Axis Conversations

Three Big Conversations:

Song of the Week: "Boston" by Stella Lefty - 00:48

In Other News: - 40:34

The first trailer for Greta Gerwig's film adaptation of C.S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew, featuring Led Zeppelin and multi-colored, psychedelic visuals, is available for all to see (and have divided opinions about). Have you heard "Higher" by Creed more in the past two years than you ever did in th...

PlayStation 5 consoles cost more than they ever have, girls-only flag football leagues are taking root nationwide, and the surprising reason tech employees are taking up smoking.

Song of the Week: "Boston" by Stella Lefty

In Other News:

The first trailer for Greta Gerwig's film adaptation of C.S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew, featuring Led Zeppelin and multi-colored, psychedelic visuals, is available for all to see (and have divided opinions about). Have you heard "Higher" by Creed more in the past two years than you ever did in the 2000s? Apparently Instagram was suggesting t...

Three Big Conversations:

Song of the Week: "Nicole Kidman" by ADÉLA  -3:00

Click here for the lyrics.

In Other News: - 48:32

Choosin' Taylor: To the chagrin of some of the Axis podcast team, Taylor Swift's "Patient Zero" dethroned Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas," which had held its record-setting position as the #1 single on Billboard's Hot 100 for 24 week...

TikTok influencer Alix Earle brags about never having read a book, some good news about Gen Z and millennial church attendance, and how Gen Z is processing the failed execution of Christa Pike.

Song of the Week: "Nicole Kidman" by ADÉLA

Click here for the lyrics.

In Other News:

Choosin' Taylor: To the chagrin of some of the Axis podcast team, Taylor Swift's "Patient Zero" dethroned Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas," which had held its record-setting position as the #1 single on Billboard's Hot 100 for 24 weeks. Choosin' Eden: A new limited series ad...

Adam is a therapist who focuses on trauma and abuse, and the host of The Place We Find Ourselves podcast. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master's in Social Work (from Virginia Commonwealth University) and Divinity (from Emory University). He's an Allender Center Fellow and Instructor. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado where he enjoys skiing, soccer, and mountain biking. We'll be talking today primarily about his book Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Past With Kindness Changes Everything.

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Three Big Conversations:

Song of the Week - Patient Zero by Taylor Swift - 1:04

→ Click here to read the lyrics

→ Click here for the content warnings for The Love Hypothesis

In Other News: - 54:12

An AI influencer named Jean Philanthrope has been going viral, and large swathes of the internet seem to believe that this ridiculously haired shadow-boxing charact...

The Love Hypothesis proves true on Amazon, Match goes all in on a Christian dating app called Upward, and a civil lawsuit against Cornell raises hard questions about rape culture.

Song of the Week - "Patient Zero" by Taylor Swift

→ Click here to read the lyrics

→ Click here for the content warnings for The Love Hypothesis

In Other News:

An AI influencer named Jean Philanthrope has been going viral, and large swathes of the internet seem to believe that this ridiculously haired shadow-boxing character is real.  He (it) also recentl...

Three Big Conversations:

Meme of the Week: Verity - 1:08

Click → Parent Guide to Sports Betting

Click → The Conversation Starter

Click → The Gospel of Risk-Taking: What Gambling Apps Get Wrong (and Right) with Abby Perry

In Other News: - 45:34

Taylor Swift released four new songs today as part of her The Life of a Showgi...

Generations are divided over bringing iced coffee to job interviews, new details about Greta Gerwig's adaptation of Narnia are making some fans uncomfortable, and sports betting is being called "the new opioid crisis."

Meme of the Week: Verity

Click → Parent Guide to Sports Betting

Click → The Conversation Starter

Click → The Gospel of Risk-Taking: What Gambling Apps Get Wrong (and Right) with Abby Perry

In Other News:

Taylor Swift released four new songs today as part of her The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore album, including a song c...

Three Big Conversations:

Resource of the Week: "Breaking the Algorithm" - 00:46

→ Click here to watch the first episode

→ Click here to read the discussion guide

In Other News: - 46:38

Whispering the phrase "go play" has become a way to tell someone to leave you alone, with the implication that they are being childish. 

Rapper Ma...

Sydney Sweeney released a borderline pornographic commercial for Novig, what the memes about Charlie Kirk may really mean, and why not every tween wants to grow up to be a YouTuber.

Resource of the Week: "Breaking the Algorithm"

→ Click here to watch the first episode

→ Click here to read the discussion guide

In Other News:

Whispering the phrase "go play" has become a way to tell someone to leave you alone, with the implication that they are being childish. 

Rapper Macklemore was removed from being the opening act for...

Three Big Conversations:

Meme of the Week: "We'll Drive A Funky Ehh" - 00:48

In Other News: - 51:50

Teens are reading plenty of texts, but maybe not the kind of texts we'd wish for. A new assessment found that reading slumped to its very lowest levels this century, with a surge in screen time linked to the decline. Goodbye Shakespeare. A...

Alix Earle's reality show focuses on her family, Polymarket bettors made money off the Lindsay Clancy mistrial, and an immersive history project is about to recap 9/11 for an audience who can't remember it.

