April 14, 2025 • 47 mins
Many of us have had honest questions about the Christian faith, and some of them may prevent us from moving closer to God. How we answer those questions makes all the difference! John Hopper has wrestled with many common concerns about life, God, and the Bible. He says “If Christianity involves anything worth believing, it ought to make sense first.”
John addresses crucial questions so we can confidently take our next steps with Jesus!
Today's resource: Questioning God? Answers to Questions Worth Asking
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:15):
Please enjoy this encore edition of equip with Chris Brooks. Well,
hey there friends, welcome to another exciting edition of equip
with Chris Brooks. I am absolutely thrilled that you've joined
us today. Can you do me a favor? Can you
strap on your seat belt? We're going to navigate through
the contours of culture, as always, with the lens of
(00:37):
the biblical worldview on. But before we do that, I
want to remind you that this is the day that
the Lord has made. He has given it as a
gift so that you and I can rejoice and be
glad in it. So let's do just that. Let's follow
the words of the Apostle Paul. Let's rejoice in the
Lord always. And again I say, rejoice. Well, I want
to give you greetings from the beautiful city of Detroit, Michigan.
(01:00):
It's where I get a chance to do live and
broadcast from each and every day. A big shout out
to my team at Moody, Deb, Chris and the gang
who make this program possible. You know, every day if
we're doing our jobs the way we should is a
conversation about the things that matter most in life. When
I am interviewing a guest, my hope is to ask
(01:23):
them the questions that you would ask them. If you
had the opportunity to be behind this microphone, or to
grab a cup of coffee or to sit across from them. Today, though,
is a very special day because we're going to just
dedicate this entire day to honoring and respecting the hard
questions that you have about God, about the Christian faith,
(01:46):
and about life. 8775675 is the number. (877) 548-3675. Now I
want to be fully transparent. I'm a follower of Jesus.
I am a Christian. I believe in the Christian gospel.
I believe in the Christian worldview. But with that being said,
(02:07):
I also respect and take seriously the questions of those
who don't believe, those who are skeptics, those who once
believed but maybe have walked away. And I want to
make sure that we create an environment that honors your questions.
And I want to also make sure that I create
an opportunity for those who maybe say, um, I'm not
(02:30):
skeptical about Christianity, but I love someone who is. I
have a friend or a loved one, or a family
member who has serious concerns or doubts about the Christian faith,
and I want to know how I can best respectfully
and lovingly respond to their questions. And so today, again,
I want to give you the number, whether or not
(02:52):
you are the person with the question, or if you
love a person who has deep doubts and tough questions
for the Christian faith. And I just want to invite
you to call (877) 548-3675. Again, the number 877548 3675. As always,
(03:12):
I try to invite a guest who is much smarter
than I am to help us with this conversation. And
today's guest is John Hopper. He serves as area director
for Search Ministries in the beautiful city of Houston, Texas.
John has a pretty awesome and diverse career. He worked
in the private sector for a while as a tennis
(03:34):
pro and a real estate and in real estate rather.
He has spent 16 years as a pastor at Bridge
Point Bible Church in Houston. Prior to his role with
Search Ministries. But he's written a book and I love
this book. Questioning God answers to questions worth asking. And today,
(03:57):
we want to invite you to ask your question because
it is worth asking. John, how are you today?
S2 (04:03):
I'm doing great, Chris. Although you said you invited someone
on smarter than you, I'm sure that's the case.
S1 (04:10):
Talking for a moment about your your love for for tennis.
You and your wife?
S2 (04:15):
Yeah, absolutely. So, uh, yeah, we we started very young,
and we're in all the tournaments and played collegiately and, uh,
dabbled in the pros a bit. And, uh, so we,
we still enjoy playing, but my wife still teaches tennis, so.
So it's, uh, it's sort of a big part of
our life and what we enjoy to do.
S1 (04:35):
Are you guys competitive? Who's better?
S2 (04:38):
Well, um, what I'll say is, is that the older
we get, the harder it's getting for me to beat her.
Let's put it that way.
S1 (04:47):
She. She's, uh, closing the gap, huh? She's.
S2 (04:50):
She's closing the gap, though.
S1 (04:52):
There you go. There you go. Well, you're a dad, too. And, um,
you know, when I think about a book on questions
for me, I'm a parent as well. I do wonder
how much of being a father shapes your heart to act,
to answer good questions.
S2 (05:10):
Well, I mean, I think that, uh, um, if we're
willing to listen, we find that our own kids have
a lot of the same questions that anybody else asks.
And so, uh, I remember my, uh, son, one of
my sons, just sort of expressing some of his doubts
that would creep in. And, you know, when you when
you hear that, you know, that sort of that compassion
(05:33):
and empathy that sort of comes forward. Yeah, that certainly
can pour over in terms of how we relate with
others as well.
S1 (05:39):
Well, I think it's beautiful that you dedicate the book
to and to Eric, Ian Hudson and Corey. And, uh,
you're blessed to have them in your life. Let's talk
a little bit about Search Ministries. What's the aim and
focus there?
S2 (05:52):
Yeah. So search is really all about creating sort of
spaces and venues, gatherings where people can ask their questions
about God and Christianity in the Bible, because there's not
a lot of places that people, you know, sort of
find safe for those kind of conversations. So, I mean,
if you if you go to a church, you're probably
not going to stand up in the middle of the
sermon and say, I got a question. You know, so, uh,
(06:14):
you know, but people have those questions. In fact, sometimes
they quit going to church because their their question never
really gets answered. And so, uh, so we try to,
you know, create gatherings where people really do feel like
they can ask anything. And so, so oftentimes I'm, uh,
confronted with, you know, people's doubts about God or doubts
(06:35):
about the Bible, doubts about Christianity. And I'm glad when
they feel free to express those doubts to me.
S1 (06:42):
Yeah, I love that. And I and I'm grateful for that.
And really, at the end of the day, it seems
to me that search is all about relationships and helping
people to explore these questions with the honest hope that
they will hopefully lead to a the answers will lead
to a relationship with God. Is that right?
S2 (07:04):
That's right. And you know, I think in many ways
our aim is just to help people take sort of
one step closer to God. So no matter where they are,
they can be far away and they get a little
bit closer. They can be already walking with the Lord. But, uh,
you know, we sort of press them on a little,
a step there. So really, wherever someone's at, we want
to be able to encourage them to kind of take
(07:27):
a little deeper look, to ask another question, to take
another step.
S1 (07:31):
I'm in my mid 40s. I got kids who I
got a teenager at home, kids who are younger than that.
I think about how age impacts questions, how how is, uh,
the generational differences of the people you interact with played
into these questions?
S2 (07:51):
Yeah, well, there is some impact and then there's not
some impact. So, um, interestingly, when I've done groups with
teenagers and when I've done groups with older adults that
eventually almost all the same questions get asked. So now
they might come in a little different order, but the
same questions are often under the surface. Now, I would
(08:13):
say for for older people, the question about pain and
suffering and where's God in that is more frequent because
they've experienced more pain and suffering. So so that one's
a little bit higher at the top of the list.
I think for those who are younger, questions like, well,
why Christianity when there's all these other religions? And partly because,
(08:34):
you know, those who are younger, they're they're working and
they're going to school in places where they have friends
and colleagues and fellow students who are of all different
religious backgrounds. And so that that question is sort of
more pressing for them.
S1 (08:49):
Yeah, I appreciate that. And I do think that we, um,
I think sometimes can assume that the questions that we're
asked in our generation are the same, uh, questions that
are being asked. And, you know, I often say this, John,
and I believe it that sometimes just as dangerous as
asking a question in the wrong way is answering the
(09:13):
wrong question.
S2 (09:15):
That's right. That's right.
S1 (09:16):
Sometimes we as Christians make the mistake of doing that.
Today we don't want to do that. We want to
hear from you. We want to not just take a
stab at the questions we think you might be, uh,
wrestling with. We want to answer the questions, or at
least attempt to help you process the questions that really
are on your heart. And when I say I want
(09:38):
to create a safe space here, I really mean that.
I don't want you to feel, um, filtered in, uh,
what questions you ask? Feel free to ask anything of
John and myself. 877548 3675. We may not be able
to get to every question, because there's only so many
calls that we can take in a moment. But, uh,
(10:00):
you have comprised, would you say, the 15 most common
questions you get?
S2 (10:06):
Yeah, I think so. You know, for me and the
search staff across the country, these are the questions that
we get asked over and over again. So people sometimes
ask me, how can you answer everybody's questions. And and
I said, well, most of the time they ask the
same questions. So and these are the 15 questions that they,
they tend to ask. Now every once in a while
(10:26):
we do get asked questions that aren't among these, but
these are definitely the ones, uh, that we get asked
most frequently.
S1 (10:34):
All right. Before we go to the phone lines, let's
ask the question and I think is, uh, certainly worth
starting with. Why should anyone believe God exists?
