Shows
Apologetics ProfileDesign in the Universe Helps Lead an Atheist to Christ - Filmmaker Michael Ray Lewis - Part TwoThe Bible tells us that we can see and understand "God's invisible attributes" through what He has created. And this is precisely what former atheist Michael Ray Lewis discovered as he spent three years examining the evidence for Christianity. One of the most impressive arguments he encountered during his time of searching was that of the fine tuning of the universe. Jesus eventually got hold of Michael and not long thereafter his wife encouraged him to make a documentary about the evidence he had uncovered for Christianity. Here on part tw...2025-07-1445 min
Apologetics ProfileDesign in the Universe Helps Lead an Atheist to Christ - Filmmaker Michael Ray Lewis - Part OneGod's creation shows us His invisible attributes. He uses His creation to lead us to Christ, through whom and for whom the entirety of the heavens and earth were made (Colossians 1). Daniel Ray recently met a former atheist who became a Christian and who has recently completed the final edits on a remarkable docudrama film about the cosmos and how it all points us to Jesus. The film is called Universe Designed and it is the passion project of our guest on Apologetics for the next two weeks, filmmaker Michael Ray Lewis. Universe D...2025-07-0755 min
Apologetics ProfileJames Hannam: God's Philosophers - How Dark Were the Dark Ages? [Part 2]You have probably seen the picture of Earth taken by the Voyager I satellite on Valentine's Day in 1990. It looks like nothing more than a little pixel, just a tiny point of light hanging in a beam of sunlight, like a mote of dust. Long before NASA presented this iconic image to the public, however, the late Medieval poet Dante had imagined the Earth would appear as a mere point of light in comparison to the rest of the cosmos. Many Medieval thinkers had gifted and extraordinary insights into the nature of reality, many of which laid the foundation...2024-12-3036 min
Apologetics ProfileJames Hannam: God's Philosophers - How Dark Were the Dark Ages? [Part 1]You have likely heard the term "the Dark Ages" to describe the period of history from about 450 A.D. to 1450 A.D. And you have likely heard a historian or science popularizer or two suggest that it was primarily the Christian Church of the time which was the root cause of suppressing true scientific knowledge of the physical cosmos. Medievals were ignorant, superstitious, and didn't do much of anything scientifically significant for nearly a thousand years. Our guest this week, author and historian James Hannam, says that this disparaging caricature of the Medieval Era is entirely wrong. This week's...2024-12-2337 min
Apologetics ProfileBONUS: 2024 Year in Review - Apologetics ProfileOur 2024 year-in-review theme for this special broadcast is From Unbelief to Belief. We feature clips from selected episodes in 2024 discussing the problem of unbelief and the hope we have in Christ of overcoming unbelief, in our own lives and the lives of those we know and love. Some of the guests featured on this special edition of the Profile include Dr. Darrell Bock, Dr. Doug Groothuis, Alisa Childers, Dr. Jamie Dew, Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez, Dr. William Dembski, Dr. Jana Harmon, Dr. Gary Habermas, and J. Warner Wallace. As we come to the closing days o...2024-12-181h 19
Apologetics ProfileThe Keys to Bible Interpretation [Part 2] with Dr. Nicholas PiotrowskiIn today's age of rampant individualistic interpretations of Scripture how can we properly cultivate a right understand the Bible? Our guest again this week on the Profile is theologian and president of Indianapolis Theological Seminary Dr. Nicholas Piotrowski, author of the 2021 book In All the Scriptures - Three Contexts of Biblical Hermeneutics. Nicholas offers us some insights from his book, most importantly about understanding the layered nature of contexts related to the times and places in which both the Old and New Testaments were written. Good hermeneutics, he argues, should always point us to Christ.Nicholas...2024-12-1643 min
Apologetics ProfileThe Keys to Bible Interpretation [Part 1] with Dr. Nicholas PiotrowskiIn today's age of rampant individualistic interpretations of Scripture how can we properly cultivate a right understand the Bible? Our guest this week and next on the Profile is theologian and president of Indianapolis Theological Seminary Dr. Nicholas Piotrowski, author of the 2021 book In All the Scriptures - Three Contexts of Biblical Hermeneutics. Nicholas offers us some insights from his book, most importantly about understanding the layered nature of contexts related to the times and places in which both the Old and New Testaments were written. Good hermeneutics, he argues, should always point us to Christ....2024-12-0944 min
Apologetics ProfileWhy Did God Do That? [Part 2] with Matthew TingbladPerhaps two of the biggest objections you hear against God's existence are slavery and hell. Why would God, a loving God, allow such things? This week we continue our conversation with apologist with Josh McDowell Ministries, Matthew Tingblad, co-author with Josh McDowell of Why Did God Do That? Discovering God's Goodness in the Hard Passages of Scripture. Matthew will share with us his insights about these difficult objections and encourage us to focus on God's holiness and goodness toward us in Christ Jesus. Matthew Tingblad is a writer and speaker holding a Master of Divinity from T...2024-12-0250 min
Apologetics ProfileWhy Did God Do That? [Part 1] with Matthew TingbladWhy? We often have many "Why?" questions when it comes to God and our relationship with Him. Why would God allow evil or why would God flood the earth? God does not tell us everything we would like to know, but He has revealed to us everything we need to know, including the fact that we can trust Him with our lives and that He is ultimately good. That is the premise for the book, Why Did God Do That? Discovering God's Goodness in the Hard Passages of Scripture, written by our guest this week and next on the...2024-11-2546 min
Apologetics ProfileWho's Afraid of the Multiverse? [Part 2] with Dr. Jeff ZweerinkOur guest again this week, astrophysicist and author at Reasons to Believe (www.reasons.org) Dr. Jeff Zweerink, tells us that we have nothing to fear, not even the multiverse! Many atheists and skeptics have tried to employ the multiverse as a means of explaining away God as the cause of the existence of our universe. Come and hear what Jeff has to say this week about how creation not only is not threatened by modern science, but how it ultimately can encourage and strengthen our faith when we learn more about it. By faith we know that the...2024-11-1834 min
Apologetics ProfileWho's Afraid of the Multiverse? [Part 1] with Dr. Jeff ZweerinkThe universe is a fantastically wondrous place. There are more things in heaven and earth than are often dreamt of in our philosophies, to paraphrase Hamlet a little bit. And for the many things we can observe in the physical universe, science sometimes struggles to come up with an explanation as to what is really going on. How much more mysterious are those things which we cannot see? How should Christians think about things that the science of the heavens tells us cannot be seen, such as the idea of the existence of many different universes? That's the question...2024-11-1155 min
Apologetics ProfileBridge Building Apologetics [Part 2] with Lindsey MedenwaldtOur guest again this week is author and apologist Lindsey Medenwaldt, who continues to share with us insights and her personal experiences with apologetics and evangelism. The Apostle Paul tells his fellow Christians in Corinth to do all to the glory of God. What does that mean? Do we have to be a popular evangelist or a pastor or have a successful social media following to glorify God? Must we be gregarious, outgoing evangelists who have no fear of man in order to win the world to Jesus? No. In whatever situation in which God has placed us, we...2024-11-0434 min
Apologetics ProfileBridge Building Apologetics [Part 1] with Lindsey MedenwaldtIn the 12th chapter of Paul's first letter to Corinth, he reminds the church that "the body is not one member but many... the eye cannot say to the hand 'I have no need of you.'" The Spirit of God has distributed diverse gifts to the body of Christ. We each have unique gifts and abilities which we can use to help encourage and edify one another as fellow Christians. Though not all of us have the gift of evangelism, we are all called to be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in us...2024-10-2842 min
