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In a world indifferent or even opposed to Christian truth, followers of Christ must be better equipped to communicate the timeless of the Christian faith. But how do you have a conversation with someone who is intent on proving you wrong and won't accept the Bible as a source of authority?In Tactics, Gregory Koukl demonstrates how to artfully regain control of conversations, keeping them moving forward in constructive ways through thoughtful diplomacy. You'll learn how to maneuver comfortably and graciously through the minefields of a challenging discussion, how to stop challengers in their tracks, and how to turn the tables on question or provocative statement. Most importantly, you'll learn how to get people thinking about Jesus.Drawing on extensive experience defending Christianity in the public square, Koukl shows you how to:Initiate conversations effortlesslyPresent the truth clearly, cleverly, and persuasivelyGraciously and effectively expose faulty thinkingSkillfully manage the details of dialogueMaintain an engaging, disarming style even under attackTactics provides the game plan for communicating the compelling truth about Christianity with confidence and grace.
In a world indifferent or even opposed to Christian truth, followers of Christ must be better equipped to communicate the timeless of the Christian faith. But how do you have a conversation with someone who is intent on proving you wrong and won't accept the Bible as a source of authority?In Tactics, Gregory Koukl demonstrates how to artfully regain control of conversations, keeping them moving forward in constructive ways through thoughtful diplomacy. You'll learn how to maneuver comfortably and graciously through the minefields of a challenging discussion, how to stop challengers in their tracks, and how to turn the tables on question or provocative statement. Most importantly, you'll learn how to get people thinking about Jesus.Drawing on extensive experience defending Christianity in the public square, Koukl shows you how to:Initiate conversations effortlesslyPresent the truth clearly, cleverly, and persuasivelyGraciously and effectively expose faulty thinkingSkillfully manage the details of dialogueMaintain an engaging, disarming style even under attackTactics provides the game plan for communicating the compelling truth about Christianity with confidence and grace.
Stand to Reason, By Greg Koukl, on August 1, 2024https://www.str.org/w/it-s-time-to-forget-faith-In this discussion, Greg Koukl proposes a redefinition of "faith" to better align with rational and evidence-based thinking. Koukl suggests that faith should be understood as "confident convictions based on good reasons" rather than as mere belief without evidence. His goal is to reshape the perception of faith, framing it as a position supported by logical and rational foundations. This redefinition aims to counter the common criticism that faith is irrational or unsupported by evidence.The panel's reactions to Koukl's argument reflect a range of perspectives. Damian criticizes Koukl's approach by arguing that renaming faith does not address the underlying issue of evidence. He suggests that believers often shift the conversation away from substantial evidence to unrelated topics, such as evolutionary theory or cosmology, to avoid engaging with the core issue of evidence supporting their beliefs.Aaron adds to the critique by questioning Koukl's "three pillars" of active trust: reliable evidence, reliable witnesses, and convincing proofs. He argues that historical evidence supporting Christianity is often lacking and inconsistent, challenging the adequacy of these pillars in substantiating faith claims. Aaron's position highlights the difficulty of relying on these pillars when the evidence is not robust or comprehensive.AJ also questions the efficacy of Koukl's redefinition. He sees it as a superficial rebranding that does not solve the deeper issue of insufficient evidence. AJ argues that changing the definition of faith does not address the fundamental problems of evidence and reason that believers face. He raises concerns about why believers resist the term "faith" if it truly reflects their belief process and whether the redefinition genuinely addresses the criticisms of faith.The Non-Prophets, Episode 23.37.2 featuring Infidel 64, AJ, Damien H and Aaron JensenBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-non-prophets--3254964/support.
Gregory Koukl, president of Stand to Reason and author of "Street Smarts," talks about how Christ followers can stand firm against the schemes of the devil. They unpack why it's possible to stay in the driver's seat during difficult conversations involving salvation, depending on the Holy Spirit to do the work we as Christ followers cannot do, and how to become smart, nice and tactical. Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: Click here This conversation originally took place on September 11, 2023
Scott and Gage (and guest host JK Jones) are joined by author Greg Koukl, president of Stand to Reason.Check out all the great resources at www.STR.orgStreet Smarts: Using Questions to Answer... by Koukl, Gregory (amazon.com)Logos pre-rollSupport the show
How would you respond if someone presented a challenge to the truth claims of Christianity? Would you be nervous? Feel ill-equipped? What if you could eliminate your anxiety, take control of intimidating conversations, and help others think more clearly about their views and the truth of Scripture? The key to all of this? Asking good questions. That's what Greg Koukl's latest book, Street Smarts, is all about. Greg is back on the podcast to talk about how questions can help answer Christianity's toughest challenges.Koukl has hosted his call-in radio show Stand to Reason for over 30 years, has written many helpful books including Tactics: A Gameplan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions.Street Smarts picks up where Tactics left off, providing model questions and example conversations to effectively discuss your Christian beliefs, even on hot-button issues such as moral relativism, the authenticity of Scripture, the gospel, abortion, marriage, gender, and more.In this discussion we'll talk about:How Greg became involved in apologeticsHow Street Smarts expands on the book TacticsThe difference between harvesting and gardening when it comes to evangelismThe benefits of asking questions in difficult conversationsHow we can be better equipped to engage with others on difficult, controversial issuesYou can find the show notes for this episode at ReasonableTheology.org/StreetSmarts, where I will put links to our previous conversation on Tactics as well as the different resources we mention during our conversation.Get the newsletter at ReasonableTheology.org/Subscribe. The weekly email includes:the latest article or podcast episodea helpful theological definitiona painting depicting a scene from Scripture or church historya musical selection to enrich your daythe best book deal I've found that week to build your library.Support the showGET THE NEWSLETTEREach edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS: A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly A Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church History Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library SUBSCRIBE HERE
In this episode of the Apologetics 315 podcast, hosts Brian Auten and Chad Gross interview renowned apologist Greg Koukl. Koukl is the founder of Stand to Reason, an organization that equips Christians to defend their faith and engage in meaningful conversations.The discussion centers around using questions to have better conversations about Christianity, drawing from Koukl's books Tactics and his latest work Street Smarts. Koukl explains how questions can guide conversations in a more constructive direction and help "put a stone in someone's shoe" to get them thinking about faith topics.Koukl outlines his "gardener approach" to evangelism, focusing more on asking thoughtful questions to plant seeds rather than trying to lead someone to a moment of conversion. He demonstrates this questioning approach through a roleplay conversation about the problem of divine hiddenness. Koukl responds to the objection by asking clarifying questions, correcting underlying assumptions, and presenting evidence for God's existence. This models how to have a relaxed yet thoughtful dialogue.Koukl emphasizes that the key is to gather information through questions, avoid preaching, and lead the person to put pieces on the table themselves. The goal is to get people thinking carefully about their beliefs and objections. Koukl's Tactics provide tools to engage skeptics without being confrontational. Further resources…• Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges - https://a315.co/StreetSmarts• The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between - https://a315.co/3FpqFAl• Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air - https://a315.co/3M4AMyr• Tactics, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions - https://a315.co/46YCclW• Street Smarts Study Guide: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges - https://a315.co/3tMmETZ================================We appreciate your feedback.If you're on TWITTER, you can follow Chad @TBapologetics.You can follow Brian @TheBrianAutenAnd of course, you can follow @Apologetics315If you have a question or comment for the podcast, record it and send it our way using www.speakpipe.com/Apologetics315 or you can email us at podcast@apologetics315.com
There are two Greg's in the studio today - Greg squared! Greg Horn interviews Greg Koukl about his new book, “Street Smarts.” Koukl shows us how to use questions to have meaningful conversations with people about Jesus. He shares with us tips and strategies to move forward with these conversations and make them a safe place to explore unsafe topics. www.STR.org _________________________________________________________________________ Look for HOPE is Here: - at www.HOPEisHere.Today - on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HOPEisHereToday - on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hopeisherelex/ - on X (Twitter) - https://www.x.com/hopeisherelex - on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hopeisherelex - on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtJ47I4w6atOHr7agGpOuvA Help us bring HOPE and encouragement to others: - by texting the word GIVE to 833-713-1591 - by visiting https://www.hopeisheretoday.org/donate #Lexington #Kentucky #christianradio #JesusRadio #Jesus #WJMM #GregHorn #GregJHorn #suicideprevention #KentuckyRadio #HOPEisHere #Hope #HopeinJesus #FoodForThoughtFriday #MondayMotivation #FridayFeeling #Motivation #Inspiration #cupofHope #FYP #ForYouPage #SuicideAwareness
In this interview, Andy talks with Gregory Koukl about his new book, Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges. Gregory Koukl is an author and founder of Stand to Reason, an organization that trains Christians to think more clearly about their faith and to make an even-handed, incisive, yet gracious defense for classical Christianity and classical Christian values in the public square. Sign up for an Optiv Network subscription: https://optivnetwork.substack.com/Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/optivnetworkFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/OptivNetworkEmail us at questions@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)
Gregory Koukl, president of Stand to Reason and author of "Street Smarts," shares how Christians can be effective in the shallow end of the pool, making a difference without taking huge risks. He talks about the difference between a harvest approach versus a gardening approach when it comes to evangelism, describing our Savior as a rescuer, and much more. Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: Click here This conversation originally aired on July 31, 2023
Founder and President of the Christian apologetics ministry, Stand to Reason, Greg Koukl, addressed effectively communicating gospel truth, centered around asking good, thought-provoking questions. He has written a book called, Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges. The ministry website is str.org.
Founder and President of the Christian apologetics ministry, Stand to Reason, Greg Koukl, addressed effectively communicating gospel truth, centered around asking good, thought-provoking questions. He has written a book called, Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges. The ministry website is str.org.
For over 30 years, my friend Greg Koukl has taught Christians how to engage with people across worldview lines by asking questions. His first book Tactics has equipped thousands of Christians to communicate with wisdom and passion. This month, Koukl is releasing a follow-up to that book, entitled Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges. Among the goals of the book is to make evangelism a less intimidating and more successful endeavor: "There are few things that cause more nagging guilt for Christians than sharing their faith. They feel guilt because they don't witness enough. They don't witness enough because they're scared. And they're scared for good reason. Sharing the gospel and defending it—apologetics—often feels like navigating a minefield these days. For most of us, engaging others on spiritual matters does not come easy, especially when people are hostile." Koukl helpfully distinguishes what he calls “harvesting,” and “gardening.” Because God brings the harvest, our goal is simply faithfulness to what is true about the world and about people. According to John's Gospel, some Christians harvest and others sow, so “that sower and reaper may rejoice together.” A singular focus only on “harvesting,” Koukl argues, leads to a number of problems. For example, the very important “gardeners” are encouraged to sit out the evangelism process, in favor of the “harvesters.” This is often the case when Christians fail to understand the power of the cultural forces shaping the worldview of non-believers, one reason our Gospel seeds seem to only bounce off “hard soil.” Christians, therefore, must also commit to “spadework,” or digging up the faulty preconceptions about life, God, and humanity that people hold, often unknowingly. One great way to do this “spadework” is by asking questions. "Ask questions. Lots of them. Your first step in any encounter should be to gather as much information as possible. It's hard to know how to proceed—or even if to proceed—unless you first get the lay of the land. You need intel, and friendly queries get it for you. When you need to buy some time to catch your wits, ask a question. When you face a challenge you're not sure how to deal with, ask a question. When the conversation bogs down and you think it best to move in a new direction, ask a question. Whenever you're in doubt about how to move forward, ask a question." In Street Smarts, Koukl teaches the kinds of questions that are most effective while also providing sample conversations on the most common topics, which is another very important contribution of this book. In addition to answering the misconceptions about faith that people often have—from God's existence to the divinity of Jesus—Street Smarts helps believers engage others on the moral and social issues at the center of our cultural discourse, such as abortion and gender and the many topics related to human sexuality. Koukl provides the questions, the talking points, and the examples that can open up significant conversations, invite skeptics in, and challenge presuppositions. In the process, Christians will develop confidence in what is true. Our job is to jump in. The results are up to God. "You may be serving quietly, in the dark, often not knowing the true extent of your impact—going out in obedience, doing what is right, speaking what is true, laboring faithfully. The course of history is often changed by small things done by ordinary people at opportune times, even though they never realize it. We take what we have—our skills, our gifts, our capabilities, our opportunities—then place everything in the hands of the Savior. … A person may rebel at what you share, but if you're thoughtful in what you say and gracious in how you say it, chances are good you'll give him something to think about." This month, for a gift of any amount to the Colson Center, we will send you a copy of Greg Koukl's book Street Smarts. As Koukl writes, both knowledge and action “breed courage.” His book cultivates both. To receive a copy of Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges, visit colsoncenter.org/September. As Koukl writes, "Now is not the time for fear of any kind. It's not the time to circle the wagons or to pull up the drawbridge. It's the time for ambassadors equipped with knowledge, tactical wisdom, and character to seize the moment as agents of change for the kingdom of heaven when the world needs them most."  For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.
