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TFU Sponsor Podcast

TFU Sponsor Podcast

By: Ben
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About this listen

Welcome to The Friday Update Commentary, where Ben Dockery talks with the author of TFU, Mike Woodruff, and the editor of TFU, Glenn Wishnew, about aspects of The Friday Update that don’t fit into a concise weekly newsletter. Mike and Glenn will expand on cultural themes, statistics, biblical wisdom, and more.

This is an upgrade edition to thank you for sponsoring Mike’s weekly newsletter that reaches over 10,000 subscribers.

© 2026 TFU Sponsor Podcast
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Episodes
  • Solitude, Tigers, and the Mental Health Crisis
    Jan 27 2026

    What do we need to be paying attention to?

    Better yet, what do we need to be ignoring? Mike, Harold and Glenn all share their answers.

    From there, the conversation moves through the disciplines of solitude (how to actually do it), the art of critical ignoring (what should we be blocking out?), and why there are more tigers in private U.S. facilities than in the wild.

    Also: Why Mike now thinks some problems aren't meant to be solved, just managed. Harold's record studio in Memphis (coolest thing ever?).

    And why facing the worst outcome—and realizing "it's still okay"—might be the most helpful (and least appreciated) advice Mike gives.

    This podcast is a Lakelight Institute Production.

    Thoughts? Guest Suggestions? Email us at info@lakelightinstitute.com

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    45 mins
  • November Commentary
    Dec 23 2025

    Glenn, Mike and Harold are back—and this time, they're tackling the questions that actually matter: Why aren't more people coming to faith? What's holding them back? And what happens when Harvard gives 60% A's?

    After a month of Harold leading Lakelight as interim president (yes, there's a jet—sort of), the team digs into objections to Christianity, the ethics of fighting back, and whether grades even matter anymore.

    Also: Why Jonathan Rauch—a "gay, Jewish atheist"—now thinks Christianity's collapse is a disaster for society. And whether remedial math at UC San Diego proves we've lost the plot on education entirely.

    This podcast is a Lakelight Institute Production.
    Thoughts? Guest Suggestions? Email us at info@lakelightinstitute.com

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    47 mins
  • October Commentary
    Nov 26 2025

    Mike and Glenn welcome Harold Smith to the Friday Update Commentary for his debut episode—and he doesn't hold back. Harold, Glenn and Mike have a wide-ranging conversation about courage, culture, and what happens when society loses its meaning.

    What You'll Hear:

    • Harold's Take on the Friday Update - What he likes and what he doesn't about Mike's newsletter.
    • The Rusty Reno debrief - Why bold conversations are harder than they look, and more necessary now than ever.
    • Talent Vs Hard Work- Glenn asks Mike and Harold if they've known anyone whose success was due to talent alone.
    • What divides us most? - Politics? Religion? Media habits? The team debates which identity marker shapes us most deeply (spoiler: it's probably not what you think)
    • The lies we believe about God - From the "mollified Jesus" to cheap universalism, what are the misconceptions about God which are widespread today?

    This podcast is a Lakelight Institute Production.


    Thoughts? Guest Suggestions? Email us at info@lakelightinstitute.com


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    56 mins
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