Apologetics ProfileGod: Theology for Every Person [Part 2] Dr. Malcolm Yarnell discusses his latest bookThis week Daniel Ray concludes his discussion with Malcolm Yarnell about his latest book, God: Theology for Every Person. Why should we fully embrace theology? Knowing, loving, and worshiping God is the call and privilege of every disciple of Jesus. Because all Christians are part of his royal priesthood, theology is not just for those teaching in the academy or serving in ministry vocations. God is Malcolm's first volume of a three-part series entitled Theology for Every Person. The other volumes will include God’s Word to the World, which considers God in Christ and his works of creation, hu...2024-07-1534 min
Apologetics ProfileGod: Theology for Every Person - Dr. Malcolm Yarnell discusses his latest bookThis week and next, Dr. Malcolm Yarnell discusses his latest book, God: Theology for Every Person, with Watchman staff apologist, Daniel Ray. Why should we fully embrace theology? Knowing, loving, and worshiping God is the call and privilege of every disciple of Jesus. Because all Christians are part of his royal priesthood, theology is not just for those teaching in the academy or serving in ministry vocations. God is Malcolm's first volume of a three-part series entitled Theology for Every Person. The other volumes will include God’s Word to the World, which considers God in Christ and his wo...2024-07-0841 min
Apologetics ProfileAtheists Finding God with Dr. Jana Harmon [Part 2]Another free book giveaway this week and next (a $99 value!). If you'd like a copy of the book, Atheists Finding God, we're featuring on the next two broadcasts, just drop Daniel Ray an email at Dray@watchman.org with your current mailing address (USA only) for your chance to win. In Matthew 19, the disciples were astonished at Jesus' teaching about salvation. "Who then can be saved?" they wondered. Jesus told them "With men, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." If you have been a believer for any amount of time, you have likely ex...2024-06-0345 min
Apologetics ProfileAtheists Finding God with Dr. Jana Harmon [Part 1]Another free book giveaway this week and next (a $99 value!). If you'd like a copy of the book, Atheists Finding God, we're featuring on the next two broadcasts, just drop Daniel Ray an email at Dray@watchman.org with your current mailing address (USA only) for your chance to win. As we've been covering over the first part of 2024 here on the Profile, there has been a growing trend called #deconstruction where people are leaving the church and deconstructing their faith. But now for some good news. God is still at work. Despite what yo...2024-05-2737 min
Apologetics ProfileWhy Believe? [Part 2] with Dr. Tawa AndersonWith the advent of modern transportation and communication technologies, we are daily inundated with news, information, and ideas from all over the world. Such easy access to so many ideas and concepts wholly foreign to our own can, at times, be overwhelming without having an anchor of truth to which we may cling. Even as believers, much of what makes the news today, much of what you hear coming from other religions, secular science or contemporary sociology tends to dismiss the Christian faith or simply disregard it as irrelevant.Our guest again this week, Dr. Tawa Anderson...2024-05-2040 min
Apologetics ProfileWhy Believe? [Part 1] with Dr. Tawa AndersonThe world often appears to us as though it is spinning out of control. Words don't mean what they used to mean. We live amidst a great deal of moral and societal confusion. Statistics are cited that seem to show an increasing number of people who no longer believe in God. The central message of the Christian faith, the deity, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, no longer seems to be credible to our postmodern world.The good news is that the Gospel is as relevant and powerful today as it was when...2024-05-1339 min
Apologetics ProfileUnderstanding Postmodernism - Dr. Jamie Dew discusses his book [Part 2]During his examination of Jesus, the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, asked Jesus, "What is truth?" Earlier in John's account, however, Jesus proclaims that He is "the way, the truth and the life." Yet what if someone rejects Jesus and what He says of Himself? What is truth for them? To whom or to what do they turn? This week we pick up our conversation with philosopher and president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Dr. Jamie Dew and examine some postmodern concepts of truth. We are also giving away a copy of Jamie's 2017 book Understanding Postmodernism: a...2024-03-1829 min
Apologetics ProfileDr. William Dembski Discusses His Book, "Design Inference" [Part 2]"What are the chances of that happening?" we often say or hear whenever something remarkable or out of the ordinary takes place. When we use that phrase, we are invoking the design inference, even though we may not exactly call it that. Our guest again this week, philosopher, mathematician and senior fellow at Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture Dr. William Dembski shares with us how his more formalized design inference is indeed rooted in simple, everyday inferences we all make. But he also how it fits into the laws of probability, information theory, and specified complexity as...2024-02-1937 min
Apologetics ProfileDr. William Dembski Discusses His Book, "Design Inference" [Part 1]For centuries Western natural philosophy, theology and the scientific tradition widely accepted that the physical cosmos and life within it was the creation of God. Arguably one of the most influential works which usurped the belief in God as the Creator was Charles Darwin's 1859 publication On the Origin of Species. It undoubtedly provided many with the intellectual framework for atheism, naturalism, and materialism. But in the late 20th and early 21st century, the concept of intelligent design has made a cultural comeback. This week and next we sit down with Dr. William Dembski, one of the leading founders and...2024-02-1240 min
Apologetics ProfileWhy Believe? [Part 2] with Author and Theoretical Chemist Neil ShenviHow do we know that what we believe about Christianity is true? Our guest again this week, author, apologist, and theoretical chemist Neil Shenvi gives us some helpful and insightful ways to give a defense to those who ask of us how we know our faith in Christ is true. We continue to discuss his 2022 book, Why Believe? A Reasoned Approach to Christianity.Dr. Neil Shenvi grew up in Delaware and attended Princeton University as an undergraduate where he worked on high-dimensional function approximation. He became a Christian in Berkeley, CA where he did his PhD...2023-12-2535 min
Apologetics ProfileWhy Believe? [Part 1] with Author and Theoretical Chemist Neil ShenviGod has revealed Himself to us through His Spirit, through what He has created, through His word, and through His Son. The evidence of His existence is manifold. He did not lavish us with so much so that we might think His existence is something of a mere intellectual curiosity, but so that He might bring dead people back to life. Author, apologist, and theoretical chemist Neil Shenvi discusses with us his 2022 book, Why Believe? A Reasoned Approach to Christianity.Dr. Neil Shenvi grew up in Delaware and attended Princeton University as an undergraduate where he...2023-12-1838 min
Apologetics ProfileStreet Smarts [Part 2] with Christian Apologist Greg KouklTwo of the main challenges to the Christian faith today come from science and from textual criticism. Does the science of the universe disprove God's existence and have textual critics of Scripture once and for all demonstrated that the Bible is historically unreliable? If we aren't scholars in this area, how can we even begin to engage these objections, especially when many seem so antagonistically opposed to the Bible today? The key is asking the right questions, which our guest again this week, author, apologist, and founder of Stand to Reason ministries Greg Koukl, has a wealth of experience...2023-12-1132 min
