The Ride Home with John and Kathy

This Week in the Nation’s Capital (Mini-govt shutdown affecting only DHS … + … Rubio tries to reassure worried western allies … + … Obama says aliens have not made contact with Earth) … GUEST Greg Clugston … SRN News White House Correspondent.

Nervous Systems: Spiritual practices to calm Anxiety in your Body, the Church, and Politics (new book) … GUEST Sara Billups … writer and cultural commentator w bylines in NYT, and CT … writes “Bitter Scroll” on substack and cohosts the podcast That’s the Spirit … she lives in Seattle w her family.

Inside the NYC Date Night for AI Lovers: EVA AI created a pop-up romantic date night at a Manhattan wine bar to help in making AI-human relationships a “new normal”… GUEST Drew Dyck … acquisitions editor at Moody Publishers … author of “Just Show Up: How Small Acts of Faithfulness Change Everything (A Guide for Exhausted Christians)” & “Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible & Brain Science,” “Yawning at Tigers: You Can’t Tame God, So Stop Trying,” and “Generation Ex-Christian: Why Young Adults Are Leaving the Church… & how to Bring Them Back”.

Great Rom-Coms for Valentine’s Day … GUEST Abby Olcese… writer on film, pop culture and faith … she’s written for Think Christian and RogerEbert.com (she’s from Kansas City) … author of “Films for All Seasons: Experiencing the Church Year at the Movies”

As Springfield's 15,000 Haitians brace for deportations, local churches train to resist ICE … GUEST Kathryn Post … Pittsburgh-based reporter for RNS covering topics such as Gen Z spirituality, pop culture and abuse in religious contexts (Before joining RNS, she earned a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale, interned at RNS in 2020 and has degrees in writing/ political science from Calvin Univ … her writing has appeared in the WashPost, Sojourners, the Christian Century)

Knowing and Being Known: Hope for All Our Intimate Relationships (Jubilee) … GUEST Rev. Erin Moniz (DMin, Trinity School for Ministry) … deacon in the Anglican Church in North America and associate chaplain and director for chapel at Baylor Univ … she is a trained conciliator, mediator, and conflict coach … she enjoys content creation, playing music, being outdoors, and narrating the inner monologue of her two cats.

Brentwood man remains in ICE custody after hospital stay, 1st hearing … GUEST Megan Swift … reporter, Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

Abortion and America's Churches … GUEST Daniel Williams.

This Week in the Nation’s Capitol (Fallout from Trump’s social media post about the Obamas … + … Trump v Bad Bunny and Puerto Rico … + … Trump v US olympians … + … another shutdown this Fri? … GUEST Greg Clugston.

From Creation Care to Creation Justice (Jubilee guest) … GUEST Derrick Weston … Director of Theological Education and Formation at Creation Justice Ministries, focusing on the intersection of faith and food justice. He is also a writer, podcaster, and the co-author of the book "The Just Kitchen."

AI Romance is Perverse … GUEST A. Trevor Sutton is a pastor, professor, speaker, and author of Redeeming Technology: A Christian Approach to Healthy Digital Habits.

Biblical Justice(Jubilee Guest) … GUEST Dr. Vincent Bacote … internationally recognized scholar, speaker, and author, as well as Professor of Theology and Director of the Center for Applied Christian Ethics at Wheaton College.

Christianity at the Super Bowl defies a Trend (WashPo) … GUEST Dr Richard Mouw ... Professor of faith & public life at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA, where he served as president for 20 yrs ... He has written numerous books, incl “Adventures in Evangelical Civility,” “Uncommon Decency,” “Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport,”“The Smell of Sawdust,” and the newest “Restless Faith: Holding evangelical beliefs in a world of Contested Labels”

”The Rest of Christ:” Matthew 11:28-30… GUEST Rev Terry Timm … Christ Community Church of the South Hills.

This post is a surprise And if you read it, you'll learn to surprise those whom you love … GUEST Bruce Barron … has had a varied career that included investigating the charismatic movement, dominion theology, political campaigning and public policy … he was a communications aide for the World Evangelical Alliancee and exec editor of their theological journal .. now he directs editorial services for the Society of Christian Scholars and writes regularly at his substack.

GUEST Terry Wirginis, the third- generation owner and President & Owner of the Gateway Clipper Fleet.

A new way to see evidence for God's existence. … GUEST Dr Sy Garte ... biochemist who has taught at NY Univ, the Univ of Pgh, and Rutgers Univ ... He's the author of "The Works of His Hands: A Scientist's Journey from Atheism to Faith," “Science & Faith in Harmony: Contemplations on a Distilled Doxology,” and the most recent, “Beyond Evolution: How New Discoveries in the Science of Life point to God”.

Epstein Files and its adjacent to misogyny.… GUEST Dorothy Little Greco ... writer & photographer who lives outside Boston ... The author of "Making Marriage Beautiful," and most recently, “Marriage in the Middle: Embracing Midlife Surprises, Challenges & Joys” … Dorothy & her husband lead marriage workshops/ retreats, speak at conferences nationwide.

Life’s coming at us Fast: how to avoid discouragement, disengagement and anger … GUEST Rev Dr Dean Weaver ... Stated Clerk of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church ... co-founder and former president of EduNations.

