Martin, who longed to speak truth into the dark world of cults, died in 1989. But his legacy of cult evangelism lives on in people like Pastor Jeff Durbin, the main person behind Apologia Studios.

Even if you aren’t familiar with Durbin, you may be aware of one of Apologia Studios’ many podcasts, the most prominent of which is Cultish, “a program that explores the impact of the cults from a theological, sociological, and psychological perspective,” according to the show’s website. From Jonestown to New Age theology, Cultish (whose episodes can likewise be found on the channel) covers a wide range of subjects to equip its viewers on how to understand and reject false teaching. Likewise, Durbin practices what he preaches, evangelizing to Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, atheists and more.

But information on sects and cults and evangelism directed at their members aren’t the only thing you’ll find on Apologia Studios. The channel likewise offers theological insights into “today’s postmodern society” through Apologia Radio clips. It also heavily advocates for Pro-Life causes.

In summary, Apologia Studios just might be the channel you need to help you learn how to effectively engage with the culture and defend and proclaim the gospel.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Apologia Studios provides lots of insight into how various cults have formed, what their beliefs are and how they differ from biblical Christianity. Oftentimes, the channel will bring in someone who was once a member of said cult to provide firsthand knowledge. Listeners will gain the wisdom they need to grow in their evangelism. For instance, Apologia Studios has a video which stands as a gospel explanation specifically for Mormon believers.

In 2 Timothy 2:25-26, Paul writes that “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”Durbin puts this into active practice through his evangelism and debate videos, often spending an hour or more speaking with someone who disagrees with him in that aforementioned hope.

Durbin’s advocacy for preborn children is admirable. He encourages viewers to stand up for the rights of these babies, and he stands strong in this Christian conviction even in the face of emotional opposition.

Most importantly, however, Apologia Studios has embedded a video explaining the gospel on its YouTube home page. Anyone who visits the channel will be first confronted with the world’s most important topic before they see anything else.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Some videos, typically tagged in the title with “warning,” include debates with people who disagree with Christian views and use emotional and heavy language, including the f-word and s-word. A militant atheist wears a shirt that uses “g-dd–n.” A pro-abortion man’s sign uses the p-word to describe female genitalia.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Durbin and the rest of the Apologia Studios team are chiefly concerned with the preaching of the gospel, whether it’s to someone who has never heard or someone who believes a false version of it. And as we, the viewers, watch Durbin engage in these necessary conversations, we may likewise grow in our confidence and ability to evangelize to a lost and broken world.

The post Apologia Studios appeared first on Plugged In.

That’s all thanks to Ben Christie, owner and creator of The Urban Rescue Ranch.

What once started with a small chicken coop at Baylor University has grown into a ranch hosting a veritable zoo—from blue jays, possums and beaver to capybara, kangaroo and ratites.

Christie began posting his videos in 2019, allowing viewers to see just how his ranch has grown and changed throughout the years. In each video, Christie updates viewers on the day-by-day tasks of the ranch and explains a bit about how he takes care of each creature he rehabilitates.

But if you skim through the titles and find them a little … off … don’t worry! Though his videos often have provocative titles that intentionally make fun of clickbait, such as “Why I Ate This Baby Raccoon (Apology Video)” or “Saving My Duck From a 14 Foot Snake (I Died)”, Christie has a wildlife rehabilitation permit and treats his animals well.

POSITIVE CONTENT

The Urban Rescue Ranch is a “prospective wildlife rehab,” taking in and rehabilitating animals that often arrive on the doorstep with injuries or diseases. The ranch fulfills a need to restore wildlife in the area, as, according to the ranch’s website, “there are no large rehabs for 100s of miles.”

Christie strives to be a good steward of the animals placed under his care. He names many of the animals who arrive and frequently checks in with them as they grow strong enough to survive in the wild.

As Christie states in a video celebrating one million subscribers, Christie, as a Christian, felt God calling him to leave his job at a tech company to pursue his animal sanctuary work full-time.

