Hello and welcome back to the Engage Your Destiny podcast. I’m Ben Peterson, the founder and CEO of Engage Your Destiny. It’s a blessing to connect with you again as we pursue the great commission and bring the gospel to military personnel worldwide. We’re witnessing God do miraculous things in the lives of our military veterans and their families.
It feels great to be back with you now that we’re in 2026. I realize it’s been some time since our last gathering, but we’ve been dedicating ourselves to a significant project that has consumed much of my focus, in addition to managing a rapidly expanding organization. This growth is evident on military bases across the country, and I’ll discuss it further in next week’s podcast.
Today, I want to share some insights on what we’ve been working on these past two months, which we’ll be unveiling shortly. Last year, some might recall our podcast series exploring the hypothetical scenario of ChatGPT as a destructive force, identified by my wife’s curiosity. The ideas that emerged from interacting with ChatGPT were profound, addressing societal issues like instant gratification, familial disintegration, and a decline in trust towards scripture and God.
This inquiry propelled God to enlighten me about the necessity of writing on the impact of technology and artificial intelligence on our lives. This project was set to be the content of a new book I had started. However, distractions such as football veered me off course, until a church service reignited the urgency. During worship, I strongly felt God urging me to complete this book or face the withdrawal of His grace for this mission.
Reflecting on a similar divine command during the Hero’s Honor Festival, a significant outreach for honoring and supporting veterans, I knew the importance of obedience. Now, God calls me to write a book to prepare the church and military for impending global changes influenced by technology.
On this journey, I’m providing a progress update and assure you of our future consistency in podcasts, content, interviews, and leadership thoughts on navigating this new era. We are entering a transformative time—akin to how smartphones reshaped communication and social media redefined societal interaction.
With the prevalent epidemic of suicide, anxiety, and depression among youth, we’re cautioned against allowing unfiltered access to social media for under-16s. A recent discussion with a parent underscored regrets over premature social media exposure for their 17-year-old. It’s crucial we recognize these digital experiences to prevent catastrophic societal impacts, especially with the looming influence of artificial intelligence.
AI’s ascendance threatens jobs, industries, interpersonal relationships, and cognition, paralleling historical technological revolutions like the car or the internet. The emergence of supercomputers will present super-intelligence, unprecedented in our collective history. This spring, the pre-sale announcement of my upcoming book will spotlight these themes of navigating faith amidst AI upheavals.
This knowledge is pivotal, especially for military personnel, now required to integrate AI learning into their routine, partly to compete with China’s AI ambitions. The focus is discerning between divine guidance and AI influence—which prompts a national book campaign and speaking tour aiming to raise consciousness.
In essence, we face a choice: to ignore these transformations or actively engage with them. I’m committed to ensuring preparedness, propagating thoughtful leadership on this topic through varied channels and supporting tangible content. Will you stand alongside Engage Your Destiny? Over 6,000 military have recently taken steps in faith, with God igniting movements on military bases.
I invite you to visit EngageYourDestiny.org, engage with our mission, and share this podcast. Together, let’s make a difference.
Let me conclude with a prayer: Jesus, thank you for your work in the military and our lives. I pray for destiny and clarity over everyone listening, and courage before God, touching each listener with faith. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thank you for staying with us. You’ll hear from me again soon.
Hello and welcome back to the Engage Your Destiny podcast. I’m Ben Peterson, the founder and CEO of Engage Your Destiny. It’s a blessing to connect with you again as we pursue the great commission and bring the gospel to military personnel worldwide. We’re witnessing God do miraculous things in the lives of our military veterans and their families.
It feels great to be back with you now that we’re in 2026. I realize it’s been some time since our last gathering, but we’ve been dedicating ourselves to a significant project that has consumed much of my focus, in addition to managing a rapidly expanding organization. This growth is evident on military bases across the country, and I’ll discuss it further in next week’s podcast.
Today, I want to share some insights on what we’ve been working on these past two months, which we’ll be unveiling shortly. Last year, some might recall our podcast series exploring the hypothetical scenario of ChatGPT as a destructive force, identified by my wife’s curiosity. The ideas that emerged from interacting with ChatGPT were profound, addressing societal issues like instant gratification, familial disintegration, and a decline in trust towards scripture and God.
This inquiry propelled God to enlighten me about the necessity of writing on the impact of technology and artificial intelligence on our lives. This project was set to be the content of a new book I had started. However, distractions such as football veered me off course, until a church service reignited the urgency. During worship, I strongly felt God urging me to complete this book or face the withdrawal of His grace for this mission.
Reflecting on a similar divine command during the Hero’s Honor Festival, a significant outreach for honoring and supporting veterans, I knew the importance of obedience. Now, God calls me to write a book to prepare the church and military for impending global changes influenced by technology.
On this journey, I’m providing a progress update and assure you of our future consistency in podcasts, content, interviews, and leadership thoughts on navigating this new era. We are entering a transformative time—akin to how smartphones reshaped communication and social media redefined societal interaction.
With the prevalent epidemic of suicide, anxiety, and depression among youth, we’re cautioned against allowing unfiltered access to social media for under-16s. A recent discussion with a parent underscored regrets over premature social media exposure for their 17-year-old. It’s crucial we recognize these digital experiences to prevent catastrophic societal impacts, especially with the looming influence of artificial intelligence.
AI’s ascendance threatens jobs, industries, interpersonal relationships, and cognition, paralleling historical technological revolutions like the car or the internet. The emergence of supercomputers will present super-intelligence, unprecedented in our collective history. This spring, the pre-sale announcement of my upcoming book will spotlight these themes of navigating faith amidst AI upheavals.
This knowledge is pivotal, especially for military personnel, now required to integrate AI learning into their routine, partly to compete with China’s AI ambitions. The focus is discerning between divine guidance and AI influence—which prompts a national book campaign and speaking tour aiming to raise consciousness.
In essence, we face a choice: to ignore these transformations or actively engage with them. I’m committed to ensuring preparedness, propagating thoughtful leadership on this topic through varied channels and supporting tangible content. Will you stand alongside Engage Your Destiny? Over 6,000 military have recently taken steps in faith, with God igniting movements on military bases.
I invite you to visit EngageYourDestiny.org, engage with our mission, and share this podcast. Together, let’s make a difference.
Let me conclude with a prayer: Jesus, thank you for your work in the military and our lives. I pray for destiny and clarity over everyone listening, and courage before God, touching each listener with faith. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thank you for staying with us. You’ll hear from me again soon.
