What happens when the world tries to define your identity — but God invites you to walk a different path?

In this powerful episode of Calibrate Conversations, Brady sits down with Jason Mellard to hear his deeply personal story of growing up with same-sex attraction, navigating confusion, trauma, and shame, and ultimately discovering healing and clarity in Christ.

Jason shares how cultural labels, childhood wounds, and internal conflict shaped his journey — and why rejecting identity labels didn’t mean denying his experience, but refusing to let it define him. This conversation explores faith, forgiveness, trauma, recovery, identity, and what it looks like to walk with God through confusion rather than trying to escape it.

This episode offers hope, honesty, and wisdom for anyone wrestling with identity, sexuality, or finding clarity in a confusing world.

Key Themes:

-Same-sex attraction without identity labels

-Healing from childhood trauma and abuse

-Identity in Christ vs cultural labels

-Walking with God through confusion

-Forgiveness, boundaries, and redemption

-Why behavior management isn’t the gospel

-Faith, recovery, and emotional healing

Timestamps:

0:00:37 — From Confusion to Clarity

0:02:00 — Walking Into the Fog

0:03:39 — “What’s Wrong With Me?”

0:05:01 — When Suppression Breaks

0:07:54 — The Relief of a Label

0:08:49 — “They Told Me I Was Gay”

0:11:17 — Searching for Belonging

0:13:24 — Why Men Felt Mysterious

0:18:42 — The Hidden Wound

0:21:24 — How My View of God Was Formed

0:23:02 — God Walks Into the Fog

0:31:17 — “You’re Gay Because of Your Jacket”

0:34:53 — Don’t Bury Your Life

0:39:41 — Being Fully Known

0:51:10 — “No One Gets to Define Me”

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality!

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#Identity

#Clarity

#Healing

In this episode of Calibrate Conversations, Brady Cone sits down with Shannon Ayres, Texas Education Director for Citizens Defending Freedom, to expose what’s really happening inside school and public libraries.

Shannon shares her firsthand story of assuming her district was safe—“That’s not happening in Frisco, Texas”—until she started checking the titles in her kids’ school library. What she found shocked her… and launched her into a statewide effort to protect children from graphic, agenda-driven content.

We walk through:

* How explicit books are ending up in school libraries

* Why even small rural towns aren’t immune

* How top-down ideology is shaping library culture

* Why opt-out policies don’t actually protect kids

* The legal fight in Texas—and the strategy other states can use

* What every parent MUST do to safeguard their children (even if homeschooling isn’t an option)

If you’re a parent, educator, pastor, or Christian concerned about the ideological capture happening in schools, this conversation is essential.

👉 Get resources & learn how to get involved:https://citizensdefendingfreedom.com

👉 More biblical resources for sexuality & discipleship:https://calibrateministries.com

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction & Why Libraries Matter

01:32 – “That’s Not Happening in My Town…”

03:30 – COVID, Losing Her Business & Becoming Activated

07:35 – Parents vs. Massive School Legal Departments

08:36 – The ALA’s Ideological Capture of Libraries

12:21 – Why Opt-Out Policies Don’t Protect Kids

19:03 – School Board Meetings: The Most Empty Important Room

24:55 – Secret Gender Transitions Hidden from Parents

33:08 – Why “Obscene” Isn’t the Right Legal Term

38:54 – How to Audit Your School Library Step-by-Step

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality!

Other ways to listen:

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#Scandal #Libraries #ProtectingKids #Sexuality

Today’s episode exposes an issue far deeper than most parents realize: what’s actually inside our public and school libraries. The journey began when I opened a copy of Gender Queer in a small-town bookstore and saw a graphic sexual illustration—sitting in plain view for any child to pick up. That moment sent me down a trail that led from local libraries all the way up to the American Library Association.

To help us understand the full picture, I interview Bonnie Wallace from Llano County, Texas. Bonnie discovered explicit books containing graphic scenes, sexual content, and online grooming pathways—in the children’s section of her library. When she raised concerns, she and her county were sued for simply moving the books to the adult side.

Her legal battle went from the local level, to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court—resulting in a landmark decision affirming the right of libraries to protect kids from inappropriate material.

