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Crosswalk Talk: Celebrity Christian Interviews

Join us each week on Crosswalk Talk where we interview your favorite Christian celebrities. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment.

Some of our favorite interviews include:

⭐️ Chrissy Metz and Bradley Collins Discuss Their Heartwarming Children's Book on Prayer

⭐️ Patricia Heaton and David Hunt Talk Faith, Life and Their Adoption Film Unexpected

⭐️ Willie and Korie Robertson Open Up About The Blind and the Generational Impact of Faith

⭐️ Phil Wickham Talks New Album, Songwriting, and the Deconstruction Movement

Let us know what famous Christian celebrities you want us to interview for the show!

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Thursday · 18 min
He Was Named Comedian of the Year and Still Gives Tickets Away Free
Nazareth grew up in Kuwait as a Coptic Christian, moved to America with dreams of becoming rich and famous, and was on track to get there. NBC had a sitcom in development for him. His manager told him he was going to be the biggest star in the country. Then he went to church with a friend, walked forward, gave his life to Christ, and called his manager Monday morning to quit. After 250 F-words from his manager, he was released — and never signed with one again. God created humor, clean comedy is having its moment, and the only ticket price is showing up: Nazareth shares how he went from comedy clubs to prisons to stadiums to free community events where anyone who cannot afford a ticket simply picks one up, no questions asked. He has seen hundreds of thousands of people respond to the gospel at the end of his shows, and he believes the reason clean comedy is surging right now is simple, social media is so dark and filthy that being clean is the only way to actually stand out. He also talks about why laughter opens hearts that sermons sometimes cannot, and why two friends fighting cancer told him they were going to drag themselves to his show just to forget about their illness for two hours. Highlights Growing up in Kuwait as a Coptic Christian, coming to America to study in Toledo, and building a comedy career before knowing Christ Calling his manager Monday morning after getting saved and quitting the career he had spent years building Why God created humor and the body was designed to heal through laughter, but only when you are laughing at something consistent with your values How doing comedy in prisons helped him develop material strong enough to work anywhere — because inmates on death row do not have to laugh Why clean comedy is surging right now and why being clean has become the countercultural choice in a filthy media landscape The Laughter for All model — free events where anyone who cannot afford a ticket gets one, first come first served, no VIP section The woman who called worried she would sit in the back because she got a free ticket, and what Nazareth told her Two hours of clean comedy, three headliners, and ten minutes of gospel at the end — that is the whole show Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Nazareth website: https://www.nazarethusa.com 🌐 Laughter for All: https://www.laughterforall.org 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comediannazareth 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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Tuesday · 12 min
Natalie Layne Never Had the Dramatic Testimony and That Is the Point
Natalie Layne grew up with worship leader parents, was playing keys in church by age 12, and gave her life to Jesus at 13. She never had the dramatic testimony — no alley moment, no rock bottom, no radical rescue story. For a long time she thought that made her story less powerful. Her new EP Still Running to You, releasing September 9, is her answer to that lie. Steadfast faith, the gift of being kept, and a hymn that still says everything: Natalie shares why she believes the church kid testimony is just as miraculous as anyone else's, because what God kept you from is just as worth celebrating as what He brought you through. She also talks about writing Big World with horns, saxophones, and a whole room full of musicians recording together at the same time to capture the feeling that nobody is doing this alone, why she still takes scripture and sets it to music the way she did as a kid, and how landing at Belmont University in Nashville — not because she knew she needed to be there, but because she just liked the school — opened every door she has walked through since. Highlights Why she spent years thinking her church kid testimony was less powerful than someone else's dramatic rescue story The realization that what God kept you from is just as miraculous as what He brought you through How growing up running around her parents' worship rehearsals shaped everything about who she became as an artist Big World, recorded with a full room of musicians all tracking together, and why she wants it to open every live show Why she still sets scripture to music the same way she did as a child and why it remains her favorite way to write The decision to put Blessed Assurance on the EP and why those hymn lyrics — this is my story, this is my song — capture her entire testimony How nine years at Belmont in Nashville introduced her to collaborators and opened doors she never could have planned for Meeting Nichole Nordeman at an awards show and what it meant to tell her how much those songs shaped her Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Natalie Layne website: https://www.natalielayne.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalielaynemusic 🎵 EP: Still Running to You 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 10 · 24 min
Monster Has 4 Billion Streams and John Cooper Is Still Shocked
