Come Let Us Reason Podcast

Why We're ALL Born Sinners — And How Jesus Saves Us! Discover the Christian teaching of original sin, that every baby is born with a sinful nature, which separates us from God. This video explores how in Adam we inherit a corrupted human nature, one that pulls us towards rebellion. But through the Second Adam—Jesus—we have the gift of justification, restoring our relationship with God. Learn practical ways to avoid sin by following Christ's model of grace. We'll unpack the theology behind original sin, its impact on humanity, and how grace transforms lives. Perfect for Christians seeking to deepen their faith and live a holy life, inspired by Jesus's example.

The Shocking Truth About Finding Joy When the World Hates You Jesus promised that the world would hate His followers, yet He also commanded us to have joy. How can we experience joy in a world that often opposes our beliefs? This podcast delves into the paradoxical nature of Christian joy, showing how it flourishes even in adversity. Through scriptural teachings, you'll learn that joy is not dependent on circumstances but on our relationship with God. Embrace the truth that suffering can be a catalyst for joy and spiritual growth, and discover practical ways to cultivate this joy in your daily life.

Faith Under Fire? Engaging Tough Questions with Confidence! When your Christian faith faces tough questions, are you ready to respond? This video empowers students to stand strong. In Part 1, Lenny shares simple, effective ways to engage in spiritual discussions, teaching you how to connect with skeptics, ask thought-provoking questions, and present biblical truths with clarity and kindness. In Part 2, watch Lenny put these techniques into practice in a live Q&A, answering real student questions. This video equips you to share Jesus confidently in any setting. Watch now, share with friends, and get ready to tackle doubts with boldness and love.

Should Christian Morality Shape Our Laws? A Deep Dive Can Christian morality guide modern governance without alienating a diverse society? This podcast explores the provocative question of whether biblical principles, like ordered love—prioritizing God, family, and community—should influence legislation. Dr. Darren Guerra and Dr. Jacob Daneil join Lenny to discuss whether governments share the same moral duties as individuals, such as charity and justice, or if their role is distinct. The discussion traces the rule of law's roots to Christian ethics while questioning how far biblical mandates should extend to secular institutions. Should governments enforce virtues like forgiveness or stewardship, or is their purpose purely pragmatic? With rising cultural divides, we examine if Christian morality offers a unifying framework or risks exclusion. Join us for a nuanced debate on balancing faith, freedom, and governance in today's world.

Can the Gospel Win Back Jewish Hearts? A Bold Vision Brian J. Crawford shares a hopeful vision for Jewish evangelism. Dive into the seismic shift in Jewish identity after the Second Temple's fall. From priestly rituals to rabbinical wisdom, explore how the Talmud reshaped Jewish thought and why figures like Maimonides still spark debate today. With Lenny Esposito, they discuss how the gospel could spark renewed interest among Jews. Watch this inspiring talk!

Christianity Flatlining or Fighting Back? The Results Are In! The latest Pew survey drops a bombshell: Christianity in America isn't fading—it's holding steady. But what's next for faith in the U.S.? In this discussion, Lenny is joined by Dr. Harry Edwards and Dr. Jacob Daniel who help uncover the cultural shifts, demographic changes, and rising diversity of beliefs reshaping the spiritual landscape. We dig into how Christians can adapt, engage, and evangelize in this evolving world. What does it all mean for the church's role in society? Is Christianity on life support or gearing up for a comeback? Watch now for a thought-provoking look at the surprising trends defining faith's future in America!

Q&A Panel - Conquering the Challenges of Culture Lenny Esposito is joined on stage by J. Warner Wallace, Dr. Hugh Ross, Joe Dallas, Becket Cook, and Monique Duson for a fascinating Q&session recorded at a recent Dare to Defend Conference. Here, they tackle issues such as whether a Christian should attend a loved one's gay wedding, how to approach the CRT issue, how the universe's beginning matches the biblical account, and so much more! It's a stimulating 90-minute conversation that will leave you wanting even more!

The Most Insidious Sin What is the worst of all sins? Brutality? Rape? Murder? Church fathers like Augustine and Aquinas saw those as true evils, but they also understood all evil stems first from putting our inner desires first, before God. Thus, it is the sin of Pride they held as the root of every other kind of evil. is possibly the worst of all sins. In this podcast, I'll be unpacking a sin that is too often overlooked–especially so in the church! See how the ignored practice of Vainglory is subtlety malicious and, as C.S. Lewis noted, able to transform a good man into an absolute scoundrel. Yet, in the 21st century we are more in danger of falling prey to it than ever before. In fact, very visible Christians have been corrupted already. Join in and learn how to tackle the most insidious sin.

