The Confronting Christianity Podcast: Recent Episodes
Rebecca McLaughlin, Kyle Worley
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin are joined by author Rachel Gilson to talk about why God cares about who we sleep with.
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Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Gavin Ortlund to answer the question; why doesn't God make Himself more obvious?
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Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Dr. Danielle Treweek to have a conversation about singleness and marriage.
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Rebecca is joined by James Eglinton to have a conversation about the arguments for and against euthanasia, how Christians should think about it, and where our hope can be found.
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Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin discuss the question; are transgender women, women?Questions Covered in This Episode:
* What is a man? What is a woman?
* Is a transgender woman a woman?
* What issues has this confusion presented?
* What is our primary responsiblity we have as Christians in this conversation?
* To what degree should we advance Christian ethics in public squares that are not purposefully evangelistic?
* Are all feminists on the same page with the question of “are transgender women women?”
* What do we do with the question of “preferred pronouns?”
Helpful Definitions:
* Transgender woman: Someone who is biologically male but identifies as female.
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The conversation centers around the complexities of being pro-life in a broader context. Bri shares her transformative journey from traditional pro-life advocacy into a holistic pursuit that sees immigration and refugee care as extensions of the same intrinsic Christian value of life and dignity. She elaborates on the misconceptions that surround the pro-life movement and the importance of engaging with human dignity issues beyond political boundaries. She also touches on the hurdles Christians face in balancing political and scriptural obligations.
Key Takeaways:
Choosing Proximity: Bri emphasizes the influence of building relationships with people who hold different perspectives to align more closely with biblical teachings on human dignity.
* Holistic Pro-life Ethic: Embracing a consistent pro-life ethic means advocating not only for the unborn but also for vulnerable groups, such as immigrants and refugees, as equally deserving of care and compassion.
* Beyond Politics: True compassion rooted in Christianity should transcend political labels, emphasizing a Kingdom mindset that values all individuals as God's image bearers.
* Community Engagement*: Practical involvement in local and global human dignity efforts, like adoption and refugee support, can allow Christians to live out their beliefs more fully and tangibly.
Resources:
* Bri's Books: Start with Welcome and The Biggest, Best Light
* Women of Welcome: Website
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
What if the worst season of your life became the place where you encountered God most deeply?
Rebecca talks with Ray Ortlund about suffering, betrayal, loneliness, depression, and why the cross and resurrection of Jesus offer a hope that no other worldview can match.
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What do you do when getting out of bed feels impossible? Rebecca McLaughlin talks with Dr. Alan Noble about depression, anxiety, suffering, and the surprising hope Christianity offers—not by removing pain, but by giving us meaning, purpose, and a reason to keep going.
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Rachel Gilson is a noted author and speaker specializing in Christian sexual ethics. She serves on the leadership team for theological development and culture at Cru, a dynamic missionary organization. Rachel is also in the advanced stages of completing her PhD in public theology from Southeastern Theological Seminary. Her acclaimed book, "Born Again This Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith, and What Comes Next" is considered a valuable resource on Christian sexual ethics. Rachel is passionate about helping Christians navigate complex cultural issues with a gospel-centered approach.
Key Takeaways:
Navigating Cultural Shifts: Rachel sheds light on how Christian parents can stay true to biblical principles while adapting to today’s ever-changing cultural landscape.
* Early Conversations: Discover why it’s crucial to start talking to your kids about sexuality and faith early on, and how to weave these discussions into the fabric of the gospel.
* Authenticity and Compassion: Rachel advocates for a genuine approach to parenting—living out Christian values in a way that radiates love and compassion.
* Practical Parental Guidance: Get actionable advice on preparing your children to engage thoughtfully with diverse beliefs about sexuality they’ll encounter in their daily lives.
* Community Support*: Learn how leaning on your church community can provide invaluable support and wisdom as you raise your kids in faith.
Visit: Rachel's website
Follow: Rachel on X
Order: Rachel's book "Parenting without Panic in an LGBT-Affirming World"
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
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Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin talk* about doubt and where we can find a stable foundation that honors and invites our doubt toward goodness, truth, and beauty.
*This is a replay episode from 1/31/23
Questions Covered in This Episode:
* Have you ever experienced profound doubt?
* What do you think are some of the most common places of doubt?
* What is doubt an invitation to?
* Do we find doubt in the bible?
* Where do you find a stable foundation that honors and invites your doubt toward goodness, truth, and beauty?
* If someone is listening to this episode and is experiencing or has experienced deep doubts about who God is, what God has done, and how God is inviting us to live…how would we encourage them?
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
* Genesis 3, Matthew 26, John 21:15-19, John 20:24-29
* The Chosen
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
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Rebecca hosts a discussion* with Dani Treweek and Ellie Wiener, exploring whether women should preach in church. Both Dani and Ellie share their insights and differing perspectives, rooted in a deep respect for Scripture. The conversation goes into key biblical passages, including 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 11, providing nuanced interpretations. Dani and Ellie's dialogue underscores their shared belief in the gospel's transformative power, encouraging all believers to proclaim the message of salvation.
*This is a replay episode from 4/8/25
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Rebecca and Andrew Wilson explore the Bible’s vision of happiness, why joy and suffering often go together, and how true happiness can only last forever if it’s rooted in God.
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Why do stories about heroes, sacrifice, and victory over evil move us so deeply?
Rebecca and Kyle Worley explore how imagination, storytelling, and even fantasy reflect the deeper reality of the gospel. From the armor of God to dragons and great heroes, they show why the story of Jesus is the one all others echo.
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What if Jesus is far more than you’ve ever imagined?
In this crossover episode (with Church Society), Rebecca and Lee Gatiss unpack the book of Colossians—and why its claims about Jesus completely reshape identity, purpose, and freedom. They also tackle one of the Bible’s most misunderstood topics: slavery, and why the gospel actually undermines it from the inside out.
Follow Lee:
Church Society Website | Twitter
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Rebecca talks with Elizabeth Woodson about the subtle ways culture shapes us—and how the gospel reorients us toward true joy, peace, and purpose. They explore how to recognize when you’ve drifted and take small, faithful steps back toward the way of Jesus.
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Website | Instagram
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Who am I?
It’s one of the most common—and most confusing—questions in our culture today.
Rebecca is joined by author and theologian Justin Poythress to explore the deeper meaning of identity and why so many modern conversations fall short. Drawing from his upcoming book Who Am I, What Am I, and What Am I Doing with My Life?, Justin explains why identity is more complex than we think—and why trying to “find yourself” often leads to instability.
Follow Justin:
Website
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We’ve never been more connected—and never more lonely. In this episode, Rebecca talks with Shelby Abbott about the growing loneliness epidemic, especially among Gen Z, and why digital connection often leaves us feeling more isolated.
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What if the resurrection of Jesus isn’t just a belief—but a historical reality? Rebecca is joined by evangelist, pastor, and writer Mike Hood to explore the evidence behind Christianity’s boldest claim: that Jesus physically rose from the dead. Mike shares how wrestling with this question as a teenager shaped his faith—and why he keeps coming back to it today.
Buy Mike's Book:
The If That Changes Everything by Mike Hood
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Rebecca and Derek explore why God’s judgment is necessary, how Jesus’ death defeats sin and Satan, and why the cross is the clearest display of both divine justice and divine love.
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Why would a loving God judge sin? Rebecca talks with theologian and pastor Derek Rishmawy about one of the most difficult questions in Christianity: why Jesus needed to die in the first place.
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Rebecca and Jen Wilkin explore the often-overlooked spiritual power of middle age. They discuss why younger Christians need older mentors, how church should function as a true family across generations, and why following Jesus reshapes how we think about aging and influence.
Preorder Jen's Book:
Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World
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Rebecca talks with Jen Wilkin about her new book Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World.
They explore how Scripture reframes aging as a gift, why the church must recover a richer vision of family, and what it means to be pro-life at the end of life.
Preorder Jen's Book:
Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World
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Rebecca talks with John Meade and Peter Gurry about the New Testament canon, “lost gospels,” and why New Testament writers sometimes quote the Old Testament differently. They address common objections—Constantine, politics, the Apocrypha—and why studying Scripture’s history tends to deepen faith rather than undermine it.
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Where did the Bible come from—and how do we know we can trust it? Rebecca is joined by textual scholars John Meade and Peter Gurry to explore how Scripture was written, copied, translated, and recognized as canon. From the Septuagint to the Apocrypha, they unpack the Bible’s complex history—and why that history strengthens rather than weakens Christian confidence in God’s Word.
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Rebecca talks with pastor and author Dr. Stephen Witmer about why poetry—especially the work of 17th-century priest George Herbert—can deepen our understanding of the gospel. Through Herbert’s poems, they explore themes of inadequacy, priesthood, and the imputed righteousness of Christ. Along the way, they discuss why Scripture itself uses poetry and why beauty, metaphor, and imagination matter for Christian faith.
Buy Stephen's Book:
In All Things Thee to See: A Devotional Guide to Selected Poems of George Herbert
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Are human beings basically good—or fundamentally broken? Rebecca is joined by clinical neuropsychologist Jo Johnson to explore what decades of psychological work reveal about human nature, shame, and our deep sense that something is “off.” Together they argue that Christianity doesn’t deny our inner darkness, but offers the only true freedom: being fully known and fully loved in Jesus.
Buy Jo's Book:
Disentangled
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Rebecca McLaughlin and Dr. Rob Smith continue their conversation on sex, gender, and transgender theory by tracing how the New Testament holds together real equality and real difference between men and women. They discuss gender dysphoria, disorders of sexual development, and why Christians can pursue deep compassion without affirming claims they believe are untrue. Throughout, they argue that keeping Jesus—and imitation of his servant-hearted love—at the center helps everything else fall into its proper place.
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Rebecca talks with Anglican minister and theologian Dr. Rob Smith about what “transgender theory” actually claims—and why clarity matters before conversation can even begin. They explore how the Bible frames bodies, sex, and “gender expression,” starting in Genesis and touching on why Christians can’t simply throw the word “gender” away. This is Part 1 of a two-part discussion of Rob’s book The Body God Gives.
Buy Rob's Book:
The Body God Gives: A Biblical Response to Transgender Theory
Follow Rob:
Instagram
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In this episode, Rebecca McLaughlin talks with evangelist and surgeon Sam Chan about why Christmas still matters in an anxious, skeptical world. Drawing on Sam’s book The Missing Piece, they explore how the incarnation meets our deep longing for peace—not by fixing everything, but by God coming near to us in Jesus.
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Blog | X | Instagram
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What does a 4th-century African bishop have to do with smartphones, social media, and AI chatbots? Rebecca sits down with ethicist Autumn Ridenour to explore how Augustine’s famous line, “our hearts are restless until they rest in you,” exposes both the appeal and the danger of our digital lives—from endless scrolling to AI “relationships” and deepfake-fueled distrust.
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Therapist and ministry leader Zach Ellis spends his days walking with men tangled up in porn, shame, and unwanted sexual behavior. In this episode, Zach and Rebecca talk about lust as both sin and sign, how trauma fractures us, and why the opposite of addiction isn’t willpower but connection—being truly known by God and his people. If you’ve ever wondered whether your sexual history puts you beyond repair, this episode is a gentle but honest invitation to bring your story into the light of Christ.
Follow Zach:
* Mosaic Counseling Center - Boston Area Christian counseling for problematic sexual behavior
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The Nathan Project - New England region ministry offering group-based recovery from sexual addiction and betrayal trauma
-
Pure Desire Ministries- National ministry offering in-person and online recovery groups, podcast and more
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423 Next - National ministry offering online support groups for youth struggling with problematic sexual behavior
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Christine walks through 2 Corinthians, Paul’s deeply personal letter about weakness, suffering, and the upside-down way of Jesus. She shares honestly about writing her new Bible study, More Than Enough: An 8-Week Study of 2 Corinthians, while her 20-year-old son was undergoing treatment for cancer.
Get the Book:
More Than Enough: An 8-Week Study of 2 Corinthians
Follow Christine:
Instagram | Website
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Portia Collins is a Bible teacher, author, and speaker from the Mississippi Delta. She’s the author of Finding Freedom in Christ: An 8-Week Study in Galatians, founder of She Shall Be Called, and serves on staff with Revive Our Hearts. Portia is passionate about helping women grow in Bible literacy and embrace the true freedom found in Jesus.
Get the Book:
Finding Freedom in Christ: An 8-Week Study of Galatians
Follow Portia:
Instagram | Substack
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Rebecca and theologian Dani Treweek explore why the Bible calls both marriage and singleness meaningful gifts — and how rediscovering the purpose of singleness can strengthen the whole church.
Get the book:
Single Ever AfterA Biblical Vision for the Significance of Singleness
Follow Dani:
Instagram | Website
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Can Christians enjoy stories with “magic”? Marian Jacobs and Rebecca unpack how fantasy can train us to love Jesus and discern the occult—using a simple rubric rooted in Scripture and the self-giving love at the heart of the gospel.
Get the book:
On Magic & Miracles: A Theological Guide to Discerning Fictional Magic
Follow Marian:
Instagram | Website
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Harvard-backed research says weekly churchgoing lowers depression, boosts health, and lengthens life — and Rebecca explains why those benefits point beyond “religion” to Jesus, the church as true family, and the hope Gen Z is rediscovering.
Get the book:
“How Church Could Literally Save Your Life” (Crossway)
Check out Collin's Podcast:
Gospelbound
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Rebecca and J.D. Greear explore how Christians can transcend the culture war by leading with grace and truth, loving hard-to-love neighbors, keeping politics downstream of discipleship, and holding fast to the gospel with joyful confidence.
Resources Mentioned:
* J.D.'s Website
* Summit Church
* Everyday Revolutionary: How to Transcend the Culture War and Transform the World
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How can anxiety become a doorway to deeper faith? Blair Linne joins Rebecca to discuss her new book Made to Tremble: How Anxiety Became the Best Thing That Ever Happened to My Faith. She recounts the accident that led to panic attacks, unpacks natural / sinful / religious fear, and shows how Scripture’s “do not fear” is an invitation to rest in God’s presence.
Resources Mentioned:
* Made to Tremble – Blair Linne
* Finding My Father – Blair Linne
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Rebecca welcomes back Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley for part two of their conversation about Theology Together. They unpack the Deep Discipleship Program—a tested, church-based framework for theological formation that is both sacrificial and accessible. They discuss lowering vs. raising the bar in ministry, how to call believers into deeper study and practice, and why the church must reclaim the life of the mind as part of following Jesus.
Resources mentioned:
* Deep Discipleship
* You Are a Theologian
* Formed for Fellowship
* Remember & Rehearse
* Training The Church
* Knowing Faith Podcast
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Rebecca welcomes Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley (Knowing Faith) to explore why every believer is a theologian, how women and men learn together in the church, and how practices of grace form us for fellowship with God and one another. They discuss You Are a Theologian, Deep Discipleship, Formed for Fellowship, and Remember & Rehearse—along with church-as-family, Priscilla & Aquila (Acts 18), and helping new Christians live inside God’s big story.
