Q&R Podcast

Last month, something happened that shook the foundations of our country.Charlie Kirk, a polarizing conservative activist, was assassinated at a speaking event on a college campus.In the hours afterward, the finger‑pointing began: the left blamed the right, the right blamed the left and all of social media went into an uproar.In a moment, this charged we need to slow down and ask a harder question.Because underneath all the outrage is a shared conviction: the enemy must be them.And in our rush to name the villain, we rarely stop to see ourselves.So in this episode, we’re not just dissecting politics, we’re holding up a mirror.How does outrage make us forget our own capacity for cruelty? How does moral certainty blind us to the ways we mirror the very people we condemn?And why does self‑righteousness feel so good when it’s disguised as truth?Because if every moment of outrage becomes proof that we’re the good ones, then we’ve already lost sight of grace.Maybe the real enemy isn’t who we think it is.Maybe it’s the sin in all of us that needs someone else to be worse.ABOUT THIS PODCAST:Our Q&R podcast for the seeker and skeptic in all of us. It’s designed to foster a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others.

The Q&R Podcast is designed to foster a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others. This month, we’re talking about a question that’s deeply personal for so many people: Can prayer cure your mental health?If you’ve ever struggled with anxiety or depression—or walked alongside someone who has—you’ve probably heard some version of “just pray about it.” And while that’s often well-meaning, it can leave people feeling unseen, ashamed, or like they somehow lack faith.This episode is about untying those knots. What does the Bible actually say about mental health? What do we do when prayer doesn’t seem to “work”? And how can faith and therapy not be in conflict, but actually support one another?We’ll get into biblical examples, modern misunderstandings, and some practical ways to reimagine prayer—not as a spiritual shortcut, but as part of a much deeper journey toward healing.Chapters:0:00 - Intro4:04 - A Bad Definition of Prayer10:04 - How “Just Pray About It” Brings Shame26:33 - Lament & Emotional Regulation 32:33 - Making Sense Of Your Pain44:48 - Faith is Trust

The Q&R Podcast is designed to foster a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others. Today we’re stepping into a conversation that can feel really tender, especially for those who’ve been deeply hurt.Forgiveness.For some, forgiveness has felt like betrayal—like being asked to minimize what happened, move on too quickly, or pretend something didn’t cause real pain.  Especially when the other person has not said that they are sorry. And when churches rush people toward forgiveness without acknowledging justice, grief, or boundaries, it can do more harm than good.Almost like we’re letting evil win.In this episode, we’ll explore what forgiveness actually is, what it isn’t, and why it’s not the same thing as reconciliation or trust. We’ll look at how God handles harm in Scripture, how Jesus modeled forgiveness, and what it might look like to forgive without betraying yourself.It’s a raw conversation, but an important one. Let’s get into it.Chapters:0:00 - Intro1:10 - How People Minimize Pain with Forgiveness 13:04 - Justice vs. Forgiveness21:32 - Jesus Said Forgive 70x733:49 - Making Excuses For An Abuser49:48 - Practical Applications of Forgiveness

The Q&R Podcast is back, and this month we’re taking on one of the most challenging and uncomfortable topics: Does the Bible condone slavery?It’s a serious and deeply personal question, and it’s often used as a reason to reject Christianity altogether. After all, if the Bible really supports slavery, how could we trust it as a source of moral authority? But before we jump to conclusions, we need to ask: What did slavery actually look like in biblical times? How does it compare to the horrific transatlantic slave trade? And does Scripture truly endorse slavery, or does it lay the foundation for its eventual abolition?We’ll unpack all of this today, tracing how the Bible speaks about slavery from Genesis to the New Testament, and how Christian thought ultimately fueled abolitionist movements throughout history.

