How We Know The Soul Is Real (Q&A With Eric Hernandez)

Think Well

#Religion #New Books #Coffeehouse Questions With Ryan Pauly

47:59

Ep. 42 - RevPar Problems, Real Talk: When Memes Meet Metrics with Calvin Tilokee How do revenue managers really think? What makes hotel rates spike during Taylor Swift concerts—or Bigfoot conventions? And why do memes about ADR hit harder than your star report? In this episode of Tickets to Travel: The Business of Travel Experiences , we sit down with Calvin Tilokee of RevPAR Media, the sharp mind behind the viral @RevPARProblems Instagram account. Calvin pulls back the curtain on hotel pricing strategy, compression events, influencer marketing, and what event producers often get wrong when pitching to hotels. Whether you’re trying to block rooms for a major festival, fill your hotel over a soft week, or just want to understand the secret language of revenue managers, this episode is packed with insight and humor. This episode is a must-listen for hotel sales and revenue teams, meeting and event planners, festival promoters, and hospitality marketers. Follow @RevPARProblems on Instagram for daily hotel truths and satire. And subscribe now to hear why Calvin says: “We don’t need your group when we’re already full. Call us the week after Christmas.” For more insider conversations at the intersection of travel, ticketing, and live experiences, follow us on all socials @Tix2TravelPod and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. If you haven’t listened yet, head to www.tttpod.com to catch up on past episodes.…

about a year ago 1:17:41

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What is the soul? How do we know it is real? Why does it really matter? Eric Hernandez joins the show to answer your questions and make a case for a Christian view of the soul. Eric Hernandez is an evangelist, apologist, and author of "The Lazy Approach to Evangelism: A Simple Guide for Conversing with Nonbelievers." He is the Apologetics Lead and Millennial Specialist for The Baptist General Convention of Texas.

328 episodes

Think Well

How We Know The Soul Is Real (Q&A With Eric Hernandez)

Think Well

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published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

328 episodes

#Religion #New Books #Coffeehouse Questions With Ryan Pauly

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Think Well

1
Why "Be True to Yourself" Is Breaking You (Culutre Study Part 5) 2:04:03

21 days ago2:04:03

2:04:03

Expressive individualism has become the central ethic that guides our society's thinking. "The idea that a person should be limited by an authority outside of him- or herself—whether a tradition, religion, or parent—to do or experience whatever he or she wants amounts to one of the worst offenses an authority can commit." The problem is that expressive individualism cannot be consistently lived out. The focus on satisfying the self above all has led to an age of coddling, fragility, and moral confusion. Come join this important conversation and bring your questions! Today's show will take a look at identity as we walk through chapter 6 of Andrew and Christian Walker's new book, "What Do I Say When...?: A Parents' Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children & Teens."…

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The Universe Had a Beginning... So What? Apologetics Study Part 3 1:46:40

9 weeks ago1:46:40

1:46:40

"Conceptual analysis of what it is to be a cause of the universe enables us to recover a number of striking properties which this ultramundane cause must possess and which are of theological significance." - William Lane Craig In part 1 on the Kalam, I discussed the scientific evidence in support of premise 2 with James Sinclair. Today's show will begin with a quick look at the philosophical arguments for premise 2, and then will focus on how Christians arrive at God based on the Kalam Cosmological argument. Here's the argument: 1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause. 2. The universe began to exist. 3. Therefore, the universe has a cause. 4. If the universe has a cause, then an uncaused, personal Creator of the universe exists, who sans the universe is beginningless, changeless, immaterial, timeless, spaceless, and enormously powerful. From (3) and (4), it follows that: 5. Therefore, an uncaused, personal Creator of the universe exists, who sans the universe is beginningless, changeless, immaterial, timeless, spaceless, and enormously powerful. Come join the conversation and bring your questions! Content Discussed: 0:00 Intro 4:09 Upcoming shows 7:15 The argument from the impossibility of an actual infinite 15:26 The impossibility of the formation of an actual infinite by successive addition 21:21 Whatever begins to exist has a cause 30:25 Live Question: What did God do before he did the first thing? 31:19 Live Question: Infinite regress is something you have been through. 33:00 Live Question: Must all things have a cause? 34:15 The theological implications of the Kalam Cosmological argument 47:18 Live Question: There's no logical reason why you can't have an infinite regress 49:51 Caller: Abstract objects, a personal God, God and time, defining supernatural, and if we can choose our thoughts 1:18:05 Caller: Is an infinite regress possible?…