“If you believe in the literal interpretation of the Garden of Eden, then this was our original assigned task,” Christie says. “Literally, just take care of the garden and name the animals.”

It should come as no surprise that The Urban Rescue Ranch’s mission is to “share God’s beautiful design of animals while promoting, improving, and educating on animal rescue/welfare and sustainable farming/rescue practices.” And through his work and YouTube videos, Christie hopes to inspire others to take up homesteading by showing how even someone with a tiny backyard can get started rescuing animals.

CONTENT CONCERNS

The majority of the channel’s concerns come in the form of what you might expect while working on a ranch. Animals poop and vomit, and they occasionally arrive with visible injuries or diseases. And, unfortunately, some of the animals arrive too late and don’t survive. A couple dead animals (such as a chicken) appear in videos. Christie sometimes shows scratches he receives as a result of working with the animals.

The worst language we could hear in any video was “crap.”

CHANNEL SUMMARY

The Urban Rescue Ranch just might motivate you to finally start that chicken coop in your backyard you’ve been thinking about. At the very least, the channel helps to educate viewers about animal rehabilitation. And even if you have no interest in raising any animals, Christie’s channel remains a fun and informative watch for the family.

The post The Urban Rescue Ranch appeared first on Plugged In.

How do the views of salvation and the sacraments differ among Protestant denominations?

What are the various views on eschatology—the study of the end times?

These questions and more—far more—are answered by Joshua Lindsey on his channel, Ready to Harvest.

Lindsey’s videos break down denominational differences in as neutral a way as possible. No matter what denomination you identify with, Lindsey will attempt to explain your denomination’s beliefs in such a way that you’d hopefully nod along with him.

And were you to read the comments on his videos left by people from those various denominations, you’d realize that there’s a lot of nodding going on.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Every Christian channel that we’ve reviewed has its own underpinning belief structure. We’ve reviewed channels that are Calvinist or Arminian, Charismatic or Cessationist, Covenantal or Dispensational. And while they all are united in the gospel, a channel’s videos will still be (intentionally or not) influenced by their creators’ varying views on these other issues.

But what makes Ready to Harvest so unique is that Lindsey won’t give you his opinion on the beliefs of each denomination. Instead, he strives for total neutrality so that you, the viewer, can understand the pure, unbiased facts.

Lindsey understands that, on a factual basis, at least one side of a mutually exclusive claim (i.e., paedobaptism versus credobaptism) has to be wrong. However, explaining the positions in a neutral manner will better equip his viewers to come to their own conclusions.

Additionally, in his video, “Four Groups You Might be Misrepresenting,” Lindsey explains another reason why he sticks to this method of explanation.

“By avoiding fairly representing someone and not addressing their strongest arguments, you actually leave a person more vulnerable to those arguments down the line,” he says. In other words, when someone realizes that they’ve been taught merely a strawman of what another denomination believes, they’re only going to wonder why their teacher didn’t want to provide them with the truth.

And if you’re wondering just how accurate Lindsey is, I can confidently state that he accurately described the beliefs of my denomination.

Finally, Lindsey only produces videos heavy on information, light on filler. In his words, “a 15-minute video should have 15 minutes of content.” Viewers can be confident that none of their time will be wasted when they watch Ready to Harvest.

CONTENT CONCERNS

None.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Lindsey’s channel sticks to the facts. And while that may mean that some viewers will need to study up on some theological terms to keep up, it also means that they can be confident Lindsey’s personal biases won’t leak into the content he creates. If you want to learn more about Christian denominations and their beliefs, you probably won’t find a better channel than Ready to Harvest.

The post Ready to Harvest appeared first on Plugged In.

Just ask Nick DiGiovanni, who finished third in the 10th season of the reality cooking show MasterChef. He, along with the two other contestants, were informed that one of them would be eliminated based on the entrée they prepared, while the other two would continue on to show off their respective dessert dishes.

DiGiovanni never got to create that dessert on TV. So he took to YouTube to post a video of himself creating that would-be treat. As isolation during COVID boosted the popularity of apps like YouTube and TikTok, DiGiovanni began posting more and more content online.

