On today’s edition of Family Talk, Gary Bauer continues his conversation with Dr. Darrell Jones about the Herzog Foundation’s bold vision for restoring America’s Christian heritage for our youth. They explore the Freedom Tour 250, the Foundation’s ambassador program, and why Dr. Jones remains optimistic about a new generation turning back to God. Don’t miss this inspiring discussion about faith, freedom, and the future of our nation. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/707/29?v=20251111
00:25:00 Dr. Dobson’s Personal Story on Accountability
SPEAKER 03 :
You’re listening to Family Talk, the radio broadcasting division of the James Dobson Family Institute. I am that James Dobson, and I’m so pleased that you’ve joined us today.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, welcome to Family Talk, the broadcast division of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I’m Roger Marsh, and if you care about the future of Christian education in America, today’s program is one you will not want to miss, as our own Gary Bauer, Senior Vice President of Public Policy here at the Dobson Policy and Culture Center, continues his conversation with the Reverend Dr. Daryl Jones, President of the Stanley M. Herzog Charitable Foundation. Now, they’re going to talk about Christian education in America, and we also have a special announcement about a brand new contest that your high schooler or middle school student can enter. It’s the America’s 250th Anniversary Essay Contest. And as the U.S. approaches its 250th anniversary, the JDFI, in partnership with the Herzog Foundation, is inviting students all across the nation to reflect on the powerful question, how has faith shaped our nation, and how is God calling you to help shape what comes next? Go to drjamesdobson.org forward slash USA 250 to learn more about how your high schooler or middle school student can submit an essay that will be considered as part of this contest between now and April 30th. And the winners in the high school division and the middle school division will be competing for cash prizes up to $2,500. Again, for more information, go to drjamesdobson.org forward slash USA in the number 250. On the last edition of Family Talk, Dr. Jones shared how the Herzog Foundation is equipping Christian schools and homeschool families with practical, real-world tools, including a free platform called Schoolbox that’s already helped launch over 500 Christian schools in 48 states. On today’s conversation, we’ll find out what it costs to take a stand like this. When you’re challenging the public school monopoly and fighting to put Christian education within reach for every family in America, well, you’re going to make some enemies. So let’s get back into part two of this conversation featuring Gary Bauer and the Reverend Dr. Daryl Jones on today’s edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk.
SPEAKER 04 :
How much heat do you get? Because as you know, a lot of what you’re saying, and it’s stuff that Americans have said from the very moment they set foot in America, you know, people that love Jesus and love America, but now that’s been labeled Christian nationalism. Right. Are you facing those kinds of attacks?
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, heavens yes. The lion, you know, when you throw a wrench in the public monopoly, it doesn’t go unnoticed. Which makes us think, wow, we must be striking a nerve. Maybe we’re hitting at something. Maybe we’re on to something. And yeah, I mean, we take the heat. After the Charlie Kirk shooting, which by the way, his predominant message was, let’s sit down and let’s talk.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. Wow, that’s radical.
SPEAKER 02 :
Really. Let’s sit down and let’s talk. After that, I sent an email out to our entire staff. And I said, you know, this should cause each of us to reflect on why we do what we do and why we’re a part of an organization that really is trying to make a spiritual difference across the country. And for me personally, it only furthers my resolve that not everything is worth dying for. But there are some things that are worth dying for and religious liberty and faith and our children. And in my case, you know, our grandchildren are absolutely worth fighting for for as long as there’s breath in our bodies. And, you know, I was reminded, you know, the the early church martyrs didn’t have a death wish. but they weren’t afraid to die. And I think there’s something to not longing for a death wish.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, we’re not a suicidal faith.
SPEAKER 02 :
Exactly, but certainly being willing to stand up for what’s right. And I think that’s the culture that believers live in today. And, you know, I mean, gosh, it didn’t start with me. I was a disciple of Dr. Dobson. He helped me raise my kids. I told him that. I had a career in Christian radio, and a part of my radio show was playing the reel-to-reels, Gary, that came from Pomona, California. And I told Dr. Dobson that story, but I was taking notes while while working my radio show and listening to Dr. Dobson as I was raising three beautiful daughters at the time.
SPEAKER 04 :
You know, it’s it’s amazing how often he would hear from parents that that said exactly that, you know, that I couldn’t have raised my son or daughter differently. uh without without your help and you know that these kids don’t come with uh an owner’s manual you know when you’re supposed to change the oil and so that’s right so with the first one the first one you know it’s like pancakes the first one you don’t know how it’s going to come out but after you’ve cooked a couple you get a little better at it you know it’s true
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, it’s true. Yeah, that’s right. Yeah. By the time our third daughter came, it was like, hey, she’s screaming. Give her what she wants. The first one we never would have given her. It’s the craziest thing. Yeah. Craziest thing.
SPEAKER 04 :
So I don’t know if you touched on this with something you were saying earlier, but.
SPEAKER 02 :
what’s the ambassador program is that’s that’s something separate from it is yeah the ambassador program uh we we’re getting so many invitations now to go and speak and to go and table at different conferences that you know in the first you know year or two that was that was me i was that guy but this whole this whole mortality thing where you can only be in one place at a time is such a bummer uh especially for a young organization that wants to be everywhere So year three was when we established the ambassador program where we hire fresh out of Christian college or Christian universities. Frankly, if they were a part of a secular university, but they were heavily involved in leadership of a campus ministry, they would qualify. We hire them for a one-year program. We bring them here to our headquarters in Kansas City. For the first three months, we immerse them in all things Herzog Foundation. And for the next nine months, we send them all over the country representing us. They sit down with heads of school and explain all of the resources that we have for Christian schools across the country. They sit down with homeschool co-op leaders, homeschool state organizational leaders, and they really represent us very well. They’re all college graduates. It’s a one-year program. And then at the end of the year, we help them to find where’s God leading and what’s the next season of their life. And we have folks in family policy networks across the country. We have folks working in pro-life organizations. It’s been really an exciting branch of the ministry of the Herzog Foundation.
SPEAKER 04 :
How many of those do you hire every year?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, we have 10 this year. We’ve grown it every year. And we have 10 this year, combination males and females. By the way, remember in America when we used to have males and females? Those were good times.
SPEAKER 04 :
It seems like just yesterday, Darrell. I get it.
SPEAKER 02 :
We’re old school here at the Herzog Foundation. And yeah, so we hire a good mix of them. But man, they’re coming, just sharp kids coming from all over the country that love the Lord and align with us in all things Herzog Foundation. Certainly, Mr. Herzog would be pleased with our selections as they reflect well on his values and his concerns for the country. And it’s a great learning experience for them. It’s a paid ambassadorship for the year. So, you know, college, fresh college graduates who just aren’t sure what’s the next season, what’s the next step, I would strongly encourage them to apply to our ambassador program.
SPEAKER 04 :
And knowing you, I’m sure you’re careful, because as we know, even some of the quote-unquote Christian universities have drifted in some ways. There’s no need to get into names, but you do a fairly deep dive, I assume, to make sure the theology is—
SPEAKER 02 :
That includes a couple of interviews as well as a number of other ways in which we’re looking at who is this person really? Not just what, you know, their resume says, but who are they really and would they be a good fit? And so praise the Lord to date with three different cohorts, we’re feeling pretty good about the selection process.
SPEAKER 04 :
It sounds like it’s a great program. You must have a staff of a couple thousand people, because the number of projects you’ve got is really amazing. But one of the things we all grew up, at least in my age range, was the American dream. My father had to drop out of school very early on, and same with my mother. Nobody in my family had ever, quite frankly, finished high school, let alone going on to college. Wow. And yet in his mind, there was this idea of the American dream. And so sometimes he he would come after working several shifts and really backbreaking jobs. And he would come up to my bedroom and he would wake me and he’d be covered with grime. And he’d say, look at me, look at me, you know, study, read so that you can realize the American dream. So that was driven into my mind. You’ve got an American dream project.
SPEAKER 02 :
Right.
SPEAKER 04 :
Explain to our listeners something about that.
SPEAKER 02 :
It is a fantastic opportunity, honestly, where we have a great, we’re really trying to be good neighbors in our little rural area just north of Kansas City. And so about once a quarter, we’re able to bring in really some authoritative voices, conservative voices from around the country just to come and to speak what America can be. We never charge for it. It is always, you know, standing room only. But we have brought in some great thought leaders, Riley Gaines, Dr. Ben Carson, most recently William Barr, former Attorney General, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Just about once a quarter, we’re looking at bringing in different voices that can speak to what America could be. And it’s been a great opportunity just to speak again. to the dream of America and what the founders certainly had in mind, but what could be and is not so far off with a unified country that wants these things and holds our elected officials accountable.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think you kind of addressed this indirectly as our conversation began, but you would consider yourself an optimist, it seems to me. I mean, your whole demeanor is optimistic and upbeat. And as men and women of faith, you know, we’re called to be optimistic. But, you know, we can be optimists, right, and still understand the lateness of the hour. True. You know, I’ve been starting speeches by saying, what time is it? And what I’m getting at is, does the audience understand what the moment is? It’s not the 1950s. It’s not I Like Ike. Right. In fact, it’s a lot more like the 1850s in some ways. Right. But given you’re so involved with education, how do you describe where you see us, what moment we’re in as a country?
