In this week's Brief: Welcome to our brand new studio! Conner is joined by Josh Miller, CEO of Denison Ministries, to tackle the reflecting pool drama in DC, the controversial new Air Force One, and how both expensive "birthday gifts" for America's 250th point us back to the one gift that truly came with no strings attached: the gospel.
Then we dive into the bizarre trend of "maxxing"—the obsession with optimizing every aspect of life to the extreme. We focus on “looksmaxxing” and Clavicular, a social media star serving as the movement’s primary ambassador. Josh breaks down what it all reveals about control, self-worth, and why identity rooted in anything other than Christ will never be enough.
Plus, UK PM Keir Starmer resigns, Toy Story 5 is a hit, Giannis traded to the Heat, Wyndham Clark wins the US Open amid booing, World Cup updates, and a fun Declaration of Independence signer or company name game for America 250.
No episode next week—Happy Fourth of July!
Topics
- (0:00) Introduction
- (0:16) New studio tour
- (2:05) Reflecting Pool drama
- (8:12) Air Force One upgrade
- (16:06) Josh turns 40
- (30:34) “Maxxing” trend warnings
- (33:07) America 250 name game
- (35:47) UK leadership turmoil
- (38:09) Toy Story 5 rebound
- (39:35) Sports roundup reactions
- (43:24) World Cup fever
- (47:59) Conclusion
Resources
Articles on this week’s top headlines:
About Josh Miller
Josh Miller serves as Chief Executive Officer at Denison Ministries, where he helps lead a global effort to equip believers with biblical truth for everyday life. A disciple of Jesus, husband, and father, Josh has spent more than 20 years in ministry, ranging from global worship tours to pastoral leadership and nonprofit strategy.
As a Christian leader, author, and songwriter, Josh is passionate about helping the church think critically, live faithfully, and engage culture with courage and grace. He brings a unique blend of creativity and strategic insight, rooted in Scripture and strengthened by his pastoral heart.
Josh lives in Plano, Texas, with his wife and two sons. He loves sharing a good taco, brewing craft coffee, and encouraging others to follow Jesus with wisdom and joy.
About Conner Jones
Conner Jones is the Managing Editor at Denison Forum and Co-Hosts Denison Forum's "Culture Brief" podcast. He graduated from Dallas Baptist University in 2019 with a degree in Business Management. Conner passionately follows politics, sports, pop-culture, entertainment, and current events. He enjoys fishing, movie-going, and traveling the world with his wife and son.
About Denison Forum
Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, the Faith & Clarity podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.
All episodes are produced by Sound of a Rose. For more information, you can visit soundofarose.com.
