WEBVTT - Absolute Truth 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:04.360 Coming to you from the Morning Star Mission sponsored studio. 0:00:04.720 --> 0:00:08.080 This is Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:00:09.600 --> 0:00:12.600 Carl and crew. And we are helping you on this 0:00:12.600 --> 0:00:16.360 beautiful Monday morning, taking your next step with Jesus. A 0:00:16.400 --> 0:00:19.760 lot of tragedy in the world are our. Our eyes 0:00:19.760 --> 0:00:24.119 and hearts are drawn toward Texas. Horrific flooding. Uh, some 0:00:24.120 --> 0:00:28.560 of the statistics on this horrific event are they're almost 0:00:28.560 --> 0:00:34.240 mind boggling. Guadalupe River actually surged 20 plus feet in 0:00:34.240 --> 0:00:37.280 a matter of two hours or less. And in some 0:00:37.280 --> 0:00:40.800 regions around camp mystic, they believe that it probably had 0:00:40.800 --> 0:00:45.000 a 20 foot rise in less than 90 minutes. It's 0:00:45.000 --> 0:00:47.000 almost hard to get your mind around, isn't it, guys? 0:00:47.040 --> 0:00:51.280 It really is. You know, if you don't live near 0:00:51.440 --> 0:00:54.320 a river, that can change that dramatically like that. I 0:00:54.320 --> 0:00:56.360 think it is. It's it's when you see some of 0:00:56.360 --> 0:00:58.640 the images and the pictures and the before and after 0:00:58.680 --> 0:01:01.730 and you just so much devastation and heartbreak. 0:01:02.490 --> 0:01:07.650 It's. It's overwhelming. Uh, I was in a flood one time. 0:01:07.850 --> 0:01:11.490 That was very dangerous in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Chena River 0:01:11.530 --> 0:01:14.970 actually overflowed. It was the one summer my dad went to. 0:01:15.010 --> 0:01:18.770 Took our family to Alaska, to Fairbanks, Alaska. He was 0:01:18.770 --> 0:01:21.450 getting his master's degree at that time. I was a 0:01:21.450 --> 0:01:24.770 little guy. And all I remember is the panic of 0:01:24.770 --> 0:01:27.850 adults trying to get us into. What I got into 0:01:27.850 --> 0:01:31.050 was a canoe, and we got into the canoe when 0:01:31.050 --> 0:01:35.009 there was about two inches of water underneath us, and 0:01:35.050 --> 0:01:38.929 they said, hold tight. And within a matter of 30 minutes, 0:01:39.610 --> 0:01:43.690 the canoe was floating and we were paddling toward some rescue, 0:01:45.050 --> 0:01:47.690 some rescue vehicles that were up on some higher ground 0:01:47.690 --> 0:01:50.690 that would haul us to safety. But, I mean, I 0:01:50.690 --> 0:01:53.970 remember this like it was yesterday because of the panic 0:01:54.010 --> 0:01:57.370 that ensued from adults and people that were trying to 0:01:57.370 --> 0:02:03.090 evacuate vast swaths of Fairbanks, Alaska. And all I, all 0:02:03.090 --> 0:02:09.090 I remember was being was being comforted by some rescuers 0:02:09.090 --> 0:02:12.850 in a big military vehicle that loaded us up into 0:02:12.889 --> 0:02:16.730 basically what was a dump truck. And standing in the 0:02:16.770 --> 0:02:20.370 dump truck is a little guy watching my mom try 0:02:20.370 --> 0:02:24.889 to stay calm. And, uh, it was it was crazy. 0:02:25.730 --> 0:02:27.970 I can only imagine then what it would be like 0:02:27.970 --> 0:02:31.450 for these precious lives to see this wall of water 0:02:31.450 --> 0:02:33.970 coming their way, or to feel like there's nothing we 0:02:33.970 --> 0:02:40.130 can do. And the stories of heroes that are coming 0:02:40.130 --> 0:02:43.930 out of this are just mind boggling. Over 160 were 0:02:43.930 --> 0:02:48.730 rescued by a water rescue. One person water rescue guy. Wow. 0:02:49.090 --> 0:02:51.530 And his statement a quick interview that I saw. He 0:02:51.530 --> 0:02:54.570 says I'm just a dude doing what I'm, you know, 0:02:54.610 --> 0:02:58.020 called to do. This is my service. so don't call 0:02:58.020 --> 0:03:00.700 me a hero, which makes him more of a hero 0:03:00.700 --> 0:03:01.460 in my mind's eye. 0:03:01.500 --> 0:03:02.180 Sure. Absolutely. 0:03:02.300 --> 0:03:02.980 You know what I mean? 0:03:03.020 --> 0:03:03.340 Of course. 0:03:03.380 --> 0:03:07.540 It's like, wow, what an amazing thing. Camp mystic. Horrible 0:03:07.540 --> 0:03:13.100 things have transpired there. A whole cabin, my understanding is. 0:03:13.139 --> 0:03:15.020 And we'll get more clarity in days to come. But 0:03:15.020 --> 0:03:17.459 a whole cabin that was near to the river of 0:03:17.460 --> 0:03:19.780 6 to 8 year old girls camping at a Christian 0:03:19.780 --> 0:03:26.100 camp were swept away. There are crazy stories. Miraculous stories. 0:03:26.100 --> 0:03:28.780 One little girl actually wrote a mattress for it. Sounds 0:03:28.780 --> 0:03:33.220 like three hours, possibly 12 miles downstream. And she was rescued. 0:03:34.700 --> 0:03:37.700 And then I did see some video footage of campers 0:03:37.700 --> 0:03:41.980 that were rescued from camp mystic in a bus getting 0:03:41.980 --> 0:03:46.740 out of that area after going going for a couple 0:03:46.780 --> 0:03:51.140 of miles, it appears. Um, while they were traveling to 0:03:51.140 --> 0:03:55.740 get out of this area, they're singing incredible worship songs, 0:03:55.740 --> 0:03:58.940 and they were absolutely beautiful. Did you hear that to somebody? 0:03:58.980 --> 0:04:02.420 Yeah, I saw that clip. It might. I just broke 0:04:02.420 --> 0:04:05.580 down in tears. You're hearing these little voices and these girls, 0:04:05.620 --> 0:04:08.340 and they're just singing. And like you said, you see 0:04:08.340 --> 0:04:11.460 the devastation out the window, and they are just praising 0:04:11.460 --> 0:04:15.140 and praising and clutching each other and singing. It was like, wow. 0:04:15.860 --> 0:04:18.260 You see that one shot where they're going across that 0:04:18.260 --> 0:04:22.060 little riverbed that was still flooded a bit? 0:04:22.100 --> 0:04:22.580 Yes. 0:04:22.660 --> 0:04:26.180 And they the one girl that was filming this worship 0:04:26.220 --> 0:04:29.580 time on this bus said, oh God, oh God. As 0:04:29.580 --> 0:04:32.300 the as the bus is making its way across a 0:04:32.339 --> 0:04:39.299 flooded stream and, uh, but it was it brought tears 0:04:39.300 --> 0:04:41.779 to my eyes because here are these girls that have 0:04:41.779 --> 0:04:44.660 gone through so much in just a short amount of time, 0:04:45.540 --> 0:04:49.059 and they're given praise and glory to God. Some might 0:04:49.060 --> 0:04:51.380 scoff at that, I certainly don't. I think that's one 0:04:51.380 --> 0:04:53.940 of the great graces of God to give us voice 0:04:53.940 --> 0:04:58.150 to tragedy and to say, all hail King Jesus. Even 0:04:58.150 --> 0:05:01.029 in the midst of a lot of pain. A lot 0:05:01.070 --> 0:05:03.910 of a lot of pain, a lot of painful stories, 0:05:03.910 --> 0:05:09.990 I witnessed one daddy who was right after the flooding occurred. 0:05:10.790 --> 0:05:13.550 He came into that area and I forget what network 0:05:13.550 --> 0:05:18.029 was interviewing him, asked him how what we can do. 0:05:18.070 --> 0:05:19.950 And he said, I want you to pray. And when 0:05:19.950 --> 0:05:23.510 he said pray, he just he broke down a bit 0:05:23.510 --> 0:05:25.790 and said, I want you to pray. Our hope is 0:05:25.790 --> 0:05:29.430 that we find some of these girls alive. And maybe 0:05:29.430 --> 0:05:34.789 my girl. It's just tough stuff, man. It's really hard 0:05:35.670 --> 0:05:37.950 coming up here. In a moment we're going to pray. Why? 0:05:37.990 --> 0:05:40.790 Because God has got a providence. You know what that means? 0:05:41.150 --> 0:05:45.390 Means that he adjusts what we see as everyday life. 0:05:45.390 --> 0:05:53.430 And he works beyond human timetable. And he moves Indeed. 0:05:53.470 --> 0:05:57.150 God of power, God that transcends any kind of power 0:05:57.150 --> 0:06:00.350 we have. And a God whose sovereign, a God that 0:06:00.350 --> 0:06:03.470 orders the affairs of this world. There's a lot of 0:06:03.470 --> 0:06:07.630 questions we have, but at the same time we pray. Ali, 0:06:07.750 --> 0:06:08.550 would you pray? 0:06:08.589 --> 0:06:08.950 Yeah. 0:06:08.990 --> 0:06:09.430 Today. 0:06:11.310 --> 0:06:13.950 Lord Jesus, we just thank you for the promise of 0:06:13.950 --> 0:06:18.909 your nearness. When we're crushed in spirit, when we're heartbroken, Lord. 0:06:18.910 --> 0:06:22.870 So we just first pray for for the rescue mission 0:06:22.870 --> 0:06:26.990 that continues, Lord, for those who are working tirelessly for 0:06:26.990 --> 0:06:30.430 families who are waiting for news. Lord, we just pray 0:06:30.430 --> 0:06:34.750 God that somehow Lord your presence because it's promised your 0:06:34.750 --> 0:06:37.110 presence would be near to them, Lord, that you would 0:06:37.630 --> 0:06:40.270 uphold them with your strong right hand. Oh God, that 0:06:40.270 --> 0:06:43.870 you would not let the grief and the despair overtake them. 0:06:43.870 --> 0:06:47.830 But Lord, somehow, even through this God, your might and 0:06:47.830 --> 0:06:51.070 your power would be seen. God. So much heartbreak, so 0:06:51.070 --> 0:06:54.719 much loss. But God, we we trust you, Lord, we 0:06:54.720 --> 0:06:58.000 trust you. On days like this, Lord, where so many 0:06:58.000 --> 0:07:01.599 are facing the unthinkable. God, we pray for the strength 0:07:01.600 --> 0:07:06.760 for those who are still out. Lord, who are rescuing. Lord, 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:10.680 we pray just for miracles. Lord, you know it seems 0:07:10.680 --> 0:07:14.480 implausible right now, but God, you are a God of miracles. 