Apologetics
Explore the arguments for Christian faith, evidence for God and the resurrection, biblical reliability, science, ethics and debate.
About this list
This reading list brings together items from the sources selected for Apologetics. Open each item at its original source for the complete article, episode or video. This is a selection of current coverage, not a complete archive.
Latest podcasts
Newest first
Trapped in a Meaningless Life
Loss can lead to despair over God’s plan for our lives. When we can’t perceive meaning in life, Pastor John counsels us to find comfort in God’s glorious purpose in Christ. Listen Now
Laziness and the Gladness of God
At some point today, you will encounter a task you need to do but would really rather not do. You will stare with dread at your Anatomy and Physiology textbook. Or you will hear your three-year-old spill a jar of jellybeans across the kitchen floor. Or you will remember you have a technical report due today. Or you will see crusty dishes on the counter. And in that moment, the voice of laziness may be loud in your mind. “Grab your phone” or “Grab a snack,” it will insist. Or perhaps more subtly: “Take care of other work first.”
Generational Curses and the Sins of the Father
Greg examines a passage that’s often used to support the idea of generational curses, then he talks to a caller about whether the Nicene Creed indicates that we’re saved by baptism and how we can have an expectancy for Christ if there’s no rapture.
Do Good People Get Hurt?
Does the Bible promise that believers will not be harmed for doing good? Pastor John explains the context of 1 Peter 3:13 and God’s sovereign wisdom in suffering. Listen Now
Anchor Your Soul in His Majesty
Christ is priest, king, warrior, and the fulfillment of hope-filled prophecy. Psalm 110 reveals four unique majesties of Jesus for the comfort of the church. Watch Now
Life on the Seas of Death
Secular man may learn how to survive, but he does not know how to live. Because he knows not why he lives. In his sin, he gropes in the dark for meaning. He knows he can wreck any day now. He knows he will eventually hit the bottom. A forced sailor, he is born into this wild and raging sea of life he does not understand. He shudders to sink. He strives to stay aloft as long as possible. Yet he is moving, dragged toward somewhere — but where?
What Makes Morality Moral?
Greg answers questions about how to help people understand that if there is no God then there’s no moral standard, a caller’s book idea, what “Christianity” means, Catholicism, the Holy Spirit’s pronoun, and how to respond when people ask how you’re doing after a Christian loved one dies.
Are the Christmas stories history — or legend?
The birth narratives of Jesus contain some of the most famous stories in Christianity: the virgin birth, angels and shepherds, the Magi, the star of Bethlehem and Herod’s massacre of the innocents. But did Matthew and Luke actually intend their readers to believe these events happened? Dr Caleb Friedeman joins John Nelson to challenge a widespread assumption in historical Jesus scholarship: that the infancy narratives can largely be sidelined because they belong more to the world of legend and theological storytelling than history.
Is Christianity making a comeback? Pat Allerton on faith, atheism and the search for meaning
Pat Allerton joins Luke Martin to explore the growing openness to Christianity, the search for meaning and why faith may be returning to the cultural conversation. From science and the resurrection to anxiety, healing and his own dramatic conversion, Pat makes the case for why Christianity still speaks to a searching generation.
Resisting Therapy Culture, with Matthew Loftus
Send Us A Message Therapy culture (not therapy itself) has gotten way out of hand. Too many of life's normal vicissitudes are treated as mental illnesses. How do we avoid the extremes of medicalizing morality or moralizing medicine? How's a pastor to navigate this issue? Matthew Loftus, M.D., joins Derek, James, and Brad to discuss this sticky, hot-topic issue. Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported.
“Word of God” Is Used in a Surprising Way in the Book of Acts
Greg talks about how the phrase “word of God” is used in a surprising way in the book of Acts, then he responds to a caller’s questions and challenges regarding Greg’s claim that “God doesn’t try.” Topics: Commentary: “Word of God” is used in a surprising way in the book of Acts. (00:00) What do you mean when you say that “God doesn’t try”? (27:00) Mentioned on the Show: When God Speaks by Greg Koukl Related Links: Does God Whisper? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 by Greg Koukl
Take Up the Fight Against Small Sins
Gluttony will kill you. Not just your body; the stakes are far higher. Your very soul could hang in the balance with gluttony. So also with other seemingly minor sins like grumbling and gossip, fruitlessness and impatience.
The Gospel Before Jesus Died
Did Jesus preach the gospel before his death and resurrection? Pastor John calls us to a deeper understanding of God as Creator and King, and Jesus as Lord and Savior. Listen Now
Is Christian apologetics making us worse? Mary Jo Sharp
Has Christian apologetics become too focused on winning? Mary Jo Sharp joins John Nelson to confront the darker side of defending the faith: pride, outrage, confirmation bias and the temptation to treat people as arguments to defeat. What if apologetics is meant to transform the Christian too? A conversation about truth, humility, suffering and one uncomfortable question: Does Christianity just make us right, or should it make us good?
Finding Happiness That Lasts
Send Us A Message Andrew Wilson returns to the podcast! He joins Brad and Alistair to discuss the idea of Christian happiness, not only in the world to come, but in this world also. His latest book is entitled Happiness: What It Is, Where to Find It, and How to Make It Last Forever. Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership. Get 30% off the Baker Book of the Month by going to: http://bakerbookhouse.
There Is No Equal to Christianity as a Coherent Worldview
Greg says there’s no equal to Christianity as a coherent worldview, then he answers questions about reconciling justification with the final judgment, whether Jesus was being literal in Luke 22:36 and Peter was in the wrong in John 18:10, and whether we can know how the universe began.
The Perils of a Quick Fix
How can we witness to those who just want a quick fix? Pastor John presses home the shocking reality of eternity and the astounding love of Jesus. Listen Now
College Is for (Lasting) Pleasure
The world’s diversions at college may distract and entice. But when we pursue lasting pleasure in God, every semester counts for eternity. Watch Now
Can a True Christian Lose His Salvation?
Greg answers questions about whether it’s possible for a true Christian to lose his salvation, advice for starting an Outpost without having leadership experience, how to get more comfortable praying in public, and whether the Great Commission is for the whole church or just the apostles.
When I’m Too Weak to Be Productive
Can a disabled mother model the Proverbs 31 woman? Pastor John describes the gift of a heart that hopes in God’s steadfast love. Listen Now
Showing 20 of 31 podcasts
Know a source we’re missing? Tell us about it