Think Well

"There is now a social cost to being a Christian in many of America's most elite sectors."Today's show will look at hostility and persecution as we walk through chapter 10 of Andrew and Christian Walker's new book, "What Do I Say When...?: A Parents' Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children & Teens." The hope is to explore the shifting culture and how Christians need to adapt to stand firm and minister wisely. Bring your questions! There will be time for Q&A and callers!Andrew Walker (PhD in Christian Ethics) serves at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary as Associate Dean in the School of Theology, and Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology. He is also the Director of the Carl F. H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement. Additionally, he is a fellow in Christian Political Thought at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and serves as the Managing Editor of WORLD Opinions. Christian Walker is an accomplished curriculum writer, elementary school educator, and former children's ministry leader.If you have received something of value from this ministry and want to give back, or if you want to partner in equipping the church for cultural engagement, would you prayerfully consider joining our financial support team? More information can be found here. https://think-well.org/donate/

"Without understanding the questions Gen Z is asking, older generations of Christians are providing irrelevant and flawed answers, perpetuating the disconnect between themselves and Gen Z." Join the conversation as we look at the deeper questions that Gen Z is asking and how the church can communicate effectively.Dr. Tanita Tualla Maddox is a graduate of Phoenix Seminary. She is the national director for generational impact for Young Life and associate regional director in the Mountain West Young Life region. With an expertise in contextualizing the gospel for Gen Z, Tanital has ministered to adolescents for over twenty-six years. Related ResourcesGet the book - https://a.co/d/1yfkeYjYear-End Challenge Info - https://think-well.org/challenge/Ryan's InfoWebsite: https://think-well.org/Get more from Think Well: http://eepurl.com/h77OcHInstagram Think Well Channel: https://ig.me/j/AbYXJE5dgQA8wx5g/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryanpauly2Instagram, Twitter, TikTok: @ryanpauly3iTunes Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coffeehouse-questions-with-ryan-pauly/id1088715685Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/coffeehousequestionsSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/25zlBqfoGl685yzGQKtleE?si=7d779b644d66430eAmazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f3c33ac9-ec0c-49eb-80ee-9e4b84f29228/Ryan-Pauly-PodcastSpeaking Requests: https://think-well.org/contact/If you have received something of value from this ministry and want to give back, or if you want to partner in equipping the church for cultural engagement, would you prayerfully consider joining our financial support team? More information can be found here. https://think-well.org/donate/

Did Jesus really claim to be God? Dr. Mikel Del Rosario believes that Jesus's claim to possess divine authority should be recognized as a highly evidenced fact of history. His new book, "Did Jesus Really Say He Was God?: Making Sense of His Historical Claims," looks at Jesus's claims to forgive sins and judge sins, both seen as acts of blasphemy by the original audience.Mikel Del Rosario (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is professor of Bible and theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He has coauthored thirty-one journal articles on apologetics and cultural engagement in "Bibliotheca Sacra" with Darell L. Bock.

Many people see Noah’s Flood as unscientific or morally troubling. How can we make sense of this story in light of modern science? And if it really happened, how could a loving God allow such devastation? For some, believing the Flood was a real event undermines the credibility of Christians in science and morality.Dr. Ross believes that "what triggers strong and derisive reaction to the story of Noah's flood is not the biblical account but, rather, common misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and misrepresentations of what Genesis 6-11 says." Join us today as we break down the biblical and scientific data, clear up misconceptions, and show how a correct understanding of the flood can strengthen both faith and reason. Dr. Hugh Ross is the founder and a senior scholar of Reasons to Believe, an organization dedicated to communicating the compatibility of science and the Christian faith. As an astrophysicist and pastor, Hugh has spoken at hundreds of universities, conferences, and labs around the world. He has written numerous books on science and faith.Get the book! - https://a.co/d/09bt5fUIf you have received something of value from this ministry and want to give back, or if you want to partner in equipping the church for cultural engagement, would you prayerfully consider joining our financial support team? More information can be found here. https://think-well.org/donate/

Is right and wrong based on a social contract? Does it change from person to person, or culture to culture, or is there an objective morality that applies to all people at all times? In Episode 5 of the Think Well Debate Livestream, I defend the case for objective morality and its ground in God while engaging in a thoughtful and honest conversation with callers. Join the discussion live and bring your questions!Today's book giveaway is "On The Incarnation" by Athanasius with an introduction by C. S. Lewis.Register for a Summit Ministries summer conference before March 31st and use the discount code THINKWELL26 to save $500! - https://www.summit.org/promotions/think-well/

This Hebrew Israelite claimed to shut down our Christian apologetics conference with one question. It's a question that he says no Christian has ever been able to give a concrete answer to. So, how does Jesus saying "my God" in Revelation 3:12 fit in a framework of co-equal and co-eternal persons? Join me, ‪Eric Hernandez‬, and ‪Vocab Malone,‬ as we respond to this claim and show how this "gotcha" question doesn't work.