Resources mentioned:
* You Are a Theologian
* Deep Discipleship
* Formed for Fellowship
* Remember & Rehearse
* Training The Church
* Knowing Faith Podcast
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
Rebecca welcomes Vaneetha Risner for a candid conversation about suffering, unanswered prayer, and the presence of Christ in our deepest pain. Vaneetha recounts her story (childhood polio, the death of her infant son, an unwanted divorce), how John 9 reframed her “why,” and why Christian hope rests in the character of God—not in guaranteed outcomes. They also explore lament, community, and practical ways to walk with those who hurt.
Resources mentioned:
* Watching for the Morning (90-day devotional): vaneetha.com/watching-for-the-morning
* Desperate for Hope (7-session Bible study): vaneetha.com/desperate-for-hope
* Vaneetha’s website: vaneetha.com
* Joni Eareckson Tada & Steven Estes, When God Weeps: Amazon
* John 9 (Jesus and the man born blind): Read
* John 11 (Jesus with Mary & Martha): Read
0:00 Exploring Faith and Suffering Through Personal Trials
3:12 Finding Faith Amidst Life's Trials and Unanswered Prayers
14:05 Finding Faith and Comfort Amidst Suffering and Loss
19:53 Unexpected Suffering and the Journey of Writing Through Pain
23:11 Finding Hope and Purpose in Suffering Through Faith
32:19 Exploring Faith, Suffering, and Devotionals with Vaneetha Risner
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Rebecca sits down with Karen Swallow Prior to explore vocation that comes from outside us, the goodness of “ordinary” faithfulness, and why pursuing the true, the good, and the beautiful gives shape to our work in every season. They reflect on biblical portraits of calling (Paul, Moses, Jonah), the role of community in discernment, and how serving others—not chasing status—aligns our lives with Jesus.
Resources mentioned:
* Karen's Website: karenswallowprior.com
* You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful (Karen Swallow Prior)
* On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great Books (Karen Swallow Prior)
* The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis (Karen Swallow Prior)
* Bible passages:
+ Acts 9 (Paul’s calling)
+ Exodus 3–4 (Moses)
+ Jonah (running from calling)
+ Colossians 3:23–24 (work as unto the Lord)
0:00 Exploring Vocation and Identity in Confronting Christianity Podcast
2:34 Understanding Life's Callings and Their External Origins
7:23 Discerning Personal Calling Amidst Biblical and Modern Examples
13:57 Discovering Your Calling Through Truth and Community
14:52 Jesus's Teachings on Power and Christian Vocation
17:47 Redefining Life's Calling Beyond Glamorous Achievements
24:09 Christian Perspectives on Vocation and Service
28:42 Finding Purpose in Serving Others Over Personal Ambitions
33:28 Finding Purpose in Caring for Creation
36:07 A Humbling Experience in a School Swimming Contest
36:56 Discovering Personal Callings Through Community and Encouragement
40:39 Exploring Beauty and Vocation Through a Christian Lens
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Season 7 of Confronting Christianity is here! Rebecca gives a sneak peek at upcoming conversations—from finding hope in suffering and living faithfully as a single Christian, to confronting anxiety, pornography, and the meaning of Jesus’ death. Subscribe now so you don’t miss a single episode.
📚 Resources Mentioned
* Rebecca’s forthcoming book: How Church Could Literally Save Your Life (Releases October, preorder available)
* Rebecca's Website
* Weekly newsletter signup
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What happens when you’ve tried everything—and nothing works? In this episode, Justine shares how she searched for meaning through alcohol, relationships, yoga, crystals, and tarot—only to find herself more lost than ever. But a YouTube video, a prayer in Madrid, and a series of quiet nudges led her to confront the truth she could no longer ignore: she needed Jesus. Whether you're skeptical, curious, or clinging to faith, this story of rescue will challenge your assumptions and stir your soul.
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Based on his beloved song, Penelope Judd, Shai Linne shares a beautiful allegory to help kids grasp the gospel—that Jesus, like the Prince in the story, enters our broken world and invites us into something new. Using the song’s lyrics, this book offers a creative way to start gospel conversations with the children you love.
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
What if rock bottom isn’t the end of the story, but the place where grace runs deepest? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Ray Ortlund about the kind of suffering that strips us bare—and the kind of Savior who meets us there. We dig into betrayal, isolation, and the painful honesty of self-examination. Ray shares wisdom from his new book, Good News at Rock Bottom, reminding us that Christianity doesn’t offer a shallow fix—but a Redeemer who walks with us through the wreckage. If you’ve ever felt like your faith is hanging by a thread, this conversation is for you.
Buy Ray's Book:
Good News at Rock Bottom
Follow Ray:
Instagram
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Based on his beloved song, Penelope Judd, Shai Linne shares a beautiful allegory to help kids grasp the gospel—that Jesus, like the Prince in the story, enters our broken world and invites us into something new. Using the song’s lyrics, this book offers a creative way to start gospel conversations with the children you love.
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
What does it look like to follow Jesus at Harvard? In this episode, I talk with senior Andrei Comlosan-Pop about coming to faith in high school, navigating life as a Christian at a secular university, and how literature, economics, and community all play a part in shaping a thoughtful, lived-out faith.
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Based on his beloved song, Penelope Judd, Shai Linne shares a beautiful allegory to help kids grasp the gospel—that Jesus, like the Prince in the story, enters our broken world and invites us into something new. Using the song’s lyrics, this book offers a creative way to start gospel conversations with the children you love.
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
I’m joined by my friend Elizabeth Woodson—Bible teacher, author, and all-around theological powerhouse—to talk about Paul’s letter to the Galatians. We dig into what it really means to be free in Christ, why Paul’s transformation from persecutor to apostle matters so deeply, and how he surprisingly elevated the role of women in his ministry. Elizabeth shares wisdom from her new Bible study, Live Free, and together we unpack how belief in Jesus reshapes both our individual lives and our communities.
Buy Elizabeth's Study:
Live Free - Bible Study: A Study of Galatians
Follow Elizabeth:
Instagram | TikTok
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Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
Historian Molly Worthen joins Rebecca to unpack her journey from agnosticism to faith, the pull of charismatic leaders, and why Jesus—not political saviors—is the only one truly worth following. From Trump-era evangelicalism to the Spirit-led church, this episode asks: What kind of power really saves?
Buy Molly's Book:
Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump
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Rebecca is joined by Glen Scrivener and Dr. Rob Barward-Symmons to explore a surprising rise in church attendance in the UK—especially among Gen Z and young men. Drawing on new YouGov data, they discuss the impact of immigration, cultural shifts, and the quiet but steady relevance of Christian community in a secular age.
Check out the Report:
The Quiet Revival: Gen Z leads rise in church attendance
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Is belief in God just a quirk of the human brain—or is it something deeper? In this episode, I’m joined by theologian Gray Sutanto to explore the insights of cognitive science and what they tell us about our built-in sense of the divine. Drawing from his new book Ascends of the Divine, we discuss the limits of human knowledge, the power of revelation, and how Gray’s own journey to faith shapes his perspective.
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In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Dan Strange to talk about the deep longings that pull at every human heart—connection, deliverance, destiny—and how they point us to Christ. Drawing from his book "Making Faith Magnetic", Dan helps us think through how to engage our culture with both truth and tenderness. We also explore the vital role of the church in supporting vulnerable children through fostering and adoption, and why even a seemingly secular world is still full of spiritual hunger.
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What happens when our deepest longings collide with our latest technologies? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Jeremy Meeks—bioethicist, theologian, and expert on all things strange and complicated at the intersection of sex, robots, and Christian ethics. Drawing on the thought of Augustine, we wrestle with questions of human freedom, love, and the lure of transhumanist dreams. Can a robot be a companion? Should it be? And what does the gospel say to a world eager to remake itself in its own image? Together, we explore how Christianity offers not just a list of “don’ts” but a vision of human dignity far deeper than anything our tech can build.
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Russell Cowburn, a professor of experimental physics at Cambridge University, joins Rebecca to explore the intricate relationship between science and faith. They explore the concept of God within the scope of scientific discovery, the historical figures who have harmonized faith with scientific contributions, and engage with the question of Jesus' resurrection and its implications. As they approach Easter, Russell reflects on his personal journey as a Christian and a scientist, offering insights on the compatibility of religion and the scientific worldview.
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Rebecca hosts a discussion with Dani Treweek and Ellie Wiener, exploring whether women should preach in church. Both Dani and Ellie share their insights and differing perspectives, rooted in a deep respect for Scripture. The conversation goes into key biblical passages, including 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 11, providing nuanced interpretations. Dani and Ellie's dialogue underscores their shared belief in the gospel's transformative power, encouraging all believers to proclaim the message of salvation.
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Join Rebecca and Jen Wilkin in a rich exploration of the Book of Revelation, unraveling its powerful imagery and links to the entire biblical narrative. Discover the symbolism of the Lamb, the recurring motif of weddings, and the age-old struggle against the dragon. They discuss the profound promises and warnings Revelation offers, its portrayal of Jesus as both sacrificial and sovereign, and its vision of a future with people from all nations worshiping together. Whether you're new to Revelation or well-versed, gain fresh insights into its message for today and eternity.
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Join Rebecca and Ana Ávila as they talk about the interplay between productivity, faith, and motherhood. Ana, a senior writer for the Spanish version of the Gospel Coalition, shares insights from her book, "Make the Most of Your Time: A Guide to Honoring God with Your Time." They discuss the balance of work, parenting, and spiritual habits, highlighting how love and devotion drive productivity.
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Join Rebecca and Dr. Mark McDowell as they explore the concept of "Ordo Amoris" and its implications for Christian ethics and political discussions. The conversation explores the theological insights of Augustine and their modern relevance, especially concerning love for one's neighbor and immigrant care. Unpacking biblical parables and teachings, Mark highlights the transformative potential of divine love in addressing societal challenges.Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/Subscribe
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Derwin Gray, pastor and author, joins Rebecca to explore the transformative power of God's love in a world craving the gospel. They discuss Gray's latest book, "Lit Up with Love: Becoming Good News People in a Gospel Starved World," examining how Jesus' love compels us to love others, transcending racial and social barriers.
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Rebecca and Rachel Zhang explore the intersection of literature and Christianity on today's episode. Rachel, an assistant professor at Emerson College, discusses her research on 17th-century literature and her experience as a Christian in academia. They analyze the influence of faith on studying literature, the power of fiction, and the importance of engaging with works from diverse worldviews.
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Rebecca and Sam Chan explore the complexities of living an authentic life through a Christian lens. They discuss cultural narratives about being true to oneself and the contrasting biblical perspective of finding true identity through Jesus. Sam shares from his experiences as a medical doctor to explore themes of identity, sacrifice, and the pursuit of truth, challenging listeners to seek life's purpose beyond self-centered desires and inviting them to discover fulfillment in a relationship with God.
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Rebecca and Gavin Ortlund dive into the art of disagreeing while maintaining relationships. They explore biblical insights and discuss the balance between boldness and love in conversations, especially when addressing religious and ideological differences. Whether navigating disagreements with friends or discussing contentious issues, this episode provides thoughtful guidance for engaging in meaningful and respectful dialogue.
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The Story of Jesus is designed for churches to use during evangelism and outreach events to help readers understand who Jesus is so they may believe and have life in his name. Pick up a copy wherever books are sold or visit crossway.org/plus to learn how you can get 30 percent off with a Crossway plus account.
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Kyla Gillespie joins Rebecca to discuss her journey with gender dysphoria and same-sex attraction. Raised in a Christian home, Kyla shares her struggle with identity, navigating both a passion for hockey and feelings of not fitting traditional gender roles. She recounts her experiences with transition, faith, and alcoholism, ultimately returning to faith and finding solace in her identity as a woman in Christ. This episode explores the nuanced intersections of gender, faith, and personal transformation, offering insight and hope for those with similar experiences.
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The Story of Jesus is designed for churches to use during evangelism and outreach events to help readers understand who Jesus is so they may believe and have life in his name. Pick up a copy wherever books are sold or visit crossway.org/plus to learn how you can get 30 percent off with a Crossway plus account.
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Rebecca and Dr. Michael J. Kruger discuss the origins and reliability of the New Testament, the textual transmission from early Christianity, the authenticity of gospel accounts, and address common skeptic arguments, including Bart Ehrman's views on manuscript variations. Dr. Kruger highlights the significance of Jesus' character and teachings while discussing the historical importance of early Christian texts.
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The Story of Jesus is designed for churches to use during evangelism and outreach events to help readers understand who Jesus is so they may believe and have life in his name. Pick up a copy wherever books are sold or visit crossway.org/plus to learn how you can get 30 percent off with a Crossway plus account.
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Rebecca and Dr. Christy Thornton explore Christian unity and diversity as they tackle key theological topics, including the Lord's Supper and baptism, examining what Christians agree on and where denominational differences lie. Listen into the discussions on important terms like sacraments and ordinances, and discover how these practices shape Christian tradition. Dr. Thornton shares insights from her newest book "Confessing Christ: An Invitation to Baptist Dogmatics."
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The Story of Jesus is designed for churches to use during evangelism and outreach events to help readers understand who Jesus is so they may believe and have life in his name. Pick up a copy wherever books are sold or visit crossway.org/plus to learn how you can get 30 percent off with a Crossway plus account.
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Rebecca sits down with Rachel Jones, editor at The Good Book Company and author of The Quiet Time Kickstart: Six Weeks to a Healthy Bible Habit. Drawing inspiration from the Couch to 5K program, Rachel shares how this book was designed to help anyone build a sustainable and meaningful habit of meeting God in His Word. Together, Rebecca and Rachel dive into the real struggles that often hold us back, the joy of encountering Scripture, and practical strategies for keeping Bible reading a part of daily life. Whether you're picking up a Bible for the first time or you’ve been reading it for years, this conversation will inspire and equip you to grow deeper in your faith. Don’t miss it!
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The Story of Jesus is designed for churches to use during evangelism and outreach events to help readers understand who Jesus is so they may believe and have life in his name. Pick up a copy wherever books are sold or visit crossway.org/plus to learn how you can get 30 percent off with a Crossway plus account.
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The 6th season of Confronting Christianity is set to launch on January 21st!
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Rebecca and Justine explore questions submitted by our listeners! They explore challenges of infertility, perspectives on the morning-after pill, and how Christians can thoughtfully engage in politics. The discussion also highlights strategies for evangelism, especially within diverse religious contexts, and how to discern primary doctrinal issues.
List of Questions Answered1. How can we effectively and practically share the gospel with Muslim friends, especially if we've known them for a long time and haven't told them about Jesus yet? 2. Is there a way to discuss the Trinity with someone who believes Christians take Tanakh verses out of context? 3. Should Christians get involved in politics? 4. What are some practical ways or resources seasoned believers can use to help new believers discern primary doctrinal issues from secondary or tertiary ones? 5. How do we navigate infertility as a Christian when no one talks about it? 6. Are Christians against the morning after pill/Plan B? 7. What are your thoughts on the Rest Is History podcast, particularly regarding Luther and Jesus? 8. How can we both practically begin spiritual relationships with our unbelieving neighbors and community members?
