Stand to Reason — Christian Apologetics with Greg Koukl, Amy Hall, and More

“Whatever cultural shifts take place around us, whatever socio-political concerns claim our attention, whatever anxieties we may feel about the church as an institution, Jesus Christ crucified, risen, reigning, and now in the power of his atonement, calling, drawing, welcoming, pardoning, renewing, strengthening, preserving, and bringing joy, remains the heart of the Christian message, the focus of Christian worship, and the fountain of Christian life. Other things may change; this does not.” — J.I. Packer, “Packer on the Christian Life”

Do not let anyone “love shame” you. Remember, love is about so much more than immediate pleasures. #StandtoReason #Apologetics #Christianity #ChristianLiving

When you’re ready to discuss truth with your Latter-day Saint friends, ask questions and stick to the most important topics. It might be tempting to discuss LDS Temple rituals, polygamy, or rules about not drinking coffee. These may be interesting topics, but they don’t get to what’s most important, such as Jesus’ identity, the gospel, and biblical authority. Learn more tactics for talking with Mormons in our new #STRUniversity course from Robby Lashua, “Engaging Latter-day Saints.” Start learning for free today at the link in the comments. #StandtoReason #Apologetics #Christianity #OnlineLearning

The church’s recognition of the inspired canon proceeded in stages over time under God’s sovereign guidance, a mysterious mixture of divine intention and human effort. Greg Koukl explains what happened. #StandtoReason #Apologetics #Christianity #History #TheBible

Did you catch our big announcement yesterday? We’re thrilled to welcome Craig Hazen as our new Chief Strategy Officer. Greg Koukl writes, “I can’t tell you how encouraging it is for me to have someone of Craig’s caliber join us, especially since we’ve been friends for decades. This is a promising development for all of us at STR, and I’m confident that with Craig on our team we’ll serve you and our larger STR community more effectively than ever before in the years to come.” As a member of our executive team, Craig will help energize our growth and magnify STR’s impact while keeping our eyes fixed on the mission of equipping believers to engage the lost with truth and compassion. He will explore and develop new opportunities and help fulfill the vision of STR as we move forward in a world that desperately needs the gospel. #StandtoReason #Apologetics #Christianity #NewHire #Welcome

Breaking News! This fall we’re welcoming a long-time friend and trusted ally to the Stand to Reason team in a role we’ve created just for him—Chief Strategy Officer. That friend is Craig Hazen. You may already know Craig as the founder and director of Biola University’s groundbreaking Master of Arts program in Christian Apologetics, where he has trained thousands of students and leaders worldwide in the art of defending Christianity. Craig’s long-term relationship with STR runs even deeper, though. He’s been on our board advising us for nearly 30 years. During that time we’ve strategized together—tackling big ideas and wrestling with challenges with one end in mind: helping followers of Christ confidently and graciously navigate today’s world as effective ambassadors of Christ. #StandtoReason #Apologetics #Christianity #NewHire #Welcome

You asked for more courses on other worldviews, and we heard you! Up next: Alan Shlemon teaches an #STRUniversity course on Islam.

Happy Reformation Day. Remember, reform, don’t deconstruct. Deconstruction is the process of rethinking your faith without requiring Scripture as a standard. By contrast, reforming is the process of correcting mistaken aspects of your faith by aligning them with Scripture. Notice the key element that distinguishes between the two: the standard of Scripture. That’s because change, absent of a standard, is not reforming. There’s no direction. You’re not moving towards a particular destination. Your movement can be in any direction. It’s just change for the sake of change. That’s not reforming. If you want to reform something, you move it towards a standard. You want to reform your faith, then move it towards the standard of Scripture. Without a standard, you’ll be susceptible to following society’s standards or simply your internal impulses. Deconstruction does not develop your faith; it destroys it. Often, you end up with an unbiblical faith or no faith at all. Though it’s true the Christian Reformers did say, semper reformanda (“always reforming”), the quote is often taken out of context by deconstructionists. It was Jodocus van Lodenstein, a key figure in the Dutch Reformation, who wrote, “Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda secundum verbi Dei,” which means “The church is Reformed and always being reformed according to the Word of God.” Notice the key element: Reforming the faith is accomplished when it’s done according to the Word of God. That’s the standard. It was never about merely changing, but changing to line up your faith with the standard of Scripture. We want to be transformed, not by conforming to the pattern of this world, but by the renewing of our minds with the dictates that God has laid out in his Word (Rom. 12:1–2).

We celebrated the Harvest season with a Western Wednesday at the office today, with special guest Craig Hazen. Check back later this week for an exciting announcement regarding Craig and STR! #StandtoReason #Apologetics #Christianity #WesternWednesday #OfficeParty

Do you have any friends who are Muslim? If so, how do you discuss faith and religion with them? Jason Jimenez and Alan Shlemon guide us in exploring the appeal of Islam, some of its core beliefs, and what Muslims think about Jesus and Christianity. Listen now at https://lnkd.in/gRa2XfKH.