Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Guest Host: J. Warner Wallace

 

J. Warner Wallace talks to Mark Mittelberg, author of Contagious Faith: Discover Your Natural Style for Sharing Jesus with Others, about the five styles of evangelism people’s personalities and gifts generally fit into, the book’s curriculum, and the Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism and Applied Apologetics.

 

Topics:

1. Interview: Mark Mittelberg, author of Contagious Faith: Discover Your Natural Style for Sharing Jesus with Others (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Mark Mittelberg
• Mark Mittelberg’s books
• Contagious Faith: Discover Your Natural Style for Sharing Jesus with Others by Mark Mittelberg – Book’s website
• Contagious Faith curriculum
• 5 Contagious Faith Styles – Assessment of your style of evangelism
• Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism and Applied Apologetics (Colorado Christian University)
• STR U Online Training

Greg reflects on the strangeness of designating a month to celebrate some people’s sexual appetites, then he answers questions about a tactical way to address pride banners in the workplace, Exodus 21:22, whether it’s a violation of 1 Corinthians 5 to be a pastor in the United Methodist denomination, and more. 

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: How should we respond to Pride Month? (00:00)
2. What’s a tactical way to talk to my bosses about not putting up pride banners in our workplace? (09:00)
3. Can you respond to this interpretation of Exodus 21:22 that differs from yours? (23:00)
4. Am I violating 1 Corinthians 5 by being a pastor in the United Methodist denomination? (39:00)
5. When Jesus speaks in the Gospels, is he speaking to the Jews specifically or in a more universal way to all people? (47:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• What Exodus 21:22 Says about Abortion by Greg Koukl
• Article by pro-life Christian philosopher Matt Flannagan referenced in the second call

Greg talks to former atheist Guillaume Bignon about his book telling the story of his conversion to Christianity, Confessions of a French Atheist: How God Hijacked My Quest to Disprove the Christian Faith.

 

Topics:

1. Interview: Guillaume Bignon, author of Confessions of a French Atheist: How God Hijacked My Quest to Disprove the Christian Faith (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Confessions of a French Atheist: How God Hijacked My Quest to Disprove the Christian Faith by Guillaume Bignon
• Guillaume Bignon’s website
• Guillaume’s Bignon’s previous book: Excusing Sinners and Blaming God: A Calvinist Assessment of Determinism, Moral Responsibility, and Divine Involvement in Evil
• Why I Am a Christian – David Wood’s video about his conversion

Greg responds to a tweet thread by Tim Keller about Christianity and politics, then he answers questions about defining knowledge as justified true belief, the meaning behind a supernatural experience, and how to start a conversation with an agnostic who has already heard arguments for Christianity.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: A response to Tim Keller’s tweet thread (00:00)
2. If knowledge is justified true belief, how can I know which of the things I’m confident about I actually know? (27:00)
3. Can you explain why I had this seemingly supernatural experience many years ago? (42:00)
4. How can I start a conversation with an agnostic who has already heard arguments for Christianity? (51:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Tim Keller’s tweet thread

Greg responds to a woman’s Instagram post that said it would be an act of love to have an abortion rather than give a “brown child” to white evangelicals, then he answers questions about how we can have the joy of the Lord during this difficult time and whether Jesus caused his disciples to believe he would return in their lifetime.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Abortion is an act of love? (00:00)
2. How can I have the joy of the Lord during this difficult time? (27:00)
3. Did Jesus cause his disciples to believe he would return in their lifetime, and if so, what does this mean for us today? (49:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 23–24 in Orange County, CA; October 14–15 in Seattle, WA; November 11–12 in Minneapolis, MN; February 24–25, 2023 in Dallas, TX; March 24–25, 2023 in Philadelphia, PA; April 21–22, 2023 in Augusta, GA
• The Instagram post about abortion being “an act of love” 

Guest Host: Robby Lashua

 

Robby talks about how the fact that Jesus’ brother James came to believe in Jesus’ divinity is evidence for the resurrection, Starbucks’ new policy of paying for employees’ travel expenses for abortions, and how God matures us through suffering, not miracles.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Jesus’ brother’s belief is evidence for the resurrection. (00:00)
2. Commentary: Starbucks is paying employees’ travel expenses for abortions. (30:00)
3. Commentary: God matures us through suffering, not miracles. (41:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 23–24 in Orange County, CA; October 14–15 in Seattle, WA; November 11–12 in Minneapolis, MN; February 24–25, 2023 in Dallas, TX; March 24–25, 2023 in Philadelphia, PA; April 21–22, 2023 in Augusta, GA
• What Convinced James His Brother Was God? by Robby Lashua
• Starbucks to cover employees’ travel expenses for abortions, gender-affirming surgeries

Guest Host: Robby Lashua

 

Robby talks to archaeologist Titus Kennedy, author of Excavating the Evidence for Jesus: The Archaeology and History of Christ and the Gospels, about archaeological evidence for Jesus.

