Religious freedom takes center stage this Christmas season on Washington Watch. Host Jody Heiss delves into recent infringements on the rights of Christians wishing to share their faith openly. With insights from Mike Berry of First Liberty Institute, listeners gain a deeper understanding of legal battles defending these constitutional rights. Additionally, as the festive season prompts conversations with loved ones, Dr. John Sorenson of Evangelism Explosion shares valuable advice on sharing the gospel with non-Christian family and friends, beautifully intertwining faith with the spirit of Christmas.
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from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today’s host, Jody Heiss.
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Well, good afternoon. Welcome to this December 23rd edition of Washington Watch. Hope you are having already a fantastic Christmas week. I’m Jody Heiss, your host today. I’m a senior fellow here at the Family Research Council and an honor today to be sitting in for Tony. Coming up on this edition of Washington Watch, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing for his upcoming meeting with President Trump here in the United States. That is expected to take place early next week. And all that happening while recent missile exercises are taking place in Iran. And those exercises have raised some concern of a possible attack on Israel.
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but still the top agenda when the prime minister comes here is the second phase of president trump’s gaza peace plan our basic expectations from iran have not changed the level of enrichment and other activities the ending of the proxy wars against us that has not changed and i don’t think it’s changed in the uh in the i know it’s not changed on the american position so Obviously, it will be an item in our discussions, but I have to tell you that I think the focus will be on Gaza, the next stage, and on other issues that engage us from the other H’s.
SPEAKER 06 :
That was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a press conference yesterday. And by the way, when he says the other H’s, he’s referring to Hamas, to Hezbollah and to the Houthis in Yemen, all of whom pose a threat to Israel as well as Iran, of course. But I’ll discuss this when I’m joined here in just a few moments by Texas Congressman Keith Self, who’s a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. He’ll also share with us about a recent trip he had to Nigeria, which continues to draw attention over the dire situations for Christians there. Meanwhile, here in the United States, we continue to see different types of attacks on Christians, especially right now during the Christmas time. For example, in Tucson, Arizona, a resident was threatened with arrest after he and a group of friends simply attempted to share their Christian beliefs at a Christmas festival. So you have to ask, is sharing the true reason for Christmas at a Christmas festival a potential arrestable offense? Well, we’ll discuss that later with Mike Berry of First Liberty Institute. And speaking of sharing your faith during the Christmas season, how is the best way to share your faith with non-Christian family members and friends during this Christmas season? Well, we’ll discuss this when I’m joined by Dr. John Sorenson, who is the president of Evangelism Explosion. And then also on the program today, I’ll be joined by our panel from right here at the Washington Stand to take a look at the past year and discuss what were some of the top stories in 2025. So as always, we’ve got a lot coming your way over the next hour. You don’t want to miss any part of it. But if you do, of course, our website is TonyPerkins.com. I encourage you to, of course, visit that website where you can find not only this, but other archive programs and a host of resources as well. I also want to encourage you, as we enter into a new year, you want to focus attention on developing a deeper and stronger, more solid biblical worldview. And we encourage you to join us here at FRC for our Stand on the Word plan. It’s a two-year chronological journey through the Bible, and it will only take you about 10 or 15 minutes a day. But in so doing, your life can be transformed. by getting into God’s Word and joining us. You’re going to love it. For more details, visit frc.org slash Bible or simply text the word Bible to 67742. All right. Now, let’s jump into our first news item for the day. As I mentioned a few moments ago, there’s been some concern over a possible Iranian missile strike against Israel. This is all coming about amid reports of some missile exercises in several cities yesterday by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard. However, while Israel certainly is keeping a close watch on Iran, the top focus of the Jewish nation is reportedly the second phase of its ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Now, that is expected to be a top conversation when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the United States and visits President Trump early next week. So what might come out of that meeting? Well, joining me now to talk about this and more is Congressman Keith Self. He serves on several committees, including the Foreign Affairs Committee. He also faithfully served our country for 25 years in the Army before retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He represents the 3rd Congressional District of Texas. Congressman Self, always, always an honor to have you join us on Washington Watch. Welcome back to America and welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thank you so much, Jody. Great to be with you.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. I do want to get to your trip to Nigeria. But before we get there, let’s talk about Iran and what kind of threat do you think that they potentially really pose to Israel? Are they as strong as they were before the summer, for example?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, make no mistake about it, Tony. Iran is, Tony, excuse me, Jody, Iran is rearming with the help of China in the axis of evil. We know that. So, yes, exercises make sense because they’ve now got to rearm. They’ve got to refit. And, yes, the threat is growing from Iran again because as they rearm, they certainly will pose the threat that they always have and will continue to have. Iran has laid none of their dreams aside.
