Stand to Reason Speaker
Greg Koukl
If you would like to schedule Greg Koukl to speak to your group, please contact: Melinda at melinda@str.org.
I’m animated by the conviction that Christianity and Christian values, if properly understood and properly articulated, can “stand to reason” in the public square. The truth is on our side, but whether that truth will make a difference depends on whether or not the church is trained to engage others in gracious yet incisive dialog.
There’s a desperate need to equip followers of Jesus Christ to explain and defend Christian beliefs and values with people who don’t understand our language and who don’t accept our source of authority. That need is especially acute for two groups: an emerging post-modern generation that has lost confidence that any claims to truth are legitimate, and an increasingly relativistic church grounded more on personal experience than in biblical truth.
So at Stand to Reason we train Christians to think more clearly about their faith and to make an even-handed, incisive, yet gracious defense for classical Christianity and classical Christian values. At STR, we teach the value of using our minds to love God and share the Gospel. We teach careful thinking and encourage Christians to develop coherent answers to questions they’re challenged with so their faith is deepened and they’re emboldened to share the Gospel equipped to be effective Ambassadors for Christ.
"Christians need a good dose of confidence."
GREG KOUKL
Founder and President, Stand to Reason
Greg started out thinking he was too smart to become a Christian and ended up giving his life for the defense of the Christian faith. A central theme of Greg's speaking and writing is that Christianity—if it's properly understood and properly communicated—makes the most sense of the world as we find it.
Greg has spoken on more than 70 college and university campuses both in the U.S. and abroad and has hosted his own call-in radio show for 27 years advocating “Christianity worth thinking about.” He’s debated atheist Michael Shermer on national radio and Deepak Chopra on national television on Lee Strobel's “Faith Under Fire.” An award-winning writer and best-selling author, Greg has written seven books, including The Story of Reality—How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between; Tactics—A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, and Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air. Greg has been featured on Focus on the Family radio and has been interviewed for CBN and the BBC. He's been quoted in Christianity Today, the U.S. News & World Report, and the L.A. Times.
Greg received his Masters in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics at Talbot School of Theology, graduating with high honors, and his Masters in Christian Apologetics with honors from Simon Greenleaf University. He is an adjunct professor in Christian apologetics at Biola University.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT GREG KOUKL
“[Greg Koukl] was absolutely masterful…[His debate with Deepak Chopra] was a textbook example of how to defend the faith. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us not only to defend the faith, but to do it with gentleness and respect. [Gregʼs] tenor, content, tactics, every aspect of how he exposed the falsehoods, the inconsistencies, the false teachings…in a very calm, respectful way exemplified that verse. Weʼve done two seasons of [Faith Under Fire]. Weʼve had on the greatest apologists in America. Nobody has done a better job than [Greg] in terms of defending the faith with the right tenor and manner. Just masterful. What [Greg is] doing is so important teaching others to defend the faith.”
"Greg is giving the winds a mighty voice, offering reason for the Faith. He stands for reason in an irrational age, refusing to bypass the head on the way to his audience's heart."
"Stand to Reason sets the standard for apologetics ministries in the United States."
"Greg and his Stand to Reason team are leaders in bridging the crucial gap between academic scholars and the man in the street. Putting shoe leather to theories, Greg practically challenges both Christian and non-Christian alike to think more deeply about the truth and viability of a Christian world and life view."
"There has never been a time in our culture when ministries like this one are so badly needed. I have known Greg Koukl and ministered with him long enough to say he is a man of tremendous talent, dedication, and integrity. His skill as a Christian thinker is well developed, and his heart to build Christ's kingdom and not his own are evident."
"Greg Koukl's thoughtful and ambitious project to intellectually reach the secular mind, 'Stand to Reason,' is an idea whose time has come. With the mind of a philosopher, the heart of a pastor, and the spirit of a visionary, Greg is a man of unquestioned integrity. I believe that any Christian who takes the Great Commission seriously must consider supporting 'Stand to Reason.'"