S2 (10:45):
Yeah, that's a good question. I mean, we certainly don't
want to just believe because people have told us to believe,
and we certainly don't want to believe in fairy tales or,
you know, Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny or those
kinds of things. It might be okay with your little kid,
but you got to grow up, right? So, um, so
we need some evidence. Really. And, um, you know, I
(11:06):
think that, you know, sometimes people say, well, you know,
if God were to sort of show up right in
front of me, then I would believe that he exists,
and I would hope that would be the case. But
I don't think it necessarily takes that to believe that
there is a someone behind everything. So if you walk
into a room, for example, and, um, the room was
(11:26):
messy before, and then you come into it and it's
all organized, you may have never seen the person who
did it, but you can be darn well sure that
there was somebody who did it. So, yes. Um, and
I think when we look at the universe, we see
remarkable order. For example, so many people have written and
talked about sort of the fine tuning of the universe
(11:47):
and how the physical constants such as gravity or the
weak nuclear force or the strong nuclear force, how they
all have to be just as they are in order
for there to be sort of conscious life anywhere in
the universe, and you just tweak them just a slight bit.
Any of them? Um, and, uh, and this universe just
(12:07):
would not be life producing. And so to me that
that sort of speaks that, hey, there's there's someone behind
all of this. Um, and you probably, you know, you
go into a, say, a, a big theater and you
see the big soundboard at the back, and it's got
all those knobs and sliders and you kind of wonder
how they all get lined up, right. And, you know,
(12:27):
if they just installed a brand new board, maybe in a,
in a huge theater where Hamilton's about to, you know,
come on on stage. And that board was every single
dial was tuned just right, and slider was just in
the right position so that, uh, the sound was perfect.
You probably wouldn't say, man, we just got lucky. You'd
(12:49):
probably say somebody knew this venue. Like there was some
sound engineer who knew what they were doing, right? So.
And I think that's the case when it comes to
God as well, we sort of look at the universe
and the way it's put together. And it seems like
there's there's a designer out.
S1 (13:03):
There, there's an overwhelming amount of evidence that there's intelligence
behind the design of the universe. This isn't haphazard or random.
You know, Scripture puts it this way, and I do
believe that the Bible should be considered in particular with
this question why should I believe God exists? And in Hebrews,
(13:24):
the Hebrews writer says, every painting has a painter. Every
building has a builder, and the builder of all things
is God. When I look at a building, I don't
assume that over time, brick laid upon brick, and over
a period of time a bungalow came. I assume there
was a construction company, an architect. Somebody designed this. When
(13:48):
I see a Picasso, I don't assume that man paint
somehow came together and splashed on canvas. And this randomly came. No.
I assume an artist. Well, the artist is is God
behind the universe. And it can also. You can also
say a lot about the attributes of God, at least, uh, his, uh,
(14:09):
his his grandness, his his complexity, his sophistication, his size.
Because in design, in creation, uh, the, the lower sophisticated
thing is made by the greater sophisticated thing. So if
the universe is broad, expansive and sophisticated and and it
(14:30):
was made by, uh, an intelligent designer, we can assume
that this intelligent designer must be infinitely more grand, great,
and knowledgeable as well.
S2 (14:44):
I think you're right. I think there are those kind
of characteristics that sort of pop out when we begin
to look at sort of the way that universe is
put together again. So if you go into the room
that was messy and then it's all it's all put together.
Not only that, but sort of. All the colors are coordinated, right?
And that sort of thing. Then you, you say, well,
this is I can see some of the characteristics of
(15:05):
the person who was here.
S1 (15:07):
From Tennessee to Florida and points in between. We're getting
calls from, uh, men and women who have good questions,
certainly questions that are worth asking. And we're going to
take your questions as many as we can on the
other side of this break. 8775675 is the number or (877) 548-3675.
(15:28):
Also find out more about John and about questioning God
at our website. Equip radio.org stick and stay. Much more
to come. Next up on equip with Chris Brooks. Christianity
speaks to every aspect of life, but sometimes we struggle
to connect God's unchanging truth to our changing world. Apologetics
(15:50):
for an Ever Changing Culture by Sean McDowell equips you
with the practical tools for meaningful Conversation about faith, with
chapters from 26 leading Christian thinkers, including our own Chris Brooks.
It's our impact gift this month to you. When you
support the Ministry of Equipped, call (888) 644-4144 or visit equipped radio.org.
(16:16):
Chris Brooks here reminding you that today's program is pre-recorded.
While we won't be taking calls, we do want to
connect with you on social media. Welcome back to equipped
with Chris Brooks phone number 8775675. That's 877548 3675. Also
(16:37):
should have said thank you to all those who support
the program prayerfully and financially. We could not be here
each and every day without your generosity and God's grace.
I am deeply appreciative of your partnership in the gospel.
So thank you for trusting us and for your partnership.
If you'd like to learn more about how you can
(16:59):
partner with equip to help to answer the questions that
a generation is asking about the gospel, all you have
to do is call the number 888644 4144. That's 888644
4144 or go to Equip Radio. Let's go to Anthony
(17:21):
who's listening in Florida. Hey Anthony, thank you so much
for listening to equip. What's your question for John today?
S3 (17:28):
Okay. My question for John is how do I break
my son's feelings of pain and suffering about me and
bring us closer to God?
S1 (17:40):
John, how would you respond to Anthony's question?
S2 (17:44):
So, Anthony, I'm I'm taking that to mean that. Yeah.
So I'm is he is he suggesting, Anthony, that that
there have been things that you have done that sort
of have brought him pain and suffering. Is that is
that what you're suggesting?
S3 (17:57):
Yes.
S2 (17:58):
Okay.
S3 (17:58):
Yes, sir. Yes, John. That's right.
S2 (18:01):
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, I, you know, the beginning place.
And it sounds to me like you've probably already been there.
Anthony is is just, uh, sort of owning up to
the some of the places where maybe you, you did
cause pain and suffering that, uh, maybe through some actions
that you look back on now and you say, boy,
I shouldn't have done that. And so I think, you know,
(18:22):
owning up is probably always the first place to start
and then asking, you know, for forgiveness. But as I
think you probably know, forgiveness is it's a bit of
a two way street in a sense, and we can
ask for it. But, uh, people have to be willing
to give it and, uh, your some might not be
there now. And so I think one of the things
(18:43):
that we have to do is not only to sort
of ask for it, but to sort of begin on
a new road that sort of regains trust and then
ask that that God would be willing to sort of
soften the heart of the one that maybe we've hurt.
And again, we can't really sort of make that happen
in the life of somebody else. But sort of God
(19:04):
can change a heart. And as we begin to sort
of set a new path with them, we can regain trust.
S1 (19:10):
Yeah. I think, um, Amen to everything you just said, John,
I would just add one thing, uh, Anthony. And that
is that the Bible uses this word, uh, repent. And
that word means to turn. And so typically when we're
harming someone, we are living a lifestyle that is apart
(19:31):
from God, that produces harm and hurt for us, for them.
And so to repent means to turn from our way
of doing things, the direction we've been going in and
to turn to, to God's way of doing things. And
I think that when there's true repentance, Not just the
(19:51):
lip service of, um, of, uh. Hey, I'm sorry, but
I'm not going to change. But when you have truly
turned directions and you are living the way of Jesus, uh,
the best of your ability and being honest when you.
When you fall short. I think over time they see that.
And it's that that, uh, lifestyle that causes a person
(20:14):
to feel safe enough to reconcile with you. And, uh,
and it also draws people to trusting in Jesus. So
I think that, uh, John is right. Start with that humility, acknowledging, owning.
But it's going to take some time of you truly
being and living as a different man for them to
(20:34):
trust you and be open to God again. I appreciate
that call. Anthony, thank you so much for calling. Let's
go to Hannah, who's listening in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Hey, Hannah,
thank you so much for listening. What's your question for John?
S4 (20:49):
Um, hi. So I have a friend who identifies as
a deist. So basically he believes in an intelligent designer. Basically,
God got everything started, but he doesn't really believe that
God interacts in a personal way with people and doesn't
really believe in God being good or evil necessarily. So
(21:10):
how would you approach that type of conversation with a
with a person like the gap in that, you know, understanding,
I guess.
S1 (21:18):
Yeah. Great question Hannah.
S2 (21:20):
That is a very good question. And and it certainly
over history that has not sort of been an uncommon position.
There have been many who are willing to say there's
some sort of higher power out there. Um, and yet, um,
they're not willing to give that higher power much definition. So, um,
or no personality at all. So probably what I would
(21:43):
do in that instance would be to, um, find out
a little bit about someone's perspective on scripture. So, um,
kind of what they think about the Bible and see
if there might be ways that I might encourage them
to consider the Bible as sort of God's revelation of him,
of himself. So, um, you know, I think of, um,
(22:06):
we we talked a little bit earlier about, um, if
we see a painting, we and, you know, it's sort
of beautifully done. We don't think it just came about accidentally.
We think there's something behind it. And I, I think
there are people who are willing to say, hey, look
at the world. And they say there is a God
behind it, but they don't know much more than that.
And I think what we need a lot of times
is we need that little plaque that's next to a
(22:28):
painting that tells us what the author's intention was, or
why they did it, or, you know, how they did
it to really give us more information about the, the,
the painter and about sort of what was done. And
I think we we need that. And that's what we've
got through Scripture as well. So I'd probably explore with
(22:48):
that friend. You know what they think of Scripture, and
to see if they wouldn't, uh, consider sort of diving
in to see if there's reasons to believe that that
Scripture is telling us about this God giving us more
definition about God.
