Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Can You Be a Christian and a Police Officer?

Guest Host: J. Warner Wallace

 

J. Warner Wallace talks about how the Christian worldview interacts with police work, then he answers questions about communicating effectively to LDS missionaries and bringing Mormons to Jesus.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Can you be a Christian and a police officer? (00:00)
2. How should I frame my answer to some LDS (Mormon) missionaries so that I can make sure they don’t misunderstand the terms I’m using? (21:00)
3. How can I bring a Mormon to Jesus? (44:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 24–25 in Orange County, CA; October 15–16 in Seattle, WA; November 12–13 in Minneapolis, MN; February 25–26, 2022 in Dallas, TX; April 22–23, 2022 in Augusta, GA
• The Thin Blue Life website
• Sharing the Good News with Mormons: Practical Strategies for Getting the Conversation Started by Eric Johnson, J. Warner Wallace, etc.

Related Links:

• Verses for Your Conversations with Mormons by Amy Hall
• Who Is the God of Mormonism? by Amy Hall
• LDS View of Atonement Clarified by Amy Hall
• Unveiling Grace: The Story of How We Found Our Way out of the Mormon Church by Lynn Wilder

Thoughts on Reaching Gen Z

Guest Host: Sean McDowell

 

Sean McDowell talks about the unique aspects of Gen Z and how to reach this digitally-native generation, then he describes the Bible study plan he’s following this month.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Thoughts on reaching Gen Z (00:00)
2. Commentary: A different kind of Bible study plan (23:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• So the Next Generation Will Know: Preparing Young Christians for a Challenging World by Sean McDowell and J. Warner Wallace
• A Strategic Bible Study Method by Sean McDowell
• Christians, Don’t Read the Entire Bible in 2021 by Sean McDowell
• Galatians (New Cambridge Bible Commentary) by Craig S. Keener
• Galatians: A Commentary by Craig Keener (longer version)

Related Links:

• James Gray on Mastering the Bible by Fred Sanders
• A Long-Term Plan to Know Your Bible by Amy Hall

A Case against Premarital Sex That Doesn’t Use the Bible

Guest Host: Sean McDowell

 

Sean McDowell makes a case against premarital sex that doesn’t use the Bible, then he answers a question about how to share the gospel with people who are hurting and talks about doubting.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: A case against premarital sex that doesn’t use the Bible (00:00)
2. How should we share the gospel with people who are hurting? (22:00)
3. Commentary: Let your doubts motivate you to seek truth. (43:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• CrossExamined Instructor Academy – August 12–14 in Chino Hills, CA
• Progressive vs. Evangelical: A Dialogue for Clarity – Sean McDowell’s discussion with Colby Martin
• Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids by Kara Powell and Chap Clark

Related Links:

• The Thomas Factor: Using Your Doubts to Draw Closer to God by Gary Habermas (free, online book)

How Can We Discern Truth in This Divided World?

Greg talks about his current Solid Ground series then answers questions about discerning truth when sources differ wildly, demons influencing Christians, a possible inconsistency in condemning Amazon’s book banning, and submitting to authority.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: The current Solid Ground series (00:00)
2. What’s your advice for discerning truth in a world where people have such wildly different understandings of what is happening? (11:00)
3. Can demons really influence us? (22:00)
4. Are we being inconsistent if we criticize Amazon for not carrying books they disagree with if we support the right of bakers not to bake cakes they disagree with? (39:00)
5. Is there any exception to the command to submit to authority? (47:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 24–25 in Orange County, CA; October 15–16 in Seattle, WA; November 12–13 in Minneapolis, MN; February 25–26, 2022 in Dallas, TX; April 22–23, 2022 in Augusta, GA
• Iron Curtain Diary by Greg Koukl 
• The Primal Heresy by Greg Koukl
• Freedom Fading by Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• Religious Liberty Case Is Not about Refusing to Serve People “Because of Who They Are” by Amy Hall

Is a Mistranslation Responsible for Christian Opposition to Homosexuality?

Greg talks to Frank Turek about the upcoming CrossExamined Instructor Academy, then he chats with Alan about a new film that claims Christian opposition to homosexuality is based on a mistranslation of a Greek word in 1946.

 

Topics:

1. Interview: Frank Turek – CrossExamined Instructor Academy (00:00)
2. Interview: Alan Shlemon – Is a mistranslation responsible for Christian opposition to homosexuality? (19:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• CrossExamined Instructor Academy – August 12–14 in Chino Hills, CA
• The Claim about Homosexuality in the Film 1946 Is Irrelevant by Alan Shlemon
• 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted a Culture – Film website
• A Reformation the Church Doesn’t Need (Answering Revisionist Pro-Gay Theology) Part 1 and Part 2 by Alan Shlemon and Greg Koukl

Should We Refuse to Put Pronouns in Our Email Signatures?

