9.26.25 Culture Friday on signs of awakening in American churches, a review of Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie, and Listener Feedback

Summary

The World and Everything In It

Episode: Culture Friday on Signs of Awakening in American Churches, Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie, and Listener Feedback
Date: September 26, 2025
Podcast by: WORLD Radio

Episode Overview

This episode of The World and Everything In It centers on the cultural and spiritual moment in America following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, examining signs of spiritual awakening in American churches. Hosts Myrna Brown and Nick Eicher welcome John Stonestreet (Colson Center, Breakpoint podcast) for Culture Friday, delving into themes such as public forgiveness, religious freedom, church revival, doctrinal confusion among evangelicals, and the nature of authentic Christian witness in tumultuous times. The episode also includes a review of the family film Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie, as well as a robust listener feedback segment responding to recent coverage and features.

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1. Culture Friday: Politics, Free Speech, and Grace

[07:08 - 21:14]

Government and Free Speech—Jimmy Kimmel and the FCC

• Topic: Debate around government pressure on media, prompted by Jimmy Kimmel’s reinstatement following controversial comments and FCC scrutiny.
• Legal Perspective:
  • Mike Farris (NRB general counsel) explains that while the Supreme Court recently ruled government pressuring platforms to silence voices isn’t always unconstitutional, he believes “the government shouldn’t do this at all.”

    “I take a more rigid stand than that, that the government shouldn’t do this at all. But the Supreme Court let them get away with it.”—Mike Farris ([08:00])

• Christian Response:
  • Stonestreet urges Christians to be principled defenders of free speech but acknowledges that no freedom is limitless, noting, “What we don’t want...is getting into a place where one particular viewpoint is privileged and the other actively silenced...” ([09:23])
  • Warns of relying on politics to protect freedoms ("If you win by politics, you lose by politics...").

Forgiveness at Charlie Kirk’s Memorial—A Witness to the World

• Topic: Jimmy Kimmel expresses heartfelt admiration for Erica Kirk’s public forgiveness at her husband’s memorial, calling it “a selfless act of grace.”

  “She forgave him. That is an example we should follow. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus, as I do, there it was, that's it.” — Jimmy Kimmel, quoting Erica Kirk’s act ([11:07])

• John Stonestreet’s Reflection:
  • He highlights the power and rarity of such forgiveness in public life, connecting it to historic Christian acts of grace and contrasting it with the cultural dominance of “critical theory” and unforgiving social dynamics.

  “Forgiveness is something right now...Christians offering forgiveness is going to be one of the most significant and unanswerable aspects of Christian witness in the culture today.” — John Stonestreet ([13:28])

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2. Signs of Revival in American Churches

[14:29 - 21:14]

Nationwide Evangelistic Revival

• Public Officials’ Faith:
  • Hosts note the openness of high-ranking government leaders about their Christian faith as part of the “serious topic of conversation.” ([14:29])
• John Stonestreet’s Analysis:
  • He draws on American history, referencing Jonathan Edwards’ classic signs of revival:
    • Jesus is exalted
    • Sin is “abhorred and repented of”
    • Revival often starts among young people and doctrinally robust churches
  • “The churches that are filling up are those that seem to be more serious about things like truth and doctrine...” ([16:40])
  • Concludes with a note of hopefulness, underscoring the need to join whatever awakening God brings.

Theological Confusion in the Pew

[18:05 - 21:14]

• New “State of Theology” Survey Findings:
  • 60% of self-identified evangelicals believe everyone is born innocent before God
  • ~50% say people are basically good
  • Almost half believe God accepts worship from all religions
• Stonestreet’s Concern:
  • Attributes confusion to the church “prioritizing comfort and marketing over doctrine.”
  • References Christian Smith’s concept of “moralistic therapeutic deism.”
  • Advocates for stronger catechesis and worldview formation beneath surface-level belief.

  “It’s one thing to have a worldview that’s too small. It’s another to realize you have one and want to do something about it. And maybe that’s where revival can begin.”—John Stonestreet ([19:55])

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3. Review: Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie

[22:50 – 26:56]
Arts and Culture Editor Colin Garbarino

• Plot Overview:
  • Gabby brings her magical dollhouse and toy cats to her grandma’s in Cat Francisco; the dollhouse is lost, and she must retrieve it from an eccentric cat lady (Kristen Wiig).
• Review Highlights:
  • Exceeded low expectations; “not half bad” for parents ([24:14])
  • Coherent plot, cute characters, a few funny scenes
  • Blended live-action and animation “seamlessly”
  • Rated G; suitable for preschoolers, clean and positive, though slightly edgy at moments
• Notable Quotes:

  “It really is an ideal option for anyone who’s looking to take a preschooler to a movie theater.” — Colin Garbarino ([26:05]) “Most parents won’t mind spending an hour and a half at the dollhouse either.” — Colin Garbarino ([26:49])

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4. Listener Feedback & Response

[27:15 – 36:03]

• Minneapolis School Shooting Coverage:

  • Listener Shannon Sutton felt back-to-back stories on different school shootings produced “emotional overload.” ([27:40])
  • Hosts explain intent was to help listeners prepare for aftermath, not overwhelm.

