Worldview Legacy | The Think Institute

What is "marriage?" How do you define "love?" Or hate? How about "equality," "justice," or "tolerance?" What about something as simple as "male" and "female?" Not so simple anymore, is it? These are all words that have been redefined (or are in the process of being redefined) over the last several years. These words have been the victims of linguistic theft. What is linguistic theft? It is the practice of "purposefully hijacking words, changing their definitions, and then using those same words as tools of propaganda." My guest today is Hillary Morgan Ferrer, and she's going to tell us all about linguistic theft, why it's a threat to the truth, and how to fight back against it. Hillary is the founder and Mama-Bear-in-Chief of Mama Bear Apologetics. She is the co-author and general editor of Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies (Harvest House, 2019). She earned her master's in biology from Clemson and is working on another master's in apologetics from Biola University. She and her husband John have been married 13 years and minister together as an apologetics team. Learn more about Hillary and Mama Bear Apologetics at mamabearapologetics.com. Get the full show notes at https://thethink.institute/podcast. 

To jump the shark is to reach a point of ridiculousness after which no one can ever take you seriously again. Today on Worldview Wednesday, Joel and Pastor Raef are concerned that the Smithsonian Institute may have reached such a point.  What's causing this concern is the Smithsonian's recent article on race and culture, written by an anonymous author.  The article is adorned with an infographic describing the "Aspects and Assumptions of Whiteness & White Culture in the United States," and whatever other pros and cons the article may contain, it is here that the article—and possibly the Smithsonian Institute itself, truly jumps the shark. How are Christians to think about an article and an infographic like this, in light of what the Bible says about things like individualism, science, hard work, family structure, and monotheism (all of which the author lists as elements of "whiteness")?  In this episode, Joel and Pastor Raef analyze this infographic point by point, using Scripture, to help believers think biblically about this topic. Get the full show notes at https://thethink.institute/podcast.

In the days of the Protestant Reformation, many families developed the habit of "catechizing" their children—teaching them the basics of the Christian faith. While this used to be standard practice, many, maybe most Christians today grow up without ever going through a formal process of "catechesis," outside of maybe Bible stories in Sunday School.  If you weren't catechized as a child, what are you missing from your Christian worldview? Could rediscovering the lost art of catechesis greatly improve your own walk with the Lord? If you missed out on getting catechized as a child, it's not too late to teach yourself the basics of the Christian religion. My guest Jordan Quinley is going to tell us how.  Jordan is the author of the Redeemer Catechism. He grew up in San Diego County in a Christian home and graduated from San Diego Christian College in 2006 with a degree in English and a growing appetite for theology. Jordan resides with his wife Rebekah in Redlands, California where he works as a paralegal and attends Redeemer Fellowship each Sunday. Get the full show notes at https://thethink.institute/podcast.

How do we as Christians navigate this age of cancel culture? How do we know when to be quiet, when to speak out, and how to engage in a Christlike way? Nowadays, using your social media accounts to say something others don't like can get you "canceled"—your accounts suspended (or shut down), the loss of endorsements or even employment, or in extreme cases, death threats and an angry mob outside your home. While this doesn't happen to a majority of users, the fact that it happens at all can have a chilling effect on public discourse. Speaking out has become more dangerous than ever. However, while Christians are called to seek to live "quiet and peaceful lives" (1 Tm 2:2), and while there is a time to remain silent, there is also a time to speak (Ec 3:7). And when it comes to the Gospel, we cannot remain silent (1 Co 9:16). Yet the Gospel can be one of the most offensive messages out there (2 Co 2:16)! Joel and Pastor Raef talk about how to navigate the stormy waters of cancel culture from a biblical worldview in this epically helpful video.   Get more great content from Pastor Raef at https://raefchenery.com. Get the full show notes at https://thethink.institute/podcast.

