Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Interview: Stephen Meyer – The Story of Everything

Greg talks to Stephen Meyer about The Story of Everything, a film based on Meyer’s book Return of the God Hypothesis, discussing the two competing stories of reality in our culture—one materialist and one theist—and scientific evidence that points to God.

 

Topics:

1. Interview: Stephen Meyer discusses The Story of Everything, a film based on his book Return of the God Hypothesis. (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Stephen Meyer
• The Story of Everything – In theaters April 30–May 6
• Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries That Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe by Stephen Meyer
• Stephen Meyer’s books
• Mind & Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False by Thomas Nagel
• Undeniable: How Biology Confirms Our Intuition That Life Is Designed by Douglas Axe
• Unlocking the Mystery of Life
• The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery by Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay Richards

An April Fools’ Day Story

Greg tells an April Fools’ Day story from his past, then he answers questions about using people’s preferred names and pronouns, what becoming saved looks like if it doesn’t involve asking Jesus into your life, and not feeling the love for God that other people seem to feel.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: An April Fools’ Day story (00:00)
2. What is your view on using people’s preferred names and pronouns? (15:00)
3. What does becoming saved look like if it doesn’t involve asking Jesus into your life? (31:00)
4. Should I be feeling more love for God? (47:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• STR Outposts
• Red Pen Logic with Mr. B
• Why I no longer use Transgender Pronouns—and Why You shouldn’t, either. by Rosaria Butterfield

Related Links:

• Why Agree to Use Preferred Names but Not Preferred Pronouns? by Amy Hall
• A Response to an Employer’s Request for Pronouns by Amy Hall
• Problems with Preferred Pronouns by Alan Shlemon
• Why the “Sinner’s Prayer” Has Me Concerned...and a Biblical Alternative by Greg Koukl
• #STRask: Is There Something I Can Do to Develop Love for Christ if I Am Emotionally Detached?
• #STRask question about resources for developing the non-cerebral side of living a Christian life

Is Morality Just Limited to God’s Say-So?

Greg talks about the grounding for morality, then he answers questions about whether the criteria for the canon is contained in Scripture, how it’s possible that Satan rebelled if there was no sin in Heaven, and how Satan was able to be in the garden of Eden in the first place if it was perfect.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Is morality just limited to God’s say-so? (00:00)
2. Are the criteria for the canon contained in Scripture? (20:00)
3. If there was no sin in Heaven, how is it possible that Satan rebelled, and if the garden of Eden was perfect, how was Satan able to be there in the first place? (45:00)

Mentioned on the Show:

• Submit a question on the Open Mic Line
• The New Testament Canon: Which Books and Why? by Greg Koukl
• The Canon of Scripture by F.F. Bruce
• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy

Does Hebrews 10 Teach That You Can Lose Your Salvation?

Greg goes step by step through the passage in Hebrews 10 that many interpret to mean you can lose your salvation, then he answers questions about 1 Corinthians 2:10–16 in light of his view on hearing God’s voice and the mechanism by which the Holy Spirit comforts, convicts, etc.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Does Hebrews 10 teach that you can lose you salvation? (00:00)
2. What do you think about 1 Corinthians 2:10–16 in terms of your view on God speaking, and by what mechanism does the Holy Spirit do the things you mentioned in your “Does God Whisper?” article? (34:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Submit a question on the Open Mic Line
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – April 24–25 in Los Angeles, CA
• Does God Whisper? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 by Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• When God Speaks by Greg Koukl

Interview: Jon Noyes – Noyes on the Streets

Greg talks to Jon Noyes about his new YouTube project, Noyes on the Streets, where he has conversations about spiritual and ethical topics with people in public places and then breaks them down for viewers and gives tips on how to make your case with clarity and compassion.

 

Topics:

1. Interview: Jon Noyes – Noyes on the Streets (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Noyes on the Streets
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – April 24–25 in Los Angeles, CA

What Happens to People Who Never Heard the Gospel?

Greg answers questions about apologetics resources for young children, the fate of people who never heard the gospel, catering to those who have been historically marginalized, reconciling Romans 3 with the idea that those who seek God find him, and whether the atonement is illogical.