• Israel-Palestine Segments:

  • Listener Alan Skiles requests more robust engagement among guests with opposing views for “rigorous” debate. ([29:20])

• College Drop-Off Reflections:

  • Brian Etchison and Edith Marrero express gratitude for recent commentaries on dropping children at college, appreciating balance between nostalgia and trust in God’s care. ([30:46])
  • Dan Johnson praises audio team for including “Wayne Watson, Music a class of 95” as an Easter egg. ([31:48])

• Charlie Kirk Coverage Appreciated:

  • Listener Celis Ellis: “Instead of getting sucked into minute by minute updates, my confidence in knowing you’d report on it thoroughly and with a Biblical perspective freed me up...” ([32:30])
  • From Loveland, CO: Listener commends interviews with Mary and a young man, appreciating authenticity and theological reflection (“Vengeance is mine, I shall repay.”) ([33:20])

• Poignant Moment:

  • Nick Eicher comments on Myrna Brown’s interview with worship musician Matthew West on Psalm 34:18:

    “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. That was a really excellent interview. I’m glad you did that.” ([34:33])

• Song Tribute:

  • Premiere of Brian Curl’s demo, “Prove Me Wrong,” in memory of Charlie Kirk, described as a “patriotic anthem of faith.”
  • Nick and Myrna reflect on John Stonestreet’s comments and the possibility that this could be a “turning point for many people.” ([36:03])

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5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Forgiveness...is going to be one of the most significant and unanswerable aspects of Christian witness in the culture today.”
  — John Stonestreet ([13:28])

• “The churches that are filling up are those that seem to be more serious about things like truth and doctrine...There’s an increased awareness of sin...an exaltation of Jesus.”
  — John Stonestreet ([16:40])

• “It really is an ideal option for anyone who’s looking to take a preschooler to a movie theater.”
  — Colin Garbarino ([26:05])

• “My first reaction is, oh, I’ll look forward to hearing about that tomorrow morning on The World and Everything In It. Your excellent reporting...sets me free.”
  — Celis Ellis ([32:30])

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6. Key Timestamps

| Segment | Topic | Speakers | Timestamps | |---------|-------|----------|------------| | Culture & News | The government and free speech, Kimmel & FCC | Brown, Eicher, Stonestreet, Farris | 07:08 – 10:47 | | Grace at Memorial | Erica Kirk’s forgiveness, cultural impact | Kimmel (clip), Stonestreet | 11:07 – 13:28 | | Signs of Awakening | Revival, Edwards’ tests, cultural dynamics | Stonestreet | 14:29 – 18:05 | | Doctrinal Confusion | “State of Theology,” moralistic deism | Brown, Stonestreet | 18:05 – 21:14 | | Movie Review | Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie | Garbarino | 22:50 – 26:56 | | Listener Feedback | Reactions to recent coverage | Listeners, Hosts | 27:15 – 36:03 | | Tribute Song | “Prove Me Wrong” by Brian Curl | Eicher, Brown | 36:03 – 38:01 |

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7. Tone & Language

• The conversation maintains a thoughtful, inquisitive, and biblically grounded tone.
• Language is clear, accessible, and engaged with contemporary issues without cynicism or sensationalism.
• Reflections are empathetic, especially around tragedy, and urge listeners toward hope, prayer, and discernment.

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Summary Takeaways

This episode offers a timely cultural and spiritual inventory of America, highlighting the contrast between society’s division and moments of radical Christian grace. In dissecting free speech, cultural revival, and church doctrine, the podcast invites listeners to consider not just what’s happening, but what faithful engagement looks like. Listener feedback underscores the trust WORLD’s audience puts in its integrity and its role in shaping thoughtful response over reaction.

Transcript

[Myrna Brown]

Good morning. Today on Culture Friday. From late night politics to signs of revival, Jimmy Kimmel, the fcc, and what forgiveness at Charlie Kirk's memorial tells us about the power of grace.

[Nick Eicher]

John Stonestreet is standing by. Also today, a big adventure for little moviegoers coming to theaters this weekend. Gabby's Dollhouse. Gabby sent us.

[John Stonestreet]

The Gabby cats were stolen and she's.

[Myrna Brown]

Gone to save them.

