Health

America does not just have an economic crisis. We have a leadership crisis, a truth crisis, and in many ways, a spiritual crisis. Too many universities have abandoned biblical principles, embraced ideological agendas, and left students burdened with debt while stripping away faith, purpose, and common sense.

That is why my wife, Marnie Freeman, and I were so encouraged during our recent conversation with Claire Foster from Regent University. At a time when many institutions are losing their footing, Regent is doing the opposite, training students to become bold Christian leaders grounded in biblical truth, economic understanding, and servant leadership.

Watch this full episode on Pirate Money Radio, streaming now on the Real Life Network. 

Why Christian Education Matters More Than Ever

One of the greatest blessings Marnie and I experienced as parents was watching our children graduate college while keeping both their faith and their values intact. That is becoming increasingly rare in America today.

Too many parents sacrifice financially to send their children to universities that openly undermine biblical truth and traditional values. Some schools that once began with Christian foundations, institutions like Harvard University and Yale University, have drifted so far from their origins that they now often work against the very principles they were founded to uphold.

Regent University was founded in 1977 by Pat Robertson with a very different mission: combining rigorous academics with unwavering biblical truth. According to Dr. Foster, the university’s vision is to develop Christian leaders who can influence every sphere of society — government, business, law, media, education, and beyond. That mission matters now more than ever.

Regent University Is Growing While Other Schools Decline

One of the most remarkable things about Regent is that it is thriving while many universities across America are struggling. Dr. Foster shared that Regent was recently ranked the number one Christian college in America and the number two military-friendly school in the nation. The university has doubled its student body during a period when many colleges are shrinking.

Why? Because families are searching for something deeper than credentials. They want truth, purpose, excellence, and leadership grounded in biblical values.

Regent’s emphasis on excellence, innovation, and integrity stood out immediately when Marnie and I visited the campus in Virginia Beach. The atmosphere felt different. Students were engaged, joyful, intelligent, and deeply rooted in faith.

The campus itself is beautiful, but what impressed us most was the spiritual foundation underneath it all. During chapel services, classroom discussions, and conversations with faculty, it became clear that Regent is intentionally discipling students — not simply preparing them for careers, but preparing them for life.

Watch this full episode on Pirate Money Radio, streaming now on the Real Life Network. 

Why Biblical Principles Apply to Economics and Government

At Pirate Money Radio, we often say that God’s principles apply to every area of life, including money, economics, and government. Regent understands that reality.

During our conversation, Dr. Foster spoke about the importance of training leaders who understand biblical stewardship, honest weights and measures, and economic freedom. Those concepts are not separate from faith — they are deeply connected to it.

The Bible speaks extensively about debt, stewardship, honesty, generosity, and justice. Proverbs teaches wisdom about managing resources. Scripture warns about dishonest scales and reckless borrowing. These principles matter because economies rise or fall based on truth.

That is why I was especially encouraged to see Regent expanding its focus on economic education through the Robertson School of Government under the leadership of Michele Bachmann.

Too often, schools of government teach political power without teaching economic truth. Students graduate understanding bureaucracy but not liberty. They learn theories disconnected from biblical wisdom and real-world consequences. That must change.

The Economic War Room at Regent University

One of the greatest honors of my life recently came when Regent University awarded me an honorary Doctor of Science degree during a special ceremony attended by leaders including Ben Carson and Michele Bachmann.

But even more meaningful was Regent’s announcement that it is launching a dedicated Economic War Room within the Robertson School of Government. The purpose of this initiative is to train future leaders who understand economic sovereignty, monetary policy, freedom, and biblical principles. Students will learn how economics impacts liberty, national security, and the future of civilization itself.

This is critically important because economics is often the hidden battlefield behind nearly every major political conflict. Nations are enslaved by debt. Families are crushed by inflation. Governments manipulate currencies and expand control through monetary systems. Yet very few universities teach students how these systems truly work from a biblical worldview.

That is exactly what Regent intends to do.

As Dr. Foster explained, the goal is not simply to preserve ideas from the past. It is to equip the next generation of Christian leaders to defend freedom and apply biblical truth in the real world.

Watch this full episode on Pirate Money Radio, streaming now on the Real Life Network. 

America Needs a Great Awakening Again

During the conversation, I shared the story of Benjamin Franklin and the transformation that occurred during America’s founding era. Franklin originally believed human wisdom alone could build a successful society. But after hearing the preaching of George Whitefield during the Great Awakening, Franklin began recognizing the necessity of God’s guidance in government and public life.

That spiritual awakening shaped America’s founding principles in profound ways. Today, America desperately needs another awakening, not merely political reform, but moral and spiritual renewal grounded in biblical truth.

That is why institutions like Regent matter so much. They are preparing students not simply to succeed financially, but to become principled leaders who can strengthen families, communities, churches, businesses, and government.

