The Bible Nerd Podcast

This week’s episode is a little different. I was recently given the opportunity to share some thoughts at my grandmothers funeral. I wanted to bring these thoughts to you all as well, because I believe many could learn from her life and example.

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TRANSCRIPT:

My grandmother—Mommom, as I knew her—passed away on Friday, May 10th, 2019.

I was asked to speak at her funeral on the following Wednesday just briefly.

These are powerful words:

In Christ, there are no goodbyes

And I close my eyes and I see your face

The hope we have in Jesus is really beautiful and unmatched. How do people live without it? I ask myself this question a lot.

What can we learn from the life of someone who lived sold-out for Jesus?

Here are four things I learned about life and Jesus from Mommom:

1. The Power of Devotion

Mommom loved the Lord with all of her heart. Her life was marked by her service and devotion to God, the things of God, and the people of God around her.

She loved her husband. She loved her church. She loved her family. But it was her love for God that enabled her to love these other things so deeply. She understood that love for others can only really be understood in the context of God’s love for us.

She instilled this devotion within me, though I rarely live up to the precedent set by her example. Quite often I remember her speaking wisdom and truth into my life.

She’d say something like,

Whatever you do, always make sure to put the Lord first. If you do that, he’ll take care of the rest.

Of course, Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

So if I could you give you just one spiritual takeaway—just one peice of advice to take from my Mommom’s example—it would be to live a life that simply puts Christ first.

If seeking God’s glory and God’s will is your primary focus, the rest—I can assure you—will fall right into place.

2. The Power of Prayer

The devotion of Mommom’s spiritial life carried over into her prayer life.

Though I wouldn’t trade my life and/or experiences for anything, it’s true that I wish I had gotten to spend more time with Mommom during the past 10-15 years.

She would have, no doubt, had an even greater spiritual influence on my life had I been closer. At the same time, I know she spent much time in prayer for me. She told me, and frankly, I could feel it.

Without a grandmother who knew how to appeal to God, I don’t know where I’d be. Would I have been raised in a Christian home? Would I have a love for gospel music? Would I have gotten to travel in full-time gospel music ministry? Would I have met my wife (who I met while traveling in full-time gospel music ministry)? Would I have three beautiful little boys? Would I have accepted the call to preach? Would I have been called to preach in the first place?

I believe in a sovereign God. But I believe in a sovereign God who anticipates—and answers—the meaningful prayers of his people. I can only conclude that much of the good in my life is the result of her fervent and unceasing prayer life.

3. The Power of Diligence

If one thing is certain, it’s that Mommom was not scared of a little hard work. In Ecclesiasates 9:10, King Solomon writes

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Mommom understood something very important about the Christian life. Being a Christian is not a “Sunday” thing—it’s an every day thing, and it shows up in every area of our lives. It’s a worldview—a way of looking at the world which informs everything we do, right down to the most minute task.

She had limitations that would leave many today completely helpless. But not Mommom. My Poppop was a hard worker, to be sure. But she didn’t leave him to do all the dirty work!

She was legally blind, yet she knew her way around her house and her property and could always be seen working in the garden, picking up sticks or leaves, hanging clothes on the line, walking up and down the basement doing laundry, etc.

She never even had a driver’s license, and yet she could navigate Philly to get to various doctor appointments with skill that would make a boy-scout blush!

Any anytime friends came over, you could be sure they’d be offered plenty to eat and drink—over, and over, and over, and over—again.

One of my favorite memories growing up at Open Bible Baptist Church and Victory Christian School was Holiday House, where Mommom helped sell antiques and other goods at the “Second Time Around.”

Mommom loved to serve in any and every way possible. She was diligent for the Lord. I only pray that I learn to approach every opportunity as an opporunity to serve the Lord, in the same way she did.

4. The Power of Encouragement

Last—but certainly not least—Mommom taught me the power of encouragement and being an encourager.

Every time I spoke with her, I tried to be a blessing and encouagement to her. And yet, it seems that I was the one who always left encouraged.

As you should understand by now, Mommom knew what was important. She knew that unless something was done to and for the glory of God, it wasn’t done in the right way or in the right spirit.

So she always encouraged others to use their gifts and talents for the Lord. She let people know she was praying for them. She offered her help and extended her hand to those who needed it.

