The WallBuilders Show

Revival is one of those words that can feel inspiring and vague at the same time, so we decided to get concrete. We talk about what revival actually looks like when you compare Scripture with American history and we challenge the popular idea that renewal is a quick spiritual adrenaline rush that fixes everything overnight. The Great Awakenings didn’t last a weekend. They lasted decades, and they changed the way everyday people thought, lived, and participated in public life.

We dig into the First Great Awakening and why many historians argue it helped lay the groundwork for the United States itself. Then we zoom in on George Whitefield, whose relentless missionary travels and staggering preaching schedule show the real cost behind spiritual movements. We also look at a surprising pattern: opposition to revival often comes from “spiritual” circles that feel threatened by new methods, new unity, or new priorities. If you’ve ever wondered why good change can create conflict, history has receipts.

From there we get practical. Prayer matters, but prayer that never turns into action stalls out. We discuss why Scripture puts special emphasis on praying for leaders, how praying for officials can reshape our own hearts, and how to think about advisors and staff who influence policy. Finally, we tackle the big question: how do you measure revival? The strongest markers aren’t just church metrics, but cultural fruit like integrity, accountability, and a refusal to tolerate what once felt “normal.”

Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of faith and politics, share this with a friend, and leave a review if it sharpened the way you think about revival. What’s one cultural change you’d expect to see if renewal were real?
Support the show

Flag Day isn’t a modern, made-up observance. It reaches back to a wartime decision on June 14, 1777, when the Second Continental Congress chose a national flag in the middle of the American Revolution. We walk through that origin story, why Francis Hopkinson belongs in the center of it, and how the familiar Betsy Ross claim shows what happens when legend outruns documentation. If you care about American history, the founding era, and civic literacy, this timeline changes how you see the symbol flying outside your home, school, or church.

Our friend Bill Federer joins us to lay out the surprisingly clear chain from the flag to the Pledge of Allegiance: early drafts in the late 1800s, public school adoption, and Woodrow Wilson’s 1916 declaration of National Flag Day. We also dig into presidential language around faith and freedom, including how leaders framed liberty of conscience and religious liberty as core American principles rather than optional extras.

Then we tackle the Cold War turning point: the 1954 addition of “one nation under God,” the role of the Knights of Columbus, and the story of a pastor who challenged President Eisenhower with a simple question, what truly makes America different from regimes that can mouth the same words about “liberty and justice.” We connect that to a bigger conversation about where rights come from, what happens when a nation forgets its past, and why education shapes culture. If this helped you, subscribe, share it for Flag Day, and leave a review so more people can find the show.
Support the show

Something is shifting as America heads toward the 250th anniversary, and it is not just more history content online. We feel a real opening for renewal when faith and culture meet in everyday places: churches, city councils, youth groups, family conversations, and local celebrations. From David Barton’s story of speaking on the deck of the USS Midway to Tim Barton’s reminder to unplug from endless social media drama, we keep coming back to one point: there is a lot of reason to celebrate, and a lot we can do right now. 

Constitution coach Craig Seibert joins us with brand-new 250th resources designed to help pastors and citizens reclaim the spiritual and civic ideas that shaped the founding. We dig into “Courageous Pastors,” a collection of seven Revolutionary era sermons that helped ignite and sustain the American Revolution, including Jonathan Mayhew’s famous teaching on Romans 13. We also talk about divine providence, what the Declaration of Independence meant by that phrase, and why remembering God’s providential care in American history can strengthen courage and gratitude today. 

Then we get practical with clear action steps: simple 30 day devotionals on the faith of the signers, the faith of the framers, and the faith of the presidents, plus a strategy for bringing local proclamations to mayors and city councils. Craig also shares “Documents of Freedom,” a curated collection of founding texts like the Constitution, the Mayflower Compact, and George Washington’s Farewell Address, with historical context that helps families and churches teach American history and religious liberty with clarity. 

If you care about biblical citizenship, the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and a hopeful path toward America 250, hit play, share this with a friend, and then subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the show.
Links mentioned in this episode:
https://declarationofindependence250.org/
https://unitedstates250.org/
Support the show

Decline is not inevitable, and neither is renewal. We bring you a rapid-fire Good News Friday with stories that cut across health, culture, courts, and American history, all through a biblical, historical, and constitutional perspective that stays practical and grounded in real headlines. 

First up, we react to new data showing smoking among adults has fallen to an all-time low, with youth smoking also down, and we connect that to the simple idea of stewardship: when people choose healthier habits, families and communities feel the ripple effects. We also swap notes on World War II history, including a standout D-Day film recommendation and why honest storytelling about leadership and sacrifice still shapes how we see the nation’s 250th anniversary. 

Then we dig into a major cultural flashpoint: a member of Congress introduces a resolution to replace Pride Month with June as Family Month. We talk through what’s actually in the public statements around it, the history of which presidents issued Pride Month proclamations, and why local action matters just as much as federal action. If you serve on a city council, work in your county, or simply know your mayor, we lay out how these proclamations can shift at the community level. 

Finally, we cover two big legal developments: Florida’s case calling out Planned Parenthood for allegedly false advertising about the abortion pill mifepristone, and the NRB appeal challenging the Johnson Amendment and its chilling effect on church speech. We wrap with a surprisingly hopeful DC update as long-neglected fountains and memorials come back to life and new heroes are set to be honored. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people find Good News Friday.
Support the show

Washington State rarely dominates the headlines, but Pastor Josh McPherson says that silence is part of the problem. Tim Barton sits down with Josh for the conclusion of their conversation about faith and culture, Christian civic engagement, and why a constitutional republic only survives when people of conviction refuse to opt out. Josh makes the case that inalienable rights come from our Creator, yet still have to be politically protected if we want to actually enjoy them in real life, in our families, schools, and communities. 

From there, we get specific. Josh describes Washington as a testing ground for policies that later spread nationwide, and he challenges the church to face hard numbers about voter disengagement and its consequences. That urgency feeds a bold plan for Father’s Day weekend: the American Congress of Christian Men at the Gorge Amphitheatre, starting June 19, with a goal of gathering 15,000 men to worship, rally, and leave with concrete action steps. The story gets even wilder when the date lines up with George Washington signing his commission on June 19, and the venue sits in a town named George Washington. 

We close with a needed heart check. Josh’s central encouragement is simple and disruptive: submission to spiritual authority unleashes spiritual authority. We connect it to the call to commit to a local church and to the Roman centurion in Matthew 8, where real faith is tied to understanding authority. If you care about religious liberty, biblical leadership, and practical ways to engage culture without becoming lawless or arrogant, this conversation will sharpen you. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.
Support the show