The Next Generation Gives Me Hope

One of the most encouraging parts of our conversation was hearing Dr. Foster describe what she sees in today’s students.

Despite being raised in a digital culture filled with confusion and distraction, many young people are hungry for truth, meaning, and authenticity. They are searching for something deeper than social media, political activism, or empty ideology. At Regent, students are encountering biblical truth in a way that is transforming their lives.

That gives me hope. America’s future will not be restored through politics alone. It will be restored by raising up men and women who understand God’s truth, apply biblical wisdom, and courageously lead in every sphere of society. That is exactly what Regent University is doing.

Stream Pirate Money Radio on the Real Life Network.

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In today’s online news, politics, and Christian streaming environment, the battles over socialism, political violence, radical ideology, Israel, faith, and cultural truth are becoming impossible to ignore. On Real Life Network and through The Daniel Cohen Show, viewers are engaging with conversations that connect headlines to a biblical worldview and examine the deeper spiritual forces shaping America and the West. From the tragic shooting at a San Diego mosque to the rise of socialist politics in New York City, from anti-Israel rhetoric and political extremism to surprising moments of bipartisan cooperation involving President Trump and Mark Cuban, these stories reveal a nation wrestling with truth, morality, and identity.

The divide is no longer just political.

It is spiritual, cultural, and deeply moral.

Violence, Radical Ideology, and the Moral Difference the West Must Preserve

The deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego shocked the nation and immediately reignited debates surrounding political violence, radicalization, and religious extremism. The attack left five people dead, including a security guard credited with preventing even greater loss of life.

Daniel Cohen made one point unmistakably clear.

Violence against innocent people is wrong. Full stop.

That principle matters because moral consistency matters. Conservatives grieve when synagogues are attacked. Christians grieve when churches are bombed. And believers should also grieve when innocent people at a mosque lose their lives.

A society that abandons moral consistency eventually loses its ability to distinguish justice from vengeance.

At the same time, the broader context surrounding radical Islam and anti-Israel extremism cannot be ignored. Cohen referenced the documented ties between individuals connected to the San Diego Islamic Center and two of the 9/11 hijackers, information contained within the official 9/11 Commission Report. He also addressed comments from Imam Taha Hassani following the October 7 Hamas massacre, in which he framed the attacks as justified “resistance.”

That distinction matters deeply.

Criticizing radical ideology is not the same as celebrating violence against innocent people. In fact, the refusal to target civilians is precisely what separates Western moral principles from terrorist ideology.

Israel’s actions following October 7 reflected that distinction as well. Cohen emphasized the extensive warnings issued by the IDF before strikes in Gaza, including text messages, phone calls, and leaflets urging civilians to evacuate targeted areas. No military conflict is without tragedy, but Israel’s efforts to minimize civilian casualties stand in stark contrast to Hamas tactics involving human shields and deliberate attacks against civilians.

For more biblically grounded reporting on Israel, politics, and culture, continue watching on Real Life Network and The Daniel Cohen Show.

Socialism, Dependency, and the Failure of Government Solutions

While San Diego processed tragedy, New York City found itself debating a very different issue. Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani announced plans for additional city-owned grocery stores funded by tens of millions of taxpayer dollars.

The proposal was framed as compassion.

Critics viewed it as economic fantasy.

Daniel Cohen pointed to the collapse of similar city-funded grocery projects in Kansas City, where millions in taxpayer dollars produced empty shelves, mounting crime, financial failure, and eventual closure. The issue is not merely whether government should help struggling communities. It is whether government-run economic systems actually produce sustainable results.

History repeatedly answers that question.

Socialism promises equality and security, but it repeatedly produces dependency, inefficiency, and economic decline.

This concern extends beyond grocery stores. Cohen argued that younger generations increasingly embrace socialism because they have been taught to view capitalism primarily through its failures rather than through its historical success in lifting millions out of poverty.

At the same time, the rise of online political extremism surrounding the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson exposed another disturbing trend. Social media users openly celebrated the assassination, praised the accused shooter, and framed violence as justified resistance against wealth and capitalism.

That normalization of hatred reflects something deeper.

When political ideology replaces moral restraint, violence eventually becomes easier to justify.

The cultural consequences become visible quickly. Cities already struggling with crime, addiction, homelessness, and economic instability increasingly double down on policies critics argue helped create those conditions in the first place.

Stay connected to biblically grounded analysis through Real Life Network and The Daniel Cohen Show.

Truth, Cooperation, and the Spiritual Foundation America Cannot Lose

At the same time, the show also highlighted a rare moment of political cooperation. Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, a longtime Trump critic and supporter of Kamala Harris, appeared alongside President Trump to announce expanded access to lower-cost prescription drugs through Trump Rx and Cost Plus Drugs.

The moment mattered because it demonstrated something increasingly rare in modern politics.

Results over tribalism.

When truth and practical solutions matter more than political branding, people with very different views can still work together for the common good.

