Episode Details

In this episode of Faith & Clarity, Dr. Mark Turman is joined by Joel Penton, founder of LifeWise Academy, to explore a growing movement bringing Bible education to public school students during the school day through a unique, Supreme Court–recognized model.

Together, they discuss how these programs are launching in communities across the country, how they navigate funding and school partnerships, and the impact they’re having on students’ lives. The conversation also addresses important questions around religious freedom and what it looks like for churches and families to help the next generation engage Scripture in today’s culture.

Topics

• (0:00) Introduction 
• (5:50) Scaling LifeWise nationwide
• (9:09) How communities start
• (15:52) Religious freedom for all
• (18:26) Curriculum and teachers
• (22:22) Finding movement builders
• (26:04) Public schools value proposition
• (30:04) Gospel-centered curriculum
• (37:00) Starting small and scaling
• (40:12) Faith calling and wrap up

Resources

• LifeWise Academy
• Allstate Wuerffel Trophy
• Danny Wuerffel
• Ask Us Anything: info@denisonforum.org
• Sign-up for a Denison Forum newsletter: DenisonForum.org/subscribe

About Joel Penton

Joel Penton is the founder and CEO of LifeWise Academy, a program that brings Bible education to public school students during the school day. Before his 15-year career in ministry leadership, Joel was a defensive tackle at Ohio State University, where he received the prestigious Danny Wuerffel Trophy, often called the “Humanitarian Heisman.” He is also an author and public speaker. Joel lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife, Bethany, and their six children.

About Dr. Mark Turman

Dr. Mark Turman serves as the Executive Director of Denison Forum, where he leads with a passion for equipping believers to navigate today’s complex culture with biblical truth. He is best known as the host of the Faith & Clarity podcast and the lead pastor of the Possum Kingdom Lake Chapel, the in-person congregation of Denison Ministries.

Dr. Turman is the coauthor of Sacred Sexuality: Reclaiming God’s Design and Who Am I? What the Bible Says About Identity and Why it Matters. He earned his undergraduate degree from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, and received his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He later completed his Doctor of Ministry degree at George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University in Waco.

Before joining Denison Forum, Mark served as a pastor for thirty-five years, including twenty-five years as the founding pastor of Crosspoint Church in McKinney, Texas. Mark and his high school sweetheart, Judi, married in 1986. They ar