Truthspresso

In this episode of Truthspresso Express I chat about Jesus and socialism while driving to work. A coworker recently made the claim to me that Jesus was a socialist. I have certainly heard this claim before, but I figured I would address it. In part 1 I talk about socialism's dependence on controlling "power structures." Nothing in Jesus' teachings or actions show that He was trying to gather a fol...

Spring boarding from our series on slander Chelsea and I talk about parenting. As important as how husband and wife treat each other is how they treat their children. We give three reasons parents can find themselves tearing down their own children: Power (abuse of) Impulse (anger) Deception (two parenting extremes that show lack of love) Scriptures Cited: 1 TImothy 5:21 James 3:17 Matthew 18:6 Co...

For this 200th episode of Truthspresso Andrew Rappaport joins me to talk about Christian podcasting and the Christian Podcast Community. Truthspresso is a member podcast of the Christian Podcast Community. Andrew Rappaport is the executive director of Striving For Eternity Ministries and the Christian Podcast Community. Andrew grew up in a Jewish home and converted to Christianity at the age of 16...

Chelsea and I conclude how we treat others with our words. Using the acronym GREATS we present six ways to build up others with our words. G raceful words R espectful words E ncouraging words A ffirming words T ruthful words S incere words Scriptures Referenced: Colossians 4:6 1 Peter 2:17 Romans 12:10 1 Peter 3:15 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Proverbs 25:11 Deuteronomy 1:38; 31:6 James 4:11 Ephesians 4:2...

Chelsea and I shift gears to how we can find ourselves talking bad about others outside our home: extended family, neighbors, friends, coworkers, or church members. Why do we speak negatively to or about others? Envy, grudges, and competition can all make us slander people who are not the closest in our lives. What are ways we tear down others? Say negative things about or to them Gossip Bear fals...

Chelsea and I finish our discussion of slander in marriage by giving positive alternatives to hurtful words. What are ways we can build up our spouse to avoid temptations to slander? Show kindness Allow for positive silence Display grace Use encouraging words Express a thankful attitude Forgive Intentionally make time together Scriptures Referenced: Isaiah 40:31 Ephesians 4:32 Psalm 46:10 Psalm 4:...

We can find ourselves slandering our spouse in different ways: even "silent" ways! Chelsea and I continue our discussion of slander in marriage to finish our answer to the question: What are ways we tear down our spouse? Absence Negative Silence Assuming motives. We fleshed out "Negative Silence" with how it shows up as... Avoidance/"peace at all costs" Bitterness Busyness/distractions Passive agg...

Slander finds its way into marriages way too easily and often. But slander doesn't belong in words toward our spouse! Chelsea and I first give an acrostic for S-L-A-N-D-E-R, then how we should E-D-I-F-Y. Then, we answer some questions: Why do we react, respond, or talk negatively about or to our spouse? Anger Bitterness Childhood experiences Expectations Life events Low self-esteem Need for attent...

How can I avoid slandering others? How do I handle when other people slander me? Chelsea and I look at some good verses from the Bible to help us answer these questions How do I avoid slandering others? Think before you speak (Jas 1:19; Pro 13:3; 21:23; 29:11) Let your motive for speaking be to edify (Eph 4:29,22-32) How do I handle when other people slander me? Diffuse it with a pleasant response...

After four months I finally did it! A new episode of Truthspresso Express! While driving to work on Thursday morning I outline some thoughts on President Biden's announcement of a program to "forgive" some student loan debts. When we clear away the politics and emotions, we see the problems with schemes like this. Particularly, the ideology of so-called student loan "forgiveness" is: Fantasy Theft...

Can slander be a tool in our belt? A weapon in our arsenal? The Bible has a lot to say about slander. Neither the one slandered nor the slanderer is the better for it. Chelsea and I show from the Bible how slander leaves wreckage in every wake. How slander affects the slanderer: It destroys your reputation (Pro 23:7; 29:20; 22:1) Its gains are temporary (Pro 12:19; Joh 8:44; 1Pe 3:10; Pro 21:28; 1...

What is slander? Why do people want to slander other people? Chelsea and I look at some Bible verses and stories to find at least six reasons people slander others: To enrich themselves (Proverbs 21:6; 20:17; Haman) To satisfy envy (Joseph's brothers) To cover up wrongdoing or shift blame (Potiphar's wife) To conceal hateful motives or weakness (Proverbs 10:18) To damage or destroy opponents (Psal...

