Every Believer Confident: Recent Episodes
Mark Farnham
This podcasts explores apologetics and evangelism in practical terms in seven minute episodes. It is aimed at the ordinary Christian who wants to effectively reach unbelievers in an indirect, conversational and relational manner. The podcast is led by Dr. Mark Farnham (PhD, Westminster), the Founder and Director of Apologetics for the Church, a local church training ministry. Mark is also Professor of Apologetics at Lancaster Bible College in Lancaster, PA.
What do all ideas that are infected with Eastern thought have in common? The erasure of the Creature/Creature Distinction. That is, every expression of Eastern thought blurs the line between our existence and essence and God’s. Each one promises that we are divine or can become divine. In this episode, Mark shares examples from self-empowerment sources to illustrate how behind them all lies a desire to be like God and to obtain His authority and power.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Sometimes when we engage unbelievers with the truth their response leaves us puzzled or reeling. They may be overly-hostile or may seem to not really want to reason with us. Mark and Jeff discuss what signs to notice when a person is not willing to engage in good faith dialogue and where to go from there.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
In this episode, Mark is joined by Dr. Mark Draper, professor of church history to discuss the tremendous grief and anger that Charlie Kirk’s murder has evoked in many people. Was this an assassination? How do we live in a world where people celebrate or grow numb to the murder of public individuals? How do we hate the evil of this and the other tragic events of the week (the murder of Iryna Zarutska and the shooting at the Catholic school in MN) without becoming sinfully angry and allowing hatred to grow in our hearts?
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Many Christians who get into apologetics don’t think about whether their apologetic methodology is consistent with their theology, and even more, the text of Scripture. In this episode, Mark and Jeff explore several biblical texts to see what they say and what that means for how we do apologetics.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Mark and Jeff discuss the sometimes disheartening reality that most churches and pastors are not very interested in apologetics. They explore the reasons for this, and offer encouragement to pastors to take advantage of the resources available today.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Many apologists seem to think that free will is an adequate answer to the challenges raised against the Christian faith, like the problem of evil and suffering and the question about the justice or injustice of hell. Mark and Jeff explain the biblical teaching on free will and set it in its proper place as an important, but secondary part of our answers to these questions.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
A recent article by James Eglinton, “The Myth of the ‘Irreligious World’” challenges the notion that the world is becoming less religious. Mark and Jeff discuss the dual nature of religious man and irreligious society in a way that helps us to better engage unbelievers with the gospel.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Why don’t so many people believe the gospel? What do they need from Christians to believe? In this episode, Mark and Jeff go to Scripture to get an accurate view of the spiritual condition of unbelievers in order to discover what it takes to bring them to Christ.They place evidence, arguments, and emotion in their proper place as tools that the Holy Spirit uses to open the eyes to see one’s sin and guilt and to see Christ as the only Savior.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Mark and Jeff talk about the recent conference in Washington DC that commemorated the 1700th anniversary of the Nicaean Creed. This statement, forged over many years still stands today as the foundation for understanding what the Bible says about the triune nature of God.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Mark and Jeff expand on a previous episode and talk further about the ways Eastern Religion has been infiltrating the Western world and the lives of Christians. They share the books they have been reading recently that show that we get our ideas about all kinds of things from the various expressions of Eastern thought, such as New Thought, the Perennial Philosophy, New Age, paganism, and more.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Mark and Jeff discuss their recent interest in the ways that Eastern Religion, specifically Hinduism and Buddhism in the form of “New Thought” have been creeping into the church and Christian practices. This is the first in a series of exposing the Vedantic corruption of Christianity through practices such as declaring, manifesting, grounding, visioneering, crystals, wellness culture, and more.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Some people believe that science has disproved Christianity or that science is the ultimate source of truth that trumps any other source. In this episode, Mark presents the eight limits of science to show that science cannot possibly have all the answers, despite the fact that it is a good gift from God to understand our world.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
If asked to share what you believe as a Christian in contrast to other religions, could you answer clearly and confidently? In this episode, Mark interviews Jeff after he appeared on a religion panel at a local university. Jeff shares how he answered the questions in contrast to the other religious representatives and provides some interesting stories from the interaction.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Do you ever find yourself wondering where to go next in a gospel encounter when the conversation starts to drag? Mark and Jeff suggest five lines of questions that will give you ideas of what to ask next when you don’t know what else to say. Everyone wrestles with these questions, so they can be used with any person you are engaging in conversation.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Many people try to evangelize by spitting out a scripted explanation of the gospel. As a result, the unbeliever often feels like he is being given a pitch for Jesus, something he did not ask for or want. In this episode, Mark and Jeff explain the value of taking the time to listen to and understand the unbeliever’s worldview so you can tailor your gospel presentation to the person’s specific questions and objections.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Many Christians learned to present the gospel as a “decision” to be made or think of it in terms of “committing one’s life to Christ” or “surrendering to Christ.” In this episode, Mark and Jeff emphasize the need to use biblical language and concepts of repentance and faith to avoid confusion and to make it clear what we invite the unbeliever to do to be saved.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Confidence in your ability to share and defend the faith is like a helium balloon. When you are at an apologetics conference or reading a helpful book on apologetics, your confidence is like a newly filled helium balloon. A few days or weeks later, however, you often find that your confidence has leaked and it lies lifeless on the floor like a deflated balloon. In this episode, Mark Farnham shares ways to prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to always be ready to give an answer for the reason you believe.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