 

Topics:

1. Interview: Titus Kennedy, author of Excavating the Evidence for Jesus: The Archaeology and History of Christ and the Gospels (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Titus Kennedy
• Titus Kennedy’s Instagram
• Excavating the Evidence for Jesus: The Archaeology and History of Christ and the Gospels by Titus Kennedy
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 23–24 in Orange County, CA; October 14–15 in Seattle, WA; November 11–12 in Minneapolis, MN; February 24–25, 2023 in Dallas, TX; March 24–25, 2023 in Philadelphia, PA; April 21–22, 2023 in Augusta, GA
• James Ossuary

Guest Host: J. Warner Wallace

 

J. Warner Wallace talks about how the claims about Jesus are historical and can be tested (unlike claims about Peter Pan), then he answers a question about whether one should be happy that a child has entered into a homosexual relationship and is no longer depressed.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: How the claims about Jesus differ from claims about Peter Pan (00:00)
2. If my son, who recently told me he’s bisexual, finds a man to be with and is no longer depressed, should I be happy that he’s happy? (19:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Sean McDowell and Matthew Vines on the Bible and Homosexuality
• Christopher Yuan
• Becket Cook

Related Links:

• A Response to Matthew Vines: The Bible Doesn’t Support Same-Sex Relationships by Amy Hall
• An Evaluation of the Dialogue between Sean McDowell and Matthew Vines 
• Answering Matthew Vines’s 40 Questions
• A Reformation the Church Doesn’t Need Part 1 and Part 2 by Alan Shlemon
• Be Willing to Submit to Our Good God on the Issue of Homosexuality by Amy Hall
• What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? by Kevin DeYoung

Guest Host: J. Warner Wallace

 

J. Warner Wallace explains three reasons to celebrate Christianity, answers a question about what to do when you lose motivation and feelings in your Christian walk, then discusses how social media is affecting two forms of autonomy and contributing to a shift in our priorities and perspectives.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Three reasons to celebrate Christianity (00:00)
2. What do you do when you lose motivation and feelings in your Christian walk? (21:00)
3. Commentary: How social media affects two forms of autonomy (and how it’s contributing to a shift in our priorities and perspectives) (32:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• J. Warner Wallace’s website
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 23–24 in Orange County, CA; October 14–15 in Seattle, WA; November 11–12 in Minneapolis, MN; February 24–25, 2022 in Dallas, TX; March 24–25, 2022 in Philadelphia, PA; April 21–22, 2022 in Augusta, GA
• STR U Online Training
• Three Good Reasons To Celebrate Your Christian Worldview by J. Warner Wallace
• Three Ways Social Media Has Changed Our Priorities And Perspectives by J. Warner Wallace

Related Links:

• Apologetics Aren’t Enough to Connect You with a Person by Amy Hall
• Prayer Begins with Hope in God by Amy Hall
• How I Pray...Even When It’s Hard by Greg Koukl

Greg talks about the magnitude of the loss of life due to abortion, responds to arguments made by Alex Berenson, who thinks abortion is murder but should remain legal, then answers questions about leaving a church that’s teaching questionable prayer practices and when it’s proper for a pastor to address politics in the pulpit.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: The magnitude of the loss of life due to abortion (00:00)
2. My church is teaching ways of praying that seem New Age to me; is this grounds for leaving? (57:00)
3. When is it proper for a pastor to address politics in the pulpit? (47:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Women in Apologetics Conference – June 9–11 in Boca Raton, FL
• On Roe v. Wade: And Why Abortion Should Be Legal by Alex Berenson
• Getting “Political”—Vice or Christian Virtue? by Greg Koukl

 

Related Links:

• Abortion and Slavery: The Same Old Arguments by Amy Hall