Educate For Life with Kevin Conover

Does the geologic evidence really prove an ancient Earth, or can a biblical perspective do a better job of explaining our world’s features?  This week Kevin’s guest is research geologist Dr. Steve Austin.  He may not be a stone-cold wrestler, but he does know a lot about rocks.  You may think geology sounds boring, but Steve could prove you wrong: he recently climbed Mt. Kilima...

Many people can name a specific reason why they became a Christian, but how many would say the reason is “math”? Probably very few, and Douglas Ell is one of them.  Kevin talks to Doug about his recent book  Counting to God , in which he explains how mathematical analysis of the scientific evidence over several decades finally persuaded him to change from atheism to Christianity.  F...

As Christians, we believe that God created us.  Does it really matter how he did it?  This week Kevin talks to Mike Riddle, founder and president of the Creation Training Initiative, who has been involved in creation ministry for over 30 years.  As someone who grew up in a non-Christian home and accepted the theory of evolution from a young age, Mike brings a unique perspective to c...

This week Kevin examines one of the oldest objections to theism, dating to even before Jesus walked the earth: the problem of suffering (aka. the problem of evil, the problem of pain, etc.).  The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus argued, if there were a righteous and all-powerful God, he would not allow evil to exist.  Yet evil does exist.  Therefore a righteous...

Have you ever wished you could introduce a friend or relative to the basic concepts of Christianity in a welcoming environment that’s less intimidating than a church service?  The Alpha program was created to provide just such an opportunity.  In this episode, Kevin talks to Dana Kloo and Chris Gaudi, two people who have seen countless lives (including their own) benefit from the program...

If all Christians share a biblically-based worldview, how can they disagree so strongly on every major political issue?  Kevin discusses this question with his guest Dran Reese, founder of the Salt and Light Council.  Being a faithful Christian may not require that you belong to a certain political party, but it should lead you to vote in a way consistent with Christian values....

What do a conservative Christian Republican and a religiously-unaffiliated Democrat have in common when it comes to divisive political issues?  More than you might think.  This week Kevin talks with Steve Fink, who for the past 15 years has been a “None”—someone who answers “none” to the survey question “what is your religious affiliation?”.  Steve is certainly not alone i...

Knowing what you believe is a good start, but having good reasons why  you believe it is the real challenge.  A great way to give your faith the acid test is to converse with a knowledgable person from an opposing worldview.  This week Kevin facilitates just such a dialogue between Christian apologist Jay Seegert (author of  Creation & Evolutio...

Are the stories of the Bible history, or mythology?  The science of archaeology can help to provide the answer.  This week Kevin speaks with Dr. Scott Stripling ( a returning guest ) and Dr. Bryant Wood, archeologists with the Associates for Biblical Research (ABR).  They discuss some exciting new archeological finds, including the signet ring of King Hezekiah (the same Hezekia...

How does a lifelong Muslim named Muhammad, who comes from a Muslim family and lives in a Muslim country, wind up in prison for preaching Christianity?  In this episode Kevin’s guest, Pastor Daniel Massieh (author of the autobiographical work  Traitor ), provides the answer. Before changing his name, Daniel grew up as Muhammad in the predominately Muslim country of Egypt.  ...

A recent change to New York City’s anti-discrimination laws has added fines of up to $250,000  as a penalty for one particular offense.  This fine isn’t incurred by discriminating based on age, sex, race, religion, or even sexual orientation; it is for failing to treat someone according to their self-determined gender (regardless of their biological sex). This week Kevin discusses t...

The Syrian Civil War has created an overwhelming refugee crisis, displacing millions upon millions of people from their homes.  Men, women and children have been forced to leave their jobs, schools, and possessions behind — just to stay alive.  Though a large number of refugees have been accepted into neighboring countries, the majority still face severe har...

It’s not easy to keep a marriage healthy and vibrant for the long term, as anyone who has tried it can attest.  There are so many things that can come between two spouses, like careers, overbooked schedules, family obligations… and pornography.  Porn is a multi-billion dollar industry (more profitable than all the major league sports in the US), and it affects countless in...

America knows that freedom doesn’t come cheap.  There is always a high price to pay for liberty — and those who serve in the military bear the brunt of the expense.  Putting your life on the line for your country takes a heavy toll physically, psychologically, and spiritually.  That is why, in addition to the many other services provided for military personnel, our governm...

Islam is utterly opposed to Christianity at its core, denying the message of Jesus’ deity, his death for our sins, and his resurrection to give us new life.  Yet across the world, Muslims are converting to Christianity in record numbers.  How is it that people who have been taught from a young age to reject the gospel wind up being transformed by it? In this episode Kevin talks...

From God’s first acknowledgement that it is not good for man to be alone, the Bible affirms the importance of marriage through and through.  If Christians look to God’s word to understand His plan for marriage, they will be able to experience the true joy of having a God-honoring relationship with their spouse.  This week Kevin’s guest is Hobby Howard, who has been on staff with Fam...

In the previous episode Kevin talked with Dr. Gary Cass about the doctrine of the lesser magistrate, and how it is the duty of lesser authorities to stand up to higher authorities when they become tyrannical.  This principle applies to all kinds of bodies, including families, businesses, churches, and nations.  Those who hold power do not have absolute and unquestiona...

You’ve probably heard of Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who made national news when she was sent to jail for a unique crime.  Davis was the first notable case of a person facing criminal charges for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses.  Davis argues that it is not herself but the Federal Government who has violated the law, by infringing upon her religious fre...

Can a biologically male transgender student be denied access to facilities intended only for girls? Can a public high school football coach pray on the field after games?  Can a Christian photographer or baker decline to provide services for a homosexual wedding?  Questions like these now arise with increasing frequency, and underlying all of them is the issue of separatio...

In this episode, Kevin talks with Ananthapadmanabhan  Kandhadai (who goes by Ananth) and Johnny John, two friends who have a lot in common. Both were born and raised in India, both have lived in San Diego for over 20 years, and both work as engineers for Qualcomm. But there is one notable difference between them: Ananth was born into the ~80% of India’s Hindu population, and he...

This week Kevin talks with Jerry Huson of 7 Day Hero, an organization that takes American Christians to overseas mission fields.  Jerry has found many ways to occupy himself throughout his life, from coaching high school and college sports, to earning a PhD, to driving floats at Disneyland.  But there is one pursuit he will never be able to give up: ministering to the needy in far-off pl...

Would you choose to follow Jesus even if it meant being rejected by your culture, disowned by your family, and cut off from all financial support?  Kevin’s guest this week, Onesmus Ngoboka, had to make that choice—when he was only 14 years old.  In this episode Onesmus shares his incredible testimony, and discusses what his ministry is doing to spread the gospel to the fringes of society...

If you are familiar with the New Testament or church history, you know that Christians have been persecuted for their faith in many times and places.  Starting with the murder of Stephen soon after the resurrection, countless followers of Jesus have been tortured and killed for spreading the gospel and refusing to give up their faith.  But did you know that there are more Christians faci...

Kevin recently moderated a debate between Jeff Archer (president of the Atheist Coalition of San Diego) and Dr. Andy McIntosh that focused on the question: Can an atheistic worldview make sense of reality?  In the previous episode he talked to Jeff Archer about why he thinks the answer is yes; this time he talks to Dr. Andy McIntosh about why it is most definitely a “no.”...

Whether they know it or not, every person possesses a worldview.  This is a set of broad principles that guides their perception of reality, informing them of what exists and what doesn’t, what is possible and what is not.  As human knowledge has advanced over the past few centuries, so has the idea that observational science can explain the whole of reality, physical stuf...