John Cooper, lead singer of Skillet, wrote Scream during one of the hardest seasons of his life — betrayal, slander, and the kind of disorientation that comes when the rug is pulled out from under everything you trusted. The song is raw, reaching, and ends with a cry to God: come pull me out from under the noise and thunder. The new EP is called After the Storm, and he says the title is aptly chosen because he is finally on the other side. Suffering, social media, and the 4-billion-stream song his label almost never let him record: John shares why he believes Monster resonates because it captures what the Bible actually says about being a sinner and a saint simultaneously, why he limits his time on social media and never reads the comments, and why eleven tours through Russia convinced him to love America in a way that no amount of political debate ever could. He also opens up about what has kept his marriage, his band, and his faith grounded through decades in the public eye, a shared agreement that the Bible is above everything, including him. Highlights Why Scream is the most vulnerable Skillet has been in years and what personal betrayal and suffering inspired it Why he believes Christians can be simultaneously sinners and saints and why Monster is a deeply biblical message How Monster broke bigger than rock and why soccer moms relating to it was something he never saw coming Why he almost never goes on social media and what he would say to Christians about how to handle the cesspool What eleven tours through Russia taught him about loving America, freedom of speech, and the gift of liberty Why he is not a Christian nationalist but still believes America's form of government was built on reformers' ideas rooted in Scripture Why he tells Christians who say they love Jesus but aren't into doctrine: if you want to know who He is, read the Bible How a shared agreement that the Bible is above everyone in the band and the household has kept Skillet grounded for decades Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Website: https://johnlcooper.com 📱 Instagram John Cooper: https://www.instagram.com/johnlcooper 🎵 Single: Scream 🎵 EP: After the Storm, coming soon 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 8 · 11 min
Mena Massoud Went From Aladdin to the Book of Daniel
Mena Massoud grew up doing church plays and Stations of the Cross as a Coptic Christian, the son of Egyptian parents who moved to Canada when he was three and a half. He went to the University of Toronto for neuroscience, auditioned for theater school on a leap of faith, got one of the thirty spots, and eventually landed Aladdin after a six-month silence from Disney followed by a call to fly to London and screen test with Guy Ritchie. Now he is playing Daniel in Daniel in the Fiery Furnace, a biblical film about a man who refused to bow, literally and figuratively. Faith, identity, and the question every generation has to answer for itself: Mena shares why Daniel's story resonates so deeply for him as an immigrant who knows what it is like to leave everything familiar and hold onto your culture, language, and faith in a foreign land, and why he believes the central question of the film — who do you hold in the highest regard — is one every young person is wrestling with right now in a world full of athletes, celebrities, and influencers competing for that place. He also talks about what it was like to audition for Aladdin, forget about it for six months, and then get the call that changed his career. Highlights Why Mena has been circling biblical projects for years and why Daniel in the Fiery Furnace is the one God put in his path Why Daniel's refusal to bow is as relevant today as it was in Babylon, especially for young people on social media How his parents' immigration from Egypt to Canada, speaking Arabic at home and cooking Egyptian food every night, mirrors Daniel's experience in Babylon What it was like to grow up in a tight-knit Coptic community in Ontario where his closest friendships were formed at church How Aladdin came after a six-month silence from Disney and why the real surprise was getting called back, not booking the role What his four years at theater school looked like: 13–14 hour days, six days a week, singing, dancing, Shakespeare, and mask work What he would wish for if the genie were real, and why health is the only answer that matters as you get older Resources / Links / CTA 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menamassoud 🎬 Daniel in the Fiery Furnace: https://www.imdb.com/title 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 3 · 20 min
Teaching Kids to Do It Afraid Is the Only Courage That Lasts | Montell & Kristin Jordan
Kristin Jordan was trying to get her three-year-old son to sleep when he started talking about the monster under his bed. Instead of dismissing the fear, the Holy Spirit gave her a thought — what if the monster is more afraid of you than you are of him? That became the seed of Shilo and the Not So Scary Girl Above His Bed, a children's book about a lovable character who is afraid but takes one brave step anyway, written by Kristin and her husband Montell Jordan, the R&B singer behind This Is How We Do It. Facing fear as a child, facing cancer as an adult, and the courage that can only be received and never manufactured: Montell shares what it was like to hear the word cancer in January 2024, to have surgery to remove his prostate in November, to face a recurrence nine months later requiring 37 proton therapy treatments, and to receive a call from his doctor on Christmas Day 2025 with results showing his cancer was undetectable. He and Kristin also open up about three decades of marriage, why she started chasing God before he did, and why they now spend their time pastoring the unpastored — musicians, entertainers, and people in secular spaces who would never walk into a church on a Sunday. Highlights The bedtime conversation with their three-year-old that sparked the idea for Shilo and the Not So Scary Girl Above His Bed Why Shilo is not fearless — he is afraid, and he does it afraid, taking one brave step at a time Why Kristin believes dismissing a child's fear with "you don't have to be afraid" is the wrong response Why manufactured courage is unsustainable and true bravery has to be received, not produced Montell's cancer diagnosis in January 2024, surgery, recurrence, 37 proton therapy treatments, and the Christmas Day call declaring him undetectable Why he immediately said "this is not going to kill me" the moment the doctor used the word cancer Their 72-hour water fasts, dietary overhaul, and holistic approach to healing alongside medical treatment How This Is How We Do It has become an entry point for ministry — the same man, a different heart, pointing to something bigger Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Montell Jordan website: https://montellandkristin.com 📱 Instagram Montell Jordan: https://www.instagram.com/montelljordan 📱 Instagram How We Do Marriage: https://www.instagram.com/howwedomarriage 📖 Book: Shilo and the Not So Scary Girl Above His Bed 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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September 1 · 23 min
