Podcast Summary: "now is the time."
Podcast: Christ With Coffee On Ice
Host: Ally Yost
Date: September 14, 2025
Overview
In this impromptu and heartfelt episode, host Ally Yost addresses the recent tragedy involving Charlie Kirk, expressing collective grief and offering spiritual encouragement to her Christian audience. She navigates complex feelings in the wake of loss, leans on scripture for comfort and instruction, and urges listeners to respond with love rather than retaliation. The episode is suffused with vulnerability, prayer, and a call for bold faith and compassionate action, all underpinned by a conviction that “now is the time” for Christians to rise up in love and truth.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Responding to Loss and Collective Grief
[00:00–04:30]
- Ally opens by acknowledging the abnormal timing and format, sharing vulnerability about whether her words matter amidst chaos online.
- She reflects on the emotional impact of Charlie Kirk's murder, recognizing that even those who weren’t close followers still feel his loss deeply.
- Quote:
“Our flesh did not know Charlie. We didn’t know him personally, right? But in the spirit, we did. Like, he really... He was our brother in Christ.” – Ally [03:20]
2. Spiritual Explanation for Deep Grief
[04:30–07:25]
- Ally identifies the shared grief among Christians as the Holy Spirit grieving within the body of Christ.
- She notes that the death of someone in the same generation feels especially immediate and personal.
- Points out the temptation to compare and “rank” tragedies, but cautions against invalidating compassion.
3. Evil and Suffering Are Not New
[07:25–11:00]
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Ally reads Ecclesiastes 1:9 to highlight that history repeats itself; evil and suffering are age-old issues.
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Expresses that humanity’s repeated failures point to the ongoing need for God.
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Emphasizes Charlie Kirk’s boldness in encouraging young people towards Jesus.
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Quote:
“If we didn’t do the same things over and over again, we wouldn’t need Him.” – Ally [09:15]
4. Choosing Love Over Retaliation
[11:00–18:00]
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Warns of the temptation for Christians to fight evil with evil; instead, urges listeners to “choose to love our enemies.”
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Draws on Matthew 5:39 to reinforce turning the other cheek and not retaliating.
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Cites Jesus’ words from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
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Quote:
“The easy thing to do is to spew hate... But love is the harder choice. And it’s the choice that we actually have to pick in this.” – Ally [12:45]
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Encourages listeners to pray for the man who killed Charlie Kirk and his family, noting that failing to do so is “just as guilty” of dehumanizing as those who wish evil on Christians.
5. The Role of Prayer and Redemption
[18:00–22:00]
- Ally calls the church to “pray that the Lord uses this for his glory... that he turns these ashes into beauty.”
- Reminds listeners that God uses tragedy to bring people to salvation and to reveal His love.
- Encourages empathy for those who are “blind to the truth of the gospel.”
6. The Danger and Futility of Fear
[22:00–26:00]
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Addresses the “spirit of fear” attempting to silence Christians, reminding that “the Lord has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.”
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Asserts that times of opposition and loss are a call to boldness, not reticence.
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Quote:
“There is such a tactic of the enemy right now to make us afraid and to make us quiet because something’s working.” – Ally [25:15]
7. An Urgent Call to Boldness
[26:00–32:10]
- Repeatedly insists, “now is the time” to rise up, reject comfort and complacency, and pursue deeper discipline and action in faith.
- Draws parallels to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance and Biblical commands to “conquer evil by doing good” (Romans 12:21).
- Says this is an invitation from God for a generation to “be more bold, to love people harder, to pick up our cross.”
8. Words of Jesus for Troubled Times
[32:10–41:15]
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Ally reads extensively from John 16, reflecting on Jesus’ forewarning of suffering and His assurance of ultimate victory (“take heart, because I have overcome the world”).
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Encourages the church to meditate on Jesus’ triumph as a source of strength and peace in adversity.
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Quote:
“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” – Jesus (quoted by Ally) [38:50]
9. Communion, Closing Prayer, and Blessing
[41:15–end]
- Ally leads listeners in taking communion, praying for strength, boldness, and a renewed capacity to love without fear.
- Encourages repentance for any retaliation, asks God for more discipline and commitment in faith.
- Ends with a blessing over listeners and a reminder to keep striving to “walk more like Jesus, talk more like Jesus, be more like Jesus.”
- Quote:
“Let us memorize more scripture. Let us know the most scripture we’ve ever known in our lives. Let this be an opportunity for the church to become stronger.” – Ally [44:00]
Notable Quotes & Their Context
- On shared spiritual grief:
“Our flesh did not know Charlie... But in the spirit, we did. Like, he really... He was our brother in Christ.” [03:20]
- On history repeating:
“History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” — Ecclesiastes 1:9 (read by Ally) [08:10]
- On the right response to hate:
“We have to choose to love our enemies... Because that is the only way that we will be set apart from this world.” [13:30]
- On praying for enemies:
“If we are not willing to extend love even to the man who killed Charlie, we are just as guilty as the people who wished ill or death on Charlie.” [16:30]
- On courage in adversity:
“Now is the time. I need you to tell more people about the Freedom there is in me... be a voice for the kingdom of God.” [27:15]
- On Jesus’ promise:
“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” — Jesus, John 16:33 (read by Ally) [38:50]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [00:00–04:30] — Opening, raw reflection on grief and communal emotion
- [07:25–11:00] — Reflection on history, evil, and Ecclesiastes 1:9
- [11:00–18:00] — Scriptural urging to love enemies, not retaliate
- [22:00–26:00] — Rejecting fear, call to boldness in faith
- [32:10–41:15] — Reading and commentary on John 16, Christ’s words on suffering and victory
- [41:15–end] — Communion, prayer, and stirring final encouragement
Tone & Language
Ally’s language is direct, heartfelt, and laced with scriptural reference and passionate encouragement. Her vulnerability and honesty set a personal, empathetic tone. She balances acknowledging pain and confusion with unwavering hope and a clear call to model Jesus' love, making the episode both a comfort and a challenge to her listeners.
Summary
This episode is a moving meditation on tragedy, grief, and the Christian call to love in the face of evil. Through tears and scripture, Ally Yost draws her listeners to grieve honestly, resist fear, and respond courageously to hatred with the radical love embodied by Christ. Rooted in biblical truths, her message is clear: “Now is the time”—not to retreat in fear, but to stand up in bold love, prayer, and faith, trusting Jesus’ promise that He has already overcome the world.