Apologetics ProfileStreet Smarts [Part 1] with Christian Apologist Greg KouklIt seems to be more and more difficult in today's divisive culture wars to have civil and meaningful conversations with non-Christians. While we certainly do not wish to change the message of the Gospel, it is important to understand what are the sort of fruitful approaches to sharing our faith that can help at least begin such conversations. Evangelism is not what it used to be. On the next two episodes of the Profile we talk with author, apologist, and founder of Stand to Reason ministries Greg Koukl about his latest book, Street Smarts. Greg gives us wisdom for...2023-12-0440 min
Apologetics ProfileDr. Richard Howe and Daniel Ray Discuss Philosophy and Theology [Part 2]What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem? Much in every way, as bad philosophy has made a number of inroads into the Church today, including philosophical assumptions about how scholars and laypersons alike ought to interpret and understand the Bible. Objective truth about the historicity and teaching of Scripture is being routinely questioned and jettisoned by higher academics. How should we respond? Our guest again this week Dr. Richard G. Howe, professor of philosophy at Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, shares with us in a winsome and meaningful way how we n...2023-11-1344 min
Apologetics ProfileDr. Richard Howe and Daniel Ray Discuss Philosophy and Theology [Part 1]Science offers us a great deal of remarkable insights to the nature of the physical world. From distant galaxies to the DNA in our bodies, the world is replete with God's handiwork. But not everyone sees it this way. Scientists who do not believe in God will often offer explanations for why they think God likely does not exist, but when they do, they are not using the methods and tools of science to do so, they are making philosophical arguments.This week and next on the profile, our guest is Dr. Richard G. Howe, professor of...2023-11-0644 min
Apologetics ProfileDoug Groothuis and Ike Shepardson Discuss Their Book, "The Knowledge of God in the World and the Word" [Part 2]This week we wrap up our conversation with authors Doug Groothuis and Ike Shepardson about their latest book The Knowledge of God in the World and the Word - An Introduction to Classical Apologetics. They offer some very practical and encouraging wisdom in how to effectively and compassionately engage in apologetics.Douglas Groothuis (PhD, University of Oregon) is professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary in Denver, Colorado, where he heads the apologetics and ethics masters degree program. His articles have been published in journals such as Religious Studies, Philosophia Christi, Themelios, Christian Scholar's Review, Inquiry...2023-07-2428 min
Apologetics ProfileDoug Groothuis and Ike Shepardson Discuss Their Book, "The Knowledge of God in the World and the Word" [Part 1]This week and next we talk with authors Doug Groothuis (GROW-tice) and Andrew "Ike" Shepardson about their new book The Knowledge of God in the World and the Word - An Introduction to Classical Apologetics and how vitally important apologetics remains for us today.Douglas Groothuis (PhD, University of Oregon) is professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary in Denver, Colorado, where he heads the apologetics and ethics masters degree program. His articles have been published in journals such as Religious Studies, Philosophia Christi, Themelios, Christian Scholar's Review, Inquiry, and Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. He...2023-07-1739 min
Apologetics ProfileReimagining Apologetics [Part 2] with Dr. Justin Bailey and Daniel RayChristian apologetics is not just a matter of crafting intellectual arguments and those who engage in Christian apologetics are not just computorial information machines dispensing facts. Our guest again this week, author, pastor, and professor of theology at Dordt University, Dr. Justin Bailey, continues sharing his ideas from his 2020 book Reimagining Apologetics - The Beauty of Faith in a Secular Age (www.PJustin.com/Books/Reimagining) that apologetics should include a much more holistic approach that involves not only logic and reason, but the imagination as well.Dr. Justin Ariel Bailey iis associate professor and c...2023-07-1034 min
Apologetics ProfileReimagining Apologetics [Part 1] with Dr. Justin Bailey and Daniel Ray187 Reimagining Apologetics [Part 1] with Dr. Justin Bailey and Daniel RayWhat role does the imagination play in Christian apologetics today? How can we effectively implement a more holistic and imaginative approach in giving a defense for our faith in an ever-increasingly secular society? Our guest this week and next, author, pastor, and professor of theology at Dordt University, Dr. Justin Bailey, discusses these questions with us from his 2020 book Reimagining Apologetics - The Beauty of Faith in a Secular Age (www.PJustin.com/Books/Reimagining).Dr. Justin Ariel Bailey iis associate professor...2023-07-0337 min
Apologetics ProfileHow Reason Can Lead to God [Part 2] with Dr. Josh RasmussenEven if one might be convinced that reason can lead us to God, there remains the very real difficulty of the problem of evil. How can evil exist if an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God exists? There are finally no easy answers to this question. Our guest again this week, author and philosopher Dr. Josh Rasmussen, shares with us his personal and philosophical perspectives on how he has negotiated this difficult issue, both through analytical arguments and through his own personal suffering. Philosophy, as it turns out, isn't just a dry academic exercise, but part of what constitutes the grand...2023-06-1235 min
Apologetics ProfileHow Reason Can Lead to God [Part 1] with Dr. Josh RasmussenWhat is reason? How might it lead us to God? In Acts chapter 17, the Apostle Paul attempted to reason with the Athenian philosophers about the resurrection of Jesus. Some scoffed, but some listened. How does reason inform our understanding of God? Can a person come to know that God exists through means of reasonable arguments? And how does reason fit in with what we know about God? On the next two episodes of the Profile we talk with author and philosopher Dr. Josh Rasmussen, about his 2019 book How Reason Can Lead to God. We h...2023-06-0537 min
Apologetics ProfileJW Escape! [Part 1] Former Jehovah's Witness Elaine Bales shares her story with James WalkerThis week and next, President of Watchman Fellowship James K. Walker sits down with Elaine Bales, a former Jehovah's Witness, to discuss her experiences as being a member since childhood, and her difficult escape from it to embrace the real Jesus and His gospel of grace. Our very own Daniel Ray had a recent encounter with two Jehovah's Witnesses at the Dallas/Love Field Airport. On his phone, he pulled up Watchman Fellowship's digital four-page profile on the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society just before approaching their information table. And as Daniel attests, it was an incredibly h...2023-05-2240 min
Apologetics ProfileA Theology of Science [Part 2] Daniel Ray talks with Dr. Paul Tyson about his new bookWe live in an age where the scientific definition of what it means to be human is not only radically different than the biblical understanding of our existence, but that the scientific view trumps any theologically informed beliefs about what it means to be created in God's image. Our imageo Dei is reduced to a matter of feeling and personal opinion, nothing more. Our guest this week is philosopher Dr. Paul Tyson, author of the book, A Theology of Science. Dr. Tyson makes the case that we as Christians need to radically revise our t...2023-02-0656 min
Apologetics ProfileA Theology of Science [Part 1] Daniel Ray talks with Dr. Paul Tyson about his new bookToday we launch a two-part episode featuring philosopher Dr. Paul Tyson talking about his book, A Theology of Science. We take modern science quite for granted today, hardly ever thinking about where it came from or how it became to be the dominant cultural paradigm of our time. Science seems to dictate virtually every aspect of our lives. From the vastness of the cosmos to every bird of the air and every hair on our head, science seems to be able to explain virtually everything. And even in discussions about science's relationship to our Christian faith, it is almost...2023-01-3059 min