Tell us more about you: https://redeemerlsq.com/imnewOur Q&R podcast for the seeker and skeptic in all of us. It’s designed to foster a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others.This month, we’re taking on another tough question: Is the Bible anti-women?Many people assume that Christianity has historically suppressed women, pointing to passages about submission, silence in the church, or even polygamy in the Old Testament. But is that actually what the Bible teaches? Or is there more to the story?In this episode, we’ll explore how Jesus radically elevated the status of women, how the early church gave them leadership roles, and why a closer reading of Scripture reveals a deeply countercultural view of women’s dignity and worth.0:00 - Intro0:52 - The controversy of this question5:23 - What is biblical submission?13:34 - Does the Old Testament demean women?20:52 - Female leadership in the Bible44:38 - Men & women are equal, but different

Tell us more about you: https://redeemerlsq.com/imnewOur Q&R podcast for the seeker and skeptic in all of us. It’s designed to foster a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others.This month, we’re diving into one of the biggest and most difficult questions people ask about the Bible.  And one of the most common objections we hear is about the character of God—especially in the Old Testament. Many people wonder: Why does He seem so different from the God of the New Testament? Why do we see stories of war, judgment, and even what seems like divine anger? Does that make God unjust or even evil?In this episode, we’ll explore the historical and cultural context of these difficult passages, how justice and mercy actually work together in God’s character, and why understanding the full story of Scripture changes how we see these moments.

Tell us more about you: https://redeemerlsq.com/imnewOur Q&R podcast for the seeker and skeptic in all of us. It’s designed to foster a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others.This month, we continue our two-part series on the afterlife by diving into one of the most difficult ideas in Christianity – Hell. It’s a concept that makes people uncomfortable—and for good reason. If God is truly loving, why would He send people to a place of eternal suffering? Wouldn’t it be more just for Him to save everyone? And if He knew that some people would end up in hell, why create us in the first place?These are not easy questions, but they’re important ones. If Christianity teaches that God is both perfectly just and infinitely merciful, how do those two ideas fit together? Does hell exist because of God’s judgment—or because of human choice?Today, we’re digging into the fairness of hell, the different ways people have understood it throughout history, and what the Bible actually teaches about it. We’ll also wrestle with one of the biggest objections: what about people who never had the chance to hear about Jesus? This conversation isn’t just about doctrine—it’s about what kind of God we believe in.

Tell us more about you: https://redeemerlsq.com/imnewOur Q&R podcast for the seeker and skeptic in all of us. It’s designed to foster a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others.This month, we begin a two-part series on the afterlife, starting with one of the biggest questions of human existence – “what happens when we die?”. Is there life beyond this world, or do we simply cease to exist? Every culture, religion, and philosophy has tried to answer this in some way, but for many, it's still an unsettling mystery.Today, we’re diving into what the Bible actually says about life after death. We’ll explore the concepts of heaven and hell, break down common misconceptions, and wrestle with the real question: who goes where? Is it about being a good person, or is there something more?This conversation isn’t just theoretical—it changes how we live right now. If eternity is real, what does that mean for our choices, our relationships, and our understanding of justice and grace? So, whether you’ve grown up with strong beliefs about the afterlife or you’re just trying to figure out what to make of it all, stick with us.Chapters:0:00 - Intro1:31 - Different interpretations of the afterlife11:50 - The need for hell18:10 - Is hell for bad people?33:01 - Why would God create heaven & hell?40:33 - Jesus on the afterlife

Tell us more about you: https://redeemerlsq.com/connectOur Q&R Podcast is for the seeker and skeptic in all of us, designed to create a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others. This month, we explore a heavy hitting question:Did Jesus really rise from the dead?In a way, this is a follow up to our last Q&R podcast on pain and suffering, because the resurrection is the future hope that we have. It’s also something that has divided cultures, and caused debate among believers and unbelievers for millennia.As the Apostle Paul once said, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile.” So in this episode, we examine the compelling case for the resurrection. We discuss the crucifixion, the empty tomb, the witnesses and transformation of the disciples, and finally the explosion of the Christian movement in the ancient world.We discuss alternate theories of what happened, and why those conclusions do not measure up on an intellectual level. Finally, we discuss why the resurrection brings such hope, and what it means for this life and the next.Timestamps:0:00 - Intro1:39 - There’s only a few possibilities13:55 - The details of the resurrection22:44 - Can you be Christian & not believe in the resurrection?33:10 - The hope of the resurrection48:43 - Jesus experienced life as we experience itResources:The Resurrection of the Son of God: https://shorturl.at/6QVT2