How a Hijacker Tested My Faith: A Passenger's Inspiring Story In this episode, Lenny interviews Daniel Pop, a passenger on the attempted hijacking in Melbourne, Australia. Daniel opens up about surviving the hijacking attempt as well as enduring the heartbreaking loss of a child, two events that shook his world. He discusses how the faith modeled by his family who themselves were forced to flee a communist dictatorial regime led him to a stronger, more grounded belief. Watch and see how you may find hope and meaning even in life's toughest moments.

Stockholm Syndrome Christianity: When Faith Surrenders to Secularism Lenny Esposito and John G. West unpack “Stockholm Syndrome Christianity,” a trend where Christian leaders embrace secular ideologies over biblical truth. From cultural influences to critiques of figures like Andy Stanley and Francis Collins, this discussion reveals the corruptions creeping into modern Christian practice and offers insights on how believers can identify wolves in sheep's clothing while standing firm in their faith.

Evangelicals, Politics, and Trump: The Future of American Christianity? Analysts have reported that evangelicals that made the difference in electing Donald Trump, but do evangelical beliefs reflect the aspirations of Trump supporters? in looking at the data, there are other, underlying issues that aren't necessarily discussed in media reports.On this podcast I bring you a discussion with Dr. Darren Guerra and Logan Zeppieri, two political experts who look at just what motivated voters during the 2024 election, how the term evangelical is applied differently in a political context and just what it mean to be a believer in our current political climate.

Ordo Amoris: The Christian Teaching Everyone Got Wrong Discover how ordo amoris, a fundamental Christian teaching on the order of love, has been misunderstood by political commentators. From oversimplification to ideological bias, Lenny uncovers why the concept is being distorted, sets the record straight on its theological origins, and explain why it's still relevant today.

Comics, Murder... and the Gospel? How a Detective Turned Comic Creator Is Redefining Christian Storytelling. J. Warner Wallace, a seasoned detective, sits down with Lenny Esposito to share the secrets behind his leap into graphic novels. This episode dives into blending crime-solving realism with a Christian worldview, engaging readers, and tackling big ideas like human worth in a fresh way.

Christianity for Thinking People: The William Lane Craig Interview Can Christian faith stand up to rigorous thought? The answer is a resounding yes and you can see why in this interview with Dr. William Lane Craig on his latest project, Systematic Philosophical Theology. This innovative work explores why Christianity isn't just for the heart but for the head, it isn't afraid to ask hard questions, and shows how Christianity can be a thrilling intellectual adventure for those who crave a thinking person's spirituality.

The Authority of Scripture Why Should we trust the Bible as the sole authority of our faith and how do we know that only these books and no others are the genuine words of God? In this podcast, Lenny explores how Christians should understand why scripture holds the ultimate authority for those who want to be true disciples of Jesus and his teachings. The doctrine of the inspiration of scripture and what it means to be God-breathed is essential for every believer to understand and why only the scriptures—not traditions—hold the final say on how we live in a way that Jesus himself taught.

Battling the War Against the Family What is the next most dangerous thing that we as a society face? What is the next big battle standing against our traditional values and our understanding to be human? Culture seems to be devaluing family and the incredibly dangerous ramifications we are facing as marriage happens later and birthrates drop precipitously. It's an issue you don't hear talked about in church pulpits, but the threat is significant and we need to think more deeply about it.

Hidden Ways The Gospels Prove Reliable Can we trust the Gospels? Why should people place their trust in documents written so long ago that don't even agree with each other? In this podcast, Lenny investigates some interesting facts which cannot be written off as coincidences and demonstrate why the Gospels are reliable history.

Can We Trust the Gospels About Jesus? Featuring Wesley Huff What's the truth about the Gospels we have today? There has been no more scrutinized religious literature that the New Testament and specifically the gospel accounts of Jesus's life. Here, we talk with Bible scholar Wesley Huff, recently seen on the Joe Rogan Experience, about the authorship of the four Gospel accounts and their reliability. Find out why you can be confident that the story of Jesus in the New Testament is history!

Unraveling Faith: Are the Resurrection Claims of Jesus Supported by FACTS? In this enlightening podcast episode, Lenny, along with Dr. Harry Edwards and Dr. Jacob Daniel, dives deep into the historical accounts of Jesus' resurrection, examining the compelling reasons to believe in this central Christian event. With an analysis of the gospel narratives alongside crucial discussions on factual evidence, we explore why competing theories often fall short. Join us on a thought-provoking journey to understand the profound explanatory power of resurrection belief in Christianity!

