Transcript

Hamilton: God has called us to be ambassadors even in this dark moment

Abraham Hamilton III: Darkness is not an affirmative force. It simply reoccupies the space vacated by the light.

Abraham Hamilton III: This is the, Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.

Abraham Hamilton III: It should be uncomfortable for a believer to live as a hypocrite, delivering people.

Abraham Hamilton III: Out of the bondage of mainstream media and the philosophies of this world.

Abraham Hamilton III: God has called you and me to be his ambassadors even in this dark moment. Let's not miss our moment.

Abraham Hamilton III: And now the, Hamilton Corner.

The Hamilton Corner celebrates Good Friday with Abraham Hamilton and J. Mac

Abraham Hamilton III: Good evening everyone. Welcome to the Hamilton Corner. My name is Abraham Hamilton iii, joined by the real J. Mac, who is often imitated, never duplicated, producer extraordinaire. And we are, delighted, humbled, reflective as how we are broadcasting on this Good Friday. You know, the events that transpired as recorded in history depicted in the scripture can, only be described as good because we know the rest of the story. And one of the most, sturry things about, what I believe should be the high watermark of celebration, really for the entire year, is the spotless blood, I'm sorry, the spotless lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world for those who have placed faith in him for eternal life, invaded human history, divided our, timeline according to the Roman calendar, lived a sinless incarnate life, laid down his life as the once and for all substitutionary atoning sacrifice. But that isn't the end of the story. He rose again. And when believers gather to celebrate the Lord's table, we do so as the Apostle Paul articulated, to show forth his death and to proclaim our anticipatory hope in his return. It is one of the things that continues to move me, when I reflect on the fact that, that I will live eternally because of what he secured for me. And if you have similarly placed your faith in the King of glory, you too will live eternally. All kinds of writers and screenwriters and actors and actresses have attempted to depict things like immortality, you know, but the simple fact is that if you are in Christ, he has made way for you to be immortal. Not this temporal body that is fading away like a passing tent, but we have glorified bodies to look forward to. what a mighty God we serve. What an occasion to celebrate. What an opportunity to be overwhelmed. In gratitude. Thank you so much for tuning in to today's program.

Many of you are making transitions from part time jobs to full time jobs

At this very moment, many of you are making your transitions from your part time jobs to your full time jobs where you cultivate an outcome. Part time jobs where we generate income, full time jobs is where we cultivate Outcome. I, wholeheartedly, strenuously encourage you to draw your family near around the Holy Scriptures to reflect on what Jesus Christ has secured for us, for those who are not yet members of God's eternal family. I simply would say to you, when you see the things that are happening, events swirling around us nationally, internationally. Internationally, they simply confirm that the Word of God is true. And because the Word of God is true, I would encourage you and appeal to you to refuse to put off your humble submission to Jesus Christ, that you admit your desperate need for a savior, admit the fact that when the Apostle Paul says so, we have all sinned and fall short, falling short of the glory of God. That you acknowledge that that includes you, and you recognize that it is not a matter of works and performance that secures one's justification that we are saved solely by grace through faith. The theological term justification, is a legal declaration that though you are deservant of the punishment for your sins, there is one who stepped into your place and bore the punishment for you as a result. You, stand before the judge of the earth as if you'd never sinned because you are viewed through the blood of Jesus that is available to you. It would be a fool's errand to reject the free gift of salvation as a result of having been saved. The Word of God declares that the Spirit of God works within us to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And when you have been born again. I've said this repeated and I will continue to say it. You move away from merely giving offerings to becoming the offering. And all that your life consists of is impacted by the fact that you were once dead. You've been quickened alive together in Christ Jesus.

