Brant Hansen

I get asked: "If I forgive someone, does that mean I have to stay in relationship with them?" The answer: No. But oddly, if you DON'T forgive someone, you're choosing to stay in relationship with them. They're still playing a toxic role in your life. Forgiveness is freedom.

@danwhitejr @JeffVanderstelt Yep... and FWIW, even when "Paul 'preached' until midnight" he didn't preach like we preach. The Greek is about dialog. It was a discussion. There's no modern-style preaching to believers in the NT.

@JeffVanderstelt My Thesis was on this - it is between 5%-8%, almost every time (even with PowerPoint, etc) Harvard's research on this is undeniable. But that shouldn't even be our primary motivation - Jesus preached dialogical and anyone that does a little biblical historical work knows this.

I received no small amount of pushback from a recent Tweet. A few questioned the validity of the statement. I decided to do some research and discovered there is reason to question the 5% retention from lecture claim.

Athletes are those of us who can sneak past the gatekeepers. They're not actors or journalists in echo chambers. They're more representative. They're the few of us who have a platform for a few seconds on major outlets. They want to thank God? Cool. Me, too.

The man I’ve called Daddy, died. Dr. John M. Perkins died this morning, March 13, 2026, surrounded at home by his wife and family. To the world, he was Dr. John M. Perkins, a voice for justice, reconciliation, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. He received 19 honorary doctorate degrees, but most importantly, he was the devoted husband of his bride, Vera Mae Perkins, for 74 years, and together they were blessed with 8 children. But to me, he was Daddy. My heart is broken, yet full of gratitude for the gift of being his daughter. His life was marked by courage, humility, faith, and love. He poured himself out for God, for people, and for the work of reconciliation. Please keep our family in your prayers as we grieve, honor, and celebrate his extraordinary life and legacy. Daddy, thank you. We love you, and we will carry your legacy forward. V. Elizabeth Perkins

@RickGreenlee So messed up

@FiveTimesAugust “I agree with the celebrity that celebrity opinions are invalid.”

Yesterday: “I agree with what Gene Simmons said! Celebrities need to shut up and stay out of politics!” 😡 Today: “OMG Jake Paul at Trumps rally!” 😍

@coltondixon Miss you bro. Hope you are well!

Can't wait to worship with you all on tour next week! Who's gonna be there?

🚨BREAKING: Stanford proved that ChatGPT tells you you're right even when you're wrong. Even when you're hurting someone. And it's making you a worse person because of it. Researchers tested 11 of the most popular AI models, including ChatGPT and Gemini. They analyzed over 11,500 real advice-seeking conversations. The finding was universal. Every single model agreed with users 50% more than a human would. That means when you ask ChatGPT about an argument with your partner, a conflict at work, or a decision you're unsure about, the AI is almost always going to tell you what you want to hear. Not what you need to hear. It gets darker. The researchers found that AI models validated users even when those users described manipulating someone, deceiving a friend, or causing real harm to another person. The AI didn't push back. It didn't challenge them. It cheered them on. Then they ran the experiment that changes everything. 1,604 people discussed real personal conflicts with AI. One group got a sycophantic AI. The other got a neutral one. The sycophantic group became measurably less willing to apologize. Less willing to compromise. Less willing to see the other person's side. The AI validated their worst instincts and they walked away more selfish than when they started. Here's the trap. Participants rated the sycophantic AI as higher quality. They trusted it more. They wanted to use it again. The AI that made them worse people felt like the better product. This creates a cycle nobody is talking about. Users prefer AI that tells them they're right. Companies train AI to keep users happy. The AI gets better at flattering. Users get worse at self-reflection. And the loop tightens. Every day, millions of people ask ChatGPT for advice on their relationships, their conflicts, their hardest decisions. And every day, it tells almost all of them the same thing. You're right. They're wrong. Even when the opposite is true.

@NancyRPearcey It actually makes for a nice reading list.

George Orwell's 1984 and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World are novels that stand against totalitarianism. Whoever made this list is illiterate.

@witte_sergei Except for Moses, who was 80+ during the Exodus. Hollywood always depicts him much, much younger.