Why Does God Remain Hidden?If God really wants us to believe in him, then why doesn't He show himself more clearly? The idea that God is hidden, that if he were real he would provide obvious signs to us mere mortals proving his existence is a charge that many skeptics have leveled against believers. When asked what he would say if after he died he was face to face with God, atheist Bertrand Russel famously replied “Not enough evidence!” Today, I bring you a talk I recently gave at the Defend Conference in New Orleans. Here I address the charge that God's hiddenness counts against him being real, tackling issues like the so-called missing miracles today, as well as some more sophisticated objections, like those given by philosopher J.L Shellenberg. We will learn why God's hiddenness is actually important and good for us.

What Defines a True Christian? Is there such a thing as a Deep Fake Christian? The problem of deep-fake Christians—those who act and sound like true followers of Jesus when their beliefs are actually different than what he taught—has been a real problem ever since the inception of the church. How can one tell what marks a true Christian from someone who has been corrupted by a deep fake? Is it simply a desire to follow Jesus, to follow the conviction of the Holy Spirit? As the Apostle John warned the local church in his day, we must be careful because there are wolves out there who like to dress as sheep and, as they say, The Devil's in the details.

Top Podcasts of 2024 The Come Let Us Reason Podcast celebrated its 18th year with an amazing assortment of topics and interviews. With our exponential growth on YouTube, we are seeing more people than ever before watching or listening to these episodes. Here are key snippets from six of the most popular shows, including issues about Christian cults, science, the woke left, evolution, and more.

Is It Possible to Be Good Without God? What's Necessary for Morality Investigate if secular ethics can stand on their own without religious foundations. In this interview with Dr. David Horner on his new book Metaethics: A Short Companion, we explore what is objective morality, how atheists, naturalists, and those of other belief systems ground their morality and why the Christian understanding of what constitutes “the good” makes the most sense.

The Nobel Prize as Evidence of Intelligent Design What does this year's Nobel Prize have to do with intelligent design? A lot more than you may imagine! On this episode I've invited Dr. Fazale Rana from Reasons to Believe and Dr. Casey Luskin from the Discovery Institute to review and discuss the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of micro-RNAs and how it supports intelligent design and weakens the evolutionary paradigm. Join us as we dive into a fascinating discussion on the mechanisms of life.

Redesigning Humanity? Christianity and Modern Body Identity Trends There's been a clear cultural push towards viewing one's body as simply a canvas that may be modified for personal expression. But such a view is shortsighted and can be dangerous, powering ideas as radical as transgender surgeries. The Bible holds our bodies as sacred, a substantial part of what makes one human. Is the desire to modify our bodies costing us our dignity? How do our bodies reflect our creation in God's image? Explore a robust theology of the body and how it fits in God's design.

Deconstructing World Religions: Why the Bible Stands Apart! Ever pondered how different religions of the world stack up against each other in their claims to be true? What if we were to "deconstruct" the faiths of the world and boil them down to their bare essentials. Would they still make sense? This video compares the teachings, worldview, and moral aspects of Christianity and measures them against other major religious systems, revealing why only the Bible and its doctrines can be confidently asserted as coming directly from God.

Thanksgiving Decoded: The Christian Roots of America's Favorite Holiday Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? Discover the theological underpinnings and historical events that established Thanksgiving as a day of national gratitude and America's last religious holiday. Understand why giving thanks isn't just a ritual but a recognition of the God of the Bible. Ideal for those seeking a deeper understanding beyond the turkey and pie.

The Battle for Our Minds: Is Technology Rewiring Our Beliefs? Are we being unknowingly reprogrammed by the digital world? This discussion uncovers the alarming ways social media manipulates our minds, challenges Christian worldviews, and reshapes humanity's connection to truth, faith, and freedom. Here's how to stand firm in faith amidst a growing digital onslaught.

The Cost of Grace: Persecution as Part of the Christian Faith Although not often preached today, suffering and persecution are intrinsic to Christian discipleship. Jesus Himself foretold suffering for His followers, early Church Fathers, like Tertullian, viewed suffering as a badge of honor and a means of testifying to the truth of Christianity, and suffering through persecution provides every Christian a means to prove and strengthen his or her faith. Martyrdom is not mere endurance; it is participation in the redemptive work of Christ.

From Family Values to Family Crisis: The Hidden War Against Families The last two decades have seen an assault against traditional values and traditional structures of society more than ever before. Trans-activists are leveraging politicians to separate children from parents. Elementary schools push soft porn books in schools. And people are having fewer babies while tech promises to outsource pregnancy. In this talk, taken from the Come Reaon Dare to Defend Conference, Lenny presents a Christian understanding of why the family is under fire, the hidden threats that lie ahead, and what we need to do about it.