Check out Greg's promotional items below. Click on any of the links below to jump to those type of promotional items.
Photo | Video | Audio | Flyers
Photos
Video
Short Animated video
Short Promotional Video
Download the short promotional video...
(Right Click, Save Target As...)
Long Promotional Video
Download the long promotional video...
(Right Click, Save Target As...)
Tactics Promotional Video
Download the Tactics promotional video...
(Right Click, Save Target As...)
Audio
Greg has podcasts that are available for download at anytime.
Check them out here
Flyers
Download this flyer for your upcoming event with Greg by clicking on the text link below.
Halfpage Flyer
Greg Koukl's Curriculum Vitae
40 minutes
Naturalism: Bumping into Reality
Engaging hardcore naturalists seems daunting, until you realize our hidden advantage: Reality is on our side. Then, everything changes. In this talk you’ll learn three things no naturalist can easily deny that puts the Christian world view in an entirely new light, along with tactical tips to help make your conversations look more like diplomacy than D-Day.
40-70 minutes
Credo: The Story of Reality
What is Christianity? Is it a religious system? A relationship with God? A philosophy of life? A roadmap to Heaven? It is actually much more than any of those. Christianity is a story, a drama about conflict, love, betrayal, rebellion, self-sacrifice, and redemption. But this story isn’t a make-believe story. It is a story about the way the world actually is. It is the story of reality.
In this talk, Greg narrates the Christian story—the Christian view of reality, or world view—in a way that is a refreshing in its simplicity and clarity. Greg describes the basic concepts that form the cornerstones of all world views, and the five simple words needed to outline the plot of the Christian account of reality.
40-70 minutes
Jesus: Man or Myth
There is a reason the ancient historical accounts of the life of Jesus of Nazareth do not start with the phrase, “Once upon a time....” The writers intended to report history, not fairytales or mythology. However, the internet is littered with allegations the Gospels are nothing more than religious plagiarism, a rehashing of dying-and-ris- ing-god fictions of ancient mythology. Can the history in these ancient biographies be trusted?
In this talk, Greg answers that challenge. First, he uses evidence exclusively from secular sources to show that Jesus of Nazareth was a flesh and blood man of history. He then argues there is no meaningful similarity between Jesus and religious mythology that came before him, and even if there were, it wouldn’t matter. Finally, he shows that the Gospels have all the earmarks of reliable historical accounts.
40 minutes
Two Miracles
Nearly two thousand years ago, on a single weekend in the Jewish month of Nisan, two profound miracles occurred, the effects of which have reverberated throughout human history. The first miracle no one saw, because it couldn't be seen, except by God Himself. The second miracle only a few saw, but multitudes actually experienced.
This was the week of Jesus' passion, the occasion of his miraculous death and resurrection. If you've ever pon- dered the question of why Jesus came in the first place, this important new presentation will help elucidate the mystery, that the Son of God was "delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification."
(Includes some Bible exposition)
40-70 minutes
Ambassadors for Christ: The Essential Skills
An effective ambassador has three essential skills. First, an ambassador must have the basic knowledge necessary for his task (an accurately informed mind). Second, he needs wisdom, the kind of tactical diplomacy that helps make his message clear and persuasive (an artful method). Third, the ambassador’s character (an attractive manner) will either make or break his message.
This talk will show in detail what steps need to be taken in each of these areas for a Christian ambassador to make a difference in the culture of the 21st Century.
(Includes some Bible exposition)
40-120 minutes
Bad Arguments against Religion
In this talk, Greg examines some of those popular missteps—e.g., claiming there is no truth, confusing faith with wishing, arguing that evil is good evidence against God, assuming science has disproved religion, mistaking intolerance for tolerance—and shows that none of these offers safe harbor for critics.
40-90 minutes
The Bible: Has God Spoken?