Is there good evidence that God exists? In Episode 4 of the Think Well Debate Livestream, I defend the case for God while engaging in a thoughtful and honest conversation with callers. Join the discussion live and bring your questions! Today's book giveaway is "What's Your Worldview?: An Interactive Approach to Life's Big Questions" by James N. Anderson Register for a Summit Ministries summer conference before March 31st and use the discount code THINKWELL26 to save $500! - https://www.summit.org/promotions/think-well/

The Trinity may be the most challenged doctrine in Christianity, and for good reason. It’s unique to the Christian faith and central to what Christians believe about God. If the Trinity falls, Christianity collapses. Join the live debate and bring your best objections to the table. Today's book giveaway is "What's Your Worldview?: An Interactive Approach to Life's Big Questions" by James N. Anderson - https://think-well-shop.fourthwall.com/products/whats-your-worldview-by-james-anderson Register for a Summit Ministries summer conference before March 31st and use the discount code THINKWELL26 to save $500! - https://www.summit.org/promotions/think-well/

What are your biggest objections to the truth of Christianity? What reasons do Christians have for believing Christianity is true? Join the show, bring your questions, and let's Think Well about the Christian faith. Register for a Summit Ministries summer conference before March 31st and use the discount code THINKWELL26 to save $500! - https://www.summit.org/promotions/think-well/

This is the first of a series of debate livestreams. The topic was "Christian Faith Isn't Blind," and callers joined to discuss their thoughts. Enjoy!

"There is as much caution necessary to protect yourself from being politically obsessive as there is the need to reject political apathy." Today's show will take a look at political engagement as we walk through chapter 9 of Andrew and Christian Walker's new book, "What Do I Say When...?: A Parents' Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children & Teens." The hope is to explore how Christians can influence culture and be involved in society without idolizing politics. There is a biblical worldview for political engagement in a divided world, and that is what we will discuss. Bring your questions! There will be time for Q&A and callers! Andrew Walker (PhD in Christian Ethics) serves at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary as Associate Dean in the School of Theology, and Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology. He is also the Director of the Carl F. H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement. Additionally, he is a fellow in Christian Political Thought at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and serves as the Managing Editor of WORLD Opinions. Christian Walker is an accomplished curriculum writer, elementary school educator, and former children's ministry leader.

Are Christians trying to impose their Biblical values on others? How should we approach public policy in a society as diverse as ours? While our country's laws should be culturally neutral, they are not morally neutral. The solution is to base our laws on natural law. Join the conversation as we examine whether natural law provides a foundation for public policy. As always, I will be taking your calls and questions!

"Politics affects everyone everywhere. Yet most people do not know how to communicate or think methodically (much less unemotionally) about the issues at hand. What we need is for our thinking to be grounded in the basic framework of order, freedom, justice, and equality." Part 8 of our worldview study delves into "Political Thought: A Student's Guide" by Dr. Hunter Baker. This helpful guide will help you learn how to fruitfully consider and discuss politics and gain a greater capacity for evaluating political proposals and the claims that go with them. Hunter Baker (PhD, Baylor University; JD, University of Houston) is associate dean of arts and sciences at Union University and has written for a wide variety of publications, including "Christianity Today" and the "Journal of Law and Religion." Baker is also the winner of the 2011 Michael Novak Award, an award given for outstanding scholarly research concerning the relationship between religion, economic freedom, and the free and virtuous society. Join the conversation as we see how the Christian intellectual tradition shapes our political thought. As always, bring your questions! I will be taking questions and calls after the teaching.

"We may worry we'll say the wrong thing and worsen someone's hopelessness. We may think depression is a medical condition outside our scope or assume sufferers will reach out if they desire help. Uncertain how to act, many don't act at all, lapsing into silence and avoidance." Today's show will take a look at technology as we walk through chapter 8 of Andrew and Christian Walker's new book, "What Do I Say When...?: A Parents' Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children & Teens." Bring your questions! There will be time for Q&A and callers! Kathryn Butler (MD, Columbia University) is a trauma surgeon who retired from practice at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is the author of numerous works on medical topics from a Christian perspective, appearing on Desiring God, the Gospel Coalition, and Christianity Today. She authored today's book, "What Does Depression Mean for My Faith?" that is part of the TGC Hard Questions series.

"Technology is not just a 'thing' we use; it colors virtually every interaction we have in the world today. We use technology but then technology shapes us into the types of persons that further technology's demands. It's an unending cycle of compulsion-desire-formation." Today's show will take a look at technology as we walk through chapter 8 of Andrew and Christian Walker's new book, "What Do I Say When...?: A Parents' Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children & Teens." Bring your questions! There will be time for Q&A and callers! Andrew Walker (PhD in Christian Ethics) serves at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary as Associate Dean in the School of Theology, and Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology. He is also the Director of the Carl F. H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement. Additionally, he is a fellow in Christian Political Thought at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and serves as the Managing Editor of WORLD Opinions. Christian Walker is an accomplished curriculum writer, elementary school educator, and former children's ministry leader.