0:07:14.480 --> 0:07:17.440 So Lord, if there are those still clinging to life, Lord, 0:07:17.440 --> 0:07:20.840 we pray that they would be found and rescued quickly. Lord, uh, 0:07:20.840 --> 0:07:23.280 that you would put an end to their suffering. Lord. 0:07:23.280 --> 0:07:25.640 And we just pray God that out of this Lord, 0:07:25.680 --> 0:07:29.760 out of this tragedy, Lord, you, you would be seen. God, 0:07:29.760 --> 0:07:32.239 that those who've never turned to you before would turn 0:07:32.240 --> 0:07:34.960 to you, would turn their hearts, would bow a knee 0:07:35.000 --> 0:07:39.800 to you. God, that through this storm, Lord, literal storm Lord, 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:43.640 that your face would be seen, your hand would be seen. God, 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:46.880 we just thank you. And we pray for comfort and 0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:51.040 for peace. The peace that surpasses all understanding to guard 0:07:51.040 --> 0:07:54.880 hearts and minds in you, Lord. In Jesus name. Amen. 0:07:55.160 --> 0:07:59.800 Amen. And let it be. The Lord is near to 0:07:59.840 --> 0:08:08.840 the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. It's a 0:08:08.840 --> 0:08:11.880 hard thing when you see tragedy like this, especially when 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:15.320 these are young, innocent children. So many of them were 0:08:15.320 --> 0:08:17.600 little ones that were away on a camp at camp 0:08:17.600 --> 0:08:22.120 mystic in particular. They were between sessions at a couple 0:08:22.160 --> 0:08:28.040 camps downriver that some of them wiped out. And yet 0:08:28.040 --> 0:08:32.000 camp mystic was filled. The director of that camp, the 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:34.440 owner of the camp director of the camp, was lost 0:08:34.440 --> 0:08:37.160 trying to save some of those lives. He was swept 0:08:37.160 --> 0:08:41.240 away as well. A lot of pain and a lot 0:08:41.240 --> 0:08:43.880 of opportunity for us to pray. And the question is, 0:08:43.880 --> 0:08:48.360 why do we pray? Because God moves. God moves even 0:08:48.360 --> 0:08:50.690 now in the lives of those who are still living, 0:08:50.690 --> 0:08:55.170 those that are grieving. It's a lot of pain. Maybe 0:08:55.210 --> 0:08:59.490 God has you crushed in spirit. Today, we want to 0:08:59.530 --> 0:09:02.050 point you to the one who can care for your 0:09:02.050 --> 0:09:05.530 soul in ways like you can't imagine. Hang on. 0:09:06.809 --> 0:09:10.569 Your spiritual pit stop to keep you going in the race. 0:09:10.730 --> 0:09:12.970 You're listening to Carl and crew. 0:09:14.050 --> 0:09:17.809 And my heart is drawn this morning. To the broken 0:09:18.210 --> 0:09:24.410 hearted and the crushed in spirit. It can feel terrifying 0:09:24.610 --> 0:09:28.250 when you come to the end of yourself. And yet 0:09:28.250 --> 0:09:31.130 the Lord is near to you, and you know you 0:09:31.130 --> 0:09:35.569 want to ask and and really wrestle with, well, how 0:09:35.610 --> 0:09:38.010 near is God? Fair enough. 0:09:38.130 --> 0:09:38.370 Yeah. 0:09:38.410 --> 0:09:38.730 How near. 0:09:38.770 --> 0:09:39.089 Is God? 0:09:39.130 --> 0:09:39.970 Fair question. 0:09:41.290 --> 0:09:47.810 And theologically and practically, the best thing I can offer 0:09:47.809 --> 0:09:50.850 you this morning. If you're coming to us here today 0:09:50.890 --> 0:09:54.929 and you feel brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. The Lord 0:09:54.929 --> 0:09:59.890 is near to you and he is right behind you. 0:10:00.250 --> 0:10:04.930 What do I mean by that? The reality of the 0:10:04.970 --> 0:10:11.809 lostness of humankind is almost overwhelmingly staggering to me. One 0:10:11.809 --> 0:10:14.290 of the myths that we're going to be debunking this 0:10:14.290 --> 0:10:20.650 week is this this myth that somehow we are all 0:10:22.170 --> 0:10:26.890 Christian when we say, I've been a Christian my whole life. 0:10:26.929 --> 0:10:29.770 In fact, we're going to be debunking that myth tomorrow. 0:10:29.770 --> 0:10:32.170 All week long, we're going to be debunking myths. We're 0:10:32.170 --> 0:10:37.330 just taking some time aside here, just with our hearts 0:10:37.330 --> 0:10:41.569 drawn to Texas in this flooding. We're just camping on 0:10:41.570 --> 0:10:44.530 this idea here for a few minutes that the Lord 0:10:44.530 --> 0:10:49.140 is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 0:10:49.140 --> 0:10:52.620 But I, I almost want to give a precursor to 0:10:52.660 --> 0:10:55.780 what we're going to be debunking tomorrow. And that is 0:10:55.780 --> 0:10:58.260 I've been a Christian my whole life. We hear that 0:10:58.260 --> 0:10:59.140 a lot, right, Ali? 0:10:59.179 --> 0:10:59.780 Oh, yeah, we. 0:10:59.940 --> 0:11:05.860 We hear that a lot. But that's not true. You 0:11:05.860 --> 0:11:10.699 can't be a Christian your whole life. And the question is, 0:11:10.700 --> 0:11:13.540 for those that have this delusion of thinking they've been 0:11:13.540 --> 0:11:15.660 a Christian their whole life, I, we know that those 0:11:15.660 --> 0:11:19.260 are well-intended words, probably raised in a Christian culture, raised 0:11:19.260 --> 0:11:24.020 in a Christian home. But we are born with our 0:11:24.020 --> 0:11:27.900 backs to God. We're born with our backs to God. 0:11:29.380 --> 0:11:33.060 This is why Jesus, when asked by one of his 0:11:33.059 --> 0:11:38.180 disciples who was really troubled in spirit, probably not crushed, 0:11:38.740 --> 0:11:43.340 but brokenhearted for sure, he said, well, we don't know 0:11:43.340 --> 0:11:47.910 where you're going. And Jesus said, let not your hearts 0:11:47.950 --> 0:11:53.110 be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. It's 0:11:53.110 --> 0:11:57.030 found in John 14. And then he goes on to say, 0:11:57.030 --> 0:12:01.750 I am the way and the truth and the life. 0:12:04.510 --> 0:12:07.390 And he said, you can come with me to this 0:12:07.390 --> 0:12:13.110 place that I've prepared for you. When you realize that 0:12:13.110 --> 0:12:17.390 your way no longer works, your truth will not get 0:12:17.390 --> 0:12:21.309 you there. And the life you've pursued and wanted your 0:12:21.309 --> 0:12:25.350 whole life can only be found in Jesus Christ. That's powerful. 0:12:27.309 --> 0:12:28.870 So I want you to know from the bottom of 0:12:28.870 --> 0:12:31.469 my heart that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted 0:12:31.470 --> 0:12:34.750 and saves the crushed in spirit. And there's so many 0:12:34.750 --> 0:12:37.910 tuned in today who feel like I'm coming here for 0:12:37.910 --> 0:12:41.670 some hope. And here's the hope. The Lord is near 0:12:41.670 --> 0:12:45.390 to you. And if you've never given your life to 0:12:45.429 --> 0:12:51.309 Jesus Christ. He's right behind you. So an obvious question is, well, 0:12:51.309 --> 0:12:55.190 how do I reach him? You turn around and he's 0:12:55.190 --> 0:12:58.430 right there. How do I get a hug from God? 0:12:58.990 --> 0:13:02.350 How do I feel? The embrace of a relationship with 0:13:02.350 --> 0:13:08.030 Jesus Christ. Turn around. He's right there. Turn around. Is 0:13:08.030 --> 0:13:13.350 this very solid biblical idea of repentance. It means turning 0:13:13.350 --> 0:13:16.070 away from the path and the way that you've been 0:13:16.070 --> 0:13:20.750 walking into the arms of God. It means embracing the 0:13:20.750 --> 0:13:24.150 truth that I'm a sinner who needs a Savior, and 0:13:24.150 --> 0:13:27.950 his name is Jesus. And I just want to humbly 0:13:27.950 --> 0:13:33.550 ask you today, today, do you find yourself brokenhearted, crushed 0:13:33.550 --> 0:13:36.910 in spirit, and you know in your heart that you've 0:13:36.910 --> 0:13:42.230 never been in a real, living, breathing relationship with the 0:13:42.230 --> 0:13:47.120 Son of God? Today you can have that by turning around, 0:13:47.120 --> 0:13:52.880 repenting of sin, embracing the truth that Jesus died for 0:13:52.880 --> 0:13:57.280 your sins, and surrendering all that you are to Jesus 0:13:57.280 --> 0:14:01.480 for the very first time. I say it here often, 0:14:01.480 --> 0:14:04.400 but often when we are at the end of ourselves, 0:14:04.920 --> 0:14:07.440 we are at the very best place we can be. 0:14:08.240 --> 0:14:12.000 And my friend God providentially allowed you to be here 0:14:12.000 --> 0:14:14.520 today so that you could hear the hope of the gospel. 0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:18.800 Jesus does not invite you into a religious system. He 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:26.440 invites you into a relationship with God. Spirit empowered spirit regenerated. 0:14:26.440 --> 0:14:30.880 Change from the inside out. No more worried about. No 0:14:30.880 --> 0:14:35.440 longer worried about your circumstances on the outside, even the 0:14:35.480 --> 0:14:39.000 behaviors that got you where you are today. But knowing 0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:42.920 that God can change you from the inner man and 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:46.479 the inner woman to be great men and great women 0:14:46.480 --> 0:14:50.240 of God, because he is doing the work inside you today. 0:14:51.800 --> 0:14:55.640 If you have never before fully surrendered your life, all 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:58.280 that you are to Jesus Christ, and you've been walking 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:01.960 your own way, living by your own truth, today is 0:15:01.960 --> 0:15:04.560 the day of salvation for you friend. Today is the day. 0:15:06.120 --> 0:15:08.200 And I just want you to pull to the side 0:15:08.200 --> 0:15:10.880 of the road if you're driving or get to a 0:15:10.880 --> 0:15:15.360 quiet place. And I want to pray for you right now, 0:15:15.360 --> 0:15:18.200 and I want you to pray along with me. Simply 0:15:18.200 --> 0:15:23.480 the words of Jesus repeated back to him from John 0:15:23.480 --> 0:15:26.920 14 he said, I am the way. And I've got 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:29.160 a question for you. Are you ready to go the 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:32.240 way of Jesus today for the first time in your life? 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:37.600 Turn around. God is right there. Turn around and turn 0:15:37.600 --> 0:15:41.130 everything over to Jesus. Is that you? Just say yes. 0:15:41.130 --> 0:15:45.530 That is me. God, are you willing today to embrace 0:15:45.530 --> 0:15:47.930 the truth that you're a sinner and you need a savior? 0:15:47.930 --> 0:15:51.370 You're missing the mark. You've not been able to make 0:15:51.370 --> 0:15:54.410 life work on your terms, and you are giving over 0:15:54.410 --> 0:15:57.730 your life to Jesus, embracing the truth that you need 0:15:57.730 --> 0:16:02.930 him to save your life. So you're losing your life 0:16:02.930 --> 0:16:05.170 for the sake of taking hold of the life that 0:16:05.170 --> 0:16:09.970 is found in Christ Jesus. Just say that's me. That's 0:16:09.970 --> 0:16:13.570 me God. And now, father, for all these that are 0:16:13.570 --> 0:16:18.570 surrendering to Jesus Christ today, your name be praised. Flood 0:16:18.610 --> 0:16:25.090 them with streams of living water. Hope eternal. Give them 0:16:25.090 --> 0:16:29.170 a life like you promised in John 14. You are 0:16:29.210 --> 0:16:33.530 the life. Fill them up, Lord. And I give you 0:16:33.530 --> 0:16:38.970 praise today. If the cry of your soul is total 0:16:39.130 --> 0:16:44.210 surrender to God through the blood of Jesus Christ, who 0:16:44.210 --> 0:16:46.850 paid the ultimate sacrifice for your sin. I want to 0:16:46.850 --> 0:16:50.170 welcome you to the family. This prayer of faith is 0:16:50.170 --> 0:16:53.090 a cry of the soul. It says, I give, you've 0:16:53.090 --> 0:16:55.970 got me. Take over every bit of my life. I 0:16:56.010 --> 0:16:59.330 surrender all to you today and a miracle happens. The 0:16:59.330 --> 0:17:03.610 life of Jesus is now given to you. The great 0:17:03.610 --> 0:17:06.570 exchange has happened and we want to help you in 0:17:06.570 --> 0:17:09.449 your first steps with Jesus. How are we doing this today, Alex? 0:17:09.490 --> 0:17:11.649 Well, we have a link for you. If you text 0:17:11.650 --> 0:17:17.129 the word new to 800 555 7898, we're going to 0:17:17.130 --> 0:17:19.810 send you a response that gives you some next steps. 