Full Audio Episodes

Ep. 30: Old Testament Conundrums II: Weird Prophet Stuff
November 23, 2023
30
00:59:5654.88 MB

Ep. 30: Old Testament Conundrums II: Weird Prophet Stuff

My friend Michael joins me again with some of his questions from the Old Testament prophets - why did they do and say some of the odd and strange things we read about and sometimes ask others to as well? We also dive back into the question of signs from God and spend some time discussing what Isaiah and others meant when referring to the "Day of the Lord". --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.sp...

BONUS EPISODE: Job, Karma, and the Justice of GOd
November 17, 202300:39:3136.18 MB

BONUS EPISODE: Job, Karma, and the Justice of GOd

The book of Job is one of the more complex, confusing, and often misunderstood writings in the entire Bible. Because of it's poetic style, flowery language, and use of multiple voices it can be hard to decipher exactly what the story is trying to communicate. In this bonus episode from a recent message I gave at Rise City Church, I unpack the book's main theme regarding the Retribution Principle (Karma) an...

Ep. 29: The Problem of Evil
October 18, 2023
29
00:40:2036.94 MB

Ep. 29: The Problem of Evil

Why does God allow so much evil and suffering in our world? If he is all powerful, all knowing, and as good as the Bible claims why doesn’t he put a stop to it? This is a serious problem that many people of faith struggle to make sense of and those outside of Christianity use as ammunition against it. Is there a logical way forward that doesn’t turn God into either an indifferent landlord who doesn’t care enough or ...

Bonus Episode: The book of Romans
October 05, 202300:24:1622.23 MB

Bonus Episode: The book of Romans

Paul's letter to the church in Rome is my favorite book of the entire Bible, one I have deeply enjoyed studying over the years. It's a book many - including myself - have struggled to make sense of as Paul's language and arguments are extremely deep and nuanced. As a bonus episode this week, I am sharing my overview of Romans as part of my New Testament Survey video series. Don't forget you can fin...

Ep. 28: Indoctrination and Wish Fulfillment
September 28, 2023
28
00:40:1636.87 MB

Ep. 28: Indoctrination and Wish Fulfillment

Do people only believe in a religion because it's what they were born into? Does something like Christianity only continue because it gets indoctrinated into children, who then mostly abandon it once they are old enough to think for themselves? And how should one respond to the claim that believing in God is just a form of wish fulfillment. We just "want" it to be true that we are not alone and death i...

SPECIAL PREVIEW - NT Survey: MATTHEW
September 25, 202300:29:3940.76 MB

SPECIAL PREVIEW - NT Survey: MATTHEW

My New Testament Survey Course covering is now available! Join me as I take a brief walk through every book of the New Testament, offering important background information and keys for reading, main themes and big ideas, and a short chapter by chapter outline to help you in your reading. Starting with this special preview on the Gospel of Matthew. Each episode in the series is available in audio on Apple and Spoti...

Ep. 27: Aliens, Ghosts, & Arguments for God
September 14, 2023
27
00:43:1839.65 MB

Ep. 27: Aliens, Ghosts, & Arguments for God

Is the possible existence of aliens a problem for Christianity and something followers of Jesus should choose not to believe in? What about ghosts or other paranormal activity? Is there a “magic bullet” argument that works to prove the existence of God? And do all people even receive and think through evidence the same way, or does making a case for God require many different ideas, often specific to the individua...

Ep. 26: Old Testament Conundrums
August 19, 2023
26
01:01:1556.08 MB

Ep. 26: Old Testament Conundrums

Reading the Old Testament raises a LOT of questions for us. And often times, they are the kinds we’re almost uncomfortable even talking about because of how strange and unclear they seem. From the very high-level questions like does God cause evil? Does he change his mind, or has he himself changed over time? To more specific and out there ones like – did he really talk through a donkey, or did the ghost of the prop...

Ep. 25: Celibacy, Divorce, & The Gender of God
July 13, 2023
25
00:40:3237.12 MB

Ep. 25: Celibacy, Divorce, & The Gender of God

Why are priests required to be celibate and not marry? Are children of Christian parents automatically saved? Is God male or female..or both... or neither? And is ignorance bliss or should we always strive to be informed and get answers? In this episode of Like Stars, Pete works through some of your questions regarding faith and the Scripture, seeking God's wisdom for our lives. He examine the Catholic church...

Ep. 24: Resurrection of Trust
June 15, 2023
24
00:45:1141.37 MB

Ep. 24: Resurrection of Trust

Can we trust the message of the Bible? How do we know that the people who wrote it were actually telling us the truth? In many ways, the answer to these questions all rise and fall on one pivotal issue - the resurrection of Jesus. For if it's not true that Jesus rose from the dead, the answer is plainly and unquestionably "no", we cannot - and should not - put any stock in the Bible whatsoever. It'...