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So, obviously, Israel is not going to, nor can they afford to take any chances with this. I mean, they certainly lower the tolerance bar after our October 7th attacks. But Israel’s been experiencing, at least for the last couple of months, a degree of peace to some extent. But they are certainly not out of the woods. Are you saying that that… is an increasing threat for them right now with the help of China and maybe others?
SPEAKER 12 :
Absolutely, Jody. Their neighbors have not laid aside their dreams, as I said, of doing away with Israel as a state. They don’t believe that Israel has the right to exist as a sovereign state. And their stated goal, no matter how many times we attack them, their stated goal will continue to be to eliminate the state of Israel from the face of the earth.
SPEAKER 06 :
Wow. So what are you anticipating the meeting next week to primarily consist of between Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, as the prime minister said, I think Gaza will take up most of it because how are we moving forward in Gaza? And again, Hamas is rearming. In fact, they have declined to disarm. So they are rebuilding as well. So when you look at Iran, when you look at Hamas, the threat is growing because they are rebuilding, which they always do when they are taken down a notch. So I think that Gaza will be very important, both to President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, because if Hamas refuses to disarm, which they have heretofore, that is… I don’t know how the process moves forward until Hamas agrees to, and I don’t expect them to do that.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, that’s a really good point because Hamas has yet to even return the body of the last deceased hostage. And of course, many people are out there saying that that is a tactic for them to buy more time, so to speak, because turning over that body would, by what you just mentioned, it would mean moving into the second phase of this peace deal, which would require them to disarm. So how concerned are you about what Hamas may be doing right now with all of this?
SPEAKER 12 :
On this show before, Jody, I have said Hamas will rebuild. The threat continues. Israel will have to continue to defend itself in the wake of the rebuilding of the proxies that surround it and Iran and certainly the help from China. So this is nothing new. It is to be expected. We just need to continue to support Israel as they continue to defend their right to exist against their neighbors.
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Well, as not only Israel is making news, as I mentioned with you coming in here, you just returned from another part of the world, from Nigeria. And tell us about your trip, what you did there, what you saw, what you heard.
SPEAKER 12 :
It was a very quick trip. We were on the ground for 29 hours. We met with senior government officials. We met with the national security advisor, with the minister of defense, with the attorney general to express our concerns on the lack of government action against the killings of Christians in Nigeria. President Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern and a congressional delegation in early December, plus our trip this over the weekend, have all brought more attention to Nigeria. And what we’re hearing from people is the government is starting to pay attention. They’re starting to make progress. We need to watch it. We need to continue. And then we attended a church service of the Christian Reformed Church. It was a wonderful service. In fact, the minister of defense, who is a committed Christian, went with us and made remarks to the church. I think that was a really important service. Four congressmen were there and the minister of defense. Jody, I can’t tell you how important I think that was. And frankly, it was one of our major events. intentions in the trip is to go to a service because Christmas time historically for several years now has been very dangerous for Christians because the Islamic militants take the Christmas season as an opportunity to kill Christians. So it was important we were there just three days before Christmas.
SPEAKER 06 :
I totally agree. Totally agree with that. And hats off to you and the others for going. There obviously has been a change in how the U.S., the media, and a host of others are handling Nigeria as this becomes more and more a talking point around the world. And what do you think? Are we entering into a turning point, do you think? Is there a path that’s positive that Nigeria is going to step in and start protecting Christians?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, they’re starting to understand they cannot allow Boko Haram, ISIS West Africa, the Fulani militants to simply destroy Christian churches and kill Christians at will. They know that. So how are they going to? Now, we’re providing them some intelligence. They do the attacks, but we’re now providing them some intelligence. If they make good use of that, then I’ll think they’ll make progress. But the most important thing is that the Nigerian government now understands They have to take this seriously. And frankly, Nigeria is the largest country in Africa by population, 240 million people. This is a major player in Africa. We have got to get Nigeria right. We’ve got to defeat the Boko Haram in the northeast. Not we. Nigeria needs to defeat Boko Haram in the northeast. And in the Middle Belt, where the Fulani militants are killing Christians, they’ve got to get a handle on this. And we emphasize that to them.