In this conversation, we break down:

-How radical ideology has infiltrated the American Library Association and state library associations

-Why explicit materials are being pushed toward minors

-Why some books are too explicit for prisoners, yet accessible to children

-How pornography and graphic content shape a child’s mind

-What Christian librarians and Christian parents must do

-Practical steps for protecting your kids at home, school, and in your county

-Why Christians must run for school boards, library boards, and local office

-And why “book banning” is a false narrative—this is about book boundaries, not censorship

Parents: your vigilance matters. Shepherd your kids’ hearts. Guard what they see. Engage in your local community.

If one woman can take on the library industry and win, imagine what thousands of Christians standing up for righteousness could do.

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality!

Other ways to listen:

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#Sexuality #Libraries #Scandal

Welcome to 2026.

In this episode of Calibrate Conversations, Brady shares the vision for the year ahead—what topics we’ll be covering, why they matter, and how we plan to approach them with biblical clarity, gospel hope, and compassion.

As culture grows increasingly divided, many Christians feel overwhelmed, unsure how to respond to issues surrounding sexuality, gender ideology, schools, libraries, and public policy—especially when kids are involved. This year, Calibrate Conversations will intentionally engage those cultural intersections without losing sight of the Gospel.

You’ll hear about:

* Why we’re addressing cultural and policy issues

* What’s happening in libraries and schools—and why parents need to be informed

* Gender ideology, so-called “gender-affirming care,” and protecting children

* Biblical gender roles and why they matter for sexuality

* Testimonies of redemption, restoration, and hope

* How Christians can stand firm in truth while extending grace

Our goal is simple: to equip the body of Christ to be faithful, courageous, and compassionate in a confusing cultural moment—and to remind you that God is still redeeming and restoring lives.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome to 2026 & Vision for the Year

02:05 – Why We’re Addressing Culture Without Outrage

05:12 – The State of Cultural Division Today

08:40 – What’s Happening in Libraries (And Why Parents Should Care)

14:30 – Schools, Gender Ideology, and Parental Rights

20:45 – Why “Gender-Affirming Care” Is a Gospel Issue

27:10 – Protecting Kids While Trusting Christ

32:40 – Biblical Gender Roles & Why This Matters

39:25 – Egalitarianism, Complementarianism, and the Church

45:50 – Stories of Hope, Redemption, and Restoration

52:10 – Final Encouragement & Call to Faithfulness

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality!

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#2026 #CalibrateConversations #Jesus

Many Christian parents want to protect their kids from sexual confusion, pornography, and cultural pressure—but waiting too long to talk about sexuality may be doing more harm than good.

In this episode of Calibrate Conversations, Brady sits down with Elizabeth Urbanowicz, founder of Foundation Worldview, to discuss how parents can teach kids God’s good design for sexuality early, biblically, and without fear or shame.

They explore:

Why kids are encountering sexual ideas far earlier than most parents realize

How to prepare children for pornography and cultural messages before exposure happens

Why “the talk” should be replaced with ongoing discipleship conversations

How to teach kids biblical sexuality while leading with truth, grace, and the gospel

Practical, age-appropriate tools parents can use starting as young as four years old

If you’re a parent, pastor, homeschooler, or Christian educator navigating today’s culture, this conversation will equip you to shepherd your children with confidence, clarity, and compassion.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Why parents are waiting too long

03:10 – The problem with “the talk”

07:40 – Kids encounter sexual content earlier than you think

12:55 – Teaching kids to think biblically, not fearfully

18:20 – Preparing children for pornography in the culture

26:40 – Age-appropriate conversations starting at 4–6

35:10 – Sexuality as a good gift from God

42:00 – Helping kids process shame and curiosity

49:30 – What to do if parents feel hypocritical

57:45 – Protecting kids from sexual abuse

1:07:10 – Loving family members outside God’s design

1:15:30 – Teaching truth with kindness

1:22:40 – Foundation Worldview resources

1:26:30 – Final encouragement for parents

👉 Get Elizabeth’s resources at Foundation Worldview

🎟 Use code CALIBRATE10 for 10% off

Learn more about Elizabeth here:

https://foundationworldview.com/

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality!

Other ways to listen:

https://linktr.ee/calibrateconversations

#Parenting #Christian #BiblicalSexuality

In this powerful episode of Calibrate Conversations, Brady Cone sits down with Matt & Andrea Crum of Genuine Family Ministries for one of the most eye-opening conversations we’ve had on the show.