S1 (23:05):
You know, Hannah's question reminds me, John, of acts 1723
when Paul is is talking to the Athenians, he's in Athens,
and he talks about this inscription that he saw, uh, in,
in their city as he walked around their city. And
it was, uh, sculpture. And there was an inscription there
at the bottom that says to the unknown God. And, uh,
(23:29):
and he came to make that unknown God known to them. And, uh,
that's what Scripture does. It takes the unknown God. And
I think your friend is right in being able to say,
I at least have to acknowledge that all of this
complexity and fine tuning didn't happen by mistake. So there
is a creator. Now the next step is how do
(23:50):
I get to know more about that creator? We got
to have some source of truth. And I think the Bible,
for many reasons, is a reliable source of truth. I
think it's also true, uh, John and Hannah, that one
of the questions we need to ask is, is there
right and wrong? Does morality exist? Is anything right and wrong?
(24:13):
And I think most reasonable people would say, yes, that
morality exists. Well, if morality exists, where does that come from?
Where does our sense of oughtness come from? And I
think it could be clearly proven that in order for
us to have morals, that there must be a moral lawgiver.
And in order to have morality, then God must be personal.
(24:36):
The fact that God gives morality is such an intimate
and personal thing that, um, impersonal beings don't do, uh,
the fact that God gives us a sense of oughtness
where we know that theft is wrong, we know that
abuse is wrong. We know that victimizing people is wrong. Well,
(24:58):
where do we get that from? Well, we get that
from a moral lawgiver. And, uh. And that moral lawgiver
is who the Bible calls God. Hannah, can you stay
on the line? My producer would love to get you
a complimentary copy of Questioning God. And it's such a
great book. So you stay on the line. Hannah. Uh,
we got about a minute before a break. John, who
(25:19):
did you write this book for?
S2 (25:21):
This book is written to people who actually have these questions. So, um,
so I think if, if, if you're somebody who's sort
of wrestling with these questions or if or if you
know somebody who is, you can feel comfortable giving it
to them because it's not sort of condescending. It's, uh,
it's very much sort of a, a sort of a
gentle approach to ask answering these questions.
S1 (25:44):
What if the reason you disbelieve is because you feel
like God has let you down? We're going to talk
about that on the other side of this break. Please
use these breaks as an opportunity to get to know
more about the program, about the resource and the author.
Equip radio. Org or on social media. Facebook and Twitter
(26:04):
at Equip radio. We'll be right back right after this.
Hey friends, please enjoy this encore presentation of equipped with
Chris Brooks. Hey there friends, welcome back to equip with
(26:27):
Chris Brooks. Today we're taking your questions at 8775675. That's
877548 3675. Having a fascinating conversation with John Hopper. He
is the author of a book called Questioning God and
I love This subtitle Answers to Questions Worth Asking. I
(26:50):
love how John takes the question seriously and gives the
information and lets lets you make the decision on what
to believe. And it's a well written book. I highly
commend it to you. We're taking your questions today. Also, again,
want to encourage you if we've been a blessing to you,
if you have learned a lot, grown over time, been
(27:12):
blessed by the wisdom and resources of our guests, I
would love for you to partner with us. Your generosity
allows us to be here each and every day to
equip Christians to more effectively live, share, and defend their faith.
So could you consider today partnering with us with a
generous tax deductible gift? Call the number 888644 4144. That's
(27:36):
888644 4144. Or if it's easier, go to equip radio. John,
I kind of teased out a question, but it's a
very serious one and a growing one. I believe in
this day and age, and that is the thought that
many people question their faith because they believe that God
let them down when they were struggling and and trying
(28:00):
to overcome. So how do you respond to that?
S2 (28:05):
Yeah. Well, you know, every story is a little bit different, right?
So and I think that's important. So, um, you know,
sometimes I think when it comes to sort of the
question of sort of pain and suffering in people's lives and,
and we can be real quick as Christians to provide
kind of quippy answers and not really listen to someone's story. So,
(28:25):
you know, one of the things that that I think
is always real important, Chris, is that, uh, when people
do say something about sort of God letting them down,
I want to hear their story. So, um, because I
think sometimes when people sort of bring that up, But
the really asking is, do you care about whether I've
(28:45):
gone through these hard times or not? Um, they're not
even really asking a question about Is God really there?
They can be asking that question. But sometimes really, the
question is, do you care about the sort of pain
and suffering that I've gone through? And so, um, so
I just want to be real careful to hear people's stories.
And before I sort of give, give answers to somebody's question,
(29:08):
I just think that's really, really important. So, um, I think,
you know, we go beyond that, Chris. And then I
think we we have to say, well, um, it is
true that maybe there are times where it doesn't feel
like God, at least God, as sort of this loving, sweet,
kind God is there. Um, but I don't know if
(29:30):
that's really sort of proof or evidence that he isn't there. So, um,
it might just be evidence that he has some things
in mind that go beyond just our momentary pleasure or
ease or comfort. Um, maybe he has reasons for sort
(29:50):
of stirring things up, and that can be sort of
uncomfortable to hear. But, uh, I think that's, you know,
sort of one explanation why we may have gone through something. So.
One illustration that I use oftentimes is, you know, if
a parent dislocated a child's shoulder and dragged him across
(30:10):
the street and bruised them, you'd probably be calling the authorities, like,
what did they do? Right. But if there was a
car that was racing towards that child and they grabbed
the child's arm and they yanked them out of the way,
and in the process, they got banged up. You wouldn't
be calling the authorities. You'd be calling the news to say,
(30:30):
to say that we've got a hero here, right? So, um,
so sometimes. Right. We're going through this pain and suffering
and we don't see the reason for it. We're like
the two year old that got sort of yanked from
the road. But. But God sometimes has these overriding reasons that, uh,
if we saw what he saw, we would say, oh,
(30:52):
you know, there there has been good reason for this
hardship and struggle in my life.
S1 (30:59):
877548 3675. Let's go to dawn. Who's listening in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Hey, Dawn,
thank you so much for listening and for your patience.
What's your question for John?
S5 (31:11):
Hi, Chris. And hi, John. God bless both of you.
I love you guys in this radio station. Thank you. Um,
I was I, I've been learning a lot about God
through listening to all of the radio station every day. And, um,
I've got some friends, long, long time friends that I've
(31:34):
had for years, And I have found that, um, I
guess we didn't really talk about religion and stuff that much,
you know, through our years. And, um, since I'm learning
so much and found God and everything, um, I'm having
an issue with one friend with her belief, and I
don't know how to respond to it. Um, she just
(31:57):
tells me we have different beliefs, you know, and and
we both grew up the same. But she believes that, um,
you can consciously sin and know that you're sinning and
that God will forgive you. Um, all you have to
do is ask for forgiveness for each sin that you commit,
(32:18):
you know, and that you will be forgiven and you
will go to heaven. And I tried to explain to
her that, you know, I think you have to live
in the Word of God, you know, and and live
and believe and and try your best not to sin,
you know. Or. And we're not perfect, you know. And
I said, everybody sins. I said, but to consciously do
(32:41):
it and to know that you're doing it, you know,
are going to do it. I don't think it works
that way.
S1 (32:48):
Yeah, that's a great, great question. And man, praise God
that she has you in her life. Sounds like it's
a it's a wonderful friendship. John, how would you respond
to Dawn's question?
S2 (33:00):
Yeah, that's a great story, Dawn. You know, I think
there's kind of a couple things at play, and I
think it is right to say that, um, our sins,
whether they were done very consciously or unconsciously, um, can
be forgiven us by God. So, um, I mean, there
(33:21):
certainly have been times where I kind of look back
at things and I didn't really know I was being,
you know, so harsh with someone. And I could look
back and I go, yeah, I was being harsh. And
other times I just kind of know it in the moment. So, um,
and yet I think God is willing to forgive either
of those situations. So, um, I think there's some truth
(33:41):
in what your friend has to say. At the same time, though,
I think that, um, to sort of live a life
where we just kind of do what we want to
do and, uh, just think that, hey, at the end
of the day, I can just say a quick prayer
and be forgiven and, you know, sort of get on
with it. I think that's really, uh, treating God poorly. Um,
(34:05):
in fact, the scriptures say that God cannot be mocked. Like,
if we if we think we can just sort of
play God in that way, you know, we are not
thinking properly. So, um, it seems to me, if we
understand that Christ is our Lord and our Savior and
that he's given his life for us, then we wouldn't
(34:26):
want to consciously sin. We would be seeking his face
to walk in Walking in the way that he would
want us to.
S1 (34:34):
Yeah. You know, I couldn't imagine saying that about any
other relationship. Now, obviously God is. Yeah, he is grace.
He is the epitome of grace. He is inexhaustible grace.