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30 seconds real quickly. How would you encourage our viewers and listeners to be praying for this situation and Christians in Nigeria?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, pray that the government starts to protect its citizens. Here in the United States, we expect the first job of our government is to protect the citizens and our rights. The Nigerian government needs to step up and do that as well, protect all of their citizens. Now, when you look at the percentages, there’s a fairly close relationship. A small majority of Nigeria is Muslim, but they have a very significant Christian population. They need to protect the Christians as well. So that’s how I would ask you to pray. Pray that the government, that the Lord speaks to the government because the minister of defense, as I said, is a committed Christian. He was taking notes from his own Bible at that service.
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Texas Congressman Keith Self, we’ve got to end it right there. Merry Christmas to you, my friend. Thank you for joining us on Washington Watch. All right, coming up, we’ve got some important news about Grinches and those who are dealing with it. Stay tuned.
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Hello, I’m Tony Perkins, and I want to invite you to join me for Stand on the Word, a daily journey through the Bible, 10 to 15 minutes a day. That’s all it takes. And in no time, you’ll have finished the entire Bible. And along the way, we’ll learn how to apply God’s truths to the world in which we live. As we’re about to start a new year and as our nation is about to celebrate 250 years, there’s never been a better time for a fresh start in the Word of God. To join us, text BIBLE to 67742. That’s BIBLE to 67742.
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Family Research Council, along with congressional friends of FRC, present the Christmas story, a reading from the Gospel of Luke.
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And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.
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And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city.
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Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea.
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Unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem.
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Because he was of the house and of the lineage of David, to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child.
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And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
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And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.
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Because there was no room for them in the inn.
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And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
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Lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around about them, and they were sore afraid.
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And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.
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which shall be unto all people.
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For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
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And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
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And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
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And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us now go even into Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
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And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.
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And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
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And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
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But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
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And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God. For all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told unto them. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas from FRC.
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Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good afternoon. I’m Jody Heiss, an honor to be filling in today for Tony, and thank you so much for joining us on this special week of Christmas. Well, with every Christmas, I suppose there come certain Grinches who are out there getting angry about public nativity scenes and other Christmas displays that remind us of the true reason of Christmas, which is Jesus. Well, this year, there’s no exception. Among the Grinches that we have this year are government officials in the city of Tucson, Arizona. Officials there threatened a resident with arrest after he and a group of friends attempted to share their Christian faith at a Christmas festival. So is sharing the true reason for Christmas at a Christmas festival an arrestable offense? Well, joining me to share his client’s story is Mike Berry. He’s Executive Director of External Affairs and Senior Counsel at First Liberty Institute. Mike, welcome back to Washington Watch. Always great to have you.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thanks for having me. It’s great to be back on.
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Well, this sounds like quite a bizarre story. Why don’t you kind of share with us how this situation in Tucson unfolded?
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Well, it starts with First Liberty’s client, David Hoffman, and his friends who, as you said, Jody, they just wanted to attend this what’s called a festival of lights in an area of Tucson. And it’s open to the public. There’s no charge for admission. Anybody can come and go as they please. That is, unless you are there to share information. your religious beliefs, as David Hoffman and his friends wanted to do. And as you pointed out, you would think that this would be something that would be acceptable and welcome when it comes to the real reason for the season, as we say, which is the birth of Jesus Christ. And David Hoffman and his friends wanted to simply share that message, but they were told that they couldn’t do that. And I can think of few things that are more unconstitutional and un-American during the Christmas season than to tell somebody that they can’t even share their religious beliefs and their faith about the birth of Jesus Christ during the very holiday that we observe the birth of Christ on. So First Liberty Institute is… We are going to send a demand letter to the city of Tucson, and we’re going to demand that they allow Mr. Hoffman and his friends to continue to do what the Constitution has always protected their right to do.
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Well, thank you for doing that, Mike. That’s one reason we just love you guys at First Liberty. But what is going through the minds of these officials in Tucson? Did they really think that sharing the true purpose and reason of Christmas is an arrestable offense there in Tucson?
SPEAKER 04 :
I certainly hope that’s not what they think, and if it is, they need to consult their attorneys or find a new attorney because they need to take out the Constitution, dust it off, and read it every once in a while. Clearly, when American citizens engage in religious speech, particularly in a public place like this, in a public setting, it’s doubly protected. It’s protected under the Free Speech Clause, and it’s also protected under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. TO DENY MR. HOFFMAN’S ABILITY TO DO THIS, AND THEY ESPECIALLY HAVE NO RIGHT TO THREATEN HIM AND HIS FRIENDS WITH ARRESTS OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF PUNISHMENT FOR SIMPLY DOING WHAT AMERICANS HAVE ALWAYS HAD THE RIGHT TO DO IN THIS COUNTRY, WHICH IS TO LIVE OUT THEIR FAITH OPENLY AND FREELY, ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC PLACES. AGAIN, IT’S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS AN OPEN festival. There’s no charge for admission. Anybody is free to come and go as they please. You and I could go there, presumably, Jody, unless we were there to, I guess, share our religious beliefs. And so this has no place in America.
