Confronting Christianity with Rebecca McLaughlin
Hard questions, faithfully explored. Hosted by Rebecca McLaughlin.
Episodes
December 16, 2025 • 44 mins
In this episode, Rebecca McLaughlin talks with evangelist and surgeon Sam Chan about why Christmas still matters in an anxious, skeptical world. Drawing on Sam’s book The Missing Piece, they explore how the incarnation meets our deep longing for peace—not by fixing everything, but by God coming near to us in Jesus.
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December 9, 2025 • 38 mins
What does a 4th-century African bishop have to do with smartphones, social media, and AI chatbots? Rebecca sits down with ethicist Autumn Ridenour to explore how Augustine’s famous line, “our hearts are restless until they rest in you,” exposes both the appeal and the danger of our digital lives—from endless scrolling to AI “relationships” and deepfake-fueled distrust.
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December 2, 2025 • 48 mins
Therapist and ministry leader Zach Ellis spends his days walking with men tangled up in porn, shame, and unwanted sexual behavior. In this episode, Zach and Rebecca talk about lust as both sin and sign, how trauma fractures us, and why the opposite of addiction isn’t willpower but connection—being truly known by God and his people. If you’ve ever wondered whether your sexual history puts you beyond repair, this episode is a gentle ...
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November 25, 2025 • 34 mins
Christine walks through 2 Corinthians, Paul’s deeply personal letter about weakness, suffering, and the upside-down way of Jesus. She shares honestly about writing her new Bible study, More Than Enough: An 8-Week Study of 2 Corinthians, while her 20-year-old son was undergoing treatment for cancer.
Get the Book:
More Than Enough: An 8-Week Study of 2 Corinthians
Follow Christine:
Instagram | Website
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Get the Book:
More Than Enough: An 8-Week Study of 2 Corinthians
Follow Christine:
Instagram | Website
Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaM...
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November 18, 2025 • 41 mins
Portia Collins is a Bible teacher, author, and speaker from the Mississippi Delta. She’s the author of Finding Freedom in Christ: An 8-Week Study in Galatians, founder of She Shall Be Called, and serves on staff with Revive Our Hearts. Portia is passionate about helping women grow in Bible literacy and embrace the true freedom found in Jesus.
Get the Book:
Finding Freedom in Christ: An 8-Week Study of Galatians
Follow Portia:
Instagram...
Get the Book:
Finding Freedom in Christ: An 8-Week Study of Galatians
Follow Portia:
Instagram...
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November 11, 2025 • 58 mins
Rebecca and theologian Dani Treweek explore why the Bible calls both marriage and singleness meaningful gifts — and how rediscovering the purpose of singleness can strengthen the whole church.
Get the book:
Single Ever AfterA Biblical Vision for the Significance of Singleness
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Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
Get the book:
Single Ever AfterA Biblical Vision for the Significance of Singleness
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Produced by The Good Podcast Co.
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November 4, 2025 • 42 mins
Can Christians enjoy stories with “magic”? Marian Jacobs and Rebecca unpack how fantasy can train us to love Jesus and discern the occult—using a simple rubric rooted in Scripture and the self-giving love at the heart of the gospel.
Get the book:
On Magic & Miracles: A Theological Guide to Discerning Fictional Magic
Follow Marian:
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Get the book:
On Magic & Miracles: A Theological Guide to Discerning Fictional Magic
Follow Marian:
Instagram | Website
Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/Subscribe
Follow Us on Instagram ...
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October 28, 2025 • 54 mins
Harvard-backed research says weekly churchgoing lowers depression, boosts health, and lengthens life — and Rebecca explains why those benefits point beyond “religion” to Jesus, the church as true family, and the hope Gen Z is rediscovering.
Get the book:
“How Church Could Literally Save Your Life” (Crossway)
Check out Collin's Podcast:
Gospelbound
Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/Subscribe
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Pr...
Get the book:
“How Church Could Literally Save Your Life” (Crossway)
Check out Collin's Podcast:
Gospelbound
Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/Subscribe
Follow Us on Instagram and X
Pr...
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October 21, 2025 • 60 mins
Rebecca and J.D. Greear explore how Christians can transcend the culture war by leading with grace and truth, loving hard-to-love neighbors, keeping politics downstream of discipleship, and holding fast to the gospel with joyful confidence.
Resources Mentioned:
Sign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/Subscrib...