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What If the Resurrection Really Happened? 2:08:32

10 weeks ago2:08:32

2:08:32

1 Corinthians 15:17 says, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins." This means that either the tomb was empty, or Christians have an empty faith. Dr. Timothy Paul Jones (vice president for doctoral studies, professor of Christian family ministry, and chair of the department of apologetics, ethics, and philosophy at Southern Baptist Theological Studies) wrote the short book, "Did the Resurrection Really Happen?" as part of the TGC Hard Questions series. The goal of his brief book is modest. He writes, "I simply want you to recognize that the first followers of Jesus didn't claim their leader rose from the dead because of gullible ignorance or blind faith. They knew dead people stay dead." Today's show will look at his main argument as I make an evidential case for the resurrection of Jesus. Content Discussed: 0:00 Intro & Update 5:22 What's the point of the book? 8:05 Why does it matter whether Jesus resurrected or not? 10:44 Christian faith should not be blind 14:02 A resurrection is only implausible in a world where miracles are impossible. 18:42 Did the disciples copy the story from other dying and rising Gods, or did they have a Jewish expectation of a resurrection? 24:35 The resurrection is traceable to a time and place where it occurred. 39:50 What impact does a resurrection have? 43:52 CALLER: Should we live according to "What ifs"? How does God speak? Do we have souls that continue living? 1:07:12 CALLER: Is the resurrection just a story? When was the New Testament written? 2:05:07 The unrivaled power of the resurrection to explain the historical data.…

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Does Science Prove the Universe Had a Beginning? Apologetics Study Part 2 (James Sinclair) 1:33:06

11 weeks ago1:33:06

1:33:06

"The Cosmological argument is a family of arguments that seek to demonstrate the existence of a Sufficient Reason or First Cause of the existence of the cosmos... The kalam cosmological argument traces its roots to the efforts of early Christian theologians who, out of their commitment to the biblical teaching of creation ex nihilo, sought to rebut the Aristotelian doctrine of the eternity of the universe." The argument is extremely simple: 1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause. 2. The universe began to exist. 3. Therefore, the universe has a cause. This is part 2 of our apologetics study as we work through "The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology." James Sinclair, co-author of the chapter on the kalam cosmological argument with William Lane Craig, joins the show to discuss the scientific evidence in support of premise 2. We look at the FRW mode, astronomical evidence for the Big Bang, the Hawking-Penrose singularity theorems, the BVG theorem, quantum gravity approaches, and the exceptions to each of these approaches. Come join the conversation and bring your questions! James D. Sinclair (MS Physics Texas A&M, BS Physics Carnegie-Mellon) is a senior anti-air warfare analyst for the United States Navy with a specialty in the constructive (digital only) modeling of air-to-air combat. Some career accomplishments include analytical support for the fielding of the AIM-9X Sidewinder missile, combat utility evaluation of the F-35 Lighting II, and presentations at public symposia such as the Military Operations Research Society (MORS) and the Combat Identification Systems Conference (CISC). He began to interview cosmologists in the early 2000s on the topic of the beginnings of the universe, bringing Navy knowledge integration methods to the formulation known as the Kalam Cosmological Argument. This ultimately led to a collaboration with philosopher William Lane Craig and two co-authored articles: “The Kalam Cosmological Argument,” in The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology and “On Non-Singular Spacetimes and the Beginning of the Universe,” in Scientific Approaches to the Philosophy of Religion. He also co-authored the article "Fine-Tuning and Indications of Transcendent Intelligence" with Robert Spitzer.…

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A More Compelling Narrative on Sexuality (Culture Study Part 4) 1:59:57