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So what is First Liberty asking of the city? What are you requiring or calling on them to do to right this wrong?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, put simply, we’re asking them and demanding that they change their policy or at the very least allow our client and his friends to be able to do this during this Christmas season. And if they’re not willing to do that, then, you know, we’re We’re not taking anything off the table. We’re really ready to take the next steps and take legal action if necessary. Certainly, we hope it doesn’t come to that. But First Liberty has a long and established track record of being able to do that and doing so successfully if necessary. In fact, we just had a case at the U.S. Supreme Court a couple of weeks ago on a very similar issue where a citizen of Brandon, Mississippi, simply wanted to share his beliefs at a public festival and was told that he couldn’t do that. And we had to take that case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. So this isn’t happening just in Tucson, Arizona. It’s happening across the country. And it’s important that we… not just as First Living Institute, but as American citizens, we’ve got to stand up for our rights. That’s the fastest way to lose our freedoms in this country is for American citizens to cower in fear when the government tells you no. And instead, we’ve got to stand up for our rights. We’ve got to restore faith in America. And so we’re proud to stand with our clients here in Tucson, as well as in Brandon, Mississippi.
SPEAKER 06 :
And elsewhere across the country, is this type of problem increasing across the country from what you are seeing right now?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, that’s a great question. I think it’s something that’s always been going on. But what I think is as we’ve had more and more good, positive religious liberty decisions come down from the Supreme Court in recent years, I think Americans are starting to wake up. Their eyes are being opened and they’re realizing, wait a minute, We actually do have a right to live out our faith openly, whether you’re a football coach like Coach Kennedy, whether you’re a street preacher like Gabriel Olivier in Brandon, Mississippi, or whether you’re like David Hoffman in Tucson, Arizona, who simply wants to share his faith out in his community. I think Americans are starting to realize we’ve been, especially as believers, I think we’ve been a little bit apathetic about our freedoms and our rights. And so I think part of it is it’s things like this have always been going on. I think the reason we’re seeing more flashpoints now, Jody, is because I think Americans are starting to wake up and to say, wait a second, we need to assert our rights and our freedoms. Otherwise, we lose them. President Reagan was the one that said freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We don’t pass it on in the bloodline. It’s got to be fought for and protected.
SPEAKER 06 :
Absolutely. So for Christians who may be facing some issues over Christmas or beyond Christmas for that reason, how can people get in touch with First Liberty?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, it’s easy. Just go to firstliberty.org. That’s firstliberty.org. You can learn about David Hoffman’s case, Gabriel Olivia’s case, or if you’re having issues of your own, you can reach out to us there and we’re happy to take a look and see if we can get involved and help you in your community.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, we thank God for First Liberty and all the incredible work that you do. And Mike, Barry, we thank you for joining us today on Washington Watch, wishing you and your family the best of Christmases.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you, and Merry Christmas to all of you.
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Alrighty. All right, friends, stay with us on the other side of the break. We’re going to be bringing our standing together segment where we highlight some friends, some like-minded individuals. And this time we’re going to be having a discussion with John Sorenson with evangelism explosion. It’s going to be a great conversation. So stay with us. We’ll be back right after this break.
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The book of Hebrews says that the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Stand on the Word is Family Research Council’s journey through the living and active Word of God. Follow the plan starting January 1st. Spend 10 to 15 minutes a day reading God’s Word, and over the course of two years, discover that the Bible is one big story. A story of many words pointing to the Word, the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. because the Word is alive and His name is Jesus. Find our Bible reading plan and daily devotionals from Tony Perkins at frc.org slash Bible. Join us as we stand on the Word.
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What is God’s role in government? What does the separation of church and state really mean? And how does morality shape a nation? President John Adams said our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Join Family Research Council for God and Government, a powerful series that explores the connection between biblical principles and the American government, equipping you with truth to engage in today’s most pressing debates. We’ll uncover the foundations of our nation’s history and why it’s relevant for today. Join us to defend God’s plan for government because faith and freedom were never meant to be separate. You can view the course at prayvotestand.org slash God and government or on the Stand Firm app.
