Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Greg answers a question about whether it’s appropriate to ask God for a sign to indicate his approval of a decision, then he gives a caller advice about how to interact with a family member who now says he’s gay.

 

Topics:

1. Is it appropriate to ask God for a sign to indicate approval of a decision? (10:00)
2. Can you give me advice as to how my family and I should interact with my brother now that he’s told us he’s gay? (35:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – February 24–25, 2023 in Dallas, TX; March 24–25, 2023 in Philadelphia, PA; April 21–22, 2023 in Augusta, GA
• Upcoming events with Stand to Reason speakers
• Becket Cook’s website
• Christopher Yuan’s website
• Rosaria Butterfield’s website
• The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World by Rosaria Butterfield

Greg answers questions about whether one can just appreciate the Bible for its moral value without taking it literally, whether a worship leader attending a gay pride fundraising event indicates a problem with the church, and what the Bible has to say about free will.

 

Topics:

1. How would you respond to someone who says the Bible doesn’t need to be taken literally and we can just appreciate it for its moral value? (08:00)
2. Should I be concerned by the fact that one of the main worship leaders in my church attended a gay pride fundraising event? (25:00)
3. Many scientists claim free will is not a reality, but what does the Bible have to say about this? (42:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• STR U Online Training
• Upcoming events with Stand to Reason speakers
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – February 24–25, 2023 in Dallas, TX; March 24–25, 2023 in Philadelphia, PA; April 21–22, 2023 in Augusta, GA

Related Links:

• “Forced Love” Is the Wrong Way to Look at It by Amy Hall

Greg reflects on the amazing design evident in the way largemouth bass feed, then he answers a question about the roots of the label “evangelical” and responds to a caller’s concerns about things he’s seeing in the large, multi-campus church he’s attending.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Design or adaptation? (00:00)
2. What are the roots of the label “evangelical,” and what is the classical definition? (28:00)
3. What should I do when I’m seeing so many things to be concerned about in the large, multi-campus church I’m attending? (44:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• STR U Online Training
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – February 24–25, 2023 in Dallas, TX; March 24–25, 2023 in Philadelphia, PA; April 21–22, 2023 in Augusta, GA

Greg and Amy respond to questions about why it’s okay to have plastic surgery to alter your appearance but wrong to have surgery to alter your sex, whether a tactical, winsome approach is still viable in a non-civil culture, and whether the time for winsome Christianity has passed.

 

If you enjoyed this episode, you can subscribe or listen to archived episodes of #STRask here.

 

Topics:

1. How is claiming to be a different gender different from claiming to be a blonde if you dye your hair, and why is it okay to have plastic surgery to alter your appearance but wrong to have surgery to alter your sex? (00:00)
2. Can a tactical, “winsome” approach still be viable in such a non-civil culture? (16:00)
3. Has the time for “winsome” Christianity passed, and is it now time for a more direct, hard-edged approach? (:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy (archives here)
• Submit a question for #STRask

Related Links:

• How Should We Interact with the Uncivil? by Amy Hall

Greg and Amy respond to questions about whether childlessness is a sign of not fearing God enough and whether it’s a genetic fallacy to point out the eugenics philosophy of the founder of Planned Parenthood when arguing against abortion.

 

If you enjoyed this episode, you can subscribe or listen to archived episodes of #STRask here.

 

Topics:

1. Since God gave the Hebrew midwives families because they feared him, does my childlessness mean my husband and I aren’t fearing God enough? (00:00)
2. Is it a genetic fallacy to point out the eugenics philosophy of Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, when arguing against abortion? (17:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy (archives here)
• Submit a question for #STRask

Greg reads a letter he received from a listener whose biblical views on homosexuality are being challenged by others in his church, then he addresses their objections and answers a question about whether Greg’s method of determining the reason why Jesus came is faulty.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Is the Bible unclear about homosexuality? (00:00)
2. Is your argument in “The Legend of the Social Justice Jesus” making the same mistake as those who say Jesus never spoke about abortion? (42:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• David Limbaugh’s interview on a previous podcast
• The Legend of the Social Justice Jesus by Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• The Claim about Homosexuality in the Film 1946 Is Irrelevant by Alan Shlemon
• Jesus Didn’t Say Anything about Homosexuality by Alan Shlemon
• What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? by Kevin DeYoung
• What Motivates Sin (and How to Fight It) by Amy Hall
• Why We’re Not Under the Mosaic Law by Amy Hall
• Should Followers of Christ Observe the Torah? by Amy Hall
• How Does the Old Testament Law Apply to Christians Today? by Greg Koukl
• Think of the Mosaic Covenant Like a State Law by Amy Hall (quoting Greg Koukl)
• The Law Is Good by Amy Hall

Greg talks about the goodness of respecting one’s parents and other elders and how our culture has lost this value, then he answers a question about how we can expect to never sin again in Heaven if evil exists in the world now because God wanted to allow free will.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Respect the order of leadership. (00:00)
2. If evil exists in the world because God wanted to allow free will, then how can we expect to never sin again in Heaven? (37:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between by Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• The Beauty of Submission by Amy Hall
• The Beauty of Leadership by Amy Hall

Greg talks about how medical professionals should interact with transgender patients, reflects on the fact that this is the one time of year when everyone extols the virtues of Jesus in song, answers a question about a framework for deciding between theological positions, and more.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: How should medical professionals interact with transgender patients? (00:00)
2. Commentary: It’s the one time of year when everyone extols the virtues of Jesus in song. (27:00)
3. What do you do when you have to go beyond proof texts because you have verses on both sides? (33:00)
4. Commentary: Harry Reasoner’s commentary on Christmas (50:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy (archives here)
• Eternity Is Now: Just Ask Scrooge and George Bailey by Andrew Klavan
• The Power of Christmas by Cal Thomas (quoting Harry Reasoner)

Greg talks about two principles to follow when donating to charities, then he talks to callers about how we know we won’t sin in Heaven and the minimal facts argument vs. the maximal data argument for the resurrection.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Two principles of giving (00:00)
2. If Satan sinned while he was in Heaven, how do we know we won’t also sin in Heaven? (16:00)
3. What do you think about the minimal facts vs. maximal data arguments for the resurrection? (29:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Donate to Stand to Reason
• Faithfully Different: Regaining Biblical Clarity in a Secular Culture by Natasha Crain
• The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between by Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• Natasha Crain Can Help You Be Faithfully Different by Amy Hall (review of the book)
• Where Did These Minimal Facts about the Resurrection Come From? by Amy Hall

Greg talks about how naturalistic philosophy, not scientific methodology, is opposed to Christianity, then he answers questions about shaping the worldview of children when the spouse isn’t a believer and the difference between Reformed theology and Darwinistic determinism.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: There is no battle between science and the Christian worldview. (00:00)
2. Do you have any practical and specific tips for shaping the worldview of my daughters when the burden is entirely on me since my husband is not a believer? (22:00)
3. Can you explain the difference between Reformed theology and Darwinistic determinism? (43:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• The Big Picture Story Bible by David R. Helm
• Natasha Crain’s books
• Natasha Crain’s website
• The Chronicles of Narnia – Focus on the Family Radio Theater (digital version here)