Crosswalk Talk: Celebrity Christian Interviews

Nick Skytland, Vice President of AI Research at GLOO, has been tracking how pastors use AI for a year through a joint research initiative with Barna. The headline finding will surprise people: 87% of pastors are using AI in some form. Only 13% say they do not use it at all. But how they are using it — and where the cautions lie — is where the conversation gets important. Brainstorming, biblical research, and the Friday sermon temptation: Nick walks through the data, including the 24% of pastors who now use AI to write or edit sermons, double last year's number, and why he believes the biggest risk is not that pastors are using it but that they stop thinking critically about what it gives back. AI is biased, not theologically neutral, and trained on secular pluralistic information — using it for spiritual formation without pastoral judgment, he says, is like turning to Reddit for marriage advice. He also shares what GLOO is building to address that gap and why he believes the church's mandate for human formation has never mattered more than it does in the age of AI. Highlights Why 87% of pastors are now using AI in some form and what that actually looks like in practice The top uses: brainstorming, idea generation, biblical research, small group questions, and administrative tasks Why 79% of pastors worry about AI replacing God and 63% worry about it replacing spiritual leaders entirely Why AI is not theologically neutral and defaults to secular pluralistic responses unless specifically prompted otherwise The Friday sermon temptation and why tired pastors need to be most on guard against outsourcing their judgment Why the church's core calling is formation, not information, and why friction in human relationships matters What GLOO is building to make AI values-aligned for faith communities and where to find the full research Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 GLOO Flourishing AI research: https://gloo.com 🌐 Barna State of the Church research: https://www.barna.com/stateofthechurch 🌐 Nick Skytland Twitter: https://x.com/skytland 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Nathan Gamble grew up in church. He knew the creed, got confirmed, got baptized as an infant, and showed up every Sunday. He knew every rhythm of the Christian life — and had nothing in his heart for any of it. Then at 18 he moved to LA by himself, worked a lot, had no friends, hit rock bottom, and considered ending his life. A few connections later, he found himself hanging out with broke Bible college students in Ventura, California who were inexplicably joyful, and he wanted whatever they had. Two weeks after enrolling, he got saved. Isolation, genuine joy, and a faith that finally moved from the head to the heart: Nathan shares how he went from playing Sawyer in Dolphin Tale and Commissioner Gordon's son in The Dark Knight to being all in for the kingdom, and why he believes the most powerful form of the Great Commission is simply loving people so well they start asking what you have. He also gives a preview of Bad Counselors, releasing July 22, a film following two frat brothers who pose as counselors at a Christian youth camp to fulfill court-ordered community service — and why he thinks it is one of the smartest faith films made in years because it puts the audience squarely on the side of the non-believer. Highlights Why Nathan says most of his career he was not a believer — he just knew all the rhythms and performed them for his parents Moving to LA at 18 alone, hitting rock bottom, considering ending his life, and how Bible college students changed everything The premise of Bad Counselors and why he thinks the script is a page turner that made him laugh out loud Why showing Bad Counselors to non-believing students at USC got a 90% approval rating His philosophy of being a light on secular sets without needing to identify every moment as a ministry opportunity His dad's three rules for success — show up early, memorize people's names, memorize your lines — and why they are all biblical His upcoming projects, Miracle on the Precipice with Sean Patrick Flanery and a show he co-created called Bible College Resources / Links / CTA 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanleegamble 🎬 Bad Counselors: in theaters July 22–27 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Alex Kendrick and his brother Stephen went to Brazil to train 65 young Christian filmmakers. They came home with a Sony-funded feature film shot in Portuguese in Rio de Janeiro, starring a husband and wife who got pregnant during production and welcomed their baby two weeks before this interview. The new film is Flywheel: Ignition of the Soul, a remake of the very first movie the Kendrick brothers ever made, updated for modern day Brazil and releasing in American theaters October 16. Lordship, the movie screen as a canvas for the human heart, and a God who put every piece in place: Alex shares how the trip to Brazil came together through a series of unlikely open doors — including an interpreter named Enrique from Orlando who walked up out of nowhere and asked if they needed help — and why the story of an unethical car salesman, his praying wife, and a pastor's prayer that God would treat him the way he treated others is just as powerful in Portuguese as it was in English 25 years ago. He also revisits the Facing the Giants PG controversy and why a rating that initially stung turned into $8 million worth of free publicity that launched their career. Highlights Why the Kendricks agreed to train 65 Brazilian filmmakers and how that trip became a Sony-funded feature film The interpreter named Enrique who walked up and offered to help the moment they needed one — and never left Why shooting Flywheel in Portuguese, in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazilian culture made it something no dubbed