The Bible Nerd Podcast

A brand new podcast, a brand new book, and a little announcement about the future. These are exciting times! I love and appreciate you ALL.

What is the CORRECT way to engage in discussions about our Christian convictions? Which apologetic methodology is true? Did Matt Walsh bomb his interview with Joe? All that and more this week!

One of the biggest problems in the church today is leaders and scholars who think the DETAILS of a passage can be divorced from the POINT of the passage. In this episode, we discuss this trend and see if there's any truth to it. 

This is God's world, and yet, many Christians are intimidated by science (the study of the natural world). But there are PLENTY of reasons not to be intimidated by it, and instead, EMBRACE it as Christians! 

I met God when I was 4 years old. This has often caused me to resent not having a radical experience of changing from an extraordinarily sinful lifestyle to a lifestyle of obedience to God's will. In this episode, I confront that resentment and offer 34 reasons to be thankful if you met God early and to pray for your children (and others) to do the same.

It's common in biblical scholarship today to suggest that the biblical writers held the view that the earth is flat, there was a solid dome above the earth, etc. Is this true? What's the basis for this claim?

As Christians committed to sharing our ideas in the public square, inevitably we will encounter difficult scenarios. Perhaps someone has offered a challenge to your convictions that you have never considered before, and this challenge begins to cause you spiritual and emotional anxiety. Today I'd like to consider just five of the possible reasons why you–yes you!–can't defend your faith or answer tough objections, and then leave you with some practical advice to get started.Links: https://www.steveschramm.com/objections-to-christianity/ https://www.steveschramm.com/seed-soil-soul/

Quick update!

Do you have trouble with emotional connection and/or practical application in your Christian life? May I ask suggest you try out "saved" mode? Learn all about it in this episode!!

In this edition of the podcast, we're continuing our series in Dr. Kurt Wise's "Faith, Form, and Time" book. We talk about the floating forest theory and how it explains things in a creationist framework that only evolution seemed to explain just a short time ago.Dr. Wise lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_LmhhL18U4

Welcome to episode 200!!!!! I can't believe I've been doing this podcast for nearly 5 years now

In a recent conversation, it became clear to me that most people's idea of the creationist enterprise has not aged well in the last couple of decades. Many still believe creationism just is "anti-evolutionism," when in reality, that's not the case at all. This week we talk about the difference and try to help folks understand why modern creationists are just trying to be good scientists.

Many Christians misunderstand faith. While it seems like a simple concept, you might be surprised to discover that you have a view of faith different from the biblical writers. Check out this episode to learn more!]Mentioned: https://www.steveschramm.com/facts-faith-feelings/

Jonah is not a fish story---it's my story, and yours. Here's a take on the book of Jonah you've probably never heard that should really get you thinking. 

Hey friends, in this episode, I'm sharing a message with you that I recently preached at church on the subject of what happens when a Christian sins. I pray it helps you!

In this episode, I want to talk to you about the fine boundary between transcendence (biblical) thinking and continuity (mythical) thinking. How can we simultaneously affirm the ancient Near Eastern situation of the biblical writers, while not caving to mythical nonsense? I think this is the way. 

How do you make a biblically based decision, confident that God will bless it and work it out for good? In this episode we discuss my thoughts from the book Decision Making and the WIll of God. 

Could genetic mutation, natural selection, and even animal carnivory be a GRACE from God? It might seem strange, but I think the biblical answer is yes. Take a listen to this episode continuing our series on Dr. Kurt Wise's Faith, Form, and Time.

In this episode, we summarize much of the biological information we've been talking about in this series. As it turns out, creation theories of biology have quite a bit of explanatory power over and against the theory of evolution.