What kind of book is the Bible? Is it merely a book by men about God? Or are there any good reasons to believe that the Bible has supernatural origins? After all, it was only written by men and men make mistakes. Isn’t it all just a matter of personal interpretation?If you’ve been challenged with assertions like these, you need this popular talk. Greg gives six lines of evidence showing it is reasonable to believe the Bible is not just a human invention.
In the longer version, Greg also tackles the deeply misunderstood issue of transmission of the Bible through time (“the Bible has been translated and retranslated so many times…”), making a complex topic easy to grasp and defend.
40-60 minutes
Faith or Works? Paul vs. James
Is a person made right with God through faith alone, or by some combination of faith plus human effort? Are we justified by faith or works? At first glance, Paul and James don’t seem to agree. Paul seems to say that we are justified “apart from the works of the law," while James writes that justification is "by works and not by faith alone."In this insightful talk, Greg resolves this apparent contradiction, at the same time painting a powerful picture of what genuine, saving faith looks like.
(Includes Bible exposition)
40-60 minutes
Evil, Suffering, & the Goodness of God
The reality of human suffering poses one of the most difficult challenges to Christianity. If God is absolutely powerful and ultimately good, evil would be banished. Instead, He appears too frail to oppose it or too sinister to care, and no one can believe in a God like that.What is evil and where did it come from? Why does God allow it and what is He doing about it? Greg answers these questions and shows that only the Christian world view is capable of offering a satisfying answer to the problem of evil. You’ll also learn why the presence of evil in the world is one of the best proofs for the existence of God, not against Him.
40-60 minutes
Hell, Yes! The Terrifying Truth
Is Hell real? Why would God make a place of eternal torture? Isn’t that unloving?In this teaching, Greg talks about why the concept of Hell has fallen on hard times. After dispatching four false views about Hell, he then tells what Hell is like and why it is a good place, not a bad one.
After giving good reasons why we should take Hell seriously, Greg reveals one of his own deep fears about the afterlife. This teaching will not leave you unmoved.
(Includes Bible exposition)
60 minutes
The Heathen & Unknown God
If hearing the name of Jesus is the crux of salvation, entire cultures would be consigned to perdition, reducing the Almighty to a petty racist. Is this just?In this teaching, Greg will force you to rethink some of your notions about God’s love and His justice. He will challenge the whole concept of man’s noble pursuit of God and the assumption that people go to Hell just because they never heard the name of Jesus.
You’ll learn four things regarding the condition of man, and a four-part response to the problem of the heathen. You will also learn the real reason men are condemned. It may surprise you.
(Includes Bible exposition)
40-60 minutes
Science & Faith: Are They Compatible?
The compatibility of science and faith rests entirely upon how one defines those terms. Is “science” an impartial search for truth, or a methodology in which the right kind of answers are more important than the right answers? Is “faith” merely religious wishful thinking, or a step of trust based on the evidence?Greg reveals how a philosophical commitment to naturalism stifles the search for truth, and that rather than being hostile to science, biblical Christianity is the seedbed that gave modern science its start.
40-60 minutes
The Trinity: A Solution, Not a Problem
The Trinity is confusing, irrational, contradictory, and unimportant. Right? Not so. It’s vital to our understanding of the nature of God and much less complicated than you think. In fact, it’s a solution, not a problem.In this teaching you’ll learn a simple, clear, and accurate definition of the Trinity. You’ll understand what the early church taught. You will also learn an irrefutable scriptural proof for the deity of Christ.
(Includes Bible exposition)
3 hours
Decision-Making & the Will of God
This talk will make many listeners upset—at first. But more people have said this teaching has changed their lives than anything else we offer at STR.In this careful analysis, Greg puts to test the conventional understanding of “finding” God’s will and being “led” by the Spirit by looking very closely at both the teaching of Scripture and the ways the apostles themselves made decisions.