He Was Spared on 9/11 and He Has Never Stopped Asking Why
Sujo John arrived in America from India in February 2001 with $60 in his wallet and two bags full of dreams. By September he was on the 81st floor of the North Tower, his pregnant wife was on the 71st floor of the South Tower, and the morning of September 11 he sent an email to a friend at 7:32AM saying something is happening to me — I've been chasing stuff in America and I need to chase after God. Sixteen minutes later, American Flight 11 hit his floor. Survival, purpose, and a girl in a red light district who grabbed his arm and changed everything: Sujo shares what it was like to walk down the stairwell past hundreds of firefighters heading up, to be buried in debris when the South Tower fell and pulled out by an FBI agent who ran back in and never came out, and to receive a phone call later that day from his wife — whom he was certain was dead. He also shares why the doctors told them to abort their son, why they refused, and how that child is now 24 years old and in medical school. And he tells the story of a trip to a red light district in New Delhi where a girl grabbed his arm, said get me out of here, and God said this is exactly what I rescued you for. Highlights Arriving in America with $60 in February 2001 and landing a job on the 81st floor of the North Tower six months later Sending an email about his spiritual state at 7:32AM on September 11, then the plane hitting at 8:48AM Walking past hundreds of firefighters going up as he was running down and what that image still means to him Being buried in debris when the South Tower fell, pulled out by FBI agent Leonard Hatton, who ran back in and died Finding out his pregnant wife was alive — and that she had been two minutes late to work that day Why doctors urged them to abort their son because of the toxic air she had inhaled, and why they refused The red light district in New Delhi, a girl who grabbed his arm and said get me out of here, and the founding of You Can Free Us Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Sujo John ministry: https://sujojohn.com 🌐 You Can Free Us: https://youcanfreeus.org 📱 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sujojohn 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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August 27 · 12 min
The NFL Fullback Who Became a Psychiatric Nurse
Patrick Hill was a fullback at the University of Miami, had stints with the Titans, Broncos, and Texans, and when football doors stopped opening he asked God to lead him somewhere else. That somewhere else turned out to be a nursing program at UCLA, and eventually a career as an inpatient psychiatric nurse and orthopedic nurse practitioner. The transition made more sense than people might expect — a fullback's whole job is selfless service, blocking so someone else can score. Patrick just traded the field for the ward. True strength, Mercy Ships, and the devotional series that brought an NFL player and a Jacksonville Jaguar together: Patrick shares how nursing reshaped everything he thought he knew about strength — that the loudest victories at the bedside are often completely silent, that the most vulnerable patients carry the most unwavering faith, and that a smile from a dementia patient who remembers your name is one of the most powerful moments a human being can witness. He is part of Strength in Service, a 10-part devotional series on the Glorify app in partnership with Mercy Ships, and his message to every young athlete who thinks strength means never showing weakness is simple: be yourself, be rooted in Christ, and the sky is the limit. Highlights How a conversation with the dean of UCLA's nursing school during the NFL lockout changed the entire direction of his life Why the fullback position — the most selfless role on the field — prepared him perfectly for a life of service in healthcare What nursing taught him about strength that football never could, including the power of a hand on the back or a smile at the right moment Why he believes the strongest people he has ever met were patients at their most vulnerable How his faith shapes his approach to every patient, modeled after Jesus going after the sickest and most broken What Mercy Ships does and why its model of volunteer surgeons and free care in the world's most medically scarce regions moved him deeply His message to young Christian athletes: don't be afraid to be rooted in Christ and you will play more freely than you ever thought possible Why he believes God answered his high school prayers through a path that looked like disappointment before it looked like a blessing Resources / Links / CTA 🎧 Strength in Service devotional series 🌐 Mercy Ships: https://www.mercyships.org 🌐 Glorify app: https://www.glorify.global/app 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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August 25 · 10 min
Darlene Zschech Wrote Shout to the Lord in 20 Minutes and Almost Hid It
