Don't Accept Cultural Defeat (With Special Guest Kirk Cameron)

00:00 - Speaker 1
Real Life presents the Jack Hibbs Podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints and impact our culture.

00:09 - Speaker 2
Hey everybody, welcome to this portion of the Jack Hibbs Podcast. We've got a special guest, kirk Cameron, and he's going to be sharing with you a radical vision that I believe is going to be a huge success. You just wait and see. When you hear what God has put upon Kirk Cameron's heart to reach your home, your child, your community, you're going to be encouraged. Listen, come on and get on board and let's help Kirk Cameron make a big difference.

00:39 - Speaker 1
You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to jackhibbs.com slash podcast of this podcast, by going to jackhibbs.com slash podcast Today. If this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled life in Christ, then make sure you leave us one of those five-star ratings. To us that's like saying amen or yes. Then that rating will encourage others to listen. Now open your hearts to what God's Word has to say to you. Here is Jack.

01:07 - Speaker 2
Hibbs. Hey everybody, I want to welcome you to this special get-together. Right now, we have a very, very wonderful few moments together. He's actually on set. He's working hard on what you're going to hear about and you're going to be thrilled, as I am and I'm talking about our good friend, kirk Cameron. And Kirk Cameron is taking all of his industry career knowledge, all of his influence and all of his love for the Lord, and he's putting that together to make sure and to ensure that your kids have a hope and have a future regarding what they learn, not only about God, but about culture and about this nation, and by doing so, they're going to learn a lot about themselves. Kirk Cameron, welcome to our time together right now. How are you doing?

01:56 - Speaker 3
Brother, I'm doing great. I'm so thankful. My heart is full of gratitude because I'm working with some really great people who are like-minded, excited about the fact that it's time to stop complaining about the culture getting worse and move into the position that God's called us to, to create the culture that can be better. And this has all been deteriorating on our watch, and as storytellers and people in the entertainment industry, as professionals, we need to be replacing the bad with the good, uprooting the evil, replacing it with the righteous and giving families an alternative, and so that's what we're here in College Station, texas, doing for a couple of weeks.

02:36 - Speaker 2
You know, I love what you just said, because believers talk about at least they read about it in their Bible righteousness, right, righteousness. And I think a tendency of believers is to get the word righteousness all jumbled up with some sort of saintly glow in the dark that's reserved for a few people that are basically able to walk on water. What do I have to do with righteousness? You're actually doing it. Righteousness means to do the right thing, to do what God has determined to be right, and then to go do that, and you're doing that.

03:10
You're not waiting for people to come to the pulpit, so to speak. You're taking the pulpit of truth to people. You are a treasure, not only in the church but in this nation. Kurt, because we have a limited time, can you just tell the people what you're doing, how they can get behind it? And I look I've got three fine print 10, 10 point font paper here that I could never read in time, but you've got it. Let people hear what you're doing and how they can get behind you, because we believe I believe 100% in what you're doing and I want people to know and to help.

03:48 - Speaker 3
Well, thank you for this opportunity. Guys, I want you to know that as I travel the country and I'm traveling because, well, my kids live everywhere and so I go around I'm chasing them around I'm also reading children's books in public libraries and at schools, and I'm talking to people in airports and I feel the rumblings of revival where I'm going, and I hope that encourages people, because times of awakenings in the country always seem to happen, historically, during times of moral decline, spiritual apathy, political corruption and moral collapse. History tells us this, and and so could it be that this national setback is, in fact, a divine setup for a spiritual comeback led by the family of faith. I believe, led by the family of faith. I believe that that is possible, and what I know is that the family of faith must not walk by sight, but by faith, and not concede cultural defeats simply because you see drag queens at your local public library or your kids are coming home and their teachers are telling you that they're getting to change their pronouns. No, no, no. When salt and light remove themselves from the culture, remove themselves from politics, remove themselves from education, what do you expect to happen? Things will rot, things will get darker, but what we can do is we can get back engaged again.

05:22
Is it really scriptural for the holy people to pull out of places like politics and education and entertainment and not be concerned about the country we're leaving for our descendants? I don't think so, because when the holy people leave, who does that leave in charge of these powerful culture shaping influences? Well, here we are are. It's never too late, and I love the fact that I'm working with college students and people who have never made a television show before, combined with seasoned expert puppeteers from Sesame Street, jim Henson's the Muppets, together with Lee Alan Baker from Disney's good luck, charlie. We're all coming out of our old industries with the talents that God is has developed in us, and we're in something new that's going to lead people to righteousness and a hope in the gospel. So, you guys, this is possible. In whatever sphere of influence you're in, with the skill sets God's given you, you too can be part of a great awakening. I believe it's possible, and that's where our hope lies.

06:31 - Speaker 2
Yeah, that's awesome and amen to that. And I want to both encourage you, kirk, and those that are watching right now, because you've been doing this and it's been blessed by God. It's expanding, it's growing. For example, see you at the library. You've got an event coming up on August 24th. What do you hope to achieve from that? And I got to ask you will it be streamed or will it be captured? Tell us about it. August 24th, see you at the library. What do you want that to achieve?