Apologetics ProfileBONUS: An Atheist 'Street Epistemologist' Confronts A Calvary Chapel Pastor [Part 2]BONUS EPISODE - This podcast is the conclusion of a special mid-week bonus interview with Pastor David Marini of Calvary Chapel in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Pastor David just recently was interviewed by an atheist street epistemology practitioner and shares his experience with us on our next two episodes. We hope the insights learned from Pastor Marini's encounter can encourage, strengthen and guide other Christians who may encounter a street epistemologist in social media or in public.Daniel has been following the developments in the street epistemology community on and off s...2023-01-2744 min
Apologetics ProfileBONUS: An Atheist 'Street Epistemologist' Confronts A Calvary Chapel Pastor [Part 1]This is a special mid-week, two-part interview with Pastor David Marini of Calvary Chapel in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Pastor David just recently was interviewed by an atheist street epistemology practitioner and shares his experience with us on our next two episodes. We hope the insights learned from Pastor Marini's encounter can encourage, strengthen and guide other Christians who may encounter a street epistemologist in social media or in public.Daniel has been following the developments in the street epistemology community on and off since 2013. See Daniel's complete YouTube playlist of s...2023-01-2658 min
Apologetics ProfileA Critique of Naturalism with Dr. Brady Blevins and Daniel Ray [Part 2]Does science rule out any possibility of the supernatural? Do natural properties and causes account for everything that exists? This episode is part two of Brady Blevins' and Daniel Ray's discussion critiquing the worldview of philosophical naturalism from a Christian perspective.Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist with Watchman Fellowship, is a featured speaker and writer with the ministry. He also serves as the editor of our Profile Notebook. He holds a BS in Bible and Pastoral Ministries from Arlington Baptist College, a MA in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University and a Doctorate in Educational...2023-01-2338 min
Apologetics ProfileA Critique of Naturalism with Dr. Brady Blevins and Daniel Ray [Part 1]Do natural properties and causes account for everything that exists? Does science rule out any possibility of the supernatural? In this two-part podcast, Brady Blevins and Daniel Ray discuss the worldview of philosophical naturalism.Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist with Watchman Fellowship, is a featured speaker and writer with the ministry. He also serves as the editor of our Profile Notebook. He holds a BS in Bible and Pastoral Ministries from Arlington Baptist College, a MA in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University and a Doctorate in Educational Ministries from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For...2023-01-1637 min
Apologetics Profile"A Good and True Story" [Part 2] Daniel Ray talks with Dr. Paul Gould about his new bookOur guest this week on Apologetics Profile, Christian philosopher Dr. Paul Gould, sits down with us to provide the True and Good Story of why the laws of the universe exist in the first place and why there is order, unity, harmony, and beauty at the heart of modern science's quest for a theory of everything. Paul wrote his latest book, A Good and True Story, with the atheist and skeptic in mind. Instead of an amalgam of dry, philosophical syllogisms and isolated factoids, Paul weaves together a compelling story of clues that point us all toward the greatest...2022-12-2633 min
Apologetics Profile"A Good and True Story" [Part 1] Daniel Ray talks with Dr. Paul Gould about his new bookOn the next two episodes of Apologetics Profile we sit down with Christian philosopher, avid outdoorsman, and father, Dr. Paul Gould to talk about his latest book A Good and True Story. It is an apologetic work written in the prose of story and narrative, written with unbelievers and skeptics in mind. Paul translates the philosophical and scientific arguments into an inviting and compelling story - a great book to share with your atheist or skeptic friends or family members. .Paul M. Gould is an associate professor of philosophy of religion and director of the M...2022-12-1935 min
Apologetics ProfileFrom Kingdom Hall to Kingdom of God! Ex-Jehovah's Witness Daniel Grissom Shares His Story (Part 2)Please consider a tax-deductible end-of-year donation at watchman.org/Give.Daniel Grissom was one of Jehovah's Witnesses when he first connected with James Walker and the Watchman Fellowship ministry team. By God's grace, Daniel left the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society for the grace of Jesus Christ and now serves on our Board of Directors. In this episode (Part Two), we conclude our discussion. Daniel talks about the importance of discipleship and how to talk with the Jehovah's Witnesses when they knock on your door:
Is the average Christian church equipped to help former Jehovah's Witnesses...2022-12-1237 min
Apologetics ProfileFrom Kingdom Hall to Kingdom of God! Ex-Jehovah's Witness Daniel Grissom Shares His Story (Part 1)Please consider a tax-deductible end-of-year donation at watchman.org/Give.Daniel Grissom was one of Jehovah's Witnesses when he first connected with James Walker and the Watchman Fellowship ministry team. Daniel left the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society for the grace of Jesus Christ and now serves on our Board of Directors. Daniel's testimony is a rebroadcast first published in 2020. In part one of this discussion, Daniel shares his journey from the Kingdom Hall to the Kingdom of God:
When he first got the knock at his front door, what attracted Daniel to listen to the...2022-12-0535 min
Apologetics ProfileTactics [Part 2] Daniel Ray talks with Greg Koukl about effective strategies for engaging unbelieversKnowing what you believe, why you believe it and how to compassionately share your faith in Christ are invaluable hallmarks of being ambassadors for Christ and His kingdom. On part two of our conversation with apologist and author Greg Koukl, we explore the problems with truth and morality in a naturalistic worldview and how we as believers can and should take time to understand these problems in giving a defense of our faith. Hear how Greg encourages us to put "pebbles of truth" in the shoes of those who do not believe.Greg Koukl...2022-11-2844 min
Apologetics ProfileTactics [Part 1] Daniel Ray talks with Greg Koukl about effective strategies for engaging unbelievers.Christian apologist Greg Koukl's best-selling book, Tactics, has had remarkable success since it was first published in 2000. Greg's counsel and advice for how to formulate "a Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions" continues to be an encouragement for many. On this two-part conversation, Watchman's staff apologist Daniel Ray talks "tactics" with Greg, as he shares more invaluable insights from his own personal experience in engaging unbelievers with the gospel.Greg Koukl founded Stand to Reason (str.org) in 1993 and currently serves as president of the organization. He has spoken on more than 70 college...2022-11-2144 min
Apologetics Profile"Wandering Toward God Finding Faith Among Doubts and Big Questions" with Travis Dickinson [Part 2]FREE AUTOGRAPHED BOOK -- For a chance to receive a free signed copy of Travis Dickinson’s new book, email Daniel Ray with your name and a physical mailing address at DRay@watchman.org. One recipient will be selected at random (USA only).If doubt is a virtue, then would it not be virtuous to doubt our doubts? Doubting your doubts about your faith in Christ is what our guest this week, Professor of Philosophy at Dallas Baptist University Dr. Travis Dickinson, suggests we do. His latest book, Wandering Toward God - Find...2022-10-3141 min
Apologetics Profile"Wandering Toward God Finding Faith Among Doubts and Big Questions" with Travis Dickinson [Part 1]"Wandering Toward God Finding Faith Among Doubts and Big Questions" with Travis Dickinson [Part 1]When it comes to doubting your faith, there are two extremes. One is to embrace and celebrate doubt as a virtuous and infallible foundation for epistemological bliss. The other extreme is that any form of doubt is sin and should not ever be entertained in the mind of a believer. But what does the Bible say? What about the doubts of John the Baptist, Thomas, and the disciples?Our guest this week and next, Professor of Philosophy at Dallas Baptist University...2022-10-2436 min