By the end of the talk, you will see decision-making in a completely new light. You will have the tools you need to make sound choices leading to a deeper sense of relief and freedom in decision-making than you’ve ever known before.
This talk couples well with "From Truth to Experience" for an all-day seminar.
(Includes Bible exposition)
2-3 hours
From Truth to Experience: Why the Church Is Losing It’s Vitality
The church is in a desperate struggle for the souls of men, yet our chief spiritual weapon in the battle—the truth of Scripture—is often neglected. Instead, our efforts are often directed at something else: satisfying an unhealthy hunger for an experience of personal revelation. We desperately want God to speak directly to us in some fashion.In this thought-provoking talk, Greg examines three entrenched traditions in Evangelicalism that he argues have undermined our pursuit of biblical truth. Each has had a relativizing influence in the church, has contributed to profound biblical illiteracy in our ranks, and has led us into foolishness and danger. The antidote is simple: When all else fails, read the directions.
This talk couples well with “Decision-Making and the Will of God” for an all-day seminar.
(Contains some material also included in “Never Read a Bible Verse," and includes Bible exposition)
1-2 hours
The Invisible Man: The Case for the Soul
In a world increasingly dominated by science demanding tangible proof, the soul is easily dismissed as “the ghost in the machine." Whatever cannot be reduced to something physical simply doesn’t exist.The question of the soul—what philosophers call the “mind/body problem”—is central to classical Christianity. But how can we know if souls are real? And why does it matter?
In this fascinating talk, Greg turns the tables on science and reveals what cannot be seen from a microscope, offering five separate arguments—including powerful evidence from Near Death Experiences—that human beings are more than just their physical bodies. Greg shows that not only is it reasonable to believe in the invisible self, it also has eternal ramifications.
40-60 minutes
Setting the Record Straight: The Bible & Homosexuality
This talk has a single objective: to determine what the Bible teaches about homosexuality. Is the Bible pro-homosexual, as some claim? Have students of the Scripture been mistaken, deluded or misguided for centuries? Or has God already weighed in with clear guidance on this issue?To answer these questions, Greg takes a close look at three passages: Sodom and Gomorrah, the Levitical Law, and Paul’s references to homosexuality in Romans 1. When Greg is finished, you will see that the Scripture is so clear on this issue, one wonders how it could be misunderstood. Greg then answers common objections against the classical view, including the claim that homosexuals are "born that way."
(Includes Bible exposition)
45-120 minutes
When the Bride Is a Groom
Few issues are riding the cultural wave as high as the question of same-sex marriage. Homosexual partners continue to vie for legitimacy by having their relationships sanctioned with the same privileges and protections given heterosexual couples. But when challenged to defend the traditional view of marriage, too many Christians have little more to offer than "because the Bible tells me so."In this timely teaching, Greg presents effective arguments in defense of traditional marriage and answers the objections of the critics. He shows the danger of giving in to the pressure to be politically correct, and then documents what the campaign for same-sex marriage is really about…and it’s not civil rights.
In the longer version of the talk, Greg sets the stage by showing what the Bible clearly teaches about the homosexuality.
(Contains some material also covered in "Same-Sex Marriage Policy Briefing")
45-60 minutes
Same-Sex Marriage Briefing
This talk covers much of the same ground as “When the Bride Is a Groom," yet from a completely different angle. This argument against same-sex marriage is not religious, makes no reference to God or the Bible, and makes no moral judgments about homosexuality.Instead, Greg attacks the issue entirely from a public policy perspective based on the ideas of limited government, personal liberty, and the public good. This talk was originally delivered on Capitol Hill to congressional aides at a meeting sponsored by the Faith and Law organization.
(Contains material also included in "When the Bride Is a Groom")
45-90 minutes
Never Read a Bible Verse
Greg calls this teaching “the most important practical lesson I’ve ever learned as a Christian...and the single most important thing I could ever teach you." His goal in this talk is to rescue believers from a superstitious way of reading their Bibles that causes silliness, confusion, and sometimes even disaster.In this popular and thought-provoking presentation, Greg challenges the practice looking for secret, personal messages in the text and gives four biblical reasons why this is not a proper approach to Scripture. He then offers specific benefits of reading passages in context, using a handful of iconic texts as prime examples of verses taken out of context.
