Muslims want to know...

How can you find a local expression of the church with which to join? What kind of questions need to be answered before joining? What is a denomination? Are they good or bad for Christianity? Tune in to find out on our final episode of Muslims Want to Know!

If you were to start studying the Bible today, where would you begin? What might you need to know before opening your Bible to page 1? Is the Bible easy to understand? Do you need countless commentaries to decipher the story of the Bible? Does everything need to be taken literally? Tune in to find out the answers to these questions (and more)!

Are there many ways to get to God? Why is the god at the end of many paths not a good god after all? What separates Christianity from other world religions when it comes to our core beliefs about God, man, sin, and salvation? Is Jesus too exclusive? Why or why not? Tune in to find out!

There is a lot of confusion as to whether Christians truly follow Jesus or whether they follow Paul. In this episode I try to explain that Christians do indeed follow Jesus. But we all must understand who Paul was, his apostolic authority, what it meant to the early church and what it means to us today. Join me today in the first episode of season 4!

Here is the conclusion of our Advent/Christmas series! What does Christmas mean to us? How is Christmas good news in the dark cold of winter? Why is it we celebrate the manger and the cross at Christmas? Tune in to our final podcast of 2022 to find out!

What is Christmas? How does Advent relate to Christmas? What is one of the most famous song sung on Christmas Eve, and how does that song relate to the first Christmas Eve/Day? Tune in to find out!

What happened next in the story of Lord Jesus' birth? What happened at the naming ceremony of John the Baptist? Why was it such an important moment in the events leading up to Lord Jesus' birth? What is Zechariah's special blessing that can be found in the story and what does it mean for us today? How is John the Baptist a type of the Church to come? Tune in to find out!

What happened next in the story of Lord Jesus' birth? Why is it important to realize that the Holy Spirit begins prophetically speaking to the people through the people once again? Who was the 1st person to speak after being filled with the Holy Spirit? What is Mary's "Magnificat" and what significance does it have for us today? How is the Triune God involved in our story today? Tune in to find out!

What happened next in the events leading to Lord Jesus' birth? Why was Zechariah punished for asking a question, but Mary was not? Why is Mary a model of faith for us all? Tune in to find out!

Advent Devotional #1: What are the events leading up to the birth of Lord Jesus? Who is John the Baptist? Why is it that we first look to his birth and ministry in Advent to understand more about Lord Jesus? Tune in to find out!

What does the season of Advent mean to the Church? What are some of the Advent traditions of the Church? What is Advent preparing us for? When is Advent? Tune in to find out the answers to these questions and more!

What are the unique beliefs Christians have in regard to hell? Is hell a place that can be located, or something else? Who resides in hell? What is the line of demarcation for those who will enjoy eternal life verse those who are condemned to eternal condemnation? Why is it important to understand humans are not the judge of who goes where? Tune in to find out!

Many faiths have core beliefs about what happens to us after we die- how about Christianity? What are the core beliefs about heaven? Can heaven be physically located, or is heaven something else altogether? Is heaven our final destination? Tune in to find out!

What are the unique aspects of Christianity's beliefs surrounding salvation? Is salvation too exclusive? Why is it so important to humanity to understand the uniqueness of salvation through the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Lord Jesus? Tune in to find out!

In his book, “Orthodoxy,” author GK Chesterton said “Certain new theologians dispute original sin, which is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved.” This brings up an interesting point: what is it about the Christian beliefs surrounding sin that have led many to place their faith in Lord Jesus? Why and how does Christianity explain both the brokenness of this world, and the means to fix it? Why is this a unique doctrine among Christians? Tune in to find out!

The Psalmist writes, "what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him?" Psalms 8:4 (CSB) What an excellent question! After all, what makes humanity so special? Why did God create us knowing we would fall? Why are we a special part of creation? What does it mean to be created in "His image?" Tune in to find out!

What do Christians believe about God? Who is God? What is He like? How do we relate to Him? Tune in to find out!

What are the "signposts" of Lord Jesus' return? What does His return have to do with the "Day of the Lord?" How are we to live in the tumultuous times leading up to His return? Tune in to find out!

