00:00 The Nation's Real Need Is Spiritual
00:46 The 2026 Midterm Results
02:18 Is It Right to Be Concerned?
02:33 God Is Sovereign Over Everything
03:41 Sovereignty Is No Excuse for Inactivity
04:47 The Common Grace of Moral Sanity
06:15 Proverbs 21:1: The King's Heart
06:39 Pray for Those in Authority (1 Timothy 2)
07:31 How to Pray for a New Senator
09:14 How Do We Maximize Righteousness?
10:48 Even If You Doubt the Vote Count
11:38 Set Your Focus on Christ
12:12 Encouragement From Haggai 2
12:59 Is God Judging Our Nation?
15:02 We Can't Vote Our Way Out
15:24 The Coarseness of Public Discourse
17:58 Jeremiah 9 and Hope for the Future
19:08 The Lord Is Always Working
20:19 America in the Span of History
Subscribe to the Straight Truth Podcast channel for more biblical exposition. We encourage you to listen to the linked sermons below that reflect solid reformed theology and clear expository preaching. We hope they encourage you to faithful Christian living as a servant of the Lord through the aftermath of these 2026 midterm results and beyond.
Encouragement Behind and Ahead: https://youtu.be/5oBqjA_8ah4
The Sovereignty of God: https://youtu.be/hBYImXogg6A
Dead Churches: https://youtu.be/Mo7eE33a3t4
Setting Things in Order: https://youtu.be/qgpWpqShyo4
A Christian Vision for Engaging the World - Pt. 1: https://youtu.be/NP3_e7c929s
A Christian Vision for Engaging the World - Pt. 2: https://youtu.be/OHYr5hYLQ8w
The Christian's Relationship to Governing Authorities: https://youtu.be/3gzMLMu16lc
Discernment and the Doctrine of Christ: https://youtu.be/ObC1GxH544I
The Sovereign Unveiling of the Man of Lawlessness: https://youtu.be/Rb9Uhqd9r0w
God's Love in the World of Unbelievers: https://youtu.be/gch3i7EKLH0
One Ambition: To Please Christ: https://youtu.be/i6E4ggezIwc
Faith Tested by Fire: https://youtu.be/GpscFnfxuYY
In the Lion's Den: https://youtu.be/ik1ZyoNc6NE
After the sweeping results of the 2026 midterms, many believers are asking: should Christians be worried about America? Following major shifts in Congress and key Texas offices, host Josh Philpot asks Pastor Richard Caldwell how to view these changes from a biblical worldview. Together, they discuss what a Christian response to the election results should look like.
Pastor Caldwell says it is right to be concerned, the question is what we will do with those concerns. First, God is sovereign over everything. Throughout history Christians have been called to live out their lives under difficult circumstances, including authoritarian and anti-Christian regimes. We must remember that this world is not our home and that we're called to serve Christ wherever He has planted us - politics do not change that.
Second, we must not use God's sovereignty to excuse inactivity. As Haggai 2 shows, God calls His discouraged people to rebuild the temple even as things in their eyes aren't looking great. Pastor Caldwell mentions a recent statistic that only about 17 to 18 percent of evangelicals voted, noting that if this is true, it is a shame. Having children and grandchildren, he cares deeply about the nation's long-term future, not just the next two to four years. For believers, it is never merely about politics, it's about morality. Christians must understand the difference between Christianity and God's common grace and the restraint on man's evil. While we have a right and a responsibility to vote, we should never support or vote for candidates who represent moral insanity. While recognizing the private failures of conservative political candidates, Christians must distinguish personal failures from public policy and firmly prioritize the common grace of moral sanity over candidates and platforms that promote moral insanity.
Pastor Caldwell explains that Proverbs 21:1 demonstrates that the king's heart is in the Lord's hand; God turns and directs it wherever He wishes. God has the ability to change the hearts of those who lead over us; therefore, we want to pray for them, for their salvation. Pastor Caldwell reminds us that 1 Timothy 2 calls us to pray for all men, including those in authority, and Romans 13 instructs us to be submissive and peaceful citizens. When asked how to pray for a newly elected Texas senator who claims to be a Christian while holding unbiblical views on gender, abortion, and God Himself, Pastor Caldwell says we pray for his salvation and for wisdom in his decision making. We should pray that the Lord prospers his work to the extent that it prospers the church and God's people.
Now that the election is over, how do we live and act in ways that maximize righteousness? We must pursue prayer and evangelism, as the nation's true need is spiritual, not political. Only salvation in Christ brings real and lasting change.
As citizens of an earthly nation but heirs to an eternal kingdom, our calling is to simply remain faithful today and trust Him completely with tomorrow.