0:17:20.010 --> 0:17:22.169 What to look for in a church, everything that you're 0:17:22.170 --> 0:17:24.730 going to need to get a good start. Just text 0:17:24.730 --> 0:17:34.010 the word new to 800 555 7898 N-e-w new to (800) 555-7898. 0:17:34.369 --> 0:17:37.050 Yeah. And we want to welcome you to the family. 0:17:37.090 --> 0:17:39.500 God is proving to you right now that the Lord 0:17:39.500 --> 0:17:44.380 is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 0:17:44.420 --> 0:17:50.700 Text new to 800 555 7898. Welcome to the family. 0:17:51.859 --> 0:17:54.940 This is Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:17:55.540 --> 0:17:58.580 It's Carl and crew helping you take your next step 0:17:58.580 --> 0:18:00.700 with Jesus. We may have something for you to step 0:18:00.700 --> 0:18:04.580 into here. Got Edward Graham from Samaritan's Purse going to 0:18:04.580 --> 0:18:06.100 give us an update here in just a moment. I 0:18:06.100 --> 0:18:08.060 want to give credit where credit's due. I've been talking 0:18:08.060 --> 0:18:10.100 about this kid all morning. Now I have a name. 0:18:10.100 --> 0:18:13.859 Scott Ruskin, rescue swimmer with the US Coast Guard who 0:18:13.900 --> 0:18:20.660 saved 165 lives in the Texas floods. He's 26 years old. 0:18:20.900 --> 0:18:22.340 And you know what he said when they asked him 0:18:22.340 --> 0:18:24.700 about it? He says, I'm just a dude doing my job. 0:18:24.740 --> 0:18:25.100 Wow. 0:18:25.380 --> 0:18:28.540 That makes you love him all the more. Uh, when 0:18:28.540 --> 0:18:31.379 we find tragedies like this, the question is, what do 0:18:31.380 --> 0:18:34.180 we do? Boy, have we got someone for you right now. 0:18:34.220 --> 0:18:37.660 Edward Graham. What do we do? You've got a you 0:18:37.700 --> 0:18:39.580 got a great mission here, don't you, my man? 0:18:40.380 --> 0:18:42.660 Uh, thanks, Carl. I appreciate you having us on. It's. 0:18:42.980 --> 0:18:45.220 You know, it's an honor to work in the Lord's ministry, 0:18:45.220 --> 0:18:48.180 but it's also during hard and difficult times. And you 0:18:48.180 --> 0:18:51.100 see brokenness and hurt so often in times like this 0:18:51.140 --> 0:18:55.660 in Texas. So we, uh, my whole office this morning, 0:18:55.660 --> 0:18:57.780 we start our morning off in prayer. And so we 0:18:57.780 --> 0:19:00.300 lifted Texas up in prayer this morning. Have been praying 0:19:00.300 --> 0:19:01.659 all over the holiday weekend. 0:19:02.060 --> 0:19:02.340 Yeah. 0:19:02.380 --> 0:19:05.420 Edward Graham, our our guest right now, chief operating officer 0:19:05.420 --> 0:19:09.660 of Samaritan's Purse. He oversees the international and domestic operations 0:19:09.660 --> 0:19:12.540 of Samaritan's Purse. Tell us a little bit about the reports. 0:19:12.540 --> 0:19:14.980 I know you're going to be leaving for Texas here 0:19:15.140 --> 0:19:18.419 in the next couple of hours. Tell us the reports 0:19:18.420 --> 0:19:20.500 you're getting from your team that's already there. 0:19:21.020 --> 0:19:23.740 Yeah. Thank you. You know, we keep equipment also down 0:19:23.740 --> 0:19:26.580 in Coppell, Texas, right outside of Dallas. And so they've 0:19:26.580 --> 0:19:29.660 already deployed equipment. We had assessors go out the following day. 0:19:30.020 --> 0:19:33.780 And so we're getting reports about 150 to 200 homes 0:19:33.780 --> 0:19:39.590 destroyed And severely damaged. And so after getting the all 0:19:39.630 --> 0:19:42.590 clear from the emergency responders there, and when they're done 0:19:42.590 --> 0:19:46.590 with an area and clearing out, unfortunately looking for human 0:19:46.590 --> 0:19:50.710 remains will go in with church partners and volunteers, and 0:19:50.710 --> 0:19:52.989 we'll muck out and clean out these homes that have 0:19:52.990 --> 0:19:57.350 been flooded, cut back the drywall and get them dried in. Um, 0:19:57.350 --> 0:19:59.950 but there's so much loss and hurt during a time 0:19:59.950 --> 0:20:02.190 like this. And many of these homeowners want to know 0:20:02.230 --> 0:20:05.430 if God forsaken them or forgotten about them. And this 0:20:05.430 --> 0:20:08.430 is where we also partner with the Billy Graham Association. 0:20:08.430 --> 0:20:10.950 They send their down there rapid response chaplains that are 0:20:10.950 --> 0:20:13.070 trained on how to share hope in crisis, to let 0:20:13.070 --> 0:20:15.870 them know their love and not forgotten. And so we 0:20:15.869 --> 0:20:17.950 go there to serve in the name of Jesus. After 0:20:17.950 --> 0:20:21.389 so much brokenness and loss and the pain right now. 0:20:21.430 --> 0:20:23.470 You were talking. I heard the updates this morning, the 0:20:23.470 --> 0:20:26.830 news you talked there about the mystic camp, that camp director, uh, 0:20:26.830 --> 0:20:28.750 who lost his life trying to save these little girls. 0:20:28.750 --> 0:20:30.949 I looked over photos over the weekend of him and 0:20:30.950 --> 0:20:33.709 the ministries had there. He clearly had a heart and 0:20:33.710 --> 0:20:36.959 a burden for these girls. And I think about the 0:20:36.960 --> 0:20:39.280 families that have lost so much. There's nothing you can 0:20:39.280 --> 0:20:42.360 tell them right now that eases the pain or the brokenness. 0:20:42.359 --> 0:20:45.080 So let's just pray the love of the church lift 0:20:45.080 --> 0:20:47.560 up their feet. How many churches were involved in this camp? 0:20:47.560 --> 0:20:50.000 That's an you know, you think of that. There's so 0:20:50.000 --> 0:20:53.080 many churches that are hurting right now, and we've got 0:20:53.080 --> 0:20:54.639 a lot of prayer to do. And I believe in 0:20:54.640 --> 0:20:56.359 the power of prayer. It works. 0:20:56.720 --> 0:21:00.200 Yeah it does. Edward Graham, our guest right now. What 0:21:00.200 --> 0:21:04.600 have you learned when. I don't think anyone comes in 0:21:04.600 --> 0:21:07.560 equipped for how to respond to people that have gone 0:21:07.560 --> 0:21:10.960 through tragic loss. What have you learned, Edward? What was 0:21:10.960 --> 0:21:13.600 an aha moment for you when you were even working 0:21:13.600 --> 0:21:16.360 with chaplains? Much your senior had been there, done that. 0:21:16.400 --> 0:21:17.200 What did you learn? 0:21:17.640 --> 0:21:20.439 Yeah, you know, I learned in combat even too. There's 0:21:20.440 --> 0:21:23.439 no there's no really right thing to say other than 0:21:23.440 --> 0:21:25.800 to be present. And then the power of the gospel, 0:21:26.240 --> 0:21:28.640 you know, when you speak, you speak with the Word 0:21:28.640 --> 0:21:31.959 of God and use his words and what Scripture says 0:21:32.000 --> 0:21:35.800 and rely on that power, and people are going to 0:21:35.800 --> 0:21:37.600 be in such pain when you show up to a 0:21:37.600 --> 0:21:39.960 location like that and they're not really interested in your 0:21:40.000 --> 0:21:42.720 in your opinion. They want you to be present. They 0:21:42.720 --> 0:21:47.600 want you to listen. Um, but they also expect, you know, action. 0:21:47.640 --> 0:21:50.280 They need help. They need to be lifted up out 0:21:50.280 --> 0:21:52.719 of where they are right now. And that's where the 0:21:52.720 --> 0:21:55.120 love of the church comes in. And that's where volunteers, 0:21:55.119 --> 0:21:57.760 people listening to your program wondering, well, what can I 0:21:57.760 --> 0:22:01.480 do and how can I get involved? Well, Samaritan's Purse, 0:22:01.480 --> 0:22:04.760 we need volunteers that aren't afraid to go get dirty. 0:22:04.800 --> 0:22:07.320 You know, anyone can do this. We have the right equipment. 0:22:07.320 --> 0:22:10.520 We have the tools, we have the chaplains. We just 0:22:10.520 --> 0:22:12.920 need people willing to put on the work gloves and 0:22:12.920 --> 0:22:17.040 go love their neighbor that is suffering right now. And, uh, 0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:21.160 and when asked, has God forsaken me? Answer with what 0:22:21.160 --> 0:22:25.240 the Scripture says. Think of Proverbs chapter three, verses five 0:22:25.280 --> 0:22:26.959 through six. I think that all the time trust in 0:22:26.960 --> 0:22:29.640 the Lord with all your heart and lean not on 0:22:29.640 --> 0:22:32.810 your own understanding. And I had I remember in combat 0:22:32.810 --> 0:22:35.730 and all my ways acknowledge him and he's going to 0:22:35.730 --> 0:22:38.570 direct our paths during times like this. And that's my 0:22:38.570 --> 0:22:40.250 prayer for this community down there. 0:22:40.450 --> 0:22:43.650 Edward Graham with Samaritan's Purse. If you want more ways 0:22:43.650 --> 0:22:46.290 to help, ways to get involved, just text purse to 0:22:46.330 --> 0:22:54.250 800 555 7898. Text purse to (800) 555-7898. 0:22:55.170 --> 0:22:57.609 Yeah, I think what's interesting, Edward, I thank you for 0:22:57.609 --> 0:22:59.290 taking some time. I know you got a lot on 0:22:59.290 --> 0:23:00.889 your plate. We're going to be praying for you. As 0:23:00.890 --> 0:23:02.570 a matter of fact, we're going to do that right now. 0:23:02.609 --> 0:23:06.170 I'm with you, Edward. You know what I am praying now, guys? 0:23:06.170 --> 0:23:08.090 Like I've never prayed before in my life. I was 0:23:08.090 --> 0:23:10.810 telling the church this weekend, I don't know why, but 0:23:10.810 --> 0:23:13.530 I have a level of expectancy. Let's take a level 0:23:13.530 --> 0:23:19.010 of expectancy and God's providence in his sovereignty and his omnipotence. 0:23:19.010 --> 0:23:22.210 And we're going to pray. We're going to pray over you, Edward, father, 0:23:22.250 --> 0:23:25.290 over Edward Graham and his team with Samaritan's Purse. I 0:23:25.290 --> 0:23:29.250 pray in the name of Jesus that you would protect them, 0:23:29.250 --> 0:23:33.090 that you would give them supernatural teleprompting by your spirit. 0:23:33.090 --> 0:23:36.090 Words to say, where to go, what to pick up, 0:23:36.090 --> 0:23:39.730 what boards to move, what to look for. In all 0:23:39.730 --> 0:23:42.290 these things we just rely on you and we've seen 0:23:42.290 --> 0:23:44.890 you move. You can do it again. And Lord, I'm 0:23:44.890 --> 0:23:47.929 thankful for Edward. I'm thankful for his team. And I'm 0:23:47.930 --> 0:23:50.889 I'm grateful for people listening right now who are feeling 0:23:50.890 --> 0:23:54.450 prompted by your spirit. I have time, I'm not afraid 0:23:54.450 --> 0:23:57.570 to get dirty. And I pray in Jesus name that 0:23:57.570 --> 0:24:01.090 you'd raise up an army of men and women who 0:24:01.090 --> 0:24:03.730 are ready to step up and say, we're putting our 0:24:03.730 --> 0:24:06.690 faith on display. We're going to shine so brightly that 0:24:06.690 --> 0:24:09.250 you will see our deeds in the middle of agony 0:24:09.530 --> 0:24:12.490 and glorify our father who is in heaven. We pray 0:24:12.490 --> 0:24:16.250 this believing and confident that as we pray, you go 0:24:16.250 --> 0:24:20.210 to work God. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. 