The prophet Hosea is confronting Israel because it is materially prosperous

To the word of God we go. Hosea, chapter 10. Hosea, ministered and prophesied largely to the Northern kingdom of Israel. his ministry and his writings were recorded in about the mid-700s B.C. now, that is significant for a host of reasons, not least of which is this is several decades prior to the ultimate Assyrian conquest and eradication of the Northern Kingdomnomics of Israel as a, as an entity. All right. He is warning the Northern Kingdomnomics and this portion of Scripture. I cannot help but see how it could even be applied rightly to our own Nation. Hosea, chapter 10, verse 1. It's the one verse I want to focus on here. Hosea, chapter 10, verse one. The prophet Hosea says this. Israel is a luxuriant vine. He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, the more altars he made. The richer his land, the better he made the sacred pillars. Hosea is highlighting a feature of Israelite life. And if you do any bit of research, you go back to judges chapter seven, chapter 17 and 18. You can see the history there of how the northern tribe of Dan was established and how idolatry, was foundational to the tribe of Daniel. And that idolatry continued from Dan's establishment as a tribe all the way until the Assyrian conquest. It's a sad thing. You'll recall that when Jeroboam becomes the first king of the divided northern kingdom of Israel, one of the first things he does is set up golden calves one in Bethel, which the prophet Hosea describes as Beth Avenue. The word Bethel in Hebrew means house of bread. But the Lord through Hosea described Bethel as Beth aven, house of evil. Aven means evil. They turned the house of bread into the house of evil. Then Jeroboam set the other calf in the northern city of Dan, the capital of the tribe of Dan's regional, allotment. Well, that idolatrous position of Dan and Jeroboam's, leading Israel into idol worship, literally saying Israel, behold your gods that have that saved you and taken you out of Egypt. Very same thing that happened in the book of Exodus, you'll recall. Well, here the prophet Hosea is confronting Israel because it is materially prosperous. But the northern kingdom of Israel's material prosperity wasn't used, wasn't stewarded for righteousness sake. The scripture says the more his fruit, the more altars he made. And I'll just tell you, the prophet Hosea isn't talking about, Yahweh authorized, authorized altars of pleasing worship. He's talking about idolatrous pagan altars in Israel. The richer his land, the better. He made the sacred pillars. The prophet Hosea is rebuking Israel because they have misappropriated, not misappropriated, they have misused their material prosperity. And their wealth became a vehicle that fueled rebellion against Yahweh. This is one of the reasons why I continuously stress that a booming economy doesn't make a nation great. A booming stock market doesn't make a nation great. I wholeheartedly support the efforts to frankly decouple from China and to, rid our nation from the, frankly, the abuse that we suffer economically from China. But can I tell you something? If the heart of the people in our nation don't change, if the hearts of the people, and I don't mean everyone, obviously the Lord reserves a remnant for himself, By God's grace, I would express, my desire to be a part of that remnant that is not going along with the wickedness of the day that's prevalent in our nation. But the dominant reality in our nation is that wickedness is normalized. And if we have all of the proper trade balance and we restore the manufacturing sector here in the United States of America, which will be very, very important, which will be a great thing to experience, that alone, and those things alone will not make our nation great. Because if we are not, a people who have hearts of brokenness and contrition before the Lord, if we are not a, people who hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will repeat what Hosea is rebuking Israel for right here. We will utilize our resources for rebellious purposes. We'll utilize technological innovation to advance wickedness. We'll utilize all of those things for purposes, frankly, that beckon God's judgment. And I don't want that to be so. That is why, I am appealing to our audience here to recognize.

Will Addison: That.

Abraham Hamilton III: If we are wicked people that's well resourced, we're just a well resourced, wicked people. Well resourced, wicked people. We need to be a people in whom's heart, in our hearts, that there's been a circumcision of the heart, man. And as God and his divine providence allows those people to be well resourced, that we would steward those resources in such a manner to where the King of Kings and the Lord of Lord is glorified. And that he finds in us a, people who worship him in spirit and in truth. That is what I'm seeking for. That is what I'm yearning for. I want people to enjoy higher paying jobs. I want to see a restoration of the middle class and an economic boom in America, but not at the expense of righteousness in our nation. And this is why it's vitally important that the people of God in our nation cry aloud and spare not, that we are the ones who will say, listen, a resurgent economy does not alone make a nation great. It's a wonderful benefit to enjoy. But if we don't have a different heart condition, we will utilize those resources for wickedness. It's not lost on me, and I've shared these statistics with you before, that the pornography industry enjoys revenues that exceed the National Football League, the NBA, Major League Baseball and the NHL combined. There's a reason for that, guys. And we have to see the connection between having an increasingly wicked populace and a refusal of that populace to submit to constitutional standards. Because our form and system of national existence is only effective with a people whose hearts are broken and contrite before God, it's wholly inadequate for the governance of any other. Hence George Washington's refrain that religion and morality are indispensable supports of our nation. The greatest need in our nation is repentance.

Rob West: Is our theology of money upside down? Our vision is that all Christians would see God as their ultimate treasure. You know, it's a game changer of an idea. And we start with this idea that God owns everything and we are his household managers of what he has entrusted to us. So we own nothing. But we have stewardship, responsibilities, faith and finance With Rob west, weekdays at 9am Central or on the AFR app.

Abraham Hamilton III: Shining Light into the darkness. This is the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.