Meme of the Week: "We'll Drive A Funky Ehh"

In Other News:

Teens are reading plenty of texts, but maybe not the kind of texts we'd wish for. A new assessment found that reading slumped to its very lowest levels this century, with a surge in screen time linked to the decline. Goodbye Shakespeare. A recent article in The Guardian ma...

Abby Perry is a writer, editor, researcher, and reporter based in Texas. She has collaborated with Bustle, Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Sojourners, Christ and Pop Culture, and Common Good Magazine, among many other organizations. She is also a mom of two boys. And she was the lead writer and researcher for our new Parent's Guide to Betting Apps (coming soon), which we'll be talking about today. 

→ Click here for our Parent's Guide to Betting Apps

→ Click here to see Abby's work

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→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.<...

Three Big Conversations:

Song of the Week: "serena joy" - 00:46

Click here for the lyrics.

Click here to watch the Conversation Starter episode on analog hobbies amongst teens.

Click here to read the article about Gen Z and foraging from Dazed.

In Other News: - 47:18

People on TikTok are wondering if their boyfriends can re...

Gen Z is discovering that intuition is not the same as anxiety, poor dead Nimrod Workman never stood a chance, and the foraging trend is more than just a recession indicator.

Song of the Week: "serena joy"

Click here for the lyrics.

Click here to watch the Conversation Starter episode on analog hobbies amongst teens.

Click here to read the article about Gen Z and foraging from Dazed.

In Other News:

People on TikTok are wondering if their boyfriends can read. A new trend involves women filming their...

Today my guests are Brian Smith and Ed Uszynski. They are the authors of a book called Away Game, and they also are a part of Athletes in Action and organization that helps parents and coaches disciple teens through sports.

Click here to get their book!

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations:

Song of the Week: "Loser" by Tame Impala - 00:46

→ Click here to read the lyrics (language)

→ Click here to see the video (language)

In Other News: - 39:48

Australia's much-touted social media ban for teenagers is falling apart (paywall) as state authorities find it impossible to outsmart the tech prowess of fifteen-year-olds. Naur! China's b...

Meta settles lawsuits with an $18 billion pledge to make social media safer, what Gen Alpha is wearing for the back-to-school season, and the legacy of the beloved country music singer Dolly Parton.

Song of the Week: "Loser" by Tame Impala

→ Click here to read the lyrics (language)

→ Click here to see the video (language)

In Other News:

Australia's much-touted social media ban for teenagers is falling apart (paywall) as state authorities find it impossible to outsmart the tech prowess of fifteen-year-olds. Naur! China's big box office winner this week was mad...

Katie M. Kelley is a writer, teacher, a lifelong learner, and a mother to eight in a beautifully blended family. She has been a longtime member of the Coffee + Crumbs writing team as well as the podcast co-host, and is the author of three books: Gluing the Cracks, The Very Best Baseball Game, and her most recent book, Grace Will Be There.

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→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions...

Three Big Conversations:

Resource of the Week: Podcast Episode - How to Do What We Do - 00:58

→ Click here to listen to our episode on: Educating Humans in the Age of AI (with Professor Jeffrey Bilbro)

In Other News: - 43:00

This week in AI: In light of concerns about romantic involvement with chatbots, "ChatGPT for Teens" is be...

Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor debut their new dinosaur movie, "that's AI" is the ultimate burn from Gen Alpha, and how one teacher found a way to get his students reading again.

Resource of the Week: Podcast Episode - How to Do What We Do

→ Click here to listen to our episode on: Educating Humans in the Age of AI (with Professor Jeffrey Bilbro)

In Other News:

This week in AI: In light of concerns about romantic involvement with chatbots, "ChatGPT for Teens" is being marketed as a homework helper that li...

This week, the Axis team pulls back the curtain on how and why we do culture research. That's right, we're sharing all our secrets.

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations:

Song of the Week: "oh yeah?" by Steve Lacy (language) - 1:00

→ Click here to read the lyrics

In Other News: - 46:10

Spotify will add an "AI Persona" label on AI artists. In addition to flagging AI-generated content for users, these personas will be excluded from the company's algorithmic recommendations. The summer box office has earned $4 billion for the second time...

Hoodies are the new T-shirt for Gen Z, a store in Nantucket's "No Influencers" sign sparks a debate, and back to school season is officially upon us.

Song of the Week: "oh yeah?" by Steve Lacy (language)

→ Click here to read the lyrics

In Other News:

Spotify will add an "AI Persona" label on AI artists. In addition to flagging AI-generated content for users, these personas will be excluded from the company's algorithmic recommendations. The summer box office has earned $4 billion for the second time since COVID, thanks to hits...

Bruce McCluggage is a Professor of Philosophy at Pikes Peak State College, and a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary.

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations:

Slang of the Week: Larping - 00:58

In Other News: - 47:40

The current owners of Myspace (Tim and Chris Vanderhook) announced that they plan to relaunch the classic social media platform, though they did not say when. Let the record reflect that we are on the edge of our seats. According to the Wall Street Journal, this summer's "hottest d...

