Episodios

  • Light In A Dark Season
    Dec 22 2025

    A single barroom question—will the terror ever stop—can change how you see duty, faith, and the meaning of peace. We open with prayer and a grateful nod to everyone holding families, churches, and towns together, then step into a hard conversation about violence, vigilance, and what actually protects ordinary people. The tension is real, so we turn to Scripture for a truer compass: Proverbs on faithful marriage, Matthew 4 on repentance and calling, and Psalm 4 on quieting anger and trusting God for peace that outlasts harvests and headlines.

    History gives the ideas flesh. We read the Medal of Honor citation for Staff Sergeant William J. Bordelon at Tarawa, where courage looked like wet sand, pillboxes, and a choice to go again under fire. That story reframes our comfort and reminds us that security has names and graves. We pair it with FDR’s 1936 Christmas messages, weaving Dickens’ transformation with the Sermon on the Mount. The claim lands with weight: policies matter, but a nation cannot claim to seek peace while ignoring Christ’s commands. Repentance, mercy, and fidelity are not soft words; they are the spine that holds a people upright when fear and rage press in.

    Across the hour, we ask you to test convictions against Scripture, to thank those who serve, and to build homes that hold firm in rough weather. We offer a family-friendly book recommendation for readers who love Narnia and Percy Jackson, and we invite you to support the show if it’s been useful to you. Most of all, we point to the light that still breaks into dark places. Share the gospel. Care for the cold, hungry, and afraid. Pray the Lord’s Prayer like it is daily bread, and live as if peace on earth begins at your table.

    If this conversation challenged you or gave you hope, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a rating or review so more people can find it. Then tell us: where are you choosing to bring light this week?

    Support the show

    The American Soul Podcast

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribe

    Countryside Book Series

    https://www.amazon.com/Countryside-Book-J-T-Cope-IV-ebook/dp/B00MPIXOB2

    Más Menos
    23 m
  • Suffering, Scripture, And The Unfailing Promise Of Christmas
    Dec 20 2025

    Doubt doesn’t always start with disbelief; it often starts with uneven standards. We put ancient sources on pedestals while demanding perfection from the Gospels. So we ask a sharper question: if historians trust accounts of Alexander the Great written centuries after his death, what should we do with Christian claims circulating within years of the resurrection? Walking through insights popularized by Lee Strobel and scholarship that outlines early creeds, eyewitness proximity, and manuscript depth, we press for intellectual fairness—and courage to follow the evidence where it leads.

    From there, we bring faith home. Colossians 3 reframes marriage not as power but as mutual sacrifice: wives honoring God’s order, husbands rejecting bitterness through self-giving love. Then we step into the Jordan and the wilderness. John the Baptist calls for fruit worthy of repentance, and Jesus answers temptation with Scripture, refusing shortcuts to comfort, spectacle, or power. Those scenes become a map for modern pressure: hold to truth, obey when unseen, and let God define the path.

    We round out the journey with battle-tested courage and seasonal hope. The story of Medal of Honor recipient Joel Thompson Boone shows love with skin in the game—running into fire to save the wounded. Psalm 3 and Proverbs 1 ground our courage and prudence, while FDR’s 1935 Christmas words cast a wider light: the message of peace and goodwill crosses borders, eras, and fears. Taken together, these threads form a steadying line—from historical reliability to daily obedience, from battlefield sacrifice to a manger’s promise. If this conversation strengthens your footing, share it with a friend, subscribe for more thoughtful episodes, and leave a review to help others find the show. What part challenged you most today?

    Support the show

    The American Soul Podcast

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribe

    Countryside Book Series

    https://www.amazon.com/Countryside-Book-J-T-Cope-IV-ebook/dp/B00MPIXOB2

    Más Menos
    21 m
  • Swords, Scripture, And Small-Town PTA Meetings Walk Into A Podcast
    Dec 19 2025

    Headlines can numb the soul, but they can also wake it. We open with prayer and move straight into the hard reality of targeted violence and public fear, then trace a path that blends courage with compassion. Our focus is local and concrete: how to strengthen law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, and communication networks so communities are ready before a crisis, not after. The goal isn’t alarm—it's stewardship. When neighbors talk, train, and plan, the ground under our feet steadies.

    From there, we ground public life in private covenant. We read the marriage passages from Corinthians and Genesis, exploring how a husband and wife, joined as one, form a stable center for children and community. That foundation links to a journey of prudence: Joseph, Mary, and the child Jesus flee danger, wait for God’s timing, and return only when it’s safe. Obedience here looks like preparation, patience, and movement guided by wisdom. It’s a blueprint for modern families facing uncertainty without surrendering to fear.