[Nick Eicher]

We need your.

[Myrna Brown]

It's Friday, September 26th. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Iker. Good morning.

[Myrna Brown]

Up next, Kent Covington with today's news.

[Kent Covington]

Federal authorities say the gunman who carried out a deadly attack on a Dallas ICE facility this week left behind handwritten notes that left no doubts about his intentions. Acting U.S. attorney Nancy Larson.

[John Stonestreet]

He wrote that he intended to maximize.

[Nick Eicher]

Lethality against ICE personnel and to maximize.

[John Stonestreet]

Property damage at the facility.

[Kent Covington]

Investigators say 29 year old Joshua Chan called the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, quote, human trafficking. The shooter took aim at the ICE facility from a nearby rooftop with a rifle.

[John Stonestreet]

The tragic irony for his evil plot here is that it was a detainee who was killed and two other detainees that were injured when he fired into the Sally port.

[Kent Covington]

And acting ICE Director Todd Lyons added.

[John Stonestreet]

He fired so many rounds into the building itself. Right. And then he didn't even know there were detainees in that vehicle. He was just shooting because they were ICE vehicles. Detainees weren't even out of the vehicle.

[Kent Covington]

John took his own life after the shooting. The FBI says he acted alone, showing a high degree of planning. Officials are investigating it as an act of domestic terrorism. In the wake of the attack, Trump administration officials have been blasting those that they say have promoted dangerous rhetoric and activism against ice. Marcos Charles is executive associate director of Homeland Security's enforcement and Removal Operations. He noted that the shooter is thought to have used an app created to track ICE agents.

[John Stonestreet]

The media has been amplifying these apps even as we warned them it would only lead to more attacks on law enforcement. We truly wish we didn't have to say I told you so, but here we are.

[Kent Covington]

The administration and Republican leaders have pressed some Democrats and activists to curb language that paints ICE agents as villains and to stop using slogans like abolish ice. The top Democrat in the House, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, for his part, said there is far too much political violence in the country.

[John Stonestreet]

We need leadership that brings people together, not national leadership that tears people apart.

[Kent Covington]

But Vice President J.D. vance this week said the political violence is primarily on one side of the aisle and said Democratic leaders need to, quote, look in the mirror at the White House. President Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at keeping the social media app TikTok alive in the US the president signed off on a deal affirming that it meets the terms of a law passed last year. That statute forced TikTok's Chinese owners to divest within the United States, citing national security concerns.

[John Stonestreet]

We have American investors taking it over, running it, highly sophisticated, including Larry Ellison.

[Kent Covington]

American investors would hold a controlling stake of a new joint venture and would control TikTok's algorithm, which largely dictates what users see. Oracle would oversee security of the app, and the data of American users would be stored within the US Also on Thursday, President Trump hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office. The two leaders have clashed at times, both during Trump's first term and since his return to the White House. But Trump on Thursday called Erdogan a friend.

[John Stonestreet]

We do a lot of trade with Turkey and we're going to continue. We're going to do some additional trade.

[Kent Covington]

In addition to trade. The two leaders discussed the sale of advanced F35 fighter jets to Turkey during Trump's first term. The US removed Turkey from the F35 program because of concerns over Turkey's use of Russia's S400 missile defense system. But Erdogan said his words we are experiencing a different period in Turkey U. S relations. Erdogan has made clear that he is eager to see the hold on F35s to Turkey last. There could be some fireworks today at United nations headquarters with a fiery speech expected today from Israel's prime minister and his critics. World's Travis Kircher reports from Israel.

[John Stonestreet]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have plenty to say when he addresses the UN General Assembly. Netanyahu said he plans to denounce leaders who want to grant grants statehood to the Palestinians, in his view rewarding the terrorists behind the October 7 attacks. The UK was one of several Western nations to join a long list of countries that now recognize a Palestinian state, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also slated to speak today. The United States is holding out, arguing statehood should be part of a final, wide ranging agreement that resolves the entire Middle east conflict. Netanyahu is also set to meet with President Trump once again during his visit to the US to discuss the effort to defeat Hamas and bring home the remaining Israeli hostages. Reporting for World I'm Travis Kircher in.

[Kent Covington]

Jerusalem, former FBI Director James Comey is now facing federal charges. A grand jury indicted him for obstruction of justice and for allegedly lying to Congress about FBI leaks during testimony in 2020. It marks the first time a former government official has been charged in connection with cases linked to the Russia probe. Comey, for his part, suggested the prosecution is a political vendetta by President Trump.

[Nick Eicher]

My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn't imagine ourselves living any other way.