0:24:20.250 --> 0:24:20.730 Amen. 0:24:21.010 --> 0:24:22.969 Edward. Thank you. I love your heart, man. 0:24:23.450 --> 0:24:25.609 I appreciate it and we love your radio ministry. Thank 0:24:25.609 --> 0:24:27.609 you for preaching the Word of God and the power 0:24:27.609 --> 0:24:29.420 that comes with it. Thank you so much. 0:24:29.780 --> 0:24:30.100 Hey. 0:24:30.140 --> 0:24:34.300 Godspeed my man. Again, that keyword is purse. Text purse 0:24:34.300 --> 0:24:41.619 to 800 555 7898. Purse to 800 555 7898. And 0:24:41.619 --> 0:24:42.859 I'll tell you how bold I'm going to be on 0:24:42.859 --> 0:24:44.740 this one right now. If you're a member of 180 0:24:44.780 --> 0:24:47.340 Chicago listening right now, I'm going to put out an 0:24:47.340 --> 0:24:49.700 alert today. If we've got a couple a few of 0:24:49.700 --> 0:24:52.540 you that are ready, you got time. You're not willing to. 0:24:53.020 --> 0:24:55.379 You're not afraid to get dirty. I love how he 0:24:55.380 --> 0:24:56.460 put that right, Ali. 0:24:56.580 --> 0:24:57.020 I mean. 0:24:57.660 --> 0:24:59.939 You're not afraid to get dirty. Uh, we're going to 0:24:59.940 --> 0:25:02.900 be reaching out today, and. And let's deploy a team. 0:25:02.900 --> 0:25:06.300 Let's deploy them from all over the nation. What if 0:25:06.300 --> 0:25:09.100 God just moved upon hearts right now and said, I'm 0:25:09.100 --> 0:25:11.860 within striking distance. I can get on a plane. I 0:25:11.859 --> 0:25:14.780 can get down there. And the link for all of 0:25:14.780 --> 0:25:20.060 this is purse to 800 555, 78, 98. This gives 0:25:20.060 --> 0:25:26.820 me in the middle of tragedy, pain, anguish, hope rising 0:25:26.820 --> 0:25:28.780 up in the name of Jesus. It's got to put 0:25:28.780 --> 0:25:30.619 fire in your belly. Ali, this is Hope. 0:25:30.660 --> 0:25:31.100 Yeah. 0:25:31.140 --> 0:25:32.380 If you want to be a part of it, just 0:25:32.380 --> 0:25:39.899 text purse to 800 555 7898. Purse to (800) 555-7898. 0:25:40.619 --> 0:25:43.540 You're listening to Curl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:25:44.300 --> 0:25:47.300 We're going to be debunking myths all week long. In fact, 0:25:47.340 --> 0:25:50.700 let me forecast for you where we're going this week. 0:25:51.220 --> 0:25:55.300 I've been a Christian my whole life is tomorrow. That's 0:25:55.300 --> 0:25:57.900 a myth. But a lot of people believe it. Or 0:25:57.900 --> 0:26:01.420 maybe they don't believe it, but they say it. I 0:26:01.420 --> 0:26:06.180 need to change my life now. At face value. You'd go. Yeah, 0:26:06.420 --> 0:26:08.060 I do need to change my life. 0:26:08.100 --> 0:26:08.540 I'm. 0:26:08.580 --> 0:26:10.260 I'm down for that. Right? 0:26:10.300 --> 0:26:10.980 Oh, yeah. 0:26:12.460 --> 0:26:16.900 But the biblical reality is that's not true. Or it's 0:26:16.940 --> 0:26:25.300 at least partially true. Only partially. I can choose my identity. Whoa. 0:26:25.340 --> 0:26:27.390 There's a hot button issue for the day in which 0:26:27.390 --> 0:26:30.670 we live. We're going to debunk that myth a little 0:26:30.670 --> 0:26:34.710 bit this week. And I can't break the cycle that 0:26:34.710 --> 0:26:37.030 I've been in my whole life. Some of you feel 0:26:37.030 --> 0:26:39.270 that deeply. We're going to be tackling that on Friday. 0:26:39.310 --> 0:26:43.790 Today there is no absolute truth. It's a tough one, 0:26:43.790 --> 0:26:47.869 especially when you look up a definition of truth. Absolute truth, 0:26:47.910 --> 0:26:51.350 absolute truth. There's a definition is a statement or proposition 0:26:51.350 --> 0:26:57.350 that is universally and objectively true, independent of context, perception 0:26:57.350 --> 0:27:02.150 or belief. It remains constant across all circumstances and is 0:27:02.150 --> 0:27:07.750 not subject to change or interpretation. Ooh. That's heavy. And 0:27:07.750 --> 0:27:11.550 so when I asked grok way early this morning, is 0:27:11.550 --> 0:27:16.710 gravity an absolute truth? No, they said, because it's subject 0:27:16.710 --> 0:27:19.870 to another person's interpretation. And I'm like, well, jump off 0:27:19.869 --> 0:27:20.750 a garage. 0:27:21.270 --> 0:27:21.910 Oh, boy. 0:27:22.270 --> 0:27:26.030 You know, grok, jump off a garage. Let's find out 0:27:26.030 --> 0:27:30.470 what's going on here. So what is truth? Pilate said that. 0:27:30.910 --> 0:27:33.909 What is truth? Jesus made a claim. I am the 0:27:33.910 --> 0:27:37.870 way and the truth and the life. That's a big claim. 0:27:38.070 --> 0:27:40.910 I am the truth. I worked with a guy in 0:27:40.910 --> 0:27:43.750 the oil fields who was a very intellectual guy, and 0:27:43.750 --> 0:27:48.030 one day we were working on building some cabinets. We're 0:27:48.030 --> 0:27:51.389 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle and is a 0:27:51.390 --> 0:27:55.790 brilliant guy. And then I'm realizing, whoa, he has some 0:27:55.790 --> 0:27:59.950 thoughts that not only had I never thought of, I 0:27:59.950 --> 0:28:02.670 thought were kind of crazy. He said, you know, there 0:28:02.670 --> 0:28:06.230 are parallel dimensions right here where we are. There are 0:28:06.230 --> 0:28:09.070 other things going on around us. There could be people 0:28:09.070 --> 0:28:11.870 passing us right now in other dimensions, and we just 0:28:11.869 --> 0:28:14.790 cannot see them. Well, how do you argue with that? 0:28:15.310 --> 0:28:20.389 You just say, no, there aren't. That doesn't work. 0:28:21.350 --> 0:28:22.149 So what? 0:28:22.350 --> 0:28:24.760 What? Where did you land with that? 0:28:24.800 --> 0:28:26.920 Oh, I'll tell you where I landed. I listened and 0:28:26.920 --> 0:28:29.520 I listened, and we were building it together. And I 0:28:29.560 --> 0:28:34.159 kept listening. And then I was so pumped when it 0:28:34.160 --> 0:28:36.160 was time to go to the chow hall for lunch. 0:28:36.680 --> 0:28:39.480 Because that conversation ended. Because. What do you do with 0:28:39.480 --> 0:28:41.680 that alley? Yeah. What do you do with that? 0:28:41.720 --> 0:28:43.400 And I mean, and I think sometimes when we get 0:28:43.400 --> 0:28:46.600 into conversation, if people feel like if people have really 0:28:46.600 --> 0:28:49.800 studied up on something, whatever it is that they believe 0:28:49.800 --> 0:28:53.400 to be true, and they can present it with a 0:28:53.400 --> 0:28:58.040 level of conviction and what seems to be like some research, 0:28:58.280 --> 0:29:00.480 it can be hard to know how to how to 0:29:00.520 --> 0:29:05.040 approach those conversations when people have what they claim to be. 0:29:05.040 --> 0:29:07.480 This is the truth that I've discovered. These are the 0:29:07.640 --> 0:29:10.040 fact claims that I'm making, and this is how I 0:29:10.080 --> 0:29:12.920 back it up. Sometimes that can get dicey because in 0:29:12.920 --> 0:29:15.800 your mind, in your heart, you go, that sounds really off, 0:29:16.120 --> 0:29:17.600 but how do I prove it? 0:29:17.880 --> 0:29:20.280 How do you prove it? How do I prove there's 0:29:20.280 --> 0:29:23.680 no one, you know, dancing a jig in another dimension 0:29:23.680 --> 0:29:25.600 right here in front of me in the wood shop, 0:29:25.600 --> 0:29:29.240 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle. How do I 0:29:29.280 --> 0:29:32.840 prove that? Do I try to bump into another dimension? 0:29:32.880 --> 0:29:37.520 Hard to prove. So is there absolute truth? Or is 0:29:37.520 --> 0:29:42.280 all truth relative? We live in a world today that's 0:29:42.280 --> 0:29:44.280 shaky in the knees when it comes to what is 0:29:44.320 --> 0:29:45.320 absolute truth. 0:29:45.360 --> 0:29:51.240 Yes, because it seems arrogant to suggest that what you 0:29:51.240 --> 0:29:55.800 believe is actually the truth for everyone. 0:29:56.800 --> 0:29:59.520 Coming up, Andy Bannister from the other side of the pond. 0:29:59.520 --> 0:30:02.560 Let's get an apologist in here and let's drill down 0:30:02.560 --> 0:30:06.480 on it. Is there absolute truth? And how do we 0:30:06.480 --> 0:30:08.480 know that to be true? 0:30:09.480 --> 0:30:13.480 Walking closer to Jesus every day. You're listening to Carl 0:30:13.480 --> 0:30:14.120 and crew. 0:30:14.400 --> 0:30:16.800 Jesus said it. I am the way and the truth 0:30:16.800 --> 0:30:18.880 and the life. No man comes to the father, but 0:30:18.880 --> 0:30:22.130 through me. He was very clear. I'm going somewhere. I'm 0:30:22.130 --> 0:30:24.729 preparing a place for you, and I will come again. 0:30:24.730 --> 0:30:27.210 If those aren't true. And if we can't take them 0:30:27.210 --> 0:30:29.890 to the bank. We're like the Apostle Paul says, we're 0:30:29.890 --> 0:30:33.290 to be pitied more than any man. But didn't Pilate 0:30:33.330 --> 0:30:36.090 asks the right question, guys? Check this out. This is 0:30:36.090 --> 0:30:39.130 from John 1838. I'll set it up with this. You 0:30:39.170 --> 0:30:41.930 got Jesus making claims of his kingship, and you've got 0:30:41.930 --> 0:30:48.890 Jewish leaders saying he's seditious. He's undermining everything that we 0:30:48.890 --> 0:30:53.090 are as a culture. And Pilate says, what is truth? 0:30:53.610 --> 0:30:55.970 I think he actually wanted to know what the truth was. 0:30:55.970 --> 0:30:59.050 What do you say, Andy Bannister? Pilate asked a good question, 0:30:59.050 --> 0:30:59.610 didn't he? 0:31:00.170 --> 0:31:01.850 Hey, Carl, how you doing? Yes, I think it's an 0:31:01.850 --> 0:31:05.410 excellent question. Yeah, arguably, it's one of the most important 0:31:05.410 --> 0:31:08.810 questions we can ask. Right? What? What is truth? Um. 0:31:09.130 --> 0:31:11.010 I mean, to go, boy. Where do you go from there? 0:31:11.010 --> 0:31:14.130 What a great starting point. So Pilate asked the right question. Shame. 0:31:14.130 --> 0:31:15.690 I don't think he hung around long enough to wait 0:31:15.690 --> 0:31:17.010 for the answer, though. I would say. 0:31:17.290 --> 0:31:17.730 Yeah. 0:31:17.850 --> 0:31:20.090 Doctor Andy Bannister, our guest right now, he's the director 0:31:20.220 --> 0:31:23.580 of Solace. He speaks and teaches regularly throughout the UK, Europe, 0:31:23.580 --> 0:31:27.700 Canada and the US, addressing both Christians and those of 0:31:27.700 --> 0:31:32.380 all faiths on issues relating to faith, culture, politics and society. 0:31:32.420 --> 0:31:34.660 You know, when it comes to the claim of the 0:31:34.660 --> 0:31:39.100 Christian that Jesus is the way, we are also saying 0:31:39.100 --> 0:31:42.900 that every other way is false, which to many people, 0:31:42.900 --> 0:31:45.660 and this is the pushback that I'm sure you hear often. 0:31:46.100 --> 0:31:50.100 Isn't Christianity arrogant? Isn't it arrogant of us to claim 0:31:50.100 --> 0:31:53.420 that not just that we believe it, that, but that 0:31:53.420 --> 0:31:56.380 it's true and that everything else is false? 