Will and Miki Addison are founders of Straight Edge Ministries

Abraham Hamilton III: Welcome back to the Hamilton Corner. Abraham Hamilton III here, and I am elated to have on the program with me. This is my family, y' all. I am talking about none other than Will and Miki Addison, the founders of Straight Edge Ministries and Culture Proof, which is a movement to equip followers of Christ to resist wicked cultural trends by applying to God's word the Straight Edge. As the co hosts of the Culture Proof of the Culture Proof podcast, you will hear Will and Miki and their handpicked guests discuss the cultural issues of the day, filtered through a biblical lens. The Addison's are conference speakers with a specific focus on culture and its impact on Christian families. Married 20 years, they are raising six incredible children, equipping them to live for the glory of God. They disciple and educate their children at home, around the kitchen table and on the sofa. Will and Meeke, thank you for joining me here on the Hamilton Corner Once.

Will Addison: Again, thanks for having us, man. It's a pleasure to be here.

Miki Addison: Yeah, it's always great to join you, Abe.

Abraham Hamilton III: Oh, the pleasure is mine. Absolutely is mine.

Abi: Where do you see the body of Christ today in America

I was telling you guys before we came on, about beginning the program with Hosea, chapter 10. Just being gripped by the reality, that material access alone doesn't make a nation or any people great. And the text I alluded to, the Lord was rebuking Israel, the northern kingdom, frankly, for its idolatry and its misuse of its material wealth to, aid in rebellious pursuits. And I know, that the passion of your heart is for the body of Christ to live according to what the Lord, outlined. So in light of that and, and what you guys do on a daily basis, where do you see us, the body of Christ, particularly in our nation, in light of where we are in world history and in light of where the culture is today.

Will Addison: Yeah, that's a great question, Abi. I. I feel like we're in trouble. I feel like if there's not a turning back to the word of God, not turning, back to holiness and the standard of God, man, we're in big trouble. You know, we just had a podcast, interviewed, Bishop Vincent Matthews, and he said pretty much the same thing. And he has traveled all over, the world. And we were asking him, you know, how does America kind of measure up to what's happening in other countries? And he was like, man, we. We're at risk. You know, that's trouble that's brewing because, we have gone away from the word of God. we have gone away from the truth of the Word. And it shows there's a lack of discernment because God's people is not in the Word. And so there's a lot of things that's coming in from the outside that's. That's, entering in because we don't have discernment to say, man, that's not right. That's not right. And a lot of the world has entered the church, and so we have been weakened.

Miki Addison: Yeah. Not only, I would say, not only is it that we don't have the discernment, you know, to. To recognize what's. But we also don't have the boldness that if we begin to recognize it, to even respond. So it's like we. We don't see it coming. We don't recognize it. And then the things that we kind of think, well, maybe that's not right. We feel like, well, you know, who am I to judge? Who am I to say? And so it's amazing how wickedness has really discipled the church. Like, w. Wickedness has infiltrated the church, given us our marching orders. And then we tend to, like, project that as if it's Bible, and it's really not. You know, I was thinking to the point of the scripture that you read, like, in a New Testament context, it almost kind of sounds like the Laodicean, church. It's like you can be so rich, so wealthy, so independent, you think that you have need of nothing and be so totally unaware of yourself that you're naked, that you're blind, that you're poor, and that you need Jesus. And I feel like that's kind of where the American church is today. I feel like we are in this place where, you know, we. We have all of the advances We. We have. We have the huge mega churches. We've got the smoke and lights and. And we've got the popular pastors. We've got the youth leaders. We've got the. We make worship album after worship album. And so we are in this place where it's like we can mirror the world so effectively, right, that we don't have to be close to Jesus. Because all we were really doing was competing for, like, a sense of significance. And we have found that by creating this sort of, like, Christian culture that is popular, that people look at, and really, if we would just kind of settle down for a second, we would realize that, man, we are wretched, that we're poor, that we're naked, we're blind, and we desperately need Jesus.

Bishop Vincent Matthews will speak at the Culture Proof conference next month

Abraham Hamilton III: M. Well, you mentioned, Bishop Vincent Matthews. I know who he is, but I don't know if everybody here, in our audience here knows who he is. Who is Bishop Matthews? And, I'll ask you, Miki, after Will explains who he is, if you would then describe, his engagement and participation in what's coming soon, the culture proof conference 2025 in Bartlett, Tennessee, June 19th through the 21st. But Bishop Matthews. Well, who is he?

Will Addison: Yes, he's a great, great brother. He's a, the bishop. And he's a bishop in the Church of God in Christ. And his, has a church in, South Haven, Mississippi, Tabernacle Church of God in Christ. But, he served as the director of missions in the Church of God in Christ for, like, 10 years. And so he's. And he's still on the move, even though he's not serving in that capacity. every time I see him on social media and things like that, he's in another country. And, but he has his, His. His finger on the pulse of what's going on in the church. And so. And he. And in his local fellowship in South Haven, man, they're doing great work for the community, just reaching out and things like that. So just a respected brother in the Lord. And, he will be a part of the conference.