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Good afternoon and welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss filling in today for Tony. Thank you so much for being with us. All right, with Christmas quickly approaching, of course, this is a wonderful time, a season filled with all sorts of special gatherings with loved ones. And in that process, many of us will be interacting with some non-Christian friends and family members. And, you know, some of those conversations about the true reason for christmas can potentially be popping up and so we want to help talk about that discussion regarding how do you share the gospel with loved ones who may not yet have a personal relationship with jesus christ well that’s the topic of today’s standing together segment which is a time where we highlight other organizations who share our commitment to advance the kingdom of God by championing faith, family, and freedom. And this week, we want to highlight the important kingdom work of our good friends over at Evangelism Explosion. And joining me now for this conversation is Dr. John Sorenson. He’s the president of Evangelism Explosion. He’s also the host of Share Life Today. Dr. Sorenson, welcome back to Washington Watch. Always great to have you, my friend.
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Well, Jody, thank you so much and Merry Christmas. It’s a great week to talk about Jesus.
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It sure is. And I was so, so glad to have you on to share about this because many of us are going to be with family and friends who many of whom don’t have a relationship with Christ. So what advice would you give to us right now? How do you share the gospel with loved ones who may not know Christ?
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, sure. And, you know, we train people to witness all over the world all the time, but mostly we do that with strangers. And the reason is because it’s easier. It’s a daunting task to think about witnessing to a family member or to a friend. And certainly what we don’t want to do is cause offense that would break the relationship somehow and, you know, cause the holiday to be less than what you had hoped it to be. And but as far as advice goes, here’s what I’d say. First and foremost, pray. And I think we know that. But at the same time, I think we need to be reminded. And I would urge you to pray expectantly. I would I would say, Lord, please, you know, I’m going to step into this. I’m going to do it. But I’m asking you to make it efficient, effective. Because at the end of the day, we know salvation is from the Lord. It is not anything anyone else can manufacture. The second thing I would say is just as a typical rule, the reason why God gave us a testimony is because it is our testimony that causes us to be able to get into spiritual conversations in the most winsome way. And kind of unlike what we were just talking about a minute ago, what we’re urging you to do is ask for permission and to to do this in a real personal one-on-one way certainly don’t do this in a great big group and don’t let it become a shouting match by any stretch instead ask for permission and then share something personal yourself and you know here’s the thing you know the lord is doing all kinds of things in our life all the time and i think that we need to begin to notice those things and then to be ready to share and so i have several family members who are not yet believers in Jesus. And, you know, so all the time I’m thinking about stories, you know, yesterday I was reading in Isaiah 41 about God strengthening us. And so I began to start to make some notes about some ways in which I really can testify that the Lord has strengthened me. And so when I get together with these family, that’s one of the things I just bring into the conversation is, And, you know, maybe they roll their eyes or they have in the past or whatnot, but I’m constantly bringing up the fact that God is real in my life and that he’s actually doing something in my life today. So I’d urge you to think about the testimony that God’s given you and to begin to record some things that you can share. And all the while you’re proving that God is real, that he’s vital, that he’s somebody that you have a personal relationship with. Now I’m going to give you one more thought that you could, well, two more, but one more that you can bring into the conversation. And here it is. We just did a pretty massive study and here’s what we found. 66% of Americans are open to having a spiritual conversation with a family member or a friend. that that’s the truth about america today and so here’s an idea you can simply say i was watching this show and this crazy guy came on and he said that almost seven out of ten americans want to have a spiritual conversation so you know as your friend is your family remember how tragic it would be if i didn’t offer that to you and so you know if you’re one of those seven would you tell me and then i’ll gladly have that conversation with you and what you’re going to find is more than half of your family and friends really have been and having thoughts in their head where they’d really like to have a spiritual conversation. And so perhaps this is the year and perhaps you’re the person that’s going to lead that conversation to happen. And I’m gonna give you one more thought that you might be able to use this Christmas. Say you do have a son or a daughter or a very close family member that clearly knows what you believe. And they’ve been around the church perhaps their entire life. And yet they’re not yet a believer in Jesus. One thing you could do is you could ask that son or daughter or family member for the greatest gift that they could ever give you. which would be the opportunity, the privilege of sharing with you the greatest thing. Simply couch it this way. Say, you know, if it ever came that we were separated and there was not the opportunity for me to share with you ever again, in my mind, it would be one of the great tragedies of my life that I didn’t have a chance to share with you something. If you want to give me a gift this Christmas, the best gift that you could ever give, It would simply be to let me share with you this truth that is so important to me, that has so changed my life. And what you’re going to find, I shared this with a lady at church a few weeks ago, and she had the chance to do this with a son. And the son listened for 35 minutes to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, you know, so there are opportunities. We just have to pray for them first and then expectantly step into them, Jody.
