Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Five Things to Look for in a Christian College

Greg talks about five things to look for in a Christian college, then he answers questions about universalism, a “too high” view of Scripture, whether Jews and Christians worship the same God, your culpability if a friend uses something you made in pagan ceremonies, and when a fetus becomes a human being.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Five things to look for in a Christian college (00:00)
2. Is it better to not exist ever or to exist and be condemned? (17:00)
3. Is it possible to have too high a view of Scripture, where the human element is not considered at all? (28:00)
4. Do Christians and Jews worship the same God? (33:00)
5. Am I culpable if a friend of mine is using an axe I made for him in pagan ceremonies? (43:00)
6. At what point is a fetus a human being and not just a clump of cells? (47:00)
7. Is it a problem that the church our church is renting space from rejects biblical truth? (53:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Live Not by Lies by Rod Dreher
• Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God? by Alan Shlemon
• The Bible Doesn’t Say What He Thinks It Says – Red Pen Logic video about the beginning of human life

Related Links:

• Abortion Advocates Fail Biology Again by Tim Barnett (includes quotes from embryology textbook about the beginning of human life)
• The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture by Scott Klusendorf

What Are High School Students Thinking?

Greg talks to Rich Bordner, an English and philosophy teacher, about what he’s seeing in his interactions with his high school students—their worldview, their view of truth and morality, etc.

 

Topics:

1. Interview: Greg talks to Rich Bordner, an English and philosophy teacher, about the worldview of his public high school students. (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Live Not by Lies by Rod Dreher
• The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman
• The Daniel Collaborative
• Why Our Children Don’t Think There Are Moral Facts by Justin McBrayer
• Does God Exist? William Lane Craig vs. Christopher Hitchens Debate
• The Social Dilemma documentary

Questions about the Rapture, Bible Discrepancies, and Vishnu

Greg continues a call from the last episode about the rapture, then he answers questions about discrepancies in the Bible, the flood, and responding to the claim that Vishnu and Jesus are the same person.

 

Topics:

1. Continued from the previous episode: What do you think about the pre-trib rapture, and what should I do if I differ with my church and family on this topic? (00:00)
2. Follow-up questions on discrepancies in the Bible and interpreting the account of the flood. (31:00)
3. How should I respond to the claim that Vishnu and Jesus are the same person? (48:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• STR U courses (training.str.org)
• Red Pen Logic YouTube channel
• The Blessed Hope: A Biblical Study of the Second Advent and the Rapture by George Eldon Ladd
• The Church and the Tribulation: A Biblical Examination of Posttribulationism by Robert Gundry

Related Links:

• The Rap on the Rapture by Greg Koukl

A Close Look at Acts 15

Greg reflects on what we learn from the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 about law vs. grace, baptism, and decision making, then he answers questions about interacting with a family member who’s a steamroller and the rapture.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: A close look at Acts 15 (00:00)
2. How should I interact with a family member who’s a steamroller? (32:00)
3. What do you think about the pre-trib rapture, and what should I do if I differ with my church and family on this topic? (48:00)

Related Links:

• The Rap on the Rapture by Greg Koukl
• One Tough Customer by Greg Koukl (on dealing with steamrollers)

Reading through the Bible Isn’t a Goal, It’s a Lifestyle

Greg talks about making Bible-reading part of your life habits, then he takes calls about biblical inerrancy, brain chemistry vs. one’s soul, praying to Mary, using transgender names and pronouns, and COVID-19.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Reading through the Bible isn’t a goal, it’s a lifestyle. (00:00)
2. Do anti-science passages in the Bible prove it’s not inerrant? (06:00)
3. How can I tell the difference between the results of brain chemistry and my soul? (21:00)
4. Is praying to Mary and the saints acceptable because it’s the same as asking people to pray for you? (30:00)
5. Should I use a new transgender name and pronouns for my brother-in-law if my husband wants me to? (39:00)
6. Is fear of COVID-19 a spiritual issue? (50:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Finding Quiet: My Story of Overcoming Anxiety and the Practices that Brought Peace by J.P. Moreland
• Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters by Abigail Shrier  (Note: Greg confused Abigail Shrier with Amity Shlaes, author of The Forgotten Man.)

The Importance of Grasping the Grace of God

Greg talks about our need to grasp the grace of God, then he answers questions about how to respond to charges of homophobia and how to make an argument for biblical inerrancy.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: The importance of grasping the grace of God (00:00)
2. How can I respond to the charge that Leviticus 20:13 is homophobic and creates homophobia? (28:00)
3. Is it possible to make a case for the inerrancy of the Bible? (46:00)

Primer on Clear Thinking – Part Two

Using illustrations from apologetics arguments, Greg continues explaining principles of critical thinking that will help you craft better arguments for the truth and spot bad arguments when you hear them (part two of two).

 

Topics:

1. Part Two of Primer on Clear Thinking (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• The S.L.E.D. Test by Alan Shlemon
• Theistic Evolution: Drifting toward Darwin by Greg Koukl

Primer on Clear Thinking – Part One

Greg talks about how to recognize spiritual warfare then goes through some principles of critical thinking to help you craft better arguments for the truth and spot bad arguments when you hear them (part one of two).

 

Topics:

1. Part One of Primer on Clear Thinking (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• The Trouble with the Elephant by Greg Koukl

Some Christmas Thoughts

Greg reflects on the Christmas story, Christmas cards, and Christmas carols, then he answers questions about engaging a post-Christian culture, how free will fits into Romans 9:14–23, a struggle with spiritual numbness, and whether people are in Hell by choice and how that can be reconciled with Revelation 5:13.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Some Christmas thoughts (00:00)
2. How do we engage a culture where Christianity doesn’t have any social or cultural relevance? (18:00)
3. What are your thoughts on free will and how it fits into the words about Pharaoh in Romans 9:14–23? (32:00)
4. I struggle to be convinced that I'm loved by God and that salvation and grace are there for me. (43:00)
5. If it’s true that everyone in Hell wants to be in Hell (per C.S. Lewis) why would they give “blessing and honor and glory” to God (Rev. 5:13)? (51:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Related Links:

• What are your definitions of free will and choice? – Greg Koukl and Amy Hall on #STRask podcast

Some Perspective at the End of a Crazy Year

Greg offers some perspective at the end of this crazy year, then he answers a question about how to respond to a Christian family member who requests everyone use a male name and pronouns for their five-year-old daughter.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Some perspective at the end of a crazy year (00:00)
2. How should I respond to a Christian family member who asked me to use male pronouns and a new male name for their biological girl who just turned five? (32:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Donate to Stand to Reason
• Eternity Is Now: Just Ask Scrooge and George Bailey by Andrew Klavan
• Why the First Hospital to Do Sex-Reassignment Surgeries No Longer Does Them by Amy Hall

Related Links:

• Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters by Abigail Shrier
• Navigating the Transgender Discussion by Alan Shlemon
• Transgender: Truth and Compassion by Alan Shlemon
• How to Help Transgender Children by Amy Hall
• The Root of the Transgender Debate by Amy Hall