Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

The Problem with Altar Calls

Greg talks about the problem with altar calls, then he answers questions about why it matters what kind of arguments we make for Christianity if only God can change a person’s mind and how best to use the LDS Gospel Topic Essays when witnessing to Mormons.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: The problem with altar calls (00:00)
2. If our arguments always fail unless God changes the person’s mind, why does it matter what kind of arguments we make for Christianity? (30:00)
3. How can we best use the LDS Gospel Topic Essays when witnessing to Mormons? (44:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• You’ll Never Change Anyone’s Mind about God by Greg Koukl
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – February 23–24, 2024 in Dallas, TX; March 22–23, 2024 in Philadelphia, PA; April 19–20, 2024 in Augusta, GA
• Gospel Topic Essays Index – Mormonism Research Ministry lists links to the Gospel Topic Essays along with links to responses

Don’t Use Empty Rhetoric

Greg responds to a caller’s story about being accused of hate because of his pro-life bumper stickers, then he answers questions about whether the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat was cleaned off, a family whose pastor objects to their spending time out of town, and whether God created the possibility to sin.

 

Topics:

1. A story about a note the caller received responding to the pro-life stickers on his car. (02:00)
2. Did the blood sprinkled on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:14–15) stay on the mercy seat in the most holy place year after year, or did they clean it off? (23:00)
3. Is it legalism if my pastor is objecting to my family missing Sundays at our church when we’re staying at our vacation house out of town? (33:00)
4. Did God create the possibility to sin? (49:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy

Should Christians Make Judgments about Other Christians?

Greg answers questions about the differences between rules, principles, etc., Christian nationalism, Christians making judgments about other Christians, how people who haven’t heard the gospel will be judged, how to respond to someone who says God isn’t real, and an explanation of the book of Job.

 

Topics:

1. What are the differences between rules, principles, guidelines, and policies? (03:00)
2. What’s your understanding of the definition of “Christian Nationalism”? (13:00)
3. Can you clarify how and when Christians ought to make judgments about other Christians? (30:00)
4. Does John 15:24 mean that people who haven’t heard the gospel will be judged based solely on how they responded to their conscience? (43:00)
5. What do you do if someone says to you that God’s not real? (50:00)
6. I no longer believe in the Bible because I can’t accept that a loving God could do such a horrible thing to Job and his family. (53:00)

Related Links:

• #STRask: How can God be a loving Father when he allows a “blameless and upright man” like Job to suffer so much instead of protecting him?
• Five Truths for Sufferers from the Book of Job by Eric Ortlund

Well Done, Melinda

Greg talks about Melinda Penner, cofounder of Stand to Reason, who went home to be with the Lord last week, then he answers questions about men teasing each other, the biblically appropriate role of the military, and whether 1 Timothy 3 is descriptive or prescriptive.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Well done, Melinda. (00:00)
2. Since men who are close to each other tend to tease each other, do you think that’s part of being a man, and do you think the Bible has anything to say about this kind of behavior? (07:00)
3. What is the biblically appropriate role of the military? (14:00)
4. Is 1 Timothy 3 descriptive or prescriptive? (39:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Melinda Penner’s Homecoming – 1959–2023

Interview: Justin Brierley – The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God

Greg interviews Justin Brierley, author of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again, about the rise and fall of the New Atheist movement, why he thanks God for Richard Dawkins, a shift in many atheists’ view of Christianity, and more.

 

Topics:

1. Interview: Justin Brierley, author of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Justin Brierley
• The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again by Justin Brierley
• The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God – The podcast
• Unbelievable?: Why After Ten Years of Talking with Atheists, I'm Still a Christian by Justin Brierley
• Coming to Faith Through Dawkins: 12 Essays on the Pathway from New Atheism to Christianity
• The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality by Glen Scrivener

Related Links:

• Jesus Built Western Civilization by Amy Hall (quote by Tom Holland)
• We Take Christianity’s Influence on the World for Granted by Amy Hall (video of Tom Holland)
• Answering the New Atheists—Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3
• Greg Koukl and Michael Shermer at the End of the Decade of the New Atheists
• To the Atheist Who Called Jesus “The Magic Carpenter” (And a Warning to Churches) by Amy Hall

No Evidence for God?

