Where did Christmas really come from—and should Christians celebrate it? This week, we explore the historical roots of Christmas, common objections about pagan origins and commercialization, and the role of Santa, imagination, and gift-giving. Along the way, we argue that the church’s call isn’t to retreat from culture but to redeem it. Ultimately, Christmas matters because the incarnation matters: God took on flesh, entered our darkness, and brought hope at just the right time. When understood rightly, even the most familiar Christmas traditions can point us back to Jesus. 

In this episode:

(00:00) Intro

(01:15) Why Christians question Christmas

(02:45) Pagan origins, Sol Invictus, and Saturnalia

(06:10) Did Christians borrow Christmas?

(09:15) The church’s call: withdraw from culture or redeem it?

(15:30) Puritans vs. separatists: two ways of engaging the world

(17:55) Lights, gifts, and redeeming Christmas traditions

(19:45) Is Santa real? Imagination, myth, and meaning

(23:10) Why stories teach truth better than arguments

(25:10) Gift-giving, generosity, and reflecting God’s heart

(28:45) Why the incarnation actually matters

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

This week, we respond to a viral clip claiming most Christians don’t really believe what they preach. We unpack the difference between hypocrisy and inconsistency, talk about weak versus fake faith, explore what a transformed life actually looks like, and wrestle with the place of evangelism in our lives. 

In this episode:

(00:00) Intro

(01:29) “I don’t think people are actually religious”

(03:58) Hypocrisy vs. inconsistency

(07:56) Weak faith or fake faith?

(12:33) The problem with cultural Christianity

(18:01) What a transformed life actually looks like

(23:00) Internal change vs. external rule-keeping

(28:48) What place should evangelism have in our lives?

(32:50) How real conversations open real doors

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

This week, we take on the question, “Can a Christian abuse grace?” and explore why that question often reveals more about our own hearts than other people’s behavior. We dig into Christian liberty, the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Romans 7, and why those who truly grasp God’s love are actually the least likely to cheapen it. We look at how self-righteousness distorts our view of grace, and why the only real way to “abuse” grace is to misunderstand it or reject it altogether. 

In this episode:

(00:00) – Intro

(01:06) – Can a Christian actually abuse grace?

(02:22) – Thinner, flatter versions of grace

(03:27) – When concern for holiness becomes self-righteousness

(04:36) – The hidden ways we all “abuse” grace

(06:00) – The tension of Christian liberty

(07:49) – Older brothers and younger brothers

(09:37) – Comparing sins to avoid our own

(11:36) – The heaviness of watching everyone else

(13:10) – Fear-based faith vs freedom-based faith

(15:16) – Why we keep looking for “the line”

(17:45) – What preaching real grace actually produces

(19:38) – When your heart won’t cooperate

(22:01) – The surprising comfort of conviction

(25:05) – The only real way to abuse grace

(27:39) – When grace sounds too reckless

(29:52) – The prodigal, the Pharisee, and the Father

(34:10) – So what do we do with all this?

Key Ideas

Grace isn’t something you “abuse” as much as something you misunderstand. Most concerns about “abusing grace” come from viewing the Christian life as rule-keeping rather than relationship. A deeper grasp of God’s love—not fear—actually leads to transformation.

Self-examination comes before evaluating anyone else’s behavior. Jesus calls us to address the beam in our own eye first. Before questioning someone else’s actions, check your own posture, motives, and the subtle ways self-righteousness creeps in.

Jesus intentionally left a broadness to the Christian life. Scripture leaves intentional room for believers to live differently within the boundaries of orthodoxy. Differences in conscience, lifestyle, or struggle don’t necessarily signal spiritual compromise.

True grace produces desire—not license—to honor God. When you genuinely understand God’s unconditional love, it awakens a desire to honor Him—not a desire to run wild. Grace transforms from the inside out in a way that moral pressure never can.

The only real “abuse of grace” is rejecting it altogether. Willful rebellion—the prodigal running from home—reflects rejection of God’s love, not overuse of it. But even then, the Father’s response in Jesus’ parable shows that love, not fear, is what draws us home.

Links 

Brennan Manning: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brennan_Manning 

Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund: https://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Lowly-Christ-Sinners-Sufferers/dp/1433566133 

A Scandalous Freedom by Steve Brown: https://www.amazon.com/Scandalous-Freedom-Radical-Nature-Gospel/dp/1582293929 

Putting Amazing Back Into Grace by Michael Horton: https://www.amazon.com/Putting-Amazing-Back-into-Grace/dp/0801014212 

The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther: https://www.amazon.com/Bondage-Will-Martin-Luther/dp/0801048931 

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This week, we’re sharing a live Q&A where we talk Christian nationalism, predestination, identity in Christ, and what it means to trust grace without abusing it. We explore how God forms us, how to walk with those who feel spiritually numb, and why the church remains central to following Jesus.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:00) - What’s the problem with “Christian nationalism”?