Our Q&R Podcast is for the seeker and skeptic in all of us, designed to create a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others. Today, we’re going to tackle a question that we will all face at one point or another in our lives.How do I handle pain & suffering?This is a topic that the larger culture often leaves us unequipped to deal with. Our culture talks about self-optimization, and longevity has become a popular theme, but what happens when things don’t go our way? When we don’t heal of a disease? When a loved one dies?When we go through a painful breakup? In this conversation, Michael and Bekah unpack this both from an intellectual perspective, but also a personal one. Michael shares about his experience losing his dad, and the profound suffering and grief that has unfolded both before and after Tim’s death.We then get into deeper theological questions of why God would allow this to happen, and why the Christian faith is predicated on a future hope that empowers us to endure anything that comes our way.Chapters:0:00 - Intro1:56 - Our culture does not address suffering6:47 - How we respond to pain & suffering19:11 - Michael talking about father Tim Keller’s death23:10 - Discerning why you need in the moment27:15 - Placing suffering in a spectrum31:38 - Getting used to grief38:36 - Why am I going through this?46:47 - What do you do when something is ongoing?

Today, we’re going to tackle perhaps the most relevant question that is on everyone’s mind for the next couple of weeks.How should we handle politics?We live in one of the most polarizing times in United States history, and the hostility in the political landscape can be felt everyday on social media. It’s clear that the way we interact with politics as a culture does not work, so is there a better way?At Redeemer LSQ, we believe there is. We believe that the Christian view offers a third option to left and right, and red and blue. But in this episode, we’re not going to tell you how to vote. Rather, we’re going to outline why the secular approach to politics isn’t working, why the Christian view does, and how to live that out practically in your own life.We’re going to talk about political idolatry, and how to identify if you’ve made politics an idol.And we’re going to discuss the fallout of the election, and how to handle the results as we move forward as a community in the next few years.

The Q&R Podcast is for the seeker and skeptic in all of us, designed to create a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others. We’re in the midst of a mini two-part Q&R series aimed at addressing an important question “is biblical sexuality outdated?” Last week, we explored what the purpose of sex is, and in what environment sex truly thrives. If you haven’t gotten a chance to watch that yet, we’d encourage you to go back and take a listen.This week, we put it all into practice. We address how to handle your sexual desires as a single person and also what a healthy sex life looks like when you are married. We try to get as practical as possible in this episode, and we believe that the strategies we will discuss today can have a huge impact on your own outlook of sexuality.

The Q&R Podcast is for the seeker and skeptic in all of us, designed to create a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others. This fall, we've been working through a teaching series on sexuality every Sunday. So to coincide with that, we are releasing a two-part Q&R series aimed at addressing an important question “is biblical sexuality outdated?”As younger generations have moved away from traditional religion, the biblical outlook of human sexuality has become irrelevant in the larger cultural conversation. Spend a few minutes in a secular environment and you’ll quickly realize this. A large part of the population views biblical sexuality as outdated, and has dismissed it altogether.However, people are waking up to the fact that our culture’s predominant view of sexuality doesn’t work. Louise Perry’s book The Case Against the Sexual Revolution – which was secular – highlighted all the ways our hypersexualized culture is failing us.With that in mind, we are doing a mini two-part Q&R series on biblical sexuality. In part one, we want to explore what the Bible actually says about sex – not just what we think it says. We want to establish what the purpose of sex is, and in what environment sex truly thrives.In part two, we will explore how to put this all into practice. That means addressing how to handle your sexual desires as a single person and also what a healthy sex life looks like when you are married. We believe these episodes will speak to a wide range of audiences, and that the information we’ll learn can have a big impact on your own sexuality.Chapters:0:00 - 1:21 - Intro1:21 - 3:49 - The state of sex in our culture3:49 - 12:12 - Does the Bible have an outdated view on sex?12:12 - 26:11 - What’s the point of sex?26:11 - 37:09 - What is biblical sexuality?37:09 - 44:25 - Being “married in your heart”44:25 - 47:37 - Closing comments

