct elements that elsewhere are often at odds. But in America, these two have been successfully blended, in a way, and marvelously combined. I mean the spirit of religion and the spirit of liberty.” -De Tocqueville. A working definition and history of conservatism and the impact of Biblical principles on the movement. A review of the Biblical case for religious liberty. The post #396 Religious Liberty: A Conservative Primer with Dr. John Wilsey first appeared on The Good Citizen Project.