How Good Questions Can Answer Tough Challenges | Ep. 82 w/ Greg Koukl
11/08/23 • 56 min
How would you respond if someone presented a challenge to the truth claims of Christianity? Would you be nervous? Feel ill-equipped? What if you could eliminate your anxiety, take control of intimidating conversations, and help others think more clearly about their views and the truth of Scripture?
The key to all of this? Asking good questions.
That’s what Greg Koukl’s latest book, Street Smarts, is all about. Greg is back on the podcast to talk about how questions can help answer Christianity’s toughest challenges.
Koukl has hosted his call-in radio show Stand to Reason for over 30 years, has written many helpful books including Tactics: A Gameplan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions.
Street Smarts picks up where Tactics left off, providing model questions and example conversations to effectively discuss your Christian beliefs, even on hot-button issues such as moral relativism, the authenticity of Scripture, the gospel, abortion, marriage, gender, and more.
In this discussion we’ll talk about:
- How Greg became involved in apologetics
- How Street Smarts expands on the book Tactics
- The difference between harvesting and gardening when it comes to evangelism
- The benefits of asking questions in difficult conversations
- How we can be better equipped to engage with others on difficult, controversial issues
You can find the show notes for this episode at ReasonableTheology.org/StreetSmarts, where I will put links to our previous conversation on Tactics as well as the different resources we mention during our conversation.
Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos
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- A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly
- A Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church History
- Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy
- A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library
How would you respond if someone presented a challenge to the truth claims of Christianity? Would you be nervous? Feel ill-equipped? What if you could eliminate your anxiety, take control of intimidating conversations, and help others think more clearly about their views and the truth of Scripture?
The key to all of this? Asking good questions.
That’s what Greg Koukl’s latest book, Street Smarts, is all about. Greg is back on the podcast to talk about how questions can help answer Christianity’s toughest challenges.
Koukl has hosted his call-in radio show Stand to Reason for over 30 years, has written many helpful books including Tactics: A Gameplan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions.
Street Smarts picks up where Tactics left off, providing model questions and example conversations to effectively discuss your Christian beliefs, even on hot-button issues such as moral relativism, the authenticity of Scripture, the gospel, abortion, marriage, gender, and more.
In this discussion we’ll talk about:
- How Greg became involved in apologetics
- How Street Smarts expands on the book Tactics
- The difference between harvesting and gardening when it comes to evangelism
- The benefits of asking questions in difficult conversations
- How we can be better equipped to engage with others on difficult, controversial issues
You can find the show notes for this episode at ReasonableTheology.org/StreetSmarts, where I will put links to our previous conversation on Tactics as well as the different resources we mention during our conversation.
Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos
GET THE NEWSLETTER
Each edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:
- A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly
- A Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church History
- Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy
- A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library
Previous Episode
Jesus Feeds the 5,000: A Sermon on Matthew 14:13-21
The feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle that Jesus performed that is recorded in all four Gospels. This alone shows us just how important this event is in the ministry of Christ.
In this sermon we examine Matthew 14:13-21 alongside the parallel accounts in Mark 6, Luke 9, and John 6 to gain a fuller understanding of what this miracle revealed about Christ to those who witnessed these things and how we can rightly understand and apply the lessons it has to teach us.
In this message we will see that Jesus’ greatest act of compassion in feeding the 5,000 was not that he took away their hunger, but that He revealed to them that He was the one who had come to take away their sin.
Matthew 14:13-21
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Get a free trial of Logos at ReasonableTheology.org/Logos
GET THE NEWSLETTER
Each edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:
- A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly
- A Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church History
- Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy
- A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library
Next Episode
What is the Columbo Tactic? Greg Koukl Explains How Questions Can Help In Challenging Conversations
Apologist Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason provides an overview of the "Columbo Tactic" and how it can help you stay in the driver's seat in challenging conversations.
The "Columbo" tactic, named after the TV detective, is a strategic approach for introducing spiritual topics into conversations through simple, leading questions. It involves asking open-ended, inquisitive questions like "What do you mean by that?" to gently steer the conversation towards spirituality.
The tactic aims to expose flaws or contradictions in others' views in a non-confrontational manner. For instance, following up with "How did you come to that conclusion?" respects the other person's reasoning and encourages them to articulate their beliefs, providing more insight for further discussion.
Even when faced with responses lacking clear reasoning, the Columbo tactic uses straightforward, relevant questions to provoke thought, emphasizing the importance of having reasons for one’s beliefs. This method highlights the power of asking well-placed questions to facilitate deeper, more meaningful conversations about spiritual matters.
▶ Watch the full conversation: https://youtu.be/CZrApYwhP7Y
📖 Pick up a copy of Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions https://amzn.to/478Sppl
📖 Pick up a copy of Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity's Toughest Challenges https://amzn.to/49yRWOA
GET THE NEWSLETTER
Each edition of the Reasonable Theology newsletter contains my latest article or podcast episode PLUS:
- A Theological Word or Phrase Explained Quickly and Clearly
- A Painting Depicting a Scene from Scripture or Church History
- Audio of a Hymn or other Musical Selection to Enjoy
- A Recommended Book or Resource to Expand Your Library
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