Now, DiGiovanni’s YouTube channel boasts a whopping 15 million subscribers, and he’s intent on his goal to surpass Gordon Ramsay’s (mainstay judge on MasterChef) channel in followers.

But make no mistake: It’s not DiGiovanni’s time on MasterChef that’s propelled this popularity. Instead, it’s the food and personality he showcases on his channel. And whether you’re a seasoned chef, or your skills in the culinary world are a bit raw, you might just feel right at home in DiGiovanni’s kitchen.

POSITIVE CONTENT

DiGiovanni talks viewers through his recipes as he prepares them, providing both measurements as well as explanations of what effect his cooking methods will have on the final dish. Likewise, he warns about the negative results that may occur when using improper techniques.

A number of DiGiovanni’s videos also teach his audience how to do specific kitchen-based tasks, including cooking various types of steak as well as cooking essentials like chopping or plating.

DiGiovanni collaborates with many other famous YouTubers and celebrities, challenging himself with their suggestions and providing his audience with other viewpoints. In one video where DiGiovanni rates the food-based products of other YouTubers, he gives honest assessments about the quality of what he’s evaluating, rather than simply giving a good review just to maintain a relationship.

CONTENT CONCERNS

We hear God’s name taken in vain and Jesus used as an expletive. Likewise, we occasionally hear “d–n.” Heavier profanities, such as  the f- and s-words, are censored.

Some videos contain the occasional sexual quip or reference, such as pixelated blurring to make a nonsexual thing appear as crude.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Nick DiGiovanni is a bit like cooking in a kitchen. You’ll find a lot of tasty treats and recipes that you may want to use to impress your family (or maybe just your own taste buds).

But just like a real kitchen, there are a couple things you’ll need to exercise caution about here: namely, the occasional swearing and sexual joke.

In other words, you may walk away with something delicious, but be careful that you don’t get burned in the process.

The post Nick DiGiovanni appeared first on Plugged In.

Rocky Kanaka is here to help the dogs in these shelters.

Kanaka can’t adopt and take home all of those dogs, of course. But he finds other ways to help. And using his platform on YouTube, Kanaka brings awareness to common shelter needs and suggests how people can help homeless animals, too.

For example, in his current series, “Sitting with Dogs,” Rocky visits shelter canines in need of homes. As he comforts and cuddles the creatures, Rocky informs his viewers about various behaviors of abandoned dogs and explains how viewers can support animals in their own communities.

In another series, “Dog’s Day Out,” Rocky brings shelter dogs on special adventures. In one episode, he takes a bulldog to the beach for the first time. In others, Rocky allows dogs to pick out their own toys and treats at pet stores.

No matter the topic, rest assured: You’re sure to encounter playful pups and gain interesting and even important knowledge about dogs in need.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Some animal-rights advocates have a tendency to focus on what humans are doing wrong. And there’s undoubtedly an appropriate reason for this. Animal cruelty should never be tolerated. But on his channel, Rocky offers a refreshing outlook on the situation. He recognizes the reality of human irresponsibility but chooses to look hopefully toward helpful solutions.

In many of his videos, Rocky shares the stories of abandoned dogs. He may lightly chide neglectful owners at times, but Rocky’s main focus is finding new homes for the animals.

Rocky encourages his viewers to get involved with their local animal shelters, and he provides realistic examples of how people can do so.

And in addition to the educational aspects in Rocky’s videos, the wagging tails of happy dogs are certainly important positives, too.

CONTENT CONCERNS

Several rescue dogs on Rocky’s channel have endured extreme cruelty and neglect. Rocky does not go into detail, but he explains that some dogs have been thrown into trash bags and locked in cages for extended periods of time. Sometimes, when Rocky sits with these dogs, he sees the effects of the abuse—like small scars, limping, and fear. What we see on the channel is not overly graphic, but some viewers might find the situations disturbing.