version could replicate The husband and wife lead actors who got pregnant during production and welcomed a baby two weeks ago How the original Flywheel sold over a million DVDs despite almost every production mistake imaginable The story behind Flywheel, a used car salesman whose pastor unknowingly prays that God treats him the way he treated others Why Alex says the movie screen is not the primary canvas — the human heart is The Facing the Giants PG controversy and why a rating over faith content turned into a career-launching media moment Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Flywheel: Ignition of the Soul 📱 Instagram Alex Kendrick: https://www.instagram.com/the.alex.kendrick 🌐 Kendrick Brothers: https://kendrickbrothers.com 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Bear Grylls has built a career taking people into the places where the real conversations happen — not the two-minute chat show slot where nobody asks about faith, but the mountaintop at sunset, the canyon at dusk, the forest trail where walls come down and people start talking about what actually matters. His new Prime Video series Chosen in the Wild takes the cast and crew of The Chosen into exactly those places, and Bear says what he has seen in these actors surprised him — many of them were not people of faith when they joined the show, and the transformation has been genuine. Faith kept simple, the wilderness as a place of encounter, and a show that has changed the people who made it: Bear shares why he keeps his own faith uncomplicated — say sorry, ask for help, say thank you — and why he believes there is a hunger for this kind of conversation everywhere he goes in the world. He also reflects on why sitting beside a river, walking through a forest, or watching a sunset with someone you love is just as sacred as anything that happens inside a building, and why he has learned long ago that a man is never as tall as when he kneels. Highlights Why Bear says he struggles more in normal everyday life than in the wilderness and what that reveals about how we are designed How the cast and crew of The Chosen arrived in the wild honest, open, and ready to talk about their real struggles Why many of the Chosen actors were not people of faith before the show and how that has changed Bear's simple daily prayer practice and why he keeps faith uncomplicated rather than formal Why climbing a mountain or sitting beside a river is just as much a spiritual encounter as anything in a church building His advice to young people who want to follow their hearts — fail a lot, build good people around you, and keep faith close Why he believes life will humble all of us eventually and why it is better to learn that lesson early The phrase that guides him: a man is never as tall as when he kneels Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Bear Grylls website: https://www.beargrylls.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beargrylls 📺 Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Ben Peterson, founder of Engage Your Destiny and former military chaplain's assistant, has led more than 8,000 sailors, airmen, marines, and soldiers to Christ in the last three years. He works with the most faithless generation in American history — only 3% of Gen Z holds a fully biblical worldview — and he is watching them turn to AI chatbots for spiritual advice, emotional support, and the sense of belonging their brains are wired to crave. His new book When Intelligence Isn't Human: Navigating Your Faith in the Age of AI is his response. The Tower of Babel, the dopamine loop, and a generation being shaped by technology built by men who don't follow Christ: Ben walks through why he believes AI is the tool of the great deception described in Matthew 24, how the creators of the most powerful technology in human history are driven by evolutionary moral relativism and utopian promises that echo the language of Mao, Hitler, and Stalin, and why a 40% rise in Gen Z turning to AI chatbots as pastoral figures should alarm the church. He also shares why he is not anti-AI, where the line is between useful tool and dangerous dependence, and why he believes the same historical pattern that brought revival through World War Two, the Civil War, and the Great Awakening is building again right now. Highlights Why dopamine is a pursuit chemical, not a pleasure chemical, and how social media and AI have hacked that system in young people How 40% of Gen Z is now turning to AI chatbots in the same way they would turn to a pastor for spiritual guidance Why AI is not the issue — it is the originators and creators of AI who are building a world without Christ that is the danger The Tower of Babel parallel and why Genesis 11 warns about what happens when nothing is impossible for those who reject God Where Ben draws the line between AI as a tool and AI as a guide or relationship — and why it will never replace the Holy Spirit Why he is concerned about the 70% of military personnel who are Gen Z and what AI integration means for their spiritual lives The every-80-to-90-years revival pattern and why he believes the church is on the verge of the greatest move of God yet How every copy of his book sold funds putting a copy directly into the hands of a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Ben Peterson website: https://thebenpeterson.com 🌐 Book website: https://whenintelligenceisnthuman.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebenpeterson 📖 Book: When Intelligence Isn't Human: Navigating Your Faith in the Age of AI by Ben Peterson 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

