Reasonable Theology Podcast

Discussing your Christian convictions with others can seem like a daunting task - especially if the person you're talking to is skeptical or even hostile towards your views. On this episode of the Reasonable Theology podcast, apologist Greg Koukl shares a number of tactics you can use to confidently and comfortably discuss your beliefs with others. These methods allow you to keep the conversa...

In summarizing the beliefs of Calvinism, writer and professor Dr. Jim Orrick writes, "First, a Calvinist believes that God always does whatever he pleases. Second, a Calvinist believes that God initiates, sustains, and completes the salvation of everyone who gets saved." In his book Mere Calvinism , Orick provides an excellent introduction to the Doctrines of Grace, explains the biblical...

On this Q&A episode of the Reasonable Theology podcast we're tackling a listener question submitted by a young man named Kyler: "My question is how to explain to somebody that God didn't have a creator without them questioning you, 'well who created God?'" On this episode you'll hear an answer to the question "Who created God?" Hopefully, this will...

If you’re like me, you resolve each December to read more books in the coming year. If you’re going to follow through, you need to have a plan in place for how you are going to read more books as well as a plan for which books you plan to read. On this episode of the podcast, I share twelve of the books I’m looking forward to reading in 2020. Perhaps you’ll find some titles worth adding to your li...

We all love to be encouraged, and yet many of us fail to make regularly encouraging others a priority. If we were to grow in this area, we could have a tremendous impact in our families, communities, and churches. Would you like to become a more encouraging person? Listen as Pastor Mark Hallock discusses the importance of encouraging others and learn some practical steps we can take to become rele...

The book of 2 Peter provides us with three distinguishing marks of false teachers to watch out for. Recently I discussed these marks with Bill Arnold during his radio program on Faith Radio. Listen in as we discuss how to recognize and avoid wolves in sheep's clothing. Read an article on 3 Ways to Recognize a False Teacher Check out Afternoons with Bill Arnold Support the show GET THE NEWSLET...

What are the Five Solas, and what do they have to do with Reformed Theology? The “Five Solas” are Latin phrases that collectively served as foundational principles of the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation was a movement that began in the 1500’s and sought to “reform” the traditions and beliefs of Roman Catholicism. The Five Solas identified the distinctive theological positions held by the r...

In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul calls the believer to “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” This is a command for every Christian, and it is vital that we take up this armor on a daily basis in order to live as soldiers of Christ. As our guest Iaian Duguid points out, “the choice is not whether you will be a Christ...

In his book Humble Calvinism, pastor and author J.A. Medders writes: "Many of us who love to love the “doctrines of grace” have not grown in showing grace. We have not become more gracious, kind, tender, and compassionate. And that can only mean one thing: we actually don’t know the doctrines of grace. Sure, we know the points and can rehearse the arguments ...But an arrogant and argumentativ...

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, America was in a state of shock - faced with the realities of evil, terrorism, tragedy, uncertainty, and the prospect of war. America's preachers had the difficult task of comforting their congregations, speaking truth about God's sovereignty over all things, and instilling hope in the midst of a national crisis. On this episode of the p...

Pathfinders were small groups of specially trained paratroopers who jumped ahead of the rest of the force. Once on the ground, the job of the pathfinder was to mark the correct drop zone with signal beacons, flares, or specialized lanterns visible from the air.  These men would literally light the way, allowing pilots and paratroopers alike to see exactly where they needed to land. In the midst of...

Romans 8:28 tells us that "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." This is perhaps the most popular verse from the most popular chapter of the most popular book in the New Testament – and yet it is often misunderstood. Unfortunately, what many people mean when they quote Romans 8:28 is a sort of “turn...

Where can we turn when the dark clouds of pain, suffering, and loss roll into our lives? Even for believers, times of difficulty can bring discouragement and despair and it can be hard to know how to respond in faith in the midst of frustration or heartbreak. Thankfully, the Bible gives us a clear means of dealing with our trials: the practice of lament. As our guest defines it, to lament is to tu...

Children between 8 and 12 are at the critical age when they start to ask if Christianity is true. Additionally, our kids are being faced with challenges to their faith earlier than ever. How can we prepare them when they are young to enter into an increasingly secular world? On this episode of the podcast we talk with apologist and former cold case homicide detective J. Warner Wallace about why an...

Jonathan Edwards is regarded as many as the greatest mind America has ever produced, and he is held up as an excellent example of a pastor-theologian. Even so, many people's familiarity with Edwards does not extend beyond his famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." On this episode, we speak with Dr. Jeremy Kimble about the life and writings of Jonathan Edwards and disc...

You are probably familiar with the writings of men like Luther, Spurgeon, Edwards, and other. But what about their sermons? In many cases, these figures of church history were first and foremost pastors preaching to their congregations. We can learn more about these men, about God, and about ourselves from these sermons. On this episode we'll speak with Troy Frasier, who has a podcast making...

Do you have a stack of books waiting to be read? Struggling to cross items off of your "must read" list? Thankfully, the solution is not to try to increase our reading speed. With these 4 simple methods you’ll be reading more books and finishing them faster. Read the article version of this bonus episode Old Books Every Christian Should Read Why You Need to Read ‘Knowing God’ by JI Packe...

It is no secret that young people raised in the church often leave when they get out of High School. As this trend has worsened, we are seeing an entire generation becoming disengaged from the church. Many Christians see this trend and want to become better at presenting ancient truths to a new generation with unique challenges and obstacles. But how can we get through to "Generation Z"...

Every year around Easter there is a surge of skepticism about the existence of Jesus. Is it true that Jesus is just one of many gods said to have been born of a virgin, died, and resurrected? Those who encounter this claim online or elsewhere may start to wonder about the truth of New Testament history. Is the account of Christ simply a retelling of "dying and rising" pagan gods? If Jesu...

In this episode of the podcast we speak with Dave Jenkins, Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, about how Christians can navigate our increasingly digital lives. We'll talk about the benefits and pitfalls of the internet and discuss how believers can navigate their online life in a way that reflects their love for Jesus. On This Episode We'll Learn: The unique benefits we...

The Bible has much to say about the value of friendship and throughout history Christians have attested to the importance of close friends for spiritual growth. However, creating and maintaining meaningful friendships has become difficult in our fast-paced, technology-saturated, and disconnected world. So how can we recover the joy of friendship in our lives? On this episode we'll speak with...

The Psalms have been referred to as the prayer book of the Bible. The New Testament is saturated with the Psalms, and they were constantly on the lips of our Savior. Clearly, this book ought to feature largely in our devotional lives. But how are Christians to make use of the Psalms beyond reading them? On this episode, our guest Benjamin Kandt discusses his love for the Psalms, the benefits of me...

All believers experience roadblocks in their prayer life at one time or another, and many Christians find growing in the area of prayer to be one of their greatest challenges. On this episode, our guest Kevin Halloran discusses common roadblocks we face and provides us with five practical on-ramps to a joy-filled prayer life. As Kevin says, "A more joyful prayer life may be closer than you re...

Piecing together a chronology of the Apostle Paul’s life is not as easy as the maps in the back of your Bible might make it seem. This brief outline of Paul’s life and missionary journeys helps us gain a better understanding of the apostle's history and a better appreciation for the importance of external evidence in developing a reliable chronology of Biblical events. Although it is within t...

God is not silent on the issue of abortion. On this episode of the Reasonable Theology podcast we look at what God’s Word says about the value of human life and whether the unborn count as human life. Along the way we will see that there is one central question in the abortion debate that must be addressed: Is the unborn a human person? As apologist Greg Koukl rightly frames the issue: “If the unb...