In general, I am a fan of making modest claims. That is, the less I have to commit myself to in defense of a position, the better!Not only does this give me an advantage in the conversation because I don't have to work hard defending things I'm either not sure about or would rather not muddy with dialogue with, but it also forces my interlocutor to think more carefully. It gives me control.However, this is a luxury that is hard to come by with respect to whether or not Christianity is ultimately true.The kicker is, I believe that's actually a very good thing. Here's why.Christianity Deals in RealityThere is a popular book by Dr. Michael Heiser that has been circulating for a few years now called The Unseen Realm. It's a great book, but that's beside my point. The original working title of the book was, The Myth That is True. As I've contended in a book of my own, Christianity is a Story; not any story, but the Story of all stories. Other writers have traded on this idea as well, such as Greg Koukl and C.S. Lewis. But this particular Story is one that is grounded in reality. It's the real deal.This has some important implications that we'll discuss below.If we're not careful, we'll use unfortunate language when sharing our Story that casts doubt on it from the get-go. We live in a culture that does not understand “Christianese,” so when we share with others, we'd be well advised not to “market” it as though it were a fairytale. For example, when we talk about the resurrection of Christ, we need to learn how to articulate this as though it were a real, historical event, because it was! As I've written elsewhere, I do not advocate for a “setting aside” of the Bible in these discussions—however, neither do I advocate for a “setting aside” of the important scholarship that has been done to demonstrate this is a real event that happened in human history. Christianity Offers Real HopeI won't pretend to know any statistics, but history and my own experience tell me that, while many do come to believe in Christ through an evaluation of the evidence and a desire to know the truth, most come by way of a broken heart or a broken life. Christianity flourishes through times of persecution and brokenness.Why is this? Why is that Christianity can take a life and turn it around, often during a time of great suffering and pain?This is because of what Christianity—grounded in reality—offers. It offers real hope to the helpless, hopeless, and brokenhearted. Through his resurrection, Christ demonstrated that he alone has victory over death, hell, and the grave. He has overcome, and promised that anyone who would believe in him and trust in his finished work to save them, could have eternal life.Fortunately, we not only have the promise of eternal life then, but of abundant life now. Only Christ offers this because only Christ can offer this. Christianity is TestableFinally, because this Story is grounded in reality, we can test it! We can know it's true! The reason this matters is precisely because our backward, relativistic culture would have you believe Christianity is just one of many legitimate options. It has good maxims and virtues to teach like any other religious system of thought (so the thinking goes), so it might be good for you to be a Christian, but there's no reason for them to be one too. The problem with that thinking is that it divorces Christianity from reality, which is to say, it assumes Christianity is false. Christianity is exclusivist. Jesus said, “I am the way…no man comes…except through me.” So for the hope, virtues, and maxims that Christianity offers to be meaningful, it must be true, which means every other worldview must be false. This is why it matters that Christianity makes strong claims. (By the way, the Apostle Paul thought the same thing! See 1 Corinthians 15:17.)In what ways is Christianity testable? Many, but two come to mind as the most important: History, and prophecy. In fact, we see these emphasized in 2 Peter 1: 16-21. History is the domain of eyewitness verification, and what they recorded about what they saw. Our acceptance of Christ's historicity comes backed with lots of this eyewitness evidence; much more than would ever be expected of a first-century carpenter. We have at least four independent sources found in the gospel traditions themselves, and around 17 extrabiblical sources that confirm various aspects of his life and work. But we also have “a more sure word of prophecy”—that is, history recorded in advance.Christ's arrival in history is not an isolated event. In fact, he was “slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8), and many details of his life and work were written hundreds of years before his arrival. One prophecy concerning his death, found in Psalm 22, was written around 1,000 years before his birth, and even before the means of his death—crucifixion—was invented. So when we argue for the truth of Christianity, we make strong claims. We make claims to exclusivity. We make claims about historical events. We make claims about biblical consistency. We make claims that history has been recorded in advance.But these claims are a good thing. They underscore the fact that Christianity is grounded in reality. And that means our faith is meaningful.—Prefer to listen to this post? Listen below:The post Christianity makes strong claims! And that's a good thing. appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

Biology is a major battlefield in the creation/evolution debate. In this episode, we'll talk through the expectations of creation vs evolution as it relates to the field of biology. Enjoy the show!

One of the core distinctives of Young Age Creationism is that biological dissimilarity (or, discontinuity) is expected, over and against the evolutionary expectation of continuous similarity. In this episode, we discuss that difference as well as the tool used by creationists to help classify organisms.Links: Episode 49: Can We Ever Find the Biblical Kinds? Carl Linneaus

How can a young age creationist make a scientific case for the God of the Bible as the creator of the universe? In this episode, we explore Dr. Wise's compelling evidence from science for our amazing Creator!

This week continues our study in the book, Faith, Form, and Time by Dr. Kurt Wise. What does a well-considered creationist chronology look like? This is a detail-packed episode that lays it out for you!

How should we understand the relationship between science and the Bible? That's our topic of discussion for this week as we continue in our series, Faith, Form, and Time by Dr. Kurt Wise. 

In creation, God seems to give us just enough information to come to him, but not enough to force us. How does this truth inform our understanding of and relationship to creation? That's our topic in this episode!

OK - what's the deal with heaven? Can we address the elephant in the room? Heaven -- at least in the way most people think about it -- sounds kinda boring. Fortunately, the biblical teaching about heaven paints a different picture, which Emily and I discuss in this episode. 

Oh man, I am SO excited to cover one of my favorite books, Faith, Form, and Time by Dr. Kurt Wise! In this episode, I introduce the series, and talk about why I chose this book and author. The book is a fantastic introduction to the scientific ideas behind young age creationism. Enjoy!

Having been saved at a very young age, it was DEFINITELY a shock to find there were considerable objections to the Christian faith. Did that happen to you? A friend or loved one? In this episode, I talk about some practical strategies to help you deal with that situation. Happy Easter! He is Risen!

