Joe and Rebekah Martin have labored for twenty years in Africa to bring the gospel and humanitarian aid to some of the poorest people in the world.  They minister primarily in Malawi and Mozambique, though the work in Kenya is now gaining traction as well.  In this interview, you’ll hear how a single tract led to one believing family, which eventually resulted in more than 450 churches, 20 years later!  In addition, the Martins share several stories of what they’ve seen God do in the missionary field.  They’ve run missions trips virtually every summer with other pastors and students.  I went myself (with Ruth) back in 2004.  Now that they’ve reached the age for retirement, they’ve purchased a house in Malawi so they can spend even more time there each year.

Notes and Links:

Martin Luther King Jr. day is on Monday, so I thought this would be a good time to replay a phenomenal debate on the question of whether or not Christians should use violence or participate in the military.  Peter Kreeft and J. Daryl Charles defend the classic just war position while David Bercot and Dean Taylor advocate for the Anabaptist view.  The debate is cordial and the recording is top-notch.  What’s more the speakers are evenly matched and the debate moves right along.  If you’ve ever wondered about whether or not Christians can use violence, this debate will give you a window into how sincere Christians on both sides explain their positions.

Notes and Links:

Let’s say you are sharing your faith with a friend and they say to you, “Well, I’m glad that Christianity works for you, but it sounds like no fun to me.”  How would you respond?  Is Christianity no more than a set of restrictions we set on our lives like a straitjacket?  Listen in to this episode as we discuss how following Jesus is an exciting adventure worth pursuing.

Notes and Links:

Pastor Victor Gluckin of Living Faith Christian Church (Warwick, RI) shares about his journey of faith. He was Mr. Popularity in High School; everyone loved him.  However, he was spiritually dead and lifted up with pride.  His breaking point came when he left his small town and attended George Washington University in DC.  He planned to study political science before launching a career in public service, eventually culminating in his election as the president of the United States.  However, when he got to GW, he discovered that he was just one of many ex-high school presidents with big dreams.  God humbled him and showed him the truth about his heart.  Listen to this episode to hear the rest of his story as well Gluckin’s appeal to you to consider your own life.

Notes and Links:

The youngest part of the bible is nearly 2,000 years old.  How can such an ancient book have any relevance to our complex and technologically advanced world?  How would you answer this objection?  It’s certainly undeniable that our world is so much different from the nomadic shepherds of three millennia ago.  However, science, political innovations, and technology have failed to generate a golden age of tranquility and prosperity.  Our world is just as fragmented and fraught with dysfunction and injustice as ever.  The internet has enabled us to access an unprecedented amount of information from all around the world quickly and cheaply.  However, the net effect has led to information overload as searchers find themselves paralyzed by all of the “authoritative” perspectives and “experts” clamoring for attention.   Increasingly people are turning to ancient analog faiths for answers in our digital age.  The luster of virtual reality has worn off for many as they find their souls empty and isolated after binging on the dainties of television shows and social media.  Many are looking for something real, something tried and tested, something with substance.  This is where the bible has fresh appeal for our age.  When we compare the scriptures to other historical books, they stand head and shoulders above them in that they are better preserved, more accessible, and more practical than the others.  Timeless moral principles, powerful motivation, and encouraging hope make the bible an elixir to the soul’s of countless readers worldwide.  Listen in as we discuss how the bible remains relevant and powerful in our time.

Notes and Links:

Apologetics 15: Gender and Sexual Ethics (Objection 3)

This lecture covers some basic Christian sexual ethics, including marriage, divorce, pornography, homosexuality, cohabitation, and adultery.  Sadly, since this was the last lecture, time did not permit a thorough analysis of these subjects.  Even so, I touched on each briefly and biblically in an effort to stake out a Christian position on each and give some evidence to equip you to give an answer to those who critique us.

If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade.

Notes:

on all of these controversial issues

Marriage

three views of marriage

Sex Outside of Marriage

God designed sex for marriage in the beginning. Thus, sex within marriage is godly and holy and enjoyable and not shameful.