But we should not abuse that grace. I mean, I
couldn't think of being in a marriage where someone says, oh,
(34:55):
I can do any type of betrayal I want as
long as I apologize, they're okay with it. You know,
I couldn't even think about that as a parent. Or
I could mistreat my children all I wanted. But as
long as I say I'm sorry, it's okay, you know? Now,
are any of us going to be perfect? No. And
(35:17):
is the basis of our relationship with God based off
of performance and perfection? Absolutely not. Is God gracious and
merciful to forgive? Certainly so. But, man, I certainly want
to honor him as you said, John, for all that
he's done for me as my Savior and Lord. I
do believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus,
(35:40):
but it just seems to me, Don, that you need
to appeal to your friend and say, in what other
relationship would you take that approach and what other relationship
is that approach permissible, that you can just go and
do any act of offense because sin is an offense
against God. So what other relationship could you do any
(36:02):
other act of offense and just presuppose that because you say,
I'm sorry that that doesn't harm the relationship? So, uh,
you know, I think, John, you are spot on. Do
me a favor, Don. Just just stay on the line.
We're going to get you a complimentary copy of John's
book as well. Questioning God. John, there's another, uh, question
(36:26):
I have here, and it maybe is different than the
Then the question that Dawn is asking, but I'd love
to ask it anyway. Why is being a good person,
quote unquote good person just not enough when it comes
to eternal life?
S2 (36:43):
Well, I think obviously we want to encourage people to
be good rather than bad. So, um, so it's a
good thing to be good. Um, and yet I think
that ultimately sort of our assessment of what a good
person is, is it's really a pretty low bar. So
oftentimes when we call ourselves a good person, we're doing
that relative to someone else. We're saying, I'm better than
(37:05):
my neighbor. I'm better than, you know, my sister. I'm better.
Might even be better than the pastor at church, whatever
the case might be. So so we're looking at it
that way. But when we look at the the perfectness
of God, the holiness of God, the goodness of God,
I don't think any of us is sort of should
(37:26):
be sticking our chest out saying, wow, look at me. God. So, um,
so one way I describe it is let's suppose that, uh,
you know, Hawaii is Paradise, and we want to be
with God in, in, in Hawaii. And we all start
in California and we start swimming, and some of us
might be a little better swimmers than others. You know,
(37:47):
some of us might make it a hundred yards. You know,
some of us were better swimmers a mile. If we're
like ultra swimmers, maybe we go 20 miles, but no
one's making it to Hawaii, right? That's right. Um, no
one's a good enough.
S1 (37:59):
No need to brag, right?
S2 (38:01):
That's right. No need to brag. So we all need
the rescue ship to come along. And for a hand
to be, you know, uh, reached out towards us, and
we need to grab a hold of it. And I
think that's what God is saying. He's saying, you know,
he he's glad when we make choices that are in
line with his character and we're and we're good. And
he calls us to do that. But but he also
(38:22):
knows that our goodness will never match up to his
own and that we need the mercy and grace of God.
S1 (38:30):
All right. Here's the question we're going to talk about
when we come back. We got to take another break.
And I know these breaks, man. They disrupt a real
great conversation. But they're meant to give you an opportunity
to breathe. Take a deep breath, process what you've learned
and check out our website so you can find out
more about the guests and the resources. So go to
equip radio.org. That's equipped radio Dot. But when we come
(38:54):
back we're going to talk about the hypocrites in the church.
What do you do about the amount of hypocrisy that
you see among Christians? How can you trust God or
believe in Christianity when there's so much hypocrisy? We're going
to ask John that question as well. I hope you're learning.
(39:15):
I hope you're growing, and I hope that today is
a blessing to you. Again, find out more at Equip radio.org.
We'll be right back right after this. Sharing your faith
can be challenging.
S6 (39:34):
How do you confidently engage with questions about truth, technology,
and culture while staying grounded in Scripture? That's why Chris
Brooks has chosen apologetics for an ever changing culture as
our gift. When you support equip this month, it will
help you provide thoughtful, informed answers to the pressing questions
(39:54):
of our time. Request your copy today with a gift
of any amount. Call (888) 644-4144 or visit equip radio.org.
S1 (40:09):
When you listen to equip, you know I love to
introduce you to some incredible guests and topics, but there's
one person and I want you to meet more than
anyone else. His name is Jesus and he wants to
have a genuine personal relationship with you. He even died
on the cross to take the punishment for all of
our sins so that we can join his eternal family.
(40:31):
It would be my honor to introduce you to Jesus today.
If you want to know more. Call 888. Need him.
That's 888. Need him. Today's program is prerecorded and we
won't be taking your calls. John Hopper is my guest today.
(40:53):
What a phenomenal resource. Questioning God answers to questions worth asking.
Find out more at Equip radio.org. You can actually order
from our website if you simply click on the program details.
There's ordering information right there for your convenience. John. Are
Christians hypocrites? We're often accused of that.
S2 (41:18):
Well, sometimes we can be hypocrites. That's that's for sure. Um,
at other times, I think we're called hypocrites when we
aren't always hypocrites. So, um, you know, some hypocrite isn't
just somebody who doesn't, uh, sort of walk perfectly because
none of us walk perfectly, regardless of what your standard is.
(41:39):
A hypocrite is really somebody who, um, who once they
don't walk in the way that they're calling others to, um,
doesn't hold themselves accountable to it. I think so. So, hey,
I'm telling you to do this, but I'm not really
doing it, and I'm not holding myself accountable to it.
So if however, I, for example, I, I tell my
kids to sort of speak kindly and then I don't,
(42:01):
but I hold myself to it and I say, hey kids,
I told you to speak kindly and I didn't, and
I hold myself to that standard. I don't think I'm
a hypocrite in that, in that, in that particular instance. So, um,
so yes, yes, we are sometimes hypocrites, but maybe not always.
And uh, and I think that's sort of an important
distinction to make. Now, one of the things, Chris, that
(42:24):
I just think is so important for people that are
really struggling with the hypocrites that they see around them,
maybe Christian hypocrites, is that, um, if that's the case,
you're sort of in good company because Jesus didn't like
hypocrites either. So, um, and, uh, you know, I think sometimes, uh,
sort of people distance themselves from Jesus because, you know,
(42:46):
people might be hypocrites. And yet, um, you're really kind
of find yourself on the same side of the table
as Jesus because Jesus had really his sharpest words pointed
at those who were hypocrites in his day. So if
you're struggling with hypocrites, you're on Jesus's side. You're not really.
S1 (43:03):
That's a great point. I think that point is not
emphasized enough that, contrary to popular belief, Jesus was not
the hardest on those who disbelieved, was he?
S2 (43:15):
That's right, he wasn't. So in fact, he kind of
would sort of go and spend time with those who maybe,
you know, didn't believe in him at first or, you know,
weren't really looked upon well by society. But boy, right.
His his sharp words were really reserved for those who
sort of talked one way but lived another way.
S1 (43:35):
Yeah, I think that sometimes, though, we can use that
as a veiled excuse for just not wanting to have
any authority in our lives, not wanting God in our lives,
because certainly there are people who write off the church
because there's too many hypocrites there that don't write off
other institutions or organizations because there's too many hypocrites there.
(43:57):
I mean, there's hypocrites enough hypocrites to go around in
education and retail and business. We don't write off those
things because there's hypocrites there. And it brings us back
to why believe in Jesus? And I want to just
ask that question to you, John. And I think out
of all the questions of life, that's the most important. So, John,
(44:21):
why believe in Jesus?
S2 (44:23):
Yeah. Well, you know, first of all, I think you're right.
It talk about the hypocrisy question. It really does come
down to Jesus because ultimately we're not called to sort
of follow other Christians. We're called to follow Jesus. And
so even if they people sort of align themselves with Jesus, um,
we really need to look to Jesus to, to sort
(44:45):
of know how to live. So why trust in Jesus?
You know, that's the question you just asked. And, you know,
I think the starting point is, is we have to
recognize that, um, Christianity offers something rather different, um, than
many religions. It offers us an historical figure. Um, so
we're not just talking about sort of wisdom. Sayings like
(45:08):
this might be sort of a good way to live.
We're talking about a person who really lived space and
time person, and we can look to the things that
he said and did and sort of examine whether he
is worthy to be followed or not. And, um, a
couple of things that Jesus said and did. One, he
just made claims about himself, you know, be one thing.
(45:29):
If Jesus was saying, you know, hey, go be nice.
But he went beyond that. He actually said, I am God. And, uh,
and I am the way and the truth and the life,
and no one comes to the father but by me.
That's almost crazy, you know, to to say that, right?
I mean, uh, if you weren't God, it would be
crazy to say that. But then Jesus went further and
(45:52):
he authenticated his claims by the things that he did,
by the miracles that he did. Um, which again, I
think should be supported historically and by the prophecy that
he fulfilled as well. And so, um, so I think
why Jesus? Why is Jesus worthy of being followed? He's
worthy of being followed because he's God, and he authenticated
(46:13):
that claim about him himself.
S1 (46:16):
You know, I would add to that no one will
love you more. No one's laid down in their life
for me except Jesus. And the amazing thing is that
he took it back up again, just like he said
he would. He is the resurrection and the life, and
he's worth believing. If today you want to put your
trust in Jesus today, I would just encourage you to
(46:38):
confess that he is Lord. To turn from sin to
a God who forgives. And if we can wrap our
arms around you, call the number eight, eight, eight. Need him?
That's eight. Eight, eight. Need him. Get a copy of
John's wonderful book, Questioning God. Find out more at Equip radio.org. Thanks, John.