0:31:56.580 --> 0:31:58.620 Well, I'd say a couple of things there. Ali, kind 0:31:58.620 --> 0:32:01.260 of straight away. The first thing is that with respect 0:32:01.260 --> 0:32:02.780 and we need to be careful not to try and 0:32:02.780 --> 0:32:05.300 score cheap points with this one. But the point is, 0:32:05.580 --> 0:32:09.219 truth claims are by their very nature, exclusive. So if 0:32:09.220 --> 0:32:11.660 I say two plus two is four, you could turn 0:32:11.660 --> 0:32:14.380 around and go, dude, you're so arrogant. I think it's nine, man. 0:32:14.380 --> 0:32:16.980 How dare you tell me you're crazy Brits with your 0:32:16.980 --> 0:32:19.940 exclusive mathematics. If I say hey, you know, the current 0:32:19.940 --> 0:32:22.900 president of the USA is Donald Trump. That rules out, 0:32:22.940 --> 0:32:25.380 you know, 300 million other Americans who are not the 0:32:25.380 --> 0:32:28.380 current president of the USA. And the list goes on. 0:32:28.380 --> 0:32:31.340 And to anyone who gets nervous about exclusive truth claims, 0:32:31.340 --> 0:32:34.660 I can guarantee that no matter how relative you want 0:32:34.660 --> 0:32:36.460 to be, if you're sitting on an airplane about to 0:32:36.500 --> 0:32:39.140 take off from an airport, and the pilot comes over 0:32:39.140 --> 0:32:41.540 the tannoy and she announces and says, do you know what? 0:32:41.540 --> 0:32:43.820 I don't believe in exclusive truth. So once we're at 0:32:43.820 --> 0:32:46.979 cruising altitude, anyone you like can come and press buttons 0:32:46.980 --> 0:32:49.180 up here, because I don't think I've got all the answers. 0:32:49.340 --> 0:32:51.540 I don't think you'd hang around and go, what an 0:32:51.540 --> 0:32:55.500 amazingly progressive pilot. You'd be running for the emergency exits 0:32:55.660 --> 0:32:59.780 because we know instinctively, actually, deep down, the truth, by 0:32:59.780 --> 0:33:04.140 its nature, is exclusive and truth matters. Often life depends 0:33:04.140 --> 0:33:06.300 on on truth. It's not just a game. 0:33:06.580 --> 0:33:09.580 How do you land on absolute truth? When I ask 0:33:09.580 --> 0:33:13.260 Grock about three hours ago, is gravity. 0:33:13.300 --> 0:33:14.540 Big mistake. Right away. Yeah. 0:33:14.940 --> 0:33:18.230 No, but I'm playing with this one because I said, 0:33:18.270 --> 0:33:22.150 is gravity? Is gravity an absolute truth? And this is 0:33:22.150 --> 0:33:23.630 what it came back to. It came back to the 0:33:23.630 --> 0:33:27.150 definition of absolute truth. It said, well, if it's independent 0:33:27.150 --> 0:33:30.510 of context, perception or belief, it would not be truth 0:33:30.510 --> 0:33:32.670 to some. How do you even argue with that, Andy? 0:33:32.670 --> 0:33:33.750 I'm being real here. 0:33:33.990 --> 0:33:35.830 Well, I'd say it's it just shows the danger of 0:33:35.830 --> 0:33:37.910 an I because of course, an I doesn't have any 0:33:37.910 --> 0:33:40.310 understanding of truth in the first place. I is just 0:33:40.310 --> 0:33:44.350 following its programming and it was programmed by flawed human beings. Yeah, 0:33:44.390 --> 0:33:46.230 I think so. I think if you go right back 0:33:46.230 --> 0:33:49.390 to the ancients, I mean, Plato, you know, that classic 0:33:49.390 --> 0:33:51.590 Greek philosopher is quite interesting. He gave to me one 0:33:51.590 --> 0:33:54.710 of the greatest definitions of truth that stood for, you know, 0:33:54.750 --> 0:33:57.430 4000 years, more or less, he said, you know, among 0:33:57.430 --> 0:34:00.670 the things that make truth true and universal and true 0:34:01.030 --> 0:34:04.390 and real truth is external to us. So it doesn't 0:34:04.390 --> 0:34:07.670 matter what you call personally feel about it. Uh, to go, 0:34:07.710 --> 0:34:11.390 it's external to you. So you may not like the fact, uh, 0:34:11.469 --> 0:34:13.509 that there's a, there's a, there's a traffic jam on 0:34:13.510 --> 0:34:15.310 the highway in front of you, but closing your eyes 0:34:15.310 --> 0:34:17.630 and wishing isn't going to make it go away. Um. 0:34:17.670 --> 0:34:22.110 Truth is universal. So you know something is true here 0:34:22.110 --> 0:34:26.950 in the UK. It's true in the USA. It's true globally. Um, 0:34:27.270 --> 0:34:30.790 so that truth, by its very nature is is true everywhere. 0:34:30.790 --> 0:34:33.950 Two plus two is four, wherever you go. And then 0:34:33.950 --> 0:34:37.950 true truth is also true. Throughout time. It's always been 0:34:37.950 --> 0:34:40.029 the case that two plus two is four. It will 0:34:40.030 --> 0:34:42.990 always be the case that two plus two is four. 0:34:43.030 --> 0:34:46.029 And it's interesting you ask that question about gravity. If 0:34:46.030 --> 0:34:47.950 grok was a human being, I would say so. You 0:34:47.950 --> 0:34:50.230 do think it's possible that you'll wake up tomorrow morning, grok, 0:34:50.230 --> 0:34:53.190 and be floating up near the ceiling somewhere, because gravity 0:34:53.190 --> 0:34:56.790 is just, uh, someone's perception. Um, you know, gravity, by 0:34:56.790 --> 0:34:59.109 its very nature, is external to us. We can't do 0:34:59.110 --> 0:35:00.989 anything about it. We're kind of stuck with it. And 0:35:00.989 --> 0:35:03.270 if you if you don't believe that, then perhaps don't 0:35:03.310 --> 0:35:05.910 take up skydiving as a hobby doctor. 0:35:05.910 --> 0:35:09.069 Andy Bannister, our guest right now. Now, you've written this, 0:35:09.070 --> 0:35:12.790 that I think is fascinating, that sometimes we can slip 0:35:12.790 --> 0:35:16.759 from the true claim that all people have equal value 0:35:16.760 --> 0:35:20.760 to the false claim that all ideas have equal merit. 0:35:20.800 --> 0:35:22.839 And I think that this is a good one to 0:35:22.880 --> 0:35:25.440 kind of dive into a little bit more, because sometimes 0:35:25.440 --> 0:35:29.759 it feels dishonoring to people to suggest that all ideas 0:35:29.760 --> 0:35:32.880 are not equal, even though all people have equal merit. 0:35:32.880 --> 0:35:34.040 Speak to that a little bit. 0:35:34.080 --> 0:35:36.160 That's the crucial thing, Ali, in our age right now, 0:35:36.160 --> 0:35:38.319 we've merged those two things. So when you say you 0:35:38.320 --> 0:35:41.239 disagree with someone that can be taken as as you 0:35:41.280 --> 0:35:43.240 hate them in some way, but that's such a dangerous 0:35:43.239 --> 0:35:46.600 slope to go on. First thing, it doesn't respect the person. 0:35:46.640 --> 0:35:48.400 You know. If you and I were sitting down over a, 0:35:48.440 --> 0:35:51.240 you know, for a coffee somewhere and I happened to say, uh, 0:35:51.239 --> 0:35:53.080 you know, come out with something that's not true. Perhaps 0:35:53.080 --> 0:35:55.560 as a Brit, I make some comment about American politics 0:35:55.560 --> 0:35:58.040 that you look at me and you go, classic, a classic, Brit. 0:35:58.080 --> 0:35:59.920 You got it wrong. If you just pat me on 0:35:59.920 --> 0:36:01.880 the head and go, no, that's okay. That's true for you. 0:36:01.880 --> 0:36:05.680 I won't offend you. Actually, that's treating me like an infant. Actually. 0:36:05.719 --> 0:36:09.200 It's going. Andy is so immature and so unsophisticated and 0:36:09.200 --> 0:36:12.520 so hopeless. I don't I don't challenge his wrong idea 0:36:12.520 --> 0:36:15.680 because he might get upset. That's actually infantilized me. It 0:36:15.680 --> 0:36:18.480 hasn't respected me. Respected me is going, hey, Andy, let 0:36:18.480 --> 0:36:20.680 me just stop you for a moment. What you've said there. 0:36:20.680 --> 0:36:22.960 I appreciate why you might think it, but it's not 0:36:22.960 --> 0:36:26.120 actually correct. Can I can I show you why now? Sure. 0:36:26.120 --> 0:36:27.439 You can do it in a hateful way. You can 0:36:27.480 --> 0:36:29.280 ding me round the head and go. You're crazy, nutter. 0:36:29.280 --> 0:36:33.160 You're just mad. That's not helpful. Um, but you can 0:36:33.160 --> 0:36:35.840 correct me in a way that's that's loving and engaging 0:36:35.840 --> 0:36:37.520 and treats me as an adult. So that's the first 0:36:37.520 --> 0:36:41.440 thing we actually infantilize people if we don't separate those 0:36:41.440 --> 0:36:44.840 two things. And then the other problem I think you 0:36:44.840 --> 0:36:47.520 run into there as well is we're back to the 0:36:47.560 --> 0:36:51.080 to the universal nature of truth. We do all kinds 0:36:51.080 --> 0:36:54.440 of damage to society. If we don't have a way 0:36:54.440 --> 0:36:56.799 of figuring out what's right and wrong and what's true 0:36:56.800 --> 0:36:58.640 and what isn't true, I mean, just take some of 0:36:58.640 --> 0:37:03.400 the big battles historically of our age. I was in America, um, 0:37:03.440 --> 0:37:06.040 kind of recently had spent three months over there, and 0:37:06.040 --> 0:37:08.600 one of my highlights was being in Washington and standing 0:37:08.600 --> 0:37:11.279 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where, uh, you know, 0:37:11.320 --> 0:37:13.450 Martin Luther King gave that. gave that amazing I have 0:37:13.450 --> 0:37:16.330 a dream speech. And, you know, you look back to 0:37:16.330 --> 0:37:19.250 those great moments in American history where where justice has 0:37:19.250 --> 0:37:21.930 rolled forward. What does it mean if it turns around 0:37:21.930 --> 0:37:24.089 and going, well, you can't challenge someone in injustice because 0:37:24.090 --> 0:37:25.890 we might offend them. Maybe it's not the case that 0:37:25.890 --> 0:37:27.890 all people are born equal. You know, if you believe 0:37:27.890 --> 0:37:30.730 in slavery and racism, that's okay. We'll just pat you 0:37:30.730 --> 0:37:32.890 on the head and let you be. I think that's 0:37:32.890 --> 0:37:35.770 a devastating place to end up. I think actually, things 0:37:35.770 --> 0:37:38.930 like justice and human rights, as well as the bigger 0:37:38.930 --> 0:37:42.609 questions of faith and God and spirituality and Jesus and 0:37:42.610 --> 0:37:47.650 so forth, all those things collapse utterly if we forget 0:37:47.650 --> 0:37:49.770 how to talk about truth, even if some of those 0:37:49.770 --> 0:37:52.650 conversations aren't always easy ones. 0:37:53.050 --> 0:37:53.530 Yeah. 0:37:53.570 --> 0:37:56.330 Andy Bannister, that's a good bump of the cup, because 0:37:56.370 --> 0:38:02.810 oftentimes angry evangelicals, uh, dominate the landscape. And their their 0:38:03.130 --> 0:38:07.090 willingness to embrace what is real for someone else is 0:38:07.090 --> 0:38:10.969 oftentimes wanting. And that's a great challenge, Andy, I love that. 0:38:11.010 --> 0:38:13.730 Love your heart. They're coming up here in a moment. 0:38:14.290 --> 0:38:17.129 We live in a world, Andy, that each man is 0:38:17.130 --> 0:38:19.730 doing what seems right in their own eyes. It's the 0:38:19.730 --> 0:38:25.330 absence of truth. It's very subjective. Relative. How do we 0:38:25.370 --> 0:38:29.690 witness in a world without absolute truth? More with Andy Bannister. 0:38:29.690 --> 0:38:30.410 Straight ahead. 0:38:31.770 --> 0:38:35.850 Romans eight brought her to Jesus while broadcasting traffic overnight. 0:38:36.170 --> 0:38:39.850 Super die is in the crew. It's curl and crew 0:38:39.890 --> 0:38:41.129 on Moody Radio. 0:38:41.489 --> 0:38:45.770 All week debunking myths today. There is no absolute truth. 