The new release of Mark’s book, Every Believer Confident, offers an opportunity to learn anew the basic, accessible way of engaging unbelievers with the gospel. Mark and Jeff discuss the new chapter and the new features of case studies and study questions in each chapter.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
A common accusation against the Christian faith is the hypocrisy of Christians.. How do we handle that? In this episode, Mark and Jeff review ways to respond to this charge by asking for a definition, showing that hypocrisy is a human trait, and calling all believers to a life of integrity and consistency.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Once you learn to engage unbelievers effectively with the gospel, how do you keep growing in your abilities? Mark and Jeff discuss some simple ideas, such as reading through the entire Bible, reading commentaries to deepen our understanding of the Scriptures, and more.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Many Christians feel at a loss to know how best to start a spiritual conversation with those who don’t believe in God, either overt atheists or someone who simply has no beliefs about God. This will provide some helpful resources for effective gospel conversations.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Don’t miss the big ethics conference on February 22 in Allentown, PA. We will address a number of critical issues of our day from a Christian perspective, including the sanctity of life, technology, gender and sexuality, abortion, and reproductive technology. Go to https://cedarcrest.church/ethicscon2025/ for more details. Hurry, seating is limited!
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
A key to effective engagement with unbelievers is simply to start conversations. Becoming a good conversationalist is possible for anyone, regardless of their personality. In this episode, Mark shares some basics about having good conversations and turning them to spiritual topics to open the door for sharing the gospel.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
When we look around the world and see wars, genocide, human trafficking, and modern-day slavery, we have to ask, How can an all-loving, all-powerful God exist? Christians claim that God loves the world, so why is it in such a mess? Who among us has not cried out to God in grief, fear, and desperation? Does God care, and when will he do something about evil and suffering?
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
What is Apologetics? Is it only for pastors and professors, or is every Christian called to practice apologetics? Is it primarily about confrontations or conversations? Is the concept even in the Bible? Why can’t we just evangelize and skip the apologetics part? In this episode, Mark and Jeff lay the foundation of the basics of apologetics.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
The infiltration of the West and the Church by Eastern religion, the New Age, neo-paganism, and earth religions is rooted in a foundational error of the “oneness of all things.” In this episode, Mark and Jeff get to the heart of these errors and show how the Creator-Creature Distinction corrects our thinking and allows us to remain in truth as we worship God.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
It has been widely observed that the New Age and Eastern religious thought have infiltrated the West for many years through practices like Yoga and the promise of making all things “one.” In this episode, Mark and Jeff explore how this has happened and how the Church has been subverted through seemingly innocent practices.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Some Christians struggle with the idea of apologetics and may see it as something too difficult for them, or even unspiritual. Jeff and Mark answer those objections and show how apologetics can help every Christian in their proclamation of the gospel.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
How do you become skilled at starting conversations that lead to the gospel? That is the single greatest challenge for most Christians who want to share the gospel. In this episode, Mark and Jeff talk about ways to become more natural conversationalists for the sake of gospel witness.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Many people have a vague or mistaken idea of what Christianity is all about. In addition, even Christians have a hard time articulating the gospel clearly. This episode nuggets to the heart of each so we can more effectively share the gospel and compel people to believe the Christian faith in all its glory.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
How can a church begin to create a culture where gospel conversations with the lost are normal? How does a church move beyond an inward focus on discipleship to add an outward focus on reaching the lost? Mark and Jeff discuss some philosophical keys and some practical steps that can be taken to help a church cultivate gospel engagement among its members.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Mark and Jeff share their origin stories as apologists. For both of us, it began with our inability to answer objections and questions from non-believers. Our hope is that you will be encouraged that you, too, can engage anyone you meet with the gospel and do it well.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Learning that true salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit and not something we can accomplish through our own ability or charm is freeing. If the Holy Spirit is the one who convinces of guilt and opens eyes to see Christ as the only Savior, then I can confidently share the good news of Jesus with whomever I meet.