(06:54) - Is it wrong for Christians to stay out of politics?

(08:50) - What does predestination mean for me—and my family?

(17:08) - Are we passive in our relationship with God?

(22:12) - Can grace be abused—and what would that look like?

(24:09) - If we fall short of biblical commands, do we lose our inheritance?

(26:07) - Does grace extend to all—including the marginalized and LGBTQ?

(27:37) - How do you help someone who’s become callous to sin?

(30:38) - How can we make the church central to our lives?

(34:03) - Why is Ephesians so relevant to today’s church?

(35:04) - Does the Spirit shape our character—and our behavior?

(36:06) - How does the church keep building on Christ’s foundation today?

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

This week, we respond to a clip from Soul Boom with Rhett McLaughlin and Rainn Wilson. We unpack the allure of a “just-the-teachings” Jesus, why it falls apart under scrutiny, and why you can’t separate the words of Jesus from the person of Jesus. We explore the intellectual and theological inconsistency of cherry-picking Jesus’ words while ignoring the radical, exclusive claims he made about himself. 

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:13) – Rhett & Rainn’s take on Jesus

(03:38) – The appeal of a softer faith

(05:13) – Can you follow Jesus without belief?

(07:33) – What Jesus actually said

(10:13) – Liar, lunatic, or Lord?

(12:23) – When smart people say absurd things

(14:13) – Does it matter if Jesus was real?

(16:58) – Belief vs. bias

(18:38) – The red-letter remix

(21:13) – No resurrection, no Christianity

(23:43) – Just a teacher?

(26:03) – The prophecies they can’t explain away

(27:43) – The new crutch: soft Jesus

(29:13) – Why it matters what Jesus said about himself

(31:13) – The question everyone must answer

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

This week, we discuss a recent clip from John Piper, and explore the role of emotion in the Christian life. Is constant emotional intensity the measure of genuine belief? What about the seasons of doubt or dryness many believers experience? We also discuss confessional Christianity, the limits of emotionalism, and the freedom that comes not from emotion, but from the unchanging truth of the gospel.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(01:52) - John Piper on AI and worship

(04:47) - When you don’t “feel” like a Christian

(06:17) - The hidden pressure of emotional Christianity

(10:44) - The danger of undefined emotional expectations

(13:10) - Manufactured vs. suppressed emotions in faith

(19:08) - Adopted, secure, and kept forever

(21:23) - Grace awakens feeling, not the other way around

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

What does it really mean to be “above reproach”? This week, we dismantle modern evangelical assumptions about pastoral perfection and argue for a more honest, grace-centered understanding rooted in Scripture.

In this episode:

(00:00) – Intro

(03:39) - David Mathis on being above reproach

(06:12) - The ambiguity of “above reproach”

(10:24) – Exemplary doesn’t mean perfect

(12:54) – Grace vs. behavior-based qualification

(16:23) – Hypocrisy, idolatry, and the double standard

(22:00) – Can a fallen pastor be restored?

(28:45) – The real disqualifier

(33:52) – Loss of trust vs. loss of calling

(36:00) – The lie of the perfect pastor

(39:00) – Confession is not a weakness

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

This week, we dissect a clip claiming that current events in Israel and Iran are predicted in Ezekiel 38 and 39. But is that what the Bible actually says? We explore the history behind this passage, why it’s been misinterpreted, and how fear-based theology distorts Scripture. From the rise of modern dispensationalism to the ancient context of Ezekiel’s vision, we unpack what the text really means—and why it matters how we read the Bible. 

In this episode:

(00:00) – The Middle East is exploding (again)

(05:01) – Will Jesus descend and win the war for Israel?

(06:39) – Manufactured theology

(08:33) – Interpreting the Bible badly

(10:34) – A quick history of bad predictions

(14:27) – What is Ezekiel actually talking about?

(22:29) – Gog, Haman, and the book of Esther

(25:30) – Why fear is the wrong response

(28:00) – The real problem with “end times” theology

(33:35) – Jesus wins, but not like that

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

This week, we explore the often misunderstood doctrine of sanctification, what it is, and isn’t. Is it something we accomplish through effort, or something God alone works in us? We unpack the difference between performative piety and genuine transformation, arguing that grace—not fear—is the engine of Christian growth. 

In this episode:

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.

This week, we’re sharing a special live Q&A where we explore the complexities of the Christian life. From practical advice on living out your faith to tackling deep theological questions, we cover topics such as faith versus belief, predestination versus free will, overcoming fear, LGBTQ+ issues in the church, and much more.

In this episode:

Get full show notes and links at https://www.thechristianskeptic.org. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thechristianskeptic.