The Faith Debate

Conversation with the Author of "The Shack" Program Air Date: Sunday, May 12th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . The Nature of God (and more) . Over the past dozen years there's been a fight in the Christian church. This fight has not been merely along typical denominational lines, but has been more of a civil war kind of fight. Evangelical versus evangelical. Professing con...

View of America from a Foreign Missions Perspective Program Air Date: Sunday, May 5th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . Many probably have a mental image of what things must be like in European countries. As limited as this view might be, guesses can still be ventured as to the politics, the economy, the scenery, and the religious climate. But what do the people living over...

Christian Foreign Missions in a Predominantly Muslim Nation Program Air Date: Sunday, April 28th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . News outlets have reported on Muslims by the thousands streaming into Europe. Politically this has often been framed either in humanitarian terms or in terms of an invading force. Politics aside, there is the reality of life within a mix of Islam...

Living Out a Call to Foreign Missions Program Air Date: Sunday, April 21st, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . We love stories, and true stories are the best. Don't you appreciate movies that say, "Based upon a true story and actual events"? Last episode, "The Faith Debate" began to hear true stories from foreign missionaries, and this episode brings more. What are the most dr...

Recognizing a Call to Foreign Missions Program Air Date: Sunday, April 14th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . If you attend a church, then you've likely heard your pastor mention the importance of overseas missions. Perhaps you've even had missionaries visit your congregation. Perhaps you've given financial support to foreign missions. Perhaps you've even gone on your own sh...

"Scripture Verse Grenades" Launched in the Immigration Debate Program Air Date: Sunday, April 7th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . Words found in Leviticus 19, Matthew 25, Romans 13, and other books of the Bible are used by Christians when arguing their point of view on United States border security and immigration reform. Are these passages being used accurately and approp...

The "Politics" of the Immigration Debate in Christian Churches Program Air Date: Sunday, March 31st, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . Some Christian pastors say erecting a wall at the border between The United States and Mexico is an act of violence. Some Christian pastors say enforcing border security with a wall is a biblically sanctioned activity of the state. How has thi...

Is "Illegal" Immigration Christian? Program Air Date: Sunday, March 24th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . Some Christian pastors say that we find walls and other forms of border control exemplified in the Bible, so the state is doing its duty in enforcing immigration laws. Some Christian pastors say increased border security comes at the cost of spreading the Gospel. What's...

Is "Trump's Wall" Christian? Program Air Date: Sunday, March 17th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . Some Christian pastors advocate for the construction of a wall at the United States southern border, and cite Scripture to defend their view. Other Christian pastors say Jesus wants walls torn down, and if Jesus wants no walls, then we must want no walls, too. Who's right? Who...

A Dialogue About Christian / Muslim Relations (Part 4) Program Air Date: Sunday, March 10th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . Sometimes you need to walk away. Sometimes we need to step back and realize that it's not personal, that a person's argument might not center around us. Sometimes we need to examine ourselves. At all times we need to remember that we're accountable to...

A Dialogue About Christian / Muslim Relations (Part 3) Program Air Date: Sunday, March 3rd, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . Many Christians recognize a distinct pattern given in Matthew 18 for dealing with a problem, or more specifically, people who pose for us problems. You might believe this is primarily talking about dealing with problems among believers, and that would...

A Dialogue About Christian / Muslim Relations (Part 2) Program Air Date: Sunday, February 24th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . Disagreements and misunderstandings will happen in life, but is this ever an excuse to disrespect others? The Bible does teach that people should speak to others with love. Even if we have to deal strongly with certain people, love and respect shou...

A Dialogue About Christian / Muslim Relations (Part 1) Program Air Date: Sunday, February 17th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . Christians should try to get along with other people. Right? But what does that mean? Does it mean Christians should always agree with people? Does it at least mean not intentionally looking for opportunities to anger and upset people? Romans 12 sa...

A Listener Asks for Help, We Do Our Best to Provide Aid Program Air Date: Sunday, February 10th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . For the past five weeks the show has focused on a series of emails received from a listener. The first two shows (January 6th and 13th, 2019) did not have a panel discussion, as they were used to read to you the entirety of the email exchanges. Th...

A Listener is Worried She'll Go to Hell and is at Her "Wits End" Program Air Date: Sunday, February 3rd, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . On January 6th and 13th we shared a lengthy email exchange between the show and a listener who is seriously wrestling with the question of her eternal salvation. Then, on January 20th and 27th our panel began discussing the issues within t...

"That Terrifies Me… I'm Afraid" Program Air Date: Sunday, January 27th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . A listener asks how she can be sure that she's been born again. She's concerned that her faith is too cold to be real. Can you relate? The Faith Debate panel tackles this concern with thoughtful analysis and heartfelt concern. . This is part two or a four part conversatio...

Response to "Question for Your Program" Program Air Date: Sunday, January 20th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . A listener asks how a person can "take hold of Christ in the heart in a way that transforms". She is concerned that her faith is not genuine because God "seems abstract and distant". Then she adds, "I can't imagine that I'm the only one having problems with this"....

"How Do I Make My Heart Trust God When He Seems Abstract To Me?" Program Air Date: Sunday, January 13th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . A listener writes: . "How do I make my heart trust when God seems abstract? Intellectually I know He is real, but not so to my heart and experience. Since Jesus is Peace personified, I can't know Him without having inner peace despite circ...

"My Concern Is That I Haven't Been Born Again… I'm Afraid." Program Air Date: Sunday, January 6th, 2019 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . A listener writes: "Hi Troy. I'm interested in knowing how one takes hold of Christ in the heart in a way that transforms. I've been stuck in this place for a long time, wanting the 'penny to drop', but that hasn't happened. I don't have intelle...

How Political is Too Political? Program Air Date: Sunday, December 30th, 2018 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . The previous show looked at intramural questions facing the Christian church. This show the focus turns to intermural questions, again using the National Day of Prayer as a case study. How inclusive should it be? For example, should people of all races be invited? Both s...

How Ecumenical is Too Ecumenical? Program Air Date: Sunday, December 23rd, 2018 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . The title of this episode is a real and serious question for Christ's church. As a case study, this show looks at the National Day of Prayer. Each spring a number of Christian church leaders gather with political leaders all across the nation to pray and encourage comm...

Where Can Christians Disagree and Still Consider One Another To Be Fellow Believers? Program Air Date: Sunday, December 16th, 2018 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . Should views of a coming "rapture" from a great tribulation separate people within the church? How about definitions for understanding the "Millennium"? Or accepting that the gift of tongues is for today, or not? Or de...

Who's "In" and Who's "out" When Counting Followers of Jesus Christ? . To be "in" does there need to be agreement that there is one eternal God Who has created the entire universe? And/or that Jesus was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life; that Jesus is God – and a man who died and rose from the dead; that Heaven and Hell exist; that all people are sinners needing a Savior; that Jesus is the...

Best Strategies for Proclaiming the Gospel Program Air Date: Sunday, December 2nd, 2018 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . This has to do with what's called apologetics and evangelism. The importance of knowing the truth about the Gospel is what, exactly? The reasons why some people never convert to Christianity are what, do we think? What hinders a person from converting? What can...

Men's Ministry (Particularly Jail and Post-Jail Ministry) Program Air Date: Sunday, November 25th, 2018 – 9am News Radio 930 WFMD in Frederick, Maryland . The church's response to those who are incarcerated is what? Should be what? What are the spiritual, social, economic, and relational dynamics? How does this play itself out in the prisons themselves? How does it play out in the communities wher...