Confronting Christianity with Rebecca McLaughlin

What if the resurrection of Jesus isn’t just a belief—but a historical reality? Rebecca is joined by evangelist, pastor, and writer Mike Hood to explore the evidence behind Christianity’s boldest claim: that Jesus physically rose from the dead. Mike shares how wrestling with this question as a teenager shaped his faith—and why he keeps coming back to it today. Buy Mike's Book: The If That Changes...

Rebecca and Derek explore why God’s judgment is necessary, how Jesus’ death defeats sin and Satan, and why the cross is the clearest display of both divine justice and divine love.  Follow Derek: X Use code  TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!

Why would a loving God judge sin? Rebecca talks with theologian and pastor Derek Rishmawy about one of the most difficult questions in Christianity: why Jesus needed to die in the first place. Follow Derek: X Use code  TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com today!

Rebecca and Jen Wilkin explore the often-overlooked spiritual power of middle age. They discuss why younger Christians need older mentors, how church should function as a true family across generations, and why following Jesus reshapes how we think about aging and influence. Preorder Jen's Book: Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World Use code  TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasu...

Rebecca talks with Jen Wilkin about her new book Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World.  They explore how Scripture reframes aging as a gift, why the church must recover a richer vision of family, and what it means to be pro-life at the end of life. Preorder Jen's Book: Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World Use code  TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bj...

Rebecca talks with John Meade and Peter Gurry about the New Testament canon, “lost gospels,” and why New Testament writers sometimes quote the Old Testament differently. They address common objections—Constantine, politics, the Apocrypha—and why studying Scripture’s history tends to deepen faith rather than undermine it. Follow Peter: X Follow John: X Use code  TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up...

Where did the Bible come from—and how do we know we can trust it? Rebecca is joined by textual scholars John Meade and Peter Gurry to explore how Scripture was written, copied, translated, and recognized as canon. From the Septuagint to the Apocrypha, they unpack the Bible’s complex history—and why that history strengthens rather than weakens Christian confidence in God’s Word. Follow Peter: X Fol...

Rebecca talks with pastor and author Dr. Stephen Witmer about why poetry—especially the work of 17th-century priest George Herbert—can deepen our understanding of the gospel. Through Herbert’s poems, they explore themes of inadequacy, priesthood, and the imputed righteousness of Christ. Along the way, they discuss why Scripture itself uses poetry and why beauty, metaphor, and imagination matter fo...

Are human beings basically good—or fundamentally broken? Rebecca is joined by clinical neuropsychologist Jo Johnson to explore what decades of psychological work reveal about human nature, shame, and our deep sense that something is “off.” Together they argue that Christianity doesn’t deny our inner darkness, but offers the only true freedom: being fully known and fully loved in Jesus. Buy Jo's Bo...

Rebecca McLaughlin and Dr. Rob Smith continue their conversation on sex, gender, and transgender theory by tracing how the New Testament holds together real equality and real difference between men and women. They discuss gender dysphoria, disorders of sexual development, and why Christians can pursue deep compassion without affirming claims they believe are untrue. Throughout, they argue that kee...

Rebecca talks with Anglican minister and theologian Dr. Rob Smith about what “transgender theory” actually claims—and why clarity matters before conversation can even begin. They explore how the Bible frames bodies, sex, and “gender expression,” starting in Genesis and touching on why Christians can’t simply throw the word “gender” away. This is Part 1 of a two-part discussion of Rob’s book The Bo...

In this episode, Rebecca McLaughlin talks with evangelist and surgeon Sam Chan about why Christmas still matters in an anxious, skeptical world. Drawing on Sam’s book The Missing Piece, they explore how the incarnation meets our deep longing for peace—not by fixing everything, but by God coming near to us in Jesus. Follow Sam: Blog | X | Instagram Use code  TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Tre...

What does a 4th-century African bishop have to do with smartphones, social media, and AI chatbots? Rebecca sits down with ethicist Autumn Ridenour to explore how Augustine’s famous line, “our hearts are restless until they rest in you,” exposes both the appeal and the danger of our digital lives—from endless scrolling to AI “relationships” and deepfake-fueled distrust. Use code  TREASURE and get 3...