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* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
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About the Guest:
Kyle Worley is a dedicated pastor, insightful author, and engaging podcaster. Alongside his spiritual commitments and teachings, Kyle is also a foster father, showcasing his passion for nurturing and supporting the next generation. His latest endeavor is his forthcoming book titled "Home with God: Union with Christ," which delves into the profound theological concept of union with Christ. Rebecca McLaughlin: Rebecca McLaughlin is a prominent Christian author and speaker, known for addressing contemporary issues with deep biblical insight. As the host of the Confronting Christianity podcast, she facilitates critical conversations about faith, culture, and theology.
Episode Summary:
Rebecca and Kyle Worley explore the often overlooked Christian doctrine of Union with Christ and Kyle's forthcoming book, "Home with God." They discuss the transformative power of being united with Christ, the transition from forgiveness to fellowship, and the profound implications for identity, justice, and community.
Key Takeaways:
* The doctrine of union with Christ is a central foundation of Christian salvation, offering believers not just forgiveness but a home with God.
* "Home with God" emphasizes the relational and communal aspects of Christianity, challenging Western individualistic approaches to faith.
* Christian identity is redefined in Christ, empowering believers to extend genuine hospitality and justice in the world.
* The radical inclusivity of Christ's invitation allows anyone to join the fellowship with God, transcending cultural, socioeconomic, and personal backgrounds.
* The gospel's message is not only about being forgiven but also about being invited into everlasting fellowship with the divine.
Notable Quotes:
* "Fellowship is the goal of salvation, and union with Christ showcases that." – Kyle Worley
* "In Christ Jesus, I am not just the recipient of God's gracious love that forgives. I am a recipient of God's delighting love that beholds." – Kyle Worley
* "Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you to the glory of God." – Rebecca McLaughlin referencing biblical scripture
* "We're born into this world with homeless and homesick hearts. And there are only two ways of being in this world." – Kyle Worley
* "If you repent and believe and put your trust in Christ, you will be included in Christ." – Rebecca McLaughlin
Resources:
* Kyle's Forthcoming Book: Home with God: Union with Christ
* Sam Alberry's Book: One with My Lord: The Life-Changing Reality of Being in Christ.
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
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Michael Keller is a prominent pastor with a distinguished career intertwining academia and theology. Having spent his formative years in New York City and obtaining degrees in History and Psychology from Vanderbilt University, Michael pursued theological studies at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, earning both M.Div and THM degrees. He has served in various pastoral roles across London and Boston and most notably, Michael holds a Ph.D. in Computational Linguistics applied to the sermons of Jonathan Edwards from the Free University in Amsterdam. He currently pastors in Manhattan where he engages with a diverse community, addressing contemporary Christian challenges.
Rebecca and Michael Keller explore the complexities of faith in urban environments and explore the changing landscape of spiritual conversations in cities like New York and Boston, addressing questions around Christianity's relevance and goodness in modern society.
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
Rebecca hosts Dr. Sharon Dirckx, a renowned expert in science and theology, to explore the intersection of faith and neuroscience. Dr. Dirckx, author of "Am I Just My Brain?", explores the complex relationship between brain and mind, challenging the notion that consciousness is merely an illusion. The discussion highlights scientific phenomena that suggest we are more than our neurons and explores how the Christian worldview can provide a more comprehensive understanding of human existence.
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
Lisa Fields is a renowned Christian apologist, recognized for her significant contributions to the African American community. She is the CEO of Jude 3 Project, which is dedicated to helping Black Christians understand their faith. Lisa is an accomplished documentary producer, known for "Unspoken" and "Juneteenth, Faith and Freedom". She is also the author of "When Faith Disappoints: The Gap between What We Believe and What We Experience".
Episode Summary:
Rebecca welcomes back Christian apologist Lisa Fields to discuss her new book, "When Faith Disappoints: The Gap Between What We Believe and What We Experience." Lisa shares her journey in founding the Jude 3 Project and addresses the challenges of faith within the African American community. They explore the common struggles around faith, suffering, and identity, and emphasize the importance of wrestling with God through pain and doubt.
Key Takeaways:
* Lisa discusses the core mission of the Jude 3 Project as it relates to empowering Black Christians to understand and articulate their faith.
* The episode tackles the provocative question of whether Christianity is a "white man's religion" and explores its implications in the African American context.
* Lisa's new book, "When Faith Disappoints", addresses the intersection of pain and faith, offering solace and guidance through personal and theological insights.
* The conversation highlights the significance of grappling with personal disappointments in God and the pivotal role of vulnerability and authenticity in spiritual dialogue.
* The prosperity gospel is critiqued, emphasizing the biblical perspective of suffering and God's presence in the midst of trials.
Notable Quotes:
* "One of the things that I love about the gospel is the incarnational nature of it." - Lisa Fields
* "Lay all your cards on the table before God, even if you're like, am I talking to an imaginary person?" - Lisa Fields
Resources:
* Jude 3 Project: jude3project.org
* Lisa Fields' book: "When Faith Disappoints: The Gap between What We Believe and What We Experience"
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
Glenn Scrivener is a prominent pastor and communicator based in Eastbourne, UK, known for his dynamic approach to evangelism. Having lived in England for decades after growing up in Australia, Glen uses his cross-cultural experiences to enrich his ministry efforts. He is deeply involved in digital outreach through his organization, Speak Life, which offers resources and insights on sharing the Christian faith in contemporary contexts. Glen is also an accomplished author, with his latest book being "How to Speak Life: Sharing Your Faith in 3, 2, 1."
Episode Summary:
Rebecca and Glen Scrivener discuess the art of evangelism, using Jesus' parable of the sower as a guiding framework. Explore how Christians can share their faith effectively, embracing the joy of scattered seeds while surrendering results to God.
Key Takeaways:
* Evangelism is about sowing seeds of faith and allowing God's word to work, not forcing interactions or analyzing potential.
* The Parable of the Sower serves as a foundational model for understanding evangelistic success and its variable outcomes.
* People today are increasingly seeking community and spiritual truth, offering a ripe opportunity for sharing the gospel in both structured and spontaneous settings.
* True discipleship involves embracing the messy, complex journeys of individuals as they explore faith, requiring patience and understanding.
* Evangelism and discipleship often overlap; providing spiritual care for non-Christians and fostering ongoing gospel engagement for believers.
Notable Quotes:
* "What grips your heart wags your tongue." - Australian Saying
* "The ministry of evangelism is not about battering down doors but sowing the seed." - Glen Scrivener
* "Evangelism is pastoring non Christians and pastoral care is evangelizing Christians." - Glen Scrivener
Resources:
* Follow Glen on Instagram and X
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
Sean McDowell is an associate professor of Christian apologetics at Biola University. He is a bestselling author and co-author of more than twenty books, specializing in cultural apologetics and addressing the concerns of Gen Z. Sean is also the co-host of the Think Biblically podcast and runs a popular YouTube channel.
Tim Muehlhoff is a professor of communication at Biola University and co-director of Biola's Winsome Conviction Project. An accomplished author, Tim co-hosts the Winsome Conviction podcast, focusing on fostering dialogue between people with differing viewpoints.
Episode Summary:
Rebecca is joined by Sean McDowell and Tim Muehlhoff as they explore the complexities of navigating cancel culture and political polarization through their book, "End the Stalemate." Discussing communication breakdowns, rivalry, and the allure of demonizing opponents, they offer insights on maintaining meaningful conversations without sacrificing convictions.
Key Takeaways:
* The cultural climate is characterized by increased polarization and cancel culture, greatly impacting public discourse.
* Effective communication that fosters mutual understanding and respect is crucial in bridging divides and engaging others constructively.
* The principles of listening, understanding, and finding common ground are emphasized as essential in maintaining relationships amid disagreement.
* The guests encourage Christians to lead with love and respect, demonstrating these traits in public discourse reflective of their faith.
* Raising young individuals to engage thoughtfully on controversial issues through perspective-taking and mutual respect are seen as valuable life skills.
Notable Quotes:
* "I want to be as charitable towards people as I can be without violating my conscience and without violating scripture." — Sean McDowell
* "The second great commandment says, 'Love your neighbor,' and it applies to all our interactions, including those who disagree with us politically." — Tim Muehlhoff
* "Be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you, but share that with all gentleness and respect." — Tim Muehlhoff
Resources:
* Biola University's Winsome Conviction Project
* End the Stalemate: Move Past Cancel Culture to Meaningful Conversations website for engaging with varied political perspectives
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
Blair Linne is an accomplished author and the author of "Finding My Father: How the Gospel Heals the Pain of Fatherlessness." She serves as a Bible teacher, actress, and spoken word artist, with experience sharing the gospel through various platforms, including prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall. She is the creator of Glo with The Gospel Coalition. Blair resides in Portland with her husband Shai Linne and their three children, continuing her impactful work in teaching and performing across the world.
Episode Summary:
Rebecca sits down with Blair Linne to explore themes of faith, fatherhood, and the transformative power of the gospel. Blair opens up about her personal journey from growing up in a fatherless household to finding solace and identity through her faith in Christ. She shares intimate details from her life story, revealing how an unexpected turn of events led her to discover her biological father, and more importantly, her spiritual Father.
Key Takeaways:
* The episode underscores the importance of viewing God as the ultimate Father, extending beyond earthly familial deficiencies.
* Blair emphasizes the critical need for churches to support single mothers and vulnerable populations, promoting the church as a refuge.
* Think responsibly about societal roles in pro-life debates, infusing compassion and support for women in difficult situations.
* It offers a message of hope and forgiveness to individuals who have experienced abortion, emphasizing the limitless grace of God.
Notable Quotes:
* "I remember going from a place of so much shame and sorrow to complete joy because I realized for the first time, oh, wow, okay. That's why it's good news." – Blair Linne
* "No other religion speaks of God as father in a very personal way, like we see in Christianity." – Blair Linne
Resources:
* Follow Blair on Instagram
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
Stephen Foster is the leader of St Aldates Church in Oxford, a dynamic and expanding community with a diverse congregation of young adults, students, and families. Stephen holds a law degree from Oxford and a theology degree from Cambridge, reflecting both his academic prowess and spiritual dedication. Before entering full-time ministry, he worked as a barrister in the UK, gaining extensive experience in criminal defense.
Episode Summary:
Rebecca speaks with Stephen Foster, the leader of St Aldates Church in Oxford, to discuss the intriguing question: Is Jesus believable at Oxford? With Stephen's dynamic background in both law and theology, he offers unique insights on the compatibility of faith with rigorous academic pursuits.
Together they explore how the modern world, particularly in academic centers, is experiencing a resurgent curiosity in Christianity, despite running parallel to vastly secular ideologies. They reflect on the increasing spiritual quests among Gen Z, contrasting it with previous generations' post-Christian perspectives. This episode invites listeners to reconsider entrenched notions about faith in the face of evidence that suggests a vibrant interest in exploring Jesus and Christianity.
Key Takeaways:
* Christianity is experiencing a resurgence of interest among young adults, even within elite academic environments like Oxford.
* There is a noticeable shift from a post-Christian to a pre-Christian context, where people have little knowledge of the gospel yet show deep curiosity.
* The interaction between faith and academic disciplines, such as theoretical physics, is explored, revealing a surprising harmony and intellectual grounding.
* Modern societal crises have catalyzed a spiritual openness, with many seeking truth and meaning beyond secular constructs.
* Spiritual exploration is palpable among younger generations, who are increasingly predisposed to discovering faith in Jesus.
Notable Quotes:
* "In a post-Christian context, people are inoculated with enough of the message of the gospel to immunize them against its power." - Stephen Foster
* "The gospel is not a virus, but there's a natural virality to the gospel." - Stephen Foster
* "We desperately need to have truth, and if you don't, you have no defense against power grabs." - Stephen Foster
Resources:
* Follow Stephen on Instagram
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
Bri Stensrud is an established author, human dignity advocate, and director of Women of Welcome. With a master's degree in biblical and theological studies from Dallas Theological Seminary, she is dedicated to equipping churches to actively and consistently engage in comprehensive human dignity issues. Bri serves on the board of directors for the National Association of Evangelicals and has penned two insightful books: "Start with the Journey Toward a Confident and Compassionate Immigration Conversation" and the children's book "The Biggest, Best Shining God's Light in the World Around You."
Episode Summary:
The conversation centers around the complexities of being pro-life in a broader context. Bri shares her transformative journey from traditional pro-life advocacy into a holistic pursuit that sees immigration and refugee care as extensions of the same intrinsic Christian value of life and dignity. She elaborates on the misconceptions that surround the pro-life movement and the importance of engaging with human dignity issues beyond political boundaries. She also touches on the hurdles Christians face in balancing political and scriptural obligations.
Key Takeaways:
Choosing Proximity: Bri emphasizes the influence of building relationships with people who hold different perspectives to align more closely with biblical teachings on human dignity.
* Holistic Pro-life Ethic: Embracing a consistent pro-life ethic means advocating not only for the unborn but also for vulnerable groups, such as immigrants and refugees, as equally deserving of care and compassion.
* Beyond Politics: True compassion rooted in Christianity should transcend political labels, emphasizing a Kingdom mindset that values all individuals as God's image bearers.
* Community Engagement*: Practical involvement in local and global human dignity efforts, like adoption and refugee support, can allow Christians to live out their beliefs more fully and tangibly.
Notable Quotes:
* "Your compassion is not meant to be political."
* "It's our job as Christians, in partnership with the Holy Spirit, to bring the Kingdom of heaven to earth."
* "People will not always understand what the love of Christ compels you to do, but you should do it anyway."
Resources:
* Bri's Books: Start with Welcome and The Biggest, Best Light
* Women of Welcome: Website
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
Ellie Weiner is a PhD candidate at Cambridge University, specializing in the Old Testament with a particular focus on the Book of Job. Her academic journey began at Gordon College, followed by a double MA at Gordon-Conwell in Old Testament and biblical languages. Known for her impressive feat of memorizing the entire Book of Job in Hebrew, Ellie is keen on exploring the theological and linguistic intricacies of this complex text. Her work is characterized by a joyful engagement with scripture, challenging the stereotypical perceptions of biblical academia.
Episode Summary:
Rebecca converses with Ellie Weiner, a PhD candidate from Cambridge University notable for memorizing the Book of Job in Hebrew. The episode illuminates Ellie's unique academic journey through Old Testament scholarship, focusing on her vibrant approach to studying the linguistically and theologically complex Book of Job. Ellie and Rebecca further explore the connections between Job and New Testament teachings, offering listeners a rich theological perspective. They discuss the importance of academic integrity in biblical scholarship and the distinctive call to serve in under-resourced areas, emphasizing the humility required to authentically engage with scripture.