Darlene Zschech was singing commercial jingles to pay the bills, her husband's business was struggling, they had two small children, and the dream of full-time ministry felt impossibly far away. She sat down at her piano, opened her Bible, and prayed. Twenty minutes later she had Shout to the Lord, and she was so unsure of it that when she finally played it for her worship pastor, she made him turn around and face the wall so she wouldn't have to watch his reaction. Worship, revival, and a song that left her hands before she understood what it was: Darlene shares the story of Shout to the Lord and how God took it global before the internet existed, why she believes the early Hillsong era was a season of hiddenness where God let the roots go deep before anything grew tall, and what she thinks makes a true worship song as opposed to a song that merely expresses feelings. She is also part of The House of Worship, a new film bringing together 25 years of worship music's most influential artists to celebrate songs that have shaped generations — and she believes another revival is already beginning. Highlights Why Darlene made her worship pastor turn and face the wall while she played Shout to the Lord for the first time How the song went global before the internet existed and why she says none of them can take credit for it The first Sunday it was sung over an offering, everyone stood with their hands in the air, and a visiting minister said it would go around the world Why she calls the early Hillsong era a season where God hid them so the roots could go deep before the fruit came What real revival looked like in those days — altar calls where heaps of people would just get saved, week after week Her definition of a worship song: not one that expresses feelings but one that reveals Christ and exalts Jesus Why she believes the new song has always accompanied historical revivals and why she thinks we are there again What The House of Worship captures — 25 years of songs written for the local church by people within the local church Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Darlene Zschech website: https://www.darlenezschech.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlenezschech 🎬 The House of Worship: https://houseofworshipmusic.com 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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August 20 · 16 min
Grammy Winner DOE on Shiloh and the Wealth Only the Gospel Can Give
DOE, Grammy-winning singer and founding member of Forever Jones, has been leading worship her whole life. But her third solo album Shiloh, releasing August 28, is different from anything she has made before. Her mother is singing on it. Three of her siblings are in the videos. And the central conviction running through every song is one she has carried since long before she had a child of her own — someone had to make sure you knew who Jesus was, and it is your job to make sure the next generation knows too. Generational legacy, the gospel as the only lasting wealth, and a Grammy win discovered between frantic airport searches: DOE shares the heart behind Shiloh and the lead single Know Your Name, co-written with Anthony Brown and David Spencer as a declaration that if it is up to her, every generation will know the name of Jesus. She also opens up about writing Black Boy Joy for the men in her family before she was married or had a son, why she sang it at Carnegie Hall for Juneteenth, and what it felt like to find out she had won a Grammy while postpartum, running through an airport, and looking for her milk bag — holding what she calls her greatest accomplishment in her arms while receiving her greatest musical one. Highlights Why DOE says Shiloh is not just her most personal album — it is her life, her upbringing, and her mother singing beside her The central theme of the album: generational transfer of eternal wealth, the kind that can only be found through the gospel Know Your Name, co-written with Anthony Brown and David Spencer, as a declaration to pass the name of Jesus to every generation How becoming a mother sharpened her understanding of how God sees us when we are trying, striving, and not yet understanding The story behind Black Boy Joy, written for her father, brothers, uncles, and grandfathers before she had a husband or son Why she sang Black Boy Joy at Carnegie Hall for Juneteenth and what that celebration means to her as an American milestone Finding out she won a Grammy in an airport while postpartum, searching for her milk bag, and surrounded by a flood of missed calls Why she believes her next album may be entirely congregational worship and the prayer she takes into every writing session Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 DOE website: https://www.doejonesmusic.com 📱 DOE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doejonesmusic 🎵 Album: Shiloh, releasing August 28 🎵 Single: Know Your Name 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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August 18 · 11 min
What the Data Says About Pastors and AI in the Church Today
Nick Skytland, Vice President of AI Research at GLOO, has been tracking how pastors use AI for a year through a joint research initiative with Barna. The headline finding will surprise people: 87% of pastors are using AI in some form. Only 13% say they do not use it at all. But how they are using it — and where the cautions lie — is where the conversation gets important. Brainstorming, biblical research, and the Friday sermon temptation: Nick walks through the data, including the 24% of pastors who now use AI to write or edit sermons, double last year's number, and why he believes the biggest risk is not that pastors are using it but that they stop thinking critically about what it gives back. AI is biased, not theologically neutral, and trained on secular pluralistic information — using it for spiritual formation without pastoral judgment, he says, is like turning to Reddit for marriage advice. He also shares what GLOO is building to address that gap and why he believes the church's mandate for human formation has never mattered more than it does in the age of AI. Highlights Why 87% of pastors are now using AI in some form and what that actually looks like in practice The top uses: brainstorming, idea generation, biblical research, small group questions, and administrative tasks Why 79% of pastors worry about AI replacing God and 63% worry about it replacing spiritual leaders entirely Why AI is not theologically neutral and defaults to secular pluralistic responses unless specifically prompted otherwise The Friday sermon temptation and why tired pastors need to be most on guard against outsourcing their judgment Why the church's core calling is formation, not information, and why friction in human relationships matters What GLOO is building to make AI values-aligned for faith communities and where to find the full research Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 GLOO Flourishing AI research: https://gloo.com 🌐 Barna State of the Church research: https://www.barna.com/stateofthechurch 🌐 Nick Skytland Twitter: https://x.com/skytland 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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August 13 · 21 min