07:04 - Speaker 3
So so. This was the result of traveling around the country for about a year reading children's books of Christian virtue in public libraries. We figured if the drag queens can go and read the kids, well then we can read to kids things of righteousness. And when the libraries didn't want us to come, we went anyway and were greeted by thousands of parents and grandparents who came out of the woodwork to be a part of a movement of righteousness.

07:30
Well, we went to Los Angeles Public Library, seattle Washington, san Francisco, washington DC, new York City all these very leftist places, and there were so much supporters there. We were so encouraged and this culminated in a twist on See you at the Pole. It was See you at the Library to sing and to pray and to read books of virtue to your children. And we had tens of thousands of people show up last year in over 300 different public libraries in 46 states. This year we're pulling out the stops. August 24th. Go to your public library. You can even visit bravestoryhourcom and if you go there, you can find out where these libraries have been sponsored in your area, so that you can show up and be a part of a community celebration of patriotic values, christian morals, and you can begin to be part of shaping the culture in your community, not just complaining about that culture.

08:34 - Speaker 2
So it's called see you at the library and we want everybody to show up and we'd love to have 1 000 libraries sponsored this year across the nation yeah, amen, you inspired me a while back and I went to our public library in Chino Hills Chino Hills is one of the most conservative areas in Southern California and I was shocked to find this out where I was going up and down the aisle and there was a book there and it had a pig on the cover. It had a pig on the cover and the pig clearly was wearing or had Donald Trump hair on the pig and it was sitting behind the Oval Office desk in the White House and the title of the book was what Happens when you Send a Pig to the White House. And it was all bashing Donald Trump in this conservative bastion here where I live. It was like what? How could this be? But that's actually nothing compared to some of the community libraries that actually have some.

09:40
I mean, kurt, what do I call it? It's not even in my opinion. It's not even soft porn. It's horrific. It's not even in my opinion it's not even soft porn.

09:48 - Speaker 3
It's horrific, it's X-rated, and that's why we began to call out Scholastic. Because they're the head of the snake. They're the publishers and distributors of this material that I could only call child pornography. It's X-rated, complete with nude pictures and instruction manuals on how to take female genitalia and turn it into male genitalia so-called and hide all of this stuff from your parents. So that's why I'm really leaning into this. This is no joke. When it comes to discipling your children, either you're going to do it as mom and dad, or grandparents or foster parents, or whatever God's called you to be, or the enemy will gladly do the job for you and train them up in the way that he wants them to go. Oh yeah.

10:35 - Speaker 2
Oh yeah, In fact, how about this, Kurt? If parents don't do that, then it leaves a void automatically that the enemy will fill.

10:44 - Speaker 3
He will fill it automatically that the enemy will fill. He will fill it. That's right, jack. I was reading the other day that that famous quote by Alex de Tocqueville- oh yeah you know the background of this man.

10:57
I believe he was French and he was searching for the greatness of America and what made it a pinnacle nation in such a short amount of time, and I love, love what he said. If I could just share that with everybody. He said I sought for the greatness and the genius of America and he went to her commodious harbors and her ample rivers and said it was not there. And then I went to her fertile fields and her boundless prairies and it was not there. I searched her deep minds and her vast world commerce and it was not there. He said it was not. Until I went to her churches and I I found her pulpits aflame with righteousness, did I discover the secret of her genius and her power.

11:42
America is great because she is good, and and if America ever ceases to be good, america will cease to be great. That's where we need to get back to in our country is we need to be good. We can't do it on our own strength because we're trapped and imprisoned in a heart that is infected with sin and selfishness and pride. In fact, we've just entered pride month and you're going to see it everywhere Pride makes everything ugly. Pride is the worst of all the seven deadly sins, and we need God to overhaul and clean out and regenerate our hearts so that we can be about goodness and about righteousness, and that's what will make our nation flourish again. And we do that primarily in our homes, with the education of our children and in our schools. Wow.

12:38 - Speaker 2
You know what I got to tell you. I can't divulge everything right now, but I just came from a podcast that I was hosting with a certain individual who, in the political realm, is actually saying everything you're saying right now. This is what we need to do. So what's interesting is that this individual referenced we are on the brink of an awakening. If we want it, God will provide it. God will do it. If we show up, I leave that podcast.

13:11
Change Studios come here and you are saying the same goal, the same target in your crosshairs, but it's coming from the children and the parents' side. This is not a coincidence, by the way. In this situation, this particular individual is targeting California. I'm going to go after the beast and do this thing. Well, man, I tell you, what you're doing has got us so excited and we want to commend you for always doing quality stuff, From just your makeshift campfire gatherings, which I love because they're so organic, to the production of your books and, of course, everything that you're doing. How can people help, Can they support, Can they send money to help your projects? Where do they go?