Key Takeaways:
* Ellie Weiner's approach to biblical scholarship demonstrates that deep academic study can enhance rather than diminish personal faith.
* The Book of Job serves as a profound microcosm for the entire biblical narrative, especially in its themes of suffering and divine justice.
* Ellie's commitment to memorizing Job in Hebrew underscores her dedication to engaging scripture deeply and humbly as a student of God's word.
* There is an intrinsic value and necessity in grappling with difficult biblical texts to foster a fuller understanding of Christian doctrine and life.
* Ellie's future aspirations involve teaching in regions with limited theological resources, reflecting an expansive view of how academic biblical study serves the global church.
Notable Quotes:
* "The entire theological substructure of the book is just getting me to Jesus every time."
* "How do I give myself away until Jesus comes back?"
* "I want God to master me through the scriptures."
Resources:
* Read Ellie's article on memorizing Job: Tyndale House
Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/Subscribe
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Use code TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!
Sita Slavov is a professor at George Mason University. She grew up in a Hindu family in Houston, Texas. Over time, she explored different faiths, including Zen Buddhism, and eventually embraced Christianity. She has a PhD in economics from Stanford University and now lives in Virginia with her husband, leading a women's Bible study at her church.
Episode Summary:
Rebecca talks with Sita Slavov about her spiritual journey from growing up in a Hindu family to embracing Christianity. Sita shares her experiences of exploring various faiths, including her deep engagement with Zen Buddhism and her personal struggles during the pandemic. She opens up about how these challenges led her to rediscover God and ultimately accept Jesus.
Key Takeaways:
Spiritual Exploration: Sita's journey shows the importance of seeking your own answers to life's big questions and being open to exploring different faiths.
* Challenges and Growth: Personal struggles, like anxiety and the pandemic, can be turning points that lead to deeper spiritual insights and transformations.
* Community Support: Engaging with a supportive church community can be crucial in one's faith journey, providing answers, support, and a sense of belonging.
* Open-Mindedness*: It's important to examine evidence with an open mind when exploring faith, as initial skepticism can turn into genuine belief.
Notable Quotes:
* "Faith is really a choice. You don't have to be the same faith as your parents."
* "Despite dedicating myself to daily meditation and attending rigorous retreats, I struggled to find the answers I sought."
* "When you fully embrace the gospel, it really is life-changing."
Follow:
Sita on X.
Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/Subscribe
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Alan Noble is an Associate Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University. He has contributed articles to prestigious publications such as The Atlantic, The Gospel Coalition, First Things, and Christianity Today. He is the author of three books, with his most recent work being "On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living." His academic interests and writings often explore the intersections of literature, faith, and mental health.
Episode Summary:
Rebecca interviews Dr. Alan Noble, an Associate Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, about his latest book "On Getting Out of Bed." They discuss the profound connections between faith, mental health, literature, and the human experience. Alan emphasizes that while contemporary culture often encourages introspection to the point of self-absorption, the Christian faith invites individuals to find meaning and purpose beyond themselves.
Key Takeaways:
* Christianity provides a unique explanatory power for suffering, purpose, and human experience.
* Support from a compassionate community is crucial for those dealing with mental health issues.
* The Christian faith offers fundamental objective truths that challenge the inward focus encouraged by contemporary culture.
* Meaning and purpose in life are reaffirmed by the unchanging love and sacrifice of Jesus, providing hope for all circumstances.
Notable Quotes:
"Anxiety and depression like to tell you to turn inward on yourself and fold in, but what you need is your world to get bigger." - Alan Noble
* "There's a profound witness in embracing life and living it for God, even in the midst of suffering." - Alan Noble
* "We can't stop being useful to God because he never made us to be useful in the first place." - Alan Noble*
Follow: Alan on Instagram.
Purchase Alan's new book: On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden and Gift of Living
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Follow Confronting Christianity:
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Quina Aragon is an accomplished author, editor, and spoken word artist based in Orlando, Florida. She lives with her husband and their daughter. Kina has penned the children’s book trilogy—Love Made, Love Gave, and Love Can—which creatively retells biblical scripture through a trinitarian lens of love. Additionally, she is the author of Love Has A Story: 100 Meditations on the Enduring Love of God, a book exploring God's love through scripture and personal reflection. Her work bridges the gap between theological insights and everyday life experiences, engaging readers with powerful meditations and poetry.
Rebecca and Quina discuss her latest book, Love Has A Story: 100 Meditations on the Enduring Love of God. Quina shares the personal trials and spiritual insights she gained while writing her book over four years, a period marked by significant life challenges.
- Follow Quina on her social media for more updates:
- YouTube
- Purchase Quina's book: Love Has A Story: 100 Meditations on the Enduring Love of God
- Check out the children's book trilogy by Quina Aragon: Love Made, Love Gave, and Love Can
Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/Subscribe
Follow Confronting Christianity:
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Daniel Gilman is a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge in the Faculty of History, focusing on how public speaking helped end the slave trade. He serves as a legislative advisor to the Inter Parliamentary Task Force on human trafficking, collaborating with global politicians to end human trafficking and combat sexual abuse. He and his wife, Alexandra, aim to make the church safer from predators. Follow his research and advocacy on X at @DanielGilmanHQ.
Episode Summary:
Rebecca speaks with Daniel Gilman about his remarkable journey of faith, his current research, and the historical impact of Christian figures like William Wilberforce on social justice. They delve into Gilman's work on public speaking's role in abolishing the slave trade and his ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking. Their conversation spans personal anecdotes, historical insights, and theological reflections.
Rebecca and Daniel jointly explore how authentic Christian faith can be distinguished from its cultural misappropriations, using the life and work of William Wilberforce as a central example. The episode underscores how Wilberforce's evangelical conversion led him to spearhead the movement against the British slave trade despite substantial opposition.
Key Takeaways:
Daniel Gilman's background as a Jewish believer and his personal faith journey influenced his academic and professional pursuits.
The critical role of public speaking and advocacy in William Wilberforce’s campaign against the British slave trade.
Importance of authentic Christian witness in historical and contemporary social justice movements.
The transformative effect of the Great Awakening on British society, paving the way for Wilberforce's legislative success.
Analysis of historical and modern perspectives on Christianity's relationship with social justice issues like slavery and human trafficking.
Notable Quotes:
Daniel Gilman: "If Jesus is true, if the Bible can be trusted, you can cross-examine it and you don't need to be afraid."
Rebecca McLaughlin: "If we let go of Jesus in those circumstances, we're not left with a more just, more loving, less sin-infested world. We're left with nothing, essentially."
Daniel Gilman: "Wilberforce chose to stay and introduced legislation to end the slave trade, year after year, experiencing defeat after defeat, but finally succeeded after 18 years."
Daniel Gilman: "He wasn't trying to project a superhero version of himself. He was able to be honest with his friends and that created such a meaningful sense of intimacy."
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Sarah Irving-Stonebraker is a distinguished historian and a professor at Australian Catholic University. Specializing in early modern history, particularly the intersections of science and religion, Sarah has authored a new book titled "Priests of History: Stewarding the Past in an Ahistoric Age." Her scholarly journey has seen her transition from atheism to Christianity, influenced by intellectual and historical investigations.
Episode Summary:
Rebecca reconnects with her long-time friend and academic peer, Sarah Irving-Stonebraker. The conversation starts with Sarah's fascinating journey from atheism to faith, accentuated by her academic study of early modern scientists who were devout Christians. A significant part of their discussion touches on Sarah's latest book, "Priests of History," which explores the importance of engaging with Christian history in meaningful ways.
Rebecca and Sarah reminisce about their time at Cambridge, where Sarah began questioning her atheism under the influence of historical studies. Sarah details significant turning points, including her profound experience at an American church, which ultimately led her to embrace Christianity. Finally, the discussion shifts to the essential themes of Sarah's book, highlighting the roles Christians can play in stewarding history meaningfully.
Key Takeaways:
Rethinking Atheism through History: Sarah's research into early modern scientists who were devout Christians challenged her preconceptions about the incompatibility of science and faith.
Intellectual Conversion: Encounters with prominent atheists and deep reflections on moral and ethical underpinnings propelled Sarah towards questioning atheism and exploring Christianity.
Profound Spiritual Experience: A powerful experience at a church in the U.S. catalyzed Sarah's acceptance of Christianity, reinforced by reading works like CS Lewis' "Mere Christianity."
Importance of Christian History: Sarah's book "Priests of History" emphasizes the significance of engaging with Christian history to ground our faith and understand contemporary issues better.
Practical Implications:The conversation extends to reflecting on how Christians today can incorporate historical understanding and spiritual rhythms into their daily lives for a more robust faith experience.
Notable Quotes:
"I remember sitting in church and having this experience of being invited into and called into a relationship with a God from whom I guess I just realized I had always been running away from." -Sarah Irving-Stonebraker
"I think the story that best accounts for the profound and beautiful striving for good and the tremendous brokenness I observed in human history is Christianity." -Sarah Irving-Stonebraker
Visit: Sarah's website
Follow: Sarah on X
Pre-order: Sarah's new book Priests of History: Stewarding the Past in an Ahistoric Age
Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/Subscribe
Follow Confronting Christianity:
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Rebecca engages in a profound conversation with Rachel Gilson, author and theologian, on navigating the complexities of raising Christian children in an LGBT-affirming world. Reflecting on her newest book, "Parenting Without Panic in an LGBT-Affirming World: Discipling Our Kids with Jesus' Truth and Love", Rachel shares the impetus behind her writing and the life experiences that shaped her perspectives.
Throughout the episode, Rebecca and Rachel deeply explore the challenges that today's Christian parents face. They address the growing cultural shifts around sexuality and gender identity, especially how Christian sexual ethics, which was once seen as respectable, is now often perceived as suspicious or even harmful. Using personal anecdotes and sobering reflections, Rachel elaborates on why it's essential to start conversations about faith and sexual ethics early, fostering an environment where children feel safe to ask challenging questions. Join us as they walk through practical steps for discipling children with grace, authenticity, and Jesus-centered love
Rachel Gilson is a noted author and speaker specializing in Christian sexual ethics. She serves on the leadership team for theological development and culture at Cru, a dynamic missionary organization. Rachel is also in the advanced stages of completing her PhD in public theology from Southeastern Theological Seminary. Her acclaimed book, "Born Again This Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith, and What Comes Next" is considered a valuable resource on Christian sexual ethics. Rachel is passionate about helping Christians navigate complex cultural issues with a gospel-centered approach.
Key Takeaways:
Navigating Cultural Shifts: Rachel sheds light on how Christian parents can stay true to biblical principles while adapting to today’s ever-changing cultural landscape.
* Early Conversations: Discover why it’s crucial to start talking to your kids about sexuality and faith early on, and how to weave these discussions into the fabric of the gospel.
* Authenticity and Compassion: Rachel advocates for a genuine approach to parenting—living out Christian values in a way that radiates love and compassion.
* Practical Parental Guidance: Get actionable advice on preparing your children to engage thoughtfully with diverse beliefs about sexuality they’ll encounter in their daily lives.
* Community Support*: Learn how leaning on your church community can provide invaluable support and wisdom as you raise your kids in faith.
Visit: Rachel's website
Follow: Rachel on X
Pre-order: Rachel's new book Parenting without Panic in an LGBT-Affirming World
Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/Subscribe
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Purchase Rebecca's Books:
* Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion
* Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?: Examining 10 Claims about Scripture and Sexuality
* 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
* Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord
* No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
* Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting!
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
In season 5 we will explore important questions like how to talk to kids about sexuality, the relevance of Christianity's history today, and how faith can help with depression and anxiety. We'll also discuss perspectives on immigration, slavery in the Bible, women's right to choose, and Buddhism as a path to peace. Rebecca will talk with various friends and experts to see how their faith shapes their thoughts and lives.
For more insights, you can sign up for weekly emails at rebeccamclaughlin.org
Rebecca McLaughlin wraps us the season by answering questions asked by listeners!
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What does the Bible say about what it is to be a woman? Can we define it across all cultures and time?
- I have a daughter who has drifted from the faith as she embraced LGBT and has now been with a girl for 3 years and they are talking about marriage. I want to make a last stand of sorts for her life but don’t know how to do it.
- What would the advice be if this woman still identifies as a Christian?
- How should we navigate a church that values marriage, romance, and the biological family above all things? They won't admit it explicitly but from what they do and say it is implied.
- What would be the right response to someone who told me that she was okay with just having God and her husband?
- What advice would you give on choosing a local church? What if you disagree with second-tier issues?
- What are some of the lead causes for the divergence of young men and women toward increasingly conservative and liberal views respectively? How should the church address this?
- How would you respond to someone who used to hold a Christian sexual ethic but are now affirming?
- How is it reasonable that we are held responsible for sinning when we inherit a sinful nature from birth?
- What 3 pieces of wisdom and encouragement would you give to young Christian evangelists?
Resources Mentioned:
- Ephesians 5, Genesis 1, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Corinthians 7, 1 Corinthians 5:9–13
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Our Sister Shows:
Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny Theologians
Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Kyle Worley to discuss how Christians are called to interact with others.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Where does the ethos of discussing truth with grace to others with differing opinions or ideas come from?
- Why is there a difference between what Christians are called to (Colossians 3) and the way they live and interact with others?
- How do you shepherd people as we enter into a season with more intense political debate and differences?
- What is the future of Confronting Christianity?
- Kyle, what is your new book coming out?
Guest Bio:
Kyle Worley is the pastor of Mosiac Church in Richardson, TX. He previously served at The Village Church, cohosts the Knowing Faith podcast, and is the author of Pitfalls: Along the Path to Young and Reformed. Kyle and his wife, Lauren, have one daughter.
Resources Mentioned:
- Colossians, Philemon, 1 Peter 3:15-16
- “Confronting Christianity” by Rebecca McLaughlin
- “Home with God” by Kyle Worley
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Our Sister Shows:
Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny Theologians
Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Michael Graham to discuss why Americans have stopped going to church and
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- How did you become a Christian?
- How did you become interested in “The Great Dechurching”?
- What is the history of American church attendance?
- What happened from the height of attendance in the 80s to now?
- What proportion of Americans who previously went to church have stopped attending church?
- Why did Americans stop going to church?
- How would you respond to people who think that fewer people attending church is good for society?
- Are more educated people less likely to go to church?
Guest Bio:
Michael Graham is the Program Director at The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics and is the co-author of “The Great Dechurching.”
Resources Mentioned:
- Galatians
- “The Great Dechurching” by Jim Davis, Michael Graham, and Ryan Burge
- As In Heaven Podcast
- Tyler J. VanderWeele
Follow Us:
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Our Sister Shows:
Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny Theologians
Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Karyn Becker to discuss how we are called to care for refugees and the practical ways we can do so.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What is design thinking?
- As you started out helping refugees, did you think through it in design thinking?
- How has your faith in Jesus motivated you to spend time with refugees?
- Can you tell us about the project Dovely?
- How do you see this model being implemented in other parts of the world?