Therapist and ministry leader Zach Ellis spends his days walking with men tangled up in porn, shame, and unwanted sexual behavior. In this episode, Zach and Rebecca talk about lust as both sin and sign, how trauma fractures us, and why the opposite of addiction isn’t willpower but connection—being truly known by God and his people. If you’ve ever wondered whether your sexual history puts you beyon...

Christine walks through 2 Corinthians, Paul’s deeply personal letter about weakness, suffering, and the upside-down way of Jesus. She shares honestly about writing her new Bible study, More Than Enough: An 8-Week Study of 2 Corinthians , while her 20-year-old son was undergoing treatment for cancer. Get the Book: More Than Enough: An 8-Week Study of 2 Corinthians Follow Christine: Instagram | Webs...

Portia Collins is a Bible teacher, author, and speaker from the Mississippi Delta. She’s the author of Finding Freedom in Christ: An 8-Week Study in Galatians, founder of She Shall Be Called, and serves on staff with Revive Our Hearts. Portia is passionate about helping women grow in Bible literacy and embrace the true freedom found in Jesus. Get the Book: Finding Freedom in Christ: An 8-Week Stud...

Rebecca and theologian Dani Treweek explore why the Bible calls both marriage and singleness meaningful gifts — and how rediscovering the purpose of singleness can strengthen the whole church. Get the book: Single Ever AfterA Biblical Vision for the Significance of Singleness Follow Dani: Instagram | Website Use code  TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Treasure" by Kyle Bjerga at thegoodbook.com...

Can Christians enjoy stories with “magic”? Marian Jacobs and Rebecca unpack how fantasy can train us to love Jesus and discern the occult—using a simple rubric rooted in Scripture and the self-giving love at the heart of the gospel. Get the book: On Magic & Miracles: A Theological Guide to Discerning Fictional Magic Follow Marian: Instagram | Website Use code  TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing...

Harvard-backed research says weekly churchgoing lowers depression, boosts health, and lengthens life — and Rebecca explains why those benefits point beyond “religion” to Jesus, the church as true family, and the hope Gen Z is rediscovering. Get the book: “How Church Could Literally Save Your Life” (Crossway) Check out Collin's Podcast: Gospelbound Use code  TREASURE and get 30% off "Storing Up Tre...

Rebecca and J.D. Greear explore how Christians can transcend the culture war by leading with grace and truth, loving hard-to-love neighbors, keeping politics downstream of discipleship, and holding fast to the gospel with joyful confidence. Resources Mentioned: J.D.'s Website Summit Church Everyday Revolutionary: How to Transcend the Culture War and Transform the World Use code  TREASURE and get 3...

How can anxiety become a doorway to deeper faith? Blair Linne joins Rebecca to discuss her new book Made to Tremble: How Anxiety Became the Best Thing That Ever Happened to My Faith. She recounts the accident that led to panic attacks, unpacks natural / sinful / religious fear, and shows how Scripture’s “do not fear” is an invitation to rest in God’s presence. Resources Mentioned: Made to Tremble...

Rebecca welcomes back Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley for part two of their conversation about Theology Together. They unpack the Deep Discipleship Program—a tested, church-based framework for theological formation that is both sacrificial and accessible. They discuss lowering vs. raising the bar in ministry, how to call believers into deeper study and practice, and why the church must rec...

Rebecca welcomes Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley (Knowing Faith) to explore why every believer is a theologian, how women and men learn together in the church, and how practices of grace form us for fellowship with God and one another. They discuss You Are a Theologian, Deep Discipleship, Formed for Fellowship, and Remember & Rehearse—along with church-as-family, Priscilla & Aquila...

Rebecca welcomes Vaneetha Risner for a candid conversation about suffering, unanswered prayer, and the presence of Christ in our deepest pain. Vaneetha recounts her story (childhood polio, the death of her infant son, an unwanted divorce), how John 9 reframed her “why,” and why Christian hope rests in the character of God—not in guaranteed outcomes. They also explore lament, community, and practic...

Rebecca sits down with Karen Swallow Prior to explore vocation that comes from outside us, the goodness of “ordinary” faithfulness, and why pursuing the true, the good, and the beautiful gives shape to our work in every season. They reflect on biblical portraits of calling (Paul, Moses, Jonah), the role of community in discernment, and how serving others—not chasing status—aligns our lives with Je...