    Scripture keeps widening the frame. Psalm 2 reminds us that rulers rage, but God reigns; Proverbs calls us to humility and discipline. We pause to honor a Medal of Honor recipient whose brief citation hints at decisive bravery, then hear FDR’s Christmas reading on radical grace—an invitation that stretches even to the hardest hearts. We hold both truths together: salvation is offered to all, and love protects the vulnerable. That’s why moral clarity and community readiness belong side by side.

    If this conversation stirred you, share it with a friend, subscribe for future episodes, and leave a review so others can find the show. Tell us one step you’ll take this week—support a first responder, read the marriage passages with your spouse, or start a neighborhood safety chat. Your action matters.

    Support the show

    The American Soul Podcast

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribe

    Countryside Book Series

    https://www.amazon.com/Countryside-Book-J-T-Cope-IV-ebook/dp/B00MPIXOB2

    Más Menos
    23 m
  • Golden Rule, Public Schools, And Faith
    Dec 18 2025

    A simple memory at a memorial changed the tone of the day: a third-grade classroom with the Golden Rule on the wall, memorized by kids who carried it into adulthood. That image opened a bigger conversation about what we teach our children, how we understand liberty, and why our public institutions should reflect the moral roots that shaped this country.

    We walk through the case for centering tax-funded education on the principles that animated the American project—love of neighbor, the dignity of conscience, and the Scriptural wisdom that formed our earliest laws and customs. Along the way, we confront the modern “separation of church and state” narrative that grew after 1947 and contrast it with Jefferson’s original concern about a national church. The goal isn’t coercion at home; it’s clarity in the public square. We also move from civics to the heart, reading 1 Corinthians 7 as a mirror for marriages that need mutual care, prayer, and unity, and noting how strong homes train the same virtues a free people require.

    Scripture readings from Matthew, Psalms, and Proverbs bring the story into focus: Joseph’s obedience, the Magi’s courage, and the promise that delight in God’s law turns lives into rooted trees. We honor Private Robert D. Booker’s Medal of Honor sacrifice as the hard-earned fruit of formation, not accident, and we revisit Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1933 Christmas messages, where “love thy neighbor” rises as a national ethic in anxious times. If history is bending toward a rougher season, we can still prepare: strengthen local institutions, equip those who serve, speak up at school boards, and teach the Golden Rule with conviction.

    If this conversation resonates, share it with a friend, leave a review, and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next. Your voice in your town matters—bring it to your schools, your home, and your street.

    Support the show

    The American Soul Podcast

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribe

    Countryside Book Series

    https://www.amazon.com/Countryside-Book-J-T-Cope-IV-ebook/dp/B00MPIXOB2

    Más Menos
    24 m
  • Stop Bingeing Shows And Start Bingeing Your Spouse
    Dec 17 2025

    Strong marriages don’t happen by accident—they’re built hour by hour with the choices we make when no one is watching. We open with gratitude and prayer, then press into a simple, challenging idea: if you can find time for screens, sports, or scrolling, you can find time to invest in your spouse. Drawing from Kobe Bryant’s “simple math,” we talk about compounding effort in relationships and how a steady, willing spirit creates a home that can weather stress and change.

    We ground that vision in Scripture. 1 Peter 3 calls us to the hidden work of the heart—gentleness, understanding, and honor—over vanity and pride. Revelation 22 widens our horizon with a river of life and the promise of Christ’s return, giving couples a durable hope that reframes daily friction. Psalm 150 and Proverbs 31 add a rhythm of praise and diligence, showing how worship and wise effort shape a household that blesses everyone inside it.

    To anchor these ideas in real courage, we share the Medal of Honor story of Robert M. Booty and reflect on President Truman’s Christmas message about peace, patience, and the spirit of the Prince of Peace. The through line is clear: faith forms character, character shapes marriage, and marriage strengthens families and nations. If you’re ready to reallocate your hours and rebuild what matters most, this conversation will give you clarity, conviction, and a path forward.

    If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review to help others find us. Then tell us: which hour this week will you reclaim for your marriage?

    Support the show

    The American Soul Podcast

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribe

    Countryside Book Series

    https://www.amazon.com/Countryside-Book-J-T-Cope-IV-ebook/dp/B00MPIXOB2

    Más Menos
    23 m
  • New Heaven, Old Earth, Real Marriage
    Dec 16 2025

    A single thread runs through today’s conversation: real authority is sacrificial, and real hope is active. We open with gratitude and prayer, then move straight into Ephesians 5 to explore how love and respect are not competing claims but a bonded calling. Husbands are charged to give themselves up, not to grasp for power; wives are called to respect that costly leadership, not to disappear. We share a hard truth from a broken marriage—two people “forgot they needed each other”—and talk candidly about how daily dependence protects a covenant from slow erosion.

