America at 250: Part One of a 2005 conversation as Wayne Shepherd talks with historian David McCullough about the events surrounding George Washington in 1776. (click for more...)

Website: www.simonandschuster.com/p/david-mccullough

As we approach July 4th and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, in this 2005 interview noted historian David McCullough discusses his book 1776, focusing on George Washington and the desperate, pivotal year of the Revolutionary War. He emphasizes how close the Patriots came to losing — particularly during the disastrous Battle of Brooklyn — and how a providential fog allowed Washington's army to escape across the East River at night, an event he calls the most representative moment of the war's "thinnest of lines." McCullough explores how 18th-century Americans interpreted such events as the hand of God working for or against them, citing letters from Abigail Adams and contemporary newspapers. He also describes the ragged, undisciplined nature of the Continental Army, Washington's ability to recognize talent in inexperienced officers like Nathanael Greene and Henry Knox, and the eventual betrayal by his trusted aide Joseph Reed (to be covered in part two). The episode closes by noting McCullough's death in 2022 and previewing next week's continuation of the conversation.

NEXT WEEK: Part two with David McCullough

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Dr. Mark Jobe talks with Wayne Shepherd about his tenure as President of Moody Bible Institute and his decision to follow God's call back to the church. (click for more...)

Website: www.moodybible.org/news/2026/presidential-transition/

Also: www.moodyradio.org/bold-steps

Dr. Jobe reflects on his seven years leading Moody, a role he didn't seek (it came as an unexpected call, and his wife encouraged him to pray about it) and accepted out of obedience rather than personal ambition. He describes balancing the full-time presidency with continuing to pastor New Life Community Church, a multi-site congregation with 25 locations and 44 services across Chicago plus 10 international sites, alongside a nonprofit serving at-risk youth. He calls the dual role a "beautiful marriage" that kept him connected to the city while leading the institute.

He's now stepping down to return full-time to pastoring, church planting, and evangelism, calling it a deepening of his calling rather than a demotion. Much of the conversation covers his urban, multiethnic ministry in Chicago, the rise of "cultural Christians" and lapsed Catholics seeking faith again, strong recent growth in conversions and baptisms (over 1,100 people in 24 months), and his direct approach encouraging unmarried couples living together to marry. He closes by citing Proverbs 3:5-6, underlined in his father's Bible, as the scripture that has most guided his life and decisions.

The interview ends noting Jobe will leave his Moody office at the end of the month, with listeners encouraged to pray for his successor as the institute's 11th president.

NEXT WEEK: David McCullough on George Washington and 1776

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Dr. David Zanotti, CEO and Chairman of The American Policy Roundtable and host of The Public Square, joins Wayne Shepherd in conversation about America's 250th. (click for more...)

The conversation centers on a recently published book, An Oration, which Zanotti co-authored with political philosopher Dr. W.B. Allen. The book revisits an 1837 Fourth of July speech by John Quincy Adams — delivered at age 70, for 90 minutes without a microphone — in which Adams argued that American civil government was founded on biblical principles rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Zanotti describes Adams as the most credible eyewitness to the founding era, having personally known the Founding Fathers, served in every branch of government, and later spent 17 years in Congress advocating for the abolition of slavery.

The interview also touches on how the book addresses modern debates around Christian nationalism, theocracy, and separation of church and state — using Adams' own words as the authoritative response. As a practical application, Zanotti encourages listeners to read the Declaration of Independence and engage in civic life as an expression of Christian faith. He concludes by announcing a groundbreaking ceremony for "Declaration Hall" — an education and media center to be built on the campus of the American Mission Center in Ohio — scheduled for July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

NEXT WEEK: Mark Jobe

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