For millions of Americans struggling to afford medication, the issue is not ideological. It is deeply personal. Cohen referenced seniors forced to choose between paying for prescriptions or buying food, highlighting why reducing drug costs matters in practical human terms.

The conversation then widened into a broader cultural reflection.

Hollywood outsourcing jobs overseas, growing distrust in institutions, rising political tribalism, and cultural confusion all point back to a deeper spiritual problem. Daniel Cohen referenced comments from Jewish activist Josh Hammer, who argued that societies abandoning objective truth eventually descend into misery, despair, and destruction.

That concern connects directly to Scripture.

The Ten Commandments introduced objective moral boundaries into civilization itself. “Thou shalt not murder” is not a partisan slogan or political opinion. It is a moral command rooted in God’s authority.

Without those boundaries, truth becomes tribal.

And when truth becomes tribal, society eventually loses the ability to distinguish between reality and ideology.

That is why Cohen closed by emphasizing prayer, humility, repentance, and civic engagement. Christians are not called to surrender culture. They are called to engage it with truth, conviction, and moral clarity grounded in Scripture.

In a time where socialism, political violence, radical ideology, and cultural confusion continue colliding across America and the West, discernment matters more than ever. These stories are not disconnected headlines. They reveal a broader battle over morality, truth, and the future direction of society.

Understanding that battle requires more than outrage or political loyalty.

It requires wisdom grounded in biblical truth.

For more biblically grounded reporting connecting today’s headlines to the good news of the gospel, visit Real Life Network and watch The Daniel Cohen Show.

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Humans are lonelier than ever before. Even before the pandemic, almost five out of 10 U.S. adults reported experiences of loneliness. For young adults aged 15-24, time spent in-person with friends has fallen almost 70% from 2003 to 2020, from about two and half hours down to 40 minutes per day. The lack of meaningful interaction comes with a cost. Research finds that a lack of social connections can be as dangerous to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Humans were designed for community, not for isolation. But the solution is always trickier than it first appears.

In a culture that values independence and autonomy, making time for community seems tangential or even burdensome. For some, the mere thought of a social event depletes their personal energy battery. In a fallen world, relationships are complicated. People can be our best friends, and cruelest enemies. We get burned, withdraw, and then experience loneliness while making little effort to socialize.

Our society subtly reinforces the concept that reality is something to flee or escape; a bad dream to smother underneath a barrage of entertainment, information, or other forms of distraction. With the proliferation of smartphones, unplugging from the current situation and escaping into the digital sphere has never been so easy or so tempting. Additionally, many in-person connection points have now moved to screens. Online college options, virtual training, and remote jobs are increasingly prevalent. That’s not to say that online spaces are somehow bad or should be avoided; rather, with every advantage (think flexibility, cost, and time-savings), there is always a disadvantage (a sense of association without the anchor of relationships).

The issue is that we don’t reinvest the time and resources gained by the virtual world back into in-person relationships and interactions. The data provides the proof. In 2018, Pew Research Center found, “A majority of Americans (59%) say they feel some attachment to their local community, but only 16% say they feel very attached; 41% say they are not too or not at all attached to the community where they live. Adults in urban, suburban and rural areas report nearly identical levels of attachment to their local community.”

Our immediate community often lacks the tailoring, diversity, and ability to fast-forward that the digitalscape so frequently offers. Marketers call this phenomenon fragmentation: the splintering of groups defined by distinct preferences or requirements. When we get used to such customization to our preferences, we naturally grow more isolated from one another as we become increasingly defined by what sets us apart.

But there’s no easy fix. After all, relationships are the result of time, energy, effort, and being authentic about ourselves and with others (not to mention the emotional stakes that come with the drama and messiness of other sinners). But that’s the interesting thing. Redemptive history starts with two people in a garden and reaches its climax as a cultivated city: a sanctified arena when God’s creation and a multitude of people coexist in community. Human flourishing happens in fellowship, not in isolation. And more than ever, Christians need to lead by example.

Brian Brown understands this tension well. He’s the founder and executive director of The Anselm Society, a Colorado-based organization dedicated to a renaissance of the Christian imagination and recapturing the sense of shared community among kingdom-minded creatives. “We live in a culture that has made escapism into a virtue. We’re encouraged by a million cues to be anywhere but here, anyone but who God made us to be,” he remarked to The Washington Stand. “In the face of that, the person who chooses to show up has tremendous power — to see and be seen, to invite others in, to treat the local church and the dinner table as essentials rather than extras. But to do that, we have to dare to see ourselves as God sees us: as beloved bearers of His image.”

As images of God, we reflect him best in our collectiveness and diversity. It’s when the body of Christ comes together in fellowship that we get a more accurate glimpse at the vastness and depth of divine character (Ephesians 4:11-13; 15-16). Through the Messiah’s redemptive work, Christians have the opportunity, indeed the calling, to work towards restoration of the vision.

