In this episode, we’re talking about one of the biggest challenges facing students today: mental health during the college years. Between academic pressure, anxiety about the future, loneliness, relationships, social media, and the constant pressure to succeed, many students are struggling quietly and wondering how to navigate it all faithfully and wisely.

My guest is Brooke Wesley, a licensed clinical social worker, Certified Eating Disorders Specialist, and co-founder of Bellatore Recovery in the Kansas City area, where she has spent more than two decades helping teens and adults pursue healing and emotional health.

Brooke’s passion for this work is deeply personal, growing out of her own recovery journey from an eating disorder. Along the way, she has worked in hospitals, schools, recovery programs, and private practice, and she also helped launch Kansas City’s first transitional living program for women recovering from eating disorders. She’s also the author of Hungry To Be Whole: A Therapist’s Story of Healing from Anorexia, where she shares both her personal story and professional insights into recovery and hope.

In this podcast we discuss:

• How overcoming her own eating disorder led Brooke to want to help others.
• Factors that contribute to students’ mental health challenges.
• Signs of good mental health, and how this relates to success in college (and life).
• Why students can still be lonely while around so many people, and what to do about it.
• Signs of unhealthy relational dynamics.
• How a biblical worldview should help frame our understanding of mental health.
• Correcting common misunderstandings about mental health.
• How to recognize when it is time to find a mental health professional.
• How to find a good mental health professional by asking the right questions.
• The value of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
• The distinction between anxiety and stress.
• Specific advice for how parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends can help a student who may be struggling: signs to watch for and how to be helpful.
• How churches can help students who are struggling.
• Examples of those who have experienced healing and wholeness as a result of this journey.
• Proper and improper ways to use AI.

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Brooke Wesley and Maureen Rank, Hungry To Be Whole: A Therapist’s Story of Healing from Anorexia
• College Faith podcast conversations about finding Christian community on campus
• Aundi Kolber, Try Softer: A Fresh Approach to Move Us out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival Mode–and into a Life of Connection and Joy

One of the most pressing and contested topics on college campuses today is social justice, and many Christians are confused about how to understand it through a biblical lens. I hope this conversation will clear away some of the confusion.

I’m joined by Dr. Thaddeus Williams, a professor of theology and philosophy at Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology. Dr. Williams is the author of Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth. In it, he argues that Christians are called to care deeply about justice, but that not every version of “social justice” reflects a biblical understanding of truth, human dignity, or the gospel.

Instead, he invites readers to recover a vision of justice rooted in Scripture, the character of God, and the dignity of every human being made in the image of God. In our conversation, we explore how Christians can think carefully and faithfully about justice, truth, identity, and cultural engagement—especially in the context of higher education.

In this podcast we discuss:

• How Thaddeus came to be interested in this topic and write Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth: 12 Questions Christians Should Ask About Social Justice.
• Why social justice is such a central topic on campus and in our culture.
• Defining “Social Justice B” and its underlying philosophy, Critical Theory.
• Why these ideas now provide ultimate meaning for many (becoming their religion).
• How students can understand and affirm biblical justice as true social justice (and how John Perkins helped clarify the four guideposts of correct social justice).
• How our culture’s understanding of social justice (“Social Justice B”) actually leads to further injustice, making our culture cruel and uncaring.
• Why understanding the Image of God helps us think well about issues of social justice and equality.
• How to distinguish between “Social Justice A” and “Social Justice B” in conversations, papers, and class discussions.

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Thaddeus Williams, Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth: 12 Questions Christians Should Ask About Social Justice
• Thaddeus Williams’ Podcast “The Shed & Beam”
• J.P. Moreland, Love Your God With All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul
• Hellen Pluckrose & James Lindsay, Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity―and Why This Harms Everybody
• Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer, Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice–Implications for the Church and Society
• Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer, Pose Woke: Asserting a Biblical Vision of Race, Gender, and Sexuality
• Stan Wallace, “How Should Christians Understand Critical Theory?”

