Episode 132. The Lie of Best-Selfism
Mama Bear Apologetics
Hillary Morgan Ferrer & Amy Davison
4.8 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 2 September 2025
⏱️ 60 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This episode tackles the cultural lie of Best-Selfism — the belief that personal happiness and fulfillment should be the highest priorities in life, often at the expense of faith and family. Host Amy Davison argues that this ideology, endorsed by celebrities like Tom Brady and various influencers, is a destructive blend of emotionalism, self-help, and idol worship. Contrasting this worldview, they uplift Scotty Scheffler’s Christ-centered perspective, where faith and family take precedence over personal or professional success. The episode emphasizes the biblical model of self-denial, sacrificial love, and discipleship within the home.
Main Points Covered
- Definition and Dangers of Best Selfism
- Examples in Culture
- Biblical Response to Best Selfism
- Spiritual and Cultural Consequences
- How to Combat the Lie of Best-Selfism
Resources & Organizations Mentioned
Scriptures:
- Genesis 3 – The original lie and temptation
- Exodus 6:7 – God claiming His people
- 1 Peter 2:9 – Our identity in Christ
- 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 6:20 – Transformation and honoring God with our bodies
- Matthew 16:24 – Deny self and follow Christ
- Mark 12:29-30, Deuteronomy 6:5 – Love God and neighbor
- Matthew 28:19-20 – The Great Commission
- Deuteronomy 6:6-9 – Discipleship in the home
- Colossians 2:8, 3:23-24 – Avoid deceptive philosophy, work for the Lord
- 2 Corinthians 10:5 – Take every thought captive
- 2 Timothy 1:7 – Spirit of power and self-discipline
- 1 Peter 3:15 – Defend faith with gentleness
- Ephesians 5:21-33, 6:4 – Mutual submission and discipling children
Other Resources:
Our Sponsors
Voetberg Music Academy: When planning your school year this year, one thing you don’t have to worry about is taking your kids to music lessons. Voetberg Music Academy buys you 30 minutes of free time, instead of one more thing on your to-do list. Visit: voetbergmusicacademy.com and use code MAMABEAR20 to get 20% off an encounter with the Voetberg Method Experience.
—
Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co. If you are interested in being a supporting sponsor of the show, please email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This summer, we have seen the rise of a lie that's been promoted from everyone from Oprah to influencers and now Tom Brady, that if you were to follow it, it would single-handedly destroy your faith and your family in one blow. The question is, did you catch it? |
| 0:24.0 | Welcome to the Mama Bear Apologetics podcast. I'm Hillary. And I'm Amy. We are just two gals who |
| 0:29.0 | are spiritually armed, highly caffeinated, and just sassy enough to make bad ideas cry. |
| 0:34.0 | Mama Bear is a ministry dedicated to helping you raise children who think critically, |
| 0:38.4 | love biblically, and stand firm in the faith using scripture, reason, and reality. |
| 0:42.8 | Because remember, Mama Bears, this might not affect your faith. But it might affect your children. |
| 0:51.7 | Hi, everyone. I'm Amy Davison, podcast host with Mama Bear Apologetics, a ministry dedicated to helping you raise children who think critically, love biblically, and stand firm in the faith using truth and reason. |
| 1:03.9 | Well, our podcast is often directed at moms, but this lie has been so pervasive across all spheres that, man, dads, you want to buckle up |
| 1:14.0 | because this is coming directly at you through ESPN as well. And that lie is the rise of best |
| 1:21.2 | selfism. Now, if you are familiar with our very first mama bear apologetics book, you'll remember |
| 1:26.5 | that each of our chapters |
| 1:27.6 | covers a lie that's pervasive in culture, everything from postmodernism to self-helpism, |
| 1:33.6 | you know, all these great isms. And what we're seeing in culture is a blending of a few of the |
| 1:38.5 | OGs into something that's a bit twisted and new. And we're calling it best selfism. Now, I know this may seem |
| 1:46.1 | a little misleading because who doesn't want to have their best self? I mean, I know I do. I would |
| 1:51.0 | absolutely love to be at my peak. And according to the internet, which, you know, when you're |
| 1:56.4 | trying to figure out sometimes what it means to have your best self. Man, you just got to plug it into Google. |
| 2:01.9 | Like, what does the world say having your best self means? And at first glance, it doesn't seem |
| 2:07.5 | to be that big of an issue. It doesn't seem to be necessarily a bad thing. As we see here to be |
| 2:12.6 | your best self, it means improving your strengths, focusing on your weaknesses and building those up, harnessing |
| 2:18.8 | your talents, following your own values and goals. Yeah, that gets problematic there. You're going to be |
| 2:24.8 | focused on your aspirations, focusing on growth, positive mindset, self-ownership, and consistency |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Hillary Morgan Ferrer & Amy Davison, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Hillary Morgan Ferrer & Amy Davison and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.