Christians hold "life" as of uttermost importance, because God does! However, I am concerned that far too many Christians have not taken hold of the abundant life that Jesus and other NT writers mention often. How can we, as Bible nerds, take hold of the abundant Christian life in our practical, every day experience?

Description: The Bible sometimes warns us about the dangers of philosophy. But what does the Bible actually mean by philosophy? In this episode, we discuss what the Bible means when it tells us to avoid philosophy, and why philosophy truly is a biblical discipline.

Did you know that many of your current ideas are influenced by information you already had? In marketing, there is a phenomenon known as "pre-framing" that can be very negatively influential when we are doing Bible study. In this episode, we'll talk all about it and give you three practical tips for how to overcome this problem.

In a recent conversation, it became clear to me that most people's idea of the creationist enterprise has not aged well in the last couple of decades. Many still believe creationism just is "anti-evolutionism," when in reality, that's not the case at all. This week we talk about the difference and try to help folks understand why modern creationists are just trying to be good scientists.

Based on a listener question, I thought I would take the time to clarify an issue on which I have changed my view over the past few years. It's a controversial one! Who were the Sons of God in Genesis 6?! In this episode, I discuss what I used to believe, what I NOW believe, and why it's important to admit when you're wrong.

It's SO very important, if we're doing to have meaningful dialogue with anyone, that we learn the careful art of making distinctions and listening well before responding. Why does it matter, and how can we practically do it? That's the subject of this week's episode!

Throughout the "What's with the Age of the Earth" series, we've mostly discussed why I take the young age creationist position. But a philosophically astute listener (and friend of mine!) asked me how I would argue for old age creationism, and I thought I would take him up on the chance to publicly answer that. So, if I were going to make a case for old age creationism, here's how I'd do it. 

“Let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.” – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn These days, it's harder than ever to get to the bottom of the truth. Unfortunately, relativism is alive and well. And sometimes, it's downright painful and even deadly to accept the truth. […]

What would it mean for the world of science if, in fact, the young age creationist hermeneutic is true? That's the question Dr. William Lane Craig ponders in his new book. In this episode, we discuss the comments of a creationist earth scientist, Paul Garner in relation to Dr. Craig's question.

In this final episode of our current series on creation, we take a deeper look at what scientific evidence Christians can appeal to that shows consistency with the biblical data. This one is pretty interesting (and a little) technical, so buckle up!

As we continue our series on creation, we begin looking at the "M" in our "A.D.A.M." framework, talking about the many scientific evidences available to creationists. Before diving in, we first look at the philosophy of science and why I believe creationists deserve a seat at the table.

You might be surprised to learn that your view of creation has implications for even the death and resurrection of Jesus. In this episode, we continue the "What's with the Age of the Earth" series and discuss why a physically resurrected Savior depends upon a physically existent Adam.

One of the BIGGEST questions surrounding the "age of the earth" issue relates to whether or not God would have created a world in which death, disease, suffering, and bloodshed exist. In this episode, we will tackle this issue clearly and biblically and attempt to gain a better understanding of the implications.Mentioned: Bill Barrick YouTube Series

In this episode, we are beginning to dive deep into the question of why creationists are so passionate about...well, creation! The accuracy of the biblical account could be at stake, and that is no light matter. Join me and Emily as we discuss this important issue!

Is it ALWAYS clear what is wrong or right for a Christian? There really do seem to be gray areas... how do we navigate those in a way that is honoring to the Lord and consistent with biblical teaching? Let's talk about it!Decision Making Book

Did you know that thinking scientifically in terms of long ages and deep time is actually a construct developed only within the last few hundred years? Prior to then, almost everyone accepted the biblical account of earth history as fact! Here's why that's important.

In this episode, Emily and I discuss the age of the earth. This is part 1 of what will be a multi-part series discussing the age of the earth. What are the different views and the differences between them? That's what we cover in this episode!Links mentioned: https://www.steveschramm.com/gap-theory/

In this episode, Emily and I tackle the BIGGEST question of all: Why ANYTHING?! Why this HUGE universe, and little bitty "us"? How DID God create? Is the universe young or old, and why? We discuss all of these questions and more!

OK - what's the deal with heaven? Can we address the elephant in the room? Heaven -- at least in the way most people think about it -- sounds kinda boring. Fortunately, the biblical teaching about heaven paints a different picture, which Emily and I discuss in this episode. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

This episode is a Wednesday night sermon taught during our "God Is" series. In this message, we look at the concept of mercy, which often has "middle child syndrome" between the grace and judgment of God.

In our pluralistic society, it's easy to get sucked into the idea that all religions can "coexist" with one another, in the sense they can all be true (or at least carry some significant measure of truth value). In this episode, we talk about how Emily struggled with this throughout her time in college and how Christians can respond to this claim.