In the videos we watched, the only potential profanity was the word, “crud,” which Rocky uses to describe something on a dog’s fur.

Viewers may also want to note that Rocky sells merchandise in his videos, and some of the videos are sponsored by companies.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

In addition to his content on the channel, Rocky’s advocacy for neglected dogs extends beyond YouTube. His Netflix show, Save Our Shelter, features Rocky’s efforts in animal advocacy. Rocky also hosts a website that features stories of homeless dogs and encourages readers to adopt them.

In all his advocating efforts, Rocky’s ultimate goal is to look out for the underdog (literally). His YouTube channel’s content concerns are minimal—unlikely to give your family (ahem) paws.

The post Rocky Kanaka appeared first on Plugged In.

Your Bible study has wrapped up, you’ve all finished praying and you may already be asleep in bed.

Well, if Pastor Mike Winger began his Bible study at the same time as you did, his is probably still going.

Alright, we don’t claim to know Mike Winger’s Bible study habits. But his eponymous YouTube channel might make you think that’d be the case. For instance, Winger devoted around 39 hours to his study on everything dealing with women in ministry, from submission to head coverings. He’s got seven and-a-half hours’ worth of videos defending penal substitutionary atonement. And he’s got nearly seven hours just discussing what the Bible says about divorce and remarriage.

And as of posting, he’s answered around 2,300 live chat questions on his Friday streams.

But Winger doesn’t just cover issues in videos that take longer to watch than you have time for. He’s also got plenty of quicker videos, with many only taking a mere five minutes to watch.

Suffice to say, if you want a quick overview or to dive deep on a theological issue, Winger probably has a video for you.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Like any Christian YouTube channel we review, we don’t ever guarantee that you’ll agree with every conclusion to which the channel comes, and Mike Winger is no exception. However, it would be difficult to deny that Winger researches his videos meticulously. After all, you can’t exactly make the aforementioned 39-hour series by…erm…winging it.

And, like Got Questions, Winger offers a way for viewers to submit their own questions—no matter how specific—so that he can answer them. This provides an easier way for people to ask theological questions they might be too nervous to ask someone in person. And Winger almost always responds to each of these comments by bringing up relevant Bible verses, so anyone wondering about that question can interpret the relevant passage for themselves.

Winger is very humble in his conclusions, often reminding the viewer that he is fallible. He tries to represent positions he doesn’t personally hold as best as he is able, and he provides what he feels are the best arguments for those positions. It’s all done with an eye toward giving viewers a fuller understanding of the issue.

CONTENT CONCERNS

None.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Winger is the “featured teacher” of BibleThinker, a ministry “dedicated to equipping people to think and live biblically.” According to the website, that goal is accomplished through teaching accurate theology, defending the Christian worldview and applying the Bible to our lives.

And that description aptly applies to Winger’s channel, too. Whether someone is in the mood for a quick answer or an extensive study, Mike Winger will guide viewers into a biblical interpretation by the end of the video.

The post Mike Winger appeared first on Plugged In.

Yes, it turns out that creating that stone axe is a little more difficult than simply punching a couple trees and mining a few stones, but Plant makes it nonetheless. The Australian YouTuber has made a whole lot more, too: clay pots, a water filter, a hut, a brick kiln, even an iron smelter. And he does it all in silence, letting only the sounds of nature and of his crafting filter into your living room.

The only rule in everything Plant does? He’s only allowed to work with what he’s made before. No saws, no hammers—nothing unless he can find it in nature and craft it into something useful.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Plant works hard to build the projects in his videos. He doesn’t cut corners, and he shows how, with enough time and effort, massive projects can be completed with very little. Additionally, Plant provides captions that explain each step of his process, and his video descriptions tell viewers about everything he did from start to finish. And while YouTube features plenty of creators copying Plant’s channel (right down to the silent, shirtless building style), our research suggests most are only faking it: Plant’s creations are (according to our research) absolutely genuine.

Because Plant doesn’t say anything in his videos, viewers won’t need to worry about any crude language.