    From there, Revelation 21 lifts our eyes to the New Jerusalem, where God wipes every tear and night never falls. The measured walls, radiant stones, and open gates are more than poetry; they are a blueprint for courage now. We connect that hope to the rhythms of praise and justice in Psalm 149 and the steady, capable work pictured in Proverbs 31. Far from stereotypes, these texts sketch a household that builds value, serves the poor, and strengthens the city gates—an economy of trust that begins at the kitchen table and ripples outward.

    History puts skin on these ideals. We honor First Lieutenant Alexander “Sandy” Bonnyman Jr., whose leadership at Tarawa—organizing men under fire, advancing when pinned down, and holding ground at the cost of his life—shows what authority looks like under pressure. Then we reflect on President Truman’s 1951 Christmas message, a clear-eyed call to pursue a just peace with faith and resolve. Finally, we turn to our moment: the need to prepare our communities, support local first responders, and practice readiness without losing compassion. Faith shapes homes, homes shape citizens, and citizens steward freedom best when they remember who—and what—they are willing to serve.

    If this resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for more, and leave a review to help others find the show. What moment challenged you most today?

    Support the show

    The American Soul Podcast

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribe

    Countryside Book Series

    https://www.amazon.com/Countryside-Book-J-T-Cope-IV-ebook/dp/B00MPIXOB2

    Más Menos
    27 m
  • Pearl Harbor To Purpose
    Dec 15 2025

    A quiet milestone hits hard: for the first time in 84 years, no Pearl Harbor survivor could attend the ceremony. That absence becomes a mirror, and we ask the hard question—what will history say about our generation when our voices fade? We weave that reflection through Scripture, prayer, and lived examples to trace a path of courage rooted not in noise but in fidelity.

    We start with the heart of the home—marriage—drawing from Hebrews 13:4 to make a clear, hopeful case for honoring vows and resisting the pull to normalize what wounds trust. Mercy is real, and so is accountability. From there, Revelation 20 reframes our moment: evil deceives, but only for a time; books are opened; names matter; and resurrection hope changes how we carry responsibility. Psalm 148 widens the frame to a universe of praise, reminding us that obedience is harmony with a creation that already sings. Proverbs 31:8–9 then turns praise into practice, calling us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and to seek justice for the crushed.

    We ground these themes in story. A brief Medal of Honor spotlight on Robert Earl Bonney pulls courage out of the boiler room and into the light, showing that heroism often hides behind steel and steam. And we revisit President Harry Truman’s 1950 Christmas messages—words forged in wartime—that tie peace on earth to moral clarity and public duty. Throughout, we bless the workers who keep communities alive—farmers, ranchers, linemen, doctors, builders—because service is how love becomes law in daily life.

    If you’re ready for a clear-eyed, hopeful call to remember well, love well, and stand firm with grace, press play and join us. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review with one action you’ll take this week.

    Support the show

    The American Soul Podcast

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribe

    Countryside Book Series

    https://www.amazon.com/Countryside-Book-J-T-Cope-IV-ebook/dp/B00MPIXOB2

    Más Menos
    20 m
  • Your Halo Might Be Crooked, But Your To-Do List Isn’t
    Dec 13 2025

    Start with honesty: none of us has a spotless record, and pretending we do only delays the obedience God asks of us today. We dig into the parable of the two sons to show why repentance is measured by action, not memory, and we highlight Rahab’s story as a powerful reminder that God writes redemption into the lives of imperfect people who choose faithfulness now.

    From there, we turn to Titus 2 and get practical about the virtues that steady a home and strengthen a community. Temperance, dignity, sensible speech, and the work of teaching what is good give our faith credibility. Revelation 19 then lifts our eyes, reminding us that the wedding feast of the Lamb and the triumph of the Rider called Faithful and True are not abstract theology but the anchor for perseverance and hope when the world feels hostile and disordered.

    We round out the conversation with Psalm 147’s comfort for the brokenhearted, Proverbs 31’s sober counsel to leaders, and a Medal of Honor spotlight on Sylvester Bonnafon Jr. History speaks, too: we read FDR’s Pearl Harbor address and Harry Truman’s 1949 Christmas message, drawing lessons about courage, clarity, peace, and service. Through Scripture and history, we argue for a life that names evil, loves neighbors, and trusts God for victory. If this resonates, share it with a friend, leave a review, and subscribe so you won’t miss what’s next. Your reflections help shape future episodes—what truth do you need courage to act on today?

    Support the show

    The American Soul Podcast

    https://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribe

    Countryside Book Series

    https://www.amazon.com/Countryside-Book-J-T-Cope-IV-ebook/dp/B00MPIXOB2

    Más Menos
    26 m