0:38:45.810 --> 0:38:48.010 Andy Bannister, our guest from the other side of the pond. 0:38:48.050 --> 0:38:50.690 Good to have you, Andy. The last words in the 0:38:50.690 --> 0:38:55.570 book of Judges are unnerving. Everyone did what was right 0:38:55.570 --> 0:39:00.170 in his own eyes. My question revolves around moral relativism. 0:39:00.450 --> 0:39:04.850 If all morality is relative to the person at hand, 0:39:05.010 --> 0:39:13.219 doesn't this lead to sexual relativism, even, uh, Of raising children. Relativism. Uh, 0:39:13.219 --> 0:39:17.020 death relativism. Doesn't it lead to each man does what 0:39:17.020 --> 0:39:19.020 is right in almost any and everything? 0:39:19.060 --> 0:39:22.660 Andi it does, Carl. But with one just minor thing, 0:39:22.660 --> 0:39:24.620 I would I would add that I found interesting over 0:39:24.620 --> 0:39:27.899 the years, most people I've met who are moral relativists, 0:39:27.900 --> 0:39:30.100 we live in a very relativistic culture. You've summed it 0:39:30.100 --> 0:39:32.460 up well, but no one is a moral relativist in 0:39:32.460 --> 0:39:34.700 the sense that they're willing for people to be relativistic. 0:39:34.700 --> 0:39:37.460 To them. Most people are moral relativists. They want the 0:39:37.460 --> 0:39:39.620 freedom to do what they want, but they want other 0:39:39.620 --> 0:39:42.899 people to respect them. I remember once talking to a 0:39:42.940 --> 0:39:45.540 to a student years ago who was a moral relativist, 0:39:45.540 --> 0:39:48.140 and we're having quite a sort of frustrating conversation. And 0:39:48.140 --> 0:39:50.379 then this light bulb moment occurred to me and she 0:39:50.380 --> 0:39:52.739 was banging on about, there's no moral values, everything is 0:39:52.739 --> 0:39:56.020 personal and so forth. So I leant across mid-conversation and 0:39:56.020 --> 0:39:57.900 just picked up her phone and put it in my pocket, 0:39:58.260 --> 0:40:00.140 and she said, what are you doing? I said, oh, 0:40:00.140 --> 0:40:02.339 I've stolen your phone. Carry on. You were saying, she's like, well, 0:40:02.340 --> 0:40:03.899 I want my phone back. I went, no, no, no, 0:40:03.900 --> 0:40:06.739 you've just told me that morals are relative and you've 0:40:06.739 --> 0:40:09.339 convinced me. So I think stealing phones is okay. It's 0:40:09.340 --> 0:40:11.420 okay for me. Might not be okay for you, but 0:40:11.420 --> 0:40:13.420 it's okay for me. It's my phone now. So you 0:40:13.420 --> 0:40:16.620 were saying? Finally she starts banging the table, saying, give 0:40:16.620 --> 0:40:18.580 me my phone back. I went, I'll give you your 0:40:18.580 --> 0:40:21.940 phone back. When you concede that some morals may be 0:40:21.940 --> 0:40:25.420 more than relativistic. And she grinned and went, yeah. Okay. 0:40:25.460 --> 0:40:26.739 Fair point. Can I have my phone? 0:40:26.780 --> 0:40:27.460 Give me my phone. 0:40:27.500 --> 0:40:32.819 So yeah, moral relativism works if people abide by your rules. 0:40:32.980 --> 0:40:35.940 And I always think that inconsistency is is interesting. So 0:40:35.940 --> 0:40:38.620 if you're listening to this and you've got friends, family members, 0:40:38.660 --> 0:40:40.620 you know who are in this position, just turn the 0:40:40.620 --> 0:40:43.859 tables gently and go, are you genuinely willing to let 0:40:43.900 --> 0:40:47.259 other people behave to you entirely as they like? I 0:40:47.260 --> 0:40:50.419 don't think you are. So there's a hypocrisy issue going 0:40:50.420 --> 0:40:53.219 on here. So it's not quite. Society is perhaps not 0:40:53.219 --> 0:40:56.700 quite as relativistic as we might first think at times. 0:40:57.420 --> 0:41:00.100 Doctor Andy Bannister, our guest right now. I love that question. 0:41:00.100 --> 0:41:04.060 I know you're big on asking questions in terms of 0:41:04.060 --> 0:41:07.589 engaging in these conversations. Give us some more suggestions for 0:41:07.590 --> 0:41:11.350 how to nudge someone lovingly toward at least an openness 0:41:11.390 --> 0:41:14.629 to the idea that there is an absolute truth, that 0:41:14.630 --> 0:41:16.870 there is moral absolute. 0:41:17.910 --> 0:41:20.190 Yeah, I think one of the first things I would 0:41:20.190 --> 0:41:23.029 say when you're talking to someone about this, the word morality, 0:41:23.030 --> 0:41:25.310 I think, sometimes causes a problem because if you're dealing 0:41:25.310 --> 0:41:27.790 with somebody, as there are many in our culture who 0:41:27.830 --> 0:41:31.830 are suspicious about religion, sometimes in their mind morality can 0:41:31.870 --> 0:41:36.270 sort of mean this very dry, desiccated, almost, almost pharisaism. 0:41:36.310 --> 0:41:38.230 You know, they've got this idea that religious people like 0:41:38.230 --> 0:41:40.830 to sit up there looking down at others and intoning 0:41:40.830 --> 0:41:43.069 these other things you should do, and these are things 0:41:43.070 --> 0:41:47.150 you shouldn't do, and they react. And I'm sympathetic in 0:41:47.190 --> 0:41:49.109 that because Jesus had a few words to say for 0:41:49.110 --> 0:41:52.950 the Pharisees. So a great question to ask somebody might be, hey, 0:41:53.150 --> 0:41:55.149 what do you think morality is? What do you mean 0:41:55.150 --> 0:41:58.790 by morality? What is it we're talking about? Because that's 0:41:58.790 --> 0:42:01.469 I think, sets up, you know, if they give you 0:42:01.469 --> 0:42:03.469 that kind of sort of language back to say, well, 0:42:03.510 --> 0:42:06.030 you know what? Jesus talks a lot about the good life, 0:42:06.239 --> 0:42:08.759 but I don't think he used those. That language. I 0:42:08.760 --> 0:42:12.120 think what I find attractive about Jesus, you know, his 0:42:12.120 --> 0:42:15.400 whole message was God wants the very best for us. 0:42:15.400 --> 0:42:17.919 He wants us to be in relationship with him. He 0:42:17.920 --> 0:42:19.759 wants us to love him and love each other. That 0:42:19.760 --> 0:42:23.799 was the two commands Jesus reduced the law to, and 0:42:23.800 --> 0:42:27.919 everything flows out of that. And so certainly for Christian ethics, 0:42:28.200 --> 0:42:30.879 Christian ethics, and Christian morality, I think when you read 0:42:30.880 --> 0:42:34.160 the New Testament really should be an attitude of gratitude. 0:42:34.160 --> 0:42:36.440 It flows out of, because what God has done for 0:42:36.440 --> 0:42:39.760 us in Christ therefore live differently. You could argue that's 0:42:39.760 --> 0:42:43.080 a summary of all Paul's teaching on ethics, frankly. And 0:42:43.080 --> 0:42:45.600 if that's what ethics is, it looks great when it 0:42:45.600 --> 0:42:49.120 gets disconnected from Jesus, and that the life that God 0:42:49.120 --> 0:42:54.440 intends for us to have and becomes just dry, desiccated commandments, 0:42:54.800 --> 0:42:57.720 no wonder it looks problematic and no longer no wonder 0:42:57.719 --> 0:43:00.560 why people then react against it as people react to 0:43:00.600 --> 0:43:03.360 the Pharisees. But I think the way into that conversation 0:43:03.640 --> 0:43:06.240 is to say to your friend, hey, when you say morality, 0:43:06.280 --> 0:43:07.719 what do you mean by that? What does that word 0:43:07.719 --> 0:43:09.920 mean to you? Because I think most people would see 0:43:09.920 --> 0:43:12.560 it negatively, not positively. And so you've got to start 0:43:12.560 --> 0:43:14.440 a few steps back. Does that kind of make sense? 0:43:14.480 --> 0:43:15.360 Yes. That's excellent. 0:43:15.360 --> 0:43:18.960 That's really good. Andy Bannister our guest right now okay. 0:43:18.960 --> 0:43:20.959 So I'm going with this idea. And I think you're 0:43:20.960 --> 0:43:24.400 right on. Everybody seeks the good life, whatever that may 0:43:24.400 --> 0:43:28.440 look like if that's the case. Andy, I've been so intrigued. 0:43:28.480 --> 0:43:31.960 I'm most intrigued with Paul before. Agrippa. Here's a man 0:43:31.960 --> 0:43:34.440 that's being called down on his mission, and what he 0:43:34.440 --> 0:43:37.200 does is he shares his story. And it must have 0:43:37.200 --> 0:43:39.800 been it was three minutes and 10s at reading pace 0:43:39.800 --> 0:43:44.280 to tell his story. Yeah. And it's so rattled, Agrippa, 0:43:44.280 --> 0:43:45.799 he says, do you think you're going to convert me 0:43:45.800 --> 0:43:50.440 in such a short time? It isn't our story, that 0:43:50.440 --> 0:43:55.080 truth of the good life in us. Isn't that maybe 0:43:55.080 --> 0:43:59.520 one of the best points of argumentation from an apologetic 0:43:59.560 --> 0:44:00.600 that's effective? 0:44:01.440 --> 0:44:04.529 Totally. I would say there are two components to it, 0:44:04.530 --> 0:44:07.930 to a really powerful presentation of the gospel and apologetic 0:44:07.930 --> 0:44:10.489 if you want to use the technical language. Carl, I 0:44:10.489 --> 0:44:12.210 think the first is our story, and I'll say briefly 0:44:12.210 --> 0:44:14.250 why in a second. But then coupled with that is 0:44:14.250 --> 0:44:16.730 why people should take our story seriously. Because if you 0:44:16.730 --> 0:44:19.370 just tell your story, everyone's got a story. Our Buddhist 0:44:19.370 --> 0:44:21.570 friends have a story. Our Muslim friends have a story. 0:44:21.610 --> 0:44:23.969 If you just have a story, people need to know 0:44:23.969 --> 0:44:26.130 why I should take it seriously so that that is important. 0:44:26.130 --> 0:44:29.169 But the story piece is crucial because I think we're 0:44:29.210 --> 0:44:33.290 in a time increasingly where more and more, especially younger people, 0:44:33.330 --> 0:44:36.930 are not asking the question so much is Christianity true? 0:44:37.410 --> 0:44:40.570 That comes later. They're asking the question, does it matter? 0:44:40.570 --> 0:44:43.330 Does it make a difference? And your story can answer 0:44:43.330 --> 0:44:45.890 that question. And by the way, on the morality piece, 0:44:45.890 --> 0:44:48.649 I think it's a very powerful approach. If rather than 0:44:48.690 --> 0:44:50.729 sort of bang on about this is right and this 0:44:50.730 --> 0:44:53.969 is wrong and starting there. What about backing up and saying, look, 0:44:54.010 --> 0:44:56.370 the reason I follow Jesus is, look, I'm not a 0:44:56.370 --> 0:44:59.050 good person. I know the kind of person I am. Yes. 0:44:59.090 --> 0:45:01.970 And I'm hugely grateful for what God did for me 0:45:01.969 --> 0:45:04.290 in coming the person of Jesus while I was still 0:45:04.290 --> 0:45:06.450 a scumbag, while I was still a rotter, while I 0:45:06.450 --> 0:45:09.129 was still God's enemies. You're paraphrasing Romans five verse eight, 0:45:09.130 --> 0:45:11.730 by the way, here. And to go, I'm so grateful 0:45:11.730 --> 0:45:15.410 that God welcomed me into his family and forgave me 0:45:15.410 --> 0:45:17.969 in Christ while I was not a good person. And 0:45:17.969 --> 0:45:20.010 you know what? I'm still not a good person. I'm, 0:45:20.050 --> 0:45:23.770 praise God, a better person because of God's work transforming me. 0:45:23.770 --> 0:45:26.090 But there are days when you know I'm still a 0:45:26.090 --> 0:45:28.850 bit of a mess. But actually what I'm what I 0:45:28.890 --> 0:45:31.330 love about being a Christian is God doesn't say, be 0:45:31.330 --> 0:45:34.130 a better person, sort your life out, but forgives you 0:45:34.410 --> 0:45:36.970 and takes the initiative and then through the spirit in you, 0:45:37.010 --> 0:45:40.290 gives you the power to begin changing and living differently. 