In this episode, I’m continuing my sporadic series on various campus ministries. I’m joined by Jaime Noyd, the Director of the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN). We discuss what ESN is and how it will be of great help to you if you are considering following God’s call to one day serve Christ as a professor.

In this podcast we discuss:

• How Jamie came to direct ESN
• Why ESN exists–the vision of the ministry
• How scholarship can be a sacred calling
• If students may join ESN if they are not involved in InterVarsity
• How students can join ESN before they start college
• Some examples of students greatly helped by ESN
• Where ESN is going in the next 20 years
• Questions to regularly ask yourself (or others) in following God’s calling to the professorate
• The next step to joining ESN

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Emerging Scholars Network website
• Contacting Jamie: esn@intervarsity.org
• The American Scientific Affiliation
• Christian Professional Societies
• InterVarsity Graduate & Faculty Ministries
• Cru’s Graduate Student Resources
• Veritas Forum Communities
• The Society of Christian Scholars
• The International Fellowship of Evangelical Students
• Christianity and Intellectual Inquiry: Thinking as Pilgrimage by Douglas Jacobsen and Rhonda Hustedt Jacobsen
• The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods by A.J. Sertillanges
• Love The Lord Your God With All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul by J.P. Moreland
• Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential by Gordon T. Smith
• The Call by Os Guinness
• Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student’s Guide to Earning a Master’s or Ph.D. by Robert L. Peters
• The Thinking Christianly podcast
• Scholars’ Compass (ESN devotionals)
• The Biblical Story and the Story of the Academic Disciplines (free with a Society of Christian Scholars membership)

Writing papers is a part of every student’s life. Writing a good one can feel overwhelming. But what if it’s about more than just getting a grade? What if your writing is actually an opportunity to think clearly, communicate truth, and even honor God? In this episode of College Faith, we’re talking about what students need to understand first in order to write well, the essential elements of a strong paper, the biggest mistakes to avoid, and how to approach research, AI, and the writing process with wisdom and integrity. To guide us, I’m joined by Dr. Bruce Barron, an experienced writer, editor, and communications leader who has spent decades helping scholars, students, and public thinkers express complex ideas with clarity and impact. Bruce has served in senior editorial roles with major policy and Christian publications, edited books and academic manuscripts, and coached countless writers from rough drafts to polished, compelling work. His experience at the intersection of careful research, thoughtful Christian engagement, and practical communication makes him an ideal guide for any student who wants to become not just a better writer, but a more faithful one.

In this podcast we discuss:

• What students should understand first to write a good paper
• The elements of a good paper
• The single biggest mistake students make when writing a paper
• A balanced, biblical approach to your studies, including writing papers
• Proper and improper ways to use AI when writing
• How much research for the paper is enough
• The steps in writing a good paper
• The importance of building a good relationship with your professors
• How to see your studies as an act of worship
• The most important thing to remember when writing a paper
• Some ways writing skills impact all of life after college

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• BruceBarron.substack.com
• Bruce Barron, “On Writing So Well That You Don’t Need an Editor” (Society of Christian Scholars webinar)

In this episode I continue my sporadic series on various campus ministries. I am joined by Charles Askew and Caysie Ashton, campus ministers with Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). Charles and Caysie bring their unique perspectives to help us better understand the ministry of RUF and whether it might be right for you.

In this podcast we discuss:

• What “Reformed” means
• How Casey and Chuck got involved in RUF
• How RUF got started
• The core mission of RUF
• How to find a RUF chapter
• What to expect at a RUF chapter
• How chapters differ campus-to-campus
• What is required to be involved in RUF
• What makes RUF distinct from other campus ministries
• Why RUF doesn’t have a curriculum that students go through
• How RUF helps students build deep relationships
• RUF’s weekly activities for students
• RUF’s strengths and weaknesses
• Why students should look into joining a RUF chapter
• The importance of just showing up
• Why we shouldn’t fear the “secular” university

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• RUF website & various RUF chapter’s Instagram accounts
• C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity and The Great Divorce
• Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters
• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (especially “The Golden Book of the Christian Life” section)
• Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will

There are an estimated 2 billion Muslims worldwide, including your classmates, neighbors, and friends. Many are interested in discussing spiritual topics, including the person of Jesus. But how do we have these conversations–and share the good news about who Jesus really is–without the conversation turning into an argument? Alan Shlemon has an answer that he and many others have found to be very helpful: beginning with the Koran instead of the Bible to break down barriers. Alan is a staff apologist with Stand To Reason, a sought-after speaker on this topic, and my guest on this episode of College Faith.

