Thanksgiving, Tyranny, and the Family – How the Pilgrims Teach Us to Defend Liberty

If your fathering feels more like a train wreck than a success story, this conversation is for you. The brothers list out the "usual suspects" of failed fatherhood—busy dad, greedy dad, angry dad, passive dad, distant dad, spiritually underdeveloped dad, proud dad—and then show how the Holy Spirit exposes the roots beneath them: self-love instead of love for God and family. With Philippians 3 and 1 John 3 in view, they urge discouraged fathers to lift their eyes from self-pity to Christ's finished work and the long-term, eternal perspective of what God is making them to be.

This Thanksgiving episode traces God's extraordinary providence through the story of Squanto and the early Pilgrims, showing how liberty flourished only where the family, church, and state remained in their God-given jurisdictions. Kevin Swanson and Bill Jack connect that legacy to today's battles over compulsory schooling, in loco parentis, and the growing claim of the state upon our children. The Pilgrims fought for a vision of liberty rooted in Scripture. And that same freedom requires vigilant defense today.

Is adoption for everyone, and what about "curses" from a child's background? In this episode, Kevin and Josh unpack how the Bible holds together mercy and judgment—Exodus 34, Ezekiel 18, and the "333 to 1" mercy ratio—showing that patterns of sin can be broken through faith and repentance. The goal isn't to scare Christians away from adoption, but to ground them in realistic love, ethical wisdom, and rock-solid confidence that God is a mighty Redeemer for the fatherless.

Roe falls, Obergefell stands—what does that say about America? In this episode, Kevin Swanson and Bill Jack walk through Justice Alito's recent appeal to stare decisis on same-sex "marriage," contrasting the Court's insistence on reciprocity for homosexual unions with its refusal to extend similar protections to pro-life laws. They trace how sexual autonomy has become the crown jewel of modern humanism, why opposition to homosexuality now draws more hostility than opposition to abortion, and how Republicans have largely abandoned God's law on both fronts. The conclusion is sobering: a nation that rejects God's standards and celebrates death—whether through kill-pill abortions or sterile unions—stands under His judgment. The only faithful response is to recover the fear of God in our homes and discipleship.

Most Christians feel intimidated by the thought of talking with a skeptical professor or hostile coworker. Greg Koukl joins the show and tells us why they don't have to be. Drawing from Tactics, Greg explains how the Columbo approach—"What do you mean by that?" and "How did you come to that conclusion?"—takes the pressure off, exposes fuzzy clichés, and helps unbelievers see the cracks in their own worldview. In the end, Paul plants, Apollos waters, and God gives the increase—but we still need a wise game plan for our part.

What if your family economy wasn't just about income streams, but about open doors? Kevin, Danny, and Todd unpack biblical hospitality—philia xenia, love of strangers—as a non-optional mandate, not a niche personality trait. They contrast programmatic church life with a truly relational culture, call dads to trade overstuffed sports schedules for intentional Sundays around the table, and show how widows, orphans, missionaries, and lonely saints fit into the weekly calendar. The aim: a family economy where serving strangers is normal, and love of the brethren saturates the home.

Tucker Carlson's interview with Nick Fuentes exposed more than a media dust-up—it showcased a toxic blend of relativism, ethno-nationalism, and Holocaust denial dressed in Christian language. Kevin and Bill walk through Fuentes' praise for Stalin, the minimizing of Nazi atrocities, and the chilling parallels to abortion as a modern holocaust. The conclusion is blunt: race won't save anyone; only Christ crucified offers mercy to red, yellow, black, and white.

Homeschooling isn't a silver bullet—it's a God-given context. New survey data shows homeschool grads choose hard work over money (54% vs. 19%), marry more often (65% vs. 44%), welcome more children (2.5 vs. 1.7), and are nearly three times more likely to attend church and read Scripture. Kevin and Danny revisit the "socialization" question, highlight the family economy tradeoffs (often one income), and encourage moms and dads in the trenches: keep the aim on faith and character, not just factoring trinomials.

Cruel laws, cruel outcomes. Kevin and Bill discuss nations and states that have become "self-conscious in their cruelty," then urges presidents, parliaments, and pastors alike to act within their God-given lanes: the magistrate to restrain murder; the church to preach Christ crucified, pray, and love enemies—calling all to turn while there's time.

A "cultural Jesus" gets applause—until His words confront our idols. Kevin and Bill trace the Super Bowl's halftime "sermon," the Pentatonix surrogacy celebration, and Ezekiel 22's warning to a people who blur holy and unholy. They urge believers to stop approving wickedness, discern method from message, and call our neighbors to Christ, not cultural Christianity.