Sharpening Arrows

New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated Independence Day by trashing America. Let’s see why he’s wrong. Parental pause point questions: 1. What's appealing about what Mamdani's saying? (8:52) 2. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in response to this? (9:43) 3. What has been fixed in place in America? (15:34) 4. How does Mamdani's assertion conflict with the Declaration...

If you want to find out why our country has been so successful, you should study the people who built it. Parental pause point questions: When did Americans first use fireworks to celebrate America? (0:54) 2. Why do some places ban fireworks? (2:22) 3. Is America worth celebrating? (5:21) 4. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in response to this argument? (5:52) 5. Is America a Christian...

Young men, don’t listen to modern feminists. America needs more dads. Parental pause point questions: 1. What percentage of children today don't live with their dad? (3:30) 2. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in response to this argument? (6:45) 3. What's the flaw in this argument? (11:02) 4. Why do children do better when there's a father in the home? (18:01) 5. Should you...

President Donald Trump says the war with Iran is over, but he won’t tell us what’s in the peace agreement. Parental pause point questions: What have you heard about the apparent end of the war with Iran? (1:46) Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in response to this argument? (3:31) 3. Peace is a good thing. Does that make violence an inherently bad thing? (6:33) 4. How can you reconcile...

The longer California counts ballots, the worse Republican candidates fare. Is this no big deal or evidence of fraud? Parental pause point questions: 1. How soon after the polls close should election results be known? (2:09) 2. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in response to this argument? (8:36) 3. Who do you think said this? (11:42) 4. Do people have an incentive to commit fraud? (25...

A boy pretending to be a girl just won two gold medals at the California state track. We are going to go through the news coverage and test your critical thinking skills. Parental pause point questions: 1. Consider the phrase, "Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly?" Do you agree with that? (0:55) 2. Pop quiz: How many of The Great Eight Questions do you remember? (5:02) 3. Why has...

Memorial Day isn’t just the unofficial start of summer. It’s a day to remember those who made possible all the things we take for granted. Parental pause point questions: 1. What's the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day? (1:44) 2. What difference does it make what country you are from? Are countries interchangeable? (4:07) 3. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in respon...

Republican politicians who oppose Donald Trump keep losing primaries. Let’s look at why. Parental pause point questions: 1. Who is responsible for the broken cabinet door? (1:33) 2. What are some of the differences when discussing policy and politics? (6:19) 3. Why is it a good thing that compromise is inevitable in politics? (7:35) 4. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in response to th...

America celebrates mothers but does little to inspire young women to become mothers. That’s a mistake. Parental pause point questions: 1. Why do you think fewer women are having children today than 18 years ago? (2:32) 2. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in response to this argument? (3:47) 3. What public policy issues would you not be able to debate or discuss under this standard? (6:...

Spirit Airlines just went bankrupt, leaving travelers stranded and thousands of employees out of work. Here's why this doesn't mean the free market failed. Parental pause point questions: 1. How many people do you think lost their jobs in 2025? (3:54) 2. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in response to his argument? (5:25) 3. Are resources unlimited or scarce? (6:35) 4. How do w...

President Donald Trump survived another assassination attempt. What would lead someone to do this? Parental pause point questions: 1. What have you heard about this and how does it make you feel? (3:57) 2. Why is it appealing to think that it would be assassin or a mass murderer is mentally ill? (5:49) 3. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use in response to his argument? (12:32) 4. How woul...

Some people want to fundamentally change how American presidential elections work. Here’s why the Electoral College is better than the National Popular Vote. Parental pause point questions: 1. Parents, what’s something you appreciate about your parents now that you didn’t growing up? (2:48) 2. What do you know about the Electoral College? How many electoral votes does it take to win the presidency...

In a swipe at President Donald Trump, Pope Leo XIV claimed "God does not bless any conflict." The Bible says otherwise. Plus, Trump posted and then deleted a picture of himself as Jesus. Parental pause point questions: 1. What are the differences between Protestants and Catholics? Why is your family Protestant or Catholic? (1:51) 2. What should Protestants be grateful for about Catholici...

