The episode opens with Andrea Schwartz reflecting on how modern pulpits often avoid engaging with real-world crises through a biblical lens. After events like 9/11, many churches declared that such tragedies had nothing to do with God, effectively denying His sovereignty. Over time, pastors have increasingly been discouraged from addressing cultural and political events from the pulpit, leaving congregants without clear biblical interpretation of current events. This void became evident after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, when many pastors were instructed to ignore the incident altogether. David Sims, a Michigan-born pastor and veteran, chose to address the event from Psalm 120, declaring that Christians live among those who hate peace. His refusal to apologize for the sermon’s tone or content led to his forced resignation, revealing deep tensions within modern churches over how to address cultural conflict biblically.

In his sermon, Sims identified two core forces shaping the present crisis: the pervasive influence of Marxism and the church’s capitulation to a functionally Gnostic, pietistic faith that divorces belief from action. He argued that anti-God ideologies—abortion, transgenderism, statism—have flourished not merely through cultural dominance but because the church has largely withdrawn from active resistance. Sims contrasted biblical obedience and prophetic boldness with modern Christian tendencies to seek comfort, avoid offense, and reduce faith to private spirituality. His message emphasized that Christianity requires confronting evil and applying God’s law to all of life—not just personal devotion. The reaction to his sermon, including walkouts, elder opposition, and eventual dismissal, highlighted how many congregations have become more concerned with comfort and numerical growth than covenantal faithfulness and prophetic clarity.

In this episode of Out of the Question, hosts Andrea Schwartz and Charles Roberts examine how cowardice is treated in Scripture, particularly in Revelation 21:8, where “the cowardly” appear first in a list of those condemned. The conversation explores how cowardice is often overlooked or minimized compared to other sins like murder or adultery, despite its serious placement in the biblical text. Roberts reflects on his initial surprise at this verse and draws on Rousas John Rushdoony’s observations linking cowardice to democratic systems that allow people to hide behind majority opinion rather than taking personal responsibility. The discussion critiques how fear of man—particularly fear of government—has led many churches to abdicate their roles during crises, such as the COVID-19 mandates, rather than standing courageously for biblical convictions.

The hosts argue that cowardice spreads socially and institutionally, infecting churches, leadership, and culture. They trace this cultural softness to modern comfort, bureaucratic leadership, and the absence of real risk-taking role models. Drawing on historical figures like Alexander Solzhenitsyn, they warn of the West’s decline in civic courage. The episode concludes by urging Christians to name and condemn cowardice, contrasting it with biblical courage modeled by figures such as Gideon, Abigail, Deborah, and the Puritans. The core message is that cowardice is not a harmless weakness but a betrayal of God’s kingdom—and that fearing God over man is the only true foundation for courage and cultural resistance.

The conversation spotlights “victorious eschatology” through a living remnant: two Virginia Tech students, Gil Roten and Camden Whitener, who call themselves the Kingsmen. Raised outside explicit Reconstructionist circles, they were drawn in through Bible study and presuppositional apologetics (Durbin/Van Til/Bahnsen/Rushdoony). On campus they practice bold but cordial evangelism every Friday at a high-traffic intersection—using conversation-inviting signs like “Jesus was sacrificed for sin. Babies shouldn’t be.”—and funnel interested students to “Theology Tuesday” at Panera and to their local church. They emphasize standing openly on Scripture in classes (especially philosophy), report mostly respectful interactions, and even once refused to disperse when threatened with arrest over their sign—without ultimately being arrested.

Their aim is practical, generational Reconstruction: obeying God’s law, building Christian community, and making the faith’s intellectual depth accessible. Both plan ordinary vocations (accounting, statistics), marriage, family discipleship (Deut. 6), and—if providence allows—writing, podcasting (Sola Lex Dei), and possible church planting to create a tangible place people can “point to” for Reconstructionist life and teaching. They reject celebrity-driven movements in favor of grassroots faithfulness, intend to keep a durable network with fellow Kingsmen, and invite contact (e.g., Gil on Facebook and the Sola Lex Dei podcast) so others can learn, join, and replicate the work.