26Jun 2024 by Post

How to Talk with Your Teens about Sex and Love from a Biblical Worldview: Interview with Sean McDowell

Apologetics, Biblical Worldview, Christian Ethics, Christianity, Gospel, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Love, marriage, Natasha Crain, Romance, sex, Theology and Christian Apologetics
Over the last several years, I’ve spoken on the subject of apologetics to many groups of parents at churches and conferences. Although none of my talks deal with the topic of sexuality, I can hardly think of a time when I wasn’t asked a question about it either in the Q & A or in private conversation afterward with an individual parent. In particular, parents always want to know what they should say to their kids about homosexuality and transgender questions. These are undoubtedly the most top of mind questions parents have today. Not the Sex Question Again! While I can appreciate that these specific questions are front and center in culture, I always feel a bit disappointed when I get them. Frankly, I feel like we’ve really missed the boat if…
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24Jun 2024 by Post

A Compassionate Response to Alistair Begg’s ‘Bad Advice’ on LGBT Weddings

Alistair Begg, Apologetics, Christian Ethics, Christian Marriage, Christianity, cultural apologetics, gay marriage, Gospel, Jason Jimenez, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, LGBTQ, Sexual Ethics, Stand Strong Ministries
Some time has passed since controversial advice resurfaced from popular preacher Alistair Begg on his radio program, “Truth for Life.” The controversy revolves around Pastor Begg shocking a grandmother with the advice to not only attend her grandson’s transgender wedding but also to buy them a gift. To reinforce the grandmother attending the trans wedding, pastor Begg prefaced it by saying, “Well, here’s the thing: your love for them may catch them off guard, but your absence will simply reinforce the fact that they said, ‘These people are what I always thought: judgmental, critical, unprepared to countenance anything.'” Days following the backlash Begg and his ministry received, a spokesman for “Truth for Life” published this statement: “Alistair’s advice to the inquirer was that of a grandfather [Mr. Begg] seeking to…
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17Jun 2024 by Post

What Philosophy Is, And Why You Can’t Avoid It

1. Does Truth Exist?, Apologetics, Christian Mind, Christianity, critical thinking, Epistemology, Gospel, Intellect, J. Brian Huffling, logic, metaphysics, philosophy
Many Christians believe that philosophy is a pagan discipline practiced either by ivory tower professors or Starbucks hippies. This belief has led some to object to the relevance of philosophy, as either they believe only a few can do it, or that it deals with such weird and abstract issues that it is a waste of time. Many Christian theologians object that philosophy is rooted in paganism, and thus has no place in Christian theology. After explaining what philosophy is, it should become clear that not only do these objections fail, but philosophy is unavoidable. For the Love of Wisdom… ‘Philosophy’ literally means “love (phil) of wisdom (sophia).” It is the quest for knowledge, truth, and how to live the good (moral) life. Fields of Philosophy There are several branches…
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10Jun 2024 by Post

Andy Stanley’s Unbiblical ‘Affirming’ Stance

4. Is the NT True?, Andy Stanley, Apologetics, Christianity, False Teachers, gay christian, Gospel, Homosexuality, Jason Jimenez, LGBTQ, North Point Community Church, Stand Strong Ministries, Theology and Christian Apologetics
In the following piece, I will discuss the ongoing controversies surrounding Andy Stanley and the recent Unconditional Conference held at North Point Church — outlining clear departures from the scriptural teachings found in the Bible. I will spotlight three key concerns to illustrate how Andy Stanley promotes an approach and an ideology contradicting New Testament teachings on homosexuality. Say it Ain’t So! As followers of Christ, we strive to align our lives with God’s Word, maintaining unwavering faith in times of discord. It is disheartening to see influential Christian figures like Andy Stanley, who command extensive ministry recognition, endorsing views contrary to biblical Christianity. Even as I profoundly disagree with the path Andy Stanley and his church are taking, I remain hopeful for him to reconsider his wayward stance as…
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05Jun 2024 by Post

Church Matters

Annie Brown, Apologetics, Christian Living, Christianity, Church growth, Church Life, discipleship, Evangelism, Gospel, SES, Southern Evangelical Seminary, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Unity
Gospel-centered churches are as important as ever, with powerful worldly forces at work actively competing with Christ for the souls of men.[1] The world buys our attention and convinces us that purpose exists in tangibles, accolades, relationships, drugs, fame, and money. In the Bible, the book of Romans tells us that all of mankind has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). There is no one exempt from this reality. At the root, we have a soul problem. The world and all that is within it will never fill the deep void that every human being is born with. Romans goes on to say that the wages for sin is death, but the free gift is eternal life in Christ (Rom 6:23). The only way ultimately…
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03Jun 2024 by Post

What is Woke?