New Heights Fellowship Baptist church of East ToledoGod's Surprising Effort Deuteronomy 10:11-22In this Sermon by Pastor Daniel Stevenson with New Heights Fellowship Baptist Church of East Toledo Pastor Dan breaks down something surprising that we see God doing. it's clear in the passage when you look at it but most people get wrapped up in the do's and don'ts and miss this effort of God to put us into a particular position with regard to His wrath and the world. #Reachingnewheightsinjesus click to listen:https://rss.com/podcasts/newheightstoledo/626223/The picture is from Dreamstime.com: 5361611 © Daniel Rajszczak | Dreamstime.comClick to Listen: https://rss.com/podcasts/n...2022-09-211h 07
Apologetics ProfileDr. Jeffrey Bilbro discusses his new book, "Reading the Times" [Part 2]NASA recently displayed several breathtaking new images taken by the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope. But by the time you have seen the pictures and have read a little something about the science behind the stunning cosmic entities, the information has been filtered multiple times. It is filtered first by the enormous industrial-technical conglomerate of NASA itself, then by the scientists and engineers who present the information, then by members of the media and press, then by the media outlets, many of which are large for-profit corporations. But it is not just the universe which is processed and...2022-08-0840 min
Apologetics ProfileDr. Jeffrey Bilbro discusses his new book, "Reading the Times" [Part 1]We are inundated with social media, non-stop news, and information coming at us from all directions. How do we even begin to filter it all? What are some ways in which we can think Christianly about the news and social media today without succumbing to the secularist assumptions and the often overwhelmingly trivial, inane, and tragic events that routinely fill our newsfeeds? One way is to refamiliarize ourselves with our physical environments. Though not a cure-all for our hypermodern technological media culture we inhabit, a reorienting of ourselves to Christ, to nature and neighbor, a...2022-08-0139 min
Apologetics ProfileDr. Travis Dickinson, discusses his new book, "Logic and the Way of Jesus" [Part 2]We worship a God who speaks. All that is contained in the heavens and earth has been created and is presently being sustained by the LOGOS, the Word of God, God made flesh, who existed in the beginning, even "before" the foundation of the world (Genesis 1; John 1; Colossians 1; Ephesians 1).The Lord Jesus spoke creation into existence. By His Spirit, He inspired the Bible to be written through the agency of men. And when He proclaimed His Good News in and around Jerusalem, His stories and parables displayed a dazzlingly simple but profound logic that not...2022-07-2533 min
Apologetics ProfileDr. Travis Dickinson, discusses his new book, "Logic and the Way of Jesus" [Part 1]"What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?" a church father from the ancient past once asked. In other words....
What does the intellectual life of the mind have to do with Gospel proclamation?
Is it necessary for the believer in Christ to know intellectual arguments and defenses for the Christian faith?
Do we really need to know logic and reason to be able to present the Gospel clearly to our unbelieving neighbors?
Do we have to become scholars to be good witnesses for Christ?
On this two-part episode of Apologetics Profile we sit down with Professor o...2022-07-1841 min
Apologetics ProfileThe Tenth Man to Walk on the Moon - A Conversation with Apollo Astronaut Charlie Duke (Daily Bonus Episode V of V)FIVE DAILY BONUS EPISODES
Part I (Tuesday): https://bit.ly/CharlieDukePart1
Part II (Wednesday): https://bit.ly/CharlieDukePart2
Part III (Thursday): https://bit.ly/CharlieDukePart3
Part IV (Friday): https://bit.ly/CharlieDukePart4
Part V (Saturday): https://bit.ly/CharlieDukePart5
In celebration of the Fourth of July and as 2022 is the year of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 16 moon landing, Daniel Ray sits down for a conversation with Apollo 16 astronaut, the tenth man to walk upon the lunar surface, Charlie Duke. Duke is a retired Air Force Brigadier General and the CAPCOM "voice" of Houston for the...2022-07-0919 min
Apologetics ProfileThe Tenth Man to Walk on the Moon - A Conversation with Apollo Astronaut Charlie Duke (Daily Bonus Episode IV of V)FIVE DAILY BONUS EPISODES (Tuesday through Saturday) Episode IV of VIn celebration of the Fourth of July and as 2022 is the year of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 16 moon landing, Daniel Ray sits down for a conversation with Apollo 16 astronaut, the tenth man to walk upon the lunar surface, Charlie Duke. Duke is a retired Air Force Brigadier General and the CAPCOM "voice" of Houston for the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in July of 1969. It was such an honor and delight to speak with Charlie. It was like talking to family. H...2022-07-0820 min
Apologetics ProfileThe Tenth Man to Walk on the Moon - A Conversation with Apollo Astronaut Charlie Duke (Daily Bonus Episode III of V)FIVE DAILY BONUS EPISODES (Tuesday through Saturday) Episode III of VIn celebration of the Fourth of July and as 2022 is the year of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 16 moon landing, Daniel Ray sits down for a conversation with Apollo 16 astronaut, the tenth man to walk upon the lunar surface, Charlie Duke. Duke is a retired Air Force Brigadier General and the CAPCOM "voice" of Houston for the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in July of 1969. It was such an honor and delight to speak with Charlie. It was like talking to family. H...2022-07-0721 min
Apologetics ProfileThe Tenth Man to Walk on the Moon - A Conversation with Apollo Astronaut Charlie Duke (Daily Bonus Episode II of V)FIVE DAILY BONUS EPISODES (Tuesday through Saturday) Episode II of VIn celebration of the Fourth of July and as 2022 is the year of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 16 moon landing, Daniel Ray sits down for a conversation with Apollo 16 astronaut, the tenth man to walk upon the lunar surface, Charlie Duke. Duke is a retired Air Force Brigadier General and the CAPCOM "voice" of Houston for the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in July of 1969. It was such an honor and delight to speak with Charlie. It was like talking to family. H...2022-07-0616 min
Apologetics ProfileThe Tenth Man to Walk on the Moon - A Conversation with Apollo Astronaut Charlie Duke (Daily Bonus Episode I of V)FIVE DAILY BONUS EPISODES (Tuesday through Saturday) Part I of VIn celebration of the Fourth of July and as 2022 is the year of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 16 moon landing, Daniel Ray sits down for a conversation with Apollo 16 astronaut, the tenth man to walk upon the lunar surface, Charlie Duke. Duke is a retired Air Force Brigadier General and the CAPCOM "voice" of Houston for the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in July of 1969. It was such an honor and delight to speak with Charlie. It was like talking to family...2022-07-0525 min
Apologetics ProfileTRADING PLACES: Christian Apologist James Walker Interviewed on Atheist Edge YouTube Channel [Part 2]This is part two of a rebroadcast of a live panel discussion between two atheists and two theists. The panel featured our very own President of Watchman Fellowship James Walker. If you have not listened to the first part, we suggest listening to that broadcast first for more context for part two. How do we have productive conversations in our day and age with those who not only do not believe in God but are actively outspoken against God's existence? There is no easy, one-size-fits-all method for giving a defense for the hope that i...2022-06-2751 min
New Heights Fellowship Baptist church of East ToledoNearing the End of An Error, Dueteronomy 1In this episode from New Heights Fellowship Baptist Church of East Toledo Pastor Daniel Stevenson begins a 40 week long journey through the book of Deuteronomy expected to conclude around East of 2023 with a slight break at Christmas time.Click to Listen: https://rss.com/podcasts/newheightstoledo/526907/Free Subscription to Rightnow Media Text NHFCBT to 49775The image is from dreamstime.comPhoto 22596328 © Zimmytws | Dreamstime.comIf you use Dreamstime please do so through our affiliate link 50% of which will come back to serve in the kingdom advance. Here's that link:2022-06-211h 46