Despite the digital advances in communication and connection points, people are lonelier than ever before. It’s easy to run with the culture, burying ourselves in the endless mountain of “extra things,” perhaps even attempting to fill our own ache for meaningful connection. There is both pain and reward in pulling our heads out of the mountain and “showing up” in acts of simple relationship-building. “Showing up” doesn’t need to be elaborate, but it needs to be essential and intentional if we are serious about changing the tide of isolation.

In a hurting world, the simple act of being there for someone matters. If Christians are to be known by our love for one another (John 13:35; 2 Corinthians 13:11), we must be willing to demonstrate it.

This was orginally written by Hannah Tu and published on The Washington Stand. For more content like this, visit Real Life Network.

On April 6, 1990, I wrote in my Bible the following words: “It’s nice to be back. I’ve been gone too long — only through the power and love of Jesus I have come back,” and I signed it “Walt,” a remarkable occurrence after falsely identifying as a woman for eight years.

My experience offers living proof of the power of the gospel to transform a life seemingly lost in an alternate “trans” identity, and the important role the church plays in restoration.

The Bible says the body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 3:16, Paul writes: “Do you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” The good news is that no matter what your past looks like, or what you may have done to your body, redemption awaits you in the arms of Jesus, and God’s Spirit who dwells in you will restore you.

When I was identifying as a “transgender woman,” I was mentally unstable and unable to comprehend the lifelong consequences of using cross-sex hormones and surgery to change my appearance to that of a woman. Even worse, I was drinking to excess. At my initial appointment with “gender” therapist, Dr. Paul Walker, I was intoxicated, yet he quickly diagnosed me with gender dysphoria, a diagnosis that never should have happened. Following his advice, I underwent gender surgery in 1983 at the age of 42 and began my pretense of presenting in life as a woman.

Sobriety, Church, and Prayer

I had been living what I see now was a life of sin but, to my amazement, my messy life was not too big for Jesus. Jesus did not turn His back on me.

Jesus preserved me through despair and attempted suicide, led me to a church and sobriety, and provided a home and a strong support team. The relationships with leaders at church cemented my foundation in Christ and, in time, gave me the courage to seek counseling to confront the childhood traumas that had caused me to seek an alternate identity.

The turning point occurred during a prayer with a counselor several years into my sobriety in a personal encounter with Jesus I will never forget. My lord and savior Jesus appeared to me, held me in His arms, and said, “You are now safe with me forever.” That day, I was born again in Christ and trusted He would put me on the path to full restoration as Walt. That’s when I wrote it in my Bible and signed “Walt.”

The Church’s Role

The church’s basic approach to reaching anyone, no matter what the issue, starts with welcoming love and standing for truth and is deeply rooted in compassion and concern for both the needs of the person and the congregation.

Reaching out to help an adult in your congregation who is presenting as the opposite gender requires building a relationship with that person. It may require a pastor or elder to have a one-on-one conversation first to determine if the individual is willing to receive spiritual guidance. You can learn a great deal in that conversation, and it will help in knowing if and how to provide support and boundaries.

In my case, my needs were great on many levels — financial, spiritual, emotional, legal, psychological — for an extended period. My pastor suggested I chronicle them in a regular note to the leadership so they could pray and provide. This “note” over time became a weekly prayer letter keeping the leadership in tune with my journey, at times celebrating the triumphs and at other times, carrying my burdens. The pastor gathered a strong support team of two or three mentors to encourage me with consistent Bible study and contact on the phone, over meals or coffee. These spiritually mature people were the very hands and feet of Jesus, showing me care and providing accountability.

In my life, the restoration process was messy for me and the church, and it can be messy for the church today. But, oh, it is so worth the effort to see God work. Redemption through Jesus has given me peace, healing, freedom, and victory. This year I celebrate 40 years of sobriety and 35 years in my right identity.

The Chloe Cole Act

You can see why I strongly oppose cross-sex hormones and surgery as “treatment” for identity distress. I came to Jesus and learned hormones and surgical procedures are not, and never have been, medically effective in changing a man into a woman or a woman into a man, a boy into a girl or a girl into a boy. Medical practitioners who promote this “treatment” are imposing great harm, especially on children, and lawmakers are stepping up.

The proposed Chloe Cole Act will prevent doctors and hospitals from introducing wrong-sex hormones into bloodstreams of children and removing healthy body parts in pursuit of a false identity.

The life-long harmful effects of hormone therapies and radical surgeries don’t stop at the age of 19; sadly, I can attest to that. Our lawmakers should start now to consider laws that will protect adults as well.

Resources for the Church

The church played an enormous role in my restoration even though resources about alternate identities were non-existent so many years ago. To support people in the congregation who are struggling with their biological sex, it’s important for the church, especially the leadership, to be equipped with accurate information.

To combat non-biblical misinformation and to teach Christians how to apply God’s word to helping trans-identifying people, Dr. Jennifer Bauwens and I applied our expertise and experiences in trauma and gender distress to write the book, “Embracing God’s Design.”

