Advertise on podcast: Foundations Church

The gospel changes everything. It's the power of God to transform lives, and it's too good to keep to ourselves. In Not Ashamed, we'll discover how to boldly share our faith, live out the gospel, and partner together in what God is doing. As we celebrate 15 years of Foundations Church, we'll look ahead with greater faith and purpose for all that's still to come.

What if the questions we avoid are the ones people are actually asking? Why does the church hurt people? Why do Christians seem so political? What about the LGBTQ community? Why does God allow evil? Has science made faith irrelevant? Asking for a Friend takes on the questions and objections people have about Christianity and helps us learn to engage them with truth, humility, and the love of Jesus.

When a celebrity talks about Jesus, quotes Scripture, or publicly embraces Christianity, Christians are often quick to celebrate. But does mentioning Jesus automatically mean someone should become an example of what following Jesus looks like? From Dolly Parton and Justin Bieber to Kanye West, Jelly Roll, Shia LaBeouf, and even political leaders, Christians regularly wrestle with how to respond when influential people speak openly about faith. The question isn’t whether we should celebrate what is good. It’s whether we sometimes elevate people we don’t actually know simply because they say the right things about Jesus. Scripture gives us a better standard. The Bible tells Christians to look beyond words and examine the fruit of a person’s life. Following Jesus isn’t simply about claiming Christianity. It’s about obedience, repentance, transformation, and a life increasingly shaped by Christ. Rather than looking to celebrities, influencers, or politicians as examples of Christianity, followers of Jesus should seek real Christian community, imitate faithful people whose lives they can actually observe, and ultimately point people to Jesus. Key Takeaways • Talking about Jesus is not the same as obeying Jesus • Christians should be careful about elevating celebrity Christians and influencers • Scripture tells us to examine the fruit of someone’s life, not simply their words • Hebrews 13:7 encourages believers to imitate the faith of people whose lives they know • Matthew 7 teaches that people can be recognized by their fruit • Repentance and obedience are important evidence of genuine Christian faith • Christian community gives us real people whose faith we can observe and imitate • Our ultimate example should never be a celebrity, influencer, or politician, but Jesus Christ

What if the questions we avoid are the ones people are actually asking? Why does the church hurt people? Why do Christians seem so political? What about the LGBTQ community? Why does God allow evil? Has science made faith irrelevant? Asking for a Friend takes on the questions and objections people have about Christianity and helps us learn to engage them with truth, humility, and the love of Jesus.

What if the questions we avoid are the ones people are actually asking? Why does the church hurt people? Why do Christians seem so political? What about the LGBTQ community? Why does God allow evil? Has science made faith irrelevant? Asking for a Friend takes on the questions and objections people have about Christianity and helps us learn to engage them with truth, humility, and the love of Jesus.

What if the questions we avoid are the ones people are actually asking? Why does the church hurt people? Why do Christians seem so political? What about the LGBTQ community? Why does God allow evil? Has science made faith irrelevant? Asking for a Friend takes on the questions and objections people have about Christianity and helps us learn to engage them with truth, humility, and the love of Jesus.

What if the questions we avoid are the ones people are actually asking? Why does the church hurt people? Why do Christians seem so political? What about the LGBTQ community? Why does God allow evil? Has science made faith irrelevant? Asking for a Friend takes on the questions and objections people have about Christianity and helps us learn to engage them with truth, humility, and the love of Jesus.

The gospel wasn't just spread. It was intentionally sent... In this next part of our journey through Acts, we see how the early believers move beyond their borders to carry the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth. From the shores of Antioch to the heart of Rome, they step into the unknown, navigating cultural barriers, trials, and shipwrecks along the way. What looks like a dangerous journey is actually God’s direction. As the Church is sent, the gospel transforms the world, and that same mission is handed to us today.

The gospel wasn't just spread. It was intentionally sent... In this next part of our journey through Acts, we see how the early believers move beyond their borders to carry the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth. From the shores of Antioch to the heart of Rome, they step into the unknown, navigating cultural barriers, trials, and shipwrecks along the way. What looks like a dangerous journey is actually God’s direction. As the Church is sent, the gospel transforms the world, and that same mission is handed to us today.

The gospel wasn't just spread. It was intentionally sent... In this next part of our journey through Acts, we see how the early believers move beyond their borders to carry the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth. From the shores of Antioch to the heart of Rome, they step into the unknown, navigating cultural barriers, trials, and shipwrecks along the way. What looks like a dangerous journey is actually God’s direction. As the Church is sent, the gospel transforms the world, and that same mission is handed to us today.

Dr. Dilip Joseph traveled to Afghanistan to serve others as a medical doctor. On December 5, 2012, everything changed when armed men surrounded his vehicle and kidnapped him. For four days, Dilip was held captive by the Taliban, uncertain whether he would ever see his family again. In the middle of fear, exhaustion, and the possibility of death, he began asking a different question: What is God doing here? That question changed the way he saw his captors, his circumstances, and his own faith. Then, on the fifth day, SEAL Team Six launched a daring rescue mission. Navy SEAL Nicholas Checque gave his life during the operation that brought Dilip home. In this powerful conversation, Dilip shares what happened during his captivity, the unexpected relationship he developed with one of his captors, the weight of knowing someone sacrificed his life to save him, and what the experience taught him about following Jesus when obedience is anything but comfortable. Obedience does not guarantee comfort. But even in the middle of our messiness, we can count on the presence of God.

The gospel wasn't just spread. It was intentionally sent... In this next part of our journey through Acts, we see how the early believers move beyond their borders to carry the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth. From the shores of Antioch to the heart of Rome, they step into the unknown, navigating cultural barriers, trials, and shipwrecks along the way. What looks like a dangerous journey is actually God’s direction. As the Church is sent, the gospel transforms the world, and that same mission is handed to us today.

The gospel wasn't just spread. It was intentionally sent... In this next part of our journey through Acts, we see how the early believers move beyond their borders to carry the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth. From the shores of Antioch to the heart of Rome, they step into the unknown, navigating cultural barriers, trials, and shipwrecks along the way. What looks like a dangerous journey is actually God’s direction. As the Church is sent, the gospel transforms the world, and that same mission is handed to us today.

Death is something everyone knows is coming, yet most people spend their lives trying not to think about it. We plan for careers, relationships, finances, and the future while avoiding the one reality every person will eventually face. But Scripture repeatedly reminds us that life is brief. We are a mist, a breath, here for a moment and then gone. Rather than creating fear, understanding our mortality should completely reshape how we view our lives, our struggles, and eternity. This life was never meant to be the main event. It is only the preview of what is to come. When followers of Jesus understand their forever, it changes how they live today. Pain becomes temporary, sacrifice gains purpose, and death is no longer something to fear. Eternity with Christ becomes the hope that puts everything else into perspective. Key Takeaways • Life is brief, and Scripture calls us to remember our mortality • This life is the preview, not the main event • Understanding eternity changes how we read and understand the Bible • Knowing our forever should shape the decisions we make today • The struggles of this life are temporary compared to eternity • Followers of Jesus can face death with hope instead of fear • Eternity with Christ puts the pain and purpose of this life into perspective

The gospel wasn't just spread. It was intentionally sent... In this next part of our journey through Acts, we see how the early believers move beyond their borders to carry the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth. From the shores of Antioch to the heart of Rome, they step into the unknown, navigating cultural barriers, trials, and shipwrecks along the way. What looks like a dangerous journey is actually God’s direction. As the Church is sent, the gospel transforms the world, and that same mission is handed to us today.