How Nathan Gamble Found Jesus at 19
Nathan Gamble grew up in church. He knew the creed, got confirmed, got baptized as an infant, and showed up every Sunday. He knew every rhythm of the Christian life — and had nothing in his heart for any of it. Then at 18 he moved to LA by himself, worked a lot, had no friends, hit rock bottom, and considered ending his life. A few connections later, he found himself hanging out with broke Bible college students in Ventura, California who were inexplicably joyful, and he wanted whatever they had. Two weeks after enrolling, he got saved. Isolation, genuine joy, and a faith that finally moved from the head to the heart: Nathan shares how he went from playing Sawyer in Dolphin Tale and Commissioner Gordon's son in The Dark Knight to being all in for the kingdom, and why he believes the most powerful form of the Great Commission is simply loving people so well they start asking what you have. He also gives a preview of Bad Counselors, releasing July 22, a film following two frat brothers who pose as counselors at a Christian youth camp to fulfill court-ordered community service — and why he thinks it is one of the smartest faith films made in years because it puts the audience squarely on the side of the non-believer. Highlights Why Nathan says most of his career he was not a believer — he just knew all the rhythms and performed them for his parents Moving to LA at 18 alone, hitting rock bottom, considering ending his life, and how Bible college students changed everything The premise of Bad Counselors and why he thinks the script is a page turner that made him laugh out loud Why showing Bad Counselors to non-believing students at USC got a 90% approval rating His philosophy of being a light on secular sets without needing to identify every moment as a ministry opportunity His dad's three rules for success — show up early, memorize people's names, memorize your lines — and why they are all biblical His upcoming projects, Miracle on the Precipice with Sean Patrick Flanery and a show he co-created called Bible College Resources / Links / CTA 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanleegamble 🎬 Bad Counselors: in theaters July 22–27 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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August 11 · 19 min
They Flew to Brazil to Teach Filmmaking and Came Home With a Movie
Alex Kendrick and his brother Stephen went to Brazil to train 65 young Christian filmmakers. They came home with a Sony-funded feature film shot in Portuguese in Rio de Janeiro, starring a husband and wife who got pregnant during production and welcomed their baby two weeks before this interview. The new film is Flywheel: Ignition of the Soul, a remake of the very first movie the Kendrick brothers ever made, updated for modern day Brazil and releasing in American theaters October 16. Lordship, the movie screen as a canvas for the human heart, and a God who put every piece in place: Alex shares how the trip to Brazil came together through a series of unlikely open doors — including an interpreter named Enrique from Orlando who walked up out of nowhere and asked if they needed help — and why the story of an unethical car salesman, his praying wife, and a pastor's prayer that God would treat him the way he treated others is just as powerful in Portuguese as it was in English 25 years ago. He also revisits the Facing the Giants PG controversy and why a rating that initially stung turned into $8 million worth of free publicity that launched their career. Highlights Why the Kendricks agreed to train 65 Brazilian filmmakers and how that trip became a Sony-funded feature film The interpreter named Enrique who walked up and offered to help the moment they needed one — and never left Why shooting Flywheel in Portuguese, in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazilian culture made it something no dubbed version could replicate The husband and wife lead actors who got pregnant during production and welcomed a baby two weeks ago How the original Flywheel sold over a million DVDs despite almost every production mistake imaginable The story behind Flywheel, a used car salesman whose pastor unknowingly prays that God treats him the way he treated others Why Alex says the movie screen is not the primary canvas — the human heart is The Facing the Giants PG controversy and why a rating over faith content turned into a career-launching media moment Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Flywheel: Ignition of the Soul 📱 Instagram Alex Kendrick: https://www.instagram.com/the.alex.kendrick 🌐 Kendrick Brothers: https://kendrickbrothers.com 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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August 6 · 7 min
Man Is Never as Tall as When He Kneels
Bear Grylls has built a career taking people into the places where the real conversations happen — not the two-minute chat show slot where nobody asks about faith, but the mountaintop at sunset, the canyon at dusk, the forest trail where walls come down and people start talking about what actually matters. His new Prime Video series Chosen in the Wild takes the cast and crew of The Chosen into exactly those places, and Bear says what he has seen in these actors surprised him — many of them were not people of faith when they joined the show, and the transformation has been genuine. Faith kept simple, the wilderness as a place of encounter, and a show that has changed the people who made it: Bear shares why he keeps his own faith uncomplicated — say sorry, ask for help, say thank you — and why he believes there is a hunger for this kind of conversation everywhere he goes in the world. He also reflects on why sitting beside a river, walking through a forest, or watching a sunset with someone you love is just as sacred as anything that happens inside a building, and why he has learned long ago that a man is never as tall as when he kneels. Highlights Why Bear says he struggles more in normal everyday life than in the wilderness and what that reveals about how we are designed How the cast and crew of The Chosen arrived in the wild honest, open, and ready to talk about their real struggles Why many of the Chosen actors were not people of faith before the show and how that has changed Bear's simple daily prayer practice and why he keeps faith uncomplicated rather than formal Why climbing a mountain or sitting beside a river is just as much a spiritual encounter as anything in a church building His advice to young people who want to follow their hearts — fail a lot, build good people around you, and keep faith close Why he believes life will humble all of us eventually and why it is better to learn that lesson early The phrase that guides him: a man is never as tall as when he kneels Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Bear Grylls website: https://www.beargrylls.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beargrylls 📺 Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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August 4 · 18 min
