Welcome to 2026! This episode is special for us—not just because it’s our first episode of the new year, but because we get to kick things off with a conversation we’ve been looking forward to for a long time.

We’re joined by Andrew Pudewa, and if you’ve ever heard him teach, you know that when Andrew starts talking about education, language, and the human mind, you lean in. This conversation ranges widely from AI and education, to reading and writing, to entertainment, creativity, and what it actually means to live a full human life in a hyper-digital age.

Along the way, we wrestle with questions like:

• What happens to the soul when entertainment replaces creation?
• Why does reading a book change the way we think in ways videos never do?
• How does writing force clarity in a world that rewards speed and shortcuts?
• Why using AI as a counselor or companion should deeply concern us
• And what it looks like to be deliberate rather than reactive in how we use technology

This isn’t an anti-technology episode. We’re not calling for retreat or nostalgia. We are calling for discernment. We believe AI, like every powerful tool before it, will do both good and harm—and Christians shouldn’t be surprised by that. The real question is whether we’ll choose to stay fully human in the middle of it.

If you’re a parent, educator, student, or simply someone trying to think clearly in a noisy world, this episode will challenge you, encourage you, and probably make you reconsider how you spend your time and attention.

We’re grateful to start the year with this conversation, grateful for Andrew, and grateful for you for listening with us.

Welcome to 2026. As always, Be Unbound.

Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/

Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer

Producer: Kyle Hill

As we wrap up 2025 and head into the new year, we're sharing one of our most talked-about conversations from the past year. Because if anything, it feels even more relevant now than when we first recorded it.

In this episode, we dig into a growing crisis in higher education: students who are increasingly disengaged, underprepared, and incentivized to outsource their thinking to AI. We talk through a sobering article by a longtime philosophy professor describing today’s “average” college classroom, alongside reporting that shows just how widespread AI cheating has become, even at Ivy League schools.

But this isn’t just a rant about “kids these days.” What we’re really wrestling with here is the deeper issue: when education becomes purely transactional, curiosity dies, integrity erodes, and students are trained to become assistants to machines rather than thoughtful, creative humans. We contrast that reality with what we see every day in environments built around purpose, community, and meaningful learning—and why those alternatives matter more than ever.

We also zoom out to ask some bigger questions:

What does this mean for the future of work?

What kind of people are we forming when convenience replaces character?

And how do we choose a better path for ourselves and for the next generation?

There are some troubling trends happening around us, but there's always hope. There are better ways forward, and we believe choosing them has never mattered more.

Thanks for listening with us this year. We’re incredibly grateful for this community and excited for what’s ahead in 2026. Until then, be unbound.

Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/

Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer

Producer: Kyle Hill

Since this episode is airing on Christmas Eve, we’re doing what we hope you’re doing too—slowing down, stepping away from the usual rhythm, and spending time with family. While we take a short break from recording, we wanted to bring back one of the most downloaded and most talked-about conversations from the past year.

This episode started, quite honestly, because Jonathan heard the word “adulting” one too many times. What followed was a wide-ranging, honest, and surprisingly deep conversation between the two of us and our friend Trent Emmack about responsibility, purpose, young adulthood, and why our culture seems so confused about what it actually means to become an adult.

We talk about...

• Why the word “adulting” drives us crazy (and what it reveals culturally)
• How college became an extended holding pattern instead of a launch point
• The difference between experiences and purpose
• Why chasing “fun” without meaning leads to emptiness
• The real gap behind “I don’t know how to be an adult”
• Education systems vs. real-world preparation
• Why purpose (telos) matters more than specific life skills
• The Christian vision of purpose beyond occupation or career
• Why responsibility—given early and often—is the key to maturity
• How resilience is built slowly, not magically overnight
• Why this work matters for families, churches, and civilization itself

This is one of those conversations that keeps coming back up as we talk with each other, parents we talk with, and the young adults who are trying to find their footing. The topics we talk about in this episode haven’t gone away, and if anything, they’ve become more important.

Whether you’re a parent, a mentor, a pastor, a young adult, or just someone who cares about the future, this episode gets to the heart of what’s actually broken—and what we can realistically do about it.

And if you happen to be listening on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, we hope you’re surrounded by people you love and moments that matter. Thank you for walking with us through another year of conversations, questions, and challenges that really matter. We’re grateful for you, grateful for this community, and excited about what’s ahead.

Merry Christmas, and as always, Be Unbound!

Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/

Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer

Producer: Kyle Hill