Written for the church, it presents an easy-to-read understanding of the topic from the Christian and psychological perspectives, reveals what drives adults or children to identify this way, chronicles the harms inflicted by “gender” clinics, and shares how Christians can minister to them and their families.

Redemption

I give all the glory to Jesus for my new redeemed life “only through the power and love of Jesus.” I had no idea on that day of April 6, 1990, what redemption would look like, but 35 years later I do understand redemption is about the Lord fulfilling His promises. For believers, Christ’s redemptive work fulfills every divine promise made for our salvation and restoration. What is so beautiful is it’s yours for the asking.

So come to Jesus. Get your redemption started on Easter Sunday 2026.

For more information on how the church can respond, see the FRC resource, “Embracing God’s Design.”

You can support the Chloe Cole Act by contacting your members of Congress here.

This article was originally published on The Washington Stand. For more content like this, visit the Real Life Network.

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Related Article

2 ‘Gender Transition’ Regretters Find Common Ground in Protecting Kids by Walt Heyer

Introduced in September of 2025, the Chloe Cole Act, named for the young woman who bravely speaks out against “gender affirming care,” would prohibit health care providers, clinics, and hospitals from carrying out or facilitating “gender transition” procedures on minors, and allow those harmed to bring suit with an extended statute of limitations of 25 years beyond the minor’s 18th birthday.

This important bill needs to be passed and signed into law. I began raising awareness about protecting trans-identifying children in 2015 from medical experimentation, and I’m grateful that this bill has been proposed. Prohibiting these procedures is exactly what needs to be done.

Furthermore, by allowing patients to sue practitioners for damages up to 25 years later, this legislation will cause health care professionals to have “skin in the game” and decide whether carrying out or facilitating “gender transition” for minors is worth the risk to them personally and professionally.

Chloe Cole and I have a lot in common in advocating for the passage of this bill.

Sadly, both Chloe and I experienced distress as minors and were both diagnosed with gender dysphoria, given cross-sex hormones, and had healthy body parts surgically removed to our lasting regret. The gender therapists, clinics, and hospitals from which we sought care misled each of us into thinking gender therapies were the only answer to relieve our distress. Both of us have emphasized our early identity distress stemmed from deeper issues.

Chloe Cole started puberty blockers at age 13 and underwent a double mastectomy at 15 — only to return to identifying as the woman God designed her to be in her late teens. Chloe reported her childhood at times was challenging as the youngest of five children, and at an early age she exhibited signs of autism and ADHD but was not officially diagnosed until her late teens. She cites the onset of early puberty, social media influence, and mental health struggles for warping her thinking and making her vulnerable to medical intervention.

My struggle began early in childhood after being cross-dressed at the hands of my grandmother at the age of four and being sexually abused by a family member. As a teen, I secretly cross-dressed and identified as a female at age 13. I continued struggling with my identity, starting on female hormones at the age of 35 in 1976, and started feminizing surgeries on my body. At the age of 42, after only two visits, my gender therapist advised me that surgery would relieve my gender distress, so I underwent what was called “sex change surgery.”  After eight years identifying as a woman, with the help of psychotherapy, I began the journey back to restoring my God-given male identity.

Both Chloe and I found that hormones and surgeries are not effective in resolving early childhood distress that underlies dysphoria.

Our common ground has us publicly stepping forward to tell our personal stories of having needlessly suffered the unimaginable and horrific consequences of using surgeries and hormones to alter perfectly healthy bodies into resembling the opposite sex, so-called “gender affirming care.” It’s not care at all, but medical malpractice, and the lawsuits are coming.

We speak out and advocate for laws to end the practice of transgender medical interventions, particularly for minors, because they inflict egregious harm and dehumanize a person’s ability to function as God designed. We testify in legislative hearings, along with so many other advocates for protecting children, and clarify that gender transition is often driven by social influence, trauma, and inadequate mental health care.

I started speaking out about protecting kids from hormones in 2009 on a Canadian television show called “16x9,” Canada’s version of “60 Minutes.” In the years since, I’ve written books and articles, participated with organizations, such as Alliance Defending Freedom and the Heritage Foundation, bringing doctors, parents, and regretters to the same table to shed light on the harms being perpetuated by practitioners of “gender medicine.” I started meeting with legislators on Capitol Hill in D.C. in 2019 with Tony Perkins of Family Research Council and traveling to individual states to testify to the harms and to advocate for laws to prohibit hormones and surgery for trans-identifying children.

Chloe Cole started testifying to legislators at the young age of 17 and has been an extremely effective voice for opening people’s eyes to the widespread harms.

Testimonies from Chloe, myself, and many others confirm that the harmful effects of hormones and surgical procedures for the treatment of gender dysphoria go far beyond the teen years; the harm to bodies, in fact, is often permanent.