The race swap is the low hanging fruit, but the bigger problem is that Hannibal was 31 at the Battle of Cannae and 45 at Zama. Denzel is 71 years old. They did the same thing casting 50 year Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon. Boomer protagonist syndrome.

@jaredcwilson I had forgotten where I’d read about it!

Co-sign. I reference the film’s final scene in an illustration in my upcoming book on midlife.

@DavidDudrick @SohrabAhmari Honored!

@branthansen @SohrabAhmari Really, who’s the last president period who could claim such a thing? (Can’t resist adding: listening to you and Sherri on Air One on the way to/ from hockey practices are some great and indelible memories — thank you!)

Not sure Americans needed Tucker to fool them into seeing Trump as a force for foreign-policy restraint.

We watched "Jay Kelly" last night, the George Clooney movie on Netflix. I don't cry at movies... but this one got me. What a final scene. I can barely talk about it without tearing up. It's a remarkably pro-family film. Not in the sense that it's "clean"--it's rated R, just for language--but in its impact. My kids are grown up. I don't have regrets, thankfully, about not spending enough time with them. But the movie still moved me. HIGHLY recommend for young dads and moms.

@DolphinHelpful @AutismBookClub @sarahsalviander I’d offer that forgiveness necessitates giving up our right to anger and revenge. It makes no sense to say “I forgive you, but I’m staying angry.” It’s a radical thing. I don’t recall it in the novel, much as I enjoy Dumas.

@AutismBookClub @branthansen @sarahsalviander the book showed our need to beseech the Lord in this way and why we are forgiven in accordance to the extent we forgive. Forgiveness is not easy. Pretending it is, has led to modern Protestantism where all struggle has been bypassed in the name of cheap grace.

Reading this book in college was a significant factor in my transformation from atheist to theist. It convinced me Christianity was far from philosophically trivial. Plus, it's a great story. Highly recommended.

@DolphinHelpful @AutismBookClub @sarahsalviander I honestly missed the forgiveness part. I may need to re-read. I just remember an overlong and strange revenge tour. I did love the first part of the book and enjoyed it, overall.

@AutismBookClub @branthansen @sarahsalviander This is a book about revenge and ultimately about surrender and forgiveness. Very much christian coded

@kwheeler61 Honored!

@branthansen Changed my life. I thought righteous anger was a badge of honor! At best I could admit my expression of rage was wrong, but my reason always seemed noble. Ugh…. Man, I love grace! I am 65 and I can change and live free of anger- who knew! My wife, kids and grand say thanks!

I think the reason this book continues to sell (currently Amazon #1 best seller in Christian Social Issues) isn't because the author is particularly brilliant, or because of his accordion-playing chops. I think it's because: 1) It's counter-intuitive. Like Dallas Willard said, anger is American Christians' biggest problem, because they're not "taught out of it." 2) There's not a single person who doesn't struggle with anger. 3) This is about apprenticeship to Jesus, and learning his way of living. 4) And that Way is truly freeing. It's more restful. Lighter and easier. Living this way will change you. 5) It can help you become a kind of person who can address injustice constructively in life with a clear head. 6) It can be read with others, and integrated into life immediately. You can get the book free at the library. Or borrow it from somebody. I'm not trying to sell something. I wrote it, however imperfectly, because I mean it. This is a better way for us to live and engage with others. Yes, forgiveness is hard--at least at first--but a life of unforgiveness is much harder.

@MichaelRWear Amazing! I keep trying this section, too, thanks to D-Will's recommendation. ("D-Will" used to mean point guard Deron Williams until I started reading/listening to Willard.)

I've always wanted to memorize Colossians 3:1-17. I think I'm going to make a real effort toward it this Lent, and hope the Holy Spirit returns to me my teenage, script-memorizing brain in place of my current, toddler-addled dad brain.

@kevinlevart Thanks! I seriously enjoy reading the audiobooks. More fun than radio, even, because I know the script!

@branthansen I thoroughly enjoyed the audio book.

@brainmindlife LOL. I'm hoping and waiting for that call from Thomas Nelson to be a spokesmodel.

@branthansen I specifically bought this book because of your accordion-playing chops, your brilliance, and your rigged handsomeness.