From Science to Scripture: What did Moses know about bacteria?
Release Date: 04/11/2025
“No perfect leaders, no perfect lives”: Five common qualities of Biblical leaders / November 2025
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
OCF MINISTRY NEWS If you are interested in this opportunity at White Sulphur Springs (Manns Choice, Pa.), contact WSS Center Director Paul Robyn (wssdirector@ocfusa.org) or WSS Director of Hospitality Susanne Pappal (wssoffice@ocfusa.org) or call (814) 623-5583 for further information and an application. Your gift—large or small—directly provides opportunities for widowed members of the OCF family to find comfort, community, and Christ-centered encouragement at our Conference Centers. Visit ocfusa.org/givingtuesday to learn more and donate now. Register for a...
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Leadership Micro-series: A leader’s responsibility to care for people / Crosspoint Highlights
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
In the final episode of this Crosspoint Highlights micro-series on leadership, Col Jassen Bluto, USAF (Ret.), shares his third core principle—caring—and what it truly means to care for the people you lead. Far from being sentimental, Bluto explains that genuine care is a leader’s responsibility to meet both the physical and emotional needs of those under their command. Drawing from his military experience, he shares how simple, compassionate acts—like ensuring subordinates have proper equipment or recognizing when someone needs time to regroup—can transform a unit’s morale and...
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Leadership Micro-series: Four attributes of respect / Crosspoint Highlights
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
In part two of this Crosspoint Highlights micro-series on leadership, Col Jassen Bluto, USAF (Ret.), explores the second core principle—respect—and breaks it down into four key expressions: respect for your unit, for each other, for yourself, and for the authority entrusted to you. He explains that genuine respect begins with love for the people you serve alongside and extends to humility in how you lead them. Bluto cautions against the pride that can accompany rank or privilege, urging leaders instead to see their authority as a responsibility to mentor, develop, and care for others....
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Leadership Micro-series: Being a trustworthy leader / Crosspoint Highlights
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
In this first part of the Crosspoint Highlights micro-series on leadership, Col Jassen Bluto, USAF (Ret.), unpacks the foundational principle of trust. He explains that true leadership requires both character and competence: the moral integrity that inspires confidence and the professional skill that earns respect. Drawing from personal experience as a squadron commander, Bluto discusses how accountability, care for people, and technical excellence work together to build trust within a team. He shares real-life examples of mentoring, correction, and difficult personnel decisions, showing that...
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"Good leadership lifts others”: Practical truths for Biblical leadership, Part 1 / October 2025
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
OCF MINISTRY NEWS Keep an eye out for this fall’s Connected print newsletter: A digital copy of the newsletter is also available online at ocfusa.org/connected Serve as the ministry support volunteer position: Check out the full volunteer listing for details and the application. Calling all female cadets & mids: Connect with your peers via OCF Sisters in Service’s monthly Zoom calls. Find out more on SIS’ Instagram: Register for a Winter Retreat session at one of OCF’s Conference Centers: 20-27...
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Bridges instead of islands: The state of the military sisterhood / September 2025
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
OCF MINISTRY NEWS Check out and attend any of these local events: Aspentime Retreat: 26-28 September at Spring Canyon (Buena Vista, Colo.) BBQ Bonanza: 3-4 October at Fort Leavenworth (Kan.) OCF Hampton Roads Region Annual Fall Picnic: 4 October at Fort Monroe, Va. USNA Fall Retreat: 10-13 October at White Sulphur Springs (Manns Choice, Pa.) OCF Mid-Atlantic Fall Retreat: 14-16 November at White Sulphur Springs (Manns Choice, Pa.) Start an OCF small group: Read Rich's...
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Military Brats React: What makes the difference in raising military kids
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
Show Notes In this second part of “Military Brats React,” host Courtney Burdick continues the roundtable conversation with 2LT Dani Volle, USA, ENS Mary Ann Leonard, USN, and Matt Taylor as they reflect on their experiences growing up in military families. While the first part of the discussion centered on the challenges and mental health struggles faced by military kids, this episode shifts to the “strengths-based perspective”—seeing the good that can come out of a hard, transient lifestyle—. Have thoughts or want to share your own experience? Reach out to...
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Military Brats React: Mental health, faith, and finding strength
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
In a recent Crosspoint episode, In this follow-up conversation, Courtney Burdick hosts three fellow military kids—2LT Dani Volle, USA, ENS Mary Ann Leonard, USN, and Matt Taylor—for a roundtable-style reaction episode. Having met at they discuss stories from their respective military kid experiences, thoughts on Claire’s research, and more. Have thoughts or want to share your own experience? Reach out to Courtney at courtney.burdick@ocfusa.org. If you would like to share your own story, Alternatively, if you have an idea for a guest or topic we should consider for a...
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Faithful Leadership: You won’t get this perfect—and that’s OK
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
The July episode of Crosspoint served as Part 1 of a conversation with LTC Lee Robinson, USA, director of the U.S. Military Academy’s American Politics Program and an academy professor in the Department of Social Sciences. We began answering this overarching question—"What does it look like to follow Christ in uniform, when your faith is personal, your authority is public, and the Constitution sets the boundaries?” In Part 2 we continue this timely discussion on how Christian military leaders can live out their faith with integrity, while respecting the pluralism of today’s armed...
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“Just see God at work”: Prioritizing Biblical mentorship / August 2025
OCF Crosspoint Podcast
OCF MINISTRY NEWS Become findable on the OCF Directory: to add or update your group’s information on our online directory of Bible studies. Apply for Spring Canyon’s Deputy Center Director opening: and apply NLT 15 August. Check out our new Widowed Ministry webpage: helpful resources, invitations to fellowship, and scholarship funding for summer programs at the Conference Centers. GUEST SPOTLIGHT Why is mentoring important to the Christian in the military? Answering that question and others in this episode are COL Jim Brown, USA (Ret.), and...
info_outlineQuick links:
- Summer R&R 1 at White Sulphur Springs
- All Summer R&R sessions at WSS
- All Summer Celebrations at Spring Canyon
- The Starting Point Project website
Episode summary:
In this bonus episode, Jay Seegert, managing director of the Starting Point Project, shares his journey from a Christian upbringing to becoming a prominent speaker on defending the Christian worldview. He discusses the importance of understanding the differences between a biblical and a Christian worldview, emphasizing the need for clarity in definitions to engage in meaningful discussions.
Jay also highlights the challenges of defending faith in a secular environment and the significance of grounding beliefs in Scripture rather than external influences. In this conversation, Jay and Crosspoint host Josh Jackson explore the relationship between science and the Christian worldview, addressing skepticism, the purpose of defending faith, and the importance of gentleness in apologetics. They emphasize that understanding Scripture does not require extensive scientific knowledge and that foundational questions about God's existence and the Bible's inspiration are crucial for Christians.
The discussion highlights the need for respectful dialogue and the power of God's Word in addressing doubts and skepticism. There’s also discussion on the intersection of science, faith, and the interpretation of Biblical texts regarding the age of the Earth, the concept of death, and the existence of dinosaurs. Jay emphasizes the importance of understanding one's beliefs and the implications of those beliefs on one's worldview.
Listeners also will hear more about the Starting Point Project, which aims to help individuals explore their foundational beliefs and engage in meaningful conversations about faith and science.