The Life Challenges Podcast
Modern-day issues from a Biblical perspective.
Episodes
245 episodes
What's Trending? Organ Transplant Laws, Death Doulas, Loneliness, and More
We move through a stack of headlines that force hard questions about death, dignity, and what modern medicine can get wrong when speed and demand take over. We also look at how loneliness and fertility research intersect with real-life choices,...
Putting Children First: The Consequences of Adult-Centered Choices
A parenting dilemma sparks a deeper conversation about family structure and what children truly need to thrive. In this episode, we examine how cultural shifts—especially around marriage, parenting, and identity—impact kids, often in ways that ...
Pro-Life Voting in a Complicated World
Is voting for the pro-life candidate always the right choice? In this episode, the conversation tackles one of the most challenging questions Christians face in the political arena. We explore the tension between single-issue voting and evaluat...
Living in Sodom: The Slow Drift of Faith and the Story of Lot
In this episode, we take a deeper look at the biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah—not just its shocking wickedness, but the subtle spiritual drift seen in Lot and his family. Rather than using the story for comparison or self-righteousness, ...
What’s Trending? 50th Anniversary of Karen Ann Quinlan Case, Brewed Vaccine, and Hospice Fraud
Fifty years after the landmark case of Karen Ann Quinlan, this episode explores how one family’s decision reshaped modern bioethics, patient rights, and end-of-life care. Christa, Bob, and Jeff reflect on the lasting impact of the case—from the...
This Will Not End in Death: Finding Hope in the Raising of Lazarus
In this episode, Christa, Bob, and Jeff explore John 11 and the powerful account of Lazarus. They unpack why Jesus delayed, the significance of a four-day death, and the unmistakable evidence of His authority over death. Through the honest grie...
Reviving Twenty-Somethings in the Church with Pastor Clark Schultz and Stella Zarling
In this episode, Christa and Bob are joined by Pastor Clark Schultz and Stella Zarling from Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in West Bend, Wisconsin, to explore the challenges and opportunities facing twenty-somethings in today’s church. S...
Children: Burden or Blessing? A Cultural Wake-Up Call
What happens when a man who never wanted children suddenly feels the pull toward fatherhood? In this episode, we unpack a powerful article exploring shifting cultural attitudes about family, purpose, and legacy. From the influence of upbringing...
Relational Evangelism: Building Trust Before Sharing Truth with Aaron Wakeman
How do meaningful relationships open doors for sharing the gospel? In this episode, Aaron Wakeman of Friends Network joins the conversation to discuss relational ministry and the power of trust in evangelism. Drawing from global mission ...
What’s Trending? Face Transplant, Transgender Bill of Rights, Fetus is a Human Being, and More
In this episode of the Life Challenges Podcast from Christian Life Resources, the team discusses a euthanasia-linked face transplant, a proposed transgender Bill of Rights in Congress, Puerto Rico’s recognition of unborn children as persons, de...
Grief Isn’t a Detour Back to “Normal” with Dr. Stacy Jensen
Grief isn’t a detour back to “normal.” It’s a turning toward something new—often unwanted, always hard, yet held by God. We sit down with Dr. Stacy Jensen to trace a deeply human story of loss, love, and quiet strength after her husband Nick’s ...
Outlawed or Unrestricted: What Really Changes
What happens when we imagine two impossible worlds—one where abortion is fully outlawed and another where it’s universally celebrated—and then ask what truly changes? We use this stark contrast to cut through the noise and get to the heart of p...
Vaccines, Your Body, and Loving Your Neighbor with Dr. Rob Balza
What if the story of vaccines is really a story about protecting what we value most? We sit down with biomedical researcher Dr. Rob Balza to chart the arc from smallpox variolation to today’s mRNA platforms, then push past headlines to the data...
What’s Trending? Abortion Numbers Are Up, Blood Test for Alzheimer’s, Cost of Youth Sports, and AI
Think Dobbs ended the abortion debate? The numbers say otherwise. We unpack why abortions have risen since the ruling, how chemical pills and telehealth shattered state borders, and why federal inaction leaves courts and clinics chasing the wro...
When Mental Illness Gets in the Way of the Gospel with Theresa Kramer
Pain doesn’t disappear because we can quote the right verse. Together with licensed counselor Theresa Kramer, we unpack how faith, psychology, and everyday community can meet mental illness with compassion and clarity. We talk about the differe...
The Sin of Abortion
Hard truths can heal or harm depending on how we carry them. We take a clear-eyed look at abortion as sin while refusing to flatten people into labels, and we explore how Christians can hold conviction and compassion in the same hand without co...
A Journey From Silence to Healing After Abortion
We sit with Sheila Luck to hear how a 1975 abortion, years of silence, and a risky prayer to “be God’s employee” turned regret into purpose, writing, and open‑handed service. The talk invites churches and families to become safe places where ho...
What's Trending? Marriage Trends, State Abortion Battles, AI Communication, and More
In this month’s What’s Trending episode, we trace why fewer girls expect to marry while boys’ expectations hold steady, then turn to 2026 state abortion ballots, AI “grandma” simulations that risk warping grief, and new research on how physics ...
Why Reasons and Rationalizations Don’t Replace Repentance
Ever notice how easy it is to defend yourself and how hard it is to say, “I was wrong”? From kitchen-table conflicts to headline-making controversies, we trace how self-justification sneaks into our words, our ethics, and even our prayers—and w...
Revisiting: Exploring the Spirit of Christmas
Enjoy this previously published episode. We will be back with a fresh new episode next week. In this episode, Bob, Christa, and Jeff trace how the “spirit of Christmas” drifted from the incarnation to vague goodwill and ...
Jesus Christ Was Born a Jew
The manger sits inside a story older and bigger than a single night in Bethlehem. When we remember that Jesus was born a Jew—son of David, heir to the covenants—we recover the full weight of Advent and see how God kept precise promises to bless...
Prophets and the Promise of Christmas with Professor Emeritus Mark Braun
What if the most honest voices for Advent are also the most uncomfortable? We sit down with Pastor Jeff Samelson and Professor Emeritus Mark Braun to unpack what prophets actually did, why their words weren’t power plays or vague predictions, a...
What’s Trending? Assisted Suicide, Autonomy, and AI Relationships
Culture is racing toward comfort, control, and convenience—and the cost is showing up in our laws, our relationships, and our shared sense of right and wrong. We dive into Illinois’ move toward legalizing assisted suicide, the long-game strateg...
The Neutering of Gender With Pastor Gregory Lyon
What happens when sex and gender get pulled apart, and families are left to navigate the fallout alone? We dig into that tension with Pastor Gregory Lyon, exploring a path that refuses to compromise biblical integrity while refusing to give up ...