Miki Addison: Yeah, he's, My goodness. I feel like one of the reasons that we invited him, not only because he has spoken and encouraged, Christian conservatives, he's been at value voters at the time when they were having it, but he, He's done incredible things for the body of Christ to call us back to the authority of God's word. And whenever we're around Bishop Matthews, we see the church in action. So, like, they've got not only a crisis pregnancy center, at their church, but they've got, like, a birthing center that they just put in at their church, where they are not only, you know, telling people what is right and this is how you align with God's word, but then, like, practically meeting those needs. And. And so when we are around Bishop Matthews, we get the sense that he really believes that the church is advancing. The church is always supposed to be moving forward as Saul and his light. And so one of the reasons that we invited him to the conference was so that he could paint a picture for that. We have several pastors who attend, we have local ministries who attend, ministries from across the country who attend the conference. And one of the questions that we feel like gets asked often is, man, how do we remain focused, faithful in the midst of all we see happening? You know, there's a great falling away even while people are attending church, which is why we don't recognize it as a falling away, because seats are still filled, but people's hearts have turned away from the truth of God's word. And so we wanted Bishop Matthews his. His task, if you will, is to talk about the church occupying. What does it look like for the bride of Christ to truly occupy until the Lord returns? What does it look like if we are making gains as the bride of Christ? and. And as you will hear, when he presents. And I think he kind of alluded to this in the recent podcast interview, but he talked about the church militant, and he talked about sort of that military language that is used to describe who we are and how we live in this world. And honestly, Abe, I feel like it's something that people are uncomfortable to talk about because we have been told that we need to be loving to the exclusion of, like, being militant. No, what we believe is what we believe. We're not going to cower. We're not going to back down. So, he's going to be lively.

Abraham Hamilton III: I am so looking forward to that.

Miki Urban says the theme for the conference is Worthy of it All

And I do want to, move here because I know the theme for the conference. Culture proof 2025. I know you guys, so I know you don't just conference for the sake of conference. Some people just like having events. I know you're not like that. And frankly, I don't like just being a part of events. Y' all know, I don't. You know, I don't accept every invitation that I get and things of that nature. the theme for the conference is Worthy of it All. Miki, how did you arrive at that theme.

Miki Addison: Yeah, it's amazing. I really appreciate the way, Will the Great and I work together, how the Lord has gifted us with, like, complimentary gifts. And so usually, from the time, I guess, 2018, we've been doing the conference, my task has always been, you know, what will the theme be? And so I really do ask the Lord, I. I ask the Lord, like, what's happening right now in our culture that we need to respond to? And if you're calling us to do this, then, Lord, you'll reveal it and you'll make it clear. And the more I prayed about it and kind of went back and forth with Will the Great on this, I really felt like the Lord was showing us in the various stories that we were covering, the articles that we were reading, the major falls that we were observing happening in the church. Seems like almost there's a, you know, a pastoral fall a month happening in the church. And, and I, I started asking, like, what would it look like if believers really lived that Jesus is worthy of it all? Not just worthy on a Sunday, you know what I mean? Not just worthy on a social media post where everybody can marvel at, like, you know, how great you appear to be, but Jesus is worthy of it all. And we started to look at all of the areas of our culture that need to be addressed. Like, what does it look like, you know, as we're navigating artificial intelligence? What is that going to look like for the integrity of the believer? what does it look like that our kids are being deprived of an education that exalts God, that. That God is central in their. In their learning and all of the. Their endeavors. And so we thought, man, you know, we've got to equip believers this year that Jesus is worthy of it all, of everything. What does that absolutely 100% mean? And so the more we came back to that, it just seems that that's what the Lord was calling us to do. And then, once we hammer that down, it's amazing how the Lord just begins to put on our heart. Who needs to speak to that? Like, so, so who is it that the Lord has installed in the various areas of culture who are equipped, passionate, and sincere? Like, they don't just have a message, you know what I mean? Like, they are living this conviction, and then from that will the Great starts kind of like plugging in. Okay, this person, I really feel like this person needs to speak to this. And that's sort of how we get our, our speakers. We don't look for the most popular speakers, believe it or not. We don't look for the people who, like, everybody's heard from them and everybody's going to be drawn to them just because of their name. We actually look for the people who are actually doing the work. They. They are living this conviction. They have a particular area that God has called them to, and they're occupying that space. It's like if you think of a military line, we each have our part on that line. Right. And so who. Who are the people who are at this particular piece? And then how are they navigating that?

Abraham Hamilton III: Well, I know from the very first, conference that you all led in 2018 under the auspices of Urban Family Communications, as I mentioned earlier, I know because I know y' all. Y' all don't just conference for the sake of conferencing. Right. this question is twofold for you. what drove you to recognize this is something that God wanted you to take up and secondarily, what helped you to understand that there was a need for a conference this year in 2025?