Many people today are raising the alarm that we are living in the end times. Is this true? If so, what are some of the "signs of the times" we should be looking for? What does Lord Jesus have to say about this time and how are we supposed to live our lives if the "end is near?" Tune in to find out!

Muslims all over the world have visions and dreams of a "man in white who shines like light" Who is this person? Is he a prophet? An Angel? Who is one of the most famous converts who encountered this "man in white?" Tune in to find out!

Have you ever wondered if Lord Jesus can answer your prayers? Why is understanding who we pray to as important as understanding how to pray? What is the history of prayer as it relates to the Jewish people? Who did Lord Jesus pray to in the gospels? What are we really praying for? Tune in to find out!

Muslims pray 5 times a day. Are there any requirements like this for Christians? Do Christians recite prayers? If so where are those prayers found? How does Lord Jesus teach us to pray? Tune in to find out!

If Pentecost was the moment God the Holy Spirit wrote the law on believers' hearts, is it necessary for Christians to follow any laws in the Bible? If so, what are those laws? Tune in to find out!

Now that we just looked at whether Christians have seasons of feasting and fasting, it's time to answer the question "What is Pentecost?" What happened at the event of Pentecost and what does it mean for Christianity today? What does the event have to do with the Trinity? Tune in to find out!

Muslims just finished Ramadan, this brings up an interesting question for Christians- do Christians have seasons of fasting and feasting? Is there a religious calendar for Christians? Tune in to find out!

Are all Christians truly Christians? Are there people who represent Christianity who are not sincere in their faith? How can we know? Tune in to find out!

Muslims and Christians both believe in Satan. But their beliefs about his history, his involvement with creation, and continued involvement in the world are different. What do Christians believe about Satan? How is this good news for us today? Tune in to find out.

If an engineer wouldn't build a bridge or design a system that would fail, why would God create a world that would fall? That was the question Muhammad had for me this week. It's a great question! After all, if God is all knowing, all powerful, and is wholly good, how could sin be allowed to enter creation? Tune in to find out!

What happened between the institutions of religion and the state on Holy Saturday? How did they- along with Lord Jesus' disciples- wrestle with the miracle of the resurrection? What does this mean for all of us today? Tune in to find out in this special holiday episode of Muslims want to know!

If there are no eternal consequences for Christians who continue sinning, can the Christian God truly be called "just?" Why is sincerity of faith so important in Christianity to understand God's justice? Does God favor those who practice "religion" or whose hearts are oriented to him? Tune in to find out!

Does forgiveness of sins mean Christians have no consequences for them? Are they given a “get out of jail free card?” Is there assurance of forgiveness and salvation for Christians who continue to sin? Does the answer to these questions give us hope or fear? Tune in to find out!

Ever wonder why singing as a community is so important to Christians? What Biblical evidence is there that God accepts such worship? What have been the traditional guides for the composition of such music? Also, have you ever wanted to know the full 2000 year history of congregational singing in the church? Tune in to find out!

Both the Quran and the Bible forbid idolatry, and yet shows like "The Chosen" or YouTube series like the "Bible Project" are allowed to depict Lord Jesus. Why is it that Christians are allowed to depict Lord Jesus, the prophets, and Biblical stories? What is the difference between an icon and an idol? How does this tie into church history? Is there a difference in what a person might see in a Catholic Church vs a Protestant Church and why is that? Tune in to find out!

What is the deeper meaning of Christmas? Why do we celebrate it on December 25th? What hope can the story of Christmas bring us during these anxious times? Tune in to this special Christmas Eve episode to find out!

Have you ever wondered about the history and meaning of the Christmas tree? Did the time honored tradition come out of ancient peoples before Christianity? What do Christmas Trees have to do with the story of Christmas? Tune in to find out! Reference articles are below: https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/trees.shtml https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia https://www.worldvision.org/christian-faith-news-stories/origins-decorating-christmas-tree https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/st-boniface-and-the-christmas-tree https://www.britannica.com/plant/Christmas-tree https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/f031_Tree.htm https://time.com/5736523/history-of-christmas-trees/

What will happen after Lord Jesus returns? Why is the uniting of the Kingdom of Heaven and earth such good news for humanity? What does it mean when the Bible teaches that "old heavens and earth will pass away" while a "new heavens and earth are ushered in? Why does God want to dwell with His people? Tune in to find out!