(Contains material also included in "From Truth to Experience," and includes Bible exposition)
45-120 minutes
The New Atheists: Old Arguments, New Attitude
The titles are numerous and daunting: God Is Not Great—How Religion Poisons Everything (Christopher Hitchens), The God Delusion (Richard Dawkins), Breaking the Spell—Religion as Natural Phenomenon (Daniel Dennett), The End of Faith—Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason (Sam Harris). Worse, they’ve also been dominating bestseller lists recently.These authors are a new breed of skeptics, atheists with an attitude. They’re convinced religion is not just false, it’s dangerous. They think reason is on their side, science is on their side, and morality is on their side. This puts followers of Christ right in the crosshairs in a new campaign against the Gospel.
With these “new atheists," though, there’s a lot more bark than bite in their challenge. In this presentation, Greg walks you through each of these issues, answering the charges, and demonstrating that nothing the recent wave of critics has said even comes close to challenging the intellectual credibility of belief in God.
(Contains some material also included in "You Bet Your Life")
60 minutes
You Bet Your Life: A Simple Case against Atheism
If faith means taking a blind leap against all evidence and sound reason, then your average atheist has more faith than the Apostle Paul. Every worldview has its problems, but atheism has more than most. It’s a view that can only be held if you keep your eyes and mind tightly closed.In this teaching, Greg makes two simple observations that, when followed to their logical conclusions, destroy the atheist’s case. You will also find out the real reason many intelligent people don’t believe in God. It has little to do with the facts.
(Contains some material also included in "The New Atheists")
45-90 minutes
Is One Way The Only Way?
The most offensive element of the Gospel and the most common objection to Christianity is the idea that Jesus is the only way to God. In this age of religious pluralism and political correctness, it’s the first claim jettisoned when Christian groups get the itch to become more "tolerant."In this talk, Greg first deals with “dead-end” responses like, "That's arrogant, intolerant, and narrow-minded." He gives a simple, but powerful, argument why religious pluralism is false, and then looks at the historical record and asks if we have any good reason to believe Jesus’ own claim about Himself. Finally, Greg explains in detail why Jesus is the only way by giving a powerful and moving account of the work of the cross.
(Includes Bible exposition)
40-60 minutes
No Pixie Dust: Truths of Spiritual Growth
Greg begins this talk with details of his personal journey to Christ, how someone who thought he was too smart to become a Christian ended up committing his life for the defense of Christianity.He then brings clarity to the confusing nature of real spiritual growth, explaining that much of our frustration as Christians is often the result unrealistic expectations of what true spirituality is like. Your own view of Christian maturity will change when you understand the four hard realities of spiritual growth that Greg outlines here. This talk is especially uplifting for those who are discouraged in their walk with Christ.
(Includes Bible exposition)
40-60 minutes
Only One Question
Our value as human beings is tied to the kinds of beings we are, creatures that bear God’s image. This image is what gives us our transcendent value, requiring us to treat all humans as beings with dignity and worth. Do the unborn fit into this category?In this presentation, you will learn to use one simple question resolves what to many seems like a complex moral issue. You will also learn how to answer the challenge, "The fetus my be human, but it isn’t a person."
Greg has given this talk with great effect to both crisis pregnancy center fundraisers and also secular audiences.
(Contains material also included in "Precious Unborn Human Persons")
60 minutes
Precious Unborn Human Persons
Here Greg offers an easy-to-follow, well-reasoned discussion about what it means to be human and what makes humans valuable."Precious Unborn Human Persons" asks two vital questions. First, is the unborn a separate, living human being? Second, if so, what is the right way for us to treat innocent human beings who are in the way and can’t defend themselves?