[Kent Covington]

The indictment comes after President Trump called for Comey's prosecution. I'm Kent Covington. And straight ahead, John Stonestreet. On Wednesday, late Night television Legionnaires latest theology survey plus, Cullen Garbarino reviews a weekend opening at the box office. This is the WORLD and everything in it.

[Nick Eicher]

It's Friday, September 26th. Glad to have you along for today's edition of the WORLD and Everything In It. Good morning. I'm Nick Eicher.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. And it's Culture Friday. Joining us is John Stonestreet, president of the Colson center and host of the Breakpoint podcast. Good morning, John.

[John Stonestreet]

Good morning, John.

[Myrna Brown]

I want to talk about the late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel because I think there's an interesting point I'd like for you to engage with. And it's this. Right after Kimmel was reinstated after a brief suspension and some clearly threatening comments from the chairman of the fcc, I got a chance to talk with the general counsel of national religious broadcasters, Mike Ferris. And I asked him whether it was proper from a constitutional perspective for the government to be pressuring a TV network about a comedian's freedom of speech, however repulsive. And I'd like for you to hear what Farris had to say.

[Kent Covington]

The Supreme Court took up a case in the last cycle about this very issue. And it arose from the Biden administration's meetings it had with Facebook, Twitter, other social media organizations where the Biden administration regularly said, silence this voice. Let this voice be heard. Silence this message. They were clearly pressuring the social media agencies to stop people from speaking. Now, I filed an amicus brief for national religious broadcasters taking the position that it is improper for the government to ever, when we're talking about protected speech, to ever say silence this voice. Now, Supreme Court didn't agree with me. They took the position that the Biden White House had, in a few instances, violated the First Amendment. But in the majority of instances, they were simply pressuring them, perhaps, but not coercing them. And so what the president did and what Brendan Carr did seems to me to be in line with what the Supreme Court approved. I take a more rigid stand than that, that the government shouldn't do this at all. But the Supreme Court let them get away with it. And the Biden administration, I don't see any material difference in this circumstance.

[Myrna Brown]

Isn't Michael Farris right? I mean, shouldn't Christians be free speech people all the time?

[John Stonestreet]

Well, we should, but we need to be really clear on what that is. The problem is when the federal government starts pressuring this way. This is, I think, where the lines are being crossed. And so it's interesting now that Jimmy Kimmel has been put back on the air by abc, there's an awful lot of affiliates who have decided not to platform him, despite the fact that ABC has decided to do that. So some of this really has to be kind of wrestled through. No freedom that we have is limitless. There are limits that have to be understood. What you can say and what you can't say, but then also that you have to, even if you have the freedom to say it, you don't have the freedom then to not deal with the consequences of what you have said. What we don't want, and I think this is what's clear, is getting into a place where one particular viewpoint is privileged and the other one actively silenced, like what we see in the UK right now, like what we see in Canada right now, like what we see in a lot of European nations where certain criticisms aren't allowed. And I think a lot of Americans feel like we went through that during the COVID era, during the former administrations. But look, I mean, this is also the danger of expecting politics to solve your problems, because if you win by politics, you lose by politics, and it becomes a very fickle thing from one administration to the other. And that's just the reality of it as well.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, John, let me stay with Jimmy Kimmel for just another moment. In his monologue, he seemed genuinely struck by what Erica Kirk said at the memorial service for her husband. And I thought it was worth hearing and getting your reaction to. So let me play that.

[John Stonestreet]

A moment over the weekend. A very beautiful moment. I don't know if you saw this on Sunday. Erica Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. That is an example we should follow. If you believe in the teachings of. Of Jesus, as I do, there it was, that's it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply, and I hope it.

[Nick Eicher]

Touches many.

[John Stonestreet]

And if there's anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that. Not this.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, John, when you think about what Erica Kirk said, how she said it, where she said it at the memorial not two weeks after her husband was taken from her, wasn't that the very definition of the kind of public Christian witness that you want to see?

[John Stonestreet]

Well, it was. And what made it even more brilliant and what made it stand out even more was how sharply it contrasted with the president's comments right after her. You have to take that seriously. When you see faith in action, it is something that stands out even from moral outrage or anything else like that in action. Listen, what happened Sunday, which is remarkable, is the largest evangelistic event in human history. There's never been anything like this. And now if you're talking about percentages of the population, you might want to look at Jonah and Nineveh. But, you know, if you're looking at just sheer numbers, it's absolutely incredible. And then you think about the voices and what they said. I mean, Marco Rubio with a full summary of the gospel in under two minutes. Frank Turek with such a powerful, profound way of articulating gospel truth that, that Charlie Kirk is not in heaven because he sacrificed himself for Jesus, but because Jesus sacrificed himself for Charlie Kirk. I mean, think about the power of that message, that this is in the end, all about Jesus. This is in the end all about what Jesus did on the cross. And that in and of itself is the reality that grounds what Erica Kirk was able to do in offering forgiveness. This, it's another example in a line now that continues to get longer, going back to the Amish mothers of those schoolgirls, the Mother Emanuel church members, and now Erica Kirk offering forgiveness. And that stands in such sharp contrast with a critical theory driven culture like ours where people are morally guilty and without hope. I think that forgiveness is something right now. I mean, you think about the worldviews that are at work in our society. And I don't know that there are any other worldviews that are grounding the reality of forgiveness and something substantial and something true, and that Christians offering forgiveness is going to be one of the most significant and unanswerable aspects of Christian witness in the culture today. And I think what Erica did is a great example of that.

