Discernment Digest

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, the nation is being reminded of one of its founding convictions: concentrated power is dangerous. The Constitution was designed to prevent presidents from becoming kings by dividing authority among three separate branches of government. But is that system still working? In this episode of  Discernment Digest , we examine the successes and disappointment...

How should Christians think about God's continuing purposes for Israel? Is dispensationalism a legitimate biblical framework, or is it often misunderstood by both its critics and supporters? In this episode, we examine common objections to dispensational theology, discuss what Scripture actually says about Israel and the Church, and explore why careful theological reasoning matters. In the second...

In this episode of  Discernment Digest , Pastor Ken Brown reflects on a growing cultural shift that reaches far beyond politics: the erosion of shame and the diminishing importance of moral character. Drawing from Scripture, cultural history, and current events, he argues that the public figures we elevate often reveal more about us than about them.  Beginning with the observation that politics is...

Can secular wisdom help us navigate life? Certainly. But where does true wisdom come from, and what gives us the power to live it out? In this episode of Discernment Digest , we explore the claim that “everything we need to know we learned in Sunday School.” Drawing from popular books on life, aging, and personal success, we examine how many of their best insights echo truths already found in Scri...

In this episode of  Discernment Digest , we navigate several major developments shaping both the nation and the church. Beginning with current events in Washington, we consider the biblical tension between liberty and order, reflect on immigration, pro-life victories and ongoing challenges, presidential power, judicial decisions, and cultural pressures surrounding sexuality and identity. We also d...

This week on  Discernment Digest , we examine several major political and cultural developments, including ongoing questions surrounding the Iran conflict, allegations of self-dealing among political leaders, the latest primary election results, and concerns about the continued weaponization of government institutions. In the second half of the episode, we return to our listener-requested series o...

In this episode of  Discernment Digest , the conversation ranges from cultural confusion to political corruption, all through the lens of biblical discernment. Topics include the media’s shifting moral frameworks, the influence of celebrity culture, troubling reports involving members of the Trump administration, allegations of financial self-enrichment tied to presidential power, and the growing...

In this episode of  Discernment Digest , the discussion moves from current concerns in law and national security to the theological question of how Christians should understand “God’s will” in politics and human behavior. Examining recent controversies surrounding presidential power, NATO, Russia, and global stability, the episode considers how believers should think biblically about authority, ju...

In this episode of  Discernment Digest , the discussion moves from the courtroom to the conscience. First, we examine the growing use of legal systems as political weapons, including recent prosecutions involving James Comey, and why a healthy judiciary remains essential to preserving truth and restraining power. Along the way, we revisit the bruising confirmation battle of Supreme Court Justice C...

For today’s podcast we're doing something unusual. We're simply recommending something else to listen to instead of this episode. We HIGHLY recommend listen to and/or watch an absolutely extraordinary 40-minute interview from a recent 60 Minutes program.  It’s with former Senator Ben Sasse. He's very likely in his last few months of this life given the seriousness of his pancreatic can...

In a world saturated with information, outrage, and competing narratives, discernment is no longer optional—it’s essential. Drawing from Hebrews 5:14, this episode explores why discernment is a discipline that must be trained through constant use, not assumed or inherited. We examine how failing to discern  sources  before evaluating  claims  leaves us vulnerable to manipulation—whether through me...

In this episode, we examine two deeply concerning trends shaping our cultural and political moment: the rise of political idolatry and the erosion of the rule of law. Recent events have revealed how easily devotion to political figures can drift into territory that is not just unwise—but spiritually dangerous. When leaders are elevated beyond accountability, and even portrayed in ways that blur th...

In this episode, we begin with a whirlwind look at the past week’s headlines—from escalating tensions with Iran to unsettling political and cultural developments that reflect a rapidly shifting global landscape. But beyond the noise, a deeper concern is emerging: a growing hostility toward Israel and the Jewish people. As conspiracy theories, political rhetoric, and spiritual confusion collide, ma...

This week’s episode is a focused news digest examining several significant developments at the intersection of faith, politics, and law—each one underscoring the urgent need for Christian discernment. We begin with troubling theological rhetoric emerging from influential religious leaders, including statements made during Holy Week that blur the line between political loyalty and devotion to Chris...

In this episode, we examine a series of recent political developments—from new revelations in the classified documents case to a controversial DOJ settlement and unusual cultural moments involving the First Lady—and ask a deeper question:  How did we get here? Shifting from headlines to heart-level analysis, we explore the growing tension between political victory and Christian witness. How have f...

In this episode of  Discernment Digest , we examine two troubling headlines—the death of Robert Mueller and the public reaction to it, and the arrest connected to the Duggar family—and ask a deeper question:  How did we get here? Why are behaviors once considered disqualifying now excused—even by Christians? We continue our historical survey of evangelicalism, tracing how differing approaches to c...

In this episode of  Discernment Digest , we examine the legacy of the Watergate era following the death of Alexander Butterfield—the man whose revelation about President Nixon’s Oval Office taping system helped unravel the scandal that led to Nixon’s resignation. After revisiting the key events of Watergate, we consider what that moment in American history reveals about presidential power, account...

Why did many evangelicals begin pursuing respectability in the eyes of the culture? And what has that pursuit done to the church? In this episode we begin with several current issues—from political scandals to war in the Middle East—before continuing our historical exploration of modern evangelicalism. We revisit the early fundamentalist movement, the publication of  The Fundamentals , the afterma...

In this episode of Discernment Digest , we examine recent events—including presidential military action, the State of the Union, Supreme Court rulings, and the expanding use of emergency powers—to ask a deeper question: What happens when power concentrates in the hands of one ruler? Drawing on the American founding, the Federalist Papers, and a distinctly Christian understanding of human nature, w...

In this episode, we examine several recent “death-related” stories—literal, political, and institutional—that together expose a deeper theological problem shaping American evangelicalism: the belief that Christians and the church must  win in the here and now, whatever the cost. Through reflections on the legacy of Jesse Jackson, the final witness of Ben Sasse, the collapse of a controversial poli...

We live in an age of information overload—and intentional deception. In this episode of  Discernment Digest , Pastor Larry challenges believers to recover a disciplined, biblical approach to discernment by doing something surprisingly simple: listening to fewer voices. Drawing from recent political examples, media culture, and a personal reckoning with influential figures from the past, this episo...

Why do Christians now defend what we once denounced? This episode argues that our political confusion is only the symptom of a much deeper failure of discernment—one rooted in compromised worldview, cultural accommodation, and theological error. Politics may be downstream of culture, but culture itself flows from what we believe, tolerate, and imitate. By revisiting the last century of evangelical...

In a day in which political influencers openly admit that they will not be constrained by facts when their “good” political objectives are at stake, how can we wade through all the claims with a hope of discerning what is true?

Discernment is essential for all of us because we live in a fallen world. Even when our choices are not between good and evil, but between good and better, discernment is an essential practice that helps us as we pursue God’s will. Very often, the first order of business in our efforts to be discerning is to narrow our sources of information to only those that demonstrate consistent trustworthines...

In this first episode, Pastor Ken Brown explains the purpose of the Discernment Digest podcast. With the overwhelming amount of content available to audiences today, learning to be selective in the voices to which one listens and being able to discern between information, disinformation, and misinformation is critical.