Axis Conversations

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Christianity
**Axis Conversations**

Each week on Axis Conversations, we survey cultural trends, host expert interviews, and answer listener questions to help parents and caring adults understand and disciple the next generation

Latest Episodes:

Roundtable: World Cup Semifinals, All-Star Break Complaints, and the Netflix Documentary Trend Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

Three Big Conversations:

Argentina is back in the World Cup final - 05:25
MLB's All-Star competitions had some hiccups - 12:14
Everyone online is auditioning for their Netflix documentary debut. - 22:53

Resource of the Week: The Conversation Starter - Where'd All the Tweens Go? - 0:31

In Other News: - 33:54

A parasite that causes extreme digestive upset is maybe the meme of the week (alongside Netflix documentaries). It certainly doesn't help that it's possibly connected to Taco Bell. Christopher Nolan's film The Odyssey is out in theaters this weekend. We'll write more about it next week, but for now, the R-rated take on Homer's epic poem is reviewing quite well with critics and audiences. Letterboxd has opened itself (paywall) to being purchased. It's Gen Z's movie review app of choice, and considering how Gen Z showed up to theaters this year, it's pretty valuable to buyers like Netflix and Sony to understand the preferences of young people. Meta rolled out a "feature" that effectively lets you use their AI tools to deepfake users with public accounts. It was promptly rolled back after the internet (rightly) freaked out. Assassin's Creed is back? Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced (a remake of Assassin's Creed Black Flag) sold 2 million copies in its first day.

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

World Cup Semifinals, All-Star Break Complaints, and the Netflix Documentary Trend Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

Argentina is back in the World Cup final, the MLB's All-Star competitions had some hiccups, and everyone online is auditioning for their Netflix documentary debut.

Resource of the Week: The Conversation Starter - Where'd All the Tweens Go?

In Other News:

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

"How to Draw Boundaries with media in a Sex Saturated Culture" (w/ Rob Stennett) Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

"We have been having some difficult and sometimes awkward conversations with our 17 yo old son about sax and masturbation. Along those lines, we've become intensely aware of the quantity of movies and shows with any kind of kissing, romantic or sex scenes. How do you draw boundaries and live in our sex saturated culture? Don't ever watch anything? Get filters and Vid Angel? Fast forward scenes? Just watch whatever and talk a lot? And how does that work when the dialogue seems one-sided? This feels so hard and confusing as a Christian, where do we go from here?" - Orange Worm

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Roundtable: Taylor Swift's Wedding, Butter Moms, and Christian Teens Say They Trust AI Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

→ The podcast has a new YouTube Channel! @axisconversationspodcast

Three Big Conversations:

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married in a garden in The Garden - 08:04
So-called "butter moms" are setting the vibe for a deep-fried summer - 19:00
New data from CIY and Barna gives us insight into how Christian teens are using AI. - 32:20

Slang of the Week: "NPC" - 00:56

In Other News:- 48:00

The round of 16 is officially wrapped in the 2026 World Cup, with all three host countries (Canada, Mexico, and the US) failing to continue. Another notable casualty is Portugal, with global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo saying goodbye to World Cup competition. Building on the trend of hosting in-person experiences, Charli xcx has announced official listening parties, hosted around the world, for her July 24th album, titled Music, Fashion, Film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 529 new members, perhaps as an attempt to regain relevance with the rising generation. The new Oscar voters will include Gen Z notables like Jacob Elordi, Jenna Ortega, and Mia Goth. The video game industry continues to be volatile, as Xbox announced this week that they're laying off almost 5,000 employees and "resetting Xbox." While perhaps not indicative of all, trends where young people reject modern "big tech" continue to rise in popularity, like the "Luddite Festival" that took place in New York City last week.

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

CT: Taylor Swift's Wedding, Butter Moms, and Christian Teens Say They Trust AI Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married in a garden in The Garden, so-called "butter moms" are setting the vibe for a deep-fried summer, and new data from CIY and Barna gives us insight into how Christian teens are using AI.

