233 | The Christian Citizen

235 | How Should Christians Be Involved In Politics PT2

How should Christians engage in a politically divided world? When the "other" we are supposed to love becomes the enemy we fight, something has to change. In this episode of A Little Better, host Calum Shaw is joined by Matt Sones to close out our series on Christians and Politics. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to political involvement, we dive into how to navigate today's landscape with humility, discernment, and a commitment to doing good for others. In this episode, we cover: * Moving past the "us vs. them" political mentality to love well. * The importance of being humbly informed rather than reactively outraged. * Practicing discernment in our media consumption and political engagement. LINKS & RESOURCES Companion PDF Guide: pages [https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62e97fbd6b4b89381a2d0151/t/6a35e6020686ae345b1b606a/1781917186248/Christians_and_Politics-PDFResource_EP5.pdf] | spreads [https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62e97fbd6b4b89381a2d0151/t/6a35e61e0509c0444c55e165/1781917214608/Christians_and_Politics-PDFResource_EP5_spreads.pdf]

234 | How Should Christians Be Involved In Politics PT1

In a culture deeply divided along ideological lines, it’s easy for Christians to find themselves caught up in the same tribalism, anger, and anxiety that dominate the evening news. But is that how God intended public life to look? This week on A Little Better, Calum Shaw sits down with Matt Sones for Part 1 of a vital conversation: How Should Christians Be Involved in Politics? Together, they step away from the shouting matches of partisan platforms to examine what scripture actually commands of us as citizens of an earthly state who hold a primary allegiance to the Kingdom of God. In this episode, they unpack the first of six principles for a healthy political engagement as a Christian. Chances are, they aren’t what you’d expect. If you want to move past the anxiety of modern politics and step into a lifestyle of unshakable hope and love for your neighbor, this episode is for you. LINKS & RESOURCES Companion PDF Guide: pages [https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62e97fbd6b4b89381a2d0151/t/6a2b5824678d0f6e6a1c7ece/1781225508628/Christians_and_Politics-PDFResource_EP4.pdf] | spreads [https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62e97fbd6b4b89381a2d0151/t/6a2b5840417364131900cab0/1781225537011/Christians_and_Politics-PDFResource_EP4_spreads.pdf] Submit a Question: Got a question you want answered on the show? Submit it here: https://forms.gle/faT1hp7kngFv1NkA6 [https://forms.gle/faT1hp7kngFv1NkA6]

233 | The Christian Citizen

What happens when your faith collides with your passport? As believers, we live with a unique tension: we are residents of an earthly nation, but our ultimate allegiance belongs to the Kingdom of God. So how do we navigate the messy world of politics, voting, and cultural division without compromising our higher calling? In this episode of Christians and Politics, Calum Shaw and Matt Sones dive into what it truly means to be The Christian Citizen. We challenge the status quo, look at how our faith should inform our civic engagement, and discuss how to keep the Kingdom first in a deeply divided world. LINKS & RESOURCES Companion PDF Guide: Single [https://www.northridgerochester.com/s/Christians_and_Politics-PDFResource_EP3.pdf] | Spreads [https://www.northridgerochester.com/s/Christians_and_Politics-PDFResource_EP3-spreads.pdf] Submit a Question: Got a question you want answered on the show? Submit it here: https://forms.gle/faT1hp7kngFv1NkA6 [https://forms.gle/faT1hp7kngFv1NkA6]

232 | The Kingdom of God and Government

What is the true purpose of government, and how should Christians engage with political powers? In this second episode of the Christians and Politics series, Calum Shaw and Matt Sones dive into one of the most tension-filled topics of our time: the relationship between the Kingdom of God and earthly governments. Every day, we are pulled by competing loyalties. We pay taxes, follow laws, and participate in a political system, yet our ultimate allegiance belongs to a completely different Kingdom—one led by Jesus, whose blueprint for power and authority looks nothing like human politics. This creates a natural, ongoing struggle for believers: How do we live as faithful citizens of our country while keeping our hearts entirely devoted to the Kingdom of God? Is it possible to engage in politics without losing our way, or should we pull back entirely? In this episode, we tackle the big questions: * The Purpose of the State: Why does government exist, and what is it fundamentally designed by God to do? * The Temptation to Withdraw: Should Christians completely pull away from earthly politics to focus solely on God’s Kingdom? * The Divine Order: What is the actual role of earthly governments within God’s grand, global design? * The Breaking Point: How do Christians respond when a government becomes corrupt, evil, or fails to live up to its purpose? Whether you are trying to navigate your own political anxieties, feeling exhausted by the cultural divide, or simply looking for a grounded, biblical perspective on citizenship, this conversation will challenge you to re-examine where your ultimate loyalty lies. LINKS & RESOURCES Companion PDF Guide: Single [https://www.northridgerochester.com/s/Christians_and_Politics-PDFResource_EP2.pdf] | Spreads [https://www.northridgerochester.com/s/Christians_and_Politics-PDFResource_EP2-spreads.pdf] Submit a Question: Got a question you want answered on the show? Submit it here: https://forms.gle/faT1hp7kngFv1NkA6 [https://forms.gle/faT1hp7kngFv1NkA6]

231 | Can Christians Talk About Politics?

With cultural tribalism, division, and anxiety at an all-time high, public life has become incredibly fraught. Too often, the Christian witness is tarnished when the allure of power and the desire to be on the "winning team" overshadow our primary allegiance to Jesus. In this first episode, Calum Shaw and Matt Sones launch a new stand-alone series aimed at evaluating what a mature political witness looks like for a Christian. Together, they break down a working definition of politics, address the paradigms of pursuing change through law or love, and introduce the 7 Layers of Political Discourse to help us have healthier, more humble conversations In this episode: * What is “politics”? Moving past simple voting to understand how communities organize power, resources and rules. * Law and Love: The paradigm of how change happens and our tendency to misplace our expectations. * 7 Layers of political discourse: Why political conversations collapse when we view complex issues through a single, reductionistic lens. LINKS & RESOURCES Companion PDF Guide: Single Page [https://www.northridgerochester.com/s/Christians_and_Politics-PDFResource_EP1.pdf], Spreads [https://www.northridgerochester.com/s/Christians_and_Politics-PDFResource_EP1-spreads.pdf] Submit a Question: Got a question you want answered on the show? Submit it here: https://forms.gle/faT1hp7kngFv1NkA6 [https://forms.gle/faT1hp7kngFv1NkA6]