We dive deep into:

• How modern culture is shaping your children more than you realize

• Why anxiety, autism, creativity, and past trauma make some kids more vulnerable to transgender ideology

• The four most common patterns parents miss

• How feminism’s “waves” reshaped the family and quietly entered the church

• Why so many Christian homes lack discipleship—and how to rebuild

• How fathers and mothers uniquely shape a child’s emotional and spiritual security

• The worldview war: biblical design vs. postmodern ideology

• How parents can lovingly, firmly hold the line on pronouns, clothing, and social transition

• Why busyness—not just culture—is destroying Christian families

• How Matt & Andrea minister to parents and individuals deeply struggling with gender identity

If you’re a parent, pastor, or Christian who wants to understand what’s really happening in this cultural moment—and how to stand firm with love and truth—this episode is essential.

Timestamps:

00:00 — The Hidden Crisis Facing Christian Families

03:42 — Why So Many Parents Feel Unprepared Today

08:10 — “Victims vs. Wolves”: Understanding the Real Battle

12:54 — The First Signs Parents Miss in Kids Struggling with Gender

17:30 — The Slippery Slope of Social Transition

24:02 — The Four Traits That Make Kids More Vulnerable

32:11 — The Waves of Feminism & How They Reshaped the Church

41:58 — Rediscovering God’s Design for the Family

49:27 — The Father’s Role: Why Presence Matters More Than Ever

56:45 — How Matt & Andrea Are Discipling Parents Through Crisis

Learn more at:

📚 Christ Over Culture: https://a.co/d/cWjUhF3

🌐 GenuineFamilyMinistries.com

🎙️ CalibrateMinistries.com

Other ways to listen:

https://linktr.ee/calibrateconversations

#Discipleship #Truth #Family

The holidays bring joy… but they also expose every relational tension we’ve been avoiding. In this episode of Calibrate Conversations, Brady shares 3 essential biblical principles to help you navigate family drama, painful memories, broken relationships, and tough conversations around religion and politics.

Before you sit down at the Thanksgiving or Christmas table, take 5 minutes and reset your heart with gospel hope. Your words can bring grace. Your presence can bring peace. And Jesus can bring healing into places that still hurt.

If you’re feeling the weight of family conflict, prodigal children, loss, or strained relationships this season—this message is for you.

👉 Put Jesus on display.

👉 Celebrate who is at the table.

👉 Honestly evaluate your own heart.

God’s grace is sufficient in both the joy and the pain.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends.

Timestamps:

00:21 — Holiday kickoff & the joy of Christmas lights

00:46 — Why the holidays can be both joyful and painful

01:10 — Thought #1: Should we talk about religion & politics?

01:32 — How to talk about faith in a way that draws people to Jesus

02:30 — What gospel-centered conversations around the table look like

02:55 — Thought #2: Celebrate those who are there

03:30 — Why mourning can overshadow the present moment

04:20 — Thought #3: Evaluate your own heart in broken relationships

05:12 — The rise of “no contact” culture

06:28 — Why both parents and adult kids need honest heart-examination

07:57 — Navigating grandparents, expectations, and boundaries

09:02 — The verse that changes everything: Ephesians 4:29

10:12 — Final encouragement: God’s grace is sufficient

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality!

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#ChristianEncouragement

#HolidayHope

#CalibrateConversations

How should churches respond when someone in a same-sex relationship wants to volunteer?

Brady Cone dives into one of the most asked—and most delicate—questions he receives from churches across the country. What role should elders play? What expectations should exist? And how do we hold truth and compassion together?

If this helped you, check out more resources at CalibrateMinistries.com.

Timestamps:

00:00 — Why This Podcast Exists: Real Questions Need More Than Two Minutes

00:45 — The Most Common Question Brady Gets From Churches

02:13 — When Someone in a Same-Sex Relationship Wants to Serve: First Steps

03:15 — Why Elders Must Handle These Situations (Not Volunteers)

05:28 — What Is the Purpose of a Church Service? Evangelism or Discipleship?

07:55 — Why Healthy, Robust Church Membership Actually Matters

10:33 — How Church Membership Protects Both the Individual and the Body

11:57 — Why Unrepentant Sin Should Feel Uncomfortable in Church

13:23 — Handling Same-Sex Couples: Individual vs. Couple Discipleship

16:26 — Why Discipleship Must Be Individual for Same-Sex Couples

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality!

Other ways to listen:

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#Church

#Leadership

#Truth