You’ve Been LIED TO About Trump’s POLICIES Being “Un-Christian” | Live Free with Josh Howerton
July 13, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readThe World Cup of Faith, Parenting as a Relay Race, and Defending Christian Political Engagement
At the 2025 World Cup, something unusual is happening. Media outlets are calling it "the most openly religious World Cup in recent history"—some are even calling it the "World Cup of Faith." Players from opposing teams are gathering in prayer huddles after matches. Germany's Felix Mecha kneels on the field, takes off his crown in a symbolic gesture, and places it before Jesus. The USA team prays together before and after every game, win or lose. For Pastor Josh Howerton, this is not just a feel-good sports story. It is, he argues, a visible fulfillment of a prophecy made 2,000 years ago when there were only about 120 Christians in the world: that the gospel would be proclaimed to every nation, tribe, and tongue.
Running the Race as a Relay, Not a Sprint
The episode's core teaching comes from Hebrews 12, which describes the Christian life as a race. Howerton points out that the Greek word translated "race" is agon—the root of "agony." This is not a ten-second sprint but a sustained, long-term struggle. But he adds a crucial twist: the Christian life is not even a marathon. It is a relay race.
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What you'll learn
- 1 Timestamped Outline
- 2 (00:00) **Opening & Introduction** - Carlos introduces the episode with Pastor Josh Howerton and Paul Cunningham
- 3 (01:10) **Raymond Ibrahim Preview** - Josh explains why he's excited about his upcoming guest
- 4 (05:26) **Hebrews 12: Running the Race** - Josh introduces the core passage for the sermon series "At the Movies"
- 5 (08:17) **Defending "At the Movies" Series** - Josh addresses objections to using movies in church
- 6 (13:48) **The World Cup of Faith** - Josh discusses the unprecedented public Christian witness at the 2026 World Cup
- 7 (19:19) **Weight vs. Sin** - Josh distinguishes between sinful habits and merely unhelpful ones
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Are you running the Christian race well—and will the next generation be ready to carry the baton?
In this episode of LIVE FREE, Pastors Carlos Erazo and Josh Howerton unpack what it means to build a faith that lasts. From using culture to communicate biblical truth and seeing Jesus proclaimed across the nations, to removing the weights slowing you down and intentionally passing your faith to your kids, this conversation gets practical about lifelong discipleship.
In this episode you'll discover:
• Why the Christian life is more than a marathon—it's a relay race
• How to identify the weights slowing down your faith
• Practical principles for passing faith to the next generation
• Why authentic faith at home matters more than perfect faith
• How the gospel continues to advance across the world
Your faith doesn't have to be perfect—but it does have to be real.
Stand firm. Think biblically. Live free.
🍿Join us in person for At the Movies, our annual four-week series using scenes from popular films to bring biblical truths to life! Learn more and find a campus at https://lakepointe.church/at-the-movies/
✝️ Find out what DID make it into the sermon: Join us in-person for At The Movies!
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