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Where can people find out more information about Evangelism Explosion?
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, as far as sharing your faith, you can go to sharelife.today. That’s probably the quickest way. We have tools and tips and resources we put up there all the time to help people share the gospel. If you want to know about Evangelism Explosion, go to evangelismexplosion.org, and we’ll offer help. We do training all over the world in how to share the gospel.
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Dr. John Sorensen, president of Evangelism Explosion, Merry Christmas to you. Thank you for this fantastic advice. God bless you. All right, friends, coming up after the break, the Washington Watch’s own Jared Bridges and Mark Tapscott will share some important stories.
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Should a Christian support Israel? That question has become one of the most emotionally charged issues of our time, both in the world and within the church. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins offers a clear biblical and prophetic answer. In his latest book, he examines Israel’s past, present, and future through the lens of scripture, revealing why support for Israel is not rooted in politics, partisanship, or cultural sentiment, but in the unchanging promises of God. Drawing from Genesis to Revelation, Tony Perkins demonstrates that the ultimate rationale for a Christian’s support for Israel is spiritual. Should a Christian support Israel invites believers to see beyond headlines and ideologies, returning to the foundation of God’s Word to understand His heart for His chosen people and the blessings that flow when we stand with what He has established forever. Text the word Israel to 67742 for more information.
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The Family Research Council internship program educates and inspires students who are passionate about public service and who believe that a biblical worldview is fundamental to the reformation of government and culture.
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I really love my department. I love working with this stand. I love writing. I love talking to all the different writers and all the great advice they’ve given me about how to improve my writing and what I already am doing well and how to harness those skills to do a better job.
SPEAKER 18 :
This internship really helped clarify my career goals. I would love to go into higher education and help our culture think more critically about the issues that we’re active about. And so this internship has given me more clarity on how to pursue that goal.
SPEAKER 19 :
To come here and to really see my work matter and to see people value it and to value me and what I do and what I can bring to the table has been a great opportunity.
SPEAKER 18 :
To a future intern, I would say take advantage of the moment. There are so many opportunities that FRC provides that can grow you personally and professionally and spiritually. I would 100% recommend this internship to any peer or classmate.
SPEAKER 13 :
This internship has definitely helped me grow spiritually. The fellowship and the discipleship here just sets FRC apart from any other place I’ve worked at before.
SPEAKER 15 :
To apply, visit frc.org slash internships.
SPEAKER 11 :
In times like these, we need something solid to stand on. That’s why I’m inviting you to join me on January the 1st for Stand on the Word, a daily journey through the entire Bible. Each day, we’ll read God’s Word together, discuss how to apply His truths to our lives, 15 minutes that can transform your year. Join me and thousands of others as we stand strong by standing on the Word of God. Text BIBLE to 67742. That’s BIBLE to 67742.
SPEAKER 06 :
Good afternoon and welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss filling in today for Tony. Thank you so much for being with us. All right. Again, before I get into our last segment, a couple of real quick action items I want you to be aware of. First of all, of course, the new year is right upon us, which opens a wide open door to make some very important changes in all of our lives individually. None being more important than strengthening our Your Biblical Worldview in 2026. And we want to encourage you to join the FRC team and thousands of believers for our Stand on the Word two-year chronological journey through the Bible. Just simply taking 10 to 15 minutes a day can transform your life. Taking 10 or 15 minutes a day in the Word. And we want to encourage you to come along and join us and make… The Scripture, a biblical worldview pursuit, a top priority in your lives. And encourage others to do the same. For more details, visit frc.org slash Bible or simply text the word Bible to 67742. And then finally, as we all know by now, next year is America’s 250th anniversary. We here at Family Research Council will continue standing for faith, freedom and family, protecting the principles that our country was founded upon. And you can help us keep that voice in the public square. Every gift that you give to FRC between now and December 31st will be doubled financially. thanks to a special challenge match. So, look, no gift is too small, none too big, but everything that you’re able to give to FRC right now will be doubled from now to the end of the year. Text AMERICA to 67742 for more info. All right, as we close out 2025, we want to take a look back at this year from the perspective of the Washington stand. What were some of the top topics that shaped the Washington stand’s coverage in 25? What can we draw from how readers responded? And I want to bring on Jared Bridges and Mark Tapscott, both with the Washington stand. Jared is the editor-in-chief of the Washington stand. Mark is a senior congressional analyst. Gentlemen, thank you for joining me. Always an honor to have you.