How much SCIENTIFIC evidence can you give to support your CHRISTIAN faith? If you can't give much, is that because Christianity is actually... unscientific? And if it were unscientific, how much would that matter?     So are we to think about the relationship between the claims of the Bible and the discoveries of science?    My guest today is Lucas Giolas. Lucas earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Physics and Astrophysics from the University of Minnesota, and a Master of Arts degree in Science and Religion from the Talbot School of Theology. He is a nuclear instrumentation and control systems engineer at a commercial nuclear power plant. He's also a volunteer teacher and preacher at Grace Pointe Church in Naperville and is the book review team leader for Apologetics315. He and his wife Kristin have and two young children.   Lucas is an evidentialist/classical apologist, and we are going to discuss the scientific case for the Christian faith. Get the full show notes at https://thethink.institute/podcast

This is June, which means for many of our neighbors it's "Pride Month," which is "an annual celebration of the LGBTQ community." Many corporations have jumped on board, including kid-focused outlets like Nickelodeon and Disney, who have both been promoting the Pride Month message through their advertising and social media. So, how are Christian parents to respond to all this? How can we guide our children and families well during this season of the year? In today's Worldview Wednesday episode, Joel and Pastor Raef bring the biblical worldview to bear on the topic of Pride Month. Get the full show notes here: https://thethink.institute/podcast.

When was the last time you had a friendly conversation with someone who completely disagreed with you? The Gospels record Jesus having many such conversations. Christians, therefore, see the benefit of having them. And with modern technology and social networks, it should be easier than ever. However, these very tools also make it easier to isolate ourselves, to listen only to our own personal echo chambers of people who agree with us. Today we want to break that pattern by opening up a dialogue between a Christian and a skeptic.   Ethan Micheal calls himself "Your Friendly Neighborhood Atheist." He's a rising YouTube content creator who has hosted dozens of conversations and debates on his channel, as well as on Facebook. He enjoys making people laugh and raising awareness on the topic of atheism, and he joins me today from his home in Chicagoland. Listen in as we talk about his personal journey to atheism, his interactions with Christians, and what he thinks it would take to make him believe in Jesus. Get the full show notes at https://thethink.institute/podcast.

Racism is pride, prejudice or partiality based on physical or genetic traits shared by a group. What does the Bible say about racism?  We'd better find out, because we've reached a crucial moment in world history. The killing of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has sparked a massive movement of humanity across the United States and abroad, and the issue of racism is at the center of it all. Many Christians are joining the conversation from a desire to stand for justice, comfort the hurting, and call for unity among all people.    The term "Bible Verses About Racism" is currently trending at an all-time high on Google.   What does all this mean? It means God has given his church an incredible opportunity. The world is hurting and is asking whether we have anything to say that can help.   So we have two options: we can share our own, fallible opinions, or we can share God's word. And the good news is that God's word has a lot to say about it. Today I want to share that with you.  For more on this subject, check out this Worldview Wednesday episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QifG4... Get the full show notes at https://thethink.institute/podcast

Have you ever got to the point when you realized this: everyone you know will live forever? Yes, their physical bodies will die. However, human beings are more than mere bodies. We are souls, too. And when our physical lives end, our souls will live on—in one of two destinations.   The Bible teaches that after death comes judgment. Do you know if the people in your life are prepared for that judgment? If you don't know, then how can you find out? If they aren't ready, then what are you going to tell them?  Join Joel and Pastor Raef for an unscripted conversation about sharing the faith, defending the truth, and how a passion for souls motivates us to tackle such controversial cultural topics on this show. Get the full show notes at https://thethink.institute/podcast.

We all agree that racism is wrong, but what does the Bible have to say about it? Do we need the Bible in order to consistently condemn the sin of racism, or is there another standard we can appeal to?   This is your opportunity to listen in and interact with Joel and Pastor Raef, as they dig into this subject and explain what the Christian worldview has to say about ethnicity and racism, and why it's vital for Christians to know what God's word has to say about this topic. Get the full show notes at https://thethink.institute/podcast