First Liberty client LifeWise Academy is an education program available to public schools that teaches the Bible to students who might never be exposed to it otherwise–during school hours. LifeWise is currently being attacked by both the Freedom from Religion Foundation and the leftist media. The notoriously anti-faith Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) recently sent a letter to 600 school districts in Ohio “warning” school officials about the mission of LifeWise Academy. Listen to LifeWise Academy Founder and CEO Joel Penton explain how this program is making a positive impact in communities across the country and what First Liberty is doing to make sure that it’s protected from attacks.

For the third time in the past few weeks, First Liberty is facing off against city officials for taking an unconstitutional approach to shut down a house of worship. In New Hampshire, the Town of Weare has used zoning laws to prevent Grace New England Church from meeting on Pastor Howard Kaloogian’s property. In response to the town’s hostility, First Liberty filed a federal lawsuit to protect Pastor Howard’s and Grace New England Church’s right to meet and to worship. Listen to attorney Jeremy Dys break down the shocking details of this case and what we are doing to stop this unconstitutional demand from the town.

When 5th grade student Laura at Creekside Elementary requested permission to start an interfaith prayer club, the school’s principal denied her request. Despite having approved and promoted other clubs like the Creekside Choir, Global Reading Challenge, Green Team, Safety Patrol and Pride Club, the principal told Laura that her only option for a prayer group was to pay for space like outside groups. Hear from Laura first-hand and learn how this fight has impacted her faith as well as her vision for the prayer club that’s being denied.

A city in Arizona is making it impossible for a church to care for the most vulnerable in their community. First Liberty is representing Pastor Jose Castro and Gethsemani Baptist Church of San Luis, AZ in a case you won’t believe. Joining First Liberty Live! today is Senior Counsel Jeremy Dys to discuss the unbelievable facts of this case and what we are doing to put a stop to this discrimination. Learn more about this case >>

How should we engage with modern culture? Dr. Stephen Presley, a Senior Fellow at First Liberty’s Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy, gives a helpful perspective on approaching today’s culture shift in his new book, Cultural Sanctification: Engaging the World Like the Early Church. On today’s episode of First Liberty Live!, you'll hear from Dr. Presley about the importance of this perspective as we look back at the great religious leaders who were determined to impact the culture.

Gunna Kristofersdottir was fired for her religious beliefs. Why? CVS has revoked all religious accommodations that allowed providers to give hormonal contraceptive drugs. Gunna stood up for her faith and was fired for it. On today’s episode of First Liberty Live!, you will get to hear Gunna’s story firsthand. Learn how she is bravely standing up for her rights and how she’s fighting back against this unlawful termination.

With election season rapidly heating up, our special guest today has a message for American voters like you who deeply care about their faith informing their politics. The Founder and President of Christians Engaged, Bunni Pounds, joins First Liberty Live! to talk about how you can navigate this huge election year. Bunni worked as a political consultant and campaign manager, spent time on Capitol Hill, and even ran for office herself. While many people say that faith has no place in politics, Bunni disagrees wholeheartedly. And on this episode, she unpacks how we can use our faith as an empowering motive in our vote.

We have been fighting for several devout Muslim families who fled from war-torn Somalia to America. Among the most significant reasons why they sought refuge in the United States were religious freedom and educational opportunities for their children. But when these parents asked to opt their elementary school children out of LGBTQ books in English class, they were met with hostility. The school district claimed that its curriculum sought “to be inclusive and reflect the diversity” of their students. But apparently its version of “diversity and inclusion” didn’t apply to religious parents. Thankfully, these parents took a stand against this religious discrimination and won! They are now free to opt their children OUT of this woke content that goes against their religious beliefs. Hodan Hassan, one of the brave moms, joins First Liberty Live! to discuss the fight with the school district and how the families took back their First Amendment rights.

Professor Varkey faithfully taught Human Anatomy and Physiology for nearly two decades at St. Philips College. Then, the college fired him. In his termination letter, the school said they received “numerous complaints” about his “offensive” and “unacceptable religious preaching” in the classroom. But Dr. Varkey fought back against this wrongful termination and won! Now, he is going back in the fall to continue doing what he loves: teaching science. In celebration of this major victory, Dr. Varkey joins First Liberty Live! to talk about this fight and why it was a critical win for truth and freedom.

His Tabernacle Family Church, led by Pastor Micheal Spencer, just got a huge win in court for their first and second amendment rights. They challenged a New York law that prohibited firearms at places of worship. The hypocrisy of this law was that it allowed most secular establishments, like Home Depot or a local diner, to decide for if patrons can defend themselves. But houses of worship couldn’t. Pastor Micheal discusses how he not only protected his flock but defended American freedoms by standing strong against New York’s unconstitutional law.