Over Easter weekend, the U.S. military rescued a downed airman in Iran. Is it a sign that we’re losing the war or one of the most incredible displays of military might in human history? Parental pause point questions: 1. What have you heard about the war in Iran? Do you have any questions or concerns? (2:54) 2. Should the US have risked dozens of lives and spent hundreds of millions of dollars to...

The extraordinary claims that Christians make about Easter are backed up by extraordinary evidence. Parental pause point questions: 1. Why do you think Christmas gets more attention than Easter? (4:10) 2. How do you think the story of Easter sounds to a non-believer? (5:17) 3. Which of The Great Eight Questions would you use in response to this argument? (7:56) 4. Is there evidence outside the Bib...

Society should honor billionaires, not let the left turn them into bogeymen. You don't lose your property rights by acquiring more property. Many leftists disagree. Parental pause point questions: 1. Parents: Is there something you've chased and prioritized over Christ? How did that turn out? (3:32) 2. What emotion is this argument appealing to? (7:00) 3. Which of The Great Eight Questions...

Just because a politician says he’s a Christian and quotes the Bible doesn’t mean that his policies are in line with God’s Word. Parental pause point questions: 1. Why do people vote for certain political candidates? (4:02) 2. Why do stereotypes exist? Are they ever useful? (6:43) 3. Is this what happened in Luke? (14:05) 4. What does the Bible say about abortion? (16:03) 5. Which of The Great Eig...

Anyone trusting “the science” is going to end up contradicting themselves. Parental pause point questions: 1. Do you believe there is a contradiction between science and Christianity? (2:08) 2. Have you ever been personally attacked for your beliefs? How did you respond? (5:36) 3. What would you say in response to these arguments? (8:00) 4. Which of The Great Eight Questions would you use in respo...

President Donald Trump bombed Iran. Was that the right thing to do? Parental pause point questions: 1. What do you think about the war with Iran? (1:31) 2. When was the last time the U.S. officially was at war? (10:20) 3. Should you stop listening to someone that you generally agree with because you disagree with them on a major issue? (15:27) 4. Which of The Great Eight Questions would you use in...

You don’t have to know the difference between a body check and a break away to celebrate the U.S. winning gold in men’s and women’s hockey. Parental pause point questions: 1. Why do we cheer for our country? (3:09) 2. If you were an Olympic champion, would you accept a presidential invitation from a president you politically disagreed with? (6:58) 3. Why do countries exist? (9:33) 4. Could you eve...

Many teenagers don’t want to have kids. Here’s why they should. Parental pause point questions: 1. How many kids do you want to have someday and why? (5:48) 2. Why does a good job and a large bank account matter? (8:12) 3. How much time do you think a parent spends each day caring for their child or children? (10:11) 4. What concerns do you have about raising children? (12:11) 5. Which of The Grea...

Cinderella is a great movie, but it can leave you with the wrong impression about long-term love. Life can be crazy. Some weeks it’s hard for parents and teens to find 20 (or 30 minutes) to dig into a weighty political topic. But we need to have meaningful discussions become part of our regular routine. Use these “Pointed” episodes to connect during even the busiest seasons.

President Donald Trump shared a video that portrayed the Obamas as apes. How should a Christian or a conservative respond? Parental pause point questions: 1. It’s wrong to demean people based on their skin color. But what can an atheist base that belief on? (6:34) 2. Have you ever made a public mistake before? Would you like that mistake to define how other people view you? (10:15) 3. Can you supp...

You can't make the poor wealthy by beating up on billionaires. California is about to learn this the hard way. Parental pause point questions: 1. What percentage of the income tax do the top 1 percent of wage earners pay in taxes? (2:29) 2. Imagine you have saved up significantly more money than your siblings. How would you feel if your siblings decided that you have to pay for their ice cream...

There’s violence on the streets of Minneapolis connected to the Trump Administration’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants. Let’s figure out why. Parental pause point questions: 1. What have you heard about what's happening in Minnesota? (1:48) 2. Can you think of a scenario where you would not get in trouble for intentionally pushing your younger sibling? (3:00) 3. What activities are and ar...