14:09 - Speaker 3
Well, thank you. You know, first, as you always tell us, that we have to have everything that we endeavor to do to change other people, to influence our family and our culture, begin in our own heart. And so number one thing you can do is have a real walk with God yourself. Get a real faith. Not some religious performance, not some do-good show that's gonna impress people with who you are, but get on your knees and have a real meeting with King Jesus and have him be the Lord of your whole life and then go do what he puts on your heart to do For me.

14:53
We're making this children's show for kids called Adventures with Iggy and Mr Kirk. And if you already know about Brave Books, Brave Books are all about these adorable characters learning great biblical lessons, and each one of those books is at the heart of every episode. So we animate the stories that you already know about in the books about sanctity of life, about gender reality, about dangers of socialism, fruits of the spirit, and then we wrap them with a modern day, Mr Rogers neighborhood and the priestly blessing at the end. So you get to have access to all of that if you are part of the membership over there at Brave Books, where they send you a new book every month. You get access to all of their family games and challenges to reinforce the lessons and you get to watch the show before everybody else. So head over to bravebookscom, bravebookscom, and there's lots of ways for you to resource your family and support what we're doing.

15:53 - Speaker 2
Absolutely incredible. And you're on set right now. Right, You're doing, you're working now.

15:58 - Speaker 3
That's right, I'm on set. I've got my all access pass right here for adventures with Iggy and Mr Kirk. Iggy is a little adorable green puppet, iguana and I'm Mr Kirk, and we live in my tree house in my backyard with my family, so that's where I am now.

16:13 - Speaker 2
That is so awesome. I love it. Love it. What do you think? Changing gears completely, what I mean? I already know how this is gonna go, but I want our audience to hear what are you sensing in this nation, kurt? What's at stake if we, the believers we the believers, it's come down to we, the believers what's at stake if we don't wake up, if we don't show up? By the way, before you answer, what's in my head is is listening to you at that incredible. I'm sorry I'm drawing a blank. The Liberty, the statue. Where is she? The thing in Philadelphia, right?

16:57 - Speaker 3
That's right. The Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

17:00 - Speaker 2
In Plymouth, massachusetts, the Monument to the Forefathers. That is in my mind in asking you this question, in my mind, in asking you this question, what do the believers need to do? What do we need to do?

17:14 - Speaker 3
Well, the answer to that question has got to be in the scriptures, because these problems that we're facing today are not new problems. I don't believe We've had persecution that dwarfs. Anything that we're seeing right now Drag queens at the local library is nothing compared to the adult child sex that was institutionalized in the ancient world and the child sacrifice that's been institutionalized all over in slavery. That was just good business practice all over the world. And what was it that believers needed to do to get to a place where you could have United States of America one day, with educational opportunity and political freedom and religious freedom? Well, they turned their hearts back to God. It was a simple it's repentance and faith. And we've got to start in our homes and in our hearts. And then we've got to start in our homes and in our hearts and then we've got to not stop there.

18:10
Whoever's idea it was for the holy people to withdraw from the worldly places of secular culture and politics really had the wrong idea. In fact, I think that that is what allowed Hitler to do such wickedness in Germany in World War two was because the holy people had a mindset that that that either had them afraid or they felt like it wasn't their job, because they were so heavenly minded that they weren't here to step into these types of things. And then they woke up when it was too late, and that could happen to our country like that. Yeah, the same old plays take over the church, take over education, break apart the family and pretty soon your children will have only one community that they know of, and that's the one with unicorns, unicorns, sparkles and rainbows. And then their identity is shot. Their religion is all about government worship and good is bad, bad is good, and they don't have a chance until a new generation rises up that remembers the Lord and applies his word.

19:16 - Speaker 2
Man. I love it. Great, great answer. Listen, we just want to express our thanks to you. We love you, brother, and you're just that iconic voice that's out there, and I love how the Lord has promoted you his way. It's been amazing and with what you're talking about and I think you know this right this is just the beginning of what you're going to do by way of impact. It's awesome.

19:41
This project is going to take off. People are going to gravitate toward this, and I'm going to tell you why. It's not that it's just Kirk Cameron, it's bigger than that, it's Jesus. You are doing righteousness, you are doing good, and people want to see it, they want to hear it and they want a place to go, and so this is going to do nothing but explode, and it's so needed. And I want to thank you, kirk, for leading in the way. You're a trusted voice and name and face in the Christian community, and that's not an easy thing to achieve. I thank you, we all thank you for being a reliable, trustworthy brother. And listen, we'll let you get back to work, but thanks for taking the time being on set to be with us. We love you, brother, can't wait to see you again in person and um I. I just I'm over the top.

20:34 - Speaker 3
Love you jack jack you, you, you have always encouraged me and put some so much wind in my sails and and, and honestly, I'm um, I am just so grateful for all that you are doing and everybody, everybody who's watching this, is so grateful for you. We're always looking to see, uh, what you, what, what you have to say and how to encourage us and how to comfort us with the scripture. So, thank you for all that you're doing and thank you for letting me be a part of this today.

20:57 - Speaker 2
God bless you, brother, take care.

20:59 - Speaker 3
You too, see ya.

21:05 - Speaker 1
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