Wake Up, Look Up

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach reflects on a recent leadership scandal to highlight how easy it is to believe our private compromises will stay hidden. He reminds listeners that God sees every action and often brings hidden things into the light, not to shame us but to lead us toward repentance and restoration. The challenge is simple but urgent: don’t wait to be exposed–choose h...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach explores the rise of artificial intelligence in journalism and asks how Christians can thoughtfully engage with technology in their work. He emphasizes that Christians should consider what must remain distinctly human, how to care for people displaced by AI, and how to bring a biblical worldview into these decisions. Pastor Zach encourages listeners...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach explores the challenges Gen Z faces in developing real-world relational skills due to increased online learning and digital dependence. He emphasizes that being relational is part of what it means to be fully human, pointing to Genesis 2:18 and Adam’s need for companionship and support. Pastor Zach encourages both young people and the church to enga...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach discusses the growing cultural push to redefine family through polyamory and why these ideas are gaining traction in society. He explains the biblical vision of marriage as a God-designed covenant that brings stability, sanctification, and flourishing for individuals and communities. Pastor Zach encourages Christians not just to argue against cultur...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach explores the booming longevity industry and the promise of living longer through supplements, cold plunges, and other fads. He explains why these trends can’t stop aging or deliver true life. Instead, Pastor Zach points to Jesus as the source of lasting renewal and eternal hope. Have an article you’d like Pastor Zach to discuss? Email us at wakeup@c...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach reflects on the escalating conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran, and asks how global chaos can test the strength of our faith. Looking at Jesus’ teaching about building on the rock in Matthew 7, he explains that real stability comes from hearing and obeying Christ, which develops a deeper trust in God over time. Pastor Zach encourages liste...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach examines the life and death of Ayatollah Khamenei, highlighting the evil and oppression he caused under the guise of being divinely appointed. He reminds listeners that hell exists as a place of God’s justice, where the wrongs done to victims are acknowledged and righted. Pastor Zach points to Jesus Christ as the ultimate answer for our own sin, off...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach reflects on a recent controversy involving a public leader celebrating at a sporting event and asks an important question about leadership and optics. Exploring the biblical call to set an example both on and off the clock, he challenges leaders to consider how their personal choices communicate during moments of crisis. Pastor Zach reminds listener...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach examines whether the Bible supports breaking the law in the name of compassion, particularly in conversations around immigration. Responding to a recent opinion piece, he explores how Scripture holds both mercy and justice together–calling God’s people to care for the foreigner while also upholding the rule of law. Pastor Zach challenges listeners n...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach explores the question of whether earning something through hard work shapes our character differently than relying on talent alone. Using the example of Olympic athletes and the discipline required to compete at the highest level, he highlights how grit, perseverance, and sacrifice cultivate gratitude and humility. Drawing from Proverbs, Pastor Zach...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach tackles the debate over whether government food assistance programs should restrict the purchase of junk food, exploring what true compassion and responsible provision really look like. Drawing on recent statistics and a biblical framework, he argues that helping people thrive means using wisdom–not enabling harmful choices that lead to long-term co...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach considers a viral matchmaking algorithm to explore what happens when technology begins to shape how we pursue romance. He contrasts convenience-driven, self-focused approaches to dating with a biblical picture of love rooted in covenant, sacrifice, and valuing another person. The episode challenges listeners to examine whether modern tools are helpi...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach reflects on a public shift within the body-positivity movement to explore how easily identity can become tied to a single cause. He examines how online communities can harden into echo chambers that react harshly to dissent, contrasting that dynamic with a biblical vision of identity rooted in Christ. The episode invites listeners to evaluate what s...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach explores growing concerns about AI-driven job disruption and what that could mean for workers and families. He encourages listeners to hold together trust in God’s sovereignty with practical wisdom, urging thoughtful preparation rather than panic or denial. The episode frames technological change as an opportunity for Christians to respond with fait...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach examines migration trends out of high-tax states and uses them to reflect on deeper questions about government, responsibility, and worldview. He contrasts cultural expectations of what government should provide with a biblical framework that assigns different roles to institutions like family, church, and state. The conversation ultimately points l...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach reflects on a young woman’s public account of medical transition and regret to challenge Christians to think carefully about truth, harm, and compassion in today’s cultural conversations. He urges believers to weigh difficult stories through a biblical lens, emphasizing both the seriousness of choices that shape a life and the responsibility to spea...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach reflects on a New York Times article exploring how students are turning to AI to process emotions and form pseudo-relationships. He warns that emotional “offloading” to machines is distancing young people from real intimacy and increasing anxiety, while robbing parents of opportunities to truly know their children’s hearts. Drawing from Jesus’ words...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach challenges listeners to rethink the role politics plays in their lives, arguing that it should never become an all-consuming identity. Drawing from a Wall Street Journal op-ed and Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 13, he emphasizes that being “right” means nothing if it comes at the expense of love. The episode calls Christians to hold political conv...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach uses an unexpected environmental issue—the billions of golf balls lost each year—to challenge the modern assumption that something is only wrong if its harm is immediately visible. Drawing on Proverbs 14, he argues that human perspective is limited, while God alone sees the long-term and generational consequences of our actions. The episode invites...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach invites families to reconsider the spiritual value of slowing down together in an overstimulated, screen-saturated world. Prompted by a Wall Street Journal article and grounded in Jesus’ invitation to rest in Mark 6, he argues that reclaiming simple rhythms—like family movie night—can restore attention, connection, and meaningful conversation. The e...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach challenges the way we evaluate political leaders by shifting the focus from image, charisma, and media presence to character, track record, and faithfulness. Drawing from current events and Jesus’ teaching in Luke 16, he argues that leadership credibility is revealed in how someone handles what they’ve already been entrusted with. The episode calls...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach responds to a Wall Street Journal article on how AI is reshaping the workplace and forcing employees to justify their value. He argues that while lazy, disengaged workers may be replaceable, humans who show up with purpose, creativity, and excellence never are. Drawing from Scripture, Pastor Zach challenges Christians to reject coasting and instead...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach reflects on new research showing that childhood trauma doesn’t have to define a person’s future. He connects the HOPE framework—supportive relationships, safe environments, emotional growth, and belonging—to the very things God has designed the local church to provide. Pastor Zach challenges listeners to see church not just as something they attend...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach addresses a recent viral moment and examines it through the lens of Scripture, accountability, and the imago Dei. He challenges listeners to think carefully about how words and images can demean others, reminding us that followers of Jesus are responsible not only for what they say, but also for what they share or defend. The episode calls Christian...

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach responds to a Wall Street Journal opinion piece on the sexualization of women in pop music and the messages young girls are absorbing from today’s biggest stars. Speaking as a pastor and a father, he challenges parents—especially fathers—to actively shape how their daughters understand beauty, value, and identity. Drawing from Scripture, Pastor Zach...