Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

When It Comes to Spiritual Truths, You Need to Get Reality Right

Greg talks about why he’s a Christian, then he answers questions about the claim of LDS missionaries that Jesus was created by God the Father and whether abortion is okay when the mother’s life is in danger.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: When it comes to spiritual truths, you need to get reality right. (00:00)
2. How should I respond to LDS missionaries’ claim that John 20:17 indicates Jesus was created by God the Father? (21:00)
3. How should I respond to someone who says abortion is okay when the mother’s life is in danger? (45:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Deity of Christ: Case Closed by Greg Koukl
• The Trinity: A Solution, Not a Problem Part 1 and Part 2
• The Trinity Explains This (Red Pen Logic video)
• 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:

• The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture by Scott Klusendorf

Promises Secure the Future, Forgiveness Repairs the Past

Greg talks about the centrality of promises and forgiveness in both marriage and our salvation, then he answers questions about finding a good church and the biblical way to judge.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Promises secure the future; forgiveness repairs the past. (00:00)
2. Do you have any recommendations for finding a good church? (28:00)
3. What’s the biblical way to approach the issue of judging? (44:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Stand to Reason YouTube channel
• Upcoming events with Stand to Reason speakers
• How to Choose a Church by Greg Koukl

An Evangelistic Note on My Door

Greg talks about our need to keep the culture from changing us, answers a question about whether there are topics we should not talk to our kids about when they’re young, and then discusses an evangelistic note he received on his door.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: We need to keep the culture from changing us. (00:00)
2. Are there topics we should not talk to our kids about when they’re young? (27:00)
3. Commentary: An evangelistic note on my door (44:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Subscribe to Stand to Reason’s monthly training material
• Why Pronouns Matter…a Lot by Greg Koukl
• Freedom Fading by Greg Koukl
• Live Not by Lies – Book by Rod Dreher
• Live Not by Lies – Essay by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
• Stand to Reason YouTube channel

Should We Argue against a Fellow Christian’s Misinformed Conscience?

Greg tells stories about his vacation then talks to callers about the Red Cross’s question about gender when you donate blood and whether we should leave things as a “matter of conscience” or try to determine which position is correct.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Stories from Greg’s vacation (00:00)
2. Story about the Red Cross asking your gender in the interview before you give blood. (24:00)
3. Should we leave things as a “matter of conscience” or try to determine the correct answer and convince others? (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
• Upcoming events with Stand to Reason speakers
• Iron Curtain Diary by Greg Koukl 
• The Primal Heresy by Greg Koukl
• Freedom Fading by Greg Koukl
• Why Pronouns Matter…a Lot by Greg Koukl
• STR U Online Training
• Faithfulness Is Not Theologically Complicated by Greg Koukl

Guard Yourself against the Dangers of Fame

Guest Host: J. Warner Wallace

 

J. Warner Wallace talks about our need to guard ourselves against the dangers of fame, then he takes calls about the Bible’s view on premarital sex, gender vs. sex, and the Christian view of the psychedelic drug DMT. 

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Guard yourself against the dangers of fame. (00:00)
2. What is the biblical argument against premarital sex? (20:00)
3. Is there a difference between gender and sex? (28:00)
4. What’s the Christian perspective on the psychedelic drug DMT? (43:00)

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:

• Intersex People Don’t Prove There Are More Than Two Sexes by Amy Hall

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