Winsome Conviction

John Marriott (Ph.D.) is back on the podcast to speak with Tim and Mike about the cultural lenses that influence how we in the modern West read the Bible. They also unpack some of the common assumptions people hold when reading the Bible, including approaching the Bible as a fairytale or as a science textbook, and they reflect on the challenges of believing in miracles today. Show notes and a full transcript are available.

The Bible is filled with oddities and hard things to understand. Oftentimes, the Bible itself can be a stumbling block to belief in God and the Christian faith, and many former Christians report leaving the faith because of problems they see in the Bible. Our guest today is John Marriott (Ph.D.) and he has co-authored Is It Really the Good Book?, a book that aims to help people understand and appreciate the Bible as the Word of God and as a wise guide for life. John speaks with Tim and Mike a...

There are two levels of communication - the content level, which involves arguments and reasons, and the relational level, which involves the amount of respect, curiosity, and friendliness between individuals. Our guest today, Dr. John Lennox, models communicating at both levels in prominent debates, and we would do well to learn from his example. Tim and Rick reflect with Dr. Lennox on these two levels of communication in two of his previous debates that have left a lasting impact: one with ...

Oxford University mathematician and Christian apologist Dr. John Lennox is no stranger to intense debate, and he’s exchanged ideas with some of the foremost atheists including Dr. Richard Dawkins. Yet, he characteristically demonstrates friendliness, kindness, and care with his disagreers. On today’s episode, Tim and Rick speak with Dr. Lennox about why bother engaging in debate, the importance of balancing thoughtfulness and friendliness in debate, and the influence of spiritual battle durin...

One of our favorite segments involves stories of “people who are doing it right” - people who are demonstrating winsome conviction in their local communities. On today’s episode, Brandon Pasion, a worship leader in the Bay Area, speaks with Tim and Rick about his experience doing bridge-building work between the church and a local school to help bless families at the school. While the partnership is unique and involves a depth of personal connection, these efforts have also involved painstaki...