What will happen when Lord Jesus returns? What does it mean for us in the meantime? How can we interpret the book of Revelation in a way that makes sense? Tune in to find out!

What happens after the resurrection and ascension of Lord Jesus? How does a small band of followers grow to a worldwide family of believers? Tune in as we explore the next section of the Nicene Creed and as we cover the entirety of the rest of the New Testament! All in less than 30 minutes! **One Update: I accidentally left out Jude in my list of New Testament authors in the original recording: I have updated the audio since realizing the mistake, but it might take up to 24 hours to reflect that change! Thanks for listening!**

What does the Nicene Creed have to say about the resurrection and ascension of Lord Jesus? Where do these events fall in the overall story of the Bible? What does the resurrection and ascension of Lord Jesus mean for humanity and what hope do they bring us? Tune in to find out!

We've already learned that Lord Jesus was the long awaited coming King- but did you know that he was to be a suffering servant as well? Why is his role as a suffering servant such good news for humanity? How is his death associated with sacrifices? Why did he have to shed his blood for humanity? Tune in on this week's episode to find out!

What were the specific prophecies concerning the blessed offspring of Abraham? What did they have to do with King David? How do they all tie together in the birth of Lord Jesus? Tune in to find out!

What does the Nicene Creed say about the prophets? How does this relate to the story of the Bible? Tune in to find out as we explore the message of the prophets and trace that message throughout the entire Old Testament. Yes that's right, in this episode I cover the Old Testament of the Bible in less than 30 minutes!

Why is there so much suffering in this world? What is the cause of it? How does understanding the early stories of the Bible help us make sense of all of this? Tune in as we look at the Nicene Creed and the Biblical account of what is called "The Fall" in order to continue our conversation on: "What is the Story of the Bible?"

What is the overall story of the Bible? That is a question that is on the hearts and minds of many Muslims. Over the next several podcasts we will be using the Nicene Creed and stories from the Bible to lay out the full narrative of the Bible. For today, join me today as we discuss the act of creation! How was everything created? Who created it? How was man uniquely created in the image of God? Tune in to find out!

Do Christians have a codified statement for entry into the faith like Islam does? What is the Nicene Creed? Why is this creed so significant? What light does the Nicene Creed shed on the roles and relationships of the Trinity? What does it have to do with life in the Church today? Tune in to find out!

This is a follow up to the last episode "How do you become a part of God's family?" Have you ever wondered about what daily life as a member of God's family looks like? How did the early Church model daily life for Christians today? What is the difference between The Church and the local church? Tune in to find out these answers and more!

This episode was going to be titled "What is the Church?" but at our recent soccer camp at the SAFC, one of the kids attending the camp asked "How do you become a part of God's family?" This was such a great question I decided to use it instead! Does membership in God's family require some kind of official admission? What unifies the Church? How does grace play a role in the daily lives of members of God's family? Is the Church just an institution or something more? Tune in to find out!

What is the Christian holiday of Pentecost? How is this holiday related to the Jewish holiday of Shavuot? Why does this holiday signify the beginning of the Church and the movement of Christianity? Tune in to find out!

What do Christians mean when they say "Lord Jesus ascended into heaven?" Did he go up into space, or some physcial location? What does this event mean for the church and how does the ascension prepare us for what is about to happen at Pentecost? Tune in to find out!

How does the gospel of John end? Did Lord Jesus continue to appear to His disciples? Was Peter restored by Lord Jesus after denying that he knew Him? What does the restoration of Peter have to do with forgiveness and vocation? Tune in to find out the answers to theses questions!

Does the story of the Bible end after the resurrection of Lord Jesus, or is there more to the story? What is the nature of Lord Jesus' resurrected body? Can faith and reason coincide in the face of the miraculous? Tune in to find out!