Will Addison: Yeah, so initially, what God put on my heart was a family conference, a, conference where everyone could come and be equipped, you know, from the adults all the way down to the children to grandparents to singles, if they're blended families. This is a family conference conference. And I felt like the Lord was calling for us to do that. And that's when we started, the MFL conferences. And it's the same heart, you know, the ministering to, families. And there's a lot of equipping that that has to be done. You know, we know that the enemy has his sights on family. His. His target is family. And so we want to do everything that we can to sh up the families, to equip the families to live in a practical way, living, through the word of God. And so that. That was the initial thrust, that was the. What God put on my heart. And it remains, the same today. Now, as far as the, conference, this year, just. It's. It's the same. It's the same thing that the Lord has continuously put on my heart and our hearts about how can we strengthen the family unit? And it has only gotten worse, you know, as far as what the culture is throwing at, our families, our children. And so, just the necessity to be able to. To speak to those things in the culture, to. To warn the body of Christ, to encourage the body of Christ and to just know that we need to lean on God as we navigate all these different things that's happening in our culture. So that's, that's just been the heartbeat of this conference, culture proof 2025, you know, just equipping for the entire family.

Abraham Hamilton III: And Miki, you, alluded to the necessity of having people who are invested in various areas of culture and bringing them together, for this event, that frankly, I cannot wait for it. And I told you guys, you know, I would come if I wasn't invited to speak. I would want to come to just, be sharp and to be equipped because the people that you invite are always, so effective in delivering what God has communicated through them, oftentimes, provoking me to consider things either afresh a new or consider things differently than I've considered in the past.

Abraham Hamilton III: Culture Proof Conference attracts parents and grandparents

Who are some of the people that you all have invited, to be a part of the speakers for culture proof 2025?

Miki Addison: Well, of course, you, Abraham Hamilton III, as you just kind of alluded to. but then in addition to you, Dr. Kathi Cook is joining us. And Dr. Kathi has been like a mainstay because, my goodness, God has gifted her with an incredible amount of wisdom to help encourage parents as they encourage and equip their kids and also grandparents. So she's got like a multi generational approach to helping understand what's going on in the minds and the hearts of kids and how to respond to that. But not only that, last year at the conference, she so overwhelmed us. We had some people who were kind of skeptical to attend and they thought, well, I don't have any kids at home. I'm an empty nester. And their question was, you know, what's in it for me? Like, am I going to get something out of this? And in fact, there was one attendee who was there who asked me that. She said, I've kind of come in faith, you know, she goes, I'm thinking, I don't have any kids. And which is something that we try to drive home. It's a conference for adults, but it doesn't forget kids. Right? So we do attract, because usually kids are forgotten in conferences. It's like we want you to come as the parent or the grandparent or the aunt, the uncle, whatever. We want you to come. But you got to figure out what you're going to do with your kids. We didn't want that to be the case for the Culture Proof Conference. So last year, Dr. Kathi just, my goodness, knocked it out of the park and talking about a, Board of directors in our life. And, this, this same woman. Do you remember that one? Oh, my goodness. It was incredible. It was incredible. Well, this same woman, Fast forward. Who asked at the beginning of the conference, is there something here for me? I've come in faith. I said to her, without a doubt, 100%, yes. Well, fast forward. We revisited Faith, to do a window for this year's conference. And that woman was there on a Sunday morning and she came running up to us and she said, I've got to tell you, she goes, I was so blessed. I can't wait for this conference this year. She said, I just can't. And then she specifically noted that particular session with Dr. Kathi that had a major impact on her life, that she reached out to someone living across state lines who was a part of her board of directors. And I won't go into all the details, but it had an impact on this woman's ministry who was thinking maybe she wasn't called to do what she was doing. But as a result, it's, it was just incredible to hear to get this kind of praise. Report the, bombers.

Abraham Hamilton III: Let me, let me, let me jump it right there because the music is still disrespectful. and it's, it's, it's playing now. but you mentioned you went back to Faith, so Faith Baptist Church is the host church for the conference because this woman you mentioned, she came to Faith Baptist Church in Faith for the conference, but, it's the host church for the conference. When we come back on the other side of the break, I want to invite you to continue, describing the speakers who are there, and we'll talk more about culture proof conference 2025. You don't want to miss this.

Hamilton Corner: We need a spiritual revolution to save this country

Sandy Rios: All right, Sandy Rios with you. One more drama playing out. Is the sky falling? Are we going into recession? Are you going to lose all of your 401k? Are you going to lose your job? Are you going to be able to afford groceries?

Abraham Hamilton III: People better be training their kids, getting.