S2 (46:59):
Great to be with you today, Chris.
S1 (47:02):
Remember, equipped with Chris Brooks is the production of Moody Radio.
It's a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.
Please enjoy this encore edition of equip with Chris Brooks. Well,
hey there friends, welcome to another exciting edition of equip
with Chris Brooks. I am absolutely thrilled that you've joined
us today. Can you do me a favor? Can you
strap on your seat belt? We're going to navigate through
the contours of culture, as always, with the lens of
(00:37):
the biblical worldview on. But before we do that, I
want to remind you that this is the day that
the Lord has made. He has given it as a
gift so that you and I can rejoice and be
glad in it. So let's do just that. Let's follow
the words of the Apostle Paul. Let's rejoice in the
Lord always. And again I say, rejoice. Well, I want
to give you greetings from the beautiful city of Detroit, Michigan.
(01:00):
It's where I get a chance to do live and
broadcast from each and every day. A big shout out
to my team at Moody, Deb, Chris and the gang
who make this program possible. You know, every day if
we're doing our jobs the way we should is a
conversation about the things that matter most in life. When
I am interviewing a guest, my hope is to ask
(01:23):
them the questions that you would ask them. If you
had the opportunity to be behind this microphone, or to
grab a cup of coffee or to sit across from them. Today, though,
is a very special day because we're going to just
dedicate this entire day to honoring and respecting the hard
questions that you have about God, about the Christian faith,
(01:46):
and about life. 8775675 is the number. (877) 548-3675. Now I
want to be fully transparent. I'm a follower of Jesus.
I am a Christian. I believe in the Christian gospel.
I believe in the Christian worldview. But with that being said,
(02:07):
I also respect and take seriously the questions of those
who don't believe, those who are skeptics, those who once
believed but maybe have walked away. And I want to
make sure that we create an environment that honors your questions.
And I want to also make sure that I create
an opportunity for those who maybe say, um, I'm not
(02:30):
skeptical about Christianity, but I love someone who is. I
have a friend or a loved one, or a family
member who has serious concerns or doubts about the Christian faith,
and I want to know how I can best respectfully
and lovingly respond to their questions. And so today, again,
I want to give you the number, whether or not
(02:52):
you are the person with the question, or if you
love a person who has deep doubts and tough questions
for the Christian faith. And I just want to invite
you to call (877) 548-3675. Again, the number 877548 3675. As always,
(03:12):
I try to invite a guest who is much smarter
than I am to help us with this conversation. And
today's guest is John Hopper. He serves as area director
for Search Ministries in the beautiful city of Houston, Texas.
John has a pretty awesome and diverse career. He worked
in the private sector for a while as a tennis
(03:34):
pro and a real estate and in real estate rather.
He has spent 16 years as a pastor at Bridge
Point Bible Church in Houston. Prior to his role with
Search Ministries. But he's written a book and I love
this book. Questioning God answers to questions worth asking. And today,
(03:57):
we want to invite you to ask your question because
it is worth asking. John, how are you today?
S2 (04:03):
I'm doing great, Chris. Although you said you invited someone
on smarter than you, I'm sure that's the case.
S1 (04:10):
Talking for a moment about your your love for for tennis.
You and your wife?
S2 (04:15):
Yeah, absolutely. So, uh, yeah, we we started very young,
and we're in all the tournaments and played collegiately and, uh,
dabbled in the pros a bit. And, uh, so we,
we still enjoy playing, but my wife still teaches tennis, so.
So it's, uh, it's sort of a big part of
our life and what we enjoy to do.
S1 (04:35):
Are you guys competitive? Who's better?
S2 (04:38):
Well, um, what I'll say is, is that the older
we get, the harder it's getting for me to beat her.
Let's put it that way.
S1 (04:47):
She. She's, uh, closing the gap, huh? She's.
S2 (04:50):
She's closing the gap, though.
S1 (04:52):
There you go. There you go. Well, you're a dad, too. And, um,
you know, when I think about a book on questions
for me, I'm a parent as well. I do wonder
how much of being a father shapes your heart to act,
to answer good questions.
S2 (05:10):
Well, I mean, I think that, uh, um, if we're
willing to listen, we find that our own kids have
a lot of the same questions that anybody else asks.
And so, uh, I remember my, uh, son, one of
my sons, just sort of expressing some of his doubts
that would creep in. And, you know, when you when
you hear that, you know, that sort of that compassion
(05:33):
and empathy that sort of comes forward. Yeah, that certainly
can pour over in terms of how we relate with
others as well.
S1 (05:39):
Well, I think it's beautiful that you dedicate the book
to and to Eric, Ian Hudson and Corey. And, uh,
you're blessed to have them in your life. Let's talk
a little bit about Search Ministries. What's the aim and
focus there?
S2 (05:52):
Yeah. So search is really all about creating sort of
spaces and venues, gatherings where people can ask their questions
about God and Christianity in the Bible, because there's not
a lot of places that people, you know, sort of
find safe for those kind of conversations. So, I mean,
if you if you go to a church, you're probably
not going to stand up in the middle of the
sermon and say, I got a question. You know, so, uh,
(06:14):
you know, but people have those questions. In fact, sometimes
they quit going to church because their their question never
really gets answered. And so, uh, so we try to,
you know, create gatherings where people really do feel like
they can ask anything. And so, so oftentimes I'm, uh,
confronted with, you know, people's doubts about God or doubts
(06:35):
about the Bible, doubts about Christianity. And I'm glad when
they feel free to express those doubts to me.
S1 (06:42):
Yeah, I love that. And I and I'm grateful for that.
And really, at the end of the day, it seems
to me that search is all about relationships and helping
people to explore these questions with the honest hope that
they will hopefully lead to a the answers will lead
to a relationship with God. Is that right?
S2 (07:04):
That's right. And you know, I think in many ways
our aim is just to help people take sort of
one step closer to God. So no matter where they are,
they can be far away and they get a little
bit closer. They can be already walking with the Lord. But, uh,
you know, we sort of press them on a little,
a step there. So really, wherever someone's at, we want
to be able to encourage them to kind of take
(07:27):
a little deeper look, to ask another question, to take
another step.
S1 (07:31):
I'm in my mid 40s. I got kids who I
got a teenager at home, kids who are younger than that.
I think about how age impacts questions, how how is, uh,
the generational differences of the people you interact with played
into these questions?
S2 (07:51):
Yeah, well, there is some impact and then there's not
some impact. So, um, interestingly, when I've done groups with
teenagers and when I've done groups with older adults that
eventually almost all the same questions get asked. So now
they might come in a little different order, but the
same questions are often under the surface. Now, I would
(08:13):
say for for older people, the question about pain and
suffering and where's God in that is more frequent because
they've experienced more pain and suffering. So so that one's
a little bit higher at the top of the list.
I think for those who are younger, questions like, well,
why Christianity when there's all these other religions? And partly because,
(08:34):
you know, those who are younger, they're they're working and
they're going to school in places where they have friends
and colleagues and fellow students who are of all different
religious backgrounds. And so that that question is sort of
more pressing for them.
S1 (08:49):
Yeah, I appreciate that. And I do think that we, um,
I think sometimes can assume that the questions that we're
asked in our generation are the same, uh, questions that
are being asked. And, you know, I often say this, John,
and I believe it that sometimes just as dangerous as
asking a question in the wrong way is answering the
(09:13):
wrong question.
S2 (09:15):
That's right. That's right.
S1 (09:16):
Sometimes we as Christians make the mistake of doing that.
Today we don't want to do that. We want to
hear from you. We want to not just take a
stab at the questions we think you might be, uh,
wrestling with. We want to answer the questions, or at
least attempt to help you process the questions that really
are on your heart. And when I say I want
(09:38):
to create a safe space here, I really mean that.
I don't want you to feel, um, filtered in, uh,
what questions you ask? Feel free to ask anything of
John and myself. 877548 3675. We may not be able
to get to every question, because there's only so many
calls that we can take in a moment. But, uh,
(10:00):
you have comprised, would you say, the 15 most common
questions you get?
S2 (10:06):
Yeah, I think so. You know, for me and the
search staff across the country, these are the questions that
we get asked over and over again. So people sometimes
ask me, how can you answer everybody's questions. And and
I said, well, most of the time they ask the
same questions. So and these are the 15 questions that they,
they tend to ask. Now every once in a while
(10:26):
we do get asked questions that aren't among these, but
these are definitely the ones, uh, that we get asked
most frequently.
S1 (10:34):
All right. Before we go to the phone lines, let's
ask the question and I think is, uh, certainly worth
starting with. Why should anyone believe God exists?