12 weeks ago1:59:57

1:59:57

Andrew and Christian Walker write, "The logic of bodily sex differences helps explain the moral logic of biblical sexual ethics overall. The mandate for sexual relations in Scripture is tied to the design of the body... The end for which the body is organized--namely, reproduction--tells us what sexual actions are proper to the body and which actions are immoral." If you were to take a poll on the most controversial and delicate biblical views, homosexuality would probably be near the top if not at the very top. Because of this, if we are going to stand in our Christian convictions, then we must know what the Bible teaches and why it teaches it. For those who object to the Christian view, it is equally important for them to understand the what and the why in order to offer an accurate and fair critique. Today's show will take a look at homosexuality as we walk through chapter 5 of Andrew and Christian Walker's new book, "What Do I Say When...?: A Parents' Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children & Teens." I've done a few shows on this topic (see below), so I aim to keep the teaching short and get to your calls and questions as soon as possible. Join me for an important conversation! Content Discussed 0:00 Intro 6:14 Think Well Merch Store! 8:58 A look at future shows 10:33 The cultural narrative based on the Sexual Revolution 18:19 A more compelling Christian narrative 27:55 1st Biblical Principle - Everywhere homosexuality is mentioned in the Bible, it is mentioned critically 29:45 2nd Biblical Principle - The Bible prohibits all forms of homosexuality 34:19 3rd Biblical Principle - The Bible's prohibition against homosexuality is grounded in a creation mandate 38:58 4th Biblical Principle - Jesus affirms the immorality of homosexuality 42:15 5th Biblical Principle - Any identity at odds with Scripture is never fulfilling 49:13 A more authentic community 51:52 LIVE QUESTION: Am I presenting a false choice between biblical marriage and gay marriage? 53:41 LIVE QUESTION: Does the Bible ever look at slavery as an immoral institution? 56:40 LIVE QUESTION: Do you think all sinful acts should be illegal? 58:39 LIVE QUESTION: Has the Bible ever settled any argument? Christians are always disagreeing 1:02:00 CALLER: How do we make sense of Jesus's confusing parables and answers to questions? 1:06:37 CALLER: How do we explain gay penguins? Doesn't nature show that homosexuality is normal? Should gay marriage be legal? 1:39:56 CALLER: Questions on Christopher Yuan and biblical sexuality being oriented toward procreation.…

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12 Steps to Break Free from Reactive Thinking 1:45:35

14 weeks ago1:45:35

1:45:35

Wouldn't we all benefit from a better understanding of what it means to think well? If so, why don't we do it? Alan Jacobs is the author of "How to Think." He serves as a Distinguished Professor of Humanities in the Honors Program at Baylor University and a Senior Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia. He writes, "Relatively few people want to think. Thinking troubles us; thinking tires us. Thinking can force us out of familiar, comforting habits; thinking can complicate our lives; thinking can set us at odds, or at least complicate our relationships, with those we admire or live or follow. Who needs thinking?" Would you agree? Alan Jacobs finishes his book by giving The Thinking Person's Checklist. This 12-point checklist is designed to help us think well, and have better conversations. This conversation will offer "hope that each of us can reclaim our mental lives from the impediments that plague us all. Because if we can learn to think together, maybe we can learn to live together, too." Join the conversation, learn to Think Well, and bring your questions so we can put this checklist into practice. Callers are welcome! Content Discussed 0:00-7:52 Announcements, Merch Launch, and upcoming shows 7:53-54:09 The Thinking Person's Checklist 54:10-1:28:30 CALLER 1:28:31-1:45:07 LIVE QUESTIONS…

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How to Read the Bible Without Blind Faith (or Cynicism) - Worldview Study Part 3 2:02:10

15 weeks ago2:02:10

2:02:10

Christians believe that God has personally, truthfully, and sufficiently revealed himself in the Bible. This should not be a blind following but is the result of the deep intellection tradition of biblical and theological studies. However, "pragmatism, consumerism, and an entertainment mentality have shifted the priorities of some churches away from our primary calling to devote ourselves to knowing God deeply through his Word." Why does theology matter? "Knowledge without devotion is cold, dead orthodoxy. Devotion without knowledge is irrational instability... The study of theology is learning to think God's thoughts after him so that our minds and hearts and actions are conformed to his image." Content Discussed 0:00 Intro 5:05 Announcements and future shows 10:32 Why cover biblical and theological studies? 19:00 Attitudes for doing biblical and theological studies 27:15 Christian Assumptions or presuppositions when studying the Bible 35:29 CALLER: Cynical vs Critical, Bias, and the Authority of Scripture 49:01 Functional absolutes regarding Scripture 51:50 Jesus's view of the Bible: Internal evidence for the reliability of the Bible 54:46 Sub-Disciplines of biblical studies 1:01:25 The Interpretive method 1:06:02 The process of theological studies 1:07:45 Areas of study in theology 1:10:32 Essential vs peripheral doctrines 1:13:05 Using reason, experience, and tradition in doing theology 1:20:29 CALLER: Knowledge vs lived experience 1:34:36 CALLER: What happens to those who die with wrong information or don't know about God? 1:44:58 LIVE QUESTION: How does one make sure they aren't deceiving themselves with their bias and presuppositions? 1:47:26 CALLER: Will Christianity become an extinct religion in the next 100-200 years if it doesn't adapt to culture?…