Thank God for the many former trans-identifying people, parents, lawmakers, pastors, medical doctors, educators, athletes, podcasters, and others who have stood for years, and are standing now, for truth and against this evil deception.

You can too. Contact your members of Congress here. For more information on how the church can respond, see the FRC resource, “Embracing God’s Design.”

This article was originally published on The Washington Stand. You can also find more content like this on the Real Life Network.

In the early days of online entertainment, Netflix was nearly synonymous with streaming. It offered convenience, an enormous catalog, and a constant flow of new shows and movies. But as viewing habits have evolved, so has the conversation around what families are consuming. Parents and Christian households are increasingly evaluating the moral, spiritual, and emotional impact of what enters the home through television screens and mobile devices.

Many have begun asking a new kind of question: Is there a better option? And more specifically, Why choose a Christian streaming platform instead of Netflix?

Christian streaming is no longer a niche corner of the digital world. It has become a robust alternative for individuals and families who want content that aligns with their faith, strengthens their worldview, and offers a trusted environment without constant vigilance over content filters or parental controls. Understanding the differences between mainstream platforms and Christian services helps clarify why this shift is happening.

1. The Content Priorities Are Entirely Different

Mainstream platforms like Netflix are designed to appeal to the broadest possible audience. That means content often includes dark or cynical themes, rising levels of violence, sexualized material, inappropriate language, and spiritual ideas presented without biblical grounding.

Even shows marketed as family-friendly can introduce content parents would prefer to avoid. In contrast, Christian streaming platforms curate material through a completely different lens. A faith-based platform prioritizes:

• Biblical worldview
• Clean and uplifting entertainment
• Programs designed to encourage spiritual growth
• Storytelling that reinforces hope, redemption, and truth

The entire library is built around a core mission rather than mass appeal. Viewers do not have to wonder what might appear in the next scene or whether a show will undermine the values they work hard to instill in their families.

2. Christian Platforms Remove the Need for Constant Content Policing

Parents know the feeling: sitting with a remote in hand, ready to mute, skip, or stop a show before it exposes their children to something inappropriate. Streaming should reduce stress, not increase it. Choosing a Christian platform means:

• No surprise graphic scenes
• No suggestive themes buried in teen or children’s shows
• No spiritual confusion wrapped in entertainment
• No need to pre-screen every episode

The platform itself acts as the filter, giving families a break from guarding every moment of viewing.

Real Life Network, for example, offers a library intentionally free of disturbing or explicit content, allowing parents to relax and trust the environment their family is watching in.

3. Christian Streaming Prioritizes Spiritual Growth, Not Entertainment Volume

Netflix excels at volume, offering thousands of titles in dozens of genres. But quantity doesn’t always equal meaning. Much of the content is designed to entertain without offering any deeper value. For viewers who want their media habits to reinforce biblical thinking, that wide-open environment can feel spiritually thin. Christian streaming platforms intentionally offer:

• Teaching series
• Documentaries grounded in Scripture
• Programs that help believers understand culture through a biblical lens
• Wholesome feature films
• Children’s shows that point toward faith rather than away from it
• Podcasts and conversations that sharpen understanding

More than entertainment, this content reinforces discipleship, encouragement, worldview formation, and spiritual nourishment.

Real Life Network places this purpose at the center of everything it provides, ensuring that viewers receive not only enjoyment but also edification.

4. Christian Streaming Helps Protect the Hearts and Minds of Young Viewers

Children today face more exposure to complex ideas than any previous generation. Streaming platforms often introduce mature topics earlier than parents anticipate, and even “clean” entertainment can include messages that contradict biblical teaching.

A Christian streaming platform creates a reliable environment for young people by offering:

• Safe, meaningful alternatives to mainstream shows
• Content that reinforces positive choices and character
• Stories that emphasize courage, kindness, faith, and integrity
• A worldview that prepares them to navigate culture thoughtfully

Instead of absorbing constant messages rooted in secular assumptions, children and teens can engage with stories shaped by truth and purpose.

5. Netflix and other major platforms often promote content that conflicts with a Christian worldview

Mainstream platforms prioritize cultural relevance and trending topics, which means their content often reflects values at odds with biblical teaching. This includes how relationships, spirituality, identity, morality, and purpose are portrayed.

While there may be neutral or even uplifting shows on Netflix, the surrounding environment often requires viewers to sift through a great deal of material that works against Christian convictions.

In contrast, Christian streaming platforms intentionally reinforce biblical truth, hope rather than despair, virtue rather than sensationalism, and discernment rather than cultural confusion.

The guiding question for content creation and curation is not “What will attract the largest audience?” but “What will strengthen and encourage people?”