Are Atheists Losing Faith in Atheism? The Surprising Return of God In an age of scientific progress and secularization, many would expect belief in God to decline—but recent trends suggest otherwise. In this video, we explore Justin Brierley's compelling insights from his new book, The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God, and discover why a growing number of atheists and skeptics are beginning to question their disbelief. Join us as we dive into the philosophical, scientific, and cultural shifts sparking new conversations about God's existence.

Richard Dawkins and Why Cultural Christianity Isn't Enough Richard Dawkins is arguably the world's foremost atheist. Yet he like Sam Rubin, Douglas Murray, Tom Holland and others claims to be a cultural Christian. Why would the man who paid for bus advertisements dismissing God want to be identified with Christianity? Dawkins likes the benefits of living in a Christian society. But what Dawkins forgets is for any society to sustain the fruits of Christianity, there needs to be a strong root of true belief in Jesus. Enjoy this riveting discussion with myself, Dr. Harry Edwards and Dr. Jacob Daniel as we discuss the cultural Christian phenomenon.

The Bible is undeniably unique among the books of the world. No other book has sold more copies, been at the forefront of new technologies and been the most challenged, studies, scrutinized, and debated text the world over. Yet, it stands as the preeminent revelation of God's message to his people. In this podcast, we look at what inspiration means and see the power of God's word to change lives as well as how it withstands all attacks.

Virtuous Leaders and Why They Matter Leadership. It's lauded as essential to managing a group, but what effect do leaders really have? The question of leadership has increased in relevance these days as it seems that no matter on what side of the political aisle one resides, good leaders are becoming more and more rare. In this study of Jeremiah Chapters 34 and 35, Lenny explores the concept by looking at a stark contrast in leadership between the bad and the good. You can find opens all kinds of parallels to issues we face today and our text even helps us understand how faithful Christians can navigate today's ignoble politics where perhaps no good leaders may be found.

Bethel Church and the New Apostolic Reformation: Christian or Cult? Many people have been attracted to Bethel Church and the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement. However, the movement's emphasis on modern-day apostles and prophets shows dangerous signs of being more about power and control than creating a church faithful to Jesus's teachings. Here I engage in a roundtable discussion with Anthony Costello, Dr, Douglas Geivett, and Holly Pivec, exposing NAR as something more counterfeit than Christian.

Why the Virgin Birth Matters: The Rhyne Putman Interview Ever since the earliest days of the church, the idea that Jesus was born of a virgin became crucial to understand certain aspects of Christianity. It was included in the church creeds and has dramatic implications to how we understand who Jesus is and all he come to accomplish as savior. In this interview, Dr. Rhyne Putman joins me to explore many of the meanings and objections he covers in his new book.

Calvinism, Arminianism, and God's Middle Knowledge Salvation. How do we understand it? Within the church there are two primary views that Christians hold: God has predestined us to be saved but we also have liberty—we may choose to either follow or deny him. On this podcast, we're going to explore something that is a third choice, something called middle knowledge or Molinism. Join us as we explore aspects of each of these positions with Dr. Kenneth Keathley.

Is God Evil in the Old Testament? Atheist Richard Dawkins famously wrote “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction” and charged him with being a genocidal ethnic cleanser. Other atheists have also specifically criticized the biblical story of the conquering of Canaan by the Israelites because God ordered them to wipe out all who live there—sometimes even including the livestock. How should Christians understand the slaughter of the Canaanites and the orders God gave to the Israelites? There's actually more than meets the eye here as we explore why a good God would give such a command.

Should Christians Seek to Shape Culture? What should be the role of the church in shaping the broader culture of our society? Today's secular culture seems to be running further and further away from its Christian roots. But does that mean we no longer have a responsibility to it? Are Christians to withdraw from the world or do we bear a responsibility to try and move culture toward a more moral and Godly direction? For today's podcast, I'm behind the radio mike, joining the Apologetics.com team of Dr. Harry Edwards and Dr. Jacob Daniel to discuss just what we mean by culture and identify what duties the church has in bringing culture more in line with our biblical values.

Faith and Science: Where the Conflict Really Lies Faith and science. These two topics have been seemingly at loggerheads formany years. But don't believe everything you hear. Can people of faith embrace some of the most modern scientific discoveries of today? We're going to be exploring the ideas of faith and science and how these two disciplines are not at loggerheads, but actually work together to give us a clearer picture of the world.

