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What is the discipline of apologetics? Wesley and TJ discuss the topic with Alex McFarland.

If you have ever listened to an apologist speak at a debate, it is amazing how many time they quote from the Bible, from Christian authors, and from secular authors. These men and women are some of the most studious people on the planet. But Alex cautions for believers to read and study one book above all: the Bible.

When you are studying Scripture and you want to wade into the waters of apologetics, where do you start? What questions should you ask yourself? What questions should you study and be prepared to answer? Alex talks about these ideas and gives you ideas you can start working on right now to become a defender of the faith.

Things are shaken up on this episode of the Engage Podcast. Our trust cohost, Wesley Wildmon is out, but Jordan Chamblee steps up and fills the role.

And he helped out during a great interview with Steve and Hannah Tybor with Eight Days of Hope, a ministry that sweeps in after national disasters helping rebuild homes and lives.

Steve shares the story of how he started this ministry through a phone call with his dad and how God blessed it from there. He has led 12 8DoH trips and several rapid response trips.

Listen as Steve and Hannah share stories of how God has used this incredible ministry and how you can get involved for 8DoH 13.

Hannah Tybor may be young, but she doesn't let that stop her from filling a leadership role in a national ministry. Hannah is a junior ambassador for Eight Day of Hope. She has 10 of the 12 trips and makes time to serve even though she is a full-time college student. She also made time to come to the studio to talk with TJ and Jordan.

Hannah grew up doing 8DoH, and though she isn't sure she will be with it as a career, she definitely wants to be active in helping people. She talks about how that was developed in her worldview by her parents and how we can all seek out opportunities to serve people, whether they are across the street and need a light bulb replaced or if they are across the country and need their home rebuilt.

Wesley, TJ, and Jordan talked about the theological and practical applications of being spiritually adopted in the last segment. That is a wonderful truth, but it is of no effect if it does not drive you to some real action.

To take the application to its most logical place, Wesley and TJ invite Magan Williams into studio. Magan works with Canopy Children's Services to recruit and train parents to work in the Mississippi foster system.

Not everyone is called to serve through the foster system or to adopt. But everyone is called to serve orphans and children without homes. Magan gives some practical ways you can serve whether it is by inviting children into your home, helping those who do, or being available to help care centers where children are in transit stay in between houses.

TJ felt like it was early Christmas when he finally got his hands on the new ESV Reader's Bible. In case you missed the video, Jordan was too tired to show much excitement.

Wesley and TJ talk to Jordan about this fascinating Bible, and their discussion quickly turns to a prominent theme in Scripture: adoption.

Why does God use the imagery of adoption when speaking of Christians? What is the theological significance? The three dive into this incredibly rich truth.

Operation Christmas Child is a great ministry but it is strong because so many people support it and send in their shoeboxes filled with socks, clothes, toys, but not bologna sandwiches.

Part of the strategy of OCC is making sure there are new people every year packing shoeboxes. Sarah McCullen works with OCC on the campus of the University of Mississippi. She talks about the response of students and faculty. You can find more information about Sarah and the effort taking place on the campus of Ole Miss on their Facebook and Instagram pages.

Sarah said, "This is your chance to change someone's eternity for $10-15. The hope packed into these boxes lasts forever."

Can you pack a bologna sandwich in your Operation Christmas Child shoebox?

That may be a bad idea, but packing a shoebox for a child somewhere in the world is a great idea! Wesley and TJ celebrate the national collection week of Operation Christmas Child with Kendra White who went to the Dominican Republic to help deliver shoeboxes.

Kendra talks about what OCC is and how impactful the ministry is. One of the most impressive methods of OCC is using local churches to hand out the boxes. This helps build relationships between people and their local churches.

If you haven't packed your shoebox yet, there is still time. Visit OCC to find collection centers near you and to get tips about what to pack.

With Veteran's Day coming this Friday, Wesley and TJ wanted to discuss veterans and how blessed America is to have so many heroes in our midst.

But there are specific challenges faced by soldiers and there are many ways civilians can pray, serve, and help them. However, neither of them have served. So they brought in TJ's favorite veteran: his dad.

TJ's dad is Command Sergeant Major Teddy James. He has led enlisted soldiers on two deployments and speaks to the challenges of young and old soldiers alike, and gives practical advice on how to encourage, pray for, and support soldiers and their families.

We all know soldiers carry a lot of weight on their shoulders. While this is true in the physical sense with their equipment, body armor, etc. it is also true in the sense that they carry the reputation of America wherever they travel. This is difficult for anyone to carry, but consider it being carried by someone 18-25, a group much of culture believes to still be in adolescence.

Retired Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin joins Wesley and TJ on the program to discuss things active duty personnel cannot talk about, primarily the hidden struggles of policies that seek to make the military a social experiment. As in the previous episode, they also discuss practical ways civilians can help, encourage, and pray for soldiers.

Some Christians become so focused on what their individual calling from God on their lives are that they become paralyzed. They aren't sure what do to with their career, relationships, life that they are unable to do the things God calls every believer to do.

Wesley and TJ know that feeling. But that have each individually found that focusing on the universal callings God places on every believer has helped them find the ways God prepared for them to glorify them.

Wesley and TJ discuss on a few universal calling for believers each. Wesley focused on discipleship, family, rest, and service. TJ lists worship, love, study, and work.

These callings apply to every believer in every age of every church. But how they are fulfilled may be unique and personal.