What the Tower of Babel and AI Have in Common
Ben Peterson, founder of Engage Your Destiny and former military chaplain's assistant, has led more than 8,000 sailors, airmen, marines, and soldiers to Christ in the last three years. He works with the most faithless generation in American history — only 3% of Gen Z holds a fully biblical worldview — and he is watching them turn to AI chatbots for spiritual advice, emotional support, and the sense of belonging their brains are wired to crave. His new book When Intelligence Isn't Human: Navigating Your Faith in the Age of AI is his response. The Tower of Babel, the dopamine loop, and a generation being shaped by technology built by men who don't follow Christ: Ben walks through why he believes AI is the tool of the great deception described in Matthew 24, how the creators of the most powerful technology in human history are driven by evolutionary moral relativism and utopian promises that echo the language of Mao, Hitler, and Stalin, and why a 40% rise in Gen Z turning to AI chatbots as pastoral figures should alarm the church. He also shares why he is not anti-AI, where the line is between useful tool and dangerous dependence, and why he believes the same historical pattern that brought revival through World War Two, the Civil War, and the Great Awakening is building again right now. Highlights Why dopamine is a pursuit chemical, not a pleasure chemical, and how social media and AI have hacked that system in young people How 40% of Gen Z is now turning to AI chatbots in the same way they would turn to a pastor for spiritual guidance Why AI is not the issue — it is the originators and creators of AI who are building a world without Christ that is the danger The Tower of Babel parallel and why Genesis 11 warns about what happens when nothing is impossible for those who reject God Where Ben draws the line between AI as a tool and AI as a guide or relationship — and why it will never replace the Holy Spirit Why he is concerned about the 70% of military personnel who are Gen Z and what AI integration means for their spiritual lives The every-80-to-90-years revival pattern and why he believes the church is on the verge of the greatest move of God yet How every copy of his book sold funds putting a copy directly into the hands of a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Ben Peterson website: https://thebenpeterson.com 🌐 Book website: https://whenintelligenceisnthuman.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebenpeterson 📖 Book: When Intelligence Isn't Human: Navigating Your Faith in the Age of AI by Ben Peterson 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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July 30 · 24 min
The Newsboys Singer Who Stopped Singing for 30 Years
John James was the voice of Shine, Breakfast, Take Me to Your Leader, and Not Ashamed — the songs that defined the Newsboys' most creative era and introduced a generation to Christian music that was quirky, bold, and unlike anything else on the radio. He spent 16 years with the band. Then his world fell apart. He lost his marriage, his ministry, his career, and eventually flew back to Australia not to start over but, as he puts it plainly, to disappear and die. Brokenness, the lies that keep you silent, and the God who refuses to give up on his kids: John shares what it was like to hit rock bottom after leaving the Newsboys, why it took nearly 30 years before he could sing again, and how writing his new book Newsboy: My Story of Hope and Second Chances became the most healing and liberating experience of his life. He also reflects with grace on the recent Newsboys scandal, why he believes no one — not even the most broken person — is beyond the reach of God's redemption, and what the Christian music industry is missing by staying in one lane while an entire generation of young people has never heard of Bethel, Elevation, or Hillsong. Highlights Why John says he went back to Australia not for ministry but to disappear — and how God met him there How the slow erosion of his foundations, not a single dramatic fall, brought his house of cards down Why he refused to sing for nearly 30 years and the lies that kept him silent until God breathed on that area of his life again The process of losing 40 pounds, relearning to sing, and recording 11 new songs that sound like the follow-up to Shine Why he wanted the book to be a story of redemption, not a tell-all or a stone-throwing exercise His gracious and honest response to the recent Newsboys scandal and why redemption does not require our permission Why fast-tracking people in ministry based on gifting and charisma rather than character and biblical foundation is dangerous His urgent call for more Christian artists writing outside the worship lane to reach kids who have never heard of Christian music Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 John James website: https://www.ireachusa.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnjosephjames_official 📖 Book: Newsboy: My Story of Hope and Second Chances 🎵 Album: God of the Second Chance 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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July 28 · 6 min
The Gatekeepers Are the Problem, Willie and Korie Robertson on EKKL