Conservative Politics and the Danger of Secularism What is a cultural Christian? Those who have traditionally been opposed to Christian beliefs, people Like Richard Dawkins, James Lindsay, and others are publicly siding with Evangelicals for conservative causes associated previously with church-goers. They don't believe, but identify as "cultural Christians." What are we to make of all of this? Is it a good thing or something we need to be wary of? Learn about the new rise of secular conservatism on this podcast.

Christianity Vs. Christian Nationalism and the Woke Right Today's culture has really shifted as more people are disconnected from faith. Proponents of what we may term "traditional values" are on the rise even though they don't ground such values in any transcendent ethic. Others, claiming to be Christians place their political battles on par with their religious beliefs and some have adopted the tactics that those on the left have used such as cancel culture against their opponents. How can we as Christians understand what it means to be virtuous in a society that no longer holds virtue as a value?

Why Are Churches Blessing Same Sex Couples While Denying Same Sex Marriage? There's an alarming trend beginning to emerge in churches today across Christendom. Conservative Catholic, Orthodox and even Evangelical churches have taken to offer blessings to same-sex couples while still trying to hold that same-sex unions are against the teachings of scripture. Should "pastoral care" trump the clear teaching of scripture on what we understand as an immoral lifestyle? And how do we as evangelicals elevate doctrine to its proper position while still “loving the sinner and hating the sin”? We tackle this difficult topic in this round-table discussion.

One Nation Under God: How America's Christian Heritage Shaped Our Country We've heard the phrase “American Exceptionalism.” Just what is it that makes America different? In a word, it's Christianity. Because Christianity so changed and infused the culture, Christian ideas provided the foundation of the American experiment. Indeed, America could not have existed without it and those Christian principles are necessary to maintain the nation as the founders envisioned.

How We Became a Crotch-Driven Culture Pride month, transgender ideology, throuples, onlyFans, sexual self-expression, InCels, and abortion. It seems that almost all the issues that capture the attention and the headlines today center around the pelvis. How is it that the center of our culture revolves around the vulgar and the crass? How did civilization lose its way? In this podcast, Dr. Harry Edwards and I discuss why in the 20th century culture turned from elevating the human condition to a more self-centered and feelings-based drive of the individual and how that led to our sex-saturated society.

Understanding In-vitro Fertilization As A Christian Reproduction, in vitro fertilization, and all of the questions that go along with it have been making the headlines recently. Did the Southern Baptists really oppose IVF treatments for infertile couples? How can pro-life people be against bringing more babies into the world? Just what issues are there with IVF and other reproduction-assisting procedures? Are there dangers to the parents? Listen in as Lenny explores all those questions and more.

Pope Francis vs Augustine: Are People "Fundamentally Good"? In a recent 60 Minutes television interview, Pope Francis made the claim that people are "fundamentally good in heart." Such a statement by the head of the Roman Catholic church seems to directly contradict Catholic theology, going all the way back to Saint Augustine! Is the pope renouncing the doctrine of original sin? What about human nature and human depravity? Is the pope even Catholic? In this podcast, I'm joined by Reasons to Believe scholar Ken Samples as we contrast Catholic and Protestant theology and help unravel Francis's cryptic comments.

What's the Big Deal About The Trinity, Anyway? The Trinity. It forms the center of Christian doctrine, yet most Christians today either don't understand it or ignore it as something not important. But if God wasn't a triune being, our salvation would be impossible. How can we make the Trinity more comprehensible? In this episode I interview Dr. Fred Sanders of Biola University, an expert on the Trinity, as we explore the deep things of God.

Leveraging Culture for Christianity It's no secret we're no longer living in a Christian culture when we see all of the various ways that church has been displaced in our society. How can we share our faith with people who simply aren't interested in religion anymore? By leveraging the desires and the thoughts that people do have to show them that Christianity actually is the answer that they're searching for.

What Does Athens Have to Do With Jerusalem? That question was first famously asked by the church father Tertullian when he was contemplating the relationship between Greek philosophy and church theology. Today, many people wonder the same thing. Do we need all that egghead scholasticism or can't we just love Jesus? Yet, for most of Christian history the pastors *were* the professors! It is only recently that some mistakenly separate belief from intellectual scholarship. Listen in to learn just how much Christian scholarship can contribute to the church and why we need both to love God with all our minds as well as our hearts.

J. Warner Wallace: The Inside Scoop on True Crime Can a homicide detective who dealt with murderers and death really uncover important truths about how to live? In this fascinating interview, Lenny speaks with Det. J. Warner Wallace about his career as a cold-case detective and his new book The Truth in True Crime. In it, Wallace shares the fifteen most important principles to improve your life, strengthen your faith, and make you a better human being.