Rob West: Back into church, Sunday school, reading the Bible. That revolution will save this country.

Sandy Rios: We've had a political revolution. Now we need a spiritual revolution.

Rob West: Sandy rios on Sandy Rios 24. 7 Listen on the podcast page at.

Abraham Hamilton III: Afr.Net the Hamilton Quarter podcast and one minute commentaries are available at afr.net Back to the Hamilton Corner on American Family Radio.

The culture proof conference 2025 will take place June 19-21 in Tennessee

Abraham Hamilton III: Welcome back to the Hamilton Corner, Abraham Hamilton iii. And I am on with my family, Will and Miki Addison, discussing the culture proof conference 2025, which will take place June 19th through the 21st at Faith Baptist Church in Bartlett, Tennessee. Bartlett is a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee. The church's address is 3755 North Germantown Parkway, Bartlett, Tennessee. Zip code 38133. You can find all the details for the conference@cultureproof.net that is cultureproof.net but before we went to the break and a disrespectful music grabbed us, Miki, you were describing, the speakers who are participating in this year's conference, and you were wrapping up your description and a bit of a testimony from Dr. Kathi Cook's presentation last year and her, agreed participation again this year. And you were about to transition to another speaker.

Miki Addison: Yeah. So Alex Newman, who you've had on your program several times, is also going to be joining us, of Liberty Sentinel Media. I mean, he's an international reporter and just kind of seems to always be hot on the trails, covering the topics that are important to us as believers. Like, what does it look like when we look at what's happening, just sort of around the globe? What are the spiritual implications of what we see happening? There are reporters who can report that something's happening, and maybe we should be concerned. But then there are followers of the Lord Jesus in whom his spirit dwells. They can report on what is happening, but they can also present to you the spiritual implications behind what is happening and why we need to be concerned. And Alex Newman is one of those people. He's had an audience with the Trump administration, even presenting at Mar a Lago. And so we're really excited to have him join us. Not only talking about, global politics and how that points to the return of the Lord Jesus. There are things happening, on a global scale that we as Americans are just not aware of. But these things as they are unfolding, they actually point to the fulfillment of scripture as we await the Lord's return. So he is going to address that for us. He's also passionate about education, so he's going to be doing a breakout session talking about the importance of education and what a collective, concerted effort, that has been made to dumb down our kids and how it's been effective. So we're super excited about that. He's, actually going to be a part of one of those lunch and learns that we've got planned. You're going to be on a panel with him. It's just. It's going to be like drinking from, like, a fire hose. I. I feel like it's going to be so much information, but it's information that we are really kind of in a drought for. Like, we need to know what's going on. So Alex Newman is joining us. of course, the bombergers, Ryan and Bethany of the Radiance Foundation. It's great to have them with us. They are bold. They are literally out on the front lines arguing with people who believe that babies should be murdered. I mean, they are literally doing the work. And so they're going to join us, in talking about where we go now in the pro life movement when you can have, you know, abort facing drugs just shipped to your home and people are taking the lives of their babies, which seems almost sort of like, you know, oxymoronic to think about. But in the comfort of their own homes, there's this brutality that is taking place. So we're going to talk about that with them.

Will Addison: And even, you know, the, the, the situation or the issue of ivf, you know.

Miki Addison: Yes, yes.

Will Addison: And Christians, we have to know where we stand on that. And so those things would be, addressed and talked about as well. So it's just important information for the body of Christ. And I believe it's practical information as well that you can put, into, and apply, you know, to your life. Because the thing is, it's one thing to have all this information, but it's another thing to have the information and know how to readily apply it to your life in a real way. And so that's one of my hopes, is that as people leave this conference, it won't just be, I heard some good stuff, but it'll be, man, I heard some good stuff, but I, I know how to apply this to my life.

Dr. Lena Abu Jamra will speak on single purity among young adults

Miki Addison: Yeah. Oh, I want to mention Dr. Lena Abu Jamra. She's the first time that we are having her at one of the conferences that we've put on. And the reason we invited her was because we talked to her like we read her book and then talked to her about deconstruction and about the lack of what has been called purity culture, but the lack of purity among single. She is in her early 50s and she's never been married. And she's written a book. She's written a few books, but one book in particular that she wrote is called don't tell anyone. You're reading this. And in her role as an ER doctor, she serves as. Well now she's done, doing telemedicine, but she served as an ER doctor. And she said she realized that the kinds of conversations that she was having are the same kinds of conversations that Christians are having, right? Like they're the results of sin, because we present as if we are living these pure and upright lives. But really we've got behavior and we've got some practices that do not align with Scripture. And so she started to collect information on that. And then even in sharing her own testimony of having never been married, while everybody on the outside would say, here's a strong Christian woman, she had some internal wrestling, some battles with purity that were able to kind of fly under the radar. So we invited her because we thought that this would be an encouragement to singles and to young adults as well. Just powerful, powerful story. She talks about deconstruction. she also talks about being content. She talks about what it is to, to live, according to where God has placed you or installed you, which is so countercultural today because everybody's trying to get to the next thing. Everybody's trying to move to the next level. And so I think she's going to be incredible addition to the Culture Proof lineup.