[Nick Eicher]

You know, John, also a lot of people are asking whether what we're seeing right now might be the beginning of a genuine revival in America, not because of a television event per se, but because there seemed to be real signs, young people coming to faith churches filling up a cultural hunger for something more, not to mention public officials so open about their faith in Christ. The vice President was impressive. The Secretary of War, the Secretary of State, like virtually the entire leadership of the executive branch of the United States government. I mean, this is a very serious topic of conversation.

[John Stonestreet]

It is. And it's not just because of what we saw on Sunday, as remarkable as that was in terms of the size and the scope. I mean, think about it. It wasn't that long ago on this program, we were talking about the rise of the nuns who had all this church baggage, and people were not willing to be, you know, religiously affiliated or anything like that. And we were talking about, you know, these intellectuals who were telling everyone that God is a delusion and religion poisons everything and things like that. And then we're starting to see signs of record numbers of young people getting baptized and young men in particular showing interest in spirituality and being willing to go back to church. I think it should at least drive us to be hopeful that ultimately this is something that God does. This is something that God brings, and that's something that's really a part of American history. You can go back. And there was an expectation within the American form of Protestant religion that had this expectation of frequent awakenings. It started, you know, we talk about the first Great Awakening, the second Great Awakening, and there were many ways in which those two things were quite different. But there was an expectation, the businessman's revival that took place at the turn of the 20th century, the Jesus people movement, where you just have these kind of aspects of American culture in which there's an awakening to things of the Lord. What's interesting is that Jonathan Edwards wrote about this, and he talked about signs of revival. And, you know, for him, it was, jesus is exalted. That's a key thing. Sin is abhorred and repented of. That was another aspect of this. And Edwards also talks about the unique sign of it being among young people. Edwards talks that it was primarily happening among churches with highly doctrinal preaching. In other words, not squishy churches, but real theologically sincere churches. I mean, you add all that stuff up together, and it sounds awful familiar to today, doesn't it, that the churches that are filling up are those that seem to be more serious about things like truth and doctrine and things like that. The squishy mainline denominations are the ones that aren't seeing the same sort of growth. There's an increased awareness of sin and the impact of sin, a fear that God has Withdrawn from the land and an exaltation of Jesus. I mean, those are the things to look for. We could see signs of that, I think, over the last several years. Praise God. And ultimately we need to remember, remember that if God brings that sort of awakening, it's out of his kindness and we want to join it. And I think right now there's a lot of Christian voices that are really quick to condemn it in various ways and for various reasons. I don't want to be that guy. I want to be that guy that jumps on the bandwagon of a revival and an awakening in whatever form that it is, trusting that the Lord's bringing what the Lord's bringing.

[Myrna Brown]

Well, John, at the risk of making you that guy, you know, there's talk of revival on the one hand, but then the new State of theology survey from Ligonier Ministries shows a lot of confusion about core gospel truths. More than 600 self identified evangelicals were questioned and the results are striking to me. Six in ten said everyone is born innocent before God. Half said people are basically good. And almost half said God accepts the worship of all religions. So I wonder what's driving this kind of theological instability. You know, by some accounts it's the church prioritizing unity over sound doctrine. But I want to key in on something I've heard you say again and again. Is this what you mean when you say the church needs to be the church?

[John Stonestreet]