Greg talks about an atheist’s response to his quote summarizing some evidence for God, then he answers questions about why he will be speaking at a church that has women pastors and why Protestants don’t view the works of the early church fathers as authoritative for doctrine.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: No evidence for God? (00:00)
2. Why do you think it’s okay to speak at a church that has women pastors? (28:00)
3. Why don’t Protestants view the works of the early church fathers as authoritative for doctrine? (42:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Stand to Reason’s tweet summarizing some evidence for God, and the atheist’s response
• Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges by Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• Should Women Teach in Church? by Greg Koukl

Getting around the Watchful Dragons

Greg gives some thoughts about C.S. Lewis after attending 1517’s conference on Lewis last weekend, then he answers a caller’s questions about whether or not a woman should be a lead pastor and whether he should be concerned about his pastor planting a church with a woman lead pastor.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Getting around the watchful dragons (00:00)
2. What do you think about a woman being a lead pastor? (28:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• 1517.org

Related Links:

• Should Women Teach in Church? by Greg Koukl

Does It Make Sense for an Atheist to Claim He Used to Be a Real Christian?

Greg adds another quick thought about the last call on the previous episode, then he answers questions about atheists claiming they used to be “real Christians,” whether the word “relationship” accurately describes our connection with God, and non-Christians receiving benefits from their prayers.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: One more thought on the last call from the previous episode about old-earth creationism (00:00)
2. What do you think about my view that it’s inconsistent with an atheist worldview for an atheist to claim he was once a real Christian? (05:00)
3. Is the word “relationship” an accurate word for our connection with God, or is there a more biblical way of describing it? (26:00)
4. What do you think of people from other religions appearing to receive benefits from their prayers? (41:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – November 10–11 in Minneapolis, MN; February 23–24, 2024 in Dallas, TX; March 22–23, 2024 in Philadelphia, PA; April 19–20, 2024 in Augusta, GA
• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy
• Decision Making and the Will of God episodes: Part 1 and Part 2
• Hot Tub Religion by J.I. Packer
• A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life by J.I. Packer
• Knowing God by J.I. Packer
• Preaching God’s Love in Acts? by Greg Koukl

A Recipe for Faithfulness

Greg shares information about the film Nefarious that an Open Mic caller mentioned last week, talks about faithfully hitting singles and doubles, then answers a question about how much of creation can be explained by natural causes on an old-earth creationist view.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: A recipe for faithfulness (00:00)
2. On the old-earth creationist view, how much of creation can be explained by natural causes alone? (35:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – November 10–11 in Minneapolis, MN; February 23–24, 2024 in Dallas, TX; March 22–23, 2024 in Philadelphia, PA; April 19–20, 2024 in Augusta, GA

Related Links:

• Theistic Evolution: Drifting toward Darwin by Greg Koukl

Are People Who Divorce and Remarry Living in Continuous Adultery?

Greg talks about how the tactics are tools for “gardening,” then he talks to callers about whether Luke 16:18 means that divorced people who remarry are living in continuous adultery, whether Bible versions violate the command not to add to God’s words, the brains of transgender people, and the origin of evil.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: The tactics are tools for gardening. (00:00)
2. If I’m divorced, does that mean I’m living in continuous adultery according to Luke 16:18? (09:00)
3. Do the different versions of the Bible violate the commands in Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18–19 not to add to or subtract from the words of God? (24:00)
4. Do brain scans really show that the brains of transgender people are different from other people’s brains? (41:00) 
5. Did Eve sin because she had evil in her heart, or was she simply tricked by Satan? (49:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• The Primal Heresy by Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• 3 Reasons Those Who Are Unbiblically Remarried After a Divorce Should Not Leave Their New Spouse by Justin Taylor (citing John Piper)