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One God, Three Persons: Is the Trinity Logical? 1:56:57

16 weeks ago1:56:57

1:56:57

Does the Trinity have a counting problem? How can Jesus be both all-knowing in his divinity and not all-knowing in his humanity at the same time? Doesn't John 20:17 show that Jesus isn't God because he has a God? These are just some of the objections to the Trinity that I have received from TikTok livestreams. Today's show will walk through some of the objections to the Trinity and show that the Trinity is logical and biblical. Live questions start at 48:15, and callers begin at 1:14:47…

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The Christian Sexual Ethic: Personal & Cultural Flourishing 1:38:28

17 weeks ago1:38:28

1:38:28

"God created human beings to be sexual, therefore, sexuality is good under God's design," and "rightly-ordered sexuality brings God glory." So, how do we know when sexuality is rightly-ordered or disordered? How can sin distort our sexual desires? What was God's original design for human sexuality? Why is the Christian sexual ethic the only way for personal and cultural flourishing? Today's show will take a look at sexuality as we walk through chapter 3 of Andrew and Christian Walker's new book, "What Do I Say When...?: A Parents' Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children & Teens." I've done a few shows on this topic (see below), so I aim to keep the teaching short and get to your calls and questions as soon as possible. Join me for an important conversation! Content Discussed 0:00 Intro 2:45 A look at future shows 7:57 Why does this topic matter? 12:44 The problem is when you impose your morality on others. 14:10 Sexuality is a good gift from God 20:01 Caller: Is the Christian ethic only to keep people in line with homosexuality and abortion? How do Christians care about the vulnerable? 41:26 Caller: Should there be any boundaries with sexuality? Is there a morality that guides our actions? Would Christian sexuality make the world better or worse? 1:16:06 God created human beings to be sexual, therefore, sexuality is good under God’s design. 1:18:58 God’s pattern for sexuality upholds the marriage of husband and wife as the exclusive grounds for sexual activity. What is the purpose of sexuality? 1:23:15 God’s pattern for sexuality is freeing and tied to human flourishing 1:26:55 Rightly-ordered sexuality brings God glory 1:29:23 The Gospel affirms the creational order for sexuality and marriage and offers a pathway for us to live lives of sexual holiness…

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The Integration of Faith and Reason (Worldview Study Part 2) 1:29:32

18 weeks ago1:29:32

1:29:32

How will thinking carefully about the relationship of faith and knowledge influence the way you think about and live out your Christian commitments? "The Great Tradition of Christian Thinking" by David Dockery and Timothy George give an understanding of how Christian faith has related to knowledge throughout the centuries. It then shows how we can apply and advance the tradition today. Come join the conversation and bring your questions! I will be taking calls after the teaching. The show is LIVE every Tuesday at 1:30 pm PT. Content Discussed: 0:00 Intro 2:33 A look at future shows 5:30 An into to the series on Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition 6:52 Have Christians given up on the cognitive focus? Knowledge & Faith 14:57 The role of Scripture in the Christian intellectual tradition 16:28 How challenges throughout church history led to intellectual growth 24:05 How everything fits into the Christian story 27:34 Necessary distinction between "the faith" and "my faith" 34:25 How do we practically apply the Christian intellectual tradition today? 41:08 Why don't Christians assert religious claims as facts? 42:37 Wasn't it Christians, not atheists, who separated faith from evidence? 44:35 Why didn't Jesus clearly write down Christian theology? 47:43 Caller: Panpsychism and why God allows suffering and pain, and how we know God is good 1:09:31 Caller: Does science look at evidence to find a conclusion, and religion starts with conclusions and looks for evidence? 1:14:49 Caller: Do atheists have faith? Do we have to have answers for everything? 1:22:31 Two reasons why you shouldn't say "Think for yourself!"…

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Is Artificial Intelligence Conscious? 1:35:03

19 weeks ago1:35:03

1:35:03

What should we think about the most recent advances with artificial intelligence? Does it think and behave like humans do? Join the show as we look at a recent video about AI scheming and lying to developers.