Abraham Hamilton III: Man, I cannot wait.

Registration for the culture proof conference closes at the end of May

Where do people need to go in order to get the information and to register for the culture proof conference? 2025?

Will Addison: Yes, sir, everything is@cultureproof.net cultureproof.net when you go there, you can see the breakout sessions. You can see, you know, the speakers and get all the information that you would need. So, man, register today. You know, it's a conference is going to be well worth it. I know it. I know the Lord will speak to you. Go to cultureproof.net yeah, I would just.

Miki Addison: Say to, to your listeners, to your audience, Abe, that registration does close down at the end of May, and so I would encourage those who are interested in attending to pray about it and make that decision. One of the sort of space limiting factors is our kids track. So if you have kids in particular that you want to get in the track, and maybe even teens, you'd want to register them ahead of time. Of course, for adults, for married couples, if you don't have kids that are going to be in those tracks, then registration is open for you. You don't have to worry about that. But we do try to limit the number of kids in the track because we want them to receive quality instruction. We're not just housing kids. We're not just giving them juice and crackers. one of the things that we try to do is equip kids to be able and to be ready to give a reason for the hope that lies within them. And as you know, as your wife directs the kids portion of this conference, my goodness, they just don't leave anything on the table. It's so serious, the equipping of young children. So they're working on that right now. And then, of course, the teen track, under the direction of Mark and Amy Warren, Amy a Colson fellow. I mean, it's just we really want to equip the next generation, which is now. Right. Even though we look ahead, they're with us right now, and they've got to be equipped and to stand in their time. They are carrying the gospel. And I think so often we don't think about it that way. We think, well, we just babysit them until then. They can really understand, but they can understand now. And the thing that shocks me about this, Abe, is that the world gets it. The world understands that they should be repetitive, that they should be, persistent. They should continue with the message over and over and over until they change hearts and minds. But on our side, we are kind of like, well, you know, they don't get it now. We'll just wait. We'll just wait. And what all the data shows us is that in our waiting, they are already gone. And so what we're trying to do is supplement what parents are doing at home. We don't see ourselves as stepping in the place of parents. We see ourselves as coming alongside parents and helping to supplement what's already happening inside their homes.

There is a Teens Track available at cultural 2025 for teens

Abraham Hamilton III: And will, if you will, speak a little bit about the Teens Track, because everything you just said is so true about our children and the necessity of their formation. Dr. George Barna has powerful research about the crystallization of biblical worldview. but there is a Teens Track available as well at cultural 2025, right?

Will Addison: Yes, definitely, for kids 13 to 17. And so the thing is, we know that there are a lot of things bombarding our teens. You know, when we think about media, social media, we think about these devices and all of that. They're getting messages from everywhere. And we have a crew, a crew of people that's. That that's ready to equip the teens. You have Mark and Amy Warren. Mark is a, is a pastor, Amy, a Coulson fellow. And look, they have a passion for equipping teens. And so it's going to be something that's going to be great for them. We have some of our, speakers are going to be a part of that as well. And also Abigail.

Abraham Hamilton III: Yeah, I just pulled her up now.

Will Addison: Go ahead, counteract. U.S.A. we met her, at 1, at a convention. And man, just was blown away by what she's doing. Her and her crew, you know, ministering to young people, to, ah, college students and those who are singles. And so she'll be a part as well. So everyone will be equipped at this conference.

Counteract focuses on helping college students understand the spiritual aspects of college

Miki Addison: So can I just say something about Abigail? So the thing that really struck us as we were talking to her was that, you know, she. I said, oh, is this similar to, like, Turning Point? And she said, yes and no. You know, she goes, I was a part of Turning Point. And she said, and I really enjoyed, you know, the work that. That we see happening. She said, but we realized that there was not enough emphasis on the spiritual aspect of what it is to be on a college campus, to be.

Will Addison: And so because she was a part of.

Miki Addison: She was a part of Turning Point. And. And so Counteract is sort of her response to that void. Yes, we need to be politically engaged. Yes, we need to understand how to hold our own college campus. But she said, at the end of the day, where's the emphasis on the spiritual component of that, that we're being shaped in our faith? And so her organization sets up chapters all across the country that equip students not only to give a political response, not only to have a political position, but to understand how their spiritual conviction has to underpin that political position. And we were like, abigail, you are speaking our language. It was so sincere. So she's joining us. She's going to be speaking to our teens and young adults. It's going to be yes.