Willie and Korie Robertson have been watching how entertainment shapes culture since Duck Dynasty first aired on cable. They have seen cable give way to streaming, watched the iPads appear in their grandchildren's hands, and decided that the answer to bad content is not just criticism — it is a better option. EKKL Entertainment is their answer: a faith and family streaming platform that also houses podcasts and devotionals, built for families who are tired of trying to figure out what is safe to watch. Faith families, Hollywood's blind spot, and a rock star who finds God in a hospital room: Willie and Korie share why they believe Hollywood does not overlook the faith and family audience so much as it simply does not understand it, why Duck Dynasty and God's Not Dead proved the appetite is real, and why the gatekeepers of traditional entertainment have kept too many good stories from reaching the people who need them. They also give a preview of Elijah Peele, releasing in theaters August 14, a gritty true story about a rock star whose life is falling apart who finds himself in a hospital room with a young girl and a chance at redemption — the kind of story, Willie says, where you do not realize it is a faith film until it has already gotten to you. Highlights Why Willie and Korie believe streaming is where culture is being shaped and why they wanted to be part of shaping it How watching their own kids and grandchildren consume content made the need for EKKL feel urgent and personal Why Hollywood does not overlook the faith and family audience — it just does not understand it How Duck Dynasty, God's Not Dead, and dozens of faith films proved the audience has always been there Why the gatekeepers of traditional entertainment are the problem and what EKKL offers as an alternative Elijah Peele, releasing August 14, a gritty true story about a rock star whose chase for everything leaves him with nothing Why Willie loves that Elijah Peele does not announce itself as a faith film in the first five minutes How EKKL goes beyond streaming to include podcasts and devotionals as a full trusted home for faith families Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 EKKL Entertainment: https://m.ekkl.com 📱 Instagram Korie Robertson: https://www.instagram.com/korie.robertson 🎬 Elijah Peele: in theaters August 14 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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July 23 · 8 min
Until Now, No Modern Film Had Ever Been Made About George Washington
Jon Erwin has been dreaming about the story of George Washington for over a decade. He read approximately 30 books, brought in historians obsessed with the subject, and set out not to photograph history but to paint an accurate portrait of a young man raging against an unfair world who decided to build a better one. Young Washington finished third at the box office over the Fourth of July weekend, making it the only film about American history in theaters on the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding — and the only modern theatrical film about George Washington in decades. The origin story of America, a love letter to a nation still worth believing in, and why your movie ticket is your vote: Jon shares what drew him to Washington's story, how the film captures a young man denied entry into a colonial class system and the fury that forged him into the father of a different kind of country, and why he believes so many of America's current problems trace back to a generation that no longer knows its own origin story. He also previews his next film, 1776, which will bring Washington back as the central figure of an ensemble story about the moment the largest amphibious fleet ever assembled in the history of the world hit the immovable object that was George Washington. Highlights Why Young Washington finishing third on the Fourth of July weekend was not a surprise to Jon but a statement from Middle America How nearly 30 books and years of research shaped a film he originally fell in love with long before he planned to make it The moment that defines Young Washington — a young man denied entry into a colonial class system who decides to build a fairer one Why America replaced the word subjects with citizens in the Declaration of Independence and what that still means today Why Jon believes this film belongs to everyone, left and right, because Washington is the first founding father for all Americans The staggering fact that Young Washington is the only modern theatrical film about George Washington in decades A preview of 1776, the next chapter in Washington's story, featuring an ensemble cast and the largest amphibious fleet ever assembled Why Jon believes America's story needs to be retold through film and why he hopes other filmmakers follow where Young Washington led Resources / Links / CTA 🎬 Young Washington film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32104007 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonerwinofficial 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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July 21 · 21 min
Can We Just Be Grateful? Steven Curtis Chapman on America at 250
Steven Curtis Chapman grew up watching his grandfather Ruble Rudd — a Purple Heart World War II veteran who came home with shrapnel permanently lodged in his leg, the only survivor of his platoon — live out a quiet, grateful patriotism that never left him. That legacy is at the heart of a new song Steven wrote for America's 250th birthday, a reimagining of America the Beautiful with the same chorus and new verses, recorded with country singer Chris Janson and debuted at the Grand Ole Opry on July 31, 2024 — the same night Ricky Skaggs walked out to invite Steven to become the Opry's newest member. Gratitude, division, and what happens when algorithms keep feeding us reasons to fight: Steven shares why he felt compelled to write a song that names the thing tearing America apart — including a lyric about algorithms that he was not sure belonged in a patriotic song but knew he had to say — and why his prayer for it is simply that people would lay down their weapons long enough to be grateful. He also opens up about the song Cinderella never becoming a number one because some Christian radio stations did not consider it a Christian song, why I Will Be Here was born from his parents' marriage dissolving, and why after four decades he is playing music with more