6. Faith-Based Platforms Offer Content You Cannot Find Anywhere Else

Christian streaming platforms are not simply offering sanitized versions of secular shows. They provide content built from the ground up for Christian audiences. This includes:

• Historical documentaries
• Worldview and apologetics programs
• Bible teaching and discipleship series
• Faith-based movies unavailable on mainstream platforms
• Testimonies and stories of transformation
• Prophecy conferences
• Sermons from respected pastors
• Children’s programming that teaches Scripture

Real Life Network, for example, features exclusive content created with believers in mind—programming that Netflix simply does not offer because it is not part of its mission or business model.

7. Christian Streaming Helps Build a Healthier Media Diet

Media shapes the way people think, feel, and interpret the world. Over time, even passive exposure to dark or unsettling entertainment can affect a person’s outlook, peace of mind, and sense of hope.

Choosing a Christian platform doesn’t mean avoiding culture; it means balancing it with content that strengthens the soul. Faith-based streaming encourages peace, encouragement, engagement with Scripture, thoughtfulness about cultural issues, and conversations grounded in truth.

Families often find that replacing even a portion of their mainstream viewing with faith-driven content produces noticeable benefits in their home environment.

Streaming has become one of the most influential forces in shaping worldview, imagination, and daily thought patterns. Choosing a Christian platform instead of—or in addition to—Netflix is ultimately about choosing an environment that aligns with what matters most.

For families wanting entertainment that brings peace instead of concern, conviction instead of confusion, and hope instead of heaviness, faith-based streaming offers a refreshing and necessary alternative.

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We live in a world drowning in information yet starving for truth. There has never been a generation with more access to data, opinions, facts, voices, teachers, influencers, and experts. People scroll for hours, read constantly, binge videos, chase insights, and collect information by the truckload. Yet despite all this knowledge, our culture is more confused, more deceived, and more spiritually blind than ever before.

Why? Because there is a difference between knowing things and knowing truth. There is a difference between education and revelation. There is a difference between filling your mind and transforming your heart. Biblical knowledge is not about storing information. It is about knowing God, obeying His Word, and living a life shaped by His truth.

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” That means true knowledge does not start with you. It starts with God. It starts with recognizing who He is, who you are, and how desperately you need Him. The fear of the Lord is not dread or terror. It is reverence. It is awe. It is humility. It is surrender. And without it, everything else you know is meaningless.

This world applauds intelligence but ignores wisdom. It celebrates experts but rejects truth. It elevates knowledge but despises the God who created it. And because of that, people are lost. They are intelligent but empty. Educated but wandering. Informed but spiritually blind. The knowledge that matters most is the knowledge that draws you closer to God, strengthens your walk with Christ, and protects you from deception. That is the message of Scripture. That is the heartbeat of discipleship. And that is what this devotional will walk you through.

Below are five key truths that show what real, godly knowledge looks like and how it transforms the life of a believer.

True Knowledge Begins With the Fear of the Lord

The Bible is clear that knowledge has a foundation, and that foundation is not human achievement. The foundation of knowledge is the fear of the Lord. Without reverence for God, there is no true wisdom. Without humility before God, there is no real understanding. Without surrender, learning becomes nothing more than self-promotion.

The world defines knowledge as accumulation. God defines knowledge as application. The world says that the more you know, the smarter you are. God says that the more you know Him, the wiser you become. Knowledge that does not begin with God feeds pride. Knowledge that begins with God produces holiness.

Proverbs 1:7 warns us that fools despise wisdom and instruction. A fool is not someone who lacks intelligence. A fool is someone who refuses to acknowledge God. A fool is someone who thinks he can interpret life apart from the Creator of life. A fool is someone who believes his opinions are more trustworthy than God’s Word.When you fear the Lord, you realize that everything you need to know flows from Him. You begin to see the world through His truth instead of through culture. You begin to evaluate everything by His standard instead of by society’s shifting values. You begin to understand that wisdom is not about being right. It is about being righteous.

True knowledge begins with this confession: Lord, You are God and I am not. Teach me Your ways. Show me Your truth. Lead me in Your wisdom.

That posture is where learning begins. That posture opens your heart to the voice of the Holy Spirit. That posture leads you into a life shaped by truth instead of trends. And that posture turns knowledge into transformation.

Godly Knowledge Grows When You Surrender to the Holy Spirit

Many people assume that growing in knowledge is merely an academic exercise. But spiritual knowledge is not learned the same way earthly information is learned. You do not need a degree to grow in godly knowledge. You need the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that the Spirit is our Teacher. He reveals the deep things of God. He brings understanding. He illuminates Scripture. He convicts, guides, directs, and speaks to our hearts. Isaiah 11:2 prophesied that the Messiah would be anointed with the Spirit of knowledge, and that same Spirit now dwells inside every believer.

That means real learning begins with surrender. It begins with humility. It begins with dependence. Before you open the Bible, you pray. Before you study, you ask God to teach you. Before you learn, you yield your heart. Knowledge without surrender produces pride. Knowledge with surrender produces wisdom.