- How do I support this project?
- Why are you a follower of Jesus?
Guest Bio:
Karyn is a Design Researcher & Strategist who marries human insights with their commercial counterparts. Formally trained in industrial design, psychology, and business, Karyn enjoys building solutions at the intersection of "what" and "why". Her projects have a touched everything from transportation to snacks while working at REI, the Mayo Clinic, and Continuum Innovation, and Johnson&Johnson, but she'll always have a soft spot for healthcare. Currently, she's crafting the future of health and wellness at UnitedHealth Group.
Resources Mentioned:
- Deuteronomy 10:19
- Dovely Daycare
Follow Us:
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Our Sister Shows:
Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny Theologians
Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Julie Ferrell to discuss motherhood.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- How did you reflect on motherhood before you were a mom?
- What would you say to the people who think motherhood is a burden?
- What would you say to the people who think motherhood is a woman's highest calling?
- What does it mean that the act of mothering can look different but our calling as moms is the same?
- What are your thoughts on choosing where your kids go to school?
- What difference does it make in your parenting that you are a follower of Jesus?
- What is the best way to disciple your kids?
- For Christians, does allowing our kids to struggle with others who disagree with their faith, help them grow their faith?
- What does it mean to be a spiritual mom to others in the church?
Guest Bio:
Julie Ferrell is a stay-at-home mom with 4 daughters. She and her husband live in the greater Boston area. She graduated from Duke University with a double major in religion and history with a minor in chemistry.
Resources Mentioned:
- Colossians 3:3
- Jen Wilkin
- “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt
Follow Us:
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Our Sister Shows:
Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny Theologians
Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Rachel Gilson to have a conversation about whether the Bible affirms same-sex relationships.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Can you share your story?
- What is the most common question about what the Bible says about relationships?
- What would you say to someone who asks how a loving God could be against relationships like this?
- How does our church community offer love to those in our congregation who are lonely due to singleness?
- How do you love your friend without compromising your beliefs?
- What is covered in the book?
Guest Bio:
Rachel Gilson is on the leadership team for theological development and culture for Cru. She is the author of Born Again This Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith, and What Comes Next. Rachel has a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is pursuing a Ph.D. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is married to Andrew and has a daughter.
Resources Mentioned:
- 1 John 4:7-21
- “Does The Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships? by Rebecca McLaughlin
Follow Us:
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Our Sister Shows:
Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny Theologians
Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Sam Allberry to discuss what it means to have union with Christ.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What does it mean that Christians are united with Christ?
- How does union with Christ bring Christians together?
- How does the Bible describe Christian friendship?
- What does union with Christ mean for our desire to sin?
- What prompted you to write this book?
Guest Bio:
Sam Allberry is a pastor, apologist, and speaker. He is the author of a number of books, including Is God Anti-Gay?, Why Bother with Church?, 7 Myths about Singleness, and What God Has To Say About Our Bodies.
He has written extensively for numerous organizations, including The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, and Living Out.
Resources Mentioned:
- 1 Corinthians 13, 1 John 4, Romans 15:7
- “7 Myths about Singleness” by Sam Alberry
- “Is God Anti-Gay?” by Sam Alberry
- “One with My Lord” by Sam Alberry
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Kenza Haddock to share her story of how Jesus changed her life.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Tell us about your life story.
- Was your identity tied to being a Muslim?
- What changed when you moved to the US?
- What does “the end times” mean for a Muslim? What does it mean for a Christian?
- How did you know it was Jesus in your dream?
- What was it that led you to believe in Jesus?
- What is Romans 10:9?
- Why did you have to move away from your family?
- What would your advice be to people who were raised in a Muslim home and are trying to figure out faith in Jesus?
- How has your faith in Jesus helped you understand more of yourself in mental health challenges? How has it helped you, help others?
- How would you as a Christian help others to think better about their Muslim neighbors?
Guest Bio:
Kenza Haddock is a Christian author, licensed professional counselor, and a board certified pastoral counselor. She is the co-owner of Oceanic Counseling Group LLC, an outpatient mental health agency headquartered in South Carolina. Haddock is a sought-after speaker—she has spoken at conferences and churches, and she has been featured in dozens of news channels, including ABC 15, for her expertise in Christian counseling.
Resources Mentioned:
- Romans 10:9, Hebrews 4:6,1 John 1:9
- “The Ex-Muslim's Guide to Christianity” by Kenza Haddock
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Tom Rudelius to discuss Tom’s story, the probability of the multiverse, belief in God, and where hope can be found in suffering.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- How did you become a Christian?
- How did you originally tie science and academics with your faith once you became a Christian?
- What areas and topics are you currently researching?
- Why is it called string theory?
- Is the idea of the Big Bang incompatible with belief in God?
- Help us understand where we are today in the Universe in the laws of nature with intelligent life and/or the multiverse.
- Do most of your colleagues believe in the multiverse? What do they think of people who believe in God?
- What does Christianity have to offer in terms of facing suffering?
Guest Bio:
Tom Rudelius completed his undergraduate work at Cornell, earned a doctorate in physics at Harvard, and has conducted postdoctoral research at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Currently a postdoctoral researcher in theoretical physics at the University of California, Berkeley, Tom will begin a faculty position at Durham University in the fall of 2023. His research focuses on string theory, quantum field theory, and early universe cosmology. A man of faith and an avid sports fan, he is frequently requested to speak on topics related to science and faith.
Resources Mentioned:
- Romans 13, Genesis 1, Job
- “Just Six Numbers” by Martin Rees
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Matthew Martens to discuss if Christianity can help reform the criminal justice system.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What is the quick summary of what you are proposing in this book?
- What does Christianity have to do with the criminal justice system?
- Why does Christianity have a proposal for reforming the criminal justice system in America?
- The number of people has increased substantially, what is the reason for that?
- When you think about where we are today for criminal justice, how is that politically motivated?
- Is the right Christian response to just let people go freely even if they have done something wrong?
- How can we tell if someone has truly repented of their crimes?
- Were you a Christian before you became a lawyer? Did that lead to your decision to become a lawyer?
Guest Bio:
Matthew Martens has been a lawyer for 27 years after graduating first in his class at the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1996. At the outset of his legal career, Matthew spent two years in Washington, DC serving as a law clerk for a federal court of appeals judge and then to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist at the US Supreme Court.
In the years that followed, he has worked both as a federal prosecutor (9 years) and as a criminal defense attorney (13 years). Matthew is currently a partner in the Washington, DC office of one of the world's largest law firms. Along the way, he attended seminary part-time at Dallas Theological Seminary, graduating with a master's degree in biblical studies in 2010. Matthew is currently pursuing a Th.M. in theological ethics at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Resources Mentioned:
- Romans 13
- “Reforming Criminal Justice” by Matthew T. Martens
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Vermon Pierre to have a conversation about how God's love for His church deepens our love for each other
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What does your day-to-day life look like as a pastor?
- How did you become a Christian? What draws you to Christian community?
- What ethnic background was the church you grew up in?
- What was your experience with your faith at Princeton?
- What do you think about the local church theologically? What does that look like practically?
- Can you share an example where you have seen this lived out?
- How would you encourage someone who is hesitant to participate in a local church?
- How can someone be vulnerable in friendship?
Guest Bio:
Vermon Pierre is a founding pastor and the lead pastor at Roosevelt Community Church in Phoenix, Arizona. He is the author of Gospel Shaped Living, Dearly Beloved and a contributor to The New City Catechism Devotional. Vermon is a Princeton University graduate and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Dennae live in downtown Phoenix and have five children.
Resources Mentioned:
- “Dearly Beloved” by Vermon Pierre
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Ian Hutchinson to discuss the relationship between science and the Christian faith.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What is your scientific research on?
- When did you become a Christian?
- Is there a contradiction between the Christian faith and science?
- How would help someone who thinks miracles are not plausible?
- What is the strongest piece of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus?
- What would you say to someone who doesn’t think there is a need to choose to believe or not believe?
- What would you say to someone who feels like it is too late to put their faith in Jesus?
Guest Bio:
Ian H. Hutchinson is Professor Emeritus of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His primary research interest is plasma physics, especially the magnetic confinement of plasmas (ionized gases): seeking to enable fusion reactions, the energy source of the stars, to be used for practical energy production. Hutchinson received his B.A. in physics and M.A. from Cambridge University. He then received his Ph.D in engineering physics from Australian National University, where he was a Commonwealth Scholar.
In addition to 250 journal articles on a variety of plasma phenomena, Dr. Hutchinson is widely known for his standard textbook on measuring plasmas: Principles of Plasma Diagnostics, and A Student's Guide to Numerical Methods. He has written and lectured extensively on the relationship between science and the Christian faith, and authored the books Monopolizing Knowledge and Can a Scientist Believe in Miracles?.
Resources Mentioned:
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
- “Can a Scientist Believe in Miracles?” by Ian Hutchinson
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Irwyn Ince to have a conversation about CrossFit, Jesus, and where his hope is found.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- How did you get into CrossFit?
- Tell us about the community aspect of Crossfit.
- How did you become a Christian?
- How did becoming a Christian change your way of thinking?
- How does the history of race in America impact the way we view church today?
- What would you say to someone who knows something is missing from their life but thinks that CrossFit is meeting their need for community?
- How does the reality of hope in the Christian life inform the race you are running now?
Guest Bio:
Irwyn Ince is a pastor at Grace DC Presbyterian Church, director of the Grace DC Institute for Cross Cultural Mission, and a Board member of The Gospel Coalition. He has contributed to the books Heal Us, Emmanuel and All Are Welcome: Toward a Multi-Everything Church and authored The Beautiful Community: Unity, Diversity, and the Church at Its Best. He and his wife, Kim, have four children.
In addition to his passion for his family and for ministry, Dr. Ince is gleefully committed to coffee and CrossFit. When he’s not spending time with his family or preaching and teaching in the church, you can find him coaching classes at a local CrossFit gym in DC.
Resources Mentioned:
- Hebrews 11-13
- “Hope Ain't a Hustle” by Irwyn Ince
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Vaneetha Risner to discuss her life story and what God has taught her through suffering.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Can you share a little of your life and how you became a Christian?
- What happened once you became a Christian?
- Has suffering helped you set your eyes on the future hope we have as Christians?
Guest Bio:
Vaneetha Rendall Risner is the author of several books including but not limited to; Desperate For Hope, Walking Through Fire, and The Scars That Have Shaped Me. Vaneetha and her husband Joel live in Raleigh, NC, where she writes at her website, encouraging readers to turn to Christ in their pain.
Resources Mentioned:
- Psalm 119, John 11, 2 Corinthians 4:17
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Gray Sutanto to have a conversation about why God doesn’t save everyone.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Can you give us a 60 second overview of your life?
- When you were 12, what made you turn to atheism? When you were 17 what made you turn to Jesus?
- Why doesn't God save everyone?
- Are human beings fundamentally good?
- What is concupiscence?
- Were we created with concupiscence? Or is this a feature of our curroption from the fall?
- How is it fair that God chooses one person over another to save?
- How is this invitation open to everyone, if not everyone has heard the gospel?
Guest Bio:
N. Gray Sutanto (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is assistant professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. He is the author of God and Knowledge, coauthor of Neo-Calvinism: A Theological Introduction, cotranslator of Herman Bavinck’s Christian Worldview, and coeditor of Handbook to Neo-Calvinism. Gray is married to Indita and they have a daughter. He is an ordained minister in the International Presbyterian Church. You can follow him on Twitter.
Helpful Definitions:
- Concupiscence: The gravitational pull to sin.
Resources Mentioned:
- Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:4-5, Romans 3, Job
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Elizabeth Woodson to discuss how following Jesus is better than you could possibly imagine.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- How would you explain what the gospel is for those who don’t know?
- What inspired you to write “Embrace your Life,” what is it about?
- What story is the bible telling us?
- How does our story either fit or not fit into the Story of the Bible?
- What would you say to someone who says it feels childish to put their hope in Jesus?
Guest Bio:
Elizabeth Woodson is a Bible teacher and author who is passionate about equipping believers to understand the rich theological truths of Scripture. She loves helping people internalize their faith and connect it practically to everyday life. She is a contributing author for World on Fire and the author of Embrace Your Life: How to Find Joy When the Life You Have Is Not the Life You Hoped For. She is also a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary with a Masters in Christian Education.
Resources Mentioned:
“Embrace Your Life”
by Elizabeth Woodson
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by James Eglinton to have a conversation about the arguments for and against euthanasia, how Christians should think about it, and where our hope can be found.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What is euthanasia? What is this conversation about? How does it connect to The Great British Bake Off?
- Why might people be in favor of euthanasia?
- What is your wife's perspective as someone who is involved in geriatric care as a medical professional?
- How should Christians think about euthanasia?
- What are the compelling arguments against euthanasia?
- How can Christians enter into these spaces and conversations?
- What is it about being a human that makes us valuable?
- What is the meaning of suffering?
Guest Bio:
James Eglinton is the Meldrum Senior Lecturer in Reformed Theology at New College, the University of Edinburgh. He is the author of several books; including but not limited to, Trinity and Organism, Neo-Calvinism and the French Revolution, Herman Bavinck on Preaching and Preachers, and Bavinck: A Critical Biography. He serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Reformed Theology published by Bril and is a co-host for the Grace in Common podcast
Resources Mentioned:
Prue Leith's Approach to Euthanasia is Imprudent by James Eglinton
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Justin Brierley have a conversation about if people are still asking if God is dead and why.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Are people still asking if God is dead?
- What is driving that?
- Where do people tend to get stuck when they try to answer this question?
- How does the Christian heritage of our culture show the truth?
- Why is it so weird, that the God we believe in came to to earth to die?
- In your conversations with people, are they specific about who God is or more general about belief?
- Have you seen a story of suffering lead people to Jesus?
- What would you say to someone who wants to believe but is highly educated?
Guest Bio:
Justin is a freelance writer, speaker and broadcaster who has become known for creating dialogues between Christians and non-Christians. Justin has worked in radio, podcast and video for over two decades. Until April 2023 he was Theology & Apologetics Editor for Premier Christian Radio, and hosted the Unbelievable? radio show and podcast as well as the Ask NT Wright Anything podcast. Justin was also editor of Premier Christianity magazine from 2014-2018, for which he continues to contribute articles.
He is the author of 'Unbelievable? Why, after ten years of talking with atheists, I'm still a Christian' and 'The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God.' Justin currently co-hosts the Re-Enchanting podcast for Seen & Unseen, and is a guest presenter for the Maybe God podcast. He has also recently launched The Surprising Rebirth Of Belief in God podcast documentary series.
Justin is married to Lucy, a church minister in Surrey, and they have 4 amazing children - Noah, Grace, Jeremy and Toby.
Resources Mentioned:
- “The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God” by Justin Brierley
- “Outgrowing God: A Beginner's Guide” Richard Dawkins
- The Surprising Rebirth Of Belief in God
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by John Dickson to discuss if history discredits Christianity.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Why are the core Christians's beliefs not surprising to a first century Jewish rabbi, known as Jesus?