John James was the voice of Shine, Breakfast, Take Me to Your Leader, and Not Ashamed — the songs that defined the Newsboys' most creative era and introduced a generation to Christian music that was quirky, bold, and unlike anything else on the radio. He spent 16 years with the band. Then his world fell apart. He lost his marriage, his ministry, his career, and eventually flew back to Australia not to start over but, as he puts it plainly, to disappear and die. Brokenness, the lies that keep you silent, and the God who refuses to give up on his kids: John shares what it was like to hit rock bottom after leaving the Newsboys, why it took nearly 30 years before he could sing again, and how writing his new book Newsboy: My Story of Hope and Second Chances became the most healing and liberating experience of his life. He also reflects with grace on the recent Newsboys scandal, why he believes no one — not even the most broken person — is beyond the reach of God's redemption, and what the Christian music industry is missing by staying in one lane while an entire generation of young people has never heard of Bethel, Elevation, or Hillsong. Highlights Why John says he went back to Australia not for ministry but to disappear — and how God met him there How the slow erosion of his foundations, not a single dramatic fall, brought his house of cards down Why he refused to sing for nearly 30 years and the lies that kept him silent until God breathed on that area of his life again The process of losing 40 pounds, relearning to sing, and recording 11 new songs that sound like the follow-up to Shine Why he wanted the book to be a story of redemption, not a tell-all or a stone-throwing exercise His gracious and honest response to the recent Newsboys scandal and why redemption does not require our permission Why fast-tracking people in ministry based on gifting and charisma rather than character and biblical foundation is dangerous His urgent call for more Christian artists writing outside the worship lane to reach kids who have never heard of Christian music Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 John James website: https://www.ireachusa.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnjosephjames_official 📖 Book: Newsboy: My Story of Hope and Second Chances 🎵 Album: God of the Second Chance 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Willie and Korie Robertson have been watching how entertainment shapes culture since Duck Dynasty first aired on cable. They have seen cable give way to streaming, watched the iPads appear in their grandchildren's hands, and decided that the answer to bad content is not just criticism — it is a better option. EKKL Entertainment is their answer: a faith and family streaming platform that also houses podcasts and devotionals, built for families who are tired of trying to figure out what is safe to watch. Faith families, Hollywood's blind spot, and a rock star who finds God in a hospital room: Willie and Korie share why they believe Hollywood does not overlook the faith and family audience so much as it simply does not understand it, why Duck Dynasty and God's Not Dead proved the appetite is real, and why the gatekeepers of traditional entertainment have kept too many good stories from reaching the people who need them. They also give a preview of Elijah Peele, releasing in theaters August 14, a gritty true story about a rock star whose life is falling apart who finds himself in a hospital room with a young girl and a chance at redemption — the kind of story, Willie says, where you do not realize it is a faith film until it has already gotten to you. Highlights Why Willie and Korie believe streaming is where culture is being shaped and why they wanted to be part of shaping it How watching their own kids and grandchildren consume content made the need for EKKL feel urgent and personal Why Hollywood does not overlook the faith and family audience — it just does not understand it How Duck Dynasty, God's Not Dead, and dozens of faith films proved the audience has always been there Why the gatekeepers of traditional entertainment are the problem and what EKKL offers as an alternative Elijah Peele, releasing August 14, a gritty true story about a rock star whose chase for everything leaves him with nothing Why Willie loves that Elijah Peele does not announce itself as a faith film in the first five minutes How EKKL goes beyond streaming to include podcasts and devotionals as a full trusted home for faith families Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 EKKL Entertainment: https://m.ekkl.com 📱 Instagram Korie Robertson: https://www.instagram.com/korie.robertson 🎬 Elijah Peele: in theaters August 14 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jon Erwin has been dreaming about the story of George Washington for over a decade. He read approximately 30 books, brought in historians obsessed with the subject, and set out not to photograph history but to paint an accurate portrait of a young man raging against an unfair world who decided to build a better one. Young Washington finished third at the box office over the Fourth of July weekend, making it the only film about American history in theaters on the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding — and the only modern theatrical film about George Washington in decades. The origin story of America, a love letter to a nation still worth believing in, and why your movie ticket is your vote: Jon shares what drew him to Washington's story, how the film captures a young man denied entry into a colonial class system and the fury that forged him into the father of a different kind of country, and why he believes so many of America's current problems trace back to a generation that no longer knows its own origin story. He also previews his next film, 1776, which will bring Washington back as the central figure of an ensemble story about the moment the largest amphibious fleet ever assembled in the history of the world hit the immovable object that was George Washington. Highlights Why Young Washington finishing third on the Fourth of July weekend was not a surprise to Jon but a statement from Middle America