Apologetics ProfileTRADING PLACES: Christian Apologist James Walker Interviewed on Atheist Edge YouTube Channel [Part 1]We may be quite familiar with the biblical exhortation from 1 Peter 3:15 to be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in us with gentleness and respect, but in our day and age where dialogue with those with whom we disagree is so polarized and divisive, we may easily forget what 1 Peter 3:15 looks like in practice. For the next two broadcasts of Apologetics Profile, we're stepping away from our normal "interview" format to bring you a special rebroadcast in two parts of a panel discussion between two atheists and two theists. One o...2022-06-2059 min
Apologetics ProfileKerby Anderson and Daniel Ray Discuss Street Epistemology on the Point of View Radio NetworkAs you read this, there is presently a growing community of online social media savvy atheists and skeptics learning and engaging in conversational techniques that are designed to plant seeds of doubt in the minds of Christians about their faith in Christ. This growing phenomenon is known as Street Epistemology, or SE for short. SE includes a financially supported non-profit organization that produces materials and content, trained practitioners who give seminars on how to use SE, a multitude of social media platforms including Facebook, Reddit, Discord, YouTube, Clubhouse, and Twitter, and an enthusiastic community of lay atheists a...2022-06-1344 min
New Heights Fellowship Baptist church of East ToledoWhy are They Running? Various texts Proverbs 28:1In this full service on May 22, 2022 Pastor Daniel Stevenson speaks on whether or not we can reasonably join someone when we see them running. The sermon uses various texts and helps us realize that sometimes people are running from nothing at all and sometimes they are running from something that should be a good thing. Neither of these times are times to join them in running. Click to Listen:https://rss.com/podcasts/newheightstoledo/497584/This is the sermon on New Heights' Sixth anniversary since constituting as a local church. The church would host a well attended block...2022-05-241h 42
New Heights Fellowship Baptist church of East Toledo"The King's House" 2 Sam 6:12-7:17Block party and anniversary celebration coming at new Heights Sunday May 22.In this full service from New Heights Fellowship Baptist Church of East Toledo Pastor Daniel Stevenson exposes 2 Sam 6 and 7 in a way of looking at the promised eternal house of David versus the end of Saul's line. Underwear dancing not required, a simple action plan may be to get outsider yourself and do that thing that you can do for God that most scares you or puts you most outside your comfort zone. #reachingnewheightsinjesus, #overcomingevil, Click to Listen:Picture is from Dreamstime.com:2022-05-172h 07
New Heights Fellowship Baptist church of East ToledoAn End to Sorcery Psalm 34: 8-22In this full length service from New Heights Fellowship Baptist Church of East Toledo Pastor Daniel Stevenson shares from Psalm 34. Considering the way the world sees Christians sometimes it's no wonder they think of as odd or as God of unfair. This message helps us see why sorcery, or forcing God to do what you want simply isn't possible and really makes no sense as an understanding of His promises. #reachingnewheightsinjesus, #overcomingevilClick to listen:https://rss.com/podcasts/newheightstoledo/489848/The picture is from dreamstime.com:1567160 © Olga Drozdova | Dreamstime.comUs o...2022-05-171h 57
Apologetics ProfileCan Students Survive and Thrive? Christian Apologetics on the University Campus with Rich DayYou've likely heard the statistics or the stories of how young Christians who go off to a secular college or university end up losing their faith. On this episode of Apologetics Profile we talk with Pastor Rich Day who shares his ministerial experiences and engagement with both Christian and non-Christian students on secular campuses. Pastor Rich gives us insights and practical helps as to how we can engage students of all beliefs who have doubts about God. Rich Day is the lead pastor at Lakeview Baptist Church (LakeviewBaptistTallahassee.com) in Tallahassee, Florida. In addition t...2022-05-0939 min
New Heights Fellowship Baptist church of East Toledo"He's Picking Us Up" Psalm 33:10-22In this full service from New Heights Fellowship hear announcements about what God's doing through the church, inspirational moments from various members and a message through Pastor Daniel Stevenson out of Psalm 33:10-22. People seem to be looking for Grand Gestures and Intimate Interruptions from God but what we are definitely going to get a is a Disastrous Deliverance. God has been working in us, picking us up and as we are pursuing other solutions, even worshipping the solutions, we are turning away from God. Don't do it. Look to God and God alone. Even a strong man is...2022-05-041h 53
Apologetics Profile"Longing to Know" Dr. Esther Lightcap Meek Discusses Christian Epistemology [Part 1]It is no small claim to say that we know God. But how do we know God? What does it mean to have faith in God? And must we scientifically demonstrate our knowledge about God to our skeptic friends and neighbors who demand we do so?On the next two episodes of Apologetics Profile, we will explore these epistemological questions with Christian philosopher Dr. Esther Lightcap Meek, whose personal skeptical quest (beginning at age 13) to know how she knew about God eventually led her to the theology of John M. Frame and the work...2022-04-2501 min
New Heights Fellowship Baptist church of East Toledo"Struggling To Believe" 1 COR 15:1-19 and Mark 16:1-12In this full service from New Heights Fellowship Baptist Church of East Toledo Pastor Daniel Stevenson answers the question, "What if God were to do a miracle and you didn't believe it?" The disciples had a hard time believing that the Christ, that Jesus had risen. They saw evidence, heard reliable testimony, and still had trouble. In fact, when he stood before them and let them touch him if they wanted, they were STILL having a hard time believing "for their joy." God knows what your heart really, really wants and if He gives it to you, the question...2022-04-201h 47
Apologetics Profile"How Do We Know?" Dr. Jamie Dew discusses Christian Epistemology"How do we know what we know?" asks our guest this week, Dr. Jamie Dew, Christian philosopher and president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (nobts.edu). "This is the basic question that undergirds the discipline of epistemology. We take it for granted that we know many different things, but we rarely ask this basic question about our knowledge." That comes from Jamie's co-authored book with Mark W. Foreman, How Do We Know? An Introduction to Epistemology, 2nd Edition, (https://amzn.to/3KN2FIy).It is important for Christians to be able to answer this...2022-04-1829 min
New Heights Fellowship Baptist church of East Toledo"No Recipe and the Missing Object of Weeping" Luke 19:36-44 In this full service with New Heights Fellowship Baptist Church of East Toledo, the body worships God, Speaks of some discovered inspiration from scripture, and Preaches a message from Luke 19:36-44. Pastor Daniel Stevenson exposes Luke 19:36-44 and highlights a few important points. If you could prepare the way for God to work in your life, the lives of your family, the lives of your community, and the lives of your church, what would you be willing to do? Jerusalem missed the recipe for something very important and Jesus wept upon looking at the city but was His weeping...2022-04-111h 46
Apologetics ProfileDr. Tim McGrew on Miracles, David Hume and "Extraordinary Evidence" (Part 2)Perhaps you have heard skeptics say that "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." What exactly does that mean? From where does it come? How can we as Christians intelligently respond to this claim when engaging our unbelieving friends and neighbors? On the second part of our discussion about David Hume with Christian philosopher Dr. Timothy McGrew, we unpack this popular phrase that Tim says is often "wielded like a talisman" in Christian/Atheist debates and discussions. We also unpack significant quotes from the second part of Hume's essay, Of Miracles. Tim provides more practical thought i...2022-04-1131 min