Think Well

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The Unborn Are No Less Human Than Born Children- Culture Book Study Part 2 1:21:36

21 weeks ago1:21:36

1:21:36

When do the unborn become real people? Who has the authority to give and take life? When does life begin? There are many conversations between pro-life and pro-choice advocates. The arguments have been made, but it often feels like we are talking past each other. How can we have better conversations on issues that matter? What are the best ways to communicate the biblical teachings that relate to abortion? Today's show will take a look at abortion as we walk through chapter 2 of Andrew and Christian Walker's new book, "What Do I Say When...?: A Parents' Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children & Teens." I've done a few shows on this topic (see below), so I aim to keep the teaching short and get to your calls and questions as soon as possible. Join me for an important conversation!…

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Why Theism Is More Reasonable Than Naturalism- Apologetics Study Part 1 (Dr. Charles Taliaferro) 1:33:32

22 weeks ago1:33:32

1:33:32

The Bible is not the only source of knowledge about God. Christians believe that God has revealed himself through creation (Ps 19:1, Rom 1:19-20), which means we should be able to find evidence for God in nature. This approach, referred to as natural theology, develops a philosophy of God based on observations about our world. Today's show will attempt to "provide reasons for thinking that classical theism is more reasonable because it has a greater explanatory power than naturalism." We will be taking your pressing questions and strongest objections! This is part 1 of our apologetics study as we work through "The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology." Dr. Charles Taliaferro (professor emeritus of philosophy at St. Olaf College). He also contributed to "Natural Theology: Five Views" from Baker Academic and authored "Evidence and Faith: Philosophy and Religion since the Seventeenth Century" from Cambridge University Press.…

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A Scientifically Testable Creation Model for Adam & Eve (Dr. Fazale Rana) 1:32:46

23 weeks ago1:32:46

1:32:46

Who was Adam? Was he the result of a natural process (evolution) or a unique creation? Did he actually exist, or was he merely a literary figure? Hasn't science proven that an original two humans is impossible? Dr. Fazale Rana, President and senior research scholar at Reasons to Believe, joins me in making a biblical and scientific case for a historical Adam and Eve. When were Adam and Eve created? How does the biblical account line up with the scientific record? Are humans related to Neanderthals? These are just a few questions that we will address in today's show. We also will be taking your questions! So join the show, bring your questions, and consider the biblical account of human origins. Content Discussed 0:00 4:12 How should we approach science and faith questions? 7:18 Does science or Scripture have the ultimate authority? 12:00 A biblical argument for a historical Adam and Eve 14:48 Why does this conversation matter? 20:19 What makes the Reason to Believe model scientifically testable? 23:02 What scientific data could disprove core Christian doctrines? 26:30 Don't the biblical genealogies show that Adam and Eve existed 6,000 years ago? 31:04 When does the scientific evidence date for Adam and Eve? 37:32 Why do humans have Neanderthal DNA if humans didn't evolve from Neanderthals? 42:23 Where were Adam and Eve located? 44:40 Doesn't science show that there's too much genetic diversity in humans to come from a single pair? 49:40 Are secular scientists questioning the minimum population view? 51:35 Why don't we see Neanderthal DNA in humans of African descent? 52:56 Is there a scientific reason for why God created humans at that time? 55:25 Where did Cain get his wife if God didn't create other people? 58:38 Don't genetic similarities and endogenous retroviruses show that humans evolved? 1:04:28 Why do human embryos and some people have tails in a creation view? 1:06:07 Why is your biggest objection to evolution? 1:15:23 Why do so many scientists hold to evolution if it isn't true? 1:20:15 How did God create life? 1:25:00 Did Neanderthals bury their dead, use tools, make jewelry, and have religion? 1:28:38 If humans came from monkeys, then why don't we see 1/2-breed monkey people? 1:30:18 A look at future shows and events…

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Engaging Our Morally Confused Culture (Worldview Study Part 1) 1:33:31

24 weeks ago1:33:31