 

Topics:

1. Do you know of any apologetics resources for children who are ages six and ten? (03:00)
2. What happens to people who never heard the gospel or who lived before the time of Jesus? How do they get saved? (09:00)
3. How would you respond to the idea that people who have been historically marginalized ought to be catered to? (25:00)
4. How do you reconcile the idea that those who seek God find him with Romans 3, which says no one seeks God? (44:00)
5. How is it logical to think that a God-man can die on a cross and absolve you of your moral shortcomings? (51:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side: 40 Conversations to Help Them Build a Lasting Faith by Natasha Crain
• Cold-Case Christianity for Kids: Investigate Jesus with a Real Detective by J. Warner Wallace
• The Heathen and the Unknown God – Audio by Greg Koukl
• Eternity in Their Hearts: Startling Evidence of Belief in the One True God in Hundreds of Cultures Throughout the World by Don Richardson
• The Bible: Fast Forward – DVD (Also available as a digital download or audio)
• Critical Race Theory: Civil Rights Upside Down by Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• Foundation Worldview – Curriculum for children
• The “Heathen” and the Unknown God – Part 1 and Part 2 by Greg Koukl
• Why the Blood? by Greg Koukl

Where’s the Proof for God?

Greg responds to the claim that there’s no proof for God, then he answers questions about whether the parables in Luke 12 indicate salvation can be lost, Sarah sending away Hagar, how sin moved from an angel to a tree, and what it means to say Jesus took on the sins of the world.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Where’s the proof for God? (00:00)
2. Are the parables in Luke 12 specifically directed at believers, and if so, don’t they imply salvation can be lost? (27:00)
3. Can you explain what the story about Sarah sending away Hagar means? (38:00)
4. How did sin go from being within an angel to being within a tree in a garden, and did Jesus’ taking on the sins of the world break some special power of sin for us, or was Jesus just taking away the consequences of sin? (45:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy
• History of Philosophy by Frederick Charles Copleston
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – April 24–25 in Los Angeles, CA
• Submit a question on the Open Mic Line

Reasons for and Against Converting to Christianity

Greg talks to a caller about whether a church should formulate a specific position on Israel, reviews an AI article on reasons for and against converting to Christianity, and answers a question on whether people are confusing the idea of hearing the voice of God with being led by the Spirit.

 

Topics:

1. Should a church formulate a specific position on Israel? (00:00)
2. Commentary: Reasons for and against converting to Christianity (19:00)
3. Do you think people are confusing the idea of hearing the voice of God with being led by the Spirit? Are those two different things? (45:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – March 13–14 in Philadelphia, PA; April 24–25 in Los Angeles, CA
• “I asked Claude If It Would Convert to Christianity—Here’s What It Said”
• The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between by Greg Koukl
• Is God Just an Idea? by Greg Koukl
• Submit a question on the Open Mic Line

Just Tell Them the Truth

Greg talks about a clip from Wes Huff’s interview on Diary of a CEO and responds to objections to Hell, then he answers a question about whether ancient Greeks viewed their mythology the way we view Christianity now and people in the future will view Christianity the way we view Greek mythology now.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Just tell them the truth. (00:00)
2. What makes Christianity different from the way Greek mythology was seen two thousand years ago, and how do we know it won’t be seen as mythology in the future? (48:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy
• Red Pen Logic with Mr. B
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – March 13–14 in Philadelphia, PA; April 24–25 in Los Angeles, CA
• Clip of Wesley Huff on Diary of a CEO
• Full interview with Wesley Huff on Diary of a CEO
• Greg’s debate with Deepak Chopra
• Greg’s comments last week about the claim that God is a bad father
• The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien by John Hendrix
• Can We Trust the Gospels? by Peter J. Williams

Related Links:

• Don’t Try to Make Christianity Look Good by Amy Hall
• The Bible among the Myths: Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature? by John Oswalt

Atheist Michael Ruse’s Confused Argument for Morality

Greg talks about an argument atheist Michael Ruse made for people to be “moral” even though there are no grounds for being good, then he answers questions about Frank Turek’s claim that the Calvinist God is like Allah, and whether the continued existence of the Jews is evidence for God.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Atheist Michael Ruse’s confused argument for morality (00:00)
2. How would you respond to Frank Turek’s claim that if God regenerates people so that they can believe, but he doesn’t do that for everyone, then God is finite in his love and infinite in his justice, and that’s not the God of the Bible; it’s Allah. (26:00)
3. Frank Turek’s comment about Calvinism seems philosophically wrong, but I need help with it. (29:00)
4. Is there any merit to using the fact that the Jews are still around today as an apologetic? (45:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• God Is Dead. Long Live Morality by Michael Ruse
• C.S. Lewis: The Most Reluctant Convert – Film
• The Bible: Fast Forward – DVD (Also available as a digital download or audio)