Apologetics ProfileDr. Tim McGrew on Miracles, David Hume and "Extraordinary Evidence" (Part 1)David Hume (1711 - 1776) penned what has arguably become one of the most widely quoted works against the possibility of miracles. Hume's essay, "Of Miracles," appears in his larger work, An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding. In this short essay, Hume tries to argue in such a way that virtually no evidence for a miracle would be sufficient to establish a claim that a miracle has taken place. On the next two editions of Apologetics Profile we speak with Christian philosopher Dr. Timothy McGrew about Hume's life and times and some of the weaknesses of Hume's a...2022-04-0432 min
Apologetics ProfileA-PAUL-OGETICS: Paul's Defense of the Faith in Acts 17 with Dr. Robert StewartHow should believers defend their faith and share the Christian gospel with those of other worldviews, religions and philosophies? Just what are the "best practices" for Christians seeking to incorporate apologetics as they engage in evangelism and gospel conversations?Perhaps one of the clearest biblical examples effective apologetics is the Apostle Paul's brief address to the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers at the Areopagus (Mars Hill) in Athens that was recorded by Luke in Acts 17. Dr. Robert Stewart, a member of the Board of Directors of Watchman Fellowship, presented an overview of Paul's unique approach to Christian apologetics...2022-02-1438 min
Apologetics ProfileWitnessing to Jehovah's Witnesses [Part 2] with David Henke and Daniel RayDavid Henke, the founder of Watchman Fellowship, has over 45 years experience in witnessing and sharing the gospel with Jehovah's Witnesses. In part two of this podcast, David wraps up his conversation with Daniel Ray about controversial history and theology of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, some of his unusual experiences through the years, and what motivates him to pursue apologetics and evangelism as his life's calling. This podcast was recorded on the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary during the 2022 Defend apologetics conference. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Watchman's 4-page Profile on...2022-01-2435 min
Apologetics ProfileWitnessing to Jehovah's Witnesses [Part 1] with David Henke and Daniel RayDavid Henke, the founder of Watchman Fellowship, has over 45 years experience in witnessing and sharing the gospel with Jehovah's Witnesses. In this two-part podcast, David sits down with Daniel Ray and talks about the controversial history and theology of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, some of his unusual experiences through the years, and what motivates him to pursue apologetics and evangelism as his life's calling. This podcast was recorded on the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary during the 2022 Defend apologetics conference. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Watchman's 4-page Profile on Je...2022-01-1732 min
Apologetics ProfileAnnihilationism: Is Eternal Punishment Biblical? [Part 2] with Dr. Brady Blevins and Daniel RayScripture mentions "everlasting," "eternal," and "forever and ever" in regards to the final judgment of the unrepentant unbeliever in hell (see Mark 9:42-48; Rev. 14:11; 20:10; Matt. 25:41-46). Do those words and verses suggest or teach that the unbeliever will eventually be annihilated from conscious existence? There is a minority belief within Christianity that claims lost souls will eventually be annihilated called "annihilationism." This idea claims that though the unrepentant will suffer in hell their torment will not last forever. But is that what the Bible really says? 2022-01-1027 min
Apologetics ProfileAnnihilationism: Is Eternal Punishment Biblical? [Part 1] with Dr. Brady Blevins and Daniel Ray"We cannot magnify God's love by minimizing his holy wrath against sin," writes John F. MacArthur, Jr. "Some of the most tender pleadings in Scripture are Jesus' warnings to unrepentant unbelievers in danger of being caught up in the eternal wrath of God." But there is a minority point-of-view among Christians about the nature of hell called annihilationism which claims that unrepentant souls in hell will not suffer forever but eventually be annihilated from conscious existence. For the annihilationist, the "non-existence" of the unbeliever is what will last forever, not eternal conscious torment. ...2022-01-0340 min
Apologetics ProfileWhere Is God? Part 2: Philosophical Hiddenness with Daniel Ray and Brady BlevinsOn last week's episode Daniel Ray and Brady Blevins discussed the nature of divine hiddenness from a theological and biblical standpoint. This week Daniel and Brady tackle a different aspect of divine hiddenness, this time from a philosophical argument created by atheist philosopher J.L. Schellenberg, against the existence of God. Not to be confused with theological hiddenness, Schellenberg's argument is known as the Hiddenness Argument and is outlined in his two books, one from 2006 titled Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason and one from 2017, a simpler version of the argument titled The Hiddenness Argument...2021-09-2737 min
Apologetics ProfileEXTRA: Free Book PLUS Online Course "Story of the Cosmos" by Daniel RayThis is a 4-minute special edition of Apologetics Profile. We are offering all of our listener a free copy our book, The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God, coauthored and coedited by our staff apologist, Daniel Ray. We are also offering the companion online course from our Watchman School of Apologetics containing 15 video lessons, bonus video, study guides and optional video. The book and online course (a $68 value) are free, we only ask for a donation of at least $3.82 to help cover the postage. Any donation beyond the postage will...2021-09-2304 min
Apologetics ProfileWhere Is God? Part 1: Theological Hiddenness with Daniel Ray and Brady BlevinsThere comes a time in all of our lives when God seems distant or seems to have forgotten us. Our prayers appear to go unanswered. We are not spared from trial or difficulty or suffering and we wonder if God has indeed forsaken us. This is not an uncommon experience of those whom God equips for service. The Bible is filled with examples of God's chosen people wandering in darkness, lamenting their sins, emotionally struggling to find solace and comfort in a God who doesn't seem to mind or care that they are suffering. ...2021-09-2038 min
Apologetics Profile69 Gospel Conversations with Mormons -- "Hunger and Thirst" [Part 2]In part two, Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, and Staff Apologist Daniel Ray continue their conversation about some practical ways Christians can engage in productive gospel conversations with their Mormon friends.Jesus said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Latter-day Saints are taught that they obtain righteousness by their own "obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel" (Articles of Faith #3). We tend not to "hunger and thirst" for that which we believe we already have. But this r...2021-05-3137 min
Apologetics Profile68 Gospel Conversations with Mormons -- "Hunger and Thirst" [Part 1]In this two-part episode, Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, and Staff Apologist Daniel Ray suggest some practical ways Christians can engage in productive gospel conversations with their Mormon friends.Jesus said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Latter-day Saints are taught that they obtain righteousness by their own "obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel" (Articles of Faith #3). We tend not to "hunger and thirst" for that which we believe we already have. But this raises some important questions:2021-05-2434 min
Apologetics Profile63 Guest author David Beck discusses his new book "Does God Exist?" [Part 2]On part two of Daniel Ray's discussion with Dr. W. David Beck, we look into the history of moral arguments for God’s existence and how skeptics and non-believers have traditionally responded. We also give you some practical advice as to how to apply this rich philosophical tradition to your own life and witness in dialogue with skeptics who are familiar with these arguments.Moral Arguments for God: Perhaps you have heard it said from your skeptic and non-believing friends and family members that we can be “good without God.” Maybe you’ve also h...2021-04-1928 min