Over the last couple of months, we’ve been exploring a series of interconnected questions. We first asked, "Aren’t all religions the same?" and then moved on to "Why should we trust the Bible?" last month. Our next topic follows naturally: addressing objections to the church.In this episode, we’ll discuss the mass exodus from the church, why so many people are turned off by what they’ve seen, and what the church is truly supposed to stand for. We encourage you to listen through to the very end.Welcome back to our Q&R Podcast! I’m Rebekah Hannah, the director of LSQ Kids here at Redeemer LSQ. Together with Michael Keller, we’re framing this podcast for the seeker and skeptic in all of us. It’s designed to foster a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others.CHAPTERS:0:00 - 0:47 - Intro0:47 - 7:55 - The complexity of church hurt7:55 - 12:10 - What does church hurt mean?12:10 - 18:47 - What should the church look like?18:47 - 25:51 - What do we do about forgiveness?25:51 - 28:00 - The other side of church hurt 28:00 - 30:33 - Holding leaders accountable30:33 - 34:32 - Repentance is a Christian privilege34:32 - 44:56 - Why stay in the church?THE Q&R PODCAST:At Redeemer LSQ, we values questions and the people who ask them. We will always be a place where skeptics are welcome. We believe that questions lead to dialogue, dialogue fosters relationships, and relationships create community. So we won't be shy about tackling anything on this podcast. If you have a question you'd like to us to tackle on this podcast, fill out the form on this page and we'll review it: https://rb.gy/1p5hlj

Last month, we tackled a big question: Aren’t all religions the same? During that episode, we discussed the case for Christianity and received a lot of feedback, especially objections to the Bible and the church.So this month, we’re diving into another crucial question: Why should we trust the Bible? Today, the Bible’s authority in America is at an all-time low, partly due to misconceptions about its teachings. People have concerns about topics like misogyny, sexuality, war, hell, and God’s actions in the Old Testament.Additionally, there’s a widespread belief that the Bible is purely man-made and lacks evidence of divine origin. In this episode, we’ll address these issues and more, aiming to set the record straight on the Bible.Chapters:0:00 - 1:44 - Intro1:44 - 7:10 - Why we need to answer this question7:10 - 12:06 - the Bible answers the big questions of life12:06 - 14:51 - the story of the Bible14:51 - 19:44 - Weaponizing the Bible19:44 - 25:09 - Why the Bible over other truths?25:09 - 31:03 - Is the Bible misogynistic?31:03 - 34:10 - Why is God so angry in the Old Testament?34:10 - 42:27 - Did God command genocide?42:27 - 50:17 - Does the Bible have divine origins?50:17 - 58:03 - How to read & interpret the Bible58:03 - 58:20 - OutroTHE Q&R PODCAST:At Redeemer LSQ, we values questions and the people who ask them. We will always be a place where skeptics are welcome. We believe that questions lead to dialogue, dialogue fosters relationships, and relationships create community. So we won't be shy about tackling anything on this podcast. If you have a question you'd like to us to tackle on this podcast, fill out the form on this page and we'll review it: https://rb.gy/1p5hlj

