@Tim Tant I like just relying on the power of the gospel. That's always a good answer. I think it can be easy to forget that God is doing the work and only the gospel is the most powerful way to respond.

@Cynthia Flint I think this is really well said. As I’ve started learning about other religions, I’ve realized how much I take for granted having grown up around Christianity. I sometimes forget I have 40 years in the game, haha. I especially agree that some doctrines take time to settle in the mind. The Trinity is a perfect example. A person may genuinely want to believe, but still feel like their mind is hitting a wall. Where I’d maybe add a layer is this: I wonder if even those intellectual walls are still connected to the heart in some way. Not in the sense that every doubter is being dishonest or rebellious, but in the sense that the Bible seems to treat the whole person as fallen, including the mind and the ability to reason. So when Paul says “the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God,” I don’t think he’s separating the mind from the heart. I think he’s saying our reasoning itself is affected by our fallen nature. That’s actually why I think apologetics matters. We try to remove obstacles and help people think clearly, but ultimately the Holy Spirit gives a changed heart. What so you think about that? I think I’m agreeing with you that people can have real intellectual barriers. I just wonder if those barriers are still part of the deeper heart-level problem the bible describes.

That's funny 🤣

Hey Jim, we aren't streaming it but it will be posted later. We are recording it.

In a purely materialistic universe governed by the laws of physics and nothing more, determinism is unavoidable. What about a universe governed by a sovereign God?

Hey buddy. We are meeting this Thursday at 6:30 PM at CitiPointe Church. 7533 Lords Chapel Dr Nashville, TN 37211