Apologetics Profile57 Why Do We Need Philosophy? A Conversation with Paul Gould (Part 1)Why Do We Need Philosophy? Our guest this week and next on Apologetics Profile is Christian philosopher and author Dr. Paul Gould, who routinely gets asked this question.Dr. Gould believes that "philosophy is simply too important to give up on. Philosophy continues to play a vital role in our lives and in contemporary discussions on almost everything." And he is "not convinced that philosophy needs to be so difficult. Sure, there are a lot of philosophical issues that are difficult, but there are also a lot of issues that aren't that difficult."1 It i...2021-03-0835 min
Apologetics Profile56 Street Epistemology: A Secret Strategy for Creating Atheists? (Part 2)[NOTE: This podcast is also available on video here: https://youtu.be/jvwhJpZiQZ8]On part two of our special two-part video and podcast episode of Peter Boghossian and Street Epistemology, Watchman Fellowship staff apologist Daniel Ray speaks with senior apologist Brady Blevins about how to recognize a street epistemology conversation and how we can and should respond. If you have children or grandchildren active on social media sharing their faith or if they are away at college, they are likely to encounter atheists using the tactics and techniques of st...2021-03-011h 03
Apologetics Profile55 Street Epistemology: A Secret Strategy for Creating Atheists? (Part 1)[NOTE: This podcast is also available on video here: https://youtu.be/fMUF_y9q1ew]Chances are, if you are actively sharing your faith on social media to any degree, or if you have children or grandchildren away at college, or if you're out for a stroll in a public park, you may have or will eventually encounter a "street epistemologist." What is street epistemology? It is a movement within the atheist and skeptic community which began from a 2013 book A Manual For Creating Atheists written by atheist and...2021-02-2246 min
Apologetics Profile54 Evangelism & Apologetics with Brady Blevins and Daniel Ray (Part 2)This week's episode of Apologetics Profile is the conclusion of a two part discussion on apologetics and evangelism featuring our Senior Apologist, Dr. Brady Blevins and staff apologist Daniel Ray. In this series, Daniel and Brady discuss practical principles of communication that we can apply to our personal Christian apologetics and relational evangelism.Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist with Watchman Fellowship, is a featured speaker and writer with the ministry. He also serves as the editor of our Profile Notebook. He holds a BS in Bible and Pastoral Ministries from Arlington Baptist Coll...2021-02-1526 min
Apologetics Profile53 Evangelism & Apologetics with Brady Blevins and Daniel Ray (Part 1)This week's episode of Apologetics Profile is the first of a two part discussion on apologetics and evangelism featuring our Senior Apologist, Dr. Brady Blevins and staff apologist Daniel Ray.Last week we concluded our discussion with professor of communication, Dr. Steven Beebee, about the legendary Christian apologist C.S. Lewis and the skills and techniques he used to be such an effective communicator. In this series, Daniel and Brady discuss practical principles of communication that we can apply to our personal Christian apologetics and relational evangelism.Dr. Brady B...2021-02-0834 min
Apologetics Profile46 Ex-Jehovah's Witness Daniel Grissom Shares His Story with James Walker (Part 2)Daniel Grissom was one of Jehovah's Witnesses when he first connected with James Walker and the Watchman Fellowship ministry team. By God's grace, Daniel left the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society for the grace of Jesus Christ and now serves on our Board of Directors. In this episode (part two) we conclude our discussion. Daniel talks about the importance of discipleship and how to talk with the Jehovah's Witnesses when they knock on your door:
Is the average Christian church equipped to help former Jehovah's Witnesses transition to the true gospel of the...2020-12-2137 min
Apologetics Profile44 Ex-Jehovah's Witness Daniel Grissom Shares His Story with James Walker (Part 1)Daniel Grissom was one of Jehovah's Witnesses when he first connected with James Walker and the Watchman Fellowship ministry team. Daniel left the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society for the grace of Jesus Christ and now serves on our Board of Directors. In part one of this discussion, Daniel shares his journey from the Kingdom Hall to the Kingdom of God:
When he first got the knock at his front door, what attracted Daniel to listen to the Jehovah's Witnesses and initially embrace their teachings?
What caused Daniel to mistake the Jehovah's Witnesses sincerity for their...2020-12-1434 min
Apologetics Profile41 What is Scientism? (Part 2) with Astrophysicist and Cosmologist Dr. Luke BarnesIn this week's episode Daniel Ray and Dr. Luke Barnes conclude their discussion of the question "What is Scientism?" Science is fully compatible with the Christian worldview and for the most part has done much to expand knowledge and in most cases provided tremendous progress in advancing human wellbeing and flourishing. There is, however, a controversial philosophy of science that seems to be growing in popularity that can be called Scientism.In part two of their conversation, Daniel and Luke critique some assumptions and draw some conclusions on and questions raised by Scientism:2020-11-2348 min
Apologetics Profile40 What is Scientism? (Part 1) with Astrophysicist and Cosmologist Dr. Luke BarnesIn this week's episode Daniel Ray and Dr. Luke Barnes explore the question "What is Scientism?" Science is fully compatible with the Christian worldview and for the most part has done much to expand knowledge and in most cases provided tremendous progress in advancing human wellbeing and flourishing. There is, however, a controversial philosophy of science that seems to be growing in popularity that can be called Scientism.In part one of this two-part conversation, Daniel and Luke discuss some of the assumptions made and questions raised by Scientism:
Must science and religion...2020-11-1647 min
Apologetics Profile36 BONUS - CS Lewis's 'The Wardrobe' at 70 with Dr. Michael WardC.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe turned 70 this month (October 2020). In the midst of a difficult year of pandemics and politics, now is the perfect time to reacquaint yourself with C.S. Lewis's timeless classic. What's in your "spare oom" that can lead to adventures undreamt and unsought? BONUS EPISODE: Come along with us on this special edition broadcast which is a joint program of both Watchman Fellowship podcasts -- Good Heavens! and Apologetics Profile. In this show Daniel Ray celebrates the imaginative, cosmological, literary, and apologetic wonders of The Lion, the Wi...2020-10-281h 14
Apologetics Profile13 Psychics: Dead Men Talking? with Brady Blevins and Daniel Ray (Part 2)In this episode, Daniel Ray and Brady Blevins discuss psychic divination and necromancy (communication with the dead) from a Christian perspective.PART 2 of 2: Why does the Bible forbid communication with the dead? How do psychics apparently know so many details about their clients deceased family members? Psychics often rely on fakery but can they in some cases make actual contact with real, evil beings?BONUS PROFILES: Watchman Fellowship has published a collection of our 4-page Profiles critiquing popular psychics in contemporary culture. We are making them all available along with some related content fo...2020-05-2543 min
Apologetics Profile12 Psychics: Dead Men Talking? with Brady Blevins and Daniel Ray (Part 1)In this episode, Daniel Ray and Brady Blevins discuss psychic divination and necromancy (communication with the dead) from a Christian perspective.PART 1 of 2: Why does the Bible forbid communication with the dead? How do psychics apparently know so many details about their clients deceased family members? Psychics often rely on fakery but can they in some cases make actual contact with real, evil beings?BONUS PROFILES: Watchman Fellowship has published a collection of our 4-page Profiles critiquing popular psychics in contemporary culture. We are making them all available along with some related content...2020-05-1852 min