Ariana Grande announces a break from public life, history writer and influencer Hank Green faces backlash for using AI tools, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day has a wild opening weekend.

Slang of the Week: Larping

→ Click to see our interview on Educating Humans in the Age of AI (with Professor Jeffrey Bilbro)

In Other News:

The current owners of Myspace (Tim and Chris Vanderhook) announced that they plan to relaunch the classic social media platform, though they did not say when. Let the record reflect that we are on the edge of...

Jeffrey is the editor-in-chief of Front Porch Republic and associate professor of English at Grove City College. He is the author of several books, including Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry Into the News, which we'll be discussing today.

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations:

Song of the Week: "Be Her" by Ella Langley  - 01:10

→ Click here to read the lyrics

In Other News: - 37:24

Marvel will re-release Avengers: Endgame in theaters on September 25 with seven minutes of extra footage and a never-before-seen ending, connecting the movie to Avengers: Doomsday, giving fans another reason to spend money revisit the highest-grossing superhero movie of al...

Arizona State University offers a B.A. in Content Creation, AI-generated videos of Christians getting bullied go viral, and what The Odyssey and C.S. Lewis have in common.

Song of the Week: "Be Her" by Ella Langley 

→ Click here to read the lyrics

In Other News:

Marvel will re-release Avengers: Endgame in theaters on September 25 with seven minutes of extra footage and a never-before-seen ending, connecting the movie to Avengers: Doomsday, giving fans another reason to spend money revisit the highest-grossing superhero movie of all time. Nearly half of middle and h...

"Our daughter has a neurological condition called misophonia which causes severe pain, panic and anger over certain common sounds like chewing and typing. One of the sounds that started triggering her a few years ago was the sound of my husband's voice. How do we navigate this as a family?" - Maria

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on...

Three Big Conversations:

Slang of the Week: Quiet on the Creek - 1:06

In Other News: - 49:40

According to the Wall Street Journal, the popularity of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is convincing many students to finally read the epic poem that many English teachers couldn't coax them into reading. A wild raccoon in Seattle with a deformed spine has be...

Gen Z musician Gracie Abrams releases an album-long apology to her mom, TikTok influencers are promoting injectable weight loss peptides, and what parents should know about Kylie Jenner's new collaboration with Meta smartglasses.

Slang of the Week: Quiet on the Creek

In Other News:

According to the Wall Street Journal, the popularity of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is convincing many students to finally read the epic poem that many English teachers couldn't coax them into reading. A wild raccoon in Seattle with a deformed spine has been dubbed "Jimothy," and has become an i...

Jay Stringer is a licensed therapist, researcher, and speaker who helps people uncover and reshape the story beneath self-sabotage, disconnection, and shame. He is the award-winning author of Unwanted and lives in New York City with his wife Heather, and their two children. We'll be talking today primarily about his new book Desire: The Longings Inside Us and the New Science of How We Love, Heal, and Grow. 

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axi...

Three Big Conversations:

Resource of the Week: The Conversation Starter - Where'd All the Tweens Go? - 0:31

In Other News: - 33:54

A parasite that causes extreme digestive upset is maybe the meme of the week (alongside Netflix documentaries). It certainly doesn't help that it's possibly connected to Taco Bell. Christopher Nolan's film The Odyssey is out in theaters this weekend. We'll write more about it next week, bu...

Argentina is back in the World Cup final, the MLB's All-Star competitions had some hiccups, and everyone online is auditioning for their Netflix documentary debut.

Resource of the Week: The Conversation Starter - Where'd All the Tweens Go?

In Other News:

A parasite that causes extreme digestive upset is maybe the meme of the week (alongside Netflix documentaries). It certainly doesn't help that it's possibly connected to Taco Bell. Christopher Nolan's film The Odyssey is out in theaters this weekend. We'll write more about it next week, but for now, the R-rated take o...

"We have been having some difficult and sometimes awkward conversations with our 17 yo old son about sax and masturbation. Along those lines, we've become intensely aware of the quantity of movies and shows with any kind of kissing, romantic or sex scenes. How do you draw boundaries and live in our sex saturated culture? Don't ever watch anything? Get filters and Vid Angel? Fast forward scenes? Just watch whatever and talk a lot? And how does that work when the dialogue seems one-sided? This feels so hard and confusing as a Christian, where do we go from here?"...

→ The podcast has a new YouTube Channel! @axisconversationspodcast

Three Big Conversations:

Slang of the Week: "NPC" - 00:56

In Other News:- 48:00

The round of 16 is officially wrapped in the 2026 World Cup, with all three host countries (Canada, Mexico, and the US) failing to continue. Another notable casualty is Portug...

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married in a garden in The Garden, so-called "butter moms" are setting the vibe for a deep-fried summer, and new data from CIY and Barna gives us insight into how Christian teens are using AI.

Slang of the Week: "NPC"

In Other News:

The round of 16 is officially wrapped in the 2026 World Cup, with all three host countries (Canada, Mexico, and the US) failing to continue. Another notable casualty is Portugal, with global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo saying goodbye to World Cup competition. Building on the trend of ho...