SPEAKER 05 :
Hello, Jody. How are you? Glad to be back.
SPEAKER 06 :
You’re doing great. Yes, great to have you both. Jared, let me start with you. What were some of the top stories of 2025 for the Washington stand?
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, it’s been a year, hasn’t it? You can remember all the way back to January, we had the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as president for the second time. And that story pretty much dominated the headlines and took quite a bit of our coverage up at the Washington stand as well. We had then everything that kind of flowed out from that. You had Trump’s cabinet picks, and some of those had some issues going forward. um that always creates interest then you had you had trump’s initial executive orders and we had plenty to choose from and plenty to cover that were were pretty sweeping everything from um There’s only male and female to the Gulf of America. So those that’s remember, that’s just at the start of the year. And then you had in reaction to Trump’s inauguration and Trump coming into office, the Trump derangement syndrome, where you even had people who were vowing not to procreate during Trump’s term because of Trump, right? So, you know, leading through that throughout the year, we had Doge, which that’s something that we haven’t really seen the likes of and it kind of burned really fast and then it kind of slowed down for a little bit throughout the year. We had Lots of pro women’s and girls sports victories this year and and lots of kind of shrinking back of the the pro trans movement, but. But it is it is still there, still very much alive, as we’ve seen this year. We’ve seen a lot of news on Israel over the year. We had continued. Well, you had hostages being returned both posthumously and alive and getting to see the reunions with those who were returned alive from their captivity by the Hamas terrorists. You had the continued demise of Pride Month. It has not in recent years had as much of an impact and corporations are shrinking back from it quite a bit. You’ve had the end of DEI and government, mostly due to the Trump administration just trying as best they can to eradicate those policies. And you had even some groups we saw that were trying to hide it within by renaming it and some agencies. One very solemn marker of the year in a story we spent a lot of time on was the assassination of Charlie Kirk. And that, I think, You know, among a lot of conservatives, a lot of Christians, it kind of if you were asleep, it woke you up. And just the the gravity that that had and the impact that that’s had on on our on our nation. We had the elections where Democrats seemed to gain some advantage in places like Virginia. And then one of our biggest stories, even recently, was the Still some corporate wokeness trying to hang on with Chick-fil-A supporting same sex marriage and not really backing down from that. And we also and you can’t forget the government shutdown. Right. That lasted 43 days. One of the longest. in history. So, I mean, I’m sure I forgot a few things, but I think those were, those dominated the news. Those stories did.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, those were all, those were all huge. Just hearing you repeat them. And Mark, I know you’ve been covering Capitol Hill for a long time. What were some of the big stories on Capitol Hill this year?
SPEAKER 05 :
You know, Congressman, I was thinking as, as Jared was going through that really good list, a comprehensive list, I first came to Washington in the Reagan era as a Reagan political appointee. And there was such a sense then that we were coming to save America and the anticipation of what we could accomplish. And this past year, I have sensed a very similar kind of attitude and hopefulness, both here among the Trump political people and people on the Hill, Republicans on the Hill. and people outside of D.C., a real hope that, you know, we’re making progress now that hasn’t been seen in a long time. And I think the passage, for example, of the one big, beautiful bill, which was such a comprehensive package of so many major things, you would think a package like that would be nothing but reasons for people to vote against it. But Even with the tiny majority that Speaker Johnson, Mike Johnson, had to work with, they got it through. And it really is a landmark piece of legislation, as I’m pretty confident we’re going to be seeing in a very profound way in just very few weeks when 2026 gets here and the bill actually becomes effective. I think that’s the biggest one on the Hill.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, there’s no doubt. And of course, the shutdown, which Jared mentioned as well. And here we are going into 2026 with the possibility of that repeating itself. Mark, you have decades of reporting experience with so many top conservative news outlets. Let me just toss you your way to begin with as we kind of shift gears a little bit. In your view, what sets the Washington stand apart from our friends at some other news outlets?