Yeah, it is. And I would say it's not even prioritizing unity over a doctrine as much as it's prioritizing comfort and marketing over doctrine. You know, Listen, it was 20 years ago that Christian Smith looked at the religious and spiritual beliefs of young people. He's looking at 13 to 18 year olds at the time. And this is where he coined the phrase moralistic therapeutic deism. In other words, these folks that had an understanding that religion was about being good and about feeling good about yourself and God really wasn't imposing anything on us, but he was always there as a kind of phone a friend. That was back in the days of who Wants to Be a Millionaire? And that's kind of the way we were seeing God as kind of this Santa Clausian game show host sort of resource that's available to bless us when we need to be blessed. And that's primarily the form of Christianity that many people receive. One really low on catechism, really low on formation. And what it ended up producing was a worldview that was not big enough for the actual challenges of the world. The challenges of radical Islam, the challenges of radical secularism, the challenges of woke anger, the challenges of even understanding oneself in a society in which our resources of establishing identity were becoming more greatly reduced. So you might say that if he was onto something back then, what ligonier is onto something is what moralistic therapeutic deists become when they grow up, which is kind of what we're dealing with right now. But I do think that there's a sense it's one thing to have a worldview that's too small. It's another thing to realize you have a worldview that's too small and want to do something about it. And maybe, you know, that's where I would stand if you really ask the revival question is that I'm hopeful and I think that there are some signs of self awareness that perhaps can bring the church to prioritize formation, catechesis, and not just believing the right things, but articulating the call of God to be courageous, to tell the truth, to stand on the truth in a culture like ours.

[Nick Eicher]

All right. John Stonestreet is president of the Colson Center. He is host of the Breakpoint Podcast. John, thanks so much.

[John Stonestreet]

Thank you both.

[Kent Covington]

Additional support comes from Dort University, whose online MBA and MPA programs prepare leaders for lasting impact. Dort University until all is made new.

[John Stonestreet]

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[Kent Covington]

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[John Stonestreet]

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[Kent Covington]

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[Nick Eicher]

Foreign.

[Myrna Brown]

Today is Friday, September 26th. Thank you for turning to World Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brass.

[Nick Eicher]

And I'm Nick Iker. Coming next on THE World and everything in it, it's time to get tiny. Many parents with small children are already familiar with the popular kids show on Netflix called Gabby's Dollhouse. This weekend, Gabby and her gang of toy kittens are making their way to the big screen. Here is arts and culture editor Colin Garberino on Gabby's Dollhouse.

[Colin Garberino]

The movie Gabby's Dollhouse. The movie follows the adventures of a girl named Gabby, who plays make believe with a colorful crew of toy cats living in a magic dollhouse.

[John Stonestreet]

A pinch on my left, pinch, pinch on my right.

[Myrna Brown]

Grab panties hand and hold on tight.

[Colin Garberino]

Just like in the show, Gabby is played by Leila Lockhart Cranor. But in the movie, she's on her way to spend a week with her grandma Gigi, played by once Upon a Pop star Gloria Esteban. They Pack up the dollhouse along with all the kitty friends and head to Cat Francisco. But shortly after arriving at Grandma's, there's a mishap and Gabby's dollhouse falls off its trailer and rolls away. An eccentric cat lady named Vera, played by comedian Kristen Wiig, gets her claws into the dollhouse and puts it in her collection of esoteric cat memorabilia.

[John Stonestreet]

My, my.

[Myrna Brown]

What do we have here?

[John Stonestreet]

Vera wondered aloud as a man in the street yelled at her. Seriously, lady, what is wrong with you?

[Colin Garberino]

I confess, I walked into the theater with pretty low expectations. If you've seen the Netflix series, you know the show won't entertain an adult. Each episode begins with a live action scene of Gabby in her bedroom. Then she pinches the ears on her cat headband and using her imagination, she enters into an animated version of her dollhouse. For the most part, the adventures she has with her feline friends are a little pointless and mind numbing. But I'm happy to report that the movie isn't half bad. It might not be the kind of thing parents will want to sit through multiple times, but it has a coherent plot, cute characters, and a few truly funny scenes.

[John Stonestreet]

Vroom, vroom.

[Myrna Brown]

Carlita, what's wrong?

[John Stonestreet]

Gabby sent us. Uh, the Gabby cats were stolen and she's gone to save them.

[Myrna Brown]

We need your help. I'll get my keys.

[John Stonestreet]

No, Gigi.

[Nick Eicher]

This is a dollhouse problem.

[Colin Garberino]

In this straightforward adventure, Gabby must rescue her friends and liberate her dollhouse. Along the way, she helps rehabilitate the antagonist by reintroducing her to the world of imagination. There's no deep philosophical subtext here, but the movie will tug on the heartstrings a little. It reminds parents how sad it can be when our kids outgrow beloved toys. Kids who love the Netflix show will enjoy the fact that the film keeps many of the elements of the TV series, like Gabby's tendency to break the fourth wall.

[John Stonestreet]

Alright, everybody, looks like Vera needs our help, so let's help her.

[Myrna Brown]

I'm sorry, who?

[John Stonestreet]

Who are you talking to?

[Colin Garberino]

The movie also contains both live action and animated elements. But whereas the TV show keeps these elements mostly separated, the movie blends them seamlessly. DreamWorks has created an immersive environment in which tiny, colorful animated characters look at home both in real world settings and the magical dollhouse.