I often think of how surprised some will be on Judgment Day. Some who worked, and worked, and worked without understanding the grace of God and desiring the only praise of men will hear “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22).

And then there will be some devoted saints of God—like Norma Fitting—who’ll receive more crowns to cast at the feet of Jesus than some of the most well-known preachers and evangelists of days gone by. Her life will be eternally marked and defined by those most desirable words: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

A Christian poet and illustrator named Dan Lietha penned a beautiful poem after the passing of a dear co-worker and ministry parter. It so beautifully captures what I want to express and etch into the memory of all who remember Mommom:

Today I look up to the sky, with a smile and some tears. A friend has gone to a place on high, with no more sickness, pain, or fears.

How do we transfer the Christian faith to Generation Z?

While there are lots of resources detailing Gen Z and what to believe about them, there are virtually none which tell how to communicate with them—until now.

So the Next Generation Will Know By Dr. Sean McDowell and J. Warner Wallace is a helpful, accessible volume that has the potential to transform your role as a youth pastor, Christian educator, or parent.

In the interview, Sean and I discuss some of the most prominent themes in the book, including the most likely reason Gen Z is characterized by depression and loneliness and the tactical approach Sean and J. Warner personally take when training Gen Zers.

Listen in now! I know you’ll learn a lot.

Mentioned in this lesson:

So the Next Generation Will Know

Sean McDowell

J. Warner Wallace

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 090: So the Next Generation Will Know w/ Dr. Sean McDowell appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

What if we could argue for the age of the earth without ever mentioning Genesis 1?

Anyone who regularly argues for the truth of young age creationism will greatly appreciate this helpful lesson from host of the Hey, Pastor! podcast, Marc Lambert.

In this episode, Marc begins with Jesus and walks us right back through the Bible’s unbroken chain of history—stopping just short of Genesis 1—to show that we don’t need Genesis 1 to answer the question of age.

This is a compelling and fascinating interview with a dear Christian brother that I know you’ll enjoy!

Mentioned in this lesson:

The Hey, Pastor! Podcast

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 089: From Jesus to Genesis w/ Marc Lambert appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

There’s no doubt that theistic evolutionism—or, as their preferred moniker has it—evolutionary creationism, is on the rise.

I could give numerous anecdotal reasons for this, but I’m not inclined to opine on the reasons for the wider trend. In this episode, I merely want to speak to the oddity of this trend at such a time as this.

It would seem that the more we learn about life at the molecular level, the less Darwin’s theory is able to withstand. And yet, the more the church has hitched up its wagon. I think this is a mistake, and we’ll talk about why in this episode.

Then, to wrap up, we answer a question about the life of Jesus and the nature of historical evidence.

Mentioned in this lesson:

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 088: The Odd Thing About Theistic Evolution appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

Recently the news reported of a tragic event that took place in Paris, France—the burning of the beloved Notre Dame Cathedral.

While this is tragic, make no mistake, I was a bit unpleasantly surprised by some of the reactions I saw from the Christian community. Have we got to the place where the “building” is esteemed higher than it ought to be?

In this episode I begin by giving a few thoughts around that. Then, we answer some questions from Quora about Christianity.

This week’s questions:

What is it like to shift from a devotional reading of the Bible to more of a historical/critical examination of it?

My boyfriend is Muslim. We have been together for four years. Yesterday, he told me he will not marry me unless I become Muslim. I am so in love with him, but I don’t want to be Muslim. What should I do?

What guides atheists to be good and stops them from doing evil since they don’t believe that hell is real?

Mentioned in this lesson:

The Creation Academy

Ask questions:

Go to steveschramm.com and click “Ask a Question” on the right.

Use #askS3 on Twitter

Join our free Facebook community and ask questions there.

Email me.

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Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 087: On the Burning of Notre Dame appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

Dr. Michael Behe is one of the world’s foremost defenders of Intelligent Design theory—the notion that the biological project is not one of random selection and mutation, but rather, the purposeful arrangement of parts by a superior intelligence.

His latest book, Darwin Devolves, takes the latest and best science we have on the molecular level of life and shows how Darwin’s theory is principally unable to account for the biodiversity of life we observe.

Moreover, he demonstrates how Darwin’s mechanism does not promote change by evolution, but rather, devolution. Listen in on this fascinating interview as we discuss his research and take about an hour-long stroll through the pages of his book.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

Some surprising facts about the history and origin of evolution theory.