Gregory Koukl, president of Stand to Reason and author of "Street Smarts," talks about how Christ followers can stand firm against the schemes of the devil. They unpack why it's possible to stay in the driver's seat during difficult conversations involving salvation, depending on the Holy Spirit to do the work we as Christ followers cannot do, and how to become smart, nice and tactical. Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: Click here
Support The Becket Cook Show on Patreon! In today's episode, Becket chats with Greg Koukl about his new book, “Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges.” Street Smarts helps Christians better engage in productive conversations with those who challenge their convictions on a variety of issues. A follow-up to Koukl's best-selling Tactics, this book focuses on revealing the fundamental flaws in common, current challenges to Christian beliefs and values. It then provides individual strategies to exploit those shortcomings by offering model questions and sample dialogues to help guide believers in genial, yet persuasive, conversations. Koukl begins by explaining the important difference in evangelism between a harvest approach (reaping) and a gardening approach (sowing). He then provides an overview of the tactical game plan he uses to have fruitful "gardening" conversations with those who are not yet Christians. Subsequent chapters tackle specific areas of challenge that Christians frequently face in discussions "on the street," as it were--in those conversations with friends, family, or critics that believers often avoid because they feel out of their element, vulnerable, or exposed. Street Smarts equips Christians to handle tough challenges in a straightforward and user-friendly way. It provides the practical tools they need to keep them in the driver's seat of otherwise difficult and discomfiting conversations. It enables them to stand up for Christ in a safe, genial, yet effective way. Pre-Order Greg Koukl's Book: https://www.zondervan.com/p/street-smarts/ The Becket Cook Show Ep. 135This Episode of The Becket Cook Show is available on YouTubeJoin the Patreon! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Wednesday, August 2, 2023 In the first hour, our host Kerby Anderson welcomes guest is Gregory Koukl, Founder & President of Stand to Reason and adjunct professor in Christian apologetics at Biola. Greg joins Kerby to share his new book, Street Smarts coming out on September 12th. In the second hour, Kerby gives us a Biblical […]
[See below for the written description of this 2007 program.] * Tragic 2020 Update: Considered a solid Christian leader by many thousands of believers (and in many ways beloved by us here at BEL), the founder and host of Stand to Reason, Greg Koukl has tragically stated, beginning at 9:40 into a podcast, that "some same sex couples are fabulous." Please pray for Greg and for the man who phoned in a question, and for all those Greg is not-so-subtly influencing to become moral relativists. Here's what happened... 9:20 A caller asks whether children are better off in foster care or adopted by same sex parents. 9:56 "Some same sex couples are fabulous. Some same sex couples are deplorable. And actually, the same is true for heterosexual couples." Greg then offers the softest possible objection to one of the fiercest moral dangers of our day, which is homosexuality. (For, "In the public square, biblical Christianity and homosexuality are mutually exclusive. One or the other will be in the closet.") He followed that by repeatedly obfuscating with moral relativist utilitarian distinctions about which parents give the "advantage" and which is "better". Koukl draws false equivalencies between homosexuality and heterosexual singleness, cohabitation, and bad parenting. Regarding same sex parenting, "there are other things [aspects of their parenting] that may be really good... there are a number of factors that are involved here. ... All things being equal I think it is better for heterosexual couples to raise children." 12:24 "A father brings something different to the relationship than a mother does. Period." Koukl puts much more emphasis on practical distinctions than he does on the far greater matter of the utter perversion and rebellion of homosexuality. Greg exhibits more fear about how his audience will view him than he does about the child raised in a dystopian world of normalized homosexuality. "Just to show that I'm not unfairly prejudiced here... I don't believe that single people should adopt." 14:50 "What we want to do is to make decisions based on the ideal." 15:45 "This is why it's hard to make a judgment. Are children in foster care better off [being adopted by] same sex couples or better off staying in foster care. It depends on the individual circumstance. I would rather see a child in a reasonably healthy environment with a same sex couple than in an abusive environment with a heterosexual couple." If that isn't moral relativism, then there is no such thing. 16:13 Constantly equivocating on underlying morality and legitimacy, "The big thing is, what's best for the kid... Heterosexual parents are better than same sex parents, on balance." 17:07 "However if this child had no parent whatsoever and was living in the squalor in the street somewhere..." Talk about situational ethics. Would Greg rather see a child rescued from a volcanic eruption by a human trafficker, than be burned alive? Oh brother. Come on. (Here's an actual example. In our 2007 debate Greg was defending pro-abort Rudi Guiliani, who got 3% of the pimary vote, and Christian listeners applied his arguments to pro-abort Mitt Romney of course, who got 22% of the vote, with pro-abort McCain winning. Regarding Romney, the presidential candidate four years later who regarding an unborn child who might end up being raised by a crack-addicted mother, would be only too happy to support the premptive killing of that baby. Or, for that matter, he supported killing any unborn child for any reason, for Romney is the father of tax-funded late-term abortion on demand.) 18:13 "Heterosexual couples bring something more to the parenting environment than same sex couples bring." 19:05 "You've got to start from the standards and work to the circumstances that you're faced with." Which is exactly the opposite of what Greg had just done in yet another text-book case of moral relativism. * Correction: Bob unintentionally exaggerated Clinton's willingness to support the PBA ban. See the full correction at the end of this show summary. * Christian Leader Koukl Defends Candidate Giuliani: Stu Epperson moderates the debate between Bob Enyart and STR.org's Greg Koukl on Stu's syndicated TruthTalkLive.com talk show. In the debate, Koukl defends Rudi Giuliani, an aggressively pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, anti-Christian worldview candidate, as acceptable to Christian voters. Koukl denies that Giuliani is a mass murderer and denied the parallel between Koukl's own position and that of the Herodians of the New Testament. To start the debate, Bob asked Greg, "What if Rudi Giuliani is the Republican nominee, should Christians support someone like Rudi Giuliani?" Greg spent the whole show answering that question in the affirmative, stipulating only that his answer applies if two candidates in the running are Rudi and a Democrat candidate like Hillary Clinton. Bob characterized Greg's position as moral relativism. * Bob's Notes Against Christian Support for Giuliani: Christians should not support mass murderers. Rudi Giuliani is a mass murderer who as a governing official and candidate promotes child killing through public hospitals, tax funding, police enforcement, etc. Moral relativist Christians would oppose a candidate who was caught embezzling funds (not because it violates God's command, Do not steal, but because it is politically-incorrect). And while they'd not support a Republican caught embezzling, they support Republican candidates who brag of their support for killing children. The Gospels mention a pragmatic political party, the Herodians, the religious leaders who allied themselves with Herod Antipas, thinking that the Herodian dynasty was the lesser evil (than any alternative allegiance, with a choice between Herod or Christ, they would choose Herod), thinking the Herods were the best the Jewish worshippers could pragmatically expect in their hopes of attaining to their kingdom on Earth. (I have this understanding of the Herodians from my recollection of reading, way back in the 1970s, Alfred Edershiem's Life & Times of Jesus the Messiah, a classic written in the 1800s.) Like Rudi Giuliani, Herod was personally sexually immoral and murderous. Greg Koukl's moral relativism would defend supporting Herod. But John the Baptist, instead of joining the Herodians, rebuked Herod, and for his courage, this wicked ruler beheaded the man whom Jesus described as the greatest born to women (Mat. 11:11). But how would Jesus describe Koukl? Greg's moral relativism might have led him to campaign for Herod (as he does for Giuliani), and instead of persecution, Herod might have hired Koukl as an apologist for his murderous reign and his hopes for the continued support of Ceasar after Antipas built Tiberias (Koukl: yes, Herod murdered John the Baptist, but I would still campaign for him to rule). Greg Koukl is imitating the pragmatic religious leaders, the Herodians. Mat 22:16, 18 ...the Herodians, [said], "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth [lip service]... But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?" [also at Mark 12:13] Mark 3:5-6 [Jesus saw] the hardness of their hearts, [and] the Herodians [plotted] against Him, how they might destroy Him. "You shall not murder" (Rom. 13:9) "Do not kill the innocent" (Exodus 23:7) Romans 3:8 mentions "do[ing] evil that good may come of it" (Romans 3:8), Paul considered it slander to be accused of something Christians now embrace, doing evil, that good may come of it. "we must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29) Giuliani is not only radically pro-abortion, but for years even supported the especially horrific partial-birth abortion. Giuliani is radically pro-homosexual, and would ban all handguns. New York Daily News, March 8, 2004 Rudy Giuliani came out yesterday against President Bush's call for a ban on gay marriage. ... "I certainly wouldn't support [a ban] at this time," added Giuliani, who lived with a gay Manhattan couple when he moved out of Gracie Mansion during his nasty divorce. Secular humanists who support Giuliani: Sean Hannity, Hugh Hewitt, Michael Medved, etc. Publicans: tax collectors, public building contractors, and military suppliers. The New Testament condemns the publicans, so Christians now sell their souls for the Re-publicans. The theme of much of the Old Testament, from the books of Moses, through Joshua & Judges, through the prophets, is that God's people did not trust Him, nor obey Him, not with national politics, and instead made alliances with wicked leaders, and so God abandoned them to their own destruction. * Comments at TruthTalkLive.com: Carl: where does Koukl draw the line? ... at 100,000,000? What line must be crossed that will turn Christians from supporting wickedness and back to God? Dave: Koukl thinks that Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and Alito would fight for the Personhood of a child. I guess he did not read the Supreme Court decision of Gonzales v. Carhart. John quotes Reagan: "Politics I supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first." Gus B: Mr. Koukl says Giuliani will appoint justices like Thomas and Scalia. Pastor Enyart points out these two do not believe in personhood... to which Koukl says, "Pro-Life Justices are not relevant to this topic." Andrew: To support the better of two murderers is relative. ... Webster should post your photograph next to "moral relativist." * Give your opinion at TruthTalkLive.com. * Koukl on Foster Care: The socialist foster care system of the government being intimately involved in the funding and raising of children should be abolished. Sadly, in Greg Koukl's ten-minute call beginning at 9:20 about homosexuality and foster care, he never gets around to condemning either and instead makes destructive comments such as, "some same sex couples are fabulous" and misleads on a terrible aspect of socialism by saying at 15:05 that "in the foster care system there are many saints." Today's Resource: Have you seen the Government Department at our KGOV Store? You can view BOTH of our powerhouse Focus on the Strategy DVDs for only $22.99! Also, we are featuring Bruce Shortt's vitally-important book, The Harsh Truth about Public Schools. And also, check out the classic God's Criminal Justice System seminar, God and the Death Penalty, Bob on Drugs and the Live from Las Vegas DVDs! * Correction: I need to clarify a comment I made debating Greg Koukl. I unintentionally exaggerated when I stated that Hillary supported the PBA ban. I was taking this position from the years of public position the Clinton administration maintained regarding the PBA ban. When Hillary and Bill came to Colorado in 1999 and spoke as a couple to Columbine parents, Brian Rohrbough told Bill, "Mr. President, when you vetoed the PBA ban, you became responsible for murder far more violent than what happened to our children." Clinton replied, with Hillary at his side, that he would have signed the bill, but it did not have an exception for the life of the mother. To the extent that they were a two-for-one deal in the White House, I had always assumed that was her position also: willing to support the law, as long as it had exceptions (like many "pro-life" Republicans). At any rate, it was wrong to say outright that Hillary supported the ban. I should have clarified, and in the intensity of the debate, I did not realize that I had mistated her position. Also, I kept wanting to talk about Rudy's pro-abortion actions as NYC mayor, but never got that in. And finally on this, since the 1990s, we have had an Errata link on our homepage and on every page at kgov.com (just scroll down to see it) And I've also posted this correction at Stu Epperson's TruthTalkLive blog. Thanks! -Bob Enyart * Dec. 21, 2015 Update: Bob Enyart posted the following to STR... Hi STR! Dr. Richard Holland of Liberty University wrote "God, Time and the Incarnation" surveying the leading Christian theologians on this topic and concluded that specifically with respect to the Incarnation the church has never openly defended its claim that God is utterly unchangeable. In my debate with theologian Dr. James White I took that insight and five times asked him about whether God the Son took upon Himself a human nature. (There's a 2-min YouTube showing those excerpts.) So far beyond the old/new covenant issue, reaching right into the heart of the Trinity, God the Son became a Man. God is unchanging in His fierce commitment to righteousness (i.e., His holiness), but because He is the Living God, He changes in immeasurable ways, including when the Son became the Son of Man. * For Bob's Many Other Fun and Educational Debates: See kgov.com/debates for our creation/evolution sparring with Lawrence Krauss, Eugenie Scott, AronRa, Michael Shermer (and spats with Jack Horner, PZ Myers, Phil Plait, & Jerry Coyne), and our exposing the liberal in the conservative with Ann Coulter, Dan Caplis, Greg Koukl (of course), Tom Tancredo, AFA's Bryan Fischer, AUL's Paul Linton, CWA's Robert Knight, National RTL's Board, NRTL's Political Director, Focus on the Family's Washington State Affiliate; and exposing the wickedness in the liberal with Barry Lynn and libertarian candidates; and opposing the national sales tax with Ken Hoagland and Neal Boortz; and debating sexual immorality with homosexual activists Wayne Besen and Gregory Flood; and defending the death penalty on Court TV; and theology with a Seventh Day Adventist, drinking alcohol with a Church of Christ minister; and whether or not God is inexhaustibly and eternally creative with Dr. James White, and King James Onlyism with one of their leading advocates; and finally, abortion with Ilana Goldman, Peggy Loonan, and Boulder, Colorado's infamous late-term abortionist Warren Hern.
