Think Well

Does an all-knowing God make free will an illusion? Since heaven is without sadness, does mean that we won't be ourselves? These two arguments were put forth in posts that students sent my way. Let's work through these bad arguments and learn to think well.

This conversation will get you ready to present the case for Christianity with confidence and grace. You'll be better equipped to navigate those tricky conversations as you delineate biblical teachings from Mormon doctrine. Join us and Think Well about some of the the most important theological topics. Eric Johnson works with Mormonism Research Ministry (https://www.mrm.org/) and has written and coauthored several books, including "Answering Mormon's Questions," "Mormonism 101," and "Sharing the Good News with Mormons." He currently lives in Utah with his wife and three daughters.

I invited Randal Rauser on my show back in July. After our live conversation, he offered me a thought experiment that tried to show that loving rightly is more important than believing rightly. His thought experiment is in his video, "How You LOVE is More Important than What You BELIEVE" on YouTube. I told him that I would make a video with a more detailed response, so here it is!

Our culture has gone through a major shift that is influencing and impacting our students. We may think that our students are protected from the culture inside their churches, families, and schools. However, recent studies show that the relativistic ideas in our culture are undermining the faith of students. How can Jesus be the Truth if there is no truth? Ryan explains how relativism is undermining your student’s faith in Christ and gives practical ways in which we can respond.

Ryan talks to many students who simply seem bored with Christianity. They have grown up in a Christian home, attended Christian schools, and have gone to church every week. They are tired of the same stories being repeated over and over again. Their knowledge of God is limited to: God loves me, he has a plan for me, and Jesus died for me… that’s all. No wonder they’re bored! Other students keep hearing about God but become bitter because they keep asking “Where is he? Does he even exist?”, only to never get their questions answered. That is why Ryan created this talk. He thinks that when we understand how relationships are formed, then our students will grow into a deep, loving, committed relationship with God. This was the first of five sessions given at the Bread of Life English Summer Conference. We begin with a short Q&A before jumping into the session.

What does it look like for Christians to stand up to the most heated topics of today in a just and loving manner? This conversation will help you think well about the many moral issues facing this generation and offer practical steps to make a positive difference. Dr. Sean McDowell is an author, speaker, and associate professor at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He has two master's degrees and a PhD in apologetics and worldview studies. He has authored or edited more than twenty books. Sean is the cohost for the "Think Biblically" podcast, which is one of the most popular podcasts on faith and cultural engagement. He is also active on social media and has a popular YouTube channel.

Students ask some of the best and most difficult questions about God, the Bible, and the church. If left unanswered, they can turn into doubts and lead them away from Christianity. Alex and I will be addressing some of the toughest questions that students ask so that you can confidently respond the next time they come up. Alex McFarland a Christian apologist, author, evangelist, religion and culture analyst, and advocate for biblical truth. He has preached in over 2,200 churches throughout North America and numerous more internationally. With a passion to communicate the message of Christ to a new generation, he co-hosts Exploring the Word on the American Family Radio Network, airing daily on nearly 200 radio stations across the U.S. Alex’s greatest passion is growing the Body of Christ and instructing Christians on how to stand strong in the face of ever-diminishing morals, ethics, and values. In the early 1990s, Alex pioneered the Truth for a New Generation Conference designed to equip teens and adults to know what they believe and defend their faith.

What does Scripture say about engaging those who do not share my faith? How do I participate in difficult conversations? How do I actually interact with someone whose ideas are different from mine? Cultural Intelligence uses Scripture and the example of Paul to put you in a better position to live with the pluralism we all face. Dr. Darrell Bock is the executive director of cultural engagement and senior research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the author of over 40 books, including well-regarded commentaries on Luke and Acts and studies of the historical Jesus, and work in cultural engagement as host of the seminary's Table Podcasts.

Randal Rauser recently wrote the book "Progressive Christians Love Jesus Too." I invited him on the show today to discuss how progressives and evangelicals view Jesus and Christianity differently. Is progressive Christianity another gospel or another religion? This friendly conversation will help you think well about those questions. Randal Rauser is a systematic and analytic theologian of evangelical persuasion. He received his PhD at King's College, London. He is Professor of Historical Theology at Taylor Seminary where he has taught since 2003. He is the author of several books including "Is the Atheist my Neighbour?" (Wipf and Stock, 2015), "What on Earth do We Know About Heaven?" (Baker, 2013), the bestseller "Finding God in the Shack" (Biblica, 2009), "Theology in Search of Foundations" (Oxford, 2009) and "The Swedish Atheist, the Scuba Diver and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails" (InterVarsity, 2012).

I've been working hard behind the scenes on some exciting stuff, and today is the day that I'm going to tell you about it. There are also a lot of upcoming events and interviews that you won't want to miss.