Slang of the Week: "NPC"

In Other News:

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Rob Stennett on Understanding the Meaning and Impact of the Movies We Watch Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

Rob Stennett is a graduate of UCLA film school, filmmaker, novelist, and content creator. His work has been recognized with ADDYs for writing and directing. He won the Denver Film Race for best writing, and a SILVER TELLY at the Telly Awards for a feature documentary he wrote and directed. He's created story and video content for brands, churches, and nonprofits all over the world including National Geographic, Compassion International, One Chapel, New Life Church, DISH Network, MLB, Formula 1, and the Discovery Channel, and is also the Owner & Lead Creative of Storyize, and the co-host of the podcast Meaning of the Movie.

→ Click to check out Storyize

→ Click to check out The Meaning of the Movie podcast

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Roundtable: Gambling Influencers, Concert Diapers, and Instagram Plus Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

Three Big Conversations:

The "prediction market" site Polymarket is paying influencers to film themselves pretending to win money - 12:36
Instagram Plus lets users see how many times others rewatched their stories - 24:28
Gen Z faves Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan speak out on fans' bad bathroom habits - 32:36

Song of the Week: "Earrings" by Malcolm Todd - 01:54

→ Click here to read the lyrics

In Other News: - 46:10

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are renting out Madison Square Garden this Fourth of July weekend. While they might be reliving the Knicks' miraculous NBA Finals victory, it's more likely to be related to her wedding. Whether shifting trends in moviegoers' tastes or continued superhero fatigue are to blame, Supergirl seems to be a miss at the box office this summer. Viewership is down significantly for season 2 of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, and it's far from the only show that seems to be losing viewer interest on Netflix. Sony announced that they are ending production of physical discs for PlayStation games in 2028, a clear marker of consumer preferences and another solemn ring in the death knell of physical media. WNBA star Sophie Cunningham went viral after defiantly pointing at opponent DeWanna Bonner for almost half a minute. Mature? Not really. Internet meme fodder? Absolutely.

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

CT: Gambling Influencers, Concert Diapers, and Instagram Plus Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

The "prediction market" site Polymarket is paying influencers to film themselves pretending to win money, Instagram Plus lets users see how many times others rewatched their stories, and Gen Z faves Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan speak out on fans' bad bathroom habits.

Song of the Week: "Earrings" by Malcolm Todd

→ Click here to read the lyrics

In Other News:

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

"One of my kids is neurodivergent. What does faithful fatherhood look like in the trenches?" (w/ Russ Ewell) Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

"As dads, how do we stay consistent as disciplers and spiritual taste-makers for our sons when life is chaotic — job transitions, legal battles, financial pressure? My boys are at three completely different stages, one of them neurodivergent, and I want to be shaping their hearts and minds toward Christ even when I'm running on empty. What does faithful fatherhood look like in the trenches?" - Jason

→ Click here for Russ's Book: He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself

→ Click here to see Russ's op-ed with Fox News

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Roundtable: The World Cup, Toy Story 5, and Solomaxxing Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

Three Big Conversations:

More and more Gen Zers embrace singleness - 06:56
Toy Story 5 pits the classic cast of toys against modern technology - 20:32
World Cup tourists go viral for loving the United States - 35:05

Slang of the Week: "Mogging" (language) - 00:53

In Other News: - 46:22

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been traded to the Miami Heat in the biggest NBA trade since Luka Dončić and the Lakers. The deal sends the two- time MVP from Milwaukee to Miami, a change that significantly shifts the league's balance of power. A24, the studio behind Backrooms, is partnering with Google DeepMind in a research partnership to develop AI tools for filmmakers. The studio says the goal is to support artists rather than replace them. Still, the announcement has resulted in many fans canceling paid memberships to AAA24. MECCHA CHAMELEON, a hide- and- seek game where players can paint themselves to blend in, is the first breakout gaming hit of the summer, selling over 7 million copies in 12 days.Tom Holland has officially confirmed that he and Zendaya are married. Speculation about the couple has finally been put to rest as the news spread quickly across social media, where fans reacted to the milestone with excitement. Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders are now live, but not without controversy. Many are frustrated by the lack of an actual physical disc in the "physical edition," and by the fact that the $80 version feels inferior, content-wise, to the $100 version.

🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect

→ Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

→ Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel!

→ Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

→ For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected