Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Faith Is Not Opposed to Knowledge

Greg responds to a sign he saw that read, “Knowledge is not faith,” then he answers questions from a caller about how God can be sovereign over our decisions and just at the same time, how God can blame people he didn’t save, and where free will ends.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Faith is not opposed to knowledge. (00:00)
2. How is God sovereign over our decisions and just at the same time, how can he blame people he didn’t save, and where does free will end—i.e., if we can’t resist being chosen, what decisions can we resist? (33:00)

Related Links:

• Faith Does Not Save You by Amy Hall (quoting Greg Koukl on the “thick ice” idea)
• How to Be Sure You’re Saved by Greg Koukl
• Providence by John Piper (a comprehensive discussion of everything the Bible says about God’s purposeful sovereignty)
• Excusing Sinners and Blaming God by Guillaume Bignon
• How Can We Condemn Evil if God Is Sovereign? by Amy Hall

Cultivating a “Big Enough” Worldview in Students

In a talk given to leaders attending STR’s Reality Conference, John Stonestreet explains how and why to cultivate a true Christian worldview in students that’s big enough to enable them to live with hope and embody a life of reconciliation as they respond to the challenges of our cultural moment.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: John Stonestreet on cultivating a “big enough” worldview in students (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• John Stonestreet – President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview
• Breakpoint audio commentaries, hosted by John Stonestreet
• The Fabric of Faithfulness by Steven Garber
• Truth Rising – Documentary and study
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 11–12 in Atlanta, GA; October 16–17 in Seattle, WA; November 13–14 in Minneapolis, MN; February 19–20, 2027 in Dallas, TX; March 12–13, 2027 in Philadelphia, PA; April 23–24, 2027 in Los Angeles, CA

Related Links:

• The livestream from the 2025–2026 season of Reality can be purchased and viewed on demand until August 31, 2026.

Who Are the “Least of These”?

Greg talks about Jesus’ reference to “the least of these” in Matthew 25, then he answers questions about whether all things are good or evil, implications of saying one shouldn’t do anything one thinks is wrong, and how we can make moral judgments about suffering if it’s all working for good.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Who are the “least of these”? (00:00)
2. Are all things good or evil? (35:00)
3. If someone truly believes many good things are wrong, how would you counsel them to move forward in life? (42:00)
4. If we say God has a reason to allow gratuitous (i.e., meaningless) suffering, then aren’t we saying he’s unable or uninterested in bringing about his good ends without the use of suffering, and how do we make moral distinctions about suffering if it’s all doing good? (50:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• The Legend of the Social Justice Jesus by Greg Koukl
• Submit a question on the Open Mic Line
• #STRask: Is Doing the Right Thing a Sin If You Truly Believe It’s Wrong? – The #STRask episode about Romans 14 referenced by the caller

Related Links:

• #STRask: Is Romans 14 Saying That Christians Can Just Make up Their Own Rules?
• What You Need to Know about Evil and Suffering by Amy Hall

Why Would We Matter to God?

Greg answers questions from callers about who sits on the left side of God, why we would matter to God and he would require anything of us, whether it’s wrong to be grateful when other people are suffering, principles for living in a world with AI, and how a Calvinist knows he’s saved.

 

Topics:

1. Who sits on the left side of God? (04:00)
2. My atheist friend admits there must have been an Architect of the universe, but he can’t believe that we would matter to him or that he would require anything from us, and he asks why anyone should go to Hell just because they don’t want to submit to his will. (12:00)
3. Is it wrong to be vocal about the things we’re grateful for when other people are suffering? (32:00)
4. Can you offer some principles to equip believers to be prepared to live in a world with AI—to avoid pitfalls and be successful in their Christian walk? (38:00)
5. If people are all born totally depraved and unable to understand spiritual truths, then how does a Calvinist know he’s saved? (51:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Submit a question on the Open Mic Line
• Dogmatic Theology by William G.T. Shedd, edited by Alan Gomes

Related Links:

• Is God Really Blessing American Christians with Answers to Little Prayers While Others Suffer? by Amy Hall
• Five Points: Towards a Deeper Experience of God’s Grace by John Piper
• Sinners in the Hands of a Good God: Reconciling Divine Judgment and Mercy by David Clotfelter

What a Good Young Man Looks Like

Greg talks about the marks of a good young man, then he answers questions about why someone would trust dispensationalism when it wasn’t around until the 19th century, and whether Muslims and Jews worship the same God as Christians.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: What a good young man looks like (07:00)
2. Why should Christians trust dispensationalism when it didn’t exist until the 19th century? (23:00)
3. Do Muslims and Jews worship the same God as Christians? (44:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• CrossExamined Instructor Academy – July 30–August 1
• A Response to the Rising Antisemitism – Previous episode
• How Should Christians View and Treat the Jews? – Previous episode

Greg Announces Stand to Reason’s New President-Elect

Greg chats with Alan Shlemon, Stand to Reason’s new president-elect, discussing how he became a Christian, how he ended up at Stand to Reason, the controversial topics he often speaks on, and more.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Greg announces Stand to Reason’s new president-elect. (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• The Ambassador’s Guide to Islam by Alan Shlemon

How Could One Reconcile Death Before the Fall with Romans 5 and 8?

Greg answers questions from callers about how one could reconcile the presence of death before the fall with Romans 5 and 8, whether the Bible will still play a role in the new earth, how we know when a psalm is a messianic prophecy, and whether there are strings attached to our free salvation.

 

Topics:

1. How could one reconcile the presence of death in the world before Adam and Eve with Romans 5 and 8? (06:00)
2. Will the Bible still play a role in the new earth? (32:00)
3. How do Bible scholars know that when certain psalms were written, they were prophecies of the Messiah? (37:00)
4. What would you say to someone who says it seems like there are a lot of strings attached to our "free" salvation (going to church, reading the Bible, etc.), making it sound more conditional than free? (47:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Submit a question on the Open Mic Line

How Could a Good God Send a Lying Spirit?

Greg talks about distinguishing between descriptive and prescriptive passages, then he answers questions about a secular case against legalizing prostitution, how a good God could send a lying spirit, fulfilling a rash vow to God, and attending a wedding between a Christian and a non-Christian.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Distinguishing descriptive passages from prescriptive ones (00:00)
2. How would you make a secular case that we shouldn’t legalize prostitution? (06:00)
3. How would you explain God being holy and good to a non-believer reading 1 Kings 22:21–23, where God sends a lying spirit? (29:00)
4. When I thought God called me to be single, I made a vow to do it, but now that I’ve changed my mind about callings, am I still obligated to fulfill that vow? (38:00)
5. Would it be wrong to attend the wedding of a Christian family member who is marrying a non-Christian, and if it’s wrong, what should I do if my wife wants to go? (44:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Submit a question on the Open Mic Line

Why Weren’t We Made Sinless in the First Place?

Greg answers questions about why we weren’t made sinless in the first place, the morality of using donor sperm to conceive, whether we would conclude the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and Jesus without the Nicene Creed, how God knows the future, and baptism for the dead.

 

Topics:

1. If our evil will be removed in Heaven, why weren’t we made that way in the first place? (02:00)
2. Would it be morally wrong for a Christian married couple to use donor sperm to conceive a child if the husband is infertile? (23:00)
3. Would we come to the conclusion that the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and Jesus Christ without the Nicene Creed, and if early Christians didn’t believe in the Trinity, were they not saved? (31:00)
4. Does God only know the future simply because he plans the future? (41:00)
5. What are your thoughts on the reference to baptism for the dead in 1 Corinthians 15:29? (47:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Submit a question on the Open Mic Line

Why Does Jesus List Heart, Soul, and Mind Separately?

Greg answers questions about why Jesus lists heart, soul, and mind separately in Mark 12:29–30, whether the Bible is written for laypeople rather than scholars, responding to someone who thinks life is a simulation, and whether it’s wrong to forgive someone who hasn’t repented.

 

Topics:

1. What’s the difference between heart, soul, and mind, and why does Jesus list them separately in Mark 12:29–31? (02:00)
2. Was the Bible written for laypeople, or does it need to be interpreted by people with scholarly or divine knowledge? (15:00)
3. How would you respond to someone who thinks that this life is just a simulation? (33:00)
4. Was it wrong for Erika Kirk to forgive Charlie’s murderer without his repentance (see Luke 17:3–4)? (44:00)
5. How are we supposed to think about forgiving those who don’t repent if Christ doesn’t forgive the unrepentant, and how can our own souls move on from being wronged if we don’t forgive? (46:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Submit a question on the Open Mic Line