Abraham Hamilton III: Man, I can't wait. You haven't booked your ticket yet. What are you doing? What are you doing? This is not the proper response to this. Dr. Renton Rathbun. He'll be there as well, right?

Miki Addison: Ah, Sandra kommandos. listen, Dr. Renton Rathbun, who directs Biblical Worldview at Bob Jones University and just recently launched his own podcast, which is incredible. He is just a walking brain, right? And a conviction that we have got to tell the truth about who God is. And so we have tasked him with what may seem insurmountable, but he's going to address artificial intelligence, like, in the development of all the technology that we have. What is a biblical worldview on this technology? How do we navigate this for the glory of God? You know, are there places or areas where we're crossing the line here? How do we equip our kids to utilize technology in a way that. That glorifies God? So I'm really excited to hear what he comes up with man.

Abraham Hamilton III: And then our brother, doctor, brother Dr. Israel Wayne.

Miki Addison: Come on. Oh, my goodness.

Will Addison: Definitely has a huge heart for the family.

Miki Addison: Yes.

Will Addison: You know, and man, discipleship in the home and all those things. And he's just a great brother, you know, it's. He's. He's a brother that I always think about. You have certain people that are connectors, you know, and he's one. He's like, man, you need to know this person. You know, this person. And he makes those connections within the body of Christ. But he has a heart for families, and he's gonna be ministering to our families.

Miki Addison: Yeah, it's gonna be so good. I remember, last year, like, there was just a sort of. As he wrapped up his presentation and the Lord had, really pressed, on his heart to change his presentation. the night before he was going to speak, then he was also hit with this huge migraine. And in the midst of all of that, he brought such a convicting message that it was like the air just went out of the room as he talked about the role of fathers and he talked family and what it's supposed to look like, what God has entrusted. Oh, it was so heavy. But it's a good heavy. You know what I mean? Like, when you feel the weight of it and you want to respond affirmatively, it's not that you're condemned. You're just like, yes, Lord, this is what we've been missing. And we want to see that conviction restored to the church.

Abraham Hamilton III: Man, oh, man, my heart feel like I'm on the road to Emmaus. My heart is burning.

Miki Addison: Remember?

Abraham Hamilton III: Oh, man, it was so good.

The Culture Proof conference is designed to equip families and individuals

Will, you mentioned this, and you alluded to this earlier, because sometimes people, some folks, you know, the Apostle Paul said, ever learning and never come into the knowledge of the truth, that I know the heart of God, frankly. And your heart in this is not for people just to come and have their heads filled with a bunch of information, but to be sharpened and equipped to take things home. Would you just speak, a bit to that as to how this is an equipping conference as opposed to just an event?

Will Addison: Yeah, yeah, definitely. Because the focus and the heart of it is that, first of all, that families and individuals are equipped. That's. We come into it with that. And so everything that we're doing, the teaching, the way that is taught, you know, the speakers and the way that they will speak is all for equipping the body of Christ, you know, so, yeah, come prepared to take notes. Come prepared to like you know, have things that you can take back with you that you can talk to your children about as you go back home, you know, on a ride home, what they've learned. Because they will be able to tell you practically what they've learned. You know, these things we have to begin to implement. And if we can do this across this country, just implement the things that's in the word of God, the things that we are being equipped to do, man, things would change.

Miki Addison: Amen.

Will Addison: It could start right there in our homes. Right in our homes. We have the opportunity and responsibility that those places would be lighthouses.

Miki Addison: Yes.

Will Addison: Right in our communities. And so yes, in the practical way, be, be ready to learn. Be, be ready to implement the things that you are learning. Because I think it's going to make a, big difference in individuals lives.

Miki Addison: And be ready to engage with the speakers. Like one of the things that we love about the Culture Proof conference is that it's not celebrity driven. So these people, while they are experts in their field and we love to bring them in to equip any, encourage, they are right there on the ground. So you will find conversations happening with families and other attendees talking to these speakers. We're not a celebrity driven, event if you will, but it's an equipping ministry and so you've got people who have questions after the fact and they get those questions answered.

Will Addison: Yeah. And I just want to mention, you know where we're. 15 seconds, where we're hosting this Pastor Brand. He has a heart for this conference and he will be speaking as well.

Miki Addison: Amen.

Will Addison: And man, he has a heart for families and so it'll be a treat to hear him as well.

Miki Addison: Amen.

Abraham Hamilton III: Cultureproof.net is where you go. June 19th, 21st. You do not want to miss this.

Miki Addison: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.