Perpetua and Felicity: two North African martyrs from AD 203 … GUEST Frederica Mathewes-Green .. she's the author of "The Jesus Prayer: The Ancient Desert Prayer that Tunes the Heart to God," and "Welcome to the Orthodox Church: an Introduction to Eastern Christianity"

How to Fight for Life When Abortions Are Invisible... GUEST Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra… senior writer and faith-&-work editor for The Gospel Coalition … also coauthor of “Gospelbound: Living with Resolute Hope in an Anxious Age” and editor of “Social Sanity in an Insta World”.

Life is Beautiful: God created nature, culture, human beings & relationships to be beautiful (Jubilee guest) … GUEST Drew Hyun … Founder and Lead Pastor of Hope Church NYC, a diverse church with three locations in NYC … author of “Beautiful, Disappointing, Hopeful: How Gratitude, Grief and Grace reflect the Christian Story”

The Good Place Institute & the theology of work (Jubilee guest) … GUEST Chris Young … President of The Good Place Institute

This Week in the Nation’s Capital (Partial Gov’t Shutdown after Trump and Senate Dems strike deal on ICE … + … Iran military action? … + … Trump to close Kennedy Center for 2-year renovations … GUEST Greg Clugston … SRN News White House Correspondent.

How to Be Indebted to Friends ... GUEST Alan Noble ... associate prof of English at Oklahoma Baptist Univ, cofounder & editor-in-chief of Christ & Pop Culture, and an advisor for the AND Campaign ... author of the latest, “On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden & Gift of Living” … also “You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World” and "Disruptive Witness" and one of my fav essays ever, “On Living”

The Meaning of Marriage: self-centered-ness in the way … GUEST Kathy Keller ... formerly served as assistant director of communications for Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC ... She is the author of "Jesus, Justice, & Gender Roles: A Case for Gender Roles in Ministry" and co- author with her husband, Tim, of "The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God” … new book based on Tim’s sermons is coming out, “What Is Wrong with the World?: The Surprising, Hopeful Answer to the Question We Cannot Avoid”.

Safety: how to navigate a dangerous world … GUEST Rev Jay Slocum … rector, St Thomas Anglican Church, Gibsonia.

Ordinary Time: The Season of Growth (new book) … GUEST Dr Amy Peeler … assoc prof of New Testament at Wheaton College and assoc rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Geneva, Ill … author of “Women and the Gender of God”

Protest: what’s lawful and what isn’t lawful from ICE (or the police) and the protestors (or professional agitators)… GUEST Prof Bruce Antkowiak … law professor at St Vincent College.

This week’s snowstorm and Proverbs 16:9: “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” … GUEST Rev Josh Brown … lead pastor, Bellefield Church in the Oakland district of Pgh … Bellefield.org

He Died For Our Sins… GUEST Anne Kennedy ...author of “Nailed It: 365 Sarcastic Devotionals for Angry and Worn Out People” ... She blogs everyday at her substack “Demotivations w Anne”... Anne lives in upstate NY where she mothers 6 children and lives with her husband, an Anglican priest.

9 functions of the middle prefrontal cortex: the part of the brain that, at the end of the day, make us uniquely human … GUEST Dr Curt Thompson … psychiatrist in private practice in Falls Church, VA ... author of “The Soul of Shame: Retelling the Stories We Believe About Ourselves” and "The Soul of Desire: Discovering the Neuroscience of Longing, Beauty, and Community"

Tips for dating online in 2026 … GUEST Lisa Anderson … Director of Boundless and Young Adults at Focus on the Family, and hosts “The Boundless Show” weekly podcast and radio show.

Agriculture: Called to Relationship" … GUEST Steve Montgomery … Along w his wife & 4 kids, Steve started Lamppost Farm in Columbiana OH w a mission to use agriculture to reach/ teach others … they practice regenerative agriculture and invite people to find out where their food comes … In 2025, he started a company called Fireberry to plant farms as a means of providing the highest quality food to members of communities.

Agriculture: Called to Relationship" … GUEST Steve Montgomery … Along w his wife & 4 kids, Steve started Lamppost Farm in Columbiana OH w a mission to use agriculture to reach/ teach others … they practice regenerative agriculture and invite people to find out where their food comes … In 2025, he started a company called Fireberry to plant farms as a means of providing the highest quality food to members of communities.

The Oscars noms are out… GUEST Abby Olcese… writer on film, pop culture and faith … she’s written for Think Christian and RogerEbert.com… author of “Films for All Seasons: Experiencing the Church Year at the Movies”.

GUEST Robert Royal ... author of "The Martyrs of the New Millennium: The Global Persecution of Christians in the Twenty-First Century."

The Future Is Human: And Our Art Should Reflect It ... GUEST Ryan Peter ... writer, ghostwriter, writing coach, Indie author & journalist ... ryanpeterwrites.com.

Where did the Apostles preach the gospel after Pentecost? Did they really go into "all the world"? And what happened after they died? Do we know anything about the 1st few centuries of the church? … GUEST Fr Tom Soroka … St Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKees Rocks.

Freely Sober: Rethinking Alcohol Through the Lens of Faith … GUEST Ericka Andersen … freelance writer, podcast host and owner of Pitch and Publish Writing Company … author of "Reason to Return: Why Women Need the Church & the Church Needs Women" and "Leaving Cloud 9: The True Story of a Life Resurrected From the Ashes of Poverty, Trauma and Mental Illness” … she’s a weekly columnist at WORLD Magazine and a freelance reporter for Christianity Today.