SPEAKER 02 :
I think it’s a very critical time. I mean, you know, it was on the news this morning, another socialist official that is gaining momentum in the election cycle. And we’ve seen now what used to be frivolous. fray socialist candidates who win elections and now you’re seeing more and more of that and again i think a lot of that is being uh that that whole concept is being bred bred uh in institutions across the country that see that as a great value i i think you know that’s one aspect uh that we could that we could dive into i think across the the board when you look at the culture of the day there’s There’s reason to say, hey, let’s keep our eye on the ball. Let’s keep moving forward. Let’s give everything that we have to this. This is worth fighting for. This is worth living for, and it’s worth dying for. And I think it’s also exciting to see, frankly, among young people today, it’s almost like they’ve revolted against their parents from the 60s, and they’re turning to God. These things that as Christians and certainly as a pastor, we would have regular prayer meetings where we would pray for the hearts of people to be changed. And we didn’t know how to do it, but God, would you change the hearts of people? And I really believe, Gary, we’re seeing that. Across the country with a younger generation, almost like the Jesus movement of the 70s, where the young people are coming to terms with a relationship with Christ and it’s transforming their generation. And that gives me great hope as well on this end of the life spectrum to pour into that whole movement and to seek to empower them, even as there were those in my life who empowered me.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes. You know, every previous generation of Americans at a time of crises, Christians particularly rose to the occasion. I know you know our history very well, but you can go back to before America, you know, when we were still those colonies that you’re going to be visiting on this tour. We had the Great Awakening in those colonies and the British referred to the pastors in America that were preaching freedom as the Black Regiment. The Black Rogue Regiment. Absolutely. Yeah. Yes. And then the Great Awakening that happened before the Civil War that led to the end of our national sin of slavery. So time and time again, that’s happened. And I pray that history will record that we were not the generation that failed to rise to that moment. I think, as you said, there’s signs that history will not record that, that in fact, God is not done with us and he’s moving again. And ironically, he’s moving among the youth, which for so many decades— It’s true. youth has been the cutting edge of all the radical change.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, it’s true.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, this is a radical change, but back toward faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 02 :
I had opportunity the first part of this week. I was with leaders from across the country and had opportunity to address them and just said, you know, throughout biblical history and human history and certainly American history, God has had what appeared to be the right people at the right time. And, you know, when you look at 2026, the apostle Paul is not here. The apostle Peter is not here. Dr. Dobson. had his time, and now it’s our turn. And perhaps God does have the right people in the room at the right time. It’s not a time to cower. It’s not a time to be distracted. It’s a time to, as the old hymn says, rise up, O men of God. The church for you doth wait. Her strength unequal to the task, rise up and make her great.
SPEAKER 04 :
Wow. I’m going to ask you to sing that.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, you don’t want that. You don’t want that.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think you’re fairly familiar with what we’re doing at the James Dobson Family Institute. You know, we all feel that Dr. Dobson has this incredible legacy and it really would be a sin to let it be frittered away or disappeared down a memory hole or whatever. So we’ve got a great board and we’ve got new leadership with Bart Brock and uh we’re we’re trying to take all that reservoir of wisdom that dr dobson left in his books and the radio shows and his other writings and make sure it’s relevant and so forth which it is in fact the country and a good bit of the world is searching for this kind of information so it’s an exciting time i’m really you know i’ve got a lot of work i do in washington with my group but uh I have a great sense of satisfaction being part of the James Dobson Family Institute right now. Dr. Dobson and I were friends for decades. So one of the things we’re doing this year is trying to do our own things to celebrate the 250th birthday. And one of the projects we’re working on, we’re getting ready to unveil, or we are unveiling, is an essay contest for for students. Daryl, your organization has a great deal of experience in this area. And I can’t tell you how happy we are that you came alongside of us on this to give us advice and counsel as we’re unveiling this essay contest. So just talk about that a little bit, about the fact that challenging our young people to write about the meaning of America and God’s role in America, how important that is at a time when there’s so many other distractions and they’re often not getting really history, real history in a lot of the public schools and the big universities.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I will tell you, it’s a thrill for us to partner with you in this endeavor, even in terms of helping with some of the infrastructure, with how you’re setting it up. We do a Bill of Rights essay contest every year. We also do a youth camp that focuses on faith and nation and principles of bringing these two concepts together that really are hand in glove. I mean, they’re not mutually exclusive. But to see what you’re wanting to do in terms of you know, the 250th anniversary of America and asking, you know, middle school students and high school students to begin reflecting on this very nation of faith, this very notion of faith and freedom and how his faith influenced The freedoms, not simply that the founding fathers established, but how faith is critical in our day to seeing those freedoms continue on in a culture that seems to be very interested in marching for the right to not have freedom. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. You know, marching for the right. Take our rights away. Take our rights. I don’t get it. But to be a part of what you’re championing among middle school and high school students, I think is very important. And we’re honored to come alongside and at least help us as we can.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I can’t tell you how much we appreciate that. And it is a cause for optimism, Daryl, that the Herzog Foundation and the work that you’re doing, and we’ve been working closely with the various Christian legal groups. There’s a lot of followers of Jesus Christ out there that are fighting the good fight for faith, family, and freedom. Periodically, I’ve been blessed to have some access to our leaders in Washington. And I’ve told our friends on Capitol Hill and even in the White House that America is not going to be great again unless America is godly again. Yeah. And you’re doing the Lord’s work in probably the most important area of all, which is educating our children to go out and take their positions in all the different professions and all the places of influence and bring America back to its Christian heritage and to faith, family, and freedom. So thank you. God bless you and onward and upward. And we will be praying for your work if you and your staff promise to continue to pray for our work at the James Dobson Family Institute.