This is a careful defense of the full humanity and full personhood of the unborn from the moment of conception that does not trade on biblical arguments against abortion.
(Contains some material also included in "Only One Question")
Course: 4-5 sessions, 45-60 minutes each
Tactics—A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions
Are you tired of finding yourself flat-footed and intimidated in conversations about your faith and values? Want to increase your confidence and skill in discussions, no matter whom you’re talking to? Then Tactics is for you.Learn the techniques Greg Koukl has taught thousands of others that will put you in the driver’s seat in every exchange. You’ll learn specific skills to help you initiate conversations effortlessly, stop challengers in their tracks and turn the tables, graciously and effectively expose faulty thinking, present the truth clearly, cleverly, and persuasively.
Your conversations with friends can look more like diplomacy than warfare. And you will be stronger and better equipped to skillfully present your faith and the reasons why Jesus Christ is the answer.
(Contains material also included in "Columbo")
45-90 minutes
The Columbo Tactic: How to Maneuver with Grace in Any Conversation
Each of us as Christian ambassador face two daunting challenges when trying to make a difference for Christ. First, how do we initiate conversations about spiritual things in a way that doesn’t seem awkward. Second, how do we keep ourselves from getting trapped or overwhelmed by others more aggressive than we are?In this talk, Greg will teach you a two-step game plan allowing you to maneuver with confidence in any situation, no matter how little you know, and no matter how aggressive, powerful, or educated your opposition is. Columbo is the simplest tactic imaginable to help you stop a challenger in his tracks, turn the tables, and then get him thinking. And it can be done in a gracious and winsome way.
If you’re tired of finding yourself flat-footed and intimidated in conversations about what you believe, if you want to increase your confidence and your skill in discussions, no matter who you're talking to, this talk is for you.
(This material is included in "Tactics—A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions")
90-120 minutes
Columbo—A Three-Step Game Plan for Maneuvering with Confidence and Grace in Any Conversation
This talk is an expanded version of the two-step game plan listed above.45-120 minutes
The Bankruptcy of Moral Relativism
Moral relativism—the idea that there are no absolutes when it comes to right and wrong—is deadly to our culture, and deadly to the Gospel. Characterized by comments like "Don’t force your morality on me" and "Who are you to say?," relativism is the engine that drives political correctness.In this talk, Greg exposes the myth of moral neutrality and provides compelling arguments—including the seven fatal flaws of relativism—to show why neither individual preference nor cultural convention is adequate to make sense of ethics. He then suggests practical tactics you can use to show others they don’t really believe morality is purely an individual matter.
In the extended version, you will also learn how this "intellectual" discussion becomes a powerful tool to argue for the existence of God and every person’s need for a savior.
(Contains material also included in "The Intolerance of Tolerance," and "Taking Jesus Seriously")
45-60 minutes
Monkey Morality
Can Evolution explain ethics? Is morality in humans just a sophisticated adaptation “designed” by natural selection to promote the survival of the fittest? Or is there a deeper explanation?In a careful, step by step fashion, Greg refutes the assertion that morality is simply an accident of nature. He explains how the evolutionary process cannot, even in principle, account for ethics and how all such attempts collapse back into relativism. Finally, he argues powerfully that the only reasonable explanation for the morality that needs explaining is not Mother Nature, but Father God.
45-60 minutes
The Intolerance of Tolerance
Why are so many people mad at Christians lately? Why are followers of Jesus often lumped in with other "religious fundamentalists" as a dangerous threat to liberty in America? Greg suggests that the heart of the problem is confusion about tolerance. In fact, things have become so twisted that what used to be called "tolerance" is now intolerance.In this insightful analysis, Greg outlines what happened to cause the definition of tolerance to go topsy-turvy. He exposes what he calls the myth of neutrality and the myth of tolerance, and teaches a simple method to disarm the "tolerance trick." He then closes by sharing what happened when he lectured to a packed audience at Berkeley.