Last month on the Q&R Podcast, we tackled one of the loudest narratives in our culture: this idea of my truth vs. your truth. In Episode 4, we aim to build on that by engaging the question “Aren’t all religions the same?”In recent years, our culture has moved away from organized religion, and this question is getting asked more frequently. As we’ll learn, part of the problem is that many people are not familiar with what the world’s holy books actually have to say.In this episode, we attempt to uncover the truth, while embodying a posture of curiosity. We start by unpacking what unites all religions before moving on to where they divide, and specifically how the case for Christianity stacks up against other faith traditions.CHAPTERS:0:00 - 1:02 - Intro1:02 - 8:25 - The pulse of our culture8:25 - 14:26 - The similarities between religions14:26 - 20:11 - The differences between religions20:11 - 36:02 - Breaking downs claims of religions36:02 - 42:01 - Can you mix and match religions?42:01 - 46:20 - Is Christianity exclusive?46:20 - 50:31 - Is there evidence that suggests Christianity is true?50:31 - 54:40 Interacting with people of different religionsRESOURCES:Surprised by Hope by NT Wright: https://shorturl.at/mW0OaThe Resurrection of the Son of God by NT Wright: https://shorturl.at/uKe58THE Q&R PODCAST:At Redeemer LSQ, we values questions and the people who ask them. We will always be a place where skeptics are welcome. We believe that questions lead to dialogue, dialogue fosters relationships, and relationships create community. So we won't be shy about tackling anything on this podcast. If you have a question you'd like to us to tackle on this podcast, fill out the form on this page and we'll review it: https://rb.gy/1p5hlj

In Episode 3 of the Q&R Podcast, we tackle perhaps the hottest topic in today's culture: my truth vs. your truth. In recent years, it's become almost offensive to claim that there is an objective truth, which touches many important areas of life like religion, sexuality and gender.In this conversation, we discuss how to navigate a challenging cultural landscape and the importance of curiosity and humility in expressing what you believe to be true.Chapters:0:00 - 0:38 - Intro0:38 - 4:31 - Why this is a hot topic4:31 - 13:27 - Areas this question affects13:27 - 19:49 - Does objective truth exist?19:49 - 33:04 - What truth should guide us?33:04 - 38:17 - The importance of curiosity 38:17 - 44:28 - How to express your truth44:28 - 54:30 - Speaking truth in love54:30 - 59:44 - The importance of humilityTHE Q&R PODCAST:At Redeemer LSQ, we values questions and the people who ask them. We will always be a place where skeptics are welcome. We believe that questions lead to dialogue, dialogue fosters relationships, and relationships create community. So we won't be shy about tackling anything on this podcast. If you have a question you'd like to us to tackle on this podcast, fill out the form on this page and we'll review it: https://rb.gy/1p5hlj

In Episode 2 of the Q+R Podcast, we tackle one of the most pressing questions of our day: how could God allow suffering? This isn't just a philosophical question, but a personal one, because all of us will experience some form of suffering in our lives. When we are in pain or grief or loss, at times we can't fathom how a good God could allow such a thing to happen. In this conversation, we tackle every aspect of this question. We discuss the philosophical answer, the emotional component to this question, and alternative theories to the Christian view of suffering.THE Q+R PODCAST:At Redeemer LSQ, we values questions and the people who ask them. We will always be a place where skeptics are welcome. We believe that questions lead to dialogue, dialogue fosters relationships, and relationships create community. So we won't be shy about tackling anything on this podcast. If you have a question you'd like to us to tackle on this podcast, fill out the form on this page and we'll review it: https://rb.gy/1p5hljRESOURCES:Walking with God Through Pain & Suffering: https://shorturl.at/bnq69Gentle & Lowly: https://shorturl.at/pyzDH

In Episode 1 of the Q+R Podcast, we start with what we believe is the most foundational question of live: does God exist? Knowingly or unknowingly, how all of us answer this question dictates how we live. Believers and unbelievers alike. In this conversation, we review the objective, subjective and philosophical arguments for (and against) God's existence.THE Q+R PODCAST:At Redeemer LSQ, we values questions and the people who ask them. We will always be a place where skeptics are welcome. We believe that questions lead to dialogue, dialogue fosters relationships, and relationships create community. So we won't be shy about tackling anything on this podcast. If you have a question you'd like to us to tackle on this podcast, fill out the form on this page and we'll review it: https://rb.gy/1p5hljRESOURCES:The Reason for God: https://shorturl.at/jINT3William Lane Craig Books: https://shorturl.at/fDE45The Case for Christ: https://shorturl.at/qDGSWThe Resurrection of the Son of God: https://shorturl.at/clzJQJesus & The Eyewitnesses: https://shorturl.at/uBJS5