We are happy to announce that White Rock Chapel has just won back the right to restore its sanctuary after they were met with hostility and denied the right to meet. To celebrate this important victory, property owner Dr. Don Wesson joins First Liberty Live! to share about the vision and future of the church now that they are free to worship at last!

This week on First Liberty Live! we are talking about how religious discrimination impacts employees of faith in the workplace. When the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office issued a vaccine mandate, Assistant DA Rachel Spivack requested a religious accommodation. Her Orthodox Jewish faith prohibits her from receiving any vaccines. The DA’s office denied Rachel’s request and fired her for failing to comply with their mandate. But 11 other staff members were allowed to continue working without being vaccinated. Attorney Lea Patterson lays out the outrageous details of Rachel’s case and explains how we’re defending her.

This week on First Liberty Live! you’ll get to go inside the courtroom for Aaron and Melissa Klein’s argument at the Oregon Court of Appeals. The Kleins, owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, are seeking justice after the government effectively forced them to close their business for running it according to their faith. We’re asking the Oregon Court to right their wrong and recognize Aaron and Melissa’s constitutional rights.

Right now, antisemitism is on the rise. Jewish people in America are facing newly sparked opposition thanks to the ongoing conflict in Israel. But because of faithful supporters like you, we have some good news to report. This week on First Liberty Live! we are diving into several recent victories for our Jewish clients that you may not know about. FLI attorney Ryan Gardner joins Stuart Shepard to discuss our recent wins and how we have the opportunity for an even greater victory for the Jewish people ahead of us.

This week on First Liberty Live! we talk with Pastor Chris Avell about why he is being criminally charged for opening his church to minister to the underserved people in his town. The city of Bryan, Ohio says he’s breaking the law because he opened Dad’s Place Church 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to serve his community, including anyone looking for a place to come in out of the cold.

This week on First Liberty Live! we’re talking about why this Washington D.C. metro bus ad was rejected for being “too Christian.” The organization behind the ad, WallBuilders, seeks to educate people about America’s forgotten history and heroes. The ad this organization created shows our founding father George Washington with the question “Christian?” written across the front. Because of this, it was canceled. First Liberty’s Jeremy Dys shares the details about Washington D.C.’s outrageous censorship. He explains how this is a seemingly blatant violation of free speech and what we’re doing to stop it.

As we close out December, we begin to look ahead to the upcoming year. The challenges that lay ahead are daunting, and the stakes have never been higher. In 2024, we’ll be facing off against multibillion dollar corporations, an out-of-control government, and anti-faith groups that will stop at nothing to silence your faith. But we know to fear not. God has been preparing us for such a time as this. This week on First Liberty Live! Kelly Shackelford, President, CEO and Chief Counsel, discusses the upcoming year. He’ll unpack all the opportunities and challenges it will provide and why we should have more hope for the future of religious freedom than ever before. If you want to know how you can be praying and supporting First Liberty, this episode is an essential holiday watch. Don’t miss our last episode of the year!

2023 has been an incredible year for religious freedom. Together, we’ve completely changed the landscape in the fight for faith. This year alone, we’ve won for houses of worship, synagogues, health care workers and all employees of faith. Today, our Chief Legal Officer Jeff Mateer joins First Liberty Live! to recap this historic year by discussing the cases that have impacted religious freedom the most. From our Supreme Court win that redefined religious accommodations in the workplace to our recent victory at the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals that impacted all New York houses of worship, Jeff will provide his unique insight into the meaning behind these wins. Check out today’s episode to learn why 2023 was a pivotal year for religious freedom.   Double the impact of your gift with our $600,000 Matching Grant when you give by Dec. 31 »

It’s getting close to Christmas and that means that First Liberty is celebrating the best way we know how – by recapping our greatest holiday victories! Kelly Shackelford, President, CEO and Chief Counsel, joins today’s show to discuss some of our biggest cases from years past that directly involve Christmas and the holidays. You’ll hear about a student banned from handing out candy canes, kids prevented from singing Christmas carols and more. Plus, you’ll hear about how you can live out your faith this holiday season.

Today on First Liberty Live!, our dear friend Coach Joe Kennedy joins us to fill us in on how life after coaching is treating him. You’ll hear him share stories from his new book Average Joe. From his time in the Marines through his journey to find the path that God created for him, Joe shares candidly about what he learned about faith along the way. You won’t want to miss this timely update from the coach that took a stand for faith by taking a knee in prayer.