S2 (10:45):
Yeah, that's a good question. I mean, we certainly don't
want to just believe because people have told us to believe,
and we certainly don't want to believe in fairy tales or,
you know, Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny or those
kinds of things. It might be okay with your little kid,
but you got to grow up, right? So, um, so
we need some evidence. Really. And, um, you know, I
(11:06):
think that, you know, sometimes people say, well, you know,
if God were to sort of show up right in
front of me, then I would believe that he exists,
and I would hope that would be the case. But
I don't think it necessarily takes that to believe that
there is a someone behind everything. So if you walk
into a room, for example, and, um, the room was
(11:26):
messy before, and then you come into it and it's
all organized, you may have never seen the person who
did it, but you can be darn well sure that
there was somebody who did it. So, yes. Um, and
I think when we look at the universe, we see
remarkable order. For example, so many people have written and
talked about sort of the fine tuning of the universe
(11:47):
and how the physical constants such as gravity or the
weak nuclear force or the strong nuclear force, how they
all have to be just as they are in order
for there to be sort of conscious life anywhere in
the universe, and you just tweak them just a slight bit.
Any of them? Um, and, uh, and this universe just
(12:07):
would not be life producing. And so to me that
that sort of speaks that, hey, there's there's someone behind
all of this. Um, and you probably, you know, you
go into a, say, a, a big theater and you
see the big soundboard at the back, and it's got
all those knobs and sliders and you kind of wonder
how they all get lined up, right. And, you know,
(12:27):
if they just installed a brand new board, maybe in a,
in a huge theater where Hamilton's about to, you know,
come on on stage. And that board was every single
dial was tuned just right, and slider was just in
the right position so that, uh, the sound was perfect.
You probably wouldn't say, man, we just got lucky. You'd
(12:49):
probably say somebody knew this venue. Like there was some
sound engineer who knew what they were doing, right? So.
And I think that's the case when it comes to
God as well, we sort of look at the universe
and the way it's put together. And it seems like
there's there's a designer out.
S1 (13:03):
There, there's an overwhelming amount of evidence that there's intelligence
behind the design of the universe. This isn't haphazard or random.
You know, Scripture puts it this way, and I do
believe that the Bible should be considered in particular with
this question why should I believe God exists? And in Hebrews,
(13:24):
the Hebrews writer says, every painting has a painter. Every
building has a builder, and the builder of all things
is God. When I look at a building, I don't
assume that over time, brick laid upon brick, and over
a period of time a bungalow came. I assume there
was a construction company, an architect. Somebody designed this. When
(13:48):
I see a Picasso, I don't assume that man paint
somehow came together and splashed on canvas. And this randomly came. No.
I assume an artist. Well, the artist is is God
behind the universe. And it can also. You can also
say a lot about the attributes of God, at least, uh, his, uh,
(14:09):
his his grandness, his his complexity, his sophistication, his size.
Because in design, in creation, uh, the, the lower sophisticated
thing is made by the greater sophisticated thing. So if
the universe is broad, expansive and sophisticated and and it
(14:30):
was made by, uh, an intelligent designer, we can assume
that this intelligent designer must be infinitely more grand, great,
and knowledgeable as well.
S2 (14:44):
I think you're right. I think there are those kind
of characteristics that sort of pop out when we begin
to look at sort of the way that universe is
put together again. So if you go into the room
that was messy and then it's all it's all put together.
Not only that, but sort of. All the colors are coordinated, right?
And that sort of thing. Then you, you say, well,
this is I can see some of the characteristics of
(15:05):
the person who was here.
S1 (15:07):
From Tennessee to Florida and points in between. We're getting
calls from, uh, men and women who have good questions,
certainly questions that are worth asking. And we're going to
take your questions as many as we can on the
other side of this break. 8775675 is the number or (877) 548-3675.
(15:28):
Also find out more about John and about questioning God
at our website. Equip radio.org stick and stay. Much more
to come. Next up on equip with Chris Brooks. Christianity
speaks to every aspect of life, but sometimes we struggle
to connect God's unchanging truth to our changing world. Apologetics
(15:50):
for an Ever Changing Culture by Sean McDowell equips you
with the practical tools for meaningful Conversation about faith, with
chapters from 26 leading Christian thinkers, including our own Chris Brooks.
It's our impact gift this month to you. When you
support the Ministry of Equipped, call (888) 644-4144 or visit equipped radio.org.
(16:16):
Chris Brooks here reminding you that today's program is pre-recorded.
While we won't be taking calls, we do want to
connect with you on social media. Welcome back to equipped
with Chris Brooks phone number 8775675. That's 877548 3675. Also
(16:37):
should have said thank you to all those who support
the program prayerfully and financially. We could not be here
each and every day without your generosity and God's grace.
I am deeply appreciative of your partnership in the gospel.
So thank you for trusting us and for your partnership.
If you'd like to learn more about how you can
(16:59):
partner with equip to help to answer the questions that
a generation is asking about the gospel, all you have
to do is call the number 888644 4144. That's 888644
4144 or go to Equip Radio. Let's go to Anthony
(17:21):
who's listening in Florida. Hey Anthony, thank you so much
for listening to equip. What's your question for John today?
S3 (17:28):
Okay. My question for John is how do I break
my son's feelings of pain and suffering about me and
bring us closer to God?
S1 (17:40):
John, how would you respond to Anthony's question?
S2 (17:44):
So, Anthony, I'm I'm taking that to mean that. Yeah.
So I'm is he is he suggesting, Anthony, that that
there have been things that you have done that sort
of have brought him pain and suffering. Is that is
that what you're suggesting?
S3 (17:57):
Yes.
S2 (17:58):
Okay.
S3 (17:58):
Yes, sir. Yes, John. That's right.
S2 (18:01):
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, I, you know, the beginning place.
And it sounds to me like you've probably already been there.
Anthony is is just, uh, sort of owning up to
the some of the places where maybe you, you did
cause pain and suffering that, uh, maybe through some actions
that you look back on now and you say, boy,
I shouldn't have done that. And so I think, you know,
(18:22):
owning up is probably always the first place to start
and then asking, you know, for forgiveness. But as I
think you probably know, forgiveness is it's a bit of
a two way street in a sense, and we can
ask for it. But, uh, people have to be willing
to give it and, uh, your some might not be
there now. And so I think one of the things
(18:43):
that we have to do is not only to sort
of ask for it, but to sort of begin on
a new road that sort of regains trust and then
ask that that God would be willing to sort of
soften the heart of the one that maybe we've hurt.
And again, we can't really sort of make that happen
in the life of somebody else. But sort of God
(19:04):
can change a heart. And as we begin to sort
of set a new path with them, we can regain trust.
S1 (19:10):
Yeah. I think, um, Amen to everything you just said, John,
I would just add one thing, uh, Anthony. And that
is that the Bible uses this word, uh, repent. And
that word means to turn. And so typically when we're
harming someone, we are living a lifestyle that is apart
(19:31):
from God, that produces harm and hurt for us, for them.
And so to repent means to turn from our way
of doing things, the direction we've been going in and
to turn to, to God's way of doing things. And
I think that when there's true repentance, Not just the
(19:51):
lip service of, um, of, uh. Hey, I'm sorry, but
I'm not going to change. But when you have truly
turned directions and you are living the way of Jesus, uh,
the best of your ability and being honest when you.
When you fall short. I think over time they see that.
And it's that that, uh, lifestyle that causes a person
(20:14):
to feel safe enough to reconcile with you. And, uh,
and it also draws people to trusting in Jesus. So
I think that, uh, John is right. Start with that humility, acknowledging, owning.
But it's going to take some time of you truly
being and living as a different man for them to
(20:34):
trust you and be open to God again. I appreciate
that call. Anthony, thank you so much for calling. Let's
go to Hannah, who's listening in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Hey, Hannah,
thank you so much for listening. What's your question for John?
S4 (20:49):
Um, hi. So I have a friend who identifies as
a deist. So basically he believes in an intelligent designer. Basically,
God got everything started, but he doesn't really believe that
God interacts in a personal way with people and doesn't
really believe in God being good or evil necessarily. So
(21:10):
how would you approach that type of conversation with a
with a person like the gap in that, you know, understanding,
I guess.
S1 (21:18):
Yeah. Great question Hannah.
S2 (21:20):
That is a very good question. And and it certainly
over history that has not sort of been an uncommon position.
There have been many who are willing to say there's
some sort of higher power out there. Um, and yet, um,
they're not willing to give that higher power much definition. So, um,
or no personality at all. So probably what I would
(21:43):
do in that instance would be to, um, find out
a little bit about someone's perspective on scripture. So, um,
kind of what they think about the Bible and see
if there might be ways that I might encourage them
to consider the Bible as sort of God's revelation of him,
of himself. So, um, you know, I think of, um,
(22:06):
we we talked a little bit earlier about, um, if
we see a painting, we and, you know, it's sort
of beautifully done. We don't think it just came about accidentally.
We think there's something behind it. And I, I think
there are people who are willing to say, hey, look
at the world. And they say there is a God
behind it, but they don't know much more than that.
And I think what we need a lot of times
is we need that little plaque that's next to a
(22:28):
painting that tells us what the author's intention was, or
why they did it, or, you know, how they did
it to really give us more information about the, the,
the painter and about sort of what was done. And
I think we we need that. And that's what we've
got through Scripture as well. So I'd probably explore with
(22:48):
that friend. You know what they think of Scripture, and
to see if they wouldn't, uh, consider sort of diving
in to see if there's reasons to believe that that
Scripture is telling us about this God giving us more
definition about God.