CONTENT CONCERNS

The only potential thing to note is that Plant always works shirtless.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

Primitive Technology feels like taking a step back in time. The channel walks its viewers through every part of a project’s process, and viewers can see exactly how some ancient creations may have originally been made. Parents shouldn’t need to worry about letting their children watch—unless they’re afraid that Plant might accidentally encourage the kid to start his or her own iron smelter in the backyard.

The post Primitive Technology appeared first on Plugged In.

Take Matthew 7:1, for instance. It reads “Judge not, that you not be judged.” Taken by itself, someone might believe that we shouldn’t judge other people, period. But when we read the rest of the context, we learn that the point of the passage is to not judge hypocritically rather than never at all. When we read all the way through Matthew 7:5, we see that we’re called to first rid ourselves of the plank in our eye so that we can help remove the speck from the other person’s eye (the one who we judged to have a speck that needed removing).

That’s just one example of what Pastor Gabriel Hughes, creator and voice behind the YouTube channel WWUTT, is attempting to teach.

The channel’s name stands for “When We Understand The Text.” Hughes uploads short videos addressing questions about biblical interpretation and how Christians should live, and he delivers other content related to Christianity.

Wonder what the Bible says about tithing? Are you wanting a biblical basis for whether Christians should celebrate Halloween or use the Enneagram? Maybe you’ve got a burning theological question but aren’t sure you can find verses that might speak into it?

WWUTT doesn’t necessarily have all the answers. But it may be a good place to start.

POSITIVE CONTENT

As noted above, Hughes seeks to help clear up misinformation about the Bible and Christianity. It’s easy to simply take someone’s word as fact—especially when they speak in an authoritative tone. But WWUTT reminds us that such statements must line up with the Bible in order to be true.

WWUTT’s videos are very short, typically less than two minutes. While this means that viewers won’t be able to dive deep into these issues, it does provide a quick basis for them to consider about the video topic. And hopefully, these quick videos will compel viewers not to simply take Hughes’ word for it but to look it up themselves, too!

And, even if you don’t end up agreeing with the conclusions WWUTT makes, the fact that these videos are rooted in Scripture is a positive. This should likewise remind us that our theological views should be backed up by the Bible and not just our own opinions of who we think God is. In this way, we can debate the meaning of a specific objective text instead of throwing around subjective opinion.

CONTENT CONCERNS

None.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

WWUTT, with its short and informative videos, is a good launching point for viewers who are starting to think about the Christian faith, or who want to think about it more deeply. It inherently encourages its audience to root their arguments in in-context Bible verses rather than personal opinion. What’s more, the quick videos are easy to show to someone who is asking questions without them needing to sit down for a long explanation.

We’re not suggesting that this channel is the final word on any biblical subject. But WWUTT is a good place to get you started.

The post WWUTT appeared first on Plugged In.

Well, maybe, unless you watched the YouTube channel Joshua Weissman, on which Weissman has a playlist full of videos where he shows you how to make food faster than said restaurants.

Fair, but isn’t food made at a restaurant generally tastier than homemade stuff?

You might think so, unless you then watched Weissman’s playlist. He shows you how to recreate and improve upon famous fast-food recipes.

Alright, alright, you got me. But what about cost? Does Josh also show you how to create meals for much cheaper?

I’m glad you asked. Yes, he does.

To summarize, Joshua Weissman helps you learn how to make faster, tastier and cheaper meals than you can get from your local drive-thru fast-food service joint, all from the comfort of your own kitchen.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Weissman often breaks down why he does the things he does to educate viewers on the cooking process, and he sprinkles humor into his videos too. Even if you’ve never touched a frying pan in your life, you’ll likely still feel a boost of confidence through the channel.

Though he is a good cook, Weissman isn’t a culinary snob. He appreciates the taste and value of things like instant ramen and fast food, though he personally prefers to spruce them up a bit. And to that end, on videos where he ranks items from various fast-food restaurants, he often sprinkles in as many compliments as he does criticisms.