Why contemporary Darwin skeptics still fail to account for the molecular evidence.

How “mind” is detectable and why, if it weren’t, we couldn’t really know anything at all.

How the largest and longest study ever done on evolution supports the thesis of Darwin Devolves.

Why critical feedback thus far has not dealt with the challenge Behe raises.

Mentioned in this lesson:

Get the book and keep up with critical feedback and responses.

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 086: Darwin Devolves w/ Dr. Michael Behe appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

In our Christian life, it’s not uncommon to wonder whether every circumstance we endure has been foreordained by God to take place.

I, for one, have questioned whether certain things in life were necessary, such as the early death of my father. Strangely, though, I’ve never pondered so deeply about the presence of a hangnail on my finger.

Here’s what I’m getting at:

When we say everything happens for a reason, do we really mean every thing?

I think we can form a biblically-based understanding of the sovereignty of God which preserves the pervasive sovereignty of God, the free will (and responsibility) of man, and the ultimate and immediate purposefulness (according to the will of God) of circumstances in our lives.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

Why, though I’m charitable toward those who hold this view, I think theological determinism is false from both biblical and philosophical angles.

An offering as to how my view on Molinism actually holds the highest possible view of God’s sovereignty.

A new possible aphorism to use in place of “everything happens for a reason.”

Mentioned in this lesson:

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 085: Does Everything Happen for a Reason? appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

Few creationists are as misunderstood as biologist and head of the Core Academy of Science, Dr. Todd Wood.

Wood is a adamant defender of young age creationism and has completed two books in recent days that help to clarify his position and also share his position with an unlikely audience, theistic evolutionists.

In this episode we’re going to be talking about his recent book, The Quest: Exploring Creation’s Hardest Problems. This was an awesome book that, frankly, I feel should be standard reading for any young age creationist. We could learn a lot from Dr. Wood.

So while we’ll not cover the book extensively (you have to read it), I will give some of my thoughts and key takeaways from it, as well to share some helpful tips for creationists as we seek to interact with zeal, grace, and a firm commitment to the biblical creation account.

Mentioned in this lesson:

Todd’s Blog

The Quest

The Fool and the Heretic

The Creation Academy

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 084: Thoughts on “The Quest” by Todd Wood appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

Like most American families—Christian or not—my wife and I enjoy watching TV.

As a culturally concerned Christian parent, however, there’s a need to be on the lookout for bad ideas in just about everything we consume. Sadly, most Christian parents are taken unsuspectingly by advanced marketing tactics that are made to appeal to emotional concerns of theirs, such as their own self-identify, in hopes of achieving political persuasiveness.

The 17th Century political activist Andrew Fletcher said, “Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws.”

Hundreds of years ago, Fletcher understood something that most people are not aware of—and thus, not on the lookout for—even today.

In this episode of the show I want to unpack something that happened on a recent episode of the TV show, For the People, and explain the marketing tactic that was used to make the emotional appeal. Then, I’ll give you three steps you can use to help guard your family from being taken by these tactics when they appear.

Mentioned in this lesson:

Made to Stick

Engineer Guy Review

The Single Most Important Aspect of Apologetics is Knowing what the Bible Does and Does Not Teach. Here’s Why.

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 083: Pop Culture, Emotional Appeals, and the the Leftist Agenda appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.

Last week, we began talking about the idea that “you” have a “truth” that allows you to see reality, legitimately, in different terms from someone else.

This is a fallacious notion that is ultimately nothing more than relativism in disguise.

Unfortunately, the disguise has made it past the defenses of many well-meaning Christians.

While last week’s episode focused more on the error, this week, we discuss the likely motivations behind this trend and suggest that the Bible itself offers the proper alternative to accomplishing these “good intentions” as I refer to them.

This relativistic error is most noticeable in Christian self-development circles, and I bring a unique perspective to the issue because I do, indeed, highly value personal development.

I think there is a biblically consistent philosophy of self-improvement, and it’s found in our union with Christ.

Mentioned in this lesson:

Thanks so much for listening. Please subscribe and share on Apple Podcasts!

Also, please consider donating to become a financial Partner of the ministry. God Bless!

The post 082: (Part 2) “Your Truth” is Not a Thing appeared first on Steve Schramm Ministries.