Resources Mentioned:
- J.D.'s Website
- Summit Church
- Everyday Revolutionary: How to Transcend the Culture War and Transform the World
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October 14, 2025 • 44 mins
How can anxiety become a doorway to deeper faith? Blair Linne joins Rebecca to discuss her new book Made to Tremble: How Anxiety Became the Best Thing That Ever Happened to My Faith. She recounts the accident that led to panic attacks, unpacks natural / sinful / religious fear, and shows how Scripture’s “do not fear” is an invitation to rest in God’s presence.
Resources Mentioned:
Resources Mentioned:
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October 7, 2025 • 28 mins
Rebecca welcomes back Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley for part two of their conversation about Theology Together. They unpack the Deep Discipleship Program—a tested, church-based framework for theological formation that is both sacrificial and accessible. They discuss lowering vs. raising the bar in ministry, how to call believers into deeper study and practice, and why the church must reclaim the life of the mind as part o...
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September 30, 2025 • 27 mins
Rebecca welcomes Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley (Knowing Faith) to explore why every believer is a theologian, how women and men learn together in the church, and how practices of grace form us for fellowship with God and one another. They discuss You Are a Theologian, Deep Discipleship, Formed for Fellowship, and Remember & Rehearse—along with church-as-family, Priscilla & Aquila (Acts 18), and helping new Christi...
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September 23, 2025 • 39 mins
Rebecca welcomes Vaneetha Risner for a candid conversation about suffering, unanswered prayer, and the presence of Christ in our deepest pain. Vaneetha recounts her story (childhood polio, the death of her infant son, an unwanted divorce), how John 9 reframed her “why,” and why Christian hope rests in the character of God—not in guaranteed outcomes. They also explore lament, community, and practical ways to walk with those who hurt...
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September 16, 2025 • 47 mins
Rebecca sits down with Karen Swallow Prior to explore vocation that comes from outside us, the goodness of “ordinary” faithfulness, and why pursuing the true, the good, and the beautiful gives shape to our work in every season. They reflect on biblical portraits of calling (Paul, Moses, Jonah), the role of community in discernment, and how serving others—not chasing status—aligns our lives with Jesus.
Resources mentioned:
Resources mentioned:
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September 9, 2025 • 1 min
Season 7 of Confronting Christianity is here! Rebecca gives a sneak peek at upcoming conversations—from finding hope in suffering and living faithfully as a single Christian, to confronting anxiety, pornography, and the meaning of Jesus’ death. Subscribe now so you don’t miss a single episode.
📚 Resources Mentioned
📚 Resources Mentioned
- Rebecca’s forthcoming book: How Church Could Literally Save Your Life (Releases October, preorder available)
- Rebecca...
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June 17, 2025 • 43 mins
What happens when you’ve tried everything—and nothing works? In this episode, Justine shares how she searched for meaning through alcohol, relationships, yoga, crystals, and tarot—only to find herself more lost than ever. But a YouTube video, a prayer in Madrid, and a series of quiet nudges led her to confront the truth she could no longer ignore: she needed Jesus. Whether you're skeptical, curious, or clinging to faith, this story...
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June 10, 2025 • 43 mins
What if rock bottom isn’t the end of the story, but the place where grace runs deepest? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Ray Ortlund about the kind of suffering that strips us bare—and the kind of Savior who meets us there. We dig into betrayal, isolation, and the painful honesty of self-examination. Ray shares wisdom from his new book, Good News at Rock Bottom, reminding us that Christianity doesn’t offer a shallow fix—but a Redee...
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June 3, 2025 • 43 mins
What does it look like to follow Jesus at Harvard? In this episode, I talk with senior Andrei Comlosan-Pop about coming to faith in high school, navigating life as a Christian at a secular university, and how literature, economics, and community all play a part in shaping a thoughtful, lived-out faith.
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May 27, 2025 • 32 mins
I’m joined by my friend Elizabeth Woodson—Bible teacher, author, and all-around theological powerhouse—to talk about Paul’s letter to the Galatians. We dig into what it really means to be free in Christ, why Paul’s transformation from persecutor to apostle matters so deeply, and how he surprisingly elevated the role of women in his ministry. Elizabeth shares wisdom from her new Bible study, Live Free, and together we unpack how bel...
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May 20, 2025 • 45 mins
Historian Molly Worthen joins Rebecca to unpack her journey from agnosticism to faith, the pull of charismatic leaders, and why Jesus—not political saviors—is the only one truly worth following. From Trump-era evangelicalism to the Spirit-led church, this episode asks: What kind of power really saves?
Buy Molly's Book:
Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump
Sign up for weekly emails at Rebec...
Buy Molly's Book:
Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump
Sign up for weekly emails at Rebec...
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