Jesus says Abiathar was the high priest in Mark 2, but 1 Samuel says it was Abimelech. Was Jesus wrong? Did the Gospel writers get it wrong? Either way, Pesky Passages on TikTok claims this contradiction creates problems for biblical inerrancy. Let's take a closer look and bring our questions! I'll take calls when I finish with my comments. Content Discussed 0:00 Intro 1:02 Updates & future shows 3:33 Objections against Christianity provide a great opportunity to grow 5:50 The role of presuppositions in Bible contradictions 8:22 Did Jesus get it wrong? What's the context for Mark 2:26? 13:21 Who was the high priest in 1 Samuel? How should "epi" be translated? 19:35 Why was Abiathar named? 24:43 Does Jesus's statement rewrite history? Did Jesus get it wrong, or did the writer get it wrong? 30:32 Am I doing "Apologetics Gymnastics?" 37:46 LISTENER QUESTION: Would you approach verses in the Quran in the same way? 39:29 LISTENER QUESTION: Did I use a false dichotomy with evolution? 40:15 LISTENER QUESTION: MAVEN speakers and steel-manning other arguments. 43:09 Do you find this show valuable? Consider spreading the content and supporting. 44:43 LISTENER QUESTION: Do you have any apologetics book recommendations?

"The Christian view of persons requires that we have some degree of responsibility in life, but it does not require that we act without influence upon our choice." Part 7 of our worldview study delves into "Psychology: A Student's Guide" by Stanton L. Jones. This helpful guide examines the study of psychology from a distinctly Christian perspective, introducing readers to key issues such as the origins of morality, nature vs. nurture, the relationship between the mind and the brain, and the concept of personal identity. Stanton L. Jones (PhD, Arizona State University) is provost and professor of psychology at Wheaton College. He has written numerous books and articles on the interface of the science and profession of psychology with Christianity. Join the conversation as we see how the Christian intellectual tradition shapes our understanding of what it means to be human. As always, bring your questions! I will be taking questions and calls after the teaching.

"To be male is not, first and foremost, to embody certain cultural expressions, like wearing blue. To be male or female is to possess a male or female body. Our bodies are not blank canvases. There is a purpose to the design that our bodies exhibit. That purpose, fundamentally, is the body's organization for reproduction. That is the only stable way to define male and female. any other classifications are built off that primary foundation." Today's show will take a look at transgenderism as we walk through chapter 7 of Andrew and Christian Walker's new book, "What Do I Say When...?: A Parents' Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children & Teens." Bring your questions! There will be time for Q&A and callers! Andrew Walker (PhD in Christian Ethics) serves at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary as Associate Dean in the School of Theology, and Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology. He is also the Director of the Carl F. H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement. Additionally, he is a fellow in Christian Political Thought at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and serves as the Managing Editor of WORLD Opinions. Christian Walker is an accomplished curriculum writer, elementary school educator, and former children's ministry leader.

Are you willing to follow the evidence wherever it leads? Revolutionary developments in biology, such as purpose, agency, and decision-making at the cellular level, are providing stronger evidence than ever before of a purposeful creator God. My guest, Dr. Sy Garte, will show how a reductionist view of life ignores new advances in science and why we need to look beyond the evolution debate. Come join the conversation and bring your questions! Sy Garte (PhD in Biochemistry) has been a tenured professor at New York University, Rutgers University, and the University of Pittsburgh; division director at the Center for Scientific Review of the National Institutes of Health; and interim vice president for research at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He has published more than two hundred peer-reviewed scientific papers and five books. Currently, Dr. Garte serves as editor-in-chief of the American Scientific Affiliation's (ASA) online quarterly magazine, God and Nature, and also as vice president for the Washington, DC, metro chapter of the ASA. He also served as a member of the board of advisors of the John Templeton Foundation. Dr. Garte converted to Christianity from an atheist family background, and he is now a certified lay servant in the United Methodist Church in Rockville, Maryland.

Why is there anything at all? How can we know for sure? How did we get here, and what are we here for, anyway? Why have things gone so badly wrong? Is there any hope of fixing them? What should I do with my life? And where will it all end? These are the foundation questions that all worldviews attempt to answer. "Many factors contribute to our worldview, not all of them the product of our own thoughtful reflection...Our family background, life experience, economic circumstances, educational pedigree, cultural context, national heritage, linguistic community, physiological characteristics, psychological makeup, and historical situation all have an influence on the way we see the world." And because our worldview informs how we live, act, and hope, it is important that we evaluate these contributing factors and ground ourselves in the worldview that accurately describes reality. Philip Graham Ryken (DPhil, University of Oxford) is the eighth president of Wheaton College. He has lectured and taught at universities and seminaries worldwide, and is the author of more than 30 books, including "Kingdom Come!", "Grace Transforming" and "Loving the Way Jesus Loves." Join the conversation as we see how the Christian intellectual tradition has shaped the Christian worldview. As always, bring your questions! I will be taking questions and calls after the teaching.