- When were the Gospels written and how can we be sure?
- What about the claim that Jesus is God in the flesh, where is the evidence of that?
- Can you give us background on Constantine?
- What happened during the Crusades?
Guest Bio:
John Dickson started out as a professional singer-songwriter and now works as an author, speaker, historian, and media presenter. He was the Founding Director of the Centre for Public Christianity. He has published over 20 books, two of which became television documentaries, with a third, For the Love of God: How the Church is Better and Worse Than you Ever Imagined, released in Australian cinemas in June 2018.
John has held a variety of teaching and research positions before moving to Wheaton College, including in the Ancient History Department at Macquarie University (2002-2015), the Hebrew, Jewish and Biblical Studies Department at Sydney University (2011-2021), Ridley College Melbourne (2019-2022), and the Faculty of Classics at the University of Oxford (2015-2023). A busy public speaker, he lives in Wheaton, Illinois, with his wife Elizabeth and the youngest of their three children.
Resources Mentioned:
- 1 Corinthians 15, Philippians 2
- Undeceptions Podcast
“Bullies and Saints”
by John Dickson
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Gavin Ortlund to answer the question; why doesn't God make Himself more obvious?
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Why doesn't God make Himself more obvious?
- What is divine transcendence?
- How does the incarnation affect this conversation?
- How is Jesus the image of the invisible God?
- Why would God use sinful humans to reveal Himself to others instead of something more obvious?
- What does the Bible say about sin and why is it so offensive?
- What about the people who have never had the opportunity to hear about Jesus?
- How should I pray?
Helpful Definitions:
- Divine Transcendence: God is high and lofty and beyond our ability to fully understand. We shouldn’t expect that we will fully understand everything about God based on our moment-by-moment intuitions.
- Incarnation: God becoming a man in Christ.
Guest Bio:
Dr. Gavin Ortlund is a pastor, author, speaker, and apologist for the Christian faith. He runs the YouTube channel Truth Unites, which seeks to promote gospel assurance through theological depth.
Gavin has a Ph.D. from Fuller Theological Seminary in historical theology, and an M.Div from Covenant Theological Seminary. He is the author of eight books as well as numerous academic and popular articles. Gavin is a fellow of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics, a fellow of The Center for Baptist Renewal, a fellow of Credo, a member of St. Basil Fellowship of The Center for Pastor Theologians, and a Visiting Scholar at Reasons to Believe.
Resources Mentioned:
- Colossians 1, Romans 10:15, Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7
- Truth Unites
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Hey there! Get ready for an exciting season where we're going to talk about some big questions that people have about Christianity. Every Tuesday, we'll dive into topics like why God isn't more visible, what Christianity says about love and relationships, and how science and faith can fit together. We'll discuss if things like resurrection and euthanasia make sense in Christianity, and we'll even talk about whether the Bible has anything to say about tough issues like slavery. So tune in each week, and if you've got questions, let us know so we can talk about them in future episodes. Don't forget to give us a review on iTunes! See you next week for our first episode!
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin walks through the birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and why it is significant for us today.
Resources Mentioned:
- Luke 1-2, Matthew 1, 28
Sponsors:
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by her friend, Justine, who recently got baptized to answer some questions submitted by listeners!
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Do you have any advice for a first-time mom trying to keep up and stay connected to the church during the first six weeks? Any thoughts on how to practically lead a discipleship group for new moms?
- How should we understand passages like 1 Corinthians 14:33-36 or 1 Timothy 2:11-12 that say women should learn in silence?
- Why is the church referred to as “she;” is the church not the body of Christ?
- Will you respond to Matthew Vines's book “God and the Gay Christian”?
- Do you think it's important to have specific study groups for women in the church or do you find it more edifying to have men and women together to study? Any resources you would recommend?
- Do you think the command to “be fruitful and multiply” still applies to Christians today? What are your thoughts about Christian couples deferring having children?
- Do you think the Old Testament law applies to believers today? If so, in what way?
Resources Mentioned:
- Isaiah 49:15, 1 Corinthians 14:33-36, 1 Timothy 2:11-12, Ephesians 5, Genesis 1:28, Matthew 28:18-20
- Knowing Faith
- “Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships?” by Rebecca McLaughlin
- “Jesus Through the Eyes of Women” by Rebecca McLaughlin
Sponsors:
To learn more about our sponsors please visit our website.
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Follow Us:
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Our Sister Shows:
Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast | Starting Place | Tiny Theologians
Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Susan Lim to discuss her new book, “Light of the World.”
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Where did the Bible, specifically the New Testament, come from and how is it reliable today?
- What is an Apostle?
- What was the process for deciding what was included or not included in the Bible?
- How do the gospels show Jesus as the only hero?
- What about the Old Testament?
- What language was the Bible written in?
- How do we know that when we pick up a Bible today, we have authentic access to the original text?
- What was something you learned while you wrote this book?
- How did you become a Christian?
Helpful Definitions:
- Homologoumena: Books that have always been considered divine.
- Apocropha: Books outside the accepted canon of scripture.
- Masoretic Text: Hebrew Old Testament.
- Septuagint: Greek Old Testament.
Guest Bio:
Susan C. Lim (PhD, UCLA) is a historian and writer. She has been a professor of history at Biola University in La Mirada, California, and is a speaker at conferences, churches, and retreats. She loves to share God's Word and serve at her home church, Mariners Church in Irvine, California. She resides in Southern California with her husband, Brian, and their two children.
Resources Mentioned:
- “Light of the Word” by Susan C. Lim
Sponsors:
To learn more about our sponsors please visit our website.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Glen Scrivener to have a conversation about the gospel of Jesus.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Can you tell us about your new book?
- Can you articulate the gospel in 30 seconds?
- What is the overall story of the Bible and how does it connect to us today?
- How is it right for one man to pay for the sins of other people? How is it not proof of the injustice of God?
- Why was such a drastic sacrifice God’s plan?
- What did the cross mean in the first century?
- How does the celebration of Christmas relate to what Jesus did at the end of his life?
Guest Bio:
Glen Scrivener is an ordained Church of England minister and evangelist who preaches Christ through writing, speaking, and online media. He directs the evangelistic ministry Speak Life. Glen is originally from Australia and now he and his wife, Emma, live with their two children in England. They belong to All Souls Eastbourne. He is the author of several books, including The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality and 3-2-1: The Story of God, the World, and You.
Resources Mentioned:
- John 1:29, Genesis 22, Matthew 6:9-13
- “The Air We Breathe” by Glen Scrivener
- “How to See Life: A Guide in 3 2 1” by Glen Scrivener
Sponsors:
To learn more about our sponsors please visit our website.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of
Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
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Our Sister Shows:
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Andrew Wilson to have a conversation about his book “Remaking the World.”
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Can you tell us what your new book is actually about?
- How might the line, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal” otherwise be known?
- What would you say to someone who understands this originates from Christianity but believes it has evolved past that?
- What would you say to someone who thinks Christianity is taking a step backward in enlightenment?
- What does it mean that the West is post-Christian? What is currently happening in London?
- What would you say gives you the most hope and encouragement in terms of the gospel spreading?
- How would you encourage someone who is exploring Christianity?
- What was it for you that made Jesus beautiful?
Guest Bio:
Andrew is Teaching Pastor at King’s Church London, and has degrees in history and theology from Cambridge (MA) and King’s College London (PhD). He’s the author of several books, including Remaking the World, Incomparable, God of All Things, and Echoes of Exodus. You can follow him on Twitter. Andrew is married to Rachel and they have three children: Zeke, Anna and Samuel.
Resources Mentioned:
- “Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West” by Andrew Wilson
Sponsors:
To learn more about our sponsors please visit our website.
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Our Sister Shows:
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Hannah Anderson to have a conversation about the book of Ecclesiastes.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What is the context of the book of Ecclesiastes?
- In the first verse, the word “preacher” is a complex word in Hebrew, can you help us understand that?
- What can we gather from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8?
- What would you say to the person whose life feels kind of meaningless?
- How does the book of Ecclesiastes show us how to demonstrate the full range of human feelings and how God engages with us?
- Why is the phrase, “all is vanity” repeated so many times?
- How can someone who is struggling with depression find comfort in the book of Ecclesiastes?
Guest Bio:
Hannah Anderson lives with her family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where her husband, Nathan, pastors Brookhill Baptist Church. Hannah is the author of several books, including Humble Roots, All That’s Good, Life Under the Sun. You can find more of her writing at sometimesalight.com or follow her on Twitter.
Resources Mentioned:
- Ecclesiastes
- “Life Under the Sun” by Hannah Anderson
- “Turn, Turn, Turn” by Pete Seeger
Sponsors:
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Molly Worthen to discuss how Jesus can transform the life of an academic.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What is your story of how you became a Christian?
- What were the main barriers from keeping you from becoming a Christian?
- Can you share about your conversation with J. D. Greear?
- What pieces of evidence were you surprised by when you researched if Jesus was raised from the dead?
- What about the eye witness accounts of the gospels and their accuracy?
- What would you say to someone who has an academic background and doesn’t believe in anything supernatural?
- If someone said to you, I’m so glad that you believe in Jesus but it's just not for me, how would you respond?
Guest Bio:
Molly Worthen is an associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a freelance journalist. She received her BA and PhD from Yale University. Her research focuses on North American religious and intellectual history. Her most recent book, Apostles of Reason, examines American evangelical intellectual life since 1945, especially the internal conflicts among different evangelical subcultures.
Resources Mentioned:
- “The Resurrection of the Son of God” by N.T. Wright
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Jen Wilkin to have a conversation about the ten commandments and why they are important to us today.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What did you want to be when you grow up?
- What is an image bearer?
- Where do the ten commandments fit into the story of the Bible?
- Tell us about the first command and why it is at the top of the list.
- How do the ten plagues connect to the ten commandments?
- Why would we read and show interest in the ten commandments?
- What is the purpose of rules?
- Help us think through the commandments that dont intuitively make sense to us today.
- Why is the gospel beautiful and compelling?
Guest Bio:
Jen Wilkin is an author and Bible teacher from Dallas, Texas. She has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and parachurch contexts. An advocate for Bible literacy, her passion is to see others become articulate and committed followers of Christ, with a clear understanding of why they believe what they believe, grounded in the Word of God.
Resources Mentioned:
- Genesis 1:26-27, Exodus 20, Genesis 3-4, Exodus 7-11, Matthew 12:48-50, 1 Timothy 5:1-2 Matthew 5-7
- “Ten Words to Live By” by Jen Wilkin
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Peter Williams to have a conversation about the trustworthiness of the gospels.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- How far off from Jesus's death and resurrection were the Gospels written?
- How can people remember the things Jesus said with such great detail decades after Jesus's resurrection?
- Why are there differences between the gospels in Jesus’s teachings?
- Why do the gospels have a different ordering of events?
- Why do we hear about Bartimaeus in one gospel and he doesn't have a name in another?
- Do the gospels use names as eye witness evidence?
- Can you tell us a bit more about the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15?
- Help us think through the historical context clues that the gospels were written in the place they claim to be written.
- When Jesus dies on the cross, the curtain in the temple is torn in two. Is there any historical record of this happening?
Guest Bio:
Dr Peter J. Williams is the Principal and CEO of Tyndale House, Cambridge. He was educated at the University of Cambridge, where he received his MA, MPhil, and PhD in the study of ancient languages related to the Bible. Dr Williams is also an Affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity in the University of Cambridge, Chair of the International Greek New Testament Project, and a member of the Translation Oversight Committee of the English Standard Version of the Bible. He assisted Dr Dirk Jongkind in Tyndale House’s production of a major edition of the Greek New Testament and his book Can We Trust the Gospels? has been translated into 10 languages.
Resources Mentioned:
- Matthew 5-7, Luke 15, Genesis 33:4
- “New evidence for Hipparchus’ Star Catalogue revealed by multispectral imaging”
- “The Surprising Genius of Jesus” by Peter J. Williams
- “Can We Trust the Gospels?” by Peter J. Williams
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Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Keith Plummer to discuss how we can model the love of Jesus to others online and how to engage in embodied community.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Can you share your story of how you became a Christian?
- Where would you trace this transformation to?
- How has the online experience changed how students are thinking?
- How do Christians relate with others online?
- What does it look like to have embodied community in your life? How would you recommend someone to develop that community?
- Why is it that we want to be loved and heard?
Guest Bio:
Keith Plummer serves as Dean and Professor of Theology at the School of Divinity at Cairn University. He holds a BA in Health and Society from Brown University, a MDiv with emphasis in Apologetics from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a PhD in Systematic Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife have two adult children.
Resources Mentioned:
- “Five Evangelical Leaders” by Christopher Catherwood
- “2 Contents, 2 Realities” by Francis A. Schaeffer
- “True Spirituality” by Francis A. Schaeffer
- “Disruptive Witness” by Alan Noble
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Andrew Hile to discuss why the book of Leviticus is important and what we can learn from reading and studying it.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Where does Leviticus fit into the first five books of the Bible?
- When you see the stories in Exodus are you supposed to see them stacking onto the stories in Genesis?
- What purpose is Leviticus fulfilling for us?
- How do the categories “clean and unclean” operate in Leviticus?
- What was the sacrificial system about in its original context?
- Was Leviticus written to an audience outside of the priests who were enacting the laws?
- How do we understand Leviticus from a New Testament perspective and how do we view the sacrificial system?
- How did you become a follower of Jesus?
Guest Bio:
Andrew Hile grew up in Durban, South Africa and moved to Dayton, Ohio during highschool. In May 2022, he graduated from Harvard Divinity School with my master’s and, now, he is a doctoral student in Harvard’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, studying Hebrew Bible and Semitic languages. Andrew’s research centers on the composition, writing conventions, and scribal epistemologies behind ritual text production in ancient Israel.
Resources Mentioned:
- Genesis 2-3, Genesis 15, Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28, Leviticus 10
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Mary Willson Hannah to discuss the book of Deuteronomy.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What do we miss if we give up reading the Old Testament before we get to Deuteronomy?
- What is Deuteronomy about?
- How do make sense of a passage like Deuteronomy 2:31-36 in light of the command that Jesus gives to love our enemies?
- Can you help us understand Deuteronomy 22:28-29 in the right context?
- Do we see a change in God’s character between the Old and New Testament?
- How are singleness and marriage both good ways for followers of Jesus to live?
Guest Bio:
Mary Willson Hannah (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is the director of women in ministry at Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee. She also teaches Old Testament at Memphis City Seminary. Mary enjoys teaching and training others to teach the Scriptures, especially in the context of the local church. She and her husband, Jeff, love all things Memphis.
Resources Mentioned:
- Deuteronomy 2:31-36, Matthew 5:28-29, Deuteronomy 22:28-29, Exodus 22:16-17
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Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Christy Thornton to answer questions about the Trinity.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Has God always been Triune?
