Courage to Stand: Discipling Your Family to Overcome in a Culture of Fear with John Stamper

Master Books Podcast: John Stamper on Courage to Stand  
Host: Jennifer White 
Guest: John Stamper 

Jennifer White
Well, hello and welcome back to the Master Books podcast! I'm Jennifer White, and today John Stamper is joining me to talk about his brand-new book, Courage to Stand. This is an outstanding book that you and your whole family are going to love. It’s so inspiring and so needed for the time we're living in.

We're excited for you to hear from John himself about why he wrote this book, what you’ll gain from it, and how it will help your family. Plus, I'll be giving away a digital copy of Courage to Stand: Profiles of Enduring Faith. To enter, check out the Moms of Master Books Facebook group or the Master Books app, find the post about this podcast, and answer the question. One winner will be selected from each platform.

At Master Books, we’re dedicated to helping you disciple your children and build strong faith as a family through Pro-Bible homeschool curriculum and beautiful books that honor God as Creator. We also offer online courses to help your family worship and serve God. So, without further ado, let's dive into today’s podcast.

Jennifer White
Welcome back, John. How are you?

John Stamper
Hi, thanks for having me. I'm doing great. How are you?

Jennifer White 
I'm doing great! It’s been a little while since we talked, but I’m so excited to hear you’ve got a new family member. Do you want to share?

John Stamper  
Yeah, so in February—February 9th, to be exact—my wife and I welcomed our son, Teddy. He's almost seven months old now, and he started crawling forward a couple of weeks ago. The day after he started crawling, he also tried to stand up! He’s moving fast, but he’s happy and healthy, and we’re really blessed.

Jennifer White
That’s amazing! For our listeners, John is also a coach at MasterBooksAcademy.com. He offers PE courses for all ages up to seventh and eighth grade, a strength and conditioning course, and even a family-friendly geo-caching course. John, tell us more about your background. This isn’t your first book, and I’m so grateful for your perseverance and courage in writing both of them.

John Stamper
Thanks, Jennifer! Sure, a little about my background—I'm a former homeschooler. My parents made the choice back in the early '90s, before the internet was even a thing. Later, I became a teacher and taught in both public and private schools for 13 years. My last year of teaching was during the COVID pandemic (2020-2021), and I wrote about that experience in my first book. After leaving teaching, I partnered with Master Books, creating homeschool courses and writing my first book. Now, here we are with my second one, and I feel incredibly blessed to be doing what I’m doing now.

Jennifer White  
Your first book, *Conflicted: Pulling Back the Curtain on Public Education*, took a bold stance, helping parents see what's really going on behind the scenes in schools. Now, your second book, *Courage to Stand: Profiles of Enduring Faith*, is a perfect next step. I love biographies that teach us how to live out our faith through the lives of great men and women of God. You’ve written about nine different people who took bold stances for Christ throughout history. Why do you think Christians need this book right now?

John Stamper  
Thanks! I love how you said this book is a perfect next step, because that’s exactly why I wrote it. My first book focused on the challenges I faced in teaching—being caught in a conflict where I had to choose between obeying God or school policies. It was scary because my career was on the line. That’s where the motivation for Courage to Stand came from. It’s about facing fear. I think many Christians today are afraid to engage in culture because the stakes are high. This book profiles nine courageous Christians, past and present, who boldly stood on God’s Word in the face of adversity. My hope is to encourage others to seek God, stand on His Word, and engage in the spiritual battles we’re facing.

Jennifer White
I love how you structured the book. Each biography shows how these people endured great persecution or trials to stand for Christ. Can you explain how the framework you used is interwoven into each story?

John Stamper 
Absolutely! The idea behind the framework is that, while what we’re facing now might seem unprecedented, Christians have gone through similar challenges throughout history. God isn’t surprised by our struggles—He has everything worked out. I used the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the Old Testament as the foundation. These three stood up to King Nebuchadnezzar, refused to bow down to the idol, and trusted God to deliver them. That story is mirrored in the lives of the Christians I’ve profiled in this book.