[John Stonestreet]

She's coming right for us.

[Colin Garberino]

Gabby's Dollhouse the movie is rated G, which is a tough rating to get these days. We don't see many G rated options. However, there were a couple of moments I felt the film pushed the boundaries of that G rating a little bit, but the filmmakers had plenty of incentive to rein in any crudity to keep the movie clean and positive. After all, the film's target demographic is the five and under crowd. This really is an ideal option for anyone who's looking to take a preschooler to a movie theater. It's the kind of movie that encourages the audience to sing along and cheer at the good parts. Kids in that preschool age range will love Gabby's big, bold adventure as she rescues her friends. And honestly, most parents won't mind spending an hour and a half at the dollhouse either.

[Nick Eicher]

Look out the window.

[Colin Garberino]

I'm Colin Garberino.

[Nick Eicher]

Today is Friday, September 26th. Good morning, this is the world and everything in it from listener Supported World Radio. I'm Nick Iger.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Time now for listener feedback for 9-1-UP listener Shannon Sutton on our reporting on the Catholic school shooting in Minneapolis. I wanted to comment today on the.

[John Stonestreet]

Piece following the terribly tragic shooting, mass shooting at the school, and just say.

[Myrna Brown]

That it felt insensitive to follow that.

[John Stonestreet]

Piece by just layering on another journalistic piece about the shootings that happened a couple years ago at the Christian school in Nashville. It was just a bit of an emotional overload. Again, overall, I appreciate so much what you all do. Rarely have anything at all, even the slightest bit negative to say. So keep up the good work and.

[Myrna Brown]

I hope these comments will be helpful.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, they are. And just by way of explanation, that first story was intended to be just an informational story covering the latest facts about the shooting. But we wanted to think beyond the immediate aftermath. And we did that by bringing on a trusted veteran reporter who had been through the aftermath of the Nashville shooting. And it was an attempt to help listeners think about what is likely to come next for these heartbroken families in Minneapolis. It was not our intent to emotionally overload any listener, but for this listener and any other listener who did feel overloaded, we're certainly sorry about that. Well, next we return to Tuesday's segment on Israel's allies saying they were ready to recognize a Palestinian state. Listener Alan Skiles was hoping for the arguments to be more rigorously engaged with, and he makes an excellent point here that we need to do better.

[John Stonestreet]

You've interviewed and given the perspective of two audiences, one is our brother, a Palestinian Christian who's basically saying, don't forget about us, we're caught in the crossfire. And then you have the American foreign policy experts who represent a pro Israel position in the matter. And what I see is them all articulating their positions as a starting point. And I feel like it might be helpful to those of us listening if we actually then heard them take it a step further and address the arguments being made by one another. So, for example, our Palestinian Christian friend, I would love to see his argument being interacted with by the American foreign policy expert who's pro Israel. I would love that particular expert to be asked, what about the Christians in Palestine? I think his answer would also be something I'd like to see our Palestinian Christian friend engage with, which is that we have serious doubts as to whether or not Palestinian Christians would be safe in a independent Palestine that has full recognition in the world scene. And so it would be wonderful to see those two ideas interacted with right now. Basically, you're just bringing us the two parties arguing past each other.

[Myrna Brown]

Next, an appreciation Many families this month have dropped off young students for college, and we've featured a couple commentaries on the topic the last few weeks.

[Nick Eicher]

I'm Brian Etchison from Brentwood, Tennessee. Thanks to Ted Kluck for bringing back so many wonderful college memories, like worrying about how many minutes I was racking up on the phone bill, calling my girlfriend long distance, or turning down the heat in our apartment to save money, and sitting in sleeping bags while we studied on olive colored vinyl upholstered chairs. We never knew we had it so rough.

[Myrna Brown]

Well, besides Ted Kluck's humorous look at college dorm rooms, we also featured a story this week from associate correspondent Rachel Coyle. She had a very different angle from the perspective of a mother dropping off her first. That got the attention of Edith Marrero, who found Rachel's story delightful and encouraging. Agreeing with the sentiment that it's God who keeps them safe, our listener said she hopes the piece encourages more mothers and grandmothers to pray that he will. Dan Johnson from Chicago enjoyed Rachel's piece too, and he caught an Easter egg in the production.

[John Stonestreet]

I just wanted to give a shout out to the audio team for the great work they did on Rachel Coyle's reflection on college 30 years later after she brought her own daughter to college. Wayne Watson, Music a class of 95 at the very end was really appreciated.

[Nick Eicher]

I caught what you were doing there.

[John Stonestreet]

And keep up the great work. I love the show, love listening to it every day.