Jesus on sexual purity

Paul on purity

1 Thessalonians 4.3-8

We take a break from our normal Off Script format to share some seasonal reminiscences and lighthearted banter about Christmas past and present.  In this somewhat silly episode you’ll learn what Christmas song Rose hates, Dan’s most cherished childhood present, and Sean’s Christmas-eve meal preference.  Other exciting topics discussed in this podcast include: why Handel’s Messiah is awesome, how to poach a Christmas tree from state land, and when it’s ok to start listening to Christmas music.  Additionally, Rose will reveal an ethnic secret about herself that you won’t want to miss.

Apologetics 14: Science (Objection 2)

Although our culture commonly pits science and faith against each other, as if they’ve been at war for centuries, the truth is that faith gave birth to science.  In this lecture, you’ll learn about some of the main science objections that skeptics bring against Christianity and how to respond to them.

If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade.

Notes:

Why Isn’t God’s Existence Obvious?

Theists Pioneered Most Branches of Science

“To know the mighty works of God, to comprehend His wisdom and majesty and power; to appreciate, in degree, the wonderful workings of His laws, surely all this must be a pleasing and acceptable mode of worship to the Most High, to whom ignorance cannot be more grateful than knowledge.” –Nicolaus Copernicus, the mathematician and astronomer (1473-1543) who formulated a heliocentric model of the universe

“…Those laws are within the grasp of the human mind. God wanted us to recognize them by creating us after his own image so that we could share in his own thoughts.”  –Johannes Kepler, the German mathematician and astronomer who discovered the laws of planetary motion

“If you study science deep enough and long enough, it will force you to believe in God.”  —Lord William Kelvin, who was noted for his theoretical work on thermodynamics, the concept of absolute zero and the Kelvin temperature scale based upon it.

“In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God’s existence.”

“There can never be any real opposition between religion and science; for the one is the complement of the other. Every serious and reflective person realizes, I think, that the religious element in his nature must be recognized and cultivated if all the powers of the human soul are to act together in perfect balance and harmony. And indeed it was not by accident that the greatest thinkers of all ages were deeply religious souls.”  —Max Planck, the Nobel Prize winning physicist considered to be the founder of quantum theory, and one of the most important physicists of the 20th century, indeed of all time.

“The gift of mental power comes from God, Divine Being, and if we concentrate our minds on that truth, we become in tune with this great power.”  –Nikola Tesla, the inventor and futurist scientist known for nume

In this episode, we pick up the conversation where the last lecture in my Apologetics class left off.  We review six reasons the bible gives for suffering as well as how to face pain and hardship.

By looking at Jesus and Paul, we see that God did not spare either of them from adversity.  Jesus came into this world as a hunted refugee, faced conflict and opposition his entire ministry, and then, in =the end, faced torture and execution.  Similarly Paul endured rejection, whippings, beatings, shipwreck, and martyrdom.  We can learn from these examples about how we can deal with difficulty in our own lives.

Also, we discuss the prosperity gospel and play a clip from John Piper who puts his finger on why such a theology is so dangerous.  Lastly, we draw inspiration from the words of the prophet Habakkuk who cried out to God to do something to deal with the rampant injustice of his day.

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to first listen to podcast episode 62: Why Does God Allow Suffering? before listening to this episode.  It should be the one right before this one.  Here now is off script episode 19: more on why God Allows Suffering

Notes and Links:

Apologetics 13: Problem of Evil (Objection 1)

Now that we’ve established the existence of God, the historicity of Christ’s resurrection, and the bible’s veracity, we come to objections commonly brought against Christianity. The chief classical question posed to Christians throughout the eons is, “How can you believe in God when there is so much pain and suffering in the world?” Thankfully, the bible provides a range of answers to that question though, it’s not always clear which answer applies to a given situation.  In what follows I address the logical argument against God’s existence before going on to cover 6 major reasons why God allows suffering, including: (1) the Fall, (2) the devil, (3) God’s judgments, (4) using suffering for good, (5) lack of faith, and (6) time and chance.  Lastly, I explore some of what the scriptures teach us about dealing with suffering.

If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade.

Notes:

This is a serious problem

outline

The problem stated and some possible solutions

Some suggested solutions

reformulating the proof

evil points to a source of evil