Gregory Koukl, president of Stand to Reason and author of his upcoming release "Street Smarts," shares how Christians can be effective in the shallow end of the pool, making a difference without taking huge risks. He talks about the difference between a harvest approach versus a gardening approach when it comes to evangelism, describing our Savior as a rescuer, and much more. Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: Click here
Greg responds to questions from a skeptical student about how we know Christianity is true, whether any religion can be proven, Bible translations and the creation of the canon, how creation fits with science, whether faith is blind, a perfect God creating imperfect beings, and more. Topics: Commentary: How do we know Christianity is true? (00:00) Mentioned on the Show: Greg Koukl and Michael Shermer at the End of the Decade of the New Atheists – A transcript of a dialogue between Koukl and Shermer on the Hugh Hewitt Show
Greg Koukl joins The Call, for part 2 on initiating conversations with difficult people. He suggests starting with a friendly introduction and asking open-ended questions to encourage dialogue. Koukl emphasizes the importance of being transparent and ASKING QUESTIONS while using analogies, stories, and illustrations to make the message more relatable. He also highlights the value of actively listening to the other person's perspective and showing genuine interest in their thoughts and feelings to create an engaging conversation. #jesus #defendingfaiththroughquestioning #thecall #standtoreason #gregorykoukl #deepakchopra @STRvideos @TheCallwithNancySabato Part 2 YouTube: https://youtu.be/8QUyLJDjYKg To learn more about this ministry, go to HTTPS://thecallwithnancysabato.com youtube.com/@TheCallwithNancySabato --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nancy-sabato/message
Greg Koukl joins The Call and provides tips on initiating conversations with difficult people. He suggests starting with a friendly introduction and asking open-ended questions to encourage dialogue. Koukl emphasizes the importance of being transparent and ASKING QUESTIONS while using analogies, stories, and illustrations to make the message more relatable. He also highlights the value of actively listening to the other person's perspective and showing genuine interest in their thoughts and feelings to create an engaging conversation. #jesus #defendingfaiththroughquestioning #thecall #standtoreason #gregorykoukl @STRvideos @TheCallwithNancySabato Part 1 YouTube https://youtu.be/Z1IPWRVSYpc To learn more about this ministry, go to HTTPS://thecallwithnancysabato.com youtube.com/@TheCallwithNancySabatod peace in his life. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nancy-sabato/message
* Stu Epperson's Audience Agrees with Pastor Bob: On Stu's syndicated TruthTalkLive.com talk show, Denver Bible Church pastor Bob Enyart condemns the liberal IRS gag-rule against pastors. Surprisingly, Christian talk show host Stu Epperson defends that liberal notion, antithetical to the behavior of God's men in Scripture and to the pulpits of America's founding, agreeing with Hillary, Hollywood, humanists and homosexuals, that pastors should not oppose or endorse men for government roles, regardless of whether those men are godly, or national socialists. Heavens to Murgatroyd. All of Stu's callers agree with Bob as does the leading Christian legal ministry Alliance Defense Fund through their Pulpit Initiative.* BEL Flashback with Greg Koukl: Bob Enyart urges Greg Koukl to recognize his own moral relativism in a discussion on Stu Epperson's syndicated TruthTalkLive.com show. STR.org's Greg Koukl defended Rudi Giuliani, an aggressively pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, anti-Christian worldview candidate, as acceptable to Christian voters. Koukl denies that Giuliani is a mass murderer and denied the parallel between Koukl's own position and that of the Herodians of the New Testament. To start the debate, Bob asked Greg, "What if Rudi Giuliani is the Republican nominee, should Christians support someone like Rudi Giuliani?" Greg spent the whole show answering that question in the affirmative, stipulating only that his answer applies if two candidates in the running are Rudi and a Democrat candidate like Hillary Clinton. Bob characterized Greg's position as moral relativism.
From 2020: Bob Enyart reports briefly on encouraging emails from Sweden and from a trucker in Georgia (on RSR), from Oklahoma (on human trafficking), and a sad message from a listener to Greg Koukl's Stand to Reason about Greg, virtually by definition, legitimizing homosexuality. Finally, there's an atheist, or homosexual, or someone otherwise in rebellion, mocking the Bible in a comment under one of our youtube.com/BobEnyartLive videos claiming that the Bible is "all mythology". Bob then focuses on the kgov.com/archaeology reports and especially Friday's RSR interview of archaeologist Steven Collins and his Discovery of the City of Sodom which has convinced the secular archaeological world that the ancient city has been identified, destroyed in the manner the Bible claims, and located exactly where it states in Genesis 13!
From 2020: Bob Enyart continues to air audio from last week from Greg Koulk, apologist president of Stand to Reason, who tragically denies, and thus defends, his moral relativism. Back in 2007 (see kgov.com/koukl) Greg encouraged Christians to support Republican candidates who are mass-murderers (by their open support for abortion). And still in 2020, he openly exhibits his own moral relativism as in his claim, though with clarification, that "some same sex couples are fabulous." And by that, he means, fabulous parents who we can support even in adopting children. Bob let Greg know that we planned to air and discuss his audio and Koukl did reply, but with the same defense he made years ago. "We report. You decide?" No. Actually, God decides. * BEL Resources on Moral Relativism: - 2020 Apologist Koukl Still Tragically Denies His Moral Relativism - 2020 Koukl BELs 7/21 (today's program) 7/29 8/3 - 2010 Personhood, Creation, the Law, and Moral Relativism - Suggest other BEL resources to us at Bob@kgov.com. Thanks! - 2007 Bob Debates Moral Relativist Greg Koukl - 2007 Focus on the Strategy 2 video... Today's Resource: Nicer Than God Enjoy this fast-paced critique of religion where Bob Enyart presents questions such as: When should a Christian lie? Should he ever mock? How about name-calling? Does sarcasm belong in the Christian's repertoire? How about ridicule? Learn why nice is not in the Bible and how to identify a Nicer-Than-God Christian. If Christians are not supposed to judge, then why does Jesus command us to judge rightly? And if only God will judge, then why does Paul say that we believers will judge the angels, and judge the world? If Jesus logged onto a website forum under a pseudonym, would we recognize Him, or condemn Him? This album communicates well Bob Enyart's unique style. But, warning, warning, warning, Will Robertson, it is not for the faint of heart. * Separately, Koukl says Science Cannot be Certain of Anything: As a preview to our 2015 rsr.org/forensics program on historical science, in 2013 we published a brief KGOV article, Can Science Prove Anything Absolutely? As quoted there, Greg Koukl had written that science "cannot be certain about anything in an absolute sense. ...its method never allows certainty" and then apparently contradictorily, Greg stated, "science is not the only means of giving us true information..." Consider this excerpt: ...it is said that science cannot “prove” anything. We allege that in this vein, creationists have surrendered far too much to atheistic relativists. As a corollary, to this, we hear that science cannot prove anything but it can only disprove things. Sources: 1. A theory can "never [be] proven correct" on PBS.org; "can never be shown to be correct" at gsu.edu; 2. UCMP at the Berkeley department of paleontology. 3. A popular creationist homeschool textbook says, "Science cannot prove anything. The best science can say is that all known data support a given statement. …there is no way that science can prove anything." Wile & Durnell, Exploring Creation with Biology, 2nd Edition, 2005, p. 33; Science, "cannot be certain about anything in an absolute sense. ...its method never allows certainty" and then perhaps contradictorily, "science is not the only means of giving us true information..." Greg Koukl, Stand to Reason, 2013; "all scientific knowledge is tentative… nothing is final. There is no such thing as final proven knowledge in science" at psychologytoday.com. Scientific Absolutes: The claim that science cannot absolutely prove anything is related to the more extreme and easily falsified atheist claim that there is no truth. Yes, we Christians take the Scriptures as our highest authority. But millions of people lived prior to Moses and Job, and it is not as though they had no ability to know truth. (They could even know God, as a number of them did, and God is truth.) There are various ways of obtaining or possessing apodictic, or absolute, knowledge. Consider the common claim, as in this quote from Berkeley, that "a hypothesis cannot ever be proven, only disproven." Has that been proven? To disprove a hypothesis is to prove its negation. (A hypothesis: The reason that even very large array telescopes will never find the center of the universe is because the universe has no center. Falsification: A theoretical falsification is the growing redshift data that increasingly indicates that the universe does have a center. Disproving that hypothesis proves another: The universe has a center.)Absolutes vs. Omniscience: Knowing some things absolutely does not equate to knowing everything. Could it be that the especially extreme claim that science "cannot prove anything" is really just unintentional hyperbole? Those making such claims seem to confuse something with everything, and therefore confuse our ability to know some things absolutely with our inability to know everything. Some claim that the best that scientific investigation can do is to bring you closer to the truth (i.e., closer to understanding reality). However, if science doesn't know absolutely that: - light travels faster than sound, nor that - the solar surface is hotter than the lunar, nor that - electromagnetic opposites attract, if it were that much in the dark, then science could not bring anyone "closer" to anything. However, science does know these things absolutely. When some argue that science cannot tell us anything, it seems that what they really mean is that science cannot make us omniscient. If that's what they mean, though, then that is what they should say; for the overstatement we hear only serves to promote the relativism of materialism. Lacking omniscience does not prove the lack of all knowledge. RSR hopes that creationists will realize that they have been unnecessarily agreeing with atheists by making such an extreme claim. Real Science Radio has other disagreements with creationists on such assumptions, but for now we'll add one last observation, and then let these suffice as our first shot across the bow. :) We see the matter of historical vs. observational science as mostly a manufactured issue. We do not only make careful observations and do repeated experiments in the laboratory. Human beings live that same way. We cook, work, and read while making careful observations and performing inherent repeated experiments. In a dream, every time we read a book the words can change; in the waking world, we know that the words on our printed pages do not rearrange themselves into varying messages. That alone is a form of absolute scientific knowledge. If we didn't know that, we couldn't trust the words we read in a book, whether a dictionary or the Bible. Claiming that science can tell us nothing absolute is tantamount to saying that we can have no trust in our minds, nor our senses, and if this were true, of course we would have no ability to trust any input, whether from the Bible, or, like ourselves and the millions who lived prior to the Scriptures, from any source whatsoever. We assert that the claims of the impossibility of certain scientific knowledge are concessions to the relativism of the materialist.
From 2020: * Greg Koukl says "some same sex couples are fabulous": Bob Enyart airs audio from last week, and from twelve years ago, of Greg Koukl, apologist president of Stand to Reason. Koukl tragically denies, and thus defends, his moral relativism back in 2007 (see kgov.com/koukl) encouraging Christians to support admitted Republican candidates who are mass-murderers by their open support for abortion. And still in 2020, he openly exhibits his own moral relativism by claiming, though with clarification, that "some same sex couples are fabulous." And by that, he means, tragically, "fabulous" parents who we can support even in adopting children. Bob let Greg know that we planned to air today and discuss his audio and he replied with the same defense he made years ago. We could say, "We report. You decide." But actually, God decides. (See annotated partial transcript of Koukl's call, below.) * BEL Resources on Moral Relativism: - 2020 Apologist Koukl Still Tragically Denies His Moral Relativism (today's program) - 2020 Koukl BELs 7/20 (today) 7/21 7/29 8/3 - 2010 Personhood, Creation, the Law, and Moral Relativism - Suggest other BEL resources to us at Bob@kgov.com. Thanks! - 2007 Bob Debates Moral Relativist Greg Koukl - 2007 Focus on the Strategy 2 video... Today's Resource: Focus on the Strategy 2 Please consider getting this on DVD to make it easier to share with relatives, friends and church members! Awesome! Six hundred thumbs up! Focus on the Strategy II was filmed before a live audience of 300 Christian activists in the Supreme Court chambers of the Colorado State Capitol building during an event marking to the very day the 40th anniversary of America's first law legalizing abortion for rape and incest.Focus on the Strategy II not only documents the political sell-out of the pro-life movement, it answers the question of how to restore the movement and end America's "legalized" child killing. Focus II stands alone, preferably viewed before Focus I, and documents that: Colorado's Republican Governor John Love signed the nation's first permissive abortion law in 1967. Republican U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun wrote Roe v. Wade. The 7-to-2 Roe v. Wade ruling was approved with five a Republican majority of five votes. The Republican Justices now on the Court (including Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Roberts) oppose personhood. All six Republican judges on the 11th circuit (nominated by Reagan, Bush Sr. & George W. Bush) voted to kill Terri Schiavo. Republican "pro-life" heroine Priscilla Owen voted to abort "Baby 10" as a Texas Supreme Court judge. Republican "pro-life" hero Samuel Alito sided with Planned Parenthood in repeated 3rd-circuit rulings, including ruling to keep partial birth abortion legal. Republican George W. Bush refused to support South Dakota's total ban on abortion. Hundreds of pro-life laws that regulate abortion that will actually keep abortion legal after Roe is overturned such as the Informed Consent laws. Focus on the Strategy II includes audio and video clips of: Pro-life Notre Dame law professor Charles Rice criticizing National Right to Life and their strategy. Former presidential candidate and Ambassador Alan Keyes exposing as a "pro-life" failure the recent Gonzales v. Carhart partial-birth abortion ruling. Columbine dad Brian Rohrbough condemning the hypocrisy of National Right to Life. A debate excerpt between Steve Ertelt of LifeNews.com and the president of Colorado RTL. Founding board member of Nat'l RTL, John Archibold, condemning NRTL for their immoral and failed strategy. Focus on the Family staff falsely claiming that the recent Carhart ruling outlawed late-term abortion. "Pro-life" nationally-syndicated Salem Radio host Hugh Hewitt admitting his willingness to vote pro-choice. Syndicated radio host Laura Ingraham with "pro-life" Bill Kristol on behalf of pro-abortion Rudi Giuliani. National Pro-Life Radio falsely claiming Carhart protected life 'from the moment of conception.' Personal correspondence from Dr. Dobson (on letterhead and by his own hand) exposing the tragic secular humanism and moral relativism among our greatest Christian leaders! In this DVD, longtime Denver talk show host Bob Enyart demonstrates that National RTL has turned over the spiritual direction of our Christian movement to secular lawyers who say that we must obey man rather than God. As a result, the pro-life industry has become primarily a fund-raising wing of the Republican Party. Evidence in Focus on the Strategy II destroys National RTL's false claim that their child-killing regulations save lives. Since the release of this blockbuster video, National Right to Life and the child-killing regulators have been on the defensive, as the personhood wing of the pro-life movement advances!Focus II has done what people thought impossible, it has exceeded the power and insight of Focus I. Milwaukee Pastor Matt Trewhella, after showing the BEL DVD Focus on the Strategy to his congregation in July 2007, told them that "Bob Enyart's Focus on the Strategy is the most important message for the Christian community in a century!" Now, Christian leaders across America are raving about the must-see sequel, Focus II, which you must see to believe. At 50 minutes, Focus on the Strategy II is just the right length to watch in a Sunday School class, or with friends at a video party at home (yours or theirs)! There is no need to watch the 'prequel' Focus on the Strategy, before watching this sequel, however they support one another powerfully! * Partial Koukl Transcript: Considered a solid Christian leader by many thousands of believers (and in many ways beloved by us here at BEL), the founder and host of Stand to Reason, Greg Koukl has tragically stated, beginning at 9:40 into a podcast, that "some same sex couples are fabulous." Please pray for Greg and for the man who phoned in a question, and for all those Greg is not-so-subtly influencing to become moral relativists. Here's what happened... 9:20 A caller asks whether children are better off in foster care or adopted by same sex parents. 9:40 "...some same sex couples are fabulous." 9:56 "Some same sex couples are fabulous. Some same sex couples are deplorable. And actually, the same is true for heterosexual couples." Greg then offers the softest possible objection to one of the fiercest moral dangers of our day, which is homosexuality. (For, "In the public square, biblical Christianity and homosexuality are mutually exclusive. One or the other will be in the closet.") He followed that by repeatedly obfuscating with moral relativist utilitarian distinctions about which parents give the "advantage" and which is "better". Koukl draws false equivalencies between homosexuality and heterosexual singleness, cohabitation, and bad parenting. Regarding same sex parenting, "there are other things [aspects of their parenting] that may be really good... there are a number of factors that are involved here. ... All things being equal I think it is better for heterosexual couples to raise children." 12:24 "A father brings something different to the relationship than a mother does. Period." Koukl puts much more emphasis on practical distinctions than he does on the far greater matter of the utter perversion and rebellion of homosexuality. Greg exhibits more fear about how his audience will view him than he does about the child raised in a dystopian world of normalized homosexuality. "Just to show that I'm not unfairly prejudiced here... I don't believe that single people should adopt." 14:50 "What we want to do is to make decisions based on the ideal." 15:45 "This is why it's hard to make a judgment. Are children in foster care better off [being adopted by] same sex couples or better off staying in foster care. It depends on the individual circumstance. I would rather see a child in a reasonably healthy environment with a same sex couple than in an abusive environment with a heterosexual couple." If that isn't moral relativism, then there is no such thing. 16:13 Constantly equivocating on underlying morality and legitimacy, "The big thing is, what's best for the kid... Heterosexual parents are better than same sex parents, on balance." 17:07 "However if this child had no parent whatsoever and was living in the squalor in the street somewhere..." Talk about situational ethics. Would Greg rather see a child rescued from a volcanic eruption by a human trafficker, than be burned alive? Oh brother. Come on. (Here's an actual example. In our 2007 debate Greg was defending pro-abort Rudi Guiliani, who got 3% of the pimary vote, and Christian listeners applied his arguments to pro-abort Mitt Romney of course, who got 22% of the vote, with pro-abort McCain winning. Regarding Romney, the presidential candidate four years later who regarding an unborn child who might end up being raised by a crack-addicted mother, would be only too happy to support the premptive killing of that baby. Or, for that matter, he supported killing any unborn child for any reason, for Romney is the father of tax-funded late-term abortion on demand.) 18:13 "Heterosexual couples bring something more to the parenting environment than same sex couples bring." 19:05 "You've got to start from the standards and work to the circumstances that you're faced with." Which is exactly the opposite of what Greg had just done in yet another text-book case of moral relativism.
Today we're going back to a debate between the late great Bob Enyart and famed Christian apologist and talk show host Greg Koukl of Reasons to Believe. Tragically, Koukl puts on full display his moral relativism, which Bob takes issue with. This debate is the battle of two conservatives, both intellectual powerhouses. Dominic Enyart will also be adding some commentary on today's broadcast classic, then next week on Bob Enyart Live we're going to get to a devastating 2020 update from Koukl where he said, "some same sex couples are fabulous." Today's Resource: Monthly Bible Study Subscription Receive Bible studies once a month, and start by getting a firm foundation of the basics. Once you have a solid understanding of the overall plot of the Bible, the origins of Israel, the integration of the gentiles, and the character of God, then you'll be ready to dive into the deeper details of the Bible. Start with the milk, then graduate to the meat. Those who have subscribed to the Monthly Bible studies have said it's changed their life dramatically for the better and given them a new appreciation for the Bible and God Himself. Sign up now, before prices rise! (Due to inflation. Thanks, Biden- ugh.) See the original show summary below from October 26th, 2007. [See below for the written description of this 2007 program.] * Tragic 2020 Update: Considered a solid Christian leader by many thousands of believers (and in many ways beloved by us here at BEL), the founder and host of Stand to Reason, Greg Koukl has tragically stated, beginning at 9:40 into a podcast, that "some same sex couples are fabulous." Please pray for Greg and for the man who phoned in a question, and for all those Greg is not-so-subtly influencing to become moral relativists. Here's what happened... A caller asks whether children are better off in foster care or adopted by same sex parents. "Some same sex couples are fabulous. Some same sex couples are deplorable. And actually, the same is true for heterosexual couples." Greg then offers the softest possible objection to one of the fiercest moral dangers of our day, which is homosexuality. (For, "In the public square, biblical Christianity and homosexuality are mutually exclusive. One or the other will be in the closet.") He followed that by repeatedly obfuscating with moral relativist utilitarian distinctions about which parents give the "advantage" and which is "better". Koukl draws false equivalencies between homosexuality and heterosexual singleness, cohabitation, and bad parenting. Regarding same sex parenting, "there are other things [aspects of their parenting] that may be really good... there are a number of factors that are involved here. ... All things being equal I think it is better for heterosexual couples to raise children." "A father brings something different to the relationship than a mother does. Period." Koukl puts much more emphasis on practical distinctions than he does on the far greater matter of the utter perversion and rebellion of homosexuality. Greg exhibits more fear about how his audience will view him than he does about the child raised in a dystopian world of normalized homosexuality. "Just to show that I'm not unfairly prejudiced here... I don't believe that single people should adopt." "What we want to do is to make decisions based on the ideal." "This is why it's hard to make a judgment. Are children in foster care better off [being adopted by] same sex couples or better off staying in foster care. It depends on the individual circumstance. I would rather see a child in a reasonably healthy environment with a same sex couple than in an abusive environment with a heterosexual couple." If that isn't moral relativism, then there is no such thing. Constantly equivocating on underlying morality and legitimacy, "The big thing is, what's best for the kid... Heterosexual parents are better than same sex parents, on balance." "However if this child had no parent whatsoever and was living in the squalor in the street somewhere..." Talk about situational ethics. Would Greg rather see a child rescued from a volcanic eruption by a human trafficker, than be burned alive? Oh brother. Come on. (Here's an actual example. In our 2007 debate Greg was defending pro-abort Rudi Guiliani, who got 3% of the pimary vote, and Christian listeners applied his arguments to pro-abort Mitt Romney of course, who got 22% of the vote, with pro-abort McCain winning. Regarding Romney, the presidential candidate four years later who regarding an unborn child who might end up being raised by a crack-addicted mother, would be only too happy to support the premptive killing of that baby. Or, for that matter, he supported killing any unborn child for any reason, for Romney is the father of tax-funded late-term abortion on demand.) "Heterosexual couples bring something more to the parenting environment than same sex couples bring." "You've got to start from the standards and work to the circumstances that you're faced with." Which is exactly the opposite of what Greg had just done in yet another text-book case of moral relativism. * Correction: Bob unintentionally exaggerated Clinton's willingness to support the PBA ban. See the full correction at the end of this show summary. * Christian Leader Koukl Defends Candidate Giuliani: Stu Epperson moderates the debate between Bob Enyart and STR.org's Greg Koukl on Stu's syndicated TruthTalkLive.com talk show. In the debate, Koukl defends Rudi Giuliani, an aggressively pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, anti-Christian worldview candidate, as acceptable to Christian voters. Koukl denies that Giuliani is a mass murderer and denied the parallel between Koukl's own position and that of the Herodians of the New Testament. To start the debate, Bob asked Greg, "What if Rudi Giuliani is the Republican nominee, should Christians support someone like Rudi Giuliani?" Greg spent the whole show answering that question in the affirmative, stipulating only that his answer applies if two candidates in the running are Rudi and a Democrat candidate like Hillary Clinton. Bob characterized Greg's position as moral relativism. * Bob's Notes Against Christian Support for Giuliani: Christians should not support mass murderers. Rudi Giuliani is a mass murderer who as a governing official and candidate promotes child killing through public hospitals, tax funding, police enforcement, etc. Moral relativist Christians would oppose a candidate who was caught embezzling funds (not because it violates God's command, Do not steal, but because it is politically-incorrect). And while they'd not support a Republican caught embezzling, they support Republican candidates who brag of their support for killing children. The Gospels mention a pragmatic political party, the Herodians, the religious leaders who allied themselves with Herod Antipas, thinking that the Herodian dynasty was the lesser evil (than any alternative allegiance, with a choice between Herod or Christ, they would choose Herod), thinking the Herods were the best the Jewish worshippers could pragmatically expect in their hopes of attaining to their kingdom on Earth. (I have this understanding of the Herodians from my recollection of reading, way back in the 1970s, Alfred Edershiem's Life & Times of Jesus the Messiah, a classic written in the 1800s.) Like Rudi Giuliani, Herod was personally sexually immoral and murderous. Greg Koukl's moral relativism would defend supporting Herod. But John the Baptist, instead of joining the Herodians, rebuked Herod, and for his courage, this wicked ruler beheaded the man whom Jesus described as the greatest born to women (Mat. 11:11). But how would Jesus describe Koukl? Greg's moral relativism might have led him to campaign for Herod (as he does for Giuliani), and instead of persecution, Herod might have hired Koukl as an apologist for his murderous reign and his hopes for the continued support of Ceasar after Antipas built Tiberias (Koukl: yes, Herod murdered John the Baptist, but I would still campaign for him to rule). Greg Koukl is imitating the pragmatic religious leaders, the Herodians. Mat 22:16, 18 ...the Herodians, [said], "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth [lip service]... But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?" [also at Mark 12:13] Mark 3:5-6 [Jesus saw] the hardness of their hearts, [and] the Herodians [plotted] against Him, how they might destroy Him. "You shall not murder" (Rom. 13:9) "Do not kill the innocent" (Exodus 23:7) Romans 3:8 mentions "do[ing] evil that good may come of it" (Romans 3:8), Paul considered it slander to be accused of something Christians now embrace, doing evil, that good may come of it. "we must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29) Giuliani is not only radically pro-abortion, but for years even supported the especially horrific partial-birth abortion. Giuliani is radically pro-homosexual, and would ban all handguns. New York Daily News, March 8, 2004 Rudy Giuliani came out yesterday against President Bush's call for a ban on gay marriage. ... "I certainly wouldn't support [a ban] at this time," added Giuliani, who lived with a gay Manhattan couple when he moved out of Gracie Mansion during his nasty divorce. Secular humanists who support Giuliani: Sean Hannity, Hugh Hewitt, Michael Medved, etc. Publicans: tax collectors, public building contractors, and military suppliers. The New Testament condemns the publicans, so Christians now sell their souls for the Re-publicans. The theme of much of the Old Testament, from the books of Moses, through Joshua & Judges, through the prophets, is that God's people did not trust Him, nor obey Him, not with national politics, and instead made alliances with wicked leaders, and so God abandoned them to their own destruction. * Comments at TruthTalkLive.com: Carl: where does Koukl draw the line? ... at 100,000,000? What line must be crossed that will turn Christians from supporting wickedness and back to God? Dave: Koukl thinks that Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and Alito would fight for the Personhood of a child. I guess he did not read the Supreme Court decision of Gonzales v. Carhart. John quotes Reagan: "Politics I supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first." Gus B: Mr. Koukl says Giuliani will appoint justices like Thomas and Scalia. Pastor Enyart points out these two do not believe in personhood... to which Koukl says, "Pro-Life Justices are not relevant to this topic." Andrew: To support the better of two murderers is relative. ... Webster should post your photograph next to "moral relativist." * Give your opinion at TruthTalkLive.com. * Koukl on Foster Care: The socialist foster care system of the government being intimately involved in the funding and raising of children should be abolished. Sadly, in Greg Koukl's ten-minute call beginning at 9:20 about homosexuality and foster care, he never gets around to condemning either and instead makes destructive comments such as, "some same sex couples are fabulous" and misleads on a terrible aspect of socialism by saying at 15:05 that "in the foster care system there are many saints." Today's Resource: Have you seen the Government Department at our KGOV Store? You can view BOTH of our powerhouse Focus on the Strategy DVDs for only $22.99! Also, we are featuring Bruce Shortt's vitally-important book, The Harsh Truth about Public Schools. And also, check out the classic God's Criminal Justice System seminar, God and the Death Penalty, Bob on Drugs and the Live from Las Vegas DVDs! * Correction: I need to clarify a comment I made debating Greg Koukl. I unintentionally exaggerated when I stated that Hillary supported the PBA ban. I was taking this position from the years of public position the Clinton administration maintained regarding the PBA ban. When Hillary and Bill came to Colorado in 1999 and spoke as a couple to Columbine parents, Brian Rohrbough told Bill, "Mr. President, when you vetoed the PBA ban, you became responsible for murder far more violent than what happened to our children." Clinton replied, with Hillary at his side, that he would have signed the bill, but it did not have an exception for the life of the mother. To the extent that they were a two-for-one deal in the White House, I had always assumed that was her position also: willing to support the law, as long as it had exceptions (like many "pro-life" Republicans). At any rate, it was wrong to say outright that Hillary supported the ban. I should have clarified, and in the intensity of the debate, I did not realize that I had mistated her position. Also, I kept wanting to talk about Rudy's pro-abortion actions as NYC mayor, but never got that in. And finally on this, since the 1990s, we have had an Errata link on our homepage and on every page at kgov.com (just scroll down to see it) And I've also posted this correction at Stu Epperson's TruthTalkLive blog. Thanks! -Bob Enyart * Dec. 21, 2015 Update: Bob Enyart posted the following to STR... Hi STR! Dr. Richard Holland of Liberty University wrote "God, Time and the Incarnation" surveying the leading Christian theologians on this topic and concluded that specifically *with respect to the Incarnation* the church has never openly defended its claim that God is utterly unchangeable. In my debate with theologian Dr. James White I took that insight and five times asked him about whether God the Son took upon Himself a human nature. (There's a 2-min YouTube showing those excerpts.) So far beyond the old/new covenant issue, reaching right into the heart of the Trinity, God the Son became a Man. God is unchanging in His fierce commitment to righteousness (i.e., His holiness), but because He is the Living God, He changes in immeasurable ways, including when the Son became the Son of Man. * For Bob's Many Other Fun and Educational Debates: See kgov.com/debates for our creation/evolution sparring with Lawrence Krauss, Eugenie Scott, AronRa, Michael Shermer (and spats with Jack Horner, PZ Myers, Phil Plait, & Jerry Coyne), and our exposing the liberal in the conservative with Ann Coulter, Dan Caplis, Greg Koukl (of course), Tom Tancredo, AFA's Bryan Fischer, AUL's Paul Linton, CWA's Robert Knight, National RTL's Board, NRTL's Political Director, Focus on the Family's Washington State Affiliate; and exposing the wickedness in the liberal with Barry Lynn and libertarian candidates; and opposing the national sales tax with Ken Hoagland and Neal Boortz; and debating sexual immorality with homosexual activists Wayne Besen and Gregory Flood; and defending the death penalty on Court TV; and theology with a Seventh Day Adventist, drinking alcohol with a Church of Christ minister; and whether or not God is inexhaustibly and eternally creative with Dr. James White, and King James Onlyism with one of their leading advocates; and finally, abortion with Ilana Goldman, Peggy Loonan, and Boulder, Colorado's infamous late-term abortionist Warren Hern.
Doctor John Patrick talks about why you should start a book club. Book Recommendations CS Lewis, The Abolition of Man - https://amzn.to/3yd00UJ Lesslie Newbigin, Foolishness to the Greeks - https://amzn.to/3bhHX6M Peter Kreeft, A Refutation of Moral Relativism - https://amzn.to/3xPy8EE Beckwith and Koukl, Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air - https://amzn.to/3n7iEXR J. Budziszewski, What We Can't Not Know - https://amzn.to/3HJkojg Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship - https://amzn.to/3nb5l8Q Rodney Stark, For the Glory of God - https://amzn.to/3ymaW2B Alisdair MacIntyre, After Virtue - https://amzn.to/3yczmLB For a more in depth book list - click below https://www.johnpatrick.ca/book-list/
Effective and graceful tactics for discussing controversial topics and your Christian convictions with those of opposing viewpoints, this week on “Faithful Freedom with Teryn Gregson.” Guest Greg Koukl shares the most effective way to help your opposition actually think through why they believe what they believe (and therefore change their mind in the process.) Koukl is the bestselling author of ‘Tactics—A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions,' among other books, founder of Stand to Reason and has debated atheist Michael Shermer on national radio and Deepak Chopra on national television.► Stand To Reason: https://www.str.org/home ► Shop Faith & Freedom Over Fear Gear: https://faithfulfreedom.myshopify.com/ ► Subscribe to the podcast newsletter: https://teryngregson.com/podcast► Subscribe to the podcast:iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/faithful-freedom-with-teryn-gregson/id1598602749Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6dKsn0JqtNJfarUUVYuv5v?si=a810d53643fb4017Google Play: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbmZvNjA1NzAucG9kb21hdGljLmNvbS9yc3MyLnhtbAYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/teryngregsonRumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1020046► Subscribe to the We The Patriots USA newsletter: https://wethepatriotsusa.org/news-updates/
Can a Christian lead a non-believer to Christ by sharing their personal redemption story? Should they? We were commissioned to share the Gospel of Christ, the good news of eternal salvation. We have many tools at our disposal as evidence that the Gospel is true. Witness can be among the most powerful of those tools because of the human connection of shared experience and the visible component of changed lives. As R.C. Sproul once said, “A Christian's testimony may be good news of a changed life, but in and of itself, it's not the GOSPEL.” RESOURCES ON WITNESS Out of the Saltshaker and Into the World by Rebecca Manley Pippert Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer Saltshaker Ministries, www.saltshaker.org The Alpha Course, www.alpha.org Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Revised and expanded. (Downer's Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2015), 180–182. REFERENCES Ahlberg Calhoun, Adele, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us, Revised and expanded. (Downer's Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2015), 180–182. Koukl, Greg, “Another Conversation with YouTube Atheist PineCreek Doug”, Stand to Reason, https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3RyLm9yZy9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseQ/episode/c3Ryd2Vla2x5LnBvZGJlYW4uY29tLzFjYTYyZmMwLWNjZjQtM2 Sproul, R.C. “Your Testimony is not the Gospel”; Ultimately Podcast Ultimately with R.C. Sproul - Your Testimony Is Not the Gospel (google.com) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/john-kowalski/message
Gregory Koukl (Stand to Reason) joins Kirk Cameron to share some insights on how we can disagree and debate someone who holds different ideas than us in a calm and loving way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We're called to be Ambassador's for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) but how can we do that well if we don't know how to respond to the most common objections that the world has? In Round #1 of Ambassador Training, we'll look at each of the following objections to Christianity: Relativism - "There is no such thing as absolute truth. You have yours and I have mine." Pluralism - "All paths lead to God, there is more than one correct way." Scientism - "Only science yields truth; religion is merely a matter of opinion." Sources: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/are-young-people-really-leaving-christianity/ McGrath, Alister. (2012). Mere Apologetics: How to help seekers & skeptic find faith. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Publishing Group. Lewis, C.S. (2001). Mere Christianity. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers. Moreland, J.P. (2018). Scientism and Secularism: Learning how to respond to a dangerous ideology. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway. Geisler, Norman & Turek, Frank. (2004). I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway. Koukl, Gregory. (2019). Tactics: 10th Anniversary Edition. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mensalliancetribe/support
Hovoří: Martin Kouklík, ptá se: Jiřina Markovová
Hey, happy New Year to you all! If you happen to be one who started the DBRP at the beginning of 2021, you have surely noticed that our readings have contained one prophetic figure of speech or metaphor after another that all say that, “In the end, Jesus, the Son of God and Lion of Judah WINS. Blessed are you if you faithfully endure as a believer and follower of Him. The times that we are living through will be increasingly tough. Stand firm in holy living and in doing good works that glorify God. You will not be disappointed in the results!” In 2022 my prayer is that we believers become better ambassadors of the basic beliefs taught in the Bible. How can we help our friends, family, or casual acquaintances to see the errors in the pagan worldview that is being promoted in the media today? I recommend the videos, podcasts, and books by Greg Koukl. His organization is called Stands to Reason, and his website is str.org. In particular, I recommend his book called Tactics. Be sure to get the 10th Anniversary Edition, which is available also as a Kindle book/audio book. The great thing that Koukl teaches is how to use questions in discussions with people holding different views, so that your conversations don't turn into arguments. (All the links for things I mention today are found in the episode notes.) At this time every year I give suggestions for other audio Bible podcasts, so that after listening to me for a year, you can listen to another voice. The great granddaddy of daily Bible reading podcasts is the Daily Audio Bible. Another good one is the Daily Radio Bible. As you choose a reading program for next year, I urge you to remember the basics that I give in my How to Study the Bible video, https://youtu.be/sPyAp8ZxDBE. Be sure to pick a plan that will have you reading some of the NT every day, not zipping through the NT starting in September or October. Some of you who listened to the NLT podcasts this year may want to listen to my GNT podcast series next year. If so, the site is dailyGNTBiblereading.info. If you want to use the YouVersion Bible app for your daily Bible readings, my 365-day plan is called ‘Digging Deeper Daily'. You can search in the YouVersion plans for Digging Deeper Daily, or find the direct link in the episode notes. Digging Deeper Daily: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/1314-digging-deeper-daily If you would like to listen to David Suche reading the NIV Bible (as I did in 2020), I suggest that you follow the YouVersion plan named ‘Read to Me Daily'. If you select the NIV UK edition as your Bible, then David Suche is the reader. You can search in the YouVersion plans for ‘Read to me daily'. Read to Me Daily: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/13707-read-to-me-daily This 365-day reading plan is presented in four semesters. For information about other apps you can use for Bible reading or listening to the Daily Bible Reading podcasts, please see the Read This First pages that are linked in the top bar of the dailybiblereading.info site. If the app you are using does not show you the episode notes with clickable links and paragraph formatting, there are many other apps that will do a better job of that. For people following the Daily Bible Reading podcasts in 2022, I will not be starting a new Facebook group or sending our special emails next year. But if any of you will be starting groups on some social media platform for a small group following the Digging Deeper Reading plan, I would like to offer my help and encouragement. If your group has questions that I might answer from a Bible translator's viewpoint, you can invite me to join your group. I won't have time to be active in multiple groups, but I would be glad to answer questions and encourage your group. I will continue sending out news or informational podcasts at random times, like this one. Finally, I want to remind you that these 4-5 days are the peak times when people make resolutions to read the Bible. Please share with your friends about the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan and the DBRPs. Please give them the link: dailybiblereading.info. Gale and I wish you a joyous year in 2022. May the Lord bless you ‘real good'!
Hey, happy New Year to you all! If you happen to be one who started the DBRP at the beginning of 2021, you have surely noticed that our readings have contained one prophetic figure of speech or metaphor after another that all say that, “In the end, Jesus, the Son of God and Lion of Judah WINS. Blessed are you if you faithfully endure as a believer and follower of Him. The times that we are living through will be increasingly tough. Stand firm in holy living and in doing good works that glorify God. You will not be disappointed in the results!” In 2022 my prayer is that we believers become better ambassadors of the basic beliefs taught in the Bible. How can we help our friends, family, or casual acquaintances to see the errors in the pagan worldview that is being promoted in the media today? I recommend the videos, podcasts, and books by Greg Koukl. His organization is called Stands to Reason, and his website is str.org. In particular, I recommend his book called Tactics. Be sure to get the 10th Anniversary Edition, which is available also as a Kindle book/audio book. The great thing that Koukl teaches is how to use questions in discussions with people holding different views, so that your conversations don't turn into arguments. (All the links for things I mention today are found in the episode notes.) At this time every year I give suggestions for other audio Bible podcasts, so that after listening to me for a year, you can listen to another voice. The great granddaddy of daily Bible reading podcasts is the Daily Audio Bible. Another good one is the Daily Radio Bible. As you choose a reading program for next year, I urge you to remember the basics that I give in my How to Study the Bible video, https://youtu.be/sPyAp8ZxDBE. Be sure to pick a plan that will have you reading some of the NT every day, not zipping through the NT starting in September or October. Some of you who listened to the NLT podcasts this year may want to listen to my GNT podcast series next year. If so, the site is dailyGNTBiblereading.info. If you want to use the YouVersion Bible app for your daily Bible readings, my 365-day plan is called ‘Digging Deeper Daily'. You can search in the YouVersion plans for Digging Deeper Daily, or find the direct link in the episode notes. Digging Deeper Daily: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/1314-digging-deeper-daily If you would like to listen to David Suche reading the NIV Bible (as I did in 2020), I suggest that you follow the YouVersion plan named ‘Read to Me Daily'. If you select the NIV UK edition as your Bible, then David Suche is the reader. You can search in the YouVersion plans for ‘Read to me daily'. Read to Me Daily: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/13707-read-to-me-daily This 365-day reading plan is presented in four semesters. For information about other apps you can use for Bible reading or listening to the Daily Bible Reading podcasts, please see the Read This First pages that are linked in the top bar of the dailybiblereading.info site. If the app you are using does not show you the episode notes with clickable links and paragraph formatting, there are many other apps that will do a better job of that. For people following the Daily Bible Reading podcasts in 2022, I will not be starting a new Facebook group or sending our special emails next year. But if any of you will be starting groups on some social media platform for a small group following the Digging Deeper Reading plan, I would like to offer my help and encouragement. If your group has questions that I might answer from a Bible translator's viewpoint, you can invite me to join your group. I won't have time to be active in multiple groups, but I would be glad to answer questions and encourage your group. I will continue sending out news or informational podcasts at random times, like this one. Finally, I want to remind you that these 4-5 days are the peak times when people make resolutions to read the Bible. Please share with your friends about the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan and the DBRPs. Please give them the link: dailybiblereading.info. Gale and I wish you a joyous year in 2022. May the Lord bless you ‘real good'!
Soteriology 101: Former Calvinistic Professor discusses Doctrines of Salvation
Dr. Greg Koukl affirms 5-Point Calvinism but denies Determinism. Is this consistent? Dr. Flowers unpacks this in this broadcast. Here are the original clips from Dr. Koukl on youtube: 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm2x3heXwAs&t=2s 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iKvNZDZg0g&t=3s 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un6bkzWiLOE&t=7s To SUPPORT this broadcast please click here: https://soteriology101.com/support/ Is Calvinism all Leighton talks about? https://soteriology101.com/2017/09/22/is-calvinism-all-you-talk-about/ DOWNLOAD OUR APP: LINK FOR ANDROIDS: https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... LINK FOR APPLE: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/soterio... Go to www.ridgemax.co for all you software developing needs! Show them some love for their support of Soteriology101!!! To ORDER Dr. Flowers Curriculum “Tiptoeing Through Tulip” please click here: https://soteriology101.com/shop/ To listen to the audio only be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or one of the other podcast players found here: https://soteriology101.com/home/ For more about Traditionalism (or Provisionism) please visit www.soteriology101.com Dr. Flowers' book, “The Potter's Promise” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Potters-Promis... Dr. Flowers' book, “God's Provision for All” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Provision... To engage with other believers cordially join our Facebook group: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1806702... For updates and news follow us at: www.facebook/Soteriology101 Or @soteriology101 on Twitter Please SHARE on Facebook and Twitter and help spread the word! To learn more about other ministries and teachings from Dr. Flowers go here: https://soteriology101.com/2017/09/22... To become a Patreon supporter or make a one time donation: https://soteriology101.com/support/
A little commentary on some things that Christian Apologist Greg Koukl said recently. Koukl is, in effect, contradicting himself. Wanted to pull this out and whine about it.Check out my YouTube: Colton Kirby - YouTubeSome of my other stuff:About Me: https://coltonkirby.substack.com/about?utm_source=menu-dropdownFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/coltonjkirby/Twitter: https://twitter.com/_coltonkirbyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialcoltonkirby/Odysee: https://odysee.com/@ColtonKirby Get full access to Colton Kirby at coltonkirby.substack.com/subscribe
A little commentary on some things that Christian Apologist Greg Koukl said recently. Koukl is, in effect, contradicting himself. Wanted to pull this out and whine about it. Check out my YouTube: Colton Kirby - YouTube I write stuff here: Colton Kirby (substack.com) Some of my other stuff: About Me: https://coltonkirby.substack.com/about?utm_source=menu-dropdown Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coltonjkirby/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_coltonkirby Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialcoltonkirby/ Odysee: https://odysee.com/@ColtonKirby
Welcome to More Christ, where we seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions. In this fifty sixth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by the great Gregory Koukl. Greg Koukl is a Christian apologist, radio talk show host, author, speaker, and the founder of the Christian apologetics organization Stand to Reason. Greg founded Stand to Reason in 1993 and currently serves as President of Stand to Reason. He has spoken on more than 70 college and university campuses both in the U.S. and abroad and has hosted his own call-in radio show for 27 years, advocating for “Christianity worth thinking about.” He has debated atheist Michael Shermer on national radio and Deepak Chopra on national television. An award-winning writer and best-selling author, Greg has written seven books, including The Story of Reality—How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between; Tactics—A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, and Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air. Greg has been featured on Focus on the Family radio and has been interviewed for CBN and the BBC. He's been quoted in Christianity Today, the U.S. News & World Report, and the L.A. Times. Greg received his Masters in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics at Talbot School of Theology, graduating with high honours, and his Masters in Christian Apologetics with honours from Simon Greenleaf University. He is an adjunct professor in Christian apologetics at Biola University.
Sermon Manuscript Speeches change the world. Think of Ronald Reagan next to the Berlin wall, “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall” or Martin Luther King's “I have a dream” or Winston Church Hill's “never never never give up” And that's only the 20th century. There's Lincoln's inaugural address, or Cicero… the great orator of Rome, and of course Socrates in Athens. Well, we need to include Paul's address on that list. His sermon in Athens is one of those great world-changing speeches. It's been studied and studied. Books have been written. Blogs and podcasts have been named after it.And I would agree. It's masterful, penetrating , caring, compelling, and thoughtful. Really, it's a model for us in so many ways. Paul's approach, his sensitivity to his audience, his Gospel witness.If you are a believer in Christ, you will have opportunities in life to share what you believe with people who have vastly different views. Some may not believe in any god. Others may believe in a different god or gods. How should you approach those conversations? In what ways could you connect with them, and make them think, and challenge them to consider Christianity? What should be your methodology?That's what we'll focus on this morning - the pattern from Acts 17 for those kinds of conversations. In other words, the tactics for presenting Christianity to a person or audience with radically different beliefs.Given its significance, instead of preaching these verses in 1 sermon, we'll take two weeks. We'll begin, as I mentioned, with methodology. Looking at Paul's approach as he considered the idols in Athens – you can see that outline on the back of your bulletin. And for the second sermon, we'll apply Paul's method to a couple of idols in our culture today. Idols, by the way, are the things that we worship which replace worship of the true God. That second sermon will be 2 weeks out – June 20th. Next week for our one-year church plant anniversary, we'll be considering a different text.So here we are in Athens, Greece. Although it had been politically eclipsed by Rome at this time, Athens was still the cultural, philosophical, and religious hub of the entire Mediterranean region. It was a melting pot of people and beliefs. In the previous 6 centuries leading up to this moment… Athens had been conquered by the Spartans, then the Macedonians, and most recently the Romans. Each empire bringing different cultures including music and art… and different beliefs. • Many of the Athenians believed in the Greek gods and goddesses. • The city had a temple dedicated to Zeus and other gods. • You may have heard of the well know Acropolis – the huge rock outcrop in the middle of the city – about 500 ft tall. That's where the Parthenon sat – it was the massive temple to the goddess Athena – in fact, the Parthenon still partially stands today. And Paul himself would have seen it in his day. Not only culture and religion, Athen's history included Plato and Socrates, the great philosophers of their time. The identity of the people was wrapped up in all the gods and philosophies of the day. It's what they worshipped.Paul had never been to Athens before. When he arrived, he experienced all of this. He spent time walking the streets, seeing and hearing. He witnessed the different idols – these idols were wood and metal images of gods that the people worshiped. Besides his usual time in the Jewish synagogue, he also daily visited in the marketplace. Verse 17. He spoke with anyone who would talk to him. And what was Paul talking about? You guessed it. Verse 18 – Jesus and the resurrection. Well, no one had heard of Jesus and the resurrection because Paul was bringing the Gospel to Athens for the first time. So, of course, he drew interest from some of the local philosophers.Two groups are called out here. The Epicureans and Stoic philosophers. • The Epicureans didn't really believe in any gods or for that matter anything supernatural. They sought pleasure and believed pain could be endured. • The Stoics were vastly different – they believed in this oneness between humanity and the deities. Theirs was a reasoned religion which emphasized obedience and deemphasized emotion.So the Epicureans were different from the Stoics and both were very different from Christianity. It's no wonder that they called Paul a “babbler” because the ideas were so novel. That word “babbler” literally translated means “seed picker.”I have a little office space in the corner of our basement. It's a nice space because I have 2 window, one on either side of my desk. And when I'm down there studying and thinking, I'm often staring out one of the windows. And there's usually birds out there… they hop around and they peck at different things. Well, that's exactly what some of these people thought of Paul. To them, he was pecking at seemingly random religious and philosophical ideas. The irony is that they were actually the ones who spent their time seed picking – telling and hearing something new. Verse 21.Well because of their curiosity, Paul was invited to speak at the Areopagus – translated, that's Mars Hill. In times past, political counsels and courts met there. In these days, it was more of a place to hear about general matters of importance and philosophy. Located near the Acropolis, the Areopagus was a popular gathering place and Paul would have had quite an audience.Now, here's where I want to transition and unpack Paul's method. His apologetic method. That's a fancy way to say his reasoned approach - how he presented Christianity to this mix of religious and non-religious philosophers. It's very helpful. His sermon gives us some really good guidance1. Develop compassionate hearts (Acts 17:16-17)And the first point, which you'll see on the outline, comes from before Paul even presented his case. And it's this: Develop compassionate hearts.As soon as Paul arrived in Athens, his heart ached for the Athenians. Remember, he was by himself. Silas and Timothy had yet to arrive from Berea. It had been a long couple of months. A public beating in Philippi, further persecution in Thessalonica and Berea. Yet, he gets to Athens, and he didn't rest. He sees these idols all around him and a fire burned within him. That's the language from Jeremiah 20. “there is in my heart a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.”Look at verse 16. Paul's “spirit was provoked within him.” This is not anger, it's compassion. These people, made in God's image, as all people in the world are, do not know Christ. And he longs for them to know him. He goes out each day to present Christ.We need that heart desire for people to know Jesus. It comes from a heart that knows what the Scripture teaches…. that all mankind has fallen short of the glory of God and is doomed for judgment. That's part of Paul's message which we'll come back to.Arguing for Christ without a compassionate heart will come across stilted and detached. It doesn't convey the grace and hope of Jesus.I just read an article a few days ago about Francis Schaefer. Schaefer was one of the most compelling Christian philosophers of the 20th century. He wrote this about his philosophical interactions: "I need to remind myself constantly that this is not a game I am playing. If I begin to enjoy it as a kind of intellectual exercise, then I am cruel and can expect no real spiritual results.” He went on to write, "Merely to be abstract and cold is to show that I do not really believe this person to be created in God's image” Kids, it's like this. Let's say that you are talking to someone at school. And he or she says, “oh, you're one of those Jesus freaks.” In response, if you said, “well, your dumb if you don't believe in Jesus.” Just how do you think that is going to go over?! Not well! No instead, how about: “well, Christ is my redeemer and my Lord. I want you to believe in him, too, because it is life changing.” Remember, the hope in Christ that we present, is the same hope in Christ that we believed. His grace in our lives is the same grace that gives us hearts for those who don't know him.That's where Paul begins. A desire to see his hearers come to know the one true living God.2. Identify false gods and false hopes (Acts 17:22-23a) And second, identify false gods and false hopes. Here is where we dive into Paul's Mars Hill speech.Notice how he began. He connected with them. “I perceive that in every way you are very religious.” Verse 22. Paul had been listening and observing. He even highlighted something he saw while walking around Athens, “I found an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown God''” Paul was not just connecting with them. He was also entering into their belief systems. Remember, his audience believed different things. The Epicureans were agnostic – meaning they didn't think god was knowable if he even existed. So the “unknown god” altar highlighted their beliefs. And the Stoics? Well, they did believe in a god or gods, but to them he wasn't personal. So the “unknown god” altar also connected with them.What was Paul doing? He was identifying their false gods and false hopes. It wasn't in a way that was antagonistic or combative. No, and actually, Paul's compassionate heart came out all throughout his speech. He was saying, “I see that you believe this or that.” He entered in to their world and he identified a central belief that was in contrast with Christianity.Now, you may be thinking, “ok, but I can't do what Paul did. I don't know much about other philosophies and religions.” Well, you don't need to. This is where good listening is helpful. Good listening is critical, really. And you can and should start out by asking questions.There's a helpful and short book I read called Tactics. It's written by Greg Koukl. In it, he shows how to employ the use of questions. He gives a few helpful examples. One time he met someone with a necklace with some sort of religious symbol. He said to her something like “that's a pretty necklace, what does that mean?” He was able to hear from her what was important to her and what she believe. If you know someone, and you've heard them mention in the past what they believe or don't believe, you could ask, “would you explain a little more what you believe about [XYZ]?” Whatever that specific belief is. And then be sure to listen rather than think about what you plan to say next. Koukl includes a very insightful second question to ask. “What made you come to that conclusion?” That's a good one, isn't it? It requires someone to think about and explain why they believe something.You see, through that process, you would be able to identify their thinking and beliefs to respond to.3. Respond with truth about the true God and true hope (Acts 17:23b-28)And that brings us to point 3. Respond with truth about the true God and true hope. That's what Paul does next. The second half of verse 23. “What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.” And from there, he went right into the God of the Scriptures. We can know him. Who is he? He is the creator and sustainer of all things. The Lord of heaven and earth. He gave you life. He knows you. This true God is not detached from the world he made. No, rather he is sovereign over it… is working in it. He is near us (end of verse 27). He is known and he is knowable. Paul then continued his connection with his audience in verse 28. Both of those quotes come from philosophers of their day. And in both cases, there was a kernel of truth in them. And Paul employed them to make his case. “‘In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring'" Paul was saying, “we are made in God's image. You and me.”Do you see how he's responding to their particular beliefs and unbelief? And he does so by presenting truth from what the Scriptures teach about the living God. This will be different to different audiences. When Paul is speaking with Jews, like in Berea where he had just come from, he reasoned from the Scriptures about the promises of God. And here, Paul next brings his hearers from their beliefs into what Christianity teaches.To be sure, Paul didn't try to first prove that God exists. Remember, the Epicureans didn't really believe that God existed, yet Paul skipped over trying to prove God exists. Why? Because Paul knew that everyone deep within actually believes in God. God's law is written on our hearts and he's stamped his image on us. So, it's there. To be sure, in our sin, we suppress that belief, but it doesn't take it away. Now, if you've taken a philosophy class in High School or maybe college, you may remember the different proofs for God's existence…• like the cosmological proof – the things around us couldn't happen by random chance. • Or the teleological proof – there must be purposefulness in nature. • Or the ontological argument - That than which nothing greater can be conceived.I'm not saying we should throw those proofs away. I think they testify to God's existence. Maybe we can say they are indirectly beneficial. But Paul's method doesn't include these proofs. No, rather he went right to the God of the Bible. He responded to their worldview with the Scripture's worldview. Remember what a worldview is from a few weeks ago – how we see or understand the world.God is not unknown. Rather he is the sovereign Lord and creator who made you. Respond with truth about the true God and true hope.4. Call to turn from false beliefs (Acts 17:29-30)Fourth: Call to turn from false beliefs. Notice in verse 29 Paul made a pivot. He had just responded to their beliefs, but now he tells them they need to change what they believe. Look at his language, “Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think.” “Ought” is a word that means “should.” They should not believe that God is “like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.” Verse 29. Those things, Paul said, are false idols which are conjured up in our minds. They are not true and you ought not to believe them. At the end of verse 30, he uses the word “repent.” That means to turn away from those beliefs…. to express regret in your heart over them…. to change what you think and believe.This is a difficult step. Especially so if you are non-confrontational. But telling someone they need to change what they believe is necessary. Yes, it will make someone uneasy, perhaps even angry. But really, it's not coming from you. No, Jesus said, “repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” And God gave us his commandments, which includes the second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath… you shall not bow down to them or serve them.” Paul is relaying what the Bible teaches – the clear call to repent from unbelief.Let me make a quick side note. Verse 30 is one of those verses where there are different views over its meaning. One thing is agreed upon, though, that there's a progression from a prior time to a current time. Over time, God has revealed himself and his promises more and more. And now, at this time in Acts, Christ has come. Jesus had completed his earthy ministry. He is ascended to heaven… and the Holy Spirit continues his ministry on earth – bringing conviction and repentance. The time to repent is now – everyone – all people. That's Paul's message.In a couple of weeks, we'll spend more time on this point – turning from idols.5. Reveal the promise and judgement of the resurrected Christ (Acts 17:18, 31-34)That brings us to the fifth and final point: Reveal the promise and judgement of the resurrected Christ.I know that's a lot of words in that point: Reveal the promise and judgement of the resurrected Christ. Simply, Jesus needs to be presented. Being clear about the God of the Scriptures and the call to repent needs to include the work of Christ. Specifically, Paul hones in on the resurrection. It is the key. It's central to the Christian faith. Everything hinges on it. It makes clear who Jesus is and the future promise and judgment he will bring.It's not that Paul didn't speak about the cross. He did. You can't speak about Jesus' resurrection without speaking about his death. Remember, this was a summary of Paul's Mars Hill address. Acts chapter 2 indicated that the sermons written down in Acts are summaries.Here in Athens, Paul focused on the resurrection. We know from back in verse 18 but also here in verse 31. By emphasizing Jesus' resurrection, he connected Jesus' victory over sin to Jesus' future judgment of sin, including their sin of unbelief and idolatry. God's judgment will be perfectly righteous, verse 31, because God is righteous, Jesus is perfectly righteous.And that is a warning. Judgment is coming. God's judgment. And if you don't know Christ, his judgment will fall on you for your unbelief and idolatry. I know that sounds harsh, but let me say it this way. The Bible is clear about God's judgment for sin. If you're not a Christian… but you have a friend or family member that wants you to believe in Jesus – and is calling you to repent. It's because they love you. Because they believe in both the promised hope of Christ and the promised judgment of Christ. They want you to believe so that the judgment that the Bible speaks of is taken on by Christ for you. It's the resurrection that ensures both. Both the coming judgment and the future hope for eternity. Know the promise of the resurrection.Points 4 and 5 make it pretty clear that there's no neutrality with the Gospel. We see that in the result of Paul's message. Some mocked. Verse 32. It stirred in others a desire to know more. And verse 34, Several believed. We're given a couple of their names – “Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris” and some other unnamed people with them. Paul's words, brought to them the words of life through the resurrected Jesus.Conclusion• Develop compassionate hearts - loving those you are conversing with• Identify false gods and hopes - asking questions and listening• Respond with truth about the true God and true hope – jumping right to what the Scriptures teach about God and the world• Call to turn from false beliefs – the call to repent and believe.• And… reveal the promise and judgement of the resurrected Christ – warning of judgment but the sharing grace and love of Jesus.Paul's speech did change the world. God used it and continues to use it to call people to him.The next time that you have an opportunity to share your Christian faith, whether to an audience of 1 or 1001, Paul's method here in Acts 17 will guide you.Stay tuned for Mars Hill part 2. What would Paul say to us today?
On this episode of The Caffeinated Christian the guys are talking apologetics and we couldn't be more excited, because our special guest is Greg Koukl. Mr. Koukl is the founder and president of Stand to Reason. He has his Master in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics and a Masters in Christian Apologetics. Mr. Koukl has also spoken at more than 88 colleges in the U.S. and abroad and has hosted his own radio call in show for 30 years. Please go to str.org to learn more about the amazing work he has done!As always the guys are drinking another great coffee. Today's coffee is from Grounds and Hounds Coffee Co. At Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. They are committed to using a portion of profits from every sale to support animal rescue organizations providing safe-havens for pups between homes. Great coffee should fuel a greater purpose! 20% of all coffee purchases goes to helping rescue organizations. Go to groundsandhoundscoffee.com to see more.
Welcome to another BONUS EPISODE to start off 2021! On this episode, Nate shares the time that Greg Koukl interviewed him on the Stand to Reason radio show. He also talks about why that was such an important moment. Don't miss it! Happy New Year from the entire ACL Team and Board! We love you and look forward to bringing you fresh content in 2021! Our new YouTube series "Debate Teacher Reacts" is dropping new episodes on our YouTube Page soon! Don't miss out! Sign up for our unique newsletter that contains material only for subscribers at (www.clearlens.org)! Twitter: @AClearLens Facebook: www.facebook.com/clearlens Instagram: @AClearLens "Day by Day" by Citizens is used with permission. Check out their website: wearecitizens.net
In this episode, we interview Greg Koukl. Koukl is the founder of the Christian apologetics organization Stand to Reason, and the author of Tactics and The Story of Reality. In this episode, we discuss why he was drawn to apologetics, his books, how to defend your faith in a modern context, how we are not the central focus of God’s plan, how real tolerance requires disagreement, the state of manhood in the modern church, how to destroy pro-abortion arguments, and a whole lot more! Let’s get into it… Quick Resilience Boost suggested materials: - Stand to Reason: https://www.str.org/ - BOOK: Tactics: A Game Plan For Discussing Your Christian Convictions: https://amzn.to/2w0vEHP - BOOK: The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important That Happens in Between: https://amzn.to/2WVxO6H - VIDEO: The Intolerance of Tolerance (PragerU): https://www.prageru.com/video/the-intolerance-of-tolerance/ - VIDEO: Discussing “Tactics” with Greg Koukl: How to Talk to People About Christianity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_HcKbls_RI - VIDEO: Gregory Koukl VS Deepak Chopra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5EqcKsmThE - VIDEO: The Question that Stops Christians in Their Tracks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOoUDpqtq-k - VIDEO: Greg Koukl vs pro-choice caller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdzisJJJ-W0 - FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/greg.koukl/ - TWITTER: https://bit.ly/2ylQpyt - Stand to Reason, YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/STRvideos Book Kyle to speak at your event: info@undaunted.life Web: www.undaunted.life Follow us: - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/undauntedlife/?hl=en - Twitter: https://twitter.com/UndauntedLife - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/undauntedlife Podcast: - Apple Podcasts/iTunes: http://bit.ly/undauntedlifeapple - Google Podcasts: http://bit.ly/undauntedlifegoogle - Spotify: http://bit.ly/undauntedlifespotify - Stitcher: http://bit.ly/undauntedlifestitcher Free YouVersion Devotionals: - A Man's Devotional: https://bit.ly/2ykKIPQ - An Undaunted Marriage: https://bit.ly/2zRsBO2 Follow the host Kyle Thompson: - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyleokc/?hl=en - Twitter: https://twitter.com/kyleokc?lang=en Intro/outro music: Artist: August Burns Red Track: Defender Album: Guardians Buy the Album: https://us.store.augustburnsred.com/ Listen on Apple Music: https://apple.co/3c4VtG5 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2XgBorY
In a world increasingly indifferent to Christian truth, followers of Christ need to be equipped to communicate with those who do not speak their language or accept their source of authority. In Tactics, Gregory Koukl demonstrates how to artfully regain control of conversations, keeping them moving forward in constructive ways through thoughtful diplomacy.
Rethinking Hell contributors William Tanksley and Darren Clark join Chris Date to critique Greg Koukl and Tim Barnett's article series at Stand to Reason called "Hell Interrupted." This episode contains the fifth and final part of their discussion; listen to episodes 132 through 135 for the first four parts. Links: Part 1 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/SolidGroundSept2017HellInterrupted Part 2 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/solidgroundnovember2017hellinterruptedpart2 Part 3 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/SolidGroundJuly2019-hell-interrupted-3 "Warned of Sin's Wages," article by Peter Grice: http://rethinkinghell.com/2017/11/08/warned-of-sins-wages-a-concise-explanation-of-death-in-genesis-217-and-romans-623/ "Annihilation in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (Part 1)," article by Peter Grice: http://rethinkinghell.com/2016/11/14/annihilation-in-2-thessalonians-19-part-1-destroyed-by-the-glory-of-his-manifest-presence/ "Annihilation in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (Part 2)," article by Ronnie Demler and William Tanksley: http://rethinkinghell.com/2016/12/05/annihilation-in-2-thess-1-9-part-2-separation-or-obliteration/ "Perish the Thought," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/06/14/perish-the-thought-john-3-16/ "On the Meaning of Destruction in the Bible," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/04/18/on-the-meaning-of-destruction-in-the-bible/ "Exegesis Interrupted," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/11/13/exegesis-interrupted-a-critique-of-stand-to-reasons-article-hell-interrupted-part-2/ "Biblical Theology Interrupted," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/02/22/biblical-theology-interrupted-part-2-of-a-critique-of-stand-to-reasons-article-hell-interrupted-part-2/ "Psalm 37—A Song of Annihilation," article by Mark Corbett and William Tanksley: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/05/09/psalm-37-a-song-of-annihilation/ "The Hermeneutics of Conditionalism," article by Chris Date: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/02/27/the-hermeneutics-of-conditionalism-a-defense-of-the-interpretive-method-of-edward-fudge/
Rethinking Hell contributors William Tanksley and Darren Clark join Chris Date to critique Greg Koukl and Tim Barnett's article series at Stand to Reason called "Hell Interrupted." This episode contains part 4 of their discussion; the next episode will contain the final installment of the series. Links: Part 1 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/SolidGroundSept2017HellInterrupted Part 2 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/solidgroundnovember2017hellinterruptedpart2 Part 3 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/SolidGroundJuly2019-hell-interrupted-3 "Warned of Sin's Wages," article by Peter Grice: http://rethinkinghell.com/2017/11/08/warned-of-sins-wages-a-concise-explanation-of-death-in-genesis-217-and-romans-623/ "Annihilation in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (Part 1)," article by Peter Grice: http://rethinkinghell.com/2016/11/14/annihilation-in-2-thessalonians-19-part-1-destroyed-by-the-glory-of-his-manifest-presence/ "Annihilation in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (Part 2)," article by Ronnie Demler and William Tanksley: http://rethinkinghell.com/2016/12/05/annihilation-in-2-thess-1-9-part-2-separation-or-obliteration/ "Perish the Thought," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/06/14/perish-the-thought-john-3-16/ "On the Meaning of Destruction in the Bible," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/04/18/on-the-meaning-of-destruction-in-the-bible/ "Exegesis Interrupted," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/11/13/exegesis-interrupted-a-critique-of-stand-to-reasons-article-hell-interrupted-part-2/ "Biblical Theology Interrupted," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/02/22/biblical-theology-interrupted-part-2-of-a-critique-of-stand-to-reasons-article-hell-interrupted-part-2/ "Psalm 37—A Song of Annihilation," article by Mark Corbett and William Tanksley: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/05/09/psalm-37-a-song-of-annihilation/ "The Hermeneutics of Conditionalism," article by Chris Date: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/02/27/the-hermeneutics-of-conditionalism-a-defense-of-the-interpretive-method-of-edward-fudge/
Rethinking Hell contributors William Tanksley and Darren Clark join Chris Date to critique Greg Koukl and Tim Barnett's article series at Stand to Reason called "Hell Interrupted." This episode contains part 3 of their discussion; the next one or two episodes will contain the remainder of the series. Links: Part 1 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/SolidGroundSept2017HellInterrupted Part 2 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/solidgroundnovember2017hellinterruptedpart2 Part 3 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/SolidGroundJuly2019-hell-interrupted-3 "Warned of Sin's Wages," article by Peter Grice: http://rethinkinghell.com/2017/11/08/warned-of-sins-wages-a-concise-explanation-of-death-in-genesis-217-and-romans-623/ "Annihilation in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (Part 1)," article by Peter Grice: http://rethinkinghell.com/2016/11/14/annihilation-in-2-thessalonians-19-part-1-destroyed-by-the-glory-of-his-manifest-presence/ "Annihilation in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (Part 2)," article by Ronnie Demler and William Tanksley: http://rethinkinghell.com/2016/12/05/annihilation-in-2-thess-1-9-part-2-separation-or-obliteration/ "Perish the Thought," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/06/14/perish-the-thought-john-3-16/ "On the Meaning of Destruction in the Bible," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/04/18/on-the-meaning-of-destruction-in-the-bible/ "Exegesis Interrupted," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/11/13/exegesis-interrupted-a-critique-of-stand-to-reasons-article-hell-interrupted-part-2/ "Biblical Theology Interrupted," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/02/22/biblical-theology-interrupted-part-2-of-a-critique-of-stand-to-reasons-article-hell-interrupted-part-2/ "Psalm 37—A Song of Annihilation," article by Mark Corbett and William Tanksley: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/05/09/psalm-37-a-song-of-annihilation/ "The Hermeneutics of Conditionalism," article by Chris Date: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/02/27/the-hermeneutics-of-conditionalism-a-defense-of-the-interpretive-method-of-edward-fudge/
Rethinking Hell contributors William Tanksley and Darren Clark join Chris Date to critique Greg Koukl and Tim Barnett's article series at Stand to Reason called "Hell Interrupted." This episode contains part 2 of their discussion; the next two or three episodes will contain the remainder of the series. Links: Part 1 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/SolidGroundSept2017HellInterrupted Part 2 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/solidgroundnovember2017hellinterruptedpart2 Part 3 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/SolidGroundJuly2019-hell-interrupted-3 "Warned of Sin's Wages," article by Peter Grice: http://rethinkinghell.com/2017/11/08/warned-of-sins-wages-a-concise-explanation-of-death-in-genesis-217-and-romans-623/ "Annihilation in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (Part 1)," article by Peter Grice: http://rethinkinghell.com/2016/11/14/annihilation-in-2-thessalonians-19-part-1-destroyed-by-the-glory-of-his-manifest-presence/ "Annihilation in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (Part 2)," article by Ronnie Demler and William Tanksley: http://rethinkinghell.com/2016/12/05/annihilation-in-2-thess-1-9-part-2-separation-or-obliteration/ "Perish the Thought," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/06/14/perish-the-thought-john-3-16/ "On the Meaning of Destruction in the Bible," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/04/18/on-the-meaning-of-destruction-in-the-bible/ "Exegesis Interrupted," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/11/13/exegesis-interrupted-a-critique-of-stand-to-reasons-article-hell-interrupted-part-2/ "Biblical Theology Interrupted," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/02/22/biblical-theology-interrupted-part-2-of-a-critique-of-stand-to-reasons-article-hell-interrupted-part-2/ "Psalm 37—A Song of Annihilation," article by Mark Corbett and William Tanksley: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/05/09/psalm-37-a-song-of-annihilation/ "The Hermeneutics of Conditionalism," article by Chris Date: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/02/27/the-hermeneutics-of-conditionalism-a-defense-of-the-interpretive-method-of-edward-fudge/
Discussing your Christian convictions with others can seem like a daunting task - especially if the person you're talking to is skeptical or even hostile towards your views.On this episode of the Reasonable Theology podcast, apologist Greg Koukl shares a number of tactics you can use to confidently and comfortably discuss your beliefs with others. These methods allow you to keep the conversation going, avoid hostility, and point out flaws in a person’s thinking with grace and compassion.Koukl is the head of the apologetics ministry Stand to Reason and is the author of many books, including Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions where he shares a number of methods to stay in the driver seat of any conversation. Listen as we discuss tactics for maneuvering comfortably and confidently through challenging discussions about Jesus.On This Episode We’ll Discuss:The need for harvesters and gardeners in the Great CommissionThe power of questions in guiding our conversationsHow to expose faulty thinking without being aggressiveWhat's new in the 10th Anniversary Edition of TacticsHow to maintain an engaging, disarming conversation even if the other person becomes aggressiveFor more resources and information, see the show notes at ReasonableTheology.org/Episode29Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/reasonabletheology)
Rethinking Hell contributors William Tanksley and Darren Clark join Chris Date to critique Greg Koukl and Tim Barnett's article series at Stand to Reason called "Hell Interrupted." This episode contains part 1 of their discussion; the next two, three, or four episodes will contain the remainder of the series. Links: Part 1 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/SolidGroundSept2017HellInterrupted Part 2 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/solidgroundnovember2017hellinterruptedpart2 Part 3 of Koukl and Barnett's article series, "Hell Interrupted": https://www.str.org/SolidGroundJuly2019-hell-interrupted-3 "Warned of Sin's Wages," article by Peter Grice: http://rethinkinghell.com/2017/11/08/warned-of-sins-wages-a-concise-explanation-of-death-in-genesis-217-and-romans-623/ "Annihilation in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (Part 1)," article by Peter Grice: http://rethinkinghell.com/2016/11/14/annihilation-in-2-thessalonians-19-part-1-destroyed-by-the-glory-of-his-manifest-presence/ "Annihilation in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (Part 2)," article by Ronnie Demler and William Tanksley: http://rethinkinghell.com/2016/12/05/annihilation-in-2-thess-1-9-part-2-separation-or-obliteration/ "Perish the Thought," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/06/14/perish-the-thought-john-3-16/ "On the Meaning of Destruction in the Bible," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/04/18/on-the-meaning-of-destruction-in-the-bible/ "Exegesis Interrupted," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/11/13/exegesis-interrupted-a-critique-of-stand-to-reasons-article-hell-interrupted-part-2/ "Biblical Theology Interrupted," article by Darren Clark: http://rethinkinghell.com/2019/02/22/biblical-theology-interrupted-part-2-of-a-critique-of-stand-to-reasons-article-hell-interrupted-part-2/ "Psalm 37—A Song of Annihilation," article by Mark Corbett and William Tanksley: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/05/09/psalm-37-a-song-of-annihilation/ "The Hermeneutics of Conditionalism," article by Chris Date: http://rethinkinghell.com/2018/02/27/the-hermeneutics-of-conditionalism-a-defense-of-the-interpretive-method-of-edward-fudge/
Solomon once said that of the writing of books, there is no end. The sheer number of books available online today is overwhelming, and there's nothing worse than wasting time or money on a terrible book. A helpful clue to reveal the quality of a book is whether or not it has stood the test of time. Another indicator, though not nearly as reliable, is how many have sold. On both of these counts, the book “Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions” by my friend Greg Koukl, passes with flying colors. In fact, it's sold so well for so long, “Tactics” is now available in an expanded and updated 10th anniversary edition. I have long regarded the original edition of “Tactics” as one of the best resources ever produced to equip Christians to engage in tough conversations with skeptics and unbelievers. While plenty of books tell us what to say on tough topics, this book is training on how to have the conversation. The title says it all: “Tactics.” The expanded tenth anniversary edition, with several new chapters and updated examples that take into account the ways our culture has changed since 2009, means that this edition supplants the old one as one of the best resources ever produced to equip Christian to engage in tough conversations with skeptics and unbelievers—and, by the way, even with fellow believers who might be fuzzy on the key teachings of our faith. According to Koukl, “representing Christ in any era requires three skills.” First, we need a “basic knowledge necessary for the task.” This means knowing the central message of God's kingdom and “knowing something about how to respond to the obstacles [believers will] encounter on their mission.” By itself, however, knowledge isn't enough. “Our knowledge must be tempered with the wisdom that makes our message clear and persuasive.” As Greg puts it, “we need tools of a diplomat, not the weapons of a warrior.” Finally, we must not forget that this knowledge and wisdom “are packaged in a Person.” If we don't embody the virtues of Christ, we will undermine our message and attempts to share it. Koukl's book is especially helpful on the second of these necessary skills: tactical wisdom, or the skills necessary in both how to speak about our faith and how to constructively and conversationally listen. This is the tactical game plan to “artfully manage the details of our dialogues with others.” Let me be clear: This book doesn't teach conversational manipulation, or how to “own” someone. It's not even about how to “win” a debate, and it certainly won't equip you to embarrass or humiliate anyone. None of these things properly represent the goal of Christian conversation and witness. The goal, Koukl insists, is to find a way to expose “someone's bad thinking for the purpose of guiding her to truth” in a “gracious and charitable” manner. To do that, Koukl teaches what he calls “the Columbo tactic,” named after a famous 1970s TV detective. This involves asking a series of questions in order to gather information and define the terms of our discussion. For example, “What do you mean by that?” and, because Christians are not the only ones who need to give reasons for what we believe, “How did you come to that conclusion?” Koukl calls this strategy “reversing the burden of proof.” These kinds of leading questions can help the person we're conversing with reach the appropriate conclusion on their own. Perhaps the most helpful aspect of the book are the stories. When Koukl shares the real-life conversations he's had and how he has employed the tactics, it makes you think, “Oh, I can do that, too.” The kind of practical wisdom he offers is more vital today, ten years after he first offered the book “Tactics,” than ever before. We will send you a copy for your next gift of any amount to the Colson Center. And, if you need more convincing, listen to my podcast interview with Greg Koukl. And remember, with any gift you make to BreakPoint and the Colson Center during the month of February, you'll receive a copy of “Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions.”
In just the past decade, the entire Christian understanding of reality has been discarded by the culture: how God made the world, what it means to be human, what marriage means, what sex is for. Everything is on the table. Which is why today on the BreakPoint Podcast, John Stonestreet is excited to talk with Greg Koukl about the just-released 10th anniversary edition of Koukl's outstanding book, “Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions.” As you will hear on the Podcast, John believes “Tactics” to be one of the best resources ever produced to equip Christians to engage in constructive conversations about faith and the controversial issues of our day. During the month of February, you can receive "Tactics" with your next gift to BreakPoint and the Colson Center. Click here for more information. This podcast originally aired December 16, 2019. Resources: “Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions,” by Greg Koukl . . . receive your copy with your next gift to BreakPoint and the Colson Center
Living Truth Christian Fellowship Podcast
Pastor Michael has a conversation with apologists, radio host and speaker Greg Koukl about an easy way to talk about your faith. How to effectively share why you believe in Christ for those who ask. Also how to guide a conversation effectively, and with love, when someone is being divisive.
Living Truth Christian Fellowship Podcast
Pastor Michael has a conversation with apologists, radio host and speaker Greg Koukl about an easy way to talk about your faith. How to effectively share why you believe in Christ for those who ask. Also how to guide a conversation effectively, and with love, when someone is being divisive.
Living Truth Christian Fellowship Podcast
In just the past decade, the entire Christian understanding of reality has been discarded by the culture: how God made the world, what it means to be human, what marriage means, what sex is for. Everything is on the table. Which is why today on the BreakPoint Podcast, John Stonestreet is excited to talk with Greg Koukl about the just-released 10th anniversary edition of Koukl's outstanding book, “Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions.” As you will hear on the Podcast, John believes “Tactics” to be one of the best resources ever produced to equip Christians to engage in constructive conversations about faith and the controversial issues of our day. Resources: Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, 10th Anniversary Edition, by Greg Koukl Help BreakPoint and the Colson Center meet our year-end financial goal. Thank you!
- Gregory Koukl: "A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions"
Christians Engaging Culture is currently in a module on religious liberty. This week we continue to look at evangelism and how it relates to religious liberty. We are listening to a lecture titled 'The Intolerance of Tolerance' by Greg Koukl from a ministry called Stand to Reason in the United States. In this lecture, he shows how the post-modern view turns tolerance on its head. He discusses a common tactic used against Christians of calling them names and exposes the contradictions in this way thinking. Koukl is concerned about the impact of the new tolerance on our culture and how it prevents reasonable, fair tolerant discussions about the things that really matter (including evangelism). He calls us to resist name-calling and to address the issues, consider the facts, weigh the evidence and reflect on the reasons. We are thankful for Greg Koukl’s ministry called Stand to Reason for allowing us to republish this lecture and we encourage you to check out their website at str.org. Christians Engaging Culture exists to equip the members of St Thomas’ to give faithful answers in everyday cultural conversations and to turn those conversations to the gospel. The aim of this podcast is to start conversations around our church community, so please encourage everyone at church to subscribe (and show them how to!) and when you see people, ask them what they thought of this week's episode. You can find the Christians Engaging Culture website here. If you are not a member of St Thomas', we invite you to look at the 'About Us' page of our website here.
Links ReferencedEpisode 26 - How Wrongeth You Are!https://www.gospelunderground.org/podcast/2018/9/5/episode-26-how-wrongethMoral Relativism - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-relativism/Beckwith and Koukl, Relativism, Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air - Chapter 2 https://www.bethinking.org/truth/the-death-of-truth/2-what-is-moral-relativismMain Topic Apple, Google Criticized for Carrying App that Lets Saudi Men Track Their Wiveshttps://www.npr.org/2019/02/12/693994447/apple-google-criticized-for-carrying-app-that-lets-saudi-men-track-their-wivesA US Senator has demanded that Apple and Google remove a Saudi Arabi an government app that allows men 'abhorrent' control over women's liveshttps://www.businessinsider.com/absher-senator-ron-wyden-demands-apple-google-remove-saudi-govt-app-2019-2The Scandalous Origins of Human Rights by Ronald Osborn“Can we have a rationally coherent, morally compelling, and historically sustainable discourse as well as a practice of humanistic values and human rights absent a “thick” metaphysical or religious framework, such as the one provided in the Western tradition for some two millennia by Judeo-Christian sources?” http://www.veritas.org/the-scandalous-origins-of-human-rights/A Disjunctive Syllogism http://www.philosophy-index.com/logic/forms/disjunctive-syllogism.php
Caleb sits down to talk with Greg Koukl about how he came to the Lord and what events led him to write his book "Tactics". Koukl shares 3 great tips that anyone can use to engage in tough everyday conversations.
In case we don't clarify it enough in this episode, both Tim and I think Greg Koukl is awesome! We've both benefitted immensely from his work, and so the corrections we're offering in these episodes are done in hopes that Koukl's positions will be made even stronger, helping him to be an even more effective apologist. In these episodes, we lay out Koukl's view on libertarian free will and why he doesn't believe it is a necessary condition for there to be true love. Naturally, Tim and I don't believe this to be true! These episodes are great ones to listen to in order to see how one can have a respectful disagreement with someone. It can be a very difficult line to walk, so take some notes on how Tim does it!
In case we don't clarify it enough in this episode, both Tim and I think Greg Koukl is awesome! We've both benefitted immensely from his work, and so the corrections we're offering in these episodes are done in hopes that Koukl's positions will be made even stronger, helping him to be an even more effective apologist. In these episodes, we lay out Koukl's view on libertarian free will and why he doesn't believe it is a necessary condition for there to be true love. Naturally, Tim and I don't believe this to be true! These episodes are great ones to listen to in order to see how one can have a respectful disagreement with someone. It can be a very difficult line to walk, so take some notes on how Tim does it!
In case we don't clarify it enough in this episode, both Tim and I think Greg Koukl is awesome! We've both benefitted immensely from his work, and so the corrections we're offering in these episodes are done in hopes that Koukl's positions will be made even stronger, helping him to be an even more effective apologist. In these episodes, we lay out Koukl's view on libertarian free will and why he doesn't believe it is a necessary condition for there to be true love. Naturally, Tim and I don't believe this to be true! These episodes are great ones to listen to in order to see how one can have a respectful disagreement with someone. It can be a very difficult line to walk, so take some notes on how Tim does it!
Based on Greg Koukl's book, "The Story of Reality", Pastor Tim talked about five words that can help us understand how and why things happen the way they do in our world -- God, Man, Jesus, Cross, Resurrection. Koukl believes these five words "capture the meaning of our humanity and of all human history from beginning to end." We hope you will agree after listening to Pastor Tim's sermon.
On this week's episode of Tru-ID Scott Lane is joined by the internationally known Christian apologist, Greg Koukl. Greg is the founder of Stand to Reason Ministries which aims to equip believers in being ambassadors for the gospel. He is the author of a number of books including, "Tactics", and his newest work entitled "The Story of Reality". Greg Koukl brought his "A" game for this interview and even shared an interesting angle on applying concepts from his newest book to some of the apologetics issues I raised in articles I wrote on the Conscious Community. Key Topics: - How do I effectively navigate conversations with unbelievers? - How does the Christian worldview really provide answers for life's biggest questions? - Reviewing Greg Koukl's new book "The Story of Reality" Don't miss this episode.
Francis Beckwith is interviewed on Gregory Koukl’s Stand To Reason radio show about his decision to become a Catholic. The two have been friends for a long time and have even published evangelical books together. This revealing interview is not to be missed.
What does it mean to be a child of God? We continue our study of John's Gospel. Also on this weeks show; a deeply moving testimony, Reformed Thug Life, moral relativism and 'spider season.' Notes Relativism, Feet planted firmly in mid-air - Beckwith, Koukl -https://www.amazon.co.uk/Relativism-Feet-Firmly-Planted-Mid-Air/dp/0801058066 Reformed Thug Life -https://www.facebook.com/ReformedThugLife/ Visit the website for more content - worldview.co.uk
David Limbaugh, Greg Koukl, Kristen Dalton Wolfe, Lisa-Jo Baker, Elizabeth Thompson, Athena Dean Holtz, Jennifer Breedon
David Limbaugh, Greg Koukl, Kristen Dalton Wolfe, Lisa-Jo Baker, Elizabeth Thompson, Athena Dean Holtz, Jennifer Breedon
Let's conclude our look at Greg Koukl's analysis of the Problem of Evil. We're on the same page that this is a tough problem for Christianity, but I'm not sure that his resolution is as complete as he thinks. (For the podcast transcript, search for the title at www.Patheos.com/Blogs/CrossExamined)
Today's interview is (part one of two) with R. Scott Smith, Associate Professor of Ethics and Christian Apologetics at Biola University. He talks about his background and influences in ethics (J.P. Moreland, Dallas Willard), his opinion on the moral argument, the idea of naturalism grounding morality, the benefits of understanding ethical theory, and his recommended books on morality: Moral Choices by Scott Rae and Relativism by Koukl and Beckwith. Scott's own published works include Virtue Ethics and Moral Knowledge: Philosophy of Language after MacIntyre and Hauerwas and Truth and the New Kind of Christian: The Emerging Effects of Postmodernism in the Church. Scott also mentions the article "Knowledge & Naturalism" by Dallas Willard as well as J.P. Moreland's book Scaling the Secular City. Enjoy.
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