How nearly 30 books and years of research shaped a film he originally fell in love with long before he planned to make it The moment that defines Young Washington — a young man denied entry into a colonial class system who decides to build a fairer one Why America replaced the word subjects with citizens in the Declaration of Independence and what that still means today Why Jon believes this film belongs to everyone, left and right, because Washington is the first founding father for all Americans The staggering fact that Young Washington is the only modern theatrical film about George Washington in decades A preview of 1776, the next chapter in Washington's story, featuring an ensemble cast and the largest amphibious fleet ever assembled Why Jon believes America's story needs to be retold through film and why he hopes other filmmakers follow where Young Washington led Resources / Links / CTA 🎬 Young Washington film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32104007 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonerwinofficial 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Steven Curtis Chapman grew up watching his grandfather Ruble Rudd — a Purple Heart World War II veteran who came home with shrapnel permanently lodged in his leg, the only survivor of his platoon — live out a quiet, grateful patriotism that never left him. That legacy is at the heart of a new song Steven wrote for America's 250th birthday, a reimagining of America the Beautiful with the same chorus and new verses, recorded with country singer Chris Janson and debuted at the Grand Ole Opry on July 31, 2024 — the same night Ricky Skaggs walked out to invite Steven to become the Opry's newest member. Gratitude, division, and what happens when algorithms keep feeding us reasons to fight: Steven shares why he felt compelled to write a song that names the thing tearing America apart — including a lyric about algorithms that he was not sure belonged in a patriotic song but knew he had to say — and why his prayer for it is simply that people would lay down their weapons long enough to be grateful. He also opens up about the song Cinderella never becoming a number one because some Christian radio stations did not consider it a Christian song, why I Will Be Here was born from his parents' marriage dissolving, and why after four decades he is playing music with more joy than ever. Highlights The Purple Heart grandfather who survived his platoon and gave Steven a lifelong love for the cost of American freedom The night he debuted the new song at the Grand Ole Opry and was immediately invited to become a member Why he put the word algorithms in a patriotic song and what he believes social media is doing to American unity How he and Chris Janson connected as Opry brothers and why Janson jumped at the chance to record it together Why Cinderella never reached number one because some Christian radio stations said it was not a Christian song The painful season behind I Will Be Here, written after his parents' marriage dissolved, and why it surprised him by becoming one of his most beloved songs The Speechless 25th Anniversary Tour, a string quartet, a full band, and why he is playing music with more joy now than ever What he told his record label when he started — and what they told him about his singing before they signed him anyway Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Steven Curtis Chapman website: https://stevencurtischapman.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevencurtischapman 🎵 Single: America the Beautiful with Chris Janson 🎤 Speechless 25th Anniversary Tour 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Tenroc has spent his life making hits for other people. Grammy nominated producer and songwriter, he has worked with Rihanna, Jonas Brothers, Julia Michaels, Renee Rapp, and others — building songs, polishing them, handing them off, and going back to do it again. He never wanted to be the one out front. Then, about a year ago, he was driving a church van full of youth with his wife in the passenger seat when he heard God say something that changed everything. God's personhood, misdirected worship, and why the universe is not listening when you talk to it: Tenroc shares the story behind God Is a Person, his debut solo album releasing July 17, and why every song on it was deliberately written to be impossible to apply to anyone but God. He also breaks down Celebrity Is Dead, a song born from a conversation with his wife about why fame ruins both the person being worshipped and the people doing the worshipping, and why the whole album is designed to start with you wherever your emotion is and carry you out of it by the last note. Highlights The moment God spoke to him while driving a church van and why his first attempt to rationalize his way around it failed Why God specifically told him to make songs that were explicit about Jesus and said His name out loud Celebrity Is Dead and why humans were never created to receive worship — and what it does to both parties when they try Why every song was written to be impossible to apply to anyone but God, including rewriting verses that felt too generic What God Is a Person means — not just that Jesus is God, but that the universe is not a person and is not listening Why the album has an 80s pop and rock sonic profile that anyone can enjoy regardless of their faith background What it is like to be a producer who gets to make the product, hand it off, and then go back to make another one Why he believes every song needs to begin in an honest emotion but cannot leave you there Resources / Links / CTA 🌐 Tenroc website: https://www.praise-jesus.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tenroc 🎵 Single: Call My Name (Yahweh) 🎵 Album: God Is a Person, releasing July 17 🌐 Follow, share, and explore more of Crosswalk Talk 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.