In this podcast we discuss:

• How Alan got interested in this topic
• Why we should care about sharing Jesus with Muslims
• Why Muslims are open to discussing Jesus
• What our attitude toward Muslims should be
• Essential Muslim beliefs and practices
• How to discuss the accuracy of the Gospels
• What to avoid in conversations with Muslims
• Alan’s overall strategy to get to Gospel conversations with a Muslim
• Why the Gospel is “good news” for the Muslim

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Stand To Reason website
• Get to the Gospel with Muslims, Stand to Reason
• The Cost Muslims Pay for Missing Jesus, Stand to Reason
• The Quran Gets Crucifixion Wrong, Stand to Reason
• Is “Allah” Just Another Word for God?, Stand to Reason
• STR U, Stand to Reason’s free online training program (includes his course on “Engaging Muslims”)

Are you or someone you know considering going to law school (and majoring in pre-law to prepare)? In this episode, I continue my sporadic series on various college majors students may choose. To discuss the field of Law, I’ve invited Mike Schutt, J.D., who has wide experience and vast knowledge in this field.

In this podcast we discuss:

• How Mike got interested in studying Law
• Some of the career options for those who study Law
• Undergraduate majors to prepare for law school
• Where he discovered some of the connections between the Christian worldview and law, and how that shaped him
• What helped him grow in his faith during law school
• Some challenges he faced as a believer in law school
• Things you must understand to pick the right law school and flourish there
• Some ways Christians in law can have a redemptive influence for Christ
• The importance of joining the Christian Legal Society for the journey through law school
• The proper role of the Lord in the discernment process when considering law school

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Mike Schutt, Redeeming Law: Christian Calling and the Legal Profession
• Christian Legal Society
• CLS Law Student Ministries
• Cross and Gavel podcast
• Robert F. Cochran, Jr. and John Inazu, The Servant Lawyer: Facing the Challenges of Christian Faith in Everyday Law Practice

In this episode, we challenge the idea that studying as a student (and throughout the rest of our lives) is a necessary evil. Rather, we discuss why study is to be embraced and how it plays an important role in forming us into Christ’s image as we increasingly learn to love God with our minds. My guest is Dr. Richard Smith, who has just written Such a Mind as This, a study of the role of thinking well in the Old Testament.

In this podcast we discuss:

• The role the mind plays in our flourishing
• What the Old Testament has to say about the role of thinking in spiritual formation
• Why so many churches and ministries see the mind as the enemy of growth in Christ
• How the shift in worship music can be harmful to our spiritual life
• How the belief that deeper study is harmful to our spiritual life negatively affects students
• Examples of students who have flourished by asking good questions and finding good answers

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Richard Smith, Such a Mind as This
• John Frame, The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God
• Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism
• Daniel Strange, Making Faith Magnetic
• Richard Smith, The Heart Thinks
• Getty Music
• Sovereign Grace Music
• L’Abri
• Suggested book list (left side of home page)
• Such a Mind as This YouTube
• Lester R. Juarez YouTube
• Centro de Estudios Cristianos Kuyper
• Cosmovisión Bíblica
• College Faith #20: How Christian Study Centers Minister to University Students
• College Faith #49: Why Are Students Required to Take General Education (or “Core Curriculum”) Courses?
• College Faith Podcast #61: Redeeming Philosophy: How Christian Scholars Changed The Conversation
• College Faith Podcast #38: The Pop-Culture Parent: Helping Kids Engage Their World for Christ
• College Faith #1: How University Students Can Love God with Their Minds – Dr. JP Moreland