0:45:40.290 --> 0:45:43.129 And that's a very different story, a story of morality. 0:45:43.170 --> 0:45:45.330 I think people think the church is sitting there, do 0:45:45.330 --> 0:45:47.930 this and don't do the other thing. That's a I 0:45:47.969 --> 0:45:51.290 think that's a caricature of the gospel. Rather, the gospel says, no, 0:45:51.290 --> 0:45:54.650 here is the power to change and the power to 0:45:54.690 --> 0:45:57.890 live differently, beginning with becoming a new creation in and 0:45:57.890 --> 0:45:58.690 through Jesus. 0:45:58.850 --> 0:46:00.930 Doctor Andy Bannister, our guest right now, I want to 0:46:01.020 --> 0:46:04.420 point you to a resource. He's edited and contributed a 0:46:04.420 --> 0:46:08.180 chapter to a book called Have You Ever Wondered Finding 0:46:08.180 --> 0:46:12.100 the everyday clues to meaning, purpose, and spirituality? Just text 0:46:12.140 --> 0:46:21.580 wonder to 855 five 7898. Text wonder to 800 555 7898. 0:46:21.780 --> 0:46:24.180 I don't want to let him go, Andy. Hold on 0:46:24.180 --> 0:46:27.500 here a second. I think there's a lot of people, 0:46:27.500 --> 0:46:30.739 many tens of thousands listening across North America right now, 0:46:30.780 --> 0:46:35.500 maybe many more. They have an incredible heart to see. 0:46:35.540 --> 0:46:38.140 And this is an epidemic across America, as I'm sure 0:46:38.140 --> 0:46:40.420 it is in Europe. A lot of kids were raised 0:46:40.420 --> 0:46:43.180 in church, but they were never in Christ. 0:46:44.100 --> 0:46:44.420 Yeah. 0:46:44.460 --> 0:46:47.899 How in the world do we break through that relativism 0:46:47.900 --> 0:46:52.540 that those kids have embraced in a word, in a phrase, 0:46:52.540 --> 0:46:54.540 in a paragraph? What do you say, Andy? 0:46:54.780 --> 0:46:57.700 Well, since Ali. Ali very kindly mentioned the book, the 0:46:57.700 --> 0:46:59.580 approach that we take in that book is to start 0:46:59.580 --> 0:47:02.540 with the things that those kids care about. This, by 0:47:02.540 --> 0:47:04.500 the way, is what Paul does in acts 17. He 0:47:04.500 --> 0:47:07.700 starts with what his audience care about there in Athens. 0:47:07.739 --> 0:47:09.339 Start with what they care about. And most young people 0:47:09.340 --> 0:47:12.780 I meet are passionate about things like justice. They're passionate 0:47:12.780 --> 0:47:15.660 about things like human rights. And that's a great place 0:47:15.660 --> 0:47:18.500 to start with those things that they already care about 0:47:18.500 --> 0:47:20.859 and then be gently saying, look, all those things that 0:47:20.860 --> 0:47:23.580 you matter about, those things that you're animated about, they 0:47:23.580 --> 0:47:27.060 only make sense. They only work if human life has value, 0:47:27.060 --> 0:47:32.100 if human beings genuinely, genuinely have dignity and value and worth, 0:47:32.100 --> 0:47:35.060 if we are nothing more than a collection of atoms, 0:47:35.060 --> 0:47:37.620 then justice goes out the window. Human rights is just 0:47:37.620 --> 0:47:41.700 a ludicrous idea. It's meaningless. On the other hand, if 0:47:41.700 --> 0:47:44.739 the Christian story is true that we were created in 0:47:44.739 --> 0:47:47.700 God's image, that God demonstrates our value by dying for 0:47:47.700 --> 0:47:51.259 us in Christ, then yeah, there are questions that need answering. 0:47:51.260 --> 0:47:54.379 But here's the good news that gives a foundation for 0:47:54.380 --> 0:47:57.700 all the things you care about. Justice. Yes, matters. Racism 0:47:57.700 --> 0:48:01.430 is wrong. Human rights is really important, but those things 0:48:01.430 --> 0:48:04.510 only matter if Christianity is true. So try and find 0:48:04.550 --> 0:48:09.030 something in where your friends, your son, your daughter, your grandchild, 0:48:09.030 --> 0:48:11.510 whoever it is you care about, try and find something 0:48:11.510 --> 0:48:14.469 where they are actually already camped without realizing it. On 0:48:14.469 --> 0:48:17.350 part of the Christian story and effectively you're you're saying 0:48:17.390 --> 0:48:19.830 to them, come on home, you're kind of halfway there. 0:48:19.870 --> 0:48:22.709 I know, yes, you've got frustrations and questions. Bring those. 0:48:22.710 --> 0:48:24.790 The church is a place for those things. But come 0:48:24.790 --> 0:48:26.830 on back to where those things you already care about 0:48:26.870 --> 0:48:29.830 actually best make sense? That's how I often start with 0:48:29.830 --> 0:48:31.110 young adults and young people. 0:48:31.350 --> 0:48:35.589 That's powerhouse. Andy Bannister, our guest here, guys. And again Ali, 0:48:35.590 --> 0:48:37.190 we got a link, don't we? And this is a 0:48:37.190 --> 0:48:38.109 great resource. 0:48:38.110 --> 0:48:46.590 Just text wonder to (800) 555-7898. Wonder to 800 555 7898. 0:48:47.150 --> 0:48:50.109 He's a sports fanatic with a stat for anything you 0:48:50.110 --> 0:48:54.390 can think of. Young Thunder is in the crew. It's 0:48:54.390 --> 0:48:56.830 curling crew on Moody Radio. Zero. 0:48:58.190 --> 0:49:01.390 This whole week we're going to be debunking myths. They happened. 0:49:01.790 --> 0:49:05.150 I saw a story here recently where children across the 0:49:05.150 --> 0:49:08.549 world are rejoicing because they had been told forever and 0:49:08.550 --> 0:49:10.670 a day that you have to wait 20 to 30 0:49:10.670 --> 0:49:12.390 minutes after you eat a meal before you get in 0:49:12.390 --> 0:49:13.310 the swimming pool. 0:49:14.230 --> 0:49:15.390 That's a popular one. 0:49:15.989 --> 0:49:18.270 Now they're debunking it. I mean, I saw it on 0:49:18.270 --> 0:49:23.670 a network newscast that that has that was a myth. 0:49:23.670 --> 0:49:26.390 But boy, did I believe it. I thought, I don't 0:49:26.390 --> 0:49:28.350 get in that pool. I'm going to cramp up and 0:49:28.350 --> 0:49:29.509 go to the bottom of this. 0:49:29.550 --> 0:49:31.989 That's exactly what you think. The worst possible thing. If 0:49:31.989 --> 0:49:34.069 I eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and then 0:49:34.070 --> 0:49:38.390 get in the pool, I'm going down immediately. Yeah, it's 0:49:38.390 --> 0:49:40.350 kind of what they make you think. 0:49:40.469 --> 0:49:40.950 No. 0:49:40.989 --> 0:49:43.430 And the question is, how many of mom's carrots that 0:49:43.430 --> 0:49:46.069 are split open for me on this tray, on this 0:49:46.070 --> 0:49:49.310 tray are going to have that effect. I remember as 0:49:49.310 --> 0:49:52.550 a little kid thinking in Tempe, Arizona, sixth grade, thinking 0:49:52.550 --> 0:49:55.270 how many of these carrots constitute a meal? 0:49:57.320 --> 0:49:58.920 Isn't that funny? It's awesome. 0:49:58.960 --> 0:49:59.520 Yes. 0:50:00.400 --> 0:50:00.719 And I'm. 0:50:00.719 --> 0:50:02.960 Telling you, every parent believed that myth. 0:50:03.280 --> 0:50:03.600 And. 0:50:03.600 --> 0:50:04.719 Passed it down. 0:50:04.960 --> 0:50:05.680 Oh, yeah. 0:50:05.800 --> 0:50:08.360 Generation after generation, apparently. 0:50:08.640 --> 0:50:08.879 Okay. 0:50:08.920 --> 0:50:10.960 And now that myth has been blown out of the water. 0:50:11.000 --> 0:50:13.840 How about this one? Um, Bulls hate the color red. 0:50:14.000 --> 0:50:15.160 It enrages them. 0:50:15.640 --> 0:50:17.320 Did you believe myth? It's a myth. 0:50:17.600 --> 0:50:18.399 Definitely a. 0:50:18.400 --> 0:50:18.879 Myth. Okay. 0:50:18.920 --> 0:50:21.520 Myth. Okay. I did not know that until this very moment. 0:50:21.560 --> 0:50:24.319 Bats are blind. Also a myth. 0:50:24.360 --> 0:50:25.320 That's a blind. 0:50:25.480 --> 0:50:26.040 Blind is. 0:50:26.040 --> 0:50:26.440 A bat. 0:50:26.480 --> 0:50:28.080 Yeah, but they're not. I thought. 0:50:28.120 --> 0:50:28.760 They are not. 0:50:28.920 --> 0:50:29.360 Gray. 0:50:29.400 --> 0:50:30.719 They are not blind. 0:50:30.760 --> 0:50:32.759 I thought they just saw, like gray. Okay. 0:50:33.160 --> 0:50:36.160 Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 5 to 7 years. 0:50:36.200 --> 0:50:37.360 Yeah. It doesn't. 0:50:37.800 --> 0:50:42.040 It doesn't. How about this one? We only use 10% 0:50:42.040 --> 0:50:43.160 of our brains. 0:50:44.000 --> 0:50:46.759 Not true. Well, hold it. 0:50:47.560 --> 0:50:50.440 Hold it, hold it. Time out here a second. Some 0:50:50.440 --> 0:50:52.640 days it feels like that. Would you go with that one? 0:50:52.680 --> 0:50:53.080 I would go. 0:50:53.120 --> 0:50:55.400 With that one. But I mean I'm as I'm looking 0:50:55.400 --> 0:50:57.799 at some of these commonly believed myths, a lot of 0:50:57.800 --> 0:51:00.640 them are being corrected. I thought that you lose most 0:51:00.640 --> 0:51:02.280 of the heat through your head. 0:51:02.520 --> 0:51:02.960 Yeah. 0:51:03.000 --> 0:51:03.719 Myth. 0:51:04.680 --> 0:51:05.240 I don't know. 0:51:05.280 --> 0:51:05.640 That is. 0:51:05.640 --> 0:51:06.280 Not true. 0:51:06.320 --> 0:51:07.359 I disagree with that. 0:51:07.400 --> 0:51:07.799 What do you mean. 0:51:07.800 --> 0:51:08.680 You disagree with that? 0:51:08.719 --> 0:51:10.959 I disagree. It feels like most of the heat comes 0:51:10.960 --> 0:51:11.600 out of my head. 0:51:11.640 --> 0:51:12.520 It's not true. 0:51:12.560 --> 0:51:14.279 So you can play in the cold without a hat 0:51:14.320 --> 0:51:15.799 and not get not get a cold. 0:51:15.840 --> 0:51:18.200 You'll catch a cold if you go out. That also 0:51:18.239 --> 0:51:24.240 a myth. See? There you go. Colds are caused by viruses. Not. 0:51:24.280 --> 0:51:25.440 Don't tell the kids that. 0:51:27.320 --> 0:51:27.680 Yeah. 0:51:27.719 --> 0:51:31.600 No, I mean it. Yeah, it they are caused by viruses, 0:51:31.600 --> 0:51:33.799 not by going out and catching a cold. 0:51:33.840 --> 0:51:37.440 Although my grandma, she would she would argue all day 0:51:37.480 --> 0:51:38.640 up and down to. 0:51:38.800 --> 0:51:39.760 You're gonna catch a cold. 0:51:39.800 --> 0:51:41.720 You're gonna catch a cold out there. 0:51:42.960 --> 0:51:43.279 All right. 0:51:43.280 --> 0:51:44.960 Well, where are you going with this? Because right now 0:51:44.960 --> 0:51:46.560 you've just ruined my childhood. 0:51:46.600 --> 0:51:47.439 Ali just. 0:51:47.480 --> 0:51:48.400 Totally destroyed. 0:51:48.400 --> 0:51:48.720 It. 0:51:48.760 --> 0:51:50.600 I want to hear from you. You've got one of 0:51:50.600 --> 0:51:54.250 those myths you always believe to be true. And then 0:51:54.290 --> 0:51:59.250 you realized, uh oh, that's not true at all. 855 0:51:59.290 --> 0:52:02.250 five 7898 you can call or text on this one. 0:52:02.290 --> 0:52:05.890 What's that myth that boy you believed was true until 0:52:05.890 --> 0:52:10.170 it was debunked? 855 five 7898. 0:52:10.210 --> 0:52:12.290 I want to hear voices on this one. So let's 0:52:12.290 --> 0:52:13.210 get as many callers. 0:52:13.210 --> 0:52:14.410 As we can get calls. 