S1 (23:05):
You know, Hannah's question reminds me, John, of acts 1723
when Paul is is talking to the Athenians, he's in Athens,
and he talks about this inscription that he saw, uh, in,
in their city as he walked around their city. And
it was, uh, sculpture. And there was an inscription there
at the bottom that says to the unknown God. And, uh,
(23:29):
and he came to make that unknown God known to them. And, uh,
that's what Scripture does. It takes the unknown God. And
I think your friend is right in being able to say,
I at least have to acknowledge that all of this
complexity and fine tuning didn't happen by mistake. So there
is a creator. Now the next step is how do
(23:50):
I get to know more about that creator? We got
to have some source of truth. And I think the Bible,
for many reasons, is a reliable source of truth. I
think it's also true, uh, John and Hannah, that one
of the questions we need to ask is, is there
right and wrong? Does morality exist? Is anything right and wrong?
(24:13):
And I think most reasonable people would say, yes, that
morality exists. Well, if morality exists, where does that come from?
Where does our sense of oughtness come from? And I
think it could be clearly proven that in order for
us to have morals, that there must be a moral lawgiver.
And in order to have morality, then God must be personal.
(24:36):
The fact that God gives morality is such an intimate
and personal thing that, um, impersonal beings don't do, uh,
the fact that God gives us a sense of oughtness
where we know that theft is wrong, we know that
abuse is wrong. We know that victimizing people is wrong. Well,
(24:58):
where do we get that from? Well, we get that
from a moral lawgiver. And, uh. And that moral lawgiver
is who the Bible calls God. Hannah, can you stay
on the line? My producer would love to get you
a complimentary copy of Questioning God. And it's such a
great book. So you stay on the line. Hannah. Uh,
we got about a minute before a break. John, who
(25:19):
did you write this book for?
S2 (25:21):
This book is written to people who actually have these questions. So, um,
so I think if, if, if you're somebody who's sort
of wrestling with these questions or if or if you
know somebody who is, you can feel comfortable giving it
to them because it's not sort of condescending. It's, uh,
it's very much sort of a, a sort of a
gentle approach to ask answering these questions.
S1 (25:44):
What if the reason you disbelieve is because you feel
like God has let you down? We're going to talk
about that on the other side of this break. Please
use these breaks as an opportunity to get to know
more about the program, about the resource and the author.
Equip radio. Org or on social media. Facebook and Twitter
(26:04):
at Equip radio. We'll be right back right after this.
Hey friends, please enjoy this encore presentation of equipped with
Chris Brooks. Hey there friends, welcome back to equip with
(26:27):
Chris Brooks. Today we're taking your questions at 8775675. That's
877548 3675. Having a fascinating conversation with John Hopper. He
is the author of a book called Questioning God and
I love This subtitle Answers to Questions Worth Asking. I
(26:50):
love how John takes the question seriously and gives the
information and lets lets you make the decision on what
to believe. And it's a well written book. I highly
commend it to you. We're taking your questions today. Also, again,
want to encourage you if we've been a blessing to you,
if you have learned a lot, grown over time, been
(27:12):
blessed by the wisdom and resources of our guests, I
would love for you to partner with us. Your generosity
allows us to be here each and every day to
equip Christians to more effectively live, share, and defend their faith.
So could you consider today partnering with us with a
generous tax deductible gift? Call the number 888644 4144. That's
(27:36):
888644 4144. Or if it's easier, go to equip radio. John,
I kind of teased out a question, but it's a
very serious one and a growing one. I believe in
this day and age, and that is the thought that
many people question their faith because they believe that God
let them down when they were struggling and and trying
(28:00):
to overcome. So how do you respond to that?
S2 (28:05):
Yeah. Well, you know, every story is a little bit different, right?
So and I think that's important. So, um, you know,
sometimes I think when it comes to sort of the
question of sort of pain and suffering in people's lives and,
and we can be real quick as Christians to provide
kind of quippy answers and not really listen to someone's story. So,
(28:25):
you know, one of the things that that I think
is always real important, Chris, is that, uh, when people
do say something about sort of God letting them down,
I want to hear their story. So, um, because I
think sometimes when people sort of bring that up, But
the really asking is, do you care about whether I've
(28:45):
gone through these hard times or not? Um, they're not
even really asking a question about Is God really there?
They can be asking that question. But sometimes really, the
question is, do you care about the sort of pain
and suffering that I've gone through? And so, um, so
I just want to be real careful to hear people's stories.
And before I sort of give, give answers to somebody's question,
(29:08):
I just think that's really, really important. So, um, I think,
you know, we go beyond that, Chris. And then I
think we we have to say, well, um, it is
true that maybe there are times where it doesn't feel
like God, at least God, as sort of this loving, sweet,
kind God is there. Um, but I don't know if
(29:30):
that's really sort of proof or evidence that he isn't there. So, um,
it might just be evidence that he has some things
in mind that go beyond just our momentary pleasure or
ease or comfort. Um, maybe he has reasons for sort
(29:50):
of stirring things up, and that can be sort of
uncomfortable to hear. But, uh, I think that's, you know,
sort of one explanation why we may have gone through something. So.
One illustration that I use oftentimes is, you know, if
a parent dislocated a child's shoulder and dragged him across
(30:10):
the street and bruised them, you'd probably be calling the authorities, like,
what did they do? Right. But if there was a
car that was racing towards that child and they grabbed
the child's arm and they yanked them out of the way,
and in the process, they got banged up. You wouldn't
be calling the authorities. You'd be calling the news to say,
(30:30):
to say that we've got a hero here, right? So, um,
so sometimes. Right. We're going through this pain and suffering
and we don't see the reason for it. We're like
the two year old that got sort of yanked from
the road. But. But God sometimes has these overriding reasons that, uh,
if we saw what he saw, we would say, oh,
(30:52):
you know, there there has been good reason for this
hardship and struggle in my life.
S1 (30:59):
877548 3675. Let's go to dawn. Who's listening in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Hey, Dawn,
thank you so much for listening and for your patience.
What's your question for John?
S5 (31:11):
Hi, Chris. And hi, John. God bless both of you.
I love you guys in this radio station. Thank you. Um,
I was I, I've been learning a lot about God
through listening to all of the radio station every day. And, um,
I've got some friends, long, long time friends that I've
(31:34):
had for years, And I have found that, um, I
guess we didn't really talk about religion and stuff that much,
you know, through our years. And, um, since I'm learning
so much and found God and everything, um, I'm having
an issue with one friend with her belief, and I
don't know how to respond to it. Um, she just
(31:57):
tells me we have different beliefs, you know, and and
we both grew up the same. But she believes that, um,
you can consciously sin and know that you're sinning and
that God will forgive you. Um, all you have to
do is ask for forgiveness for each sin that you commit,
(32:18):
you know, and that you will be forgiven and you
will go to heaven. And I tried to explain to
her that, you know, I think you have to live
in the Word of God, you know, and and live
and believe and and try your best not to sin,
you know. Or. And we're not perfect, you know. And
I said, everybody sins. I said, but to consciously do
(32:41):
it and to know that you're doing it, you know,
are going to do it. I don't think it works
that way.
S1 (32:48):
Yeah, that's a great, great question. And man, praise God
that she has you in her life. Sounds like it's
a it's a wonderful friendship. John, how would you respond
to Dawn's question?
S2 (33:00):
Yeah, that's a great story, Dawn. You know, I think
there's kind of a couple things at play, and I
think it is right to say that, um, our sins,
whether they were done very consciously or unconsciously, um, can
be forgiven us by God. So, um, I mean, there
(33:21):
certainly have been times where I kind of look back
at things and I didn't really know I was being,
you know, so harsh with someone. And I could look
back and I go, yeah, I was being harsh. And
other times I just kind of know it in the moment. So, um,
and yet I think God is willing to forgive either
of those situations. So, um, I think there's some truth
(33:41):
in what your friend has to say. At the same time, though,
I think that, um, to sort of live a life
where we just kind of do what we want to
do and, uh, just think that, hey, at the end
of the day, I can just say a quick prayer
and be forgiven and, you know, sort of get on
with it. I think that's really, uh, treating God poorly. Um,
(34:05):
in fact, the scriptures say that God cannot be mocked. Like,
if we if we think we can just sort of
play God in that way, you know, we are not
thinking properly. So, um, it seems to me, if we
understand that Christ is our Lord and our Savior and
that he's given his life for us, then we wouldn't
(34:26):
want to consciously sin. We would be seeking his face
to walk in Walking in the way that he would
want us to.
S1 (34:34):
Yeah. You know, I couldn't imagine saying that about any
other relationship. Now, obviously God is. Yeah, he is grace.
He is the epitome of grace. He is inexhaustible grace.
But we should not abuse that grace. I mean, I
couldn't think of being in a marriage where someone says, oh,
(34:55):
I can do any type of betrayal I want as
long as I apologize, they're okay with it. You know,
I couldn't even think about that as a parent. Or
I could mistreat my children all I wanted. But as
long as I say I'm sorry, it's okay, you know? Now,
are any of us going to be perfect? No. And
(35:17):
is the basis of our relationship with God based off
of performance and perfection? Absolutely not. Is God gracious and
merciful to forgive? Certainly so. But, man, I certainly want
to honor him as you said, John, for all that
he's done for me as my Savior and Lord. I
do believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus,
(35:40):
but it just seems to me, Don, that you need
to appeal to your friend and say, in what other
relationship would you take that approach and what other relationship
is that approach permissible, that you can just go and
do any act of offense because sin is an offense
against God. So what other relationship could you do any
(36:02):
other act of offense and just presuppose that because you say,
I'm sorry that that doesn't harm the relationship? So, uh,
you know, I think, John, you are spot on. Do
me a favor, Don. Just just stay on the line.