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Jeff and Mark resume their list of reasons why Christians believe in the deity of Jesus. They demonstrate that the only way to reject Jesus’ deity is to ignore or reject the testimony of Scripture, which affirms again and again that Jesus is fully divine.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Jews, and skeptics all share in common a rejection of the divinity of Jesus Christ. Some Christians are surprised to learn that nowhere in the New Testament does Jesus say these three words: “I am God.” In this episode Mark and Jeff explain why that is and the overwhelming evidence from Scripture that Jesus is fully divine, equal in essence to the Father and Spirit.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Mark and Jeff continue their discussion of deconstruction and the need for Christians to be grounded in their faith. They also talk about the difference between questions that search for answers and those that are seeking an exit from the faith.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Mark and Jeff introduce the topic of deconstruction and talk about a recent New York Times article recounting one couple’s deconstruction from Christianity that began with a rejection of God’s law regarding sexual fidelity.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
For many years I believed (because I was taught this, either overtly or by implication) that the most important thing a Christian and a church could do is to reach the lost with the gospel. Everything else paled in comparison and was secondary to the reason God left believers on earth after their salvation. Only when I rejected this idea did I begin to witness to unbelievers with more confidence and frequency.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
The most common approach to apologetics is the evidentialist approach, which argues that what the unbeliever needs most is evidence of the truth of Christianity. Once there is enough evidence, belief is sure to follow. By looking at the case of Eve in the Garden of Eden, we can see that there is a more fundamental problem–our rebellion against God. Even when we have all the evidence we could want, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, genuine belief will not happen.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Can we get past the taboo of talking about religion and politics to share Christ? Mark's guest, Zack Armstrong, presents some practical ideas for encouraging people to talk about spiritual matters.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Have you ever wondered if the Christian faith can hold up to the scrutiny of leading scholarship? In today's episode, we will explore how Christianity is both personally edifying AND intellectually satisfying. Christianity can hold its own in the world of scholarship and you can be confident that your faith is grounded in good truth.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
Have you every wanted to start a conversation with someone about the gospel but didn't know how? Today we will go over some simple and practical skills you can use to start engaging the unbelievers in your life with the gospel.
Want to reach out, ask a question, or request a speaking event? Visit my website at: https://apologeticsforthechurch.org/
So you have begun to make efforts to talk with your unsaved neighbors, friends, coworkers, family, and classmates about spiritual matters. You've asked some strategic questions and conversations are going further than they ever have before. What next? This episode moves beyond questions to understanding as fully as possible what the other person believes, and in the process, continues the conversation on toward the gospel.
Does asking strategic questions really work when engaging unbelievers in conversation about spiritual matters? Yes! In this episode we explore three powerful effects well-asked strategic questions can have in a conversation about the gospel.
What do you do if you don't know how to answer an objection to the Christian faith? Many people freeze and walk away or alternately abandon reason and claim to simply believe "by faith," by which they mean apart from reason. What they don't often consider is a question to challenge the objection. Since most objections to the Christian faith are based on false or unproven assumptions, a good question can reveal the weakness of the objection. This episode explores the way Christians can use strategic questions to undermine attacks on the Christian faith.
Have you ever been talking with an unbeliever, and you find yourself trying to figure out how to steer the conversation toward spiritual matters so you can share the gospel with her? Sometimes that transition is the hardest part about sharing the good news. In this episode we explore ways to turn the conversation toward spiritual matters naturally and effectively.
Does engaging unbelievers with the gospel bring you overwhelming fear? A major cause for fear is the feeling that we don't know what to say once the conversation turns to spiritual matters. In this episode we begin to learn how to ask strategic questions that challenge the unbeliever's worldview.
Now that we have learned the basics of apologetics and have understood what is going on in the heart of unbelievers, how do we effectively engage them with the gospel? How do we practically challenge unbelief and defend the faith while sharing it in a winsome and persuasive fashion? This episode shares the story of my first attempt to utilize apologetics and how powerful it proved to be.
When unbelievers suppress the truth long enough and with great enough insistence, God hands them over to be enslaved to their desires. The freedom from God they demanded becomes slavery to sin. This episode explores how people who suppress the truth of God become slaves to their desires.
Suppressing the truth of God causes unbelievers to exchange the glory of God for an image, the truth of God for a lie, and the natural design of the sexes for homosexuality. Paul's point in Romans 1 is that the most obvious example of people trying to deny the truth is when they practice sexual immorality in a way that clearly denies the physiology of the human body as male and female. In this episode we look at the ultimate exchange of God's natural design for that which violates nature.
If every person knows God and truth about him, as Romans 1 says, why do so many either deny the existence of God or believe things about God that are not true? The answer is found in the human ability to make a mental and spiritual exchange of the truth for a lie. In this episode we look at the common tendency of people who know the truth of God to reject it in favor of falsehood.