In our currently English dictionaries happiness and joy are almost synonyms. Chelsea and I try to be a dictionary for these words as we contrast the two words. We read verses from the Bible to learn what Biblical joy means and how it doesn't always go with happiness. Our definitions of the words: Happiness : a state of feeling good based on present conditions Joy : a state of hope based on future...

Chelsea and I continue to take a break from current news to talk about some names of Jesus and how they encourage us and make us dig deep. Names we talked about include the following: The Righteous Judge (2 Timothy 4:8) The Word of God (John 1:1,3,14; 1 John 1:1; Hebrews 11:3; Revelation 19:13) Our Protector (2 Thessalonians 3:3; Psalm 18:2) The Son of Man (Luke 19:10; Matthew 12:8; 18:11; Daniel...

Chelsea and I take a break from current news to talk about some names of Jesus and how they encourage us and make us dig deep. Names we talked about include the following: The Amen (Revelation 3:14) Advocate (1 John 2:1) The Lamb (John 1:29; Revelation 5:6; 6:16; 22:3) Our Life (Matthew 16:26; Colossians 3:4) The Lord of Glory (1 Corinthians 2:7; James 2:1; Psalm 24:7-8) Faithful and True (Revelat...

On July 1 the Indianapolis Star published a piece that mentioned a pregnant 10-year-old girl seeking an abortion. According to this article she had to go to Indiana because her home state of Ohio wouldn't allow it--all because of those fiendish Supreme Court justices! The hazy event spread around the world and became part of the abortion debate (as intended), and President Biden mentioned it in a...

TikTok videos show pro-abortion women retaliating against the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. They're warning "pro-life" men that a lack of access to abortion could threaten "hookup culture." They're calling for "abstinence" apart from commitment. They're demanding men who cause women to be pregnant to share financial responsibility and help raise the child. They believe these...

Chelsea and I conclude our series about Pride Month. Ricci Tres is a 29-year-old combat veteran and father of three children who recently decided to try to be a woman. Tres was rejected from the women's Olympic skateboarding because he has too much testosterone. He later won a NYC skateboarding competition and put a 13-year-old girl in second place. Tres admits he could "never be a woman" but wish...

We take a break from what we said we were going to address this week to talk about the Supreme Court ruling for Dobbs v. Jackson on Friday, June 24, 2022. On this historic day Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey were explicitly overturned. We talk about the Constitutional arguments laid out in the decision and the problems with the dissenting opinion. The decision simply relegated the auth...

Chelsea and I continue our coverage of events and thoughts about Pride Month. Some protesters disrupted a "Drag Queen Story Hour" at a library in San Lorenzo, California. Most media articles side with the drag queen and demonize the protesters. They mostly asked parents why they brought their kids specifically to this event. The parents didn't give a cogent answer. Apparently, these protesters are...

Note: This episode contains subject matter that may not be suitable for young children. We made our best effort to keep the information non-descriptive. "Pride Month" has become a sacred cow of secular religion. Children are increasingly targeted for grooming. The recent "Drag the Kids to Pride" event in Dallas, Texas demonstrated this as parents forced their young children to watch "drag queens"...

Chelsea and I continue and conclude our discussion of the tragic mass school shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. As politicians clamor for more gun control, we look at Salvador Ramos' family situation. Were warning signs ignored that led to this attack? Could Ramos' poor family situation have been at the root of his problems? We believe the evidence shows that Biblical parenth...

The mass school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas has gripped us all. We mourn with those who lost family and friends. Even those who managed to escape with their lives will be scarred by the evil. Chelsea and I present the timeline of the tragedy. We do our best to evaluate the reported police response with fairness as information is still coming out. Of note, especially, is the...

Chelsea and I talk about the aftermath of the Supreme Court leak of the draft of the ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson case that court overturn Roe v. Wade. Senate Democrats tried to ram through a radical abortion law that lost 49-51. Churches experienced raucous protests on Mother's Day. The Wisconsin Family Action office was vandalized and received terrifying voice messages. Supreme Court justices...

We look at some salient points from the leaked draft opinion in the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization case. The draft argues that the decisions of Roe vs. Wade and Planned Parenthood vs. Casey "must be overruled." Many pro-abortion activists are crying foul that this is judicial activism and an attack on a "fundamental right" to an abortion. When we see the arguments and the rules in b...