This talk is excellent for either Christian groups or secular audiences.
(Contains material also included in "The Bankruptcy of Moral Relativism" and "Taking Jesus Seriously")
40-60 minutes
Taking Jesus Seriously
Recounting three rapid-fire, intense encounters in national media, Greg demonstrates that although there is almost universally high regard for Jesus, neither non-Christians nor a massive number of Christians take Him seriously.In this talk you will learn what the historical record reveals Jesus claimed about Himself and why we should believe Him. Then Greg tackles the difficult issue of why Jesus made the radical—and deeply politically incorrect—claim that He was the only way of salvation. This talk contains a very moving characterization of the sacrifice at Calvary and ends with Greg's description of what happened when he lectured to a packed audience at Berkeley.
(Contains material also included in "The Bankruptcy of Moral Relativism," "The Intolerance of Tolerance," and "Is One Way the Only Way?," and also includes Bible exposition)
40-90 minutes
Truth Is Not Ice Cream, Faith Is Not Wishing
Two misunderstandings both outside and inside the church threaten to make our Christian views completely irrelevant. In a relativistic age, we are tempted to think of religion and morality the way we think of ice cream—we choose what we like instead of what is true. We are also tempted to think of faith as a kind of religious wishful thinking that reduces religion to a mere "feel good" placebo.In this talk, Greg brings clarity to both of these core elements of Christianity. First, he describes how the notion of truth has fallen on hard times ("There is no truth"), and how to clarify that for followers of Jesus there is a difference between believe and make-believe.
Second, Greg describes why the word “faith” has become so corrupted that it should be abandoned for a more accurate—and biblical—alternative. He then demonstrates, using verses from throughout the Scripture, why biblical faith is no leap, but rather an informed step of trust.
This is a talk that makes crystal clear distinctions that are central not only for evangelism, but also for a solid and secure walk with Jesus.
50-90 minutes
Why I’m Not an Evolutionist
Evolution is one of the most controversial—and contentious—issues of our time. To many, those who deny evolution are in the same class as flat-earthers.In this talk, Greg carefully outlines why he rejects evolution—not for religious reasons, but for scientific ones. He exposes the weakness of the two essential pillars of Darwinism in a way anyone can follow. He then gives three powerful empirical reasons to take Intelligent Design seriously.
There is no need to pit “faith” against fact to refute evolution. An awareness of a few scientific realities is all you need.
This talk is excellent for either Christian groups or secular audiences.
1-2 hours
Truth Is a Strange Sort of Fiction: The Emerging Church in an Emerging Culture Francis Schaeffer said that three things are required for genuine Christianity to become “a thing of strength and beauty” to others: sound doctrine, a commitment to Truth, and cultural relevance. Yet as the Emergent Church attempts to become attractive to a postmodern culture, it has sometimes struggled to maintain a firm grip on two of these three critical elements.In this fascinating discussion, Greg charts the shift from modernism to postmodernism, the assault on the classical understanding of truth, and the consequences this holds for genuine faith in Christ. Then, following Schaeffer, he shows how the church can promote an attractive, winsome Christianity that is culturally relevant and still faithful to the truth.
45-60 minutes
Contend Earnestly for the Faith
Here at the beginning of the 21st Century, ambassadors for Christ face trouble on two fronts. First, there is an increasingly pervasive godlessness and almost militant hostility to Christianity in the culture. Second, there is a profound biblical illiteracy among believers. Consequently, it has become increasingly difficult to “contend earnestly for the faith," as Jude 3 admonishes.Paul faced the same challenge as he passed the torch to Timothy and entrusted the future of the Gospel to a new generation of disciples. His solution to both the trouble in the world and the trouble in the church can be summed up in three simple words: "You, however, continue..."
This talk is a practical encouragement for followers of Christ to fight the good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith.
(Includes Bible exposition)