He had never stepped in front of a camera before. He almost ignored the audition opportunity completely. But when Robert Amaya finally sent in that tape for Courageous, it launched a career that would transform both faith-based filmmaking and his own family forever.

In this inspiring episode of Refining Rhetoric, host Robert Bortins sits down with actor, speaker, and mentor Robert Amaya to discuss his journey in faith-based filmmaking and his experience as a Classical Conversations dad. Robert shares the miraculous story of how he landed his breakthrough role in Courageous despite having zero acting experience, and how working with the Kendrick Brothers became a "master class" in biblical manhood that changed his life forever.

What You'll Discover:

• The incredible "courtesy call rejection" that turned into Robert's first movie role
• Why working on faith-based film sets with the Kendrick and Erwin Brothers is different from Hollywood
• How Robert's faith journey transformed from church rebellion to using film as a platform for the gospel
• The void in Christian filmmaking—and what Robert's doing about it through Join Creators Call
• Practical advice for parents whose kids want to pursue acting (hint: start with children's theater!)
• Why Robert believes homeschooling through Classical Conversations has given his daughters skills that surpass what he had in 12th grade
• How CC community provides the support system that eliminates parents' fears of inadequacy
• The Lancaster Film Initiative—Robert's new nonprofit creating excellence in faith-based films with profit-sharing for all involved

Robert's transparency about raising two talented daughters in the entertainment industry while maintaining strong family values and a classical education offers both practical wisdom and genuine encouragement. His motto says it all: "Faith, family, and fun."

Resources:

https://joincreatorscall.com/

Robert Amaya’s IMDb - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3892002/

Robert Amaya’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/realrobertamaya

This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by the Classical Learning Cohort:

Are you a CC parent or graduate wanting to become a more confident classical educator? Why not sample the CLC by attending a free, online "Experience the CLC" event at classicalconversations.com/cohort. Find a time that fits your schedule.

What if everything you thought you knew about the Bible's structure was making it harder to understand God's story? Pastor, author, and Bible engagement architect Randy Frazee joins host Robert on Refining Rhetoric to discuss why so many Christians—even those in Bible-believing churches—can't articulate the basic narrative of Scripture. The problem isn't a lack of commitment; it's how the Bible is organized.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• · Why chronological Bible reading changes everything (and how The Story makes it accessible)
• · What really happens after you die—and why most Christians have it backwards
• · The surprising biblical truth: heaven isn't the final destination (hint: read Revelation 21-22)
• · Why the Garden of Eden matters for understanding eternity on the new earth
• · How Paul wrote the ultimate treatise on joy... from prison
• · The neuroscience that validates ancient biblical wisdom about depression and anxiety
• · Why gratitude is the #1 weapon against worry (backed by both Philippians and brain science)
• · The loneliness epidemic destroying Americans—and how proximity creates real community
• · Practical ways homeschoolers can combat isolation and build deeper connections

Randy brings decades of pastoral wisdom, research-backed insights, and a refreshing perspective on biblical literacy. From explaining why Psalm 51 should be read right after 2 Samuel 11 (David's confession after his fall with Bathsheba) to unpacking why we'll still struggle at golf in the new kingdom (yes, really), this conversation bridges ancient truth and modern science.

This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by:

2026 Classical Conversations Family Cruise

Have you heard? The Classical Conversations 2026 CC Family Cruise will set sail on May 16, 2026. This exciting adventure is open to all CC families and alumni. It will include the National Memory Master Competition, National Commencement, and special CC family activities. Interest is booming with over 800 people interested in cruising with us and cabins are selling out fast!

Book your cabin now at www.classicalconversations.com/cruise-2026

Remember, to participate in the CC activities you need to book through the CC group. Grab your sunscreen, your beach bag. and join us on board!

What if the virtue we've been taught to prize above all others—empathy—has become a weapon that's destroying our families, churches, and society? In this thought-provoking episode of Refining Rhetoric, host Robert Bortins sits down with Dr. Joe Rigney, author of the controversial new book "The Sin of Empathy: Compassion and Its Counterfeits." Dr. Rigney, who serves as Fellow of Theology at New St. Andrews College and is a pastor at Christ's Church, makes a bold argument that will challenge everything you think you know about compassion. Using the powerful analogy of someone drowning in quicksand, Dr. Rigney distinguishes between biblical compassion—which reaches out to help while remaining anchored to truth—and what he calls "untethered empathy," which jumps into the pit with both feet, creating two drowning victims instead of one. This counterfeit virtue, he argues, has been weaponized across cultural battlegrounds from immigration and abortion to the transgender movement, demanding that we validate feelings regardless of truth or moral consequences. The conversation explores how this emotional manipulation has infiltrated churches, schools, and homes through Social Emotional Learning curricula, creating what Dr. Rigney calls "the institutionalization of the pity party." From the redefinition of marriage to the mutilation of confused children in the name of "gender-affirming care," he traces how untethered empathy leads through a predictable progression: pity to anger to cruelty—all while flying the banner of compassion.

Resources:

https://x.com/joe_rigney

https://canonpress.com/products/the-sin-of-empathy

This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by the Classical Learning Cohort:

Are you a CC parent or graduate wanting to become a more confident classical educator? Why not sample the CLC by attending a free, online "Experience the CLC" event at classicalconversations.com/cohort. Find a time that fits your schedule.