Reasonable Theology Podcast

There are three questions which every person must find answers to: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? While secularism, naturalism, and relativism all attempt to provide satisfying answers to these questions, there can be no ultimate meaning in life without God. But in today’s culture the idea of the existence of God has largely been rejected. This has resulted in a society that desperatel...

Did the United States truly have a Christian founding, or were the Founders simply Deists who desired to create a secular nation? This question has been hotly debated for generations, and our society increasingly regards the idea of America's Christian heritage as something to be minimized, rejected, or denied. So what is the truth regarding the faith of the Founders and how it influenced the...

On October 6 1536 William Tyndale was executed by being tied to a stake, strangled, and burned. His crime? Translating the Bible into the English language. Listen to the fascinating story of this Protestant Reformer, Bible translator, and martyr for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (This is a rebroadcast of an earlier episode of the Reasonable Theology podcast) For more information, visit ReasonableThe...

“Live your truth.” “Follow your heart.” “God wants you to be happy.” “You only live once.” These phrases are more than empty platitudes. These nice-sounding lies are quickly becoming deeply held cultural beliefs that promise great freedom yet in reality heap up burdens we were not meant to bear. On this episode we welcome Alisa Childers back to the podcast. Alisa joined us previously on episode 34...

How can you introduce the Christian faith to someone who thinks they already are Christian? My guest on this episode is from Mormonism Research Ministry, which is dedicated to reaching current and former Mormons with the true Gospel. Eric Johnson has been a student of Mormonism since 1987 and has written a number of books on this unique area of evangelism, including Sharing the Good News with Morm...

If you’ve been around Reasonable Theology for any length of time you’ll have gathered that I greatly admire CH Spurgeon and share resources from his extensive ministry often. So it is a great pleasure to welcome Dr. Geoff Chang to the podcast. Chang is curator of the Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and he’s the author of a new book Spurgeon The Pastor: Recovering a Bibl...

John Calvin (1509-1564) is a man whose extensive theological contributions have impacted countless believers and whose name has become synonymous with Reformed Theology. But who was John Calvin and why did he dedicate his life to the preaching and teaching of God's Word? This brief biographical sketch will introduce you to this pastor, theologian, and Reformer. We'll Cover: Calvin's...

Scripture tells us that believers are to "pray without ceasing." Yet many Christians recognize that their prayer lives are not what they would like them to be. So how are we to pray? Thankfully we aren’t left without an answer to that vital question.  Jesus taught His disciples how they were to pray, and this model prayer ⁠— commonly known as the Lord's Prayer ⁠— provides guidance t...

As Christians, we benefit greatly from the ministry of our fellow believers – this includes those who lived long before our time. Thanks to their preserved writings, we can all learn from pastors, authors, and theologians from throughout church history and have our faith strengthened through their faithful lives. But even though these great works have stood the test of time and are readily availab...

In John 14:13-14, Jesus tells His disciples: “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” John 16:23 says “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” Believer it or not, there are some who misuse these verses! I...

Every day it becomes more evident that our culture is actively and aggressively promoting ideas and agendas that go against God's Word. Whether it is abortion, gender issues, drugs, or other hot-button topics, those who hold to a biblical worldview are facing increasing pressure to compromise their beliefs to avoid being ostracized from society. With the news media, movies, music, sports, and...

If you've sat under a good preacher or have opened a good commentary, you are aware that there is a depth to the original languages of Scripture that can sometimes be difficult to capture in our English translations. But have you ever considered learning biblical Greek or Hebrew yourself? Our guest today says this is not only highly beneficial for your study of Scripture but is also entirely...

If you spend much time on social media, you've likely come across RefToons - cartoons depicting figures from church history such as Calvin, Owen, Spurgeon, and many more. RefToons exists to preserve the legacy of theologians of the past by producing humorous and thought-provoking comic strips that bring clarity to various biblical teachings through visual storytelling. On this episode of the...

Jesus said "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Despite this wonderful promise, we often allow hurry and distraction keep us from spending focused time with Christ in prayer. How can we build discipline in this area and how can we grow in our prayer lives? On this episode we are joined by Asheritah Ciuciu as we discuss a pattern for prayer that can...

The subject of sin is not a comfortable topic for study or discussion. Even so, there is great value in understanding the problem of sin, as it is by having a right understanding of the problem we are able to effectively fight against it and appreciate what Christ has done for us. On this episode of the podcast we are joined by Mark Jones, who uses his knowledge of the works of the Puritans to gui...

There is no joy on Easter Sunday without the sorrow of Good Friday.  There is no resurrection without the cross.  And there is no salvation without them both.  Without the events of Sunday morning the events of Friday afternoon were merely a terrible tragedy. The cross was necessary, as it was here Christ bore the wrath of God against sin and took the full weight of its punishment so that our debt...

This is a 'best of' rebroadcast of the most popular episode of the podcast last year.  If you missed it, you'll want to listen to this conversation with Dr. Ray Rhodes Jr about the love story of Charles and Susie Spurgeon. In 1871, Charles Spurgeon wrote to his wife, Susannah "My Own Dear one - None know how grateful I am to God for you. In all I have ever done for Him, you hav...

The reliability of Scripture is among the most important truths that the field of apologetics deals with. In this radio interview I discuss four important areas of evidence to be familiar with when defending the Bible's authenticity. Listen as we talk about why we can trust that our Bibles have been faithfully preserved from the original writings until now. On This Episode We’ll Discuss: The...

In the 2nd chapter of Luke’s gospel we find the familiar passage recounting the birth of Jesus and the angelic announcement of “good news of great joy” to the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night. As remarkable as this passage is its familiarity can cause us to look without seeing and hear without listening. When we come to familiar passages in our Bibles we have a tendency to read q...

Every pastor knows the unique challenges of facing critics in their church. The question is, how should they respond to criticism? On this episode of the podcast we are joined by Nick Thompson, who is the pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee and co-author with Joel Beeke of the book Pastors and Their Critics: A Guide to Coping with Criticism in the Ministry . Listen...

After more than 2000 years, Jesus Christ remains the most influential figure in all of human history – even by secular standards!  Examining the impact that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus has had on the world is helpful in establishing the reliability of the events recorded in the Bible. In fact, you can confirm the historicity and deity of Jesus from history alone, without relying on...

The preaching of the Word of God is a vital means of edifying, equipping, and encouraging believers and proclaiming salvation to the lost. But much of what passes for preaching in our day fails to stay tethered to the truth Scripture and instead focuses on man's ideas and methods. This is why expository preaching, or the comprehensive explanation of a Bible passage in which the text dictates...

In this 5 Minute Friday episode, I'll share a 3-step process I learned from one of my seminary professors. This process, he joked, was a secret that could save you $36,000 and several years of effort by eliminating the need for a master’s degree in counseling. The “secret” 3-step process is simple. It is to guide the conversation through three phases: External, Internal, and Eternal. Learn mo...

Attacks against the truth and reliability of Scripture are commonplace. Skeptical scholars have become mainstream, entertainment media mocks believers, and YouTube and podcasting have given a platform to just about anyone wanting to promote their arguments against Scripture and the Christian faith. Many of these attacks focus on a single assertion: the Bible is an ancient book written and assemble...

Personal growth does not happen overnight in any area of our lives, and spiritual growth is no exception. In order to grow, we need to develop regular, consistent practices. These small daily habits are the key to life transformation. Listen as we speak with Darryl Dash, author of "8 Habits for Spiritual Growth" about 8 long-term practices that will help us become more like Christ. On th...