Take New Ground

In 1975, Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, Loren Cunningham of Youth With a Mission, and the great Christian Philosopher Francis Shaffer all received what they and many others believed to be a word from the Lord that directed them to lead Christendom to systematically and intentionally conquer the Seven Mountains of Influence.

Their intentionality in the late 1970s and early 1980s, together with others working toward the same goal, resulted in a time when the Moral Majority held sway over the direction of this country. God raised up leaders like Ronald Reagan to usher in a period of unprecedented economic and military strength, which in turn led to the defeat of the old Soviet Union and brought the Cold War to an end.

Today, we are sensing some of those same stirrings of moral clarity and passionate patriotism. Our country faces new enemies, both foreign and domestic, but the tides are finally changing in our favor once again. Now more than ever, we must continue the surge to reclaim those mountains that God revealed to Christian leaders many years ago.

The seven Mountains are family, religion, education, media, arts and business, and government. Those are the spheres where culture is shaped. I promise you—the enemy is seeking to occupy and leverage his influence in those seven spheres, and entertainment, so should we.

1. Family
^{Genesis 2:24
"A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."}

Family is where worldviews are first formed. The enemy knows that if he can fracture the family, he can fracture a nation. Christians must be models of covenant marriage, biblical parenting, and multi-generational faithfulness.

I want to challenge our county and city officials to cooperate with Governor DeSantis's leadership in declaring June “Responsible Fatherhood Month” in 2026. Fairfax County, Virginia, has already taken this step to leverage the month of June for something that will build up families.

2. Religion
^{Ephesians 3:10
"Through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known..."}

Just this week, the Empire City has selected Zohran Mamdani as the Democratic candidate for Mayor of that Great City. Mandani is the most ANTI-CHRIST candidate for that office the world has ever seen. If Islam is going to raise up men to step into public office, the Church must answer.

In every society, faith is upstream from everything. When the Church is strong, bold, and pure, everything else follows.

3. Education
^{Deuteronomy 6:7
“You shall teach [God’s words] diligently to your children…”}

We’ve seen a slow and steady erasing of God from the classroom for decades.
But that tide can—and must—turn. We must demand that books with a pornographic or immoral agenda be struck from our school libraries, and we must hold our administrators accountable.

Just this week, the Supreme Court of the US sided with parents who spoke out against these materials. We need parents who run for the school board, teachers who stand for truth, and students who are unashamed of the Gospel.

If we fail to disciple the next generation, the culture will happily do it for us. Let’s take back the ground we surrendered. Let’s redeem education for the glory of God.

4. Media
^{John 8:32
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."}

Right here in Fernandina Beach, we launched a ministry called Code Red Talk—designed not just to speak into our moment, but to shout truth around the globe. With every broadcast, every podcast, every YouTube upload, we are planting flags in digital mission fields.

The Great Commission didn’t stop with Jerusalem—it stretched to the ends of the earth. And today, it stretches to earbuds, smartphones, and streaming platforms. You may not stand behind a pulpit, but you have a platform. Use it. Your voice matters. Your testimony matters.

Media is not just about facts—it’s about framing reality. We need Christian voices in journalism, broadcasting, podcasting, and social platforms. Ministries like Code Red Talk are doing just that—taking the truth from here to the nations. If the enemy has a microphone, so must we.

5. Arts and Entertainment
^{Psalm 33:3
"Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy!"}

God is the Creator. Creativity isn’t optional—it’s in our spiritual DNA. But for too long, we’ve let Hollywood tell the stories. We’ve let the world define beauty, identity, and purpose. It’s time for a Christian renaissance in art, music, film, and media. We need filmmakers, authors, songwriters, actors—who don’t just entertain, but inspire and declare truth.

This mountain speaks to the heart. Film, music, literature, and theater move the soul. But too often they’ve been abandoned to darkness. We need songwriters, screenwriters, and storytellers who are anointed to inspire truth, beauty, and virtue.

We must stop criticizing the culture and start creating it.

6. Business
^{Deuteronomy 8:18
"Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth..."}

Business leaders can fund vision and steward influence. Christian entrepreneurs are needed not just to build wealth, but to build the Kingdom—to fund missions, serve communities, and disciple in the marketplace.

If God has blessed your hands, it’s time to extend them.

7. Government
^{Proverbs 29:2
“When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”}

We cannot afford to vote every four years and think our job is done. We need godly men and women running for city commissions, county school boards, state legislatures, and Congress. Imagine if just a handful of believers in every district said, “Here I am, Lord—send me.” The laws would change. The culture would shift. The groaning would give way to rejoicing.

Christians must run for office, serve on school boards, vote biblically, and challenge corruption wherever it hides. If we abandon government, we abandon justice. If we speak up, we can turn the tide.

Let’s take new ground—for our families, for our faith, for our future.

Not by might, not by power, but by His Spirit, says the Lord. Let’s not just preserve the past—let’s take new ground in our time:

• Let’s train up children who won’t just survive—but thrive.
• Let’s raise up leaders who fear God more than man.
• Let’s create content that renews the mind and uplifts the soul.
• Let’s send the gospel into every corner of culture.

We’re not called to escape the world—we’re called to engage it. God bless you. God bless Fernandina Beach. And God bless the United States of America.