Hosea 4:6 contains one of the most sobering warnings in Scripture. It says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” God was not talking to unbelievers. He was talking to His own people. They were destroyed not because the enemy was strong, but because they were spiritually ignorant. They did not know God’s Word. They did not understand His truth. They were vulnerable because they were biblically shallow.

The same danger exists today. The less you know God’s truth, the more easily you will be deceived. The less you know God’s Word, the more confused you will become. The more time you spend listening to culture instead of Scripture, the more your thinking will drift away from God. But when you walk in daily surrender to the Spirit, knowledge becomes a weapon. It becomes a shield against deception. It becomes clarity in a world of confusion. It becomes a light in a dark age. And it becomes strength for your walk with Christ.

Knowledge Becomes Wisdom Only When You Obey What God Reveals

Biblical knowledge always has a purpose, and that purpose is obedience. The goal of learning is living. The goal of truth is transformation. God teaches us so that He can lead us. He reveals truth so we can walk in it. Knowledge without obedience becomes pride. Obedience turns knowledge into wisdom.

James 1:22 warns us not to be hearers of the Word only. When we hear but do not obey, we deceive ourselves. We begin to think that learning alone is spiritual growth. But God says learning is only the first step. Obedience is the evidence.

You can memorize verses, study theology, read commentaries, and listen to sermons, but if those truths do not create repentance, obedience, conviction, and spiritual growth, they become useless. If your knowledge does not make you more like Jesus, then it is not godly knowledge. It is religious noise. Biblical knowledge always leads toward holiness. It always moves you away from sin. It always opens your eyes to deception. It always shapes your character. It always guards your heart. And it always strengthens your walk.

The Pharisees had knowledge. They lacked obedience. They could quote Scripture but did not know the God who wrote it. They could teach the Word but could not live the Word. That is the danger of knowledge without application. Spiritual growth is not about knowing more. It is about obeying what you already know. When you open the Bible, do not ask, “What information can I learn today?” Ask, “What transformation does God want to bring into my life today?”

That is how knowledge becomes wisdom. That is how truth becomes freedom. That is how learning becomes faith. And that is how your life begins to shine with the power of Christ.

True Knowledge Protects You From Deception and Anchors Your Life in Truth

We are living in a time of spiritual confusion. Lies are being packaged as truth. Sin is being marketed as progress. Deception is dressed in tolerance. Entire denominations are abandoning biblical truth. People are applauding what God condemns and condemning what God approves.

This is exactly why God calls His people to grow in knowledge. The more you know Scripture, the more clearly you will see the world. The more you know God’s truth, the less vulnerable you become to deception. The more you study the Word, the easier it becomes to discern good from evil.

Colossians 2:8 warns believers not to be taken captive by philosophy and empty deceit. There are many voices in this world, and not all of them are speaking truth. There are false teachers, counterfeit gospels, corrupted ideologies, and spiritual distractions everywhere. That is why you must be discerning. That is why you must guard your heart and mind. The Bereans in Acts 17:11 give us the perfect example. They listened with an open heart but tested everything against Scripture. They did not accept teaching blindly. They searched the Scriptures daily to confirm the truth. They were hungry to learn, but they were anchored in the Word.

That is what godly knowledge produces. It builds a wall of protection around your mind. It embeds truth into your thinking. It helps you spot deception before it takes root. It equips you to stand firm when culture demands compromise. And it gives you the clarity to navigate a world that is becoming more confused every day. Knowledge protects you. Truth stabilizes you. Scripture grounds you. And when you commit to growing in biblical knowledge, you become unshakable in a world that is shaking.

The Goal of Knowledge Is Not Information. The Goal Is Knowing God.

At the end of the day, the purpose of knowledge is not to make you smarter. The purpose of knowledge is to make you closer to Christ. You were not saved so you could collect information. You were saved so you could know God. Everything you learn should lead you deeper into worship, obedience, and relationship with Him.

Second Peter 3:18 tells us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is not a suggestion. It is a command. Spiritual growth is not automatic. It requires discipline. It requires time in the Word. It requires prayer. It requires humility. It requires a heart that says, “Lord, teach me. Change me. Shape me.” The more you know God, the more you will trust Him. The more you understand His promises, the more you will rely on them. The more you study His character, the more you will worship Him. And the more you walk with Him, the more your life will overflow with His truth.

Knowledge is not the goal. Knowing God is the goal. And when your pursuit of knowledge becomes a pursuit of Christ Himself, everything in your life changes.

Your decisions change.
Your relationships change.
Your priorities change.
Your desires change.
Your worldview changes.
Your character changes.

The more you know Him, the more you love Him. And the more you love Him, the more your life becomes a reflection of His truth.

Let’s Pray

Father, thank You for the gift of truth. I want to grow in knowledge, not just so I can know more, but so I can walk closer with You. Teach me by Your Spirit. Fill my heart and mind with wisdom from above. Keep me from pride and help me apply what You show me. Let everything I learn draw me into deeper worship and greater obedience. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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