[Myrna Brown]

Well, the last few weeks have included coverage of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and we've received a lot of feedback from listeners. We'd like to share two of those comments with you. First, from Celis Ellis she lives in Leavenworth, Washington.

[Nick Eicher]

I've been listening to the world and everything in it for a few years now and I was recently encouraged as I realized how when I hear about news being discussed around me, I no longer have the urge to go search for that story and hear the latest updates. Instead, my first reaction is, oh, I'll look forward to hearing about that tomorrow morning on the World and everything in It. Your excellent reporting on Charlie Kirk's assassination was a perfect example of that. Instead of getting sucked into minute by minute updates, my confidence in knowing you'd report on it thoroughly and with a Biblical perspective freed me up to focus on the things that the Lord has for me in my day and has kept me from the temptation of neglecting those things to search out news. I so appreciate how your ministry is helping me in my ministries. Thank you. One more voicemail today. This from a listener in Loveland, Colorado.

[John Stonestreet]

I just wanted to reach out about your coverage on the exaggeration of Charlie Kirk. I felt like just having Mary talk about her personal experience is really powerful and the young man, his just that.

[Myrna Brown]

Kind of first hand take was just.

[John Stonestreet]

Really powerful and I was just really impressed by his level of maturity and.

[Myrna Brown]

I also really appreciated his just this encouragement at the end of just how.

[John Stonestreet]

We live in a fallen world and.

[Myrna Brown]

Ultimately like Vengeance is Mine, eyeshadow pains.

[John Stonestreet]

Of the Lord doesn't make it any easier, but just so thankful for you.

[Myrna Brown]

All and just how you report on.

[John Stonestreet]

Things and how impactful you bring truly horrific and tragic sorties for life and without glorifying the E hole that was sent.

[Myrna Brown]

So thank you. Well, thanks for that. And we can tell how you were struggling with the loss, the call having come in the very next day. So the hurt was obviously very fresh. And again, thank you for calling in.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, you know Myrna, and I guess I'm a listener too, so I can provide some listener feedback. I really did like the interview that you did last week with Matthew west, the worship musician. He was talking about how he was processing the news about Charlie Kirk and his reflection on that verse in Psalm 34 I thought was really poignant. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. That was a really excellent interview. I'm glad you did that. Good job.

[Myrna Brown]

Truly my joy. Thank you.

[Nick Eicher]

Well, we thought on that note that we would end with another song that was inspired by Charlie Kirk. This one is from Brian Curl. He's an independent record label owner and an American Society of Composers and Producers songwriter. So as he reflected on the life of the Turning Point USA founder. He also put his thoughts to music, and for him, it was a patriotic anthem of faith. Paul Butler and I got on the phone with him the other day after he reached out to us, and this is just a demo record at this point. He gave us the go ahead to play it for you. And I wanted to do that because as I watched the hundred thousand people gathered at Kirk's memorial service last weekend, I was really struck with how this moment is not just a historical event that we won't forget, but it may very well be a turning point for many people.

[Myrna Brown]

Absolutely. And, you know, I really resonate with with what John Stonestreet had to say about that today.

[Nick Eicher]

And I hope he's so right. I did, too. So as we end today, here is a little bit of Brian Curl's demo song titled, as Charlie Kirk used to say, prove me wrong. This is the moment the Turning Point. Hearts unite One voice, one song through every trial we still belong God's eternal light still burns on Prove me wrong. All right, time now to name the crew who helped to put this week's programs together. David Bonson, Hunter Baker, Leo Braceno, Anna Johansen Brown, Janie B. Cheney, Rachel Coyle, Emma Eicher, Colin Garbarino, Travis Kercher, Lindsay Mast, Becca McCallum, Mary Muncie, Onize Addua, Arsenio Orteza, Mary Rykerd, Elizabeth Russell, Grace Snell, John Stonestreet, Cal Thomas, and Caleb Welde. Thanks also to our breaking news crew, Kent Covington, Christina Grube, Steve Klosterman, and Daniel Devine. And thanks to the moonlight maestros staying up late so that program is ready early for you. Carl Peets and Benj Eicher. Paul Butler is executive producer, Harrison Waters is Washington producer, Kristin Flavin is features editor, and Les Sillers is editor in chief. I'm Nick Iger.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. If you enjoy this podcast, help a friend find it, too. Send a link to a favorite story on the whole podcast right from your app. It's a simple click that helps the program grow. The world and everything in it comes to you from World Radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates, and inspires. The Bible records Peter telling the people, repent, therefore, and turn back that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Verses 19 through 21 of Acts chapter 3 a reminder now to worship at a Bible believing church this weekend. Encourage others and be encouraged and Lord willing, will be right back here with you on Monday. Go now in grace and peace.

[John Stonestreet]

Sam.