The Search Podcast - Discussing Life's Big Questions

Can we know what the objective meaning of the Bible is? How can we humbly approach what God communicated to us through the Old and New Testaments while also searching for what the author intended us to learn?  We discuss this and more with Mike Donohue of Search Baltimore who helps provide a framework in viewing these issues.  Support the show

The Search Podcast is returning for a thought-provoking second season. With some of the basics covered in season one, season two will expand on some of these ideas and dig a little deeper to get you thinking a little differently about some big questions. Have a listen and we look forward to being back with you in just a few short weeks. Support the show

This is it....The Big Question...The one everything has built up to...Was the resurrection of Jesus a factual occurrence or was it the biggest hoax in history? All of the other topics covered are dependent on the answer to this one question. Support the show

A very common question that pops up about the nature of salvation is how long it lasts. If you change your mind or have doubts, does your salvation go away? If you do better or worse after believing in Jesus, is it more or less secure? Support the show

So we know that the way to Heaven is by Faith...but isn't that copout? You mean you can really be horrible your whole life and believe at the last minute and you are good to go? What's the point of living a moral life if all you have to do is just change your mind at the end? Support the show

I'm better than most people. I try my best. That's enough...right? What does it actually take to get to heaven? Are there any real standards and how good is good enough...70%, 80% of the time? Support the show

Mahatma Gandhi once put it like this: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” If Christianity is true, then why are so many of them hypocrites? It's a great question we'll explore in today's episode. Support the show

What about those that have never heard the "Good News?" Over the last couple of weeks, we've discussed if all religions believe the same thing and if, ultimately, they all lead to the same place. If Christianity is "the way," then what about those that haven't heard Christ's story? How does God handle that judgement situation? Support the show

Don't all religions believe basically the same thing; they just come at it from different directions, right? In this episode, we reflect on not just the Christian answer, but that answer to that questions from a wide variety of different religions. Support the show

Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism are all moral religions with teachings toward something greater...but are they all valid? What makes one more "right" than the other or all they all equal? Support the show

If God exists, is good, and all powerful, then how can he allow all this suffering, pain and injustice in our world? It just doesn't make sense that a God that is love, can allow so many bad things to happen? Support the show

Why do Christians think the Bible is from God? Don Barkley of Search in Orange County, takes a look at what gives the Bible it's actual authority of message and why that is an important foundational aspect of the Bible's reliability. DOWNLOAD: Episode Notes and Resources Mentioned Support the show

Is what we read now in the Bible a true account of what actually happened? How do we account for the different accounts of the same story in different places in the Bible? How accurate was the reporting of events in the Bible and can we trust that what was said was really what happened? DOWNLOAD: Episode Notes and Resources Mentioned Support the show

Is what we read now in the Bible what was actually written then? How much has it changed or been altered over time? Why does that matter? Don Barkley jumps into recently discovered historical artifacts and what they say about the accuracy and preserved authenticity of the Bible that we now read. DOWNLOAD: Episode Notes and Resources Mentioned Support the show

Isn't Christianity just a book of allegories, fairy tales and parables about how to live a moral life? It isn't literally true...right? Dr. Greg Joiner applies literary criticism to the Bible to see if that criticism provides insight as to if the Bible is fiction or history. Support the show

Christianity, if true, is of tremendous importance; if not true is of no importance. The only thing it cannot be is of moderate importance. Danie Swanepoel examines if Christianity is a very clever, high-level coping mechanism or if it is something more, that is real and the important implications of that determination. Support the show

Have you ever stopped and observed a busy, urban intersection? Have you ever tried to figure out the rhythm, flow and pattern or the rules that dictate how that intersection is navigated? What does that have to do with miracles? Bill Kraftson of Search Fort Worth provides a new vantage point to challenge your view of the relationship between miracles and science. Support the show

Does God Exist? Perhaps a better way of framing this conversation is by asking, "What If God Does Not Exist?" Brian DeVries examines what a world and life would look with without a god or creator and what the consequences of that reality would mean. Is science in opposition to God or actually testimony that God exists? Brian DeVries of Search Twin Cities, a trained engineer with an advan...

Is God an outdated concept? Is God even true or relevant? If He exists, isn't God boring? Isn't life without God more free without all the rules and restrictions? Dr. John Hopper of Search in Houston, Texas presents why wrestling with this question is one of the most important and relevant questions we can ask. Support the show

Absolutes fly in the face of modern thinking, where we create our own standards and beliefs about what is right and wrong. Absolute Truth is the idea that there is a standard of "rightness" that exists outside what we, as individuals create.  The questions are, are there absolutes, do they actually exist and why would they be important? Brian DeVries of Search Twin Cities, a trained engi...

This is one of the most fundamental if not THE most fundamental questions that determines almost all of how we view life. Does God exist? If there is a God and He exists, didn't someone need to create Him? Then who created that god and the one before? Trying to work your way through the existence of God can be maddening. Don Barkley gives us a framework to tackle this question. Support the sh...