When a person rejects God to worship something else, that thing will be at best a dull reflection of the full glory of God for which we were made, and at best, a twisted and distorted substitute. God wants us to worship him in truth, but if we will not, then a created thing, like us, will be our master. This episode explores the way unbelievers would rather have something that is merely created than having the Creator himself.
The atheist writer, David Foster Wallace said, "There is no such thing as atheism because everybody worships something. You can't not worship." When a person. suppresses the truth of God, he doesn't worship nothing, he just worships something else. In this episode we explore the way suppressing the truth of God leads inevitably to idolatry.
Why do those who suppress the truth of God think that they are rational and that those who believe in God through Christ are irrational? The fundamental problem is that the unbeliever makes reason his god and source of authority, when reason was never meant to be such. Rather, reason is a tool given by God to rightly know what he has revealed. In this episode, we explore the ways that unbelievers become irrational when they reject the truth of God.
Every unbeliever suppresses the knowledge of God in one way or another to one degree or another. Suppression has devastating consequences to the heart and mind. By denying the truth they know, unbelievers seriously injure their ability to see the truth clearly. In this episode we explore the first consequence of suppressing the knowledge of God: self-deception.
Have someone ever asked you to prove God's existence? Or maybe they have issued a challenge: prove God exists and I will believe in him! What do you say? What can you say? In this episode we examine the challenge of proving God's existence and how best to answer it.
Why don't many people give themselves any time to face the pain of life or the guilt in their hearts? It is simply too painful. As a result, many fill their lives with distractions or dull the pain in their hearts with addictive substances. Others simply deny that there is any evidence for God. This episode explores three ways people suppress the truth of their guilt before a holy God.
One of the most common objections raised against the Christian faith is the existence of so many religions in the world. How can Jesus be the only way when there are so many other religions that people sincerely follow? Where did all these religions come from anyway? This episode shows that one of the ways unbelievers suppress the truth of God they know is to create or turn to other religions.
The thought of having to prove God exists keeps many people from engaging in evangelism, as this objection is a favorite tactic of skeptics. But it doesn't need to be. In Romans 1:18-32 God shows us what is happening in the heart and mind of every unbeliever. When we come to see that the unbeliever already knows God and some things about him, it will relieve our stress about engaging him with the gospel. This episode begins to unpack the truth of Romans 1 that every unbeliever already knows God.
Some people are turned off to apologetics because they don't like to argue with others. They imagine that if we engage people with the gospel, we will necessarily have to be antagonistic and contentious. In reality, apologetics presents arguments for the truth without becoming argumentative. In this episode we look at the difference between arguing for the truth and being argumentative.
It would be easy to gain so much confidence in our ability to defend and share the faith that we forget that the Holy Spirit is the only one who can regenerate a lost soul. So what part does the Holy Spirit play in apologetics and evangelism? And how does prayer fit into that equation? Good questions! In this episode we explore the roles of the Holy Spirit and prayer in the task of apologetics.
Some people resist the idea of apologetics because they do not believe it appears in the Bible. Since the fall of man into sin, however, God has been defending his glory and he calls his followers to defend it also. In this episode we explore the biblical warrant for doing apologetics to expose unbelief and answer objections.
Many people are intimidated by apologetics because what they have heard of it requires learning massive amounts of very intellectual arguments that include philosophy and scientific design. While academic apologetics has its place, the average Christian will not be able to fulfill the command to always be ready to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15) this way. This episode explores the idea of a more practical way to do apologetics--the presuppositional way.
The number of Christians that know what the word apologetics means is growing, thanks primarily to technology. But many don't understand that there are different approaches to defending your faith. While some of these approaches overlap, some have important distinctions that affect the way we should defend and commend the faith. This episode explores the differences between various approaches to apologetics.
Some people reject apologetics and think it is unnecessary to reaching unbelievers with the good news of the gospel. They argue that we should just proclaim the truth and leave it at that. However, if you cannot answer objections and provide an answer, as 1 Peter 3:15-16 commands, we weaken the message, as God has provided us many resources to defend the faith. In this episode we show the relationship between the two.
Apologetics is about more than defending the Christian faith against objections raised against it. It is also concerned with the positive presentation of the gospel in words that are compelling and attractive. In this episode we learn how to positively portray the gospel in all its glory.
Most Christians feel completely inadequate to defend their faith and share Christ effectively. Yet, 1 Peter 3:15-16 commands every Christian to be prepared to give an answer when challenged about their belief in Christ. If God commands us, he will also equip us. In this episode we discover more about our responsibility and the power and plan of God to carry it out.
Many Christians think that apologetics is the domain of professors and scholars, but 1 Peter 3:15 calls every Christian to know how to give an answer when the faith is challenged.