Finally, Weissman often talks his friends into trying many of his creations. He’ll cook a steak several different ways, for instance, and add a variety of sauces to the menu, too. Then he’ll have his friends taste and rank how tasty each method is, using the data to learn how to make the meal even more appetizing.

CONTENT CONCERNS

While the f-word and s-word are used, they are censored. However, swears like “a–,” “h—” and “b–tard” are not. Additionally, God’s name, including in the form of “g-dd–n,” is not censored.

We also hear the very occasional sexual quip. In one video, the camera briefly focuses on a fridge magnet that’s in the shape of male genitalia that’s on a college man’s fridge. And in a video about eating spicy food, we hear a couple jokes about defecation. In one video, he briefly wears feminine clothing for a joke.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

In some ways, when a cooking channel brings on a professional chef in a white jacket, viewers can be confident that they’re getting good advice—but it can also make some of their cooking methods feel out of reach.

Weissman is a professional chef, just as those white-jacketed cooks are. But his demeanor, humor and casual videos help to bridge that experience gap, reassuring viewers that his videos aren’t just for those with a few perfectly cooked pork chops under their belt. Furthermore, in making videos that appeal to cost and speed rather than just flavor, Weissman helps to address two often unaddressed factors that might discourage people from cooking.

That’s all great news for both new and…ahem…seasoned home cooks alike. But parents will also want to be aware of some swear words and a couple sexual jokes that are uttered in Weissman’s videos, too.

The post Joshua Weissman appeared first on Plugged In.

Alisa Childers may be a name you haven’t heard for some time.

In the early 2000s, she was one of the three members of ZOEgirl, a Christian teen pop band (until the band amicably split in 2006). And after that, Childers went on to learn much more about her faith.

That journey included, in her thirties, some serious doubts that had been sprinkled into her walk by a pastor who had described himself as a “hopeful agnostic.”

“He challenged my faith in a way that had never been challenged before—and the challenge was intellectual,” Childers said. “And virtually everything that I had ever believed about God and Jesus and especially the Bible was picked apart and deconstructed with what at the time I thought were flawless intellectual arguments.”

Childers found that the man’s claims shook her to her core since she did not know how to defend what she believed. But God provided Childers with a ministry to help her learn how to counter such claims and cause her to become, once again, convinced of the veracity of Christianity.

And on her eponymous YouTube channel, she wants to help make sure others have those resources to defend the faith, too.

On Nov. 7, 2023, Alisa Childers spoke for an event hosted by Lighthouse Voices, Focus on the Family’s ministry to highlight biblical voices that speak on hot-button issues. She discussed how Christians can navigate modern phrases that can pull Christians away from the truth of the gospel. The video has been embedded below.

POSITIVE CONTENT

Childers hosts many other faithful Christian speakers on her channel, some of which are YouTubers we’ve already covered. These include Christians like Allen Parr, Melissa Dougherty and Frank Turek. Often, Childers holds discussions with people such as these in order to provide more insight than just her own. And in doing so, she also helps her viewers find other reliable voices to listen to online.

Childers warns against ideologies that can cause us to distort or turn away from the gospel, including many ideas summed up under “progressive Christianity.” She likewise argues against New Age teachings that she’s seen in some churches. And Childers gives viewers ways to argue against such theologies.

Finally, Childers often speaks from experience when she talks about issues facing the Christian music industry. She, along with Skillet singer John Cooper, who is a frequent guest on the channel, discuss what pitfalls often trip up Christian artists—and how to avoid them.

CONTENT CONCERNS

None.

CHANNEL SUMMARY

With first-hand experience, Alisa Childers warns Christians about the dangers of moral relativism, progressive Christianity and deconstruction. But Childers acts as a safeguard, too, offering responses and resources for those who are struggling with refuting such modern ideas.

Importantly, many of Childers videos remind us that our faith is not rooted in the whims of the current cultural thought but in the unchanging truth of God. And that truth is what gives us the confidence to run our race unrelenting.

The post Alisa Childers appeared first on Plugged In.