- Do other aspects of God’s identity change between the Old and New Testament?
- Is “let us make man in our image” written in plurality?
- If God was triune from the beginning why didn’t He make that clear from the beginning?
- Why is the Trinity not more clearly articulated in the New Testament?
- How do we know there are just three parts to God?
- How can all three parts be fully God and yet not all of God’s fullness?
- What differentiates each person of the Trinity?
- What exactly does it mean for Jesus to be the Son of God? How is it different from us being sons and daughters of God? How is this different from being a demi-god?
- If Jesus is fully God then He is perfect. If He is fully human then He is sinful, by definition, someone who is sinful can’t be perfect. How then can Jesus and God be one and the same?
- Who is God the Father? Who is God the Son? Who is the Holy Spirit?
- How do we know we aren’t projecting our human understanding and relationships onto God?
Guest Bio:
Christy Thornton is Assistant Professor of Christian Thought and Associate Director of PhD Studies and Director of ThM Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has served with the International Mission Board in North Africa, and is currently a covenant member at the Summit Church. She has contributed to The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, and numerous other publications.
Resources Mentioned:
- Genesis 1-4, John 3:16
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Max Riesenhuber to have a conversation about the ethics and morality of artificial intelligence.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What first interested you about neuroscience?
- Can you talk about recent advancement in AI and where we might go?
- Do we have a moral responsibility to artificial intelligence beings?
- What do you say to scientists who say that humans are just computers in a flesh case?
- What is moral truth?
- Do you think we need to be concerned about the ethical direction that AI’s are taking us?
- What is the good side of artificial intelligence?
- How did you become a Christian?
Guest Bio:
Max Riesenhuber is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Georgetown University Medical Center and Co-Director of the CNE. His research uses computational modeling, brain imaging and EEG to understand how the brain makes sense of the world, and how these insights can be translated to neuromorphic AI and augmented cognition applications. Max obtained his Master’s degree in physics from the University of Frankfurt, Germany, and his PhD in computational neuroscience from MIT. He has received several awards, including Technology Review’s “TR100”, one of the “100 innovators 35 or younger whose technologies are poised to make a dramatic impact on our world” and an NSF CAREER award.
Resources Mentioned:
- “Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro
- “The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind” by Mark A. Noll
Sponsors:
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Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Mark Shepard to discuss his story of how he started following Jesus.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Tell us more about your upbringing when it comes to faith.
- Was there a time in your life where you just didn’t believe in God?
- Most of my Jewish friends identify with the cultural and tradition but don’t believe in God. Did you identify with that?
- How did you first become interested in Christianity?
- Was there anything in particular in the Bible that grabbed you?
- Tell us how you responded to the idea that you are actually deeply sinful?
- How have you found faith in Jesus has helped you navigate success and failure?
- How would you say that Christians can better understand the University? And how can we help people in the University who aren’t Christians understand Christianity?
Guest Bio:
Mark Shepard is an associate professor at Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). His research studies health care markets, with topics at the intersection of health, industrial organization, and public economics. Mark received a PhD in economics from Harvard University and an A.B. in applied math from Harvard. He is married to Annetta Zhou and they have two daughters.
Resources Mentioned:
- Matthew 5-7, Mark 10:41-45, Ephesians 2:11-22, Jeremiah 29:7
Sponsors:
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Dr. Danielle Treweek to have a conversation about singleness and marriage.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What is the spiritual climate of Australia?
- What are the health benefits of regular participation in church?
- What does the subtitle of your book, “Retrieving an Eschatological Vision for the Contemporary Church” mean?
- When you say “the life to come,” what do you mean?
- Why are you gonna be single forever?
- Help us understand how we got to our current viewpoint on singleness.
- How are we currently idealizing and idolizing marriage?
- What does the New Testament say about sexual immorality?
- How might those of us who are married help to reclaim the value of singleness?
Guest Bio:
Dr. Danielle Treweek is a Christian theological researcher, author and speaker whose ministry focus lies in resourcing Christian individuals & communities on biblical singleness, sexuality, theological retrieval, worldview formation & other related topics.
Resources Mentioned:
- Matthew 22:30
- “The Meaning of Singleness” by Danielle Treweek
- “Marriage, a History” by Stephanie Coontz
- “No Greater Love” by Rebecca McLaughlin
Sponsors:
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Sam Alberry to discuss the topic of friendship.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What is the New Testament vision for friendship?
- Why do Christians think they have to have it all together and not need friends?
- Do we tend to look to specific people to fulfill all of our relational needs?
- Where do you look in scripture for a picture of friendship?
- What mandate and model does Jesus give us for friendship?
- What would you say are the biggest challenges and opportunities among Christian men in friendship?
- What is a good mind sight to have as we are looking to make new friends?
- What is something that brings people together to form friendship?
- How can Christian’s approach friendship with the opposite sex with wisdom and holiness?
- What are your views on accountability friendships?
Resources Mentioned:
- Proverbs, John 15, Matthew 26, 1 Timothy 5:2, James 5:16
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Season 3 of Confronting Christianity begins on August 22! In this episode, Rebecca McLaughlin previews what is to come in Season 3.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Who are some guests that will be ons season 3 and what will we talk about?
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Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Sherelle Ducksworth to talk about the holiday Juneteenth.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- How did you become a Christian?
- What is systematic theology?
- What is Juneteenth?
- Can you help us understand anthropological distortions?
- How would you respond to someone who looks at history and say that how Christians treated black people shows that Chrsitianity isn’t true?
- How do Christians typically view or treat injustice?
- How can Christians be different than the culture in loving ways?
- How do we think about Juneteenth as an opportunity to point to Jesus?
Guest Bio:
Sherelle Ducksworth serves as a Christian Studies professor at Anderson University. She holds M.S in sociology with a concentration on social stratification from Mississippi State University and a M.A. in theology from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. She is currently working on a Ph.D. In systematic theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Resources Mentioned:
- Acts 8:26-40, Isaiah 61:1
- What Is Juneteenth, And Why Should We Celebrate It? By Sherelle Ducksworth
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin talk about how Confronting Christianity has evolved over time, why Kyle will be stepping away from the podcast, and what to expect in the fall!
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Why did we start this podcast?
- How have we experienced hosting this podcast?
- Kyle, why are you leaving the podcast?
- Are you excited about the future of the show?
- What are some future topics we can expect?
Resources Mentioned:
- Training the Church
- Starting Place
- Tiny Theologians Podcast
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Rebecca McLaughlin is joined by Rachel Gilson and JD Greear to answer the question, what does someone do when they become a Christian and they are married to someone of the same sex?
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Rachel, can you share a little of your story?
- Why do you think it's important for people to hear from people like Rachel on this topic?
- How would you respond to someone who would think that the Bible is wrong on this one because they can’t believe that God wouldn’t want someone to not be happy?
- JD, why would you choose to address this issue in your book?
- What about somebody that becomes a Christian and they are married to someone of the same sex? Isn’t it worse for them to get a divorce?
- How do we help and care for people in this specific situation?
- What can be helpful and unhelpful in this conversation?
Guest Bio:
Rachel Gilson is on the leadership team for theological development and culture for Cru. She is the author of Born Again This Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith, and What Comes Next. Rachel has a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is pursuing a Ph.D. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is married to Andrew and has a daughter.
J.D. Greear is the pastor of The Summit Church, in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Pastor J.D. Greear has authored several books, including but not limited to; Essential Christianity, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, Gaining by Losing, Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart. Pastor J.D. completed his Ph.D. in Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Chick-fil-A since January 2022 and recently served as the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Pastor J.D. and his wife Veronica are raising four awesome kids: Kharis, Alethia, Ryah, and Adon.
Resources Mentioned:
- 1 Corinthians 7:12–13, Matthew 19:1-12, Ephesians 5:22-33, Matthew 13:44-46
- “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis
- “Essential Christianity” by JD Greer
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin are joined by Esau McCaulley to have a conversation about Easter and why it is important.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What is your new book, “Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal” about?
- What would you say to someone who does not fully understand what Lent is?
- Is Easter Sunday just another Sunday? Isn’t every Sunday an opportunity to celebrate the risen Lord? What’s so special about Easter?
- What difference does it make that Jesus rose from the dead?
- What about the resurrection of the body?
- A number of years ago, in a wonderful article for the New York Times, you talked about the unsettling power of Easter and you said: “Easter is a frightening prospect. For the women, the only thing more terrifying than a world with Jesus dead was one in which he was alive.” What do you mean by that?
- What does the resurrection mean for us?
- What do you make of Judas?
Guest Bio:
Dr. Esau McCaulley is associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College and theologian in residence at Progressive Baptist Church, a historically Black congregation in Chicago. He is the author of the award-winning book Reading While Black and the children’s book Josey Johnson’s Hair and the Holy Spirit. He is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. His writings have also appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and Christianity Today.
Resources Mentioned:
- Mark 16, John 6:25-58, John 13:1-30
- “Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal” by Esau McCaulley
- ‘What Good Friday and Easter Mean for Black Americans Like Me” by Esau McCaulley
- “The Unsettling Power of Easter” by Esau McCaulley
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin answer questions submitted by listeners!
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- How would you counsel a Christian who is invited to the gay wedding of a close relative or friend?
- How should Christians understand God's sovereignty and the image of God in the case of a person born with a physical and/or mental disability? Is disability a product of the Fall that God allows to remain in us, as in the case of other diseases that develop over our lifetimes? Are we "knit together in our mother's womb" with a disability, just as the Lord creates us male or female?
- What are some resources that may be helpful to me as I seek to learn more about critical race theory?
- Would love your insight on how to connect with people at church.
- Why do you believe the resurrection actually happened?
Resources Mentioned:
- John 9, Romans 8:28
- “Biblical Critical Theory” by Christopher Watkin
- Joni & Friends
- “Reading While Black” by Esau McCaulley
- The Inner Ring by CS Lewis
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin are joined by Sarah Irving Stonebraker to discuss the history of ideas around human rights, where Christians find the foundation for human rights, and where we are today.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Sarah, what is your story, how did you become a Christian?
- What is the idea that universal human equality is Christian fiction? How does the history of ideas point to this idea?
- When we say “human rights,” what are we walking about?
- Has there been an attempt to disguise the Judeo-Christian origins of human rights?
- Does it matter that we don’t have a shared sense of values and principles? Where are we at in the global west when we are talking about human rights?
- Is it hard for people to see how strongly human rights are tied to Judeo-Christian origins?
- People can say that Christians have a terrible track record with human rights, how do we grapple with that?
- What would you say is the one thing you found most attractive about Jesus?
Helpful Definitions:
- Human Rights: The idea that there are certain entitlements or rights that belong to all human beings regardless of their religion, sexuality, gender, etc., and regardless if laws recognize those rights.
Guest Bio:
Sarah Irving-Stonebraker is an Australian-based academic, focusing on the history of Britain and the colonial world and especially the intersection of religion, science, and politics. Her first book, Natural Science and the Origins of the British Empire, investigates the way that England’s colonial empire became tied to the Protestant redemptive project of restoring humanity's original dominion over nature. Sarah and her husband, Johnathan, have three children, Madeleine, Charlotte, and James.
Resources Mentioned:
- Genesis 1:26-28
- “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis
- United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- “Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World” by Tom Holland
- “After Virtue” by Alasdair MacIntyre
- “The Abolition of Man” by C.S. Lewis
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin explore the question, does hypocrisy among Christians discredit Christianity?
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What is hypocrisy? What are we talking about?
- Do you think people are leaving the faith because of some level of hypocrisy?
- How does the Bible help us to think about this?
- Has social media created a stronger gap between the witness of the church and hypocrisy or has it just magnified the gap that already exists?
- How do we engage with people who accuse Christians of hypocrisy?
- Does Christian obedience matter?
- What would you tell someone who said: “I don’t want to be in a community with Christians, because they are all hypocrites?”
Helpful Definitions:
- Hypocrisy: A level of inconsistency in what someone says they are, or what they believe, or what they think is right to do; and what they actually do.
Resources Mentioned:
- 1 John 2:1, 1 Peter 2:9-15, Luke 8:9-14
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin have a conversation about what it looks like for Christians to argue ideas.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Ideas matter, right?
- Can Christians argue about ideas?
- Does it matter how we argue?
- What does it mean to argue with gentleness and respect?
- What does a good process look like to engage in these conversations?
- What is the danger in categorizing people?
- Is it okay to acknowledge when we don’t know the answer?
- What is the conversation that Christians have the opportunity to disagree with well?
Resources Mentioned:
- 1 Peter 3:15
- “Confronting Christianity” by Rebecca McLaughlin
- “Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World” by Tom Holland
- The Rest Is History Podcast
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin are joined by Praveen Sethupathy to talk about what science is and if it can dictate our identity.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- How did your first few years at Cornell change you?
- Why did you land on Christianity?
- When you went back to your family and told them you were a Christian, what did that look like?
- Have you scientific pursuits pulled you away from Chsitainity?
- When we are talking about science, what are we talking about?
- If science has explained what we are as human beings then why do we need a religious understanding of what we are as human beings?
- How as a scientist do you think about miracles?
- If we have a scientific explanation for the beginning of the world and the origin of humans, why would we be interested in Genesis 1-2?
Guest Bio:
Dr. Praveen Setupathy is Professor of Physiological Genomics in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Director of the Center for Vertebrate Genomics at Cornell University, where he leads a research lab focused on genomic approaches to understand physiology and human disease. He received his BA degree from Cornell University and his PhD in Genomics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Helpful Definitions:
- Science: A human endeavor, a set of tools that we use incorporating logic and mathematics the tools and precepts and theories from other sciences that human beings have developed through our faculties to make sense of the world. What are natural explanations for the things we see in the natural world.
- Scientific Knowledge: A body of knowledge and truth.
Resources Mentioned:
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21, Genesis 1-2, Ephesians 3:10
- “The Myth of Certainty” by Daniel Taylor
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin faithfully explore the question, is Christianity exclusive?
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Is Christianity exclusive? What does that mean?
- Isn’t it arrogant to say there is only one true religion?
- When we say Christianity is exclusive and that Jesus is the only way, are we saying that there is no truth to be found in other religions?
- Can we find true things and engage in goodness and beauty outside of this?
- How do we love and engage with those who hold other beliefs?
Resources Mentioned:
- John 14:6
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin have a conversation about how people view organized religion, what tends to replace it in peoples lives, and why it is important for believers.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Are people in Texas skeptical of organized religion?
- Do you see people who see themself as spiritual but not religious?
- What are other institutions that mimic organized religion that have gained popularity?
- What is a church for atheists?
- What do you say to someone who is a Christian but is not part of a local church?
- How does someone find a new church? What should they look for?
- Should we abandon organized religion?
Resources Mentioned:
- “Religion for Atheists” by Alain de Botton
- Harry Potter and the Sacred Text Podcast
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon,
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin are joined by Claude Atcho to have a conversation about how we can get better at talking about race.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Should we still be talking about race?
- How can we get better about talking about race?
- “Race is a biological fiction but a sociological reality.” What does that mean?
- How has this conversation changed over the last 6-10 years?
- How can engaging with African American literature help us understand a whole hearted approach to engage with the question of race?
- What would we say to a listener who might say: I am so tired of talking and hearing about race?
- How would you respond to someone who thinks we didn’t have these problems a few years ago?
Guest Bio:
Claude Atcho serves as the pastor of Church of the Resurrection in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has previously served as a church planter and an adjunct English professor in Boston, Massachusetts, and as a pastor in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the author of Reading Black Books: How African American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just.
Resources Mentioned:
- “The Secular Creed” by Rebecca McLaughlin
- “Reading Black Books” by Claude Atcho
- “Go Tell It On the Mountain” by James Baldwin
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin discuss the question; are transgender women, women?
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What is a man? What is a woman?
- Is a transgender woman a woman?
- What issues has this confusion presented?
- What is our primary responsiblity we have as Christians in this conversation?
- To what degree should we advance Christian ethics in public squares that are not purposefully evangelistic?
- Are all feminists on the same page with the question of “are transgender women women?”
- What do we do with the question of “preferred pronouns?”
Helpful Definitions:
- Transgender woman: Someone who is biologically male but identifies as female.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin talk about doubt and where we can find a stable foundation that honors and invites our doubt toward goodness, truth, and beauty.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Have you ever experienced profound doubt?
- What do you think are some of the most common places of doubt?
- What is doubt an invitation to?
- Do we find doubt in the bible?
- Where do you find a stable foundation that honors and invites your doubt toward goodness, truth, and beauty?
- If someone is listening to this episode and is experiencing or has experienced deep doubts about who God is, what God has done, and how God is inviting us to live…how would we encourage them?
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Genesis 3, Matthew 26, John 21:15-19, John 20:24-29
- The Chosen
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin are joined by Sam Alberry to have a conversation about the question, is God anti-gay?
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- In March a new edition of Is God anti-gay is being released. Why are you updating the book? What’s changed?
- Did the first edition play out how you thought it would?
- Is God Anti-Gay?
- What do you say to the people who think and feel that they are their sexuality?
- Some suggest that we might look back on what we might call conservative Christian sexual ethics in the future as we look back on people who held unbiblical and oppressive views of women or other races in the past. Are we in danger of that?
- What is your encouragement to people who are looking for an answer to this question?
Guest Bio:
Sam Allberry is a pastor, apologist, and speaker. He is the author of a number of books, including Is God Anti-Gay?, Why Bother with Church?, 7 Myths about Singleness, and What God Has To Say About Our Bodies. He has written extensively for numerous organizations, including The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, and Living Out.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone” by J.K. Rowling
- “Is God Anti-Gay? And Other Questions About Jesus, the Bible, and Same-Sex Sexuality” by Sam Alberry
- “Is God anti-gay?” by Sam Alberry
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Season 2 of Confronting Christianity begins on January 24! In this episode, Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin preview what is to come in Season 2.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What are we going to cover in Season 2?
- What guests are we going to have on this season?
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin discuss Rebecca’s new book “Jesus Through The Eyes of Women.”
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Is there a cultural impression that Christianity is misogynistic?
- You just wrote a book on Jesus through the Eyes of Women: Why did you write this?
- How does the perspective of the women in the gospels showcase some unique truths of the person and ministry of Jesus that we would lose if we don’t look through that gaze?
- Have you always known that women were a part of Jesus’s disciples in the fullest sense or am I late to see this?
- Should Jesus be our model for how we interact with others, specifically women?
- What is the big takeaway from this book?
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- John 4, Luke 10:38-42, Mark 5:25-34, Matthew 15:22-29
- The Lost Kitchen
- “Jesus through the Eyes of Women” by Rebecca McLaughlin
- “The Resurrection of the Son of God” by N.T. Wright
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Training the Church.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin answer questions submitted by listeners!
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Why did there stop being prophets? Surely God is still speaking (inspiring?) since the 1st century. Why is there no book of Rebecca? Or book of CS Lewis?
- Why does no one ever talk about divorce? It’s mentioned in the OT and New Testament, and the internet is full of polarized views on it?
- I would love to hear what you guys say about the times in scripture when someone prays and God seems to ‘change his mind…’
- “My friend and I are reading through Acts and what we are seeing there – the daily interactions of believers – is so different from our local church experience. What do we do with that?”
- How would you recommend thinking through God’s sovereignty alongside what some would say are natural consequences of living in a broken world. As in, is God using my X for good, or was that His intention for my life from birth?
- How much do we have to hate someone to not share the gospel with them? What are your thoughts on that?
- What’s your favorite bible passage?
- What does Imago dei mean? How does that interpretation influence our decisions regarding social justice, race relations, and other human rights relative to our current culture?
- Can you pronounce one another’s last names?
- My college-aged daughter has a Christian friend who just shared she is bisexual. Any practical ideas of how my daughter might bring truth into their friendship and conversations without affirming behavior that is outside of God’s plan or failing to respond or speak in love?
Helpful Definitions:
- Imago Dei: Image of God. Doctrine in which we believe that humans are created in the image of God and are worthy of unconditional dignity.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- 1 Corinthians 14:1-25, 2 Timothy 3:16, Genesis 18:16-33, Exodus 34, Jonah, Genesis 50:20, John 11, John 1, Matthew 5-7, Romans 8
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Training the Church.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin have a conversation about how cultural Christianity has impacted the global west.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Is it good that “cultural Christianity” is on the decline in the west?
- How do people who are culturally Christian respond to an invitation to church or to talk about God?
- How much of this is tied with the reckoning that has to happen with the past indulgences (the best and the worst) of western culture broadly?
- Do Christians in the global west, do we have an eeyore complex? Do we have an “everything we have ever done is bad” mindset?
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- “Boom Town” by Sam Anderson
- “The Color of Compromise” by Jemar Tisby
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Training the Church.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin are joined by Dr. Karen Swallow Prior to have a conversation about abortion and how we as Christians can engage with the sanctity of human life issues most helpfully.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Would you be willing to share a bit of your story: How did you come to follow Jesus? What led you into your field of study? What led you to become involved in right to life and sanctity of human life issues?
- How has your involvement in this changed over the years?
- How do Christians engage most helpfully?
- What was your response when you heard about the prospect of Roe’s overturn? How should we respond?
- How do we live in the tension of being pro-life and glad for progress on this and at the same time relate to friends to who this feels like an injustice?
- How do we be sober-minded enough to view how tragic the full sweep of abortion is?
- How do we move forward? What’s next?
- What do we do now practically?
Guest Bio:
Dr. Karen Swallow Prior is Research Professor of English and Christianity and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition, she is the author of numerous books, including: Booked, Fierce Convictions, On Reading Well, and the co-editor of Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues. She has a column for Religion News Service and her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Gospel Coalition…and just about everywhere else.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Operation Rescue
- CASA
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Training the Church.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin are joined by Justin Giboney to have a conversation about how Christians view diversity.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- What led you to the work you do now with the And Campaign?
- What would you have said to my 2008 UK self, trying to navigate that seemingly Christian values were evenly distributed between two options?
- Don’t Christians oppose ethnic and cultural diversity?
- What kind of diversity should the Christian community consider as a part of its pursuit? Are there limits on what that entails?
- How can we help people understand that there are different kinds of diversity?
- How do you respond to people who say “there is only one race”? Is that a helpful framework?
- It does seem like within the church, there are competing visions for dealing with the history of Christian complicity in rejecting people outside the majority. What do you do when you have a group of Christians who are trying to live in the tension of conviction and compassion and they see the pathway forward differently from each other?
- How do we navigate that well when we all come to the table with very different feelings about the table?
- If a young white evangelical Christian came to you and said “I’ve got to leave the church, do you know how complicit Christians have been in the history of racism in this country?” How would you respond?
- Is the perception that the present reality of the black church in america looks very different when it comes to some of the most important moral issues. Is that perception true or misleading?
- Help us understand why people think that black americans / black Christians would vote democrat and would therefore have more progressive views? How do we not fall for this misleading characterization that the black church is at heart progressive in anti-scriptural sense?
- What continues to compel you to move forward?
Guest Bio:
Justin Giboney is co-founder of the And Campaign, an attorney, a political strategist, a host on the Church Politics Podcast, and one of the co-authors of the book Compassion and Conviction.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Revelation 7
- And Campaign
- “Reading While Black” by Esau McCaulley
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Training the Church.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin explore the question, are we better off without religion?
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Is America, in general, more religious than the UK?
- Would you say the perception of religion among non-believers is generally positive or negative?
- The change in 2005-2008 range, do you think the atheist tones were driving how people were thinking?
- Is there data around the psychological benefits of religious practice?
- What do you say when someone says: Religion is the cause of wars, bloodshed, and injustice? Religion hurts people…?
- Is religion bad or good? Why?
- Is there a benefit to religious worldviews abounding in the world whether they are Christian or not?
- Would you be comfortable describing yourself as a religious person?
- Are we better off without religion?
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Matthew 16:24-26
- “God Is Not Great” by Christopher Hitchens
- Human Flourishing Program at Harvard's Institute for Quantitative Social Science
- “Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Training the Church.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin talk about deconstructing; where has this come from and how should we engage?
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Let’s talk about deconstruction: Where has this come from?
- What is the most helpful way for us to approach people's real questions?
- Don’t we also need cultural deconstruction?
- How often are we deconstructing how culture (sarcasm, the sexual revolution, systemic injustice) has influenced us and our beliefs?
- Can the church be salvaged? Why not just embrace an anti-institutional practice of following Jesus?
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- John 6:60-71
- “After Doubt” by A. J. Swoboda
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Training the Church.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin are joined by Lisa Fields to discuss if Christians are addressing the right questions and what we need to learn to engage with people who don’t believe.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Are Christians addressing the right questions?
- What made you want to start Jude 3?
- Rebecca, are there differences in the UK vs. US apologetics?
- Does it feel like so much of the “apologetics” discourse is rooted in answering objections that few consciously hold any longer?
- Can you share your own story of how and when you started thinking critically about your faith?
- What have you learned from discourse with people who have walked away from the faith?
- Are these conversations more personal than they have ever been?
- What are the 2-3 questions Christians in America need to start exploring?
- When you are talking with a skeptic, are they speaking for an entire group of people and not just themself?
Guest Bio:
- Lisa Fields is the founder of the Jude 3 Project, where her primary mission is to help the Black Christian community know what they believe and why they believe. Lisa is an author and speaks regularly at evangelism, apologetic, and biblical literacy events across the country. She has received several honors, including being recognized in Christianity Today for her work as an apologist in the African American community. She is a graduate of the University of North Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Communications and Religious Studies, and Liberty University with a Master of Divinity with a focus in Theology.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Jude 3 Project: Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter
- Why I Don’t Go Season 1
- Why I Don’t Go Season 2
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Training the Church.
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin discuss what objections and questions people have about Jesus and what is essential to believe about Him.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Two of your books are releasing this year: Jesus through the Eyes of Women and Confronting Jesus. Why all this interest in Jesus?
- Ok, but what if we’re wrong about Jesus? What are some objections people have about Jesus?
- When you and I engage with non-Christian friends and neighbors, what do they think about Jesus?
- How do we know we aren’t wrong about Jesus?
- What is essential to believe about Jesus?
- How do we walk confidently in the way of Jesus in a way that is faithful and persuasive?
Helpful Definitions:
- Epistemology: How we know what we know.
- Hypostatic Union: Jesus is one person with two natures; fully God and fully man.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- “Jesus through the Eyes of Women” by Rebecca McLaughlin
- “Confronting Jesus” by Rebecca McLaughlin
- Matthew 7:12-14
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Training the Church.
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Our Sister Shows:
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin are joined by author Rachel Gilson to talk about why God cares about who we sleep with.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Rachel, can you share your testimony?
- It seems like a lot of people care about sex and sexuality. Why?
- When you hear the phrase “authentic self,” where does that register with you?
- What is often missing from this conversation?
- Why do we care about the sexual lives of the people around us?
- Now: Christians have to be honest - we have not always been paragons of sexuality, purity, holy pleasure, and principle have we?
- When a christian finds themself in a meaningful relationship with somebody who is living out a sexual ethic that is inconsistent with scripture. Is there ever a time to proactively take a step forward and address it?
- What is the vision that the Bible gives for same sex relationships?
Guest Bio:
Rachel Gilson is the author of Born Again This Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith and What Comes Next. In addition, she is on on the leadership team for theological development and culture with Cru college ministry.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- “Born Again This Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith and What Comes Next” by Rachel Gilson
- “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis
- “Creation Regained” by Albert Wolters
- “Confronting Jesus” by Rebecca McLaughlin
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Training the Church..
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Our Sister Shows:
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin faithfully explore the question, “how do we know anything?”
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- How do we know anything?
- What is a thing to be known and how do we know it?
- Is it okay to talk about faith and trust in terms of knowing?
- How do we measure things that claim to be true?
- We both believe the God of the Bible is the one true God. Why do we believe these things and how do we know them?
- What about revelation?
- So, if you were chatting with a neighbor and they casually said to you, “How do you know anything” What might you say?
Helpful Definitions:
- Emotivism: My feelings are a reliable indicator of that which is true.
- Empiricism: Whatever I can touch, taste, see, and experience through my senses is true.
- Faith: Affirmation, affection, and allegiance.
- Revelation: The self-disclosure of God. God Himself is the sole and proper witness to himself. God has spoken in His word, the Bible, and it is a reliable testimony to who he is and his purposes for the world.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- “Confronting Jesus” by Rebecca McLaughlin
- “The Sacred Canopy” by Peter L. Berger
- “Rethinking Sex” by Christine Emba
- “Salvation by Allegiance Alone” by Matthew W. Bates
- “The Lord of the Rings” by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Training the Church.
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Our Sister Shows:
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin talk about why they decided to start the Confronting Christianity podcast and what you can expect on future episodes! Hint: Hard questions faithfully explored.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- How did we get here?
- Who are we?
- Why are we doing this?
- What’s our tagline and why?
- Why are we a good tag team?
- What if you and I don’t agree on something?
- What kinds of things will we explore on this podcast?
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Knowing Faith
- “Confronting Christianity” by Rebecca McLaughlin
- The Family Discipleship Podcast
- “A Grief Observed” by C.S. Lewis
- “Confronting Jesus” by Rebecca McLaughlin
Amazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Training the Church.
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Our Sister Shows:
Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast
Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.
Kyle Worley and Rebecca McLaughlin talk about their new podcast Confronting Christianity, where they seek to faithfully explore hard questions.
Questions Covered in This Episode:
- Why another podcast?
- What is the goal of Confronting Christianity?
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Confronting Christianity is a podcast of:
Training the Church
For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon
Our Sister Shows:
Knowing Faith | The Family Discipleship Podcast
Confronting Christianity is a podcast of Training the Church. For ad-free episodes and more content check out our Patreon.