Greg talks to callers about putting pronouns in an email signature, forgiving someone who doesn’t want to be forgiven, a Christian’s role in politics, expressing complex ideas to people with short attention spans, and the role of apologetics in evangelism from a Reformed perspective.

 

Topics:

1. As a state employee, when the time comes when I'm asked to put my preferred pronouns in my email signature, is this something I should make a stand against? (03:00)
2. Can one forgive another person who doesn’t want to be forgiven? (19:00)
3. What should a Christian’s role in politics be? (27:00)
4. How can we express complex ideas to young people whose short attention spans make it so hard to connect in a meaningful way? (36:00)
5. Congratulations on 28 years—you had a huge influence on my life. (47:00)
6. What is the role of philosophy and apologetics when you’re evangelizing from a Reformed perspective? (51:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 24–25 in Orange County, CA; October 15–16 in Seattle, WA; November 12–13 in Minneapolis, MN; February 25–26, 2022 in Dallas, TX; April 22–23, 2022 in Augusta, GA
• Freedom Fading by Greg Koukl
• Alliance Defending Freedom
• Red Pen Logic YouTube channel

Just Keep Showing Up

Greg talks about accomplishing things by being faithful, then he answers questions about what Christians should expect to experience in terms of communication with God and how to respond to a gay brother-in-law and his partner in a variety of situations.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Just keep showing up. (00:00)
2. As a new convert, I have questions about what I should experience in terms of communication with God. (28:00)
3. Questions about how to respond to my gay brother-in-law and his partner in a variety of situations. (49:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 24–25 in Orange County, CA; October 15–16 in Seattle, WA; November 12–13 in Minneapolis, MN; February 25–26, 2022 in Dallas, TX; April 22–23, 2022 in Augusta, GA
• Greg Koukl on Twitter
• Stand to Reason YouTube channel

Related Links:

• Does God Whisper? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
• Help Your Child Think Clearly and Graciously about Homosexuality by Amy Hall

Keep the Culture from Changing You

Greg talks about how you may not be able to change the culture, but you can keep the culture from changing you, then he answers questions about role-playing games, an employer prohibiting talk about religion, calling out false teachers without reviling, and more.  

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Keep the culture from changing you. (00:00)
2. What are your thoughts on Christians playing role-playing games (particularly, Dungeons & Dragons)? (24:00)
3. How can I tell when I’ve moved from making an argument informed by the Christian worldview to merely arguing for a political preference? (31:00)
4. If, as a cosmetologist, the salon I work for doesn’t want us to talk about religion or politics, is that an infringement of my freedom of speech? (41:00)
5. How can I call out false teachers in love without reviling? (48:00)
6. What’s your biblical advice on raising a family in California versus moving? (52:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 24–25 in Orange County, CA; October 15–16 in Seattle, WA; November 12–13 in Minneapolis, MN; February 25–26, 2022 in Dallas, TX; April 22–23, 2022 in Augusta, GA

Related Links:

• Morally Velocitized by Greg Koukl
• Faithfulness Is Not Theologically Complicated by Greg Koukl

Everyone Starts at the Beginning

Greg reflects on Stand to Reason’s anniversary and encourages people not to fear beginning new things, then he answers questions about the wisdom of Christians entering certain professions and aspects of an atheistic worldview.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Everyone starts at the beginning. (00:00)
2. Is it unwise for a Christian to go into a profession where they will likely be asked to compromise their Christianity? (30:00)
3. I’m teaching some people on comparative worldviews and have some questions about atheism. (46:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Donate to Stand to Reason
• Live Not by Lies by Rod Dreher
• The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog by James Sire
• The Humanist Manifesto

Three Common Informal Fallacies

Greg talks about how to recognize and disarm three informal fallacies, then he answers questions about cessationism, praying for someone’s salvation, whether killing one's kidnapper would be considered murder, and the role of Christians in America.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Three common informal fallacies (00:00)
2. What do you think about cessationism? (26:00)
3. Is there a precedent in the New Testament for praying for someone’s salvation? (35:00)
4. If you killed your kidnapper, would that be considered murder? (41:00)
5. What should a Christian’s role be in America? (49:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 24–25 in Orange County, CA; October 15–16 in Seattle, WA; November 12–13 in Minneapolis, MN; February 25–26, 2022 in Dallas, TX; April 22–23, 2022 in Augusta, GA
• The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry