Reasonable Theology Podcast

Apologist Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason  provides an overview of the "Columbo Tactic" and how it can help you stay in the driver's seat in challenging conversations.The "Columbo" tactic, named after the TV detective, is a strategic approach for introducing spiritual topics into conversations through simple, leading questions. It involves asking open-ended, inquisitive questions like "What do you mean by that?" to gently steer the conversation towards spirituality. The tactic aims to expose flaws or contradictions in others' views in a non-confrontational manner. For instance, following up with "How did you come to that conclusion?" respects the other person's reasoning and encourages them to articulate their beliefs, providing more insight for further discussion. Even when faced with responses lacking clear reasoning, the Columbo tactic uses straightforward, relevant questions to provoke thought, emphasizing the importance of having reasons for one’s beliefs. This method highlights the power of asking well-placed questions to facilitate deeper, more meaningful conversations about spiritual matters.▶ Watch the full conversation: https://youtu.be/CZrApYwhP7Y📖 Pick up a copy of Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions https://amzn.to/478Sppl📖 Pick up a copy of Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges https://amzn.to/49yRWOASupport 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

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 a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos 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

The feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle that Jesus performed that is recorded in all four Gospels. This alone shows us just how important this event is in the ministry of Christ.In this sermon we examine Matthew 14:13-21 alongside the parallel accounts in Mark 6, Luke 9, and John 6 to gain a fuller understanding of what this miracle revealed about Christ to those who witnessed these things and how we can rightly understand and apply the lessons it has to teach us.In this message we will see that Jesus’ greatest act of compassion in feeding the 5,000 was not that he took away their hunger, but that He revealed to them that He was the one who had come to take away their sin.Matthew 14:13-2113 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos 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

Martin Luther was a man whose heart was held captive to the Word of God. He was used mightily by God to usher in the Protestant Reformation, which would serve to recover the core truths of the Gospel that had been obscured by medieval religion and superstition.On this episode we will examine the life of the man who sparked the Protestant Reformation. Learn more at ReasonableTheology.org/LutherSome Recommended Luther BiographiesHere I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton: https://amzn.to/3QgzxNELuther and the Reformation: How a Monk Discovered the Gospel by RC Sproul: https://amzn.to/46P54O6The Legacy of Luther by RC Sproul and Stephen Nichols: https://amzn.to/3Qad6KdSupport 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

Christians have more access to Scripture than ever before. At the same time, study after study reveals that our time actually reading the Bible is declining. If we’re honest, most of us have experienced difficulty with getting into the Word and really engaging with the text.Why is this the case, and how can we overcome our tendency to leave our Bibles unread?On this episode of the podcast I speak with Alex Goodwin, co-founder of the Institute for Bible Reading and the author of The Bible Reset: Simple Breakthroughs to Make Scripture Come Alive.In this conversation Alex and I discuss:○ How some of the modern formatting in our Bibles creates friction that slows down our reading○ The benefits of reading large sections (or even entire books) of the Bible in one sitting○ Why we should read Scripture in community with other believers○ How understanding what he calls the ‘six act drama’ of Scripture can help us connect the Bible’s central themes and get more out of our study.Listen to our conversation and find some ways that you can reset your Bible reading habits.________________► For more on this topic, visit https://ReasonableTheology.org/Reset► Pick up a copy of Bible Reset: https://amzn.to/3FmgCw1► See All Podcast Guest's Books: https://amzn.to/441gkou► Let's Connect:• Facebook: https://facebook.com/ReasonableTheology• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheologyTweets• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reasonabletheologyGet a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos 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

Introducing the 5-Foot Bookshelf, my list of 57 must-have books every Christian should own, all fitting neatly into a 5-foot shelf!This whole idea was sparked by Charles W. Elliot, a past president of Harvard University, who believed you could get a solid education with just a 3-foot bookshelf. Eventually, he expanded it to 5 feet and filled it with a wide range of books now known as the "Harvard Classics."I've curated a list of books in areas like Biblical studies, theology, church history, and Christian living, aiming to deepen your understanding of Scripture and strengthen your faith. Whether you're building your library from scratch, looking to expand your shelves, or just interested in a good book recommendation you're sure to find something on this list.As the title suggests, these recommendations take up only 5 feet of shelf space in total, making this the perfect list for those with limited shelf space and a limited budget.See the List & Download a Printable Copy: https://reasonabletheology.org/the-5-foot-bookshelf-57-great-books-every-christian-should-own/#7-christian-literature📖 THE FIVE-FOOT BOOKSHELF COVERS:• Biblical Studies• Theology• Apologetics• Church History• Christian Living• Personal Devotion• Christian LiteratureLEAVE YOUR SUGGESTIONS I'd love to hear your thoughts and any book recommendations you might have. But remember: if you suggest a book, let me know which one you'd swap out to keep within the 5-foot limit.🛒 View the Full List on AmazonExplore all the books mentioned in one place on this Amazon list: https://amzn.to/3tjwBIq____________________________________________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

William Tyndale was a Reformer, a Bible translator, and – ultimately – a martyr. He became an outlaw as he worked in secret to give England a translation of Scripture in their own language directly from original Hebrew and Greek texts.In doing so, he had a tremendous impact not only on the history of the church but also on the history of the English language. Every modern translation of the Bible relies heavily on Tyndale’s work, and he helped to standardize the English language and came up with many words and phrases that are still in use today.Although he was able to smuggle his New Testament translations into England, many were confiscated and burned by the Catholic Church. Because of this (and the fact that about 500 years has passed since they were initially published), original copies of Tyndale’s work are extremely rare.On this episode of the podcast I speak with Owen Felix O’Neill – a rare book collector who has an original, complete copy of the Tyndale New Testament of 1534. He is in the process of making a facsimile copy of this remarkable book available to all, and you can learn more about the project at Tyndale1534.com.Felix and I discuss the great impact that Tyndale’s Bible had on the church, how he got started with his collection of over 3,000 rare books, and how they have gone about scanning and reproducing his copy of Tyndale’s New Testament. We’ll also get to learn about a couple of other interesting items in his collection.Check out the show notes for this episode and learn more about the project at ReasonableTheology.org/Tyndale. Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos 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

The three main philosophies which characterized Judaism in the New Testament period and before were the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes.So what’s the difference between these three groups?In this short episode you'll get an overview of each in order to help you as you encounter them in your study of the New Testament and its historical context.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

The Holy Spirit has been referred to as the “forgotten member of the Trinity.” At one extreme there are those who all but ignore the person and work of the Spirit and at the other extreme there are those who stray from Scripture in seeking to harness the power of the Spirit for their own purposes.We don’t want to commit either of these errors, but instead we desire to have a right understanding of and appreciation for the Holy Spirit.On this episode we’ll talk with Costi Hinn, who grew up in the extremes of the Word of Faith Movement but was saved and now serves as the Pastor as well as the founder and president of For the Gospel.He’s also the author of Knowing the Spirit: Who He Is, What He Does, and How He Can Transform Your Christian Life.We’ll discuss the common misconceptions about the person and work of the Holy Spirit, how Christians can discern whether something is of the Spirit or not, what it means to worship in Spirit and in truth, and how we are to understand practices like speaking in tongues or prophesying.This is a great conversation that will help you better understand and appreciate the person and work of the Spirit in your everyday life.Check out the show notes and see additional resources at ReasonableTheology.org/Hinn_____________________Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos 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

Can the techniques used to solve homicides be the same tools to establish the case for Christianity?J. Warner Wallace was a seasoned homicide detective and a devout atheist. But everything changed when he turned his investigator’s eye towards the claims of Christianity, applying ten common rules of evidence that he’d used to solve crimes throughout his career.The result? A transformation from skepticism to faith, and a bestselling book, “Cold-Case Christianity,” which has just released an updated and expanded 10th anniversary edition.In this latest conversation with Detective Wallace we talk about how he used his skill set as a detective to evaluate the claims of Christianity.We’ll also learn about how we can employ the rules of evidence when evaluating the reliability of the Gospels.We’ll learn the important difference between direct and indirect evidence and how this impacts how we try to present the truthfulness of the Christian faith.We’ll also hear his advice for those who are earnestly seeking to understand whether or not the claims of Christ are true.To see the show notes, explore links to other resources, or watch our conversation visit ReasonableTheology.org/coldcasePick up a copy of Cold Case Christianity: https://amzn.to/3Pp1eVuGet a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos 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