We're going to get you a complimentary copy of John's
book as well. Questioning God. John, there's another, uh, question
(36:26):
I have here, and it maybe is different than the
Then the question that Dawn is asking, but I'd love
to ask it anyway. Why is being a good person,
quote unquote good person just not enough when it comes
to eternal life?
S2 (36:43):
Well, I think obviously we want to encourage people to
be good rather than bad. So, um, so it's a
good thing to be good. Um, and yet I think
that ultimately sort of our assessment of what a good
person is, is it's really a pretty low bar. So
oftentimes when we call ourselves a good person, we're doing
that relative to someone else. We're saying, I'm better than
(37:05):
my neighbor. I'm better than, you know, my sister. I'm better.
Might even be better than the pastor at church, whatever
the case might be. So so we're looking at it
that way. But when we look at the the perfectness
of God, the holiness of God, the goodness of God,
I don't think any of us is sort of should
(37:26):
be sticking our chest out saying, wow, look at me. God. So, um,
so one way I describe it is let's suppose that, uh,
you know, Hawaii is Paradise, and we want to be
with God in, in, in Hawaii. And we all start
in California and we start swimming, and some of us
might be a little better swimmers than others. You know,
(37:47):
some of us might make it a hundred yards. You know,
some of us were better swimmers a mile. If we're
like ultra swimmers, maybe we go 20 miles, but no
one's making it to Hawaii, right? That's right. Um, no
one's a good enough.
S1 (37:59):
No need to brag, right?
S2 (38:01):
That's right. No need to brag. So we all need
the rescue ship to come along. And for a hand
to be, you know, uh, reached out towards us, and
we need to grab a hold of it. And I
think that's what God is saying. He's saying, you know,
he he's glad when we make choices that are in
line with his character and we're and we're good. And
he calls us to do that. But but he also
(38:22):
knows that our goodness will never match up to his
own and that we need the mercy and grace of God.
S1 (38:30):
All right. Here's the question we're going to talk about
when we come back. We got to take another break.
And I know these breaks, man. They disrupt a real
great conversation. But they're meant to give you an opportunity
to breathe. Take a deep breath, process what you've learned
and check out our website so you can find out
more about the guests and the resources. So go to
equip radio.org. That's equipped radio Dot. But when we come
(38:54):
back we're going to talk about the hypocrites in the church.
What do you do about the amount of hypocrisy that
you see among Christians? How can you trust God or
believe in Christianity when there's so much hypocrisy? We're going
to ask John that question as well. I hope you're learning.
(39:15):
I hope you're growing, and I hope that today is
a blessing to you. Again, find out more at Equip radio.org.
We'll be right back right after this. Sharing your faith
can be challenging.
S6 (39:34):
How do you confidently engage with questions about truth, technology,
and culture while staying grounded in Scripture? That's why Chris
Brooks has chosen apologetics for an ever changing culture as
our gift. When you support equip this month, it will
help you provide thoughtful, informed answers to the pressing questions
(39:54):
of our time. Request your copy today with a gift
of any amount. Call (888) 644-4144 or visit equip radio.org.
S1 (40:09):
When you listen to equip, you know I love to
introduce you to some incredible guests and topics, but there's
one person and I want you to meet more than
anyone else. His name is Jesus and he wants to
have a genuine personal relationship with you. He even died
on the cross to take the punishment for all of
our sins so that we can join his eternal family.
(40:31):
It would be my honor to introduce you to Jesus today.
If you want to know more. Call 888. Need him.
That's 888. Need him. Today's program is prerecorded and we
won't be taking your calls. John Hopper is my guest today.
(40:53):
What a phenomenal resource. Questioning God answers to questions worth asking.
Find out more at Equip radio.org. You can actually order
from our website if you simply click on the program details.
There's ordering information right there for your convenience. John. Are
Christians hypocrites? We're often accused of that.
S2 (41:18):
Well, sometimes we can be hypocrites. That's that's for sure. Um,
at other times, I think we're called hypocrites when we
aren't always hypocrites. So, um, you know, some hypocrite isn't
just somebody who doesn't, uh, sort of walk perfectly because
none of us walk perfectly, regardless of what your standard is.
(41:39):
A hypocrite is really somebody who, um, who once they
don't walk in the way that they're calling others to, um,
doesn't hold themselves accountable to it. I think so. So, hey,
I'm telling you to do this, but I'm not really
doing it, and I'm not holding myself accountable to it.
So if however, I, for example, I, I tell my
kids to sort of speak kindly and then I don't,
(42:01):
but I hold myself to it and I say, hey kids,
I told you to speak kindly and I didn't, and
I hold myself to that standard. I don't think I'm
a hypocrite in that, in that, in that particular instance. So, um,
so yes, yes, we are sometimes hypocrites, but maybe not always.
And uh, and I think that's sort of an important
distinction to make. Now, one of the things, Chris, that
(42:24):
I just think is so important for people that are
really struggling with the hypocrites that they see around them,
maybe Christian hypocrites, is that, um, if that's the case,
you're sort of in good company because Jesus didn't like
hypocrites either. So, um, and, uh, you know, I think sometimes, uh,
sort of people distance themselves from Jesus because, you know,
(42:46):
people might be hypocrites. And yet, um, you're really kind
of find yourself on the same side of the table
as Jesus because Jesus had really his sharpest words pointed
at those who were hypocrites in his day. So if
you're struggling with hypocrites, you're on Jesus's side. You're not really.
S1 (43:03):
That's a great point. I think that point is not
emphasized enough that, contrary to popular belief, Jesus was not
the hardest on those who disbelieved, was he?
S2 (43:15):
That's right, he wasn't. So in fact, he kind of
would sort of go and spend time with those who maybe,
you know, didn't believe in him at first or, you know,
weren't really looked upon well by society. But boy, right.
His his sharp words were really reserved for those who
sort of talked one way but lived another way.
S1 (43:35):
Yeah, I think that sometimes, though, we can use that
as a veiled excuse for just not wanting to have
any authority in our lives, not wanting God in our lives,
because certainly there are people who write off the church
because there's too many hypocrites there that don't write off
other institutions or organizations because there's too many hypocrites there.
(43:57):
I mean, there's hypocrites enough hypocrites to go around in
education and retail and business. We don't write off those
things because there's hypocrites there. And it brings us back
to why believe in Jesus? And I want to just
ask that question to you, John. And I think out
of all the questions of life, that's the most important. So, John,
(44:21):
why believe in Jesus?
S2 (44:23):
Yeah. Well, you know, first of all, I think you're right.
It talk about the hypocrisy question. It really does come
down to Jesus because ultimately we're not called to sort
of follow other Christians. We're called to follow Jesus. And
so even if they people sort of align themselves with Jesus, um,
we really need to look to Jesus to, to sort
(44:45):
of know how to live. So why trust in Jesus?
You know, that's the question you just asked. And, you know,
I think the starting point is, is we have to
recognize that, um, Christianity offers something rather different, um, than
many religions. It offers us an historical figure. Um, so
we're not just talking about sort of wisdom. Sayings like
(45:08):
this might be sort of a good way to live.
We're talking about a person who really lived space and
time person, and we can look to the things that
he said and did and sort of examine whether he
is worthy to be followed or not. And, um, a
couple of things that Jesus said and did. One, he
just made claims about himself, you know, be one thing.
(45:29):
If Jesus was saying, you know, hey, go be nice.
But he went beyond that. He actually said, I am God. And, uh,
and I am the way and the truth and the life,
and no one comes to the father but by me.
That's almost crazy, you know, to to say that, right?
I mean, uh, if you weren't God, it would be
crazy to say that. But then Jesus went further and
(45:52):
he authenticated his claims by the things that he did,
by the miracles that he did. Um, which again, I
think should be supported historically and by the prophecy that
he fulfilled as well. And so, um, so I think
why Jesus? Why is Jesus worthy of being followed? He's
worthy of being followed because he's God, and he authenticated
(46:13):
that claim about him himself.
S1 (46:16):
You know, I would add to that no one will
love you more. No one's laid down in their life
for me except Jesus. And the amazing thing is that
he took it back up again, just like he said
he would. He is the resurrection and the life, and
he's worth believing. If today you want to put your
trust in Jesus today, I would just encourage you to
(46:38):
confess that he is Lord. To turn from sin to
a God who forgives. And if we can wrap our
arms around you, call the number eight, eight, eight. Need him?
That's eight. Eight, eight. Need him. Get a copy of
John's wonderful book, Questioning God. Find out more at Equip radio.org. Thanks, John.
S2 (46:59):
Great to be with you today, Chris.
S1 (47:02):
Remember, equipped with Chris Brooks is the production of Moody Radio.
It's a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.
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