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely. What an amazing legacy that you’re stewarding, Gary, and you’re doing it well. And I know God’s going to continue to be right there with you as he was with Dr. Dobson to influence families. to make them aware of the issues that they need to be aware of. And I appreciate our friendship. So glad that the Lord allowed our paths to cross a few years ago. And I always look forward to seeing you when we’re on the circuit together.
SPEAKER 04 :
Same here, Gerald. God bless.
SPEAKER 02 :
God bless you. Thank you.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, the battle over what gets taught in our classrooms has never been more urgent. And the good news is there are people out there building real alternatives for families who are ready to make a change. On today’s edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, you’ve heard a conversation featuring Gary Bauer, Senior Vice President of Public Policy here at the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute’s Policy and Culture Center, and the Reverend Dr. Daryl Jones, President of the Stanley M. Herzog Charitable Foundation. By the way, to go back and hear part one of this conversation or to share it with a friend, go to jdfi.net. And keep in mind that we’ve just announced a brand new essay contest available for middle school and high school students all across the country where they’re encouraged to reflect on how faith has influenced the founding of our nation and the development of our nation and how they believe God is calling them to live with purpose, responsibility, and hope in the years ahead. Now, the deadline for entries is April the 30th of this year, and winners will be announced in May. And of course, the grand prize winners will be featured on an upcoming edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk. And by the way, they will be competing for cash prizes of up to $2,500. For more information on how you can sign up your high school or middle school student for the America’s 250th Anniversary Essay Contest, go to drjamesdobson.org forward slash USA 250. That’s drjamesdobson.org forward slash USA and the numbers 250. Well, this Sunday is Easter Sunday, and if you’re looking for resources to help your family celebrate the resurrection, we’ve got you covered. Our website is stocked with content to help you make the most of this weekend. And whether you’re preparing your heart for Sunday morning or looking for ways to share the gospel with the people around your table, we’d love to come alongside you. Just head to jdfi.net and look for our Easter resources. That’s JDFI.net. The Dr. James Dobson Family Institute was built on a deep respect for the American founding, a commitment to righteousness in the culture, and the belief that families need biblical truth and practical tools to navigate the world their children are growing up in. Thank you so much for having me. You can also call a member of our constituent care team at 877-732-6825. That’s 877-732-6825. Or if you prefer, you can send your donation through the U.S. Postal Service. Our ministry mailing address is Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado, the zip code 80949. Once again, our ministry mailing address is Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, or just use those initials, JDFI for short. P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80949. Well, I’m Roger Marsh, and from all of us here at Family Talk and the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, thank you so much for listening today. Be sure to join us again next time right here for another edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, the voice you trust for the family you love. This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. Here’s today’s Dr. Dobson Minute with Dr. James Dobson.
SPEAKER 03 :
When I was in the eighth grade, I was required to read a certain number of great books during the first semester. So I selected the thickest, heaviest books in the library and told my teacher I’d read them all. Consequently, she gave me an A-plus in reading on my report card. My mom was impressed, my dad was proud, and I was as guilty as sin. In a moment of true confession, I admitted to my mother that I had cheated. Instead of getting mad at me or grounding me for six years, she simply said quietly, but with great intensity, well, you’ll just have to read the books. I spent the rest of that school year poring over the classics while my friends played football and talked to the girls outside my window. When the task was finally done, I went to my teacher and tearfully confessed the entire scam. She forgave me, and my mother let me rejoin the human race. But I never forgot the lesson in accountability. For more information, visit drdobsonminute.org.