Apologetics, christian, Christianity, Critical race theory, CRT, Culture and Politics, Gospel, Heaven Not Harvard, Jennifer Defrates, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Social justice, Woke, wokeness
A recent Huffington Post article about homeschool moms left me flabbergasted. I know, it’s HuffPo. I shouldn’t be surprised anymore, but this article was truly shocking . . . because of the comments of the homeschool parents. In the article, a curriculum developer is selling her books at homeschool conventions. She calls her trade a “girl-empowerment business.” Homeschool parents were rightly curious about the political slant of a historical curriculum and asked if this particular series was “woke.” The authors of the curriculum, asked “What do you mean by that?” (hat tip to Greg Koukl).[i] Now here is the troubling part. The homeschool parents didn’t know the answer. They knew they didn’t want woke, but they weren’t sure what they were rejecting or didn’t know how best to explain it.…
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27May 2024 by Post

Recommended Books on Historical Apologetics for The Gospels & Acts

4. Is the NT True?, Acts, Apologetics, Bible, Erik Manning, Gospel, historical apologetics, history, New Testament, Testify, The Gospels
I am often asked which books I recommend for defending the reliability of the Gospels/Acts and Christianity in general, so here is my list. It is not exhaustive, but it will definitely give you a good start. The categorized as “mandatory” are more basic, while some of those labeled as “recommended” or “supplementary” delve into more profound and scholarly content. Any item marked with a * can be accessed for free online as PDF files. A significant number of these works are downloadable from http://historicalapologetics.org, http://books.google.com, or http://archive.org.   Mandatory Reading: Recommended Reading: Author Book Title Bauckham, Richard Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, 2nd edition Blomberg, Craig The Historical Reliability of John’s Gospel Blomberg, Craig The Historical Reliability of the New Testament Boyd, Greg & Eddy, Paul Rhodes The Jesus Legend:…
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22May 2024 by Post

Pro-Life Apologetics from Scott Klusendorf’s The Case for Life

abortion, Apologetics, Christianity, Culture and Politics, Gospel, Jason Jimenez, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, pro-life, Pro-Life Apologetics, Scott Klusendorf, Stand Strong Ministries, The Case for Life, www.standstrongministries.org
The debate over abortion remains one of society’s most divisive issues. Pro-life advocates argue for the rights of the unborn, emphasizing the sanctity of life from conception and advocating for policies to protect fetal humans. On the other hand, pro-choice advocates defend the right of individuals to make autonomous decisions about their bodies and reproductive health. Amid these deeply held convictions are discussions about the moral status of the unborn, making it a debate that is both intimate and public, personal and political. Everyone Has An Equal Right to Life . . . Or Not In his book, The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture, pro-life apologist Scott Klusendorf writes, “The question of truth and of human value are driving our national debates on abortion, cloning, and…
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20May 2024 by Post

Unconditional Love or Unconditional Affirmation?

Adam and Eve, anthropology, Apologetics, Christian Scholarship, Christianity, Creation, Evolution, Faithful Thinkers, Genesis, Gospel, Human Identity, Human Origins, image of God, Intrinsic Value, Luke Nix, science, science and faith, scientism, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
Human origin is a fascinating area of research today. With all the different models for the origins of humanity being proposed, I see an increase in the discussions, both scientific and theological. For everyone reading this post, this area of research should be of utmost interest for you as well. Two critical ideas about humanity are at stake depending on which model (or family of models) is true: intrinsic and equal human dignity and value, and the sinfulness of humanity. The age-old debate about God’s existence has great implications on this area of the debate about human origins. The Judeo-Christian claim that all humans are created in God’s Image and that humans possess a sin nature that will cause them to tend toward the immoral. These paradoxical doctrines together explain…
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15May 2024 by Post

Does the Bible Support Sexual Slavery? An Analysis of Numbers 31:15-18

2. Does God Exist?, Apologetics, biblical ethics, Christianity, Gospel, Immoral God, Jonathan McLatchie, Numbers 31:15-18, Sex Slavery, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Tough Passages
More than two years ago, I participated in a debate in Oxford, England, with atheist YouTuber Alex O’Connor (who goes by the online alias Cosmic Skeptic). The subject was “Why I Am / Am Not a Christian,” which was quite broad. Given the short time constraints of the debate and the breadth of the topic, we were regrettably unable to pursue an explication of our differences with the depth that I would prefer. Nonetheless, I very much appreciated my interaction that evening with O’Connor, including the dinner we enjoyed together before the event. I have long viewed O’Connor as one of the more philosophically nuanced atheist thinkers, and I have valued our ongoing private discussions subsequent to our initial public dialogue. My positive argument in the debate concerned the evidence for Jesus’s resurrection,…
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