joy than ever. Highlights The Purple Heart grandfather who survived his platoon and gave Steven a lifelong love for the cost of American freedom The night he debuted the new song at the Grand Ole Opry and was immediately invited to become a member Why he put the word algorithms in a patriotic song and what he believes social media is doing to American unity How he and Chris Janson connected as Opry brothers and why Janson jumped at the chance to record it together Why Cinderella never reached number one because some Christian radio stations said it was not a Christian song The painful season behind I Will Be Here, written after his parents' marriage dissolved, and why it surprised him by becoming one of his most beloved songs The Speechless 25th Anniversary Tour, a string quartet, a full band, and why he is playing music with more joy now than ever What he told his record label when he started — and what they told him about his singing before they signed him anyway Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Steven Curtis Chapman website: https://stevencurtischapman.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevencurtischapman 🎵 Single: America the Beautiful with Chris Janson 🎤 Speechless 25th Anniversary Tour 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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July 16 · 10 min
Tenroc Was Driving a Church Van When God Told Him to Make an Album
Tenroc has spent his life making hits for other people. Grammy nominated producer and songwriter, he has worked with Rihanna, Jonas Brothers, Julia Michaels, Renee Rapp, and others — building songs, polishing them, handing them off, and going back to do it again. He never wanted to be the one out front. Then, about a year ago, he was driving a church van full of youth with his wife in the passenger seat when he heard God say something that changed everything. God's personhood, misdirected worship, and why the universe is not listening when you talk to it: Tenroc shares the story behind God Is a Person, his debut solo album releasing July 17, and why every song on it was deliberately written to be impossible to apply to anyone but God. He also breaks down Celebrity Is Dead, a song born from a conversation with his wife about why fame ruins both the person being worshipped and the people doing the worshipping, and why the whole album is designed to start with you wherever your emotion is and carry you out of it by the last note. Highlights The moment God spoke to him while driving a church van and why his first attempt to rationalize his way around it failed Why God specifically told him to make songs that were explicit about Jesus and said His name out loud Celebrity Is Dead and why humans were never created to receive worship — and what it does to both parties when they try Why every song was written to be impossible to apply to anyone but God, including rewriting verses that felt too generic What God Is a Person means — not just that Jesus is God, but that the universe is not a person and is not listening Why the album has an 80s pop and rock sonic profile that anyone can enjoy regardless of their faith background What it is like to be a producer who gets to make the product, hand it off, and then go back to make another one Why he believes every song needs to begin in an honest emotion but cannot leave you there Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Tenroc website: https://www.praise-jesus.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tenroc 🎵 Single: Call My Name (Yahweh) 🎵 Album: God Is a Person, releasing July 17 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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July 14 · 13 min
The Warfare Between Science and God Was Always a Myth
Dr. Jay Richards, philosopher, senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, and vice president at the Heritage Foundation, has spent his career dismantling one of the most persistent myths in modern culture — that science and Christianity have always been at war. The founders of almost every sub-discipline of modern science, from Copernicus to Kepler to Newton, were either conventional or devout Christians. The warfare narrative was invented in the 19th century, and the evidence has been moving in the opposite direction ever since. Design, purpose, and the 20th century discoveries that materialism cannot explain: Dr. Richards walks through why the universe having a beginning in the finite past effectively removes materialism from contention as a worldview, how the fine-tuning of the cosmos points to a transcendent creator, and why the moral argument — the simple fact that you know it is always wrong to torture a child for fun, is one of the most powerful pieces of evidence for God that requires no science at all. He also shares his role in The Story of Everything as the philosophical connective tissue between the film's different streams of scientific evidence, and why he believes audiences who watch it will walk away knowing that the 19th century just-so stories of materialism simply do not hold up to scrutiny. Highlights Why the warfare between science and Christianity was always a myth invented in the 19th century How the discovery that the universe had a beginning effectively eliminates the materialist worldview from serious contention The moral argument for God, why the certainty that torturing a child is wrong points to a personal, holy, transcendent creator How Thomas Aquinas' teleological argument maps onto modern intelligent design evidence from DNA, bacterial flagella, and cosmology Why Dr. Richards served as the philosophical connective tissue between the scientists featured in The Story of Everything His go-to argument depending on the person, scientific for those interested in evidence, moral for those interested in truth Why he is agnostic on extraterrestrial life and what Mars and Venus tell us about how narrow the conditions for life actually are Resources / Links / CTA 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaywrichards 🎬 The Story of Everything 📖 Book: The Privileged Planet 🌐 Discovery Institute: https://www.discovery.org 🌐 Heritage Foundation: https://www.heritage.org 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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