SPEAKER 05 :
You know, the first thing that immediately comes to mind, and you can’t read the Washington stand for 30 seconds without beginning to appreciate it, is the fact that we, you know, we’re very upfront about it. We look at and we report and we analyze the things that are happening in the American public square and indeed on the world scene from a biblical perspective. One of the things that is most dear to my heart as a result of that, I’ve said it on this show before, Jesus said, darkness hates the light. And that’s why transparency is so important in government. And I have devoted a great deal of my career to reporting to advance transparency in government in a lot of different ways. So I think there’s that. We report from a biblical worldview. Second, we have a unique combination, a unique editorial package, if you will. You get hard news, old school journalism reporting on the news events of the day. But you also get a really good combination of that with, I think, really perceptive news analysis by folks on the Washington stand staff. And you also get some really important commentaries about the news. That’s an unusual combination. And we make each one of them very distinct, so you know what you’re reading. But that’s a good thing to have. I think the third thing is You know, I have been here for a while, Jody, as you said, and I’ve seen a lot of folks come and go in conservative journalism. And I have to say, Jared has put together a really outstanding team of journalists. very young, smart, ambitious, hardworking Christian journalist. And I’m just proud to be the old guy here that gets to put in an encouraging word for him every now and then.
SPEAKER 06 :
That’s great. Well, Jared, let me kick back. One of the things that Mark talked about, his first point was the biblical perspective. That is, well, let me just ask you, why is it so important to consume news these days from a biblical worldview?
SPEAKER 20 :
Well, you know, Jody, if you ever laid down on a gravel driveway, you’re going to be shaped by that gravel driveway. Your back is going to hurt, right? Because you’re going to have rocks sticking everywhere in you. And it’s the same way with the news, right? You are going to be shaped by something. And we’re trying to bring to believers who actually believe the Bible and believe that truth, that it is the word of God, that it is truth, that it is the good news. So we’re starting with the good news first. And people who are shaped by the good news should be informed by news from a biblical worldview. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to see news elsewhere. I mean, we can’t even cover everything. But we’re trying to look at important issues, hone in on them through a biblical lens, and give them to you as something you can trust. And our desire is to help believers be shaped continue to be shaped by the gospel through the news they read.
SPEAKER 06 :
Let me ask you, we’ve only got a couple of minutes left, but I want both of you to have this final question. And that is, what is some of the impact that you’ve heard that the Washington stand has had, both in Washington, D.C., policy and so forth, but also with our readers? Mark, let me start with you.
SPEAKER 05 :
You know, that’s an interesting question, Jody. I And I say this in all humility, but back in mid-October, when it was beginning to become clear that Senator Schumer and the congressional Democrats were intent on a shutdown if they couldn’t get the tax subsidies for Obamacare continued, YOU KNOW, THAT GOT MY CURIOSITY OF WHY WERE THEY SO INTENT ON THOSE PARTICULAR SUBSIDIES? AND A LITTLE BIT OF INVESTIGATING REPORTING AND YOU DISCOVER THAT, NUMBER ONE, THEY GET millions and millions of dollars in campaign contributions from the big health insurance companies participating in Obamacare. And those companies had spent a record amount this year in lobbying Capitol Hill. And I was kind of surprised. The other folks who were covering the issue weren’t really looking at that angle. So, you know, we got several pretty big stories out of that. And I think that helped set a perspective about what was going on and why we were going to a shutdown.
SPEAKER 06 :
Absolutely. Jared, let me kick it back over to you. Some of the impact that you’ve heard that the stand has had.
SPEAKER 20 :
Yeah, and non-scientific but anecdotal is important when people talk to you about it. And I’ve had people tell me that they appreciate being just the example of how to think through the issues. And so where there are issues that they didn’t really, they may not have even thought about beforehand, but in reading you in the Washington stand, they were able to, oh, Yeah, this actually is important to me. And look, here’s a way to think through it that’s faithful to Scripture. And it’s not just the same leftist bias that’s coming through in a lot of news outlets. So I think that’s been encouraging to us to hear that people are actually wanting to be shaped for it and they’re wanting more of it.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you so much, Jared Bridges and Mark Tapscott of Washington Stand. By the way, this is an outlet that is growing by leaps and bounds. And folks, those of you viewing, those of you who are listening, I encourage every one of you to both visit and bookmark WashingtonStand.com. One word, WashingtonStand.com. The best news and commentary available, in my opinion, from a biblical worldview. That’s all the time we have for today. Thanks for joining us, and have a great evening. We’ll see you next time here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 02 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council. To support our efforts to advance faith, family, and freedom, please text GIVE to 67742. That’s GIVE to 67742. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information, please visit TonyPerkins.com.