0:52:14.450 --> 0:52:17.530 What are those myths that need to be debunked or 0:52:17.570 --> 0:52:23.130 that you found out that wasn't true? 855 five 7898 0:52:23.570 --> 0:52:27.529 goodness sakes, some of these you just gave me, it's 0:52:27.530 --> 0:52:29.890 going to take me a few minutes to recover, right? 0:52:30.850 --> 0:52:32.290 I don't know if I'm going to make it. 0:52:33.890 --> 0:52:37.050 Get to know the team behind the scenes. Follow Carl 0:52:37.050 --> 0:52:39.170 and crew on Facebook and Instagram. 0:52:39.210 --> 0:52:41.649 Man, I'm glad this one's a myth. You can get 0:52:41.690 --> 0:52:43.610 warts from touching toads. 0:52:44.730 --> 0:52:47.090 Oh yeah, I did used to think that one. 0:52:47.250 --> 0:52:48.410 Yep. You did. Yeah. 0:52:48.450 --> 0:52:49.930 Oh, I definitely thought that one. 0:52:49.969 --> 0:52:52.049 Well, I'm glad I didn't, because I touched a lot 0:52:52.180 --> 0:52:52.580 of toads. 0:52:52.580 --> 0:52:53.540 And you were all good. 0:52:53.860 --> 0:52:58.660 Yeah. No warts. Uh, if you swallow watermelon seeds, you'll 0:52:58.660 --> 0:53:00.500 grow watermelon in your stomach. 0:53:00.540 --> 0:53:04.020 Yep. Come on. I feel like I should have. 0:53:04.020 --> 0:53:07.220 Thought more deeply about that one, because. Yes, I believed that, too. 0:53:07.700 --> 0:53:09.020 All you got to do is do a little bit 0:53:09.020 --> 0:53:13.340 of thinking, going. Hmm. I wonder how often that's happened. 0:53:13.380 --> 0:53:16.899 It just keeps getting repeated. And so it you don't 0:53:16.900 --> 0:53:18.660 even critically examine it. 0:53:18.700 --> 0:53:21.300 It happens. When I was a little kid, my older 0:53:21.300 --> 0:53:23.100 brothers told me, you know how when you get, like, 0:53:23.100 --> 0:53:25.500 a pizza from, like, I don't know, like a Papa 0:53:25.500 --> 0:53:27.379 John's or something like that. And there's those little, like, 0:53:27.380 --> 0:53:28.500 air bubbles on them. 0:53:28.940 --> 0:53:29.340 Yes. 0:53:29.380 --> 0:53:31.420 Yeah. My brothers, when I was like five, my brothers 0:53:31.420 --> 0:53:33.420 told me that there were little pizza men inside of 0:53:33.420 --> 0:53:35.260 those bubbles that when I ate them, they would swim 0:53:35.260 --> 0:53:40.819 around inside and make me healthy. That's so. I don't 0:53:40.820 --> 0:53:42.060 think that's a I don't think that's. 0:53:42.060 --> 0:53:44.300 A common one. I give your. 0:53:44.540 --> 0:53:46.340 Brothers an honorable mention. 0:53:46.340 --> 0:53:48.580 For that one. Yeah, that's pretty creative. 0:53:48.739 --> 0:53:49.580 That's really. 0:53:49.580 --> 0:53:50.500 Creative. Yeah. 0:53:51.900 --> 0:53:55.500 Ivy in Ohio. What's that myth that was debunked for you? 0:53:56.380 --> 0:54:00.740 Well, all right, so it wasn't exactly debunked for me, but, uh, 0:54:00.980 --> 0:54:05.180 I don't I don't, uh, it's the one that says that, uh, 0:54:05.219 --> 0:54:07.700 dogs can only see black and white. I don't know, 0:54:07.739 --> 0:54:10.180 I feel like I feel like my dog can definitely 0:54:10.180 --> 0:54:11.380 see color. That's all. Oh. 0:54:12.260 --> 0:54:16.020 So you're still believing it, even though it might be true? Okay, 0:54:16.060 --> 0:54:18.020 I get you. Ivy. Actually, I appreciate. 0:54:18.180 --> 0:54:20.660 Ivy is correct. Saying he feels like his dog doesn't 0:54:20.660 --> 0:54:23.300 see just black and white because that that is a myth. 0:54:23.340 --> 0:54:26.700 Dogs can see more color than just black and white. 0:54:26.739 --> 0:54:27.500 Oh, yeah. 0:54:27.540 --> 0:54:29.819 Okay, so. So he is. He he thinks that it 0:54:29.820 --> 0:54:32.739 wasn't debunked, but it's debunked now. Because it is. It 0:54:32.739 --> 0:54:33.820 is incorrect. 0:54:33.860 --> 0:54:34.980 That's good to know. 0:54:35.020 --> 0:54:35.779 Yeah. Did you. 0:54:35.900 --> 0:54:36.899 Know did you know that when. 0:54:36.900 --> 0:54:38.460 Carl was here I had heard. 0:54:38.500 --> 0:54:41.100 You know, one time I had 50 huskies. And I 0:54:41.100 --> 0:54:44.020 believe that until this day, I thought that they could 0:54:44.020 --> 0:54:46.060 see two shades of black and white. Okay. 0:54:46.100 --> 0:54:46.739 I thought my dog. 0:54:46.739 --> 0:54:47.860 Was living in the 60s. 0:54:47.900 --> 0:54:49.500 Nope. All right. 0:54:49.540 --> 0:54:52.029 I thought my dog was living in the 60s. You're 0:54:52.030 --> 0:54:56.150 a piece of work. Oh my goodness. Yeah. Swallow your gum. 0:54:56.150 --> 0:54:59.150 One came through. I'm still having a hard time with bulls. 0:54:59.150 --> 0:55:03.390 Don't charge or irritated by red. Then what in the 0:55:03.390 --> 0:55:06.190 world is the guy out there doing the. 0:55:06.230 --> 0:55:08.069 It's the movement of the blanket. 0:55:08.230 --> 0:55:08.469 Yeah. 0:55:08.510 --> 0:55:09.590 Not the color. 0:55:09.989 --> 0:55:12.310 The bulls actually don't see the color. 0:55:12.910 --> 0:55:16.029 So it's the movement. It's not the color. So the 0:55:16.030 --> 0:55:18.350 color is more for the spectators than it is for 0:55:18.350 --> 0:55:18.710 the bulls? 0:55:18.750 --> 0:55:19.670 Exactly. It's been. 0:55:19.710 --> 0:55:22.310 Well, there you go. There you go. I don't know 0:55:22.310 --> 0:55:24.469 if this is a good segment or not. It's just 0:55:24.469 --> 0:55:26.549 making life sad for me because a lot of these, 0:55:26.550 --> 0:55:30.430 I was just enjoying believing. Now it's pretty good, I'll 0:55:30.430 --> 0:55:35.230 tell you. Stephanie in Indiana, what myth was debunked for you? Steph? 0:55:35.270 --> 0:55:35.629 I love. 0:55:36.230 --> 0:55:39.710 The myth. If you tuck your hair behind your ears 0:55:39.750 --> 0:55:45.190 and it'll eventually make your ears stick out permanently. My grandma. 0:55:45.190 --> 0:55:49.350 My grandma used to say that Grandma's man. 0:55:49.390 --> 0:55:50.590 Grandma's are the source. 0:55:50.590 --> 0:55:51.830 Of a lot of these myths. 0:55:51.870 --> 0:55:55.710 I'm telling you, they do a lot over time. 0:55:55.750 --> 0:55:59.069 The repeated tucking is going to cause those ears that 0:55:59.750 --> 0:56:03.310 I've not heard that one. But, Stephanie, that is hilarious. 0:56:03.350 --> 0:56:05.870 Lest I get a myth out there about cats, could 0:56:05.870 --> 0:56:08.270 you please check this one out? Here's what I've heard. 0:56:08.310 --> 0:56:09.270 Okay. What if it's. 0:56:09.270 --> 0:56:11.910 Right or wrong? I've heard that cats do not see 0:56:11.910 --> 0:56:14.550 well at all beyond like 30, 40ft. 0:56:14.590 --> 0:56:17.549 Okay, let me see if I can figure it out. 0:56:17.550 --> 0:56:23.270 That somebody check that one out, would you please? Uh, yes. 0607. 0:56:23.270 --> 0:56:25.990 Thank you. If you swallow your gum, your guts will 0:56:25.989 --> 0:56:30.430 stick together. No, I had not heard that one. That is, 0:56:30.989 --> 0:56:34.630 there's some things people ought not tell their children at all. 0:56:34.630 --> 0:56:36.710 That would be one of them. Your guts are going 0:56:36.750 --> 0:56:38.790 to stick together if you swallow your gum. I heard 0:56:38.790 --> 0:56:41.190 that it stayed in your belly for 5 to 7 years. 0:56:41.230 --> 0:56:42.550 Found out that one's a lie. 0:56:42.590 --> 0:56:44.470 Yeah, that one I believed too. 0:56:46.070 --> 0:56:49.600 If I drink too much water, says 2857, I'll have 0:56:49.600 --> 0:56:53.840 frogs in my stomach. Who tells people this stuff? 0:56:53.920 --> 0:56:57.360 Also, Carl, you were correct about cats. They they can 0:56:57.360 --> 0:57:01.680 see blurry past 20ft, but but it's blurry. 0:57:02.800 --> 0:57:06.840 So they have less. Their vision is less sharp than humans. 0:57:06.880 --> 0:57:08.040 I'm going to tell you something funny. 0:57:08.080 --> 0:57:08.759 Interesting. 0:57:08.800 --> 0:57:11.000 I felt sad for her two rescue cats when I 0:57:11.000 --> 0:57:13.959 heard that last week. I felt sad for them because what? 0:57:14.000 --> 0:57:18.800 Beyond 20ft is so much awesome stuff and these guys 0:57:18.800 --> 0:57:19.640 can't see it. 0:57:19.680 --> 0:57:20.040 Well, they just. 0:57:20.040 --> 0:57:20.920 Got to get closer. 0:57:21.480 --> 0:57:21.919 I know. 0:57:21.920 --> 0:57:22.280 But. 0:57:23.520 --> 0:57:26.920 It's hard to. They're stuck in a house. They can't 0:57:26.920 --> 0:57:29.400 see the beautiful green tree. 0:57:29.440 --> 0:57:31.760 Well, there's an opportunity. Maybe they need glasses because I 0:57:31.760 --> 0:57:34.200 don't know how well I see beyond 20ft. 0:57:34.200 --> 0:57:35.320 Without my glasses. 0:57:35.360 --> 0:57:35.920 Just take them to. 0:57:35.920 --> 0:57:36.800 The coming up. 0:57:37.000 --> 0:57:40.520 Taking more of your calls. It's a little crazy. Debunking myths. 0:57:40.520 --> 0:57:43.400 What's the myth? You believe that? Now you go. Someone 0:57:43.400 --> 0:57:48.080 was pulling one over on me. The 800 555 7898. 0:57:48.120 --> 0:57:50.480 Give us a call. We'd love to hear your voice. 0:57:50.800 --> 0:57:53.560 Tune in whenever you like. Check out the Carl and 0:57:53.560 --> 0:57:56.160 Crew podcast wherever you like to stream. 0:57:56.640 --> 0:57:58.960 Just having a short shot of fun. What myths were 0:57:58.960 --> 0:58:04.760 debunked for you? Oh, grandpa, why'd you do this? 6021 0:58:04.760 --> 0:58:06.840 says when I was young, my grandpa used to tell 0:58:06.840 --> 0:58:10.080 me that dragonflies would seal your eyeballs shut if you 0:58:10.080 --> 0:58:11.440 let them get too close. 0:58:11.800 --> 0:58:12.480 What? 0:58:12.520 --> 0:58:13.880 That's such a weird one. 0:58:14.400 --> 0:58:15.800 Goodness. Interesting. 0:58:16.040 --> 0:58:17.720 Going back to the phone lines, who do we have here? 0:58:18.000 --> 0:58:20.600 We have Roy, first time caller from Ohio. What's that 0:58:20.600 --> 0:58:23.080 myth that's been debunked or maybe needs to be? 0:58:24.320 --> 0:58:29.080 Okay, here's the deal. I'm a certified personal trainer. And 0:58:29.120 --> 0:58:31.880 what used to drive me crazy was when people come 0:58:31.880 --> 0:58:34.280 in and they tell you they see some muscle on 0:58:34.280 --> 0:58:37.320 a person or me, and they would say, oh, all 0:58:37.320 --> 0:58:38.960 that muscle is going to turn to fat if you 0:58:39.000 --> 0:58:42.959 quit working out. Well, it can't happen. Apples can't turn 0:58:42.960 --> 0:58:43.680 to oranges. 0:58:44.090 --> 0:58:45.850 And what happened? 0:58:46.930 --> 0:58:49.210 We got the passion of a personal trainer here. 0:58:49.250 --> 0:58:49.729 Keep going. 0:58:49.770 --> 0:58:52.570 Roy, this is great. No, no. Go ahead. 0:58:53.970 --> 0:58:59.970 You know, if you stop working out, your muscles will atrophy. 0:59:00.090 --> 0:59:02.650 And then if you keep eating it like you were 0:59:02.650 --> 0:59:05.410 when you were working out, well, then you can get 0:59:05.450 --> 0:59:10.250 fat on top of that, uh, shrunken non-US muscle. 0:59:12.370 --> 0:59:13.090 Well, there you go. 0:59:13.130 --> 0:59:16.010 This is this is very good, Roy, because I did 0:59:16.010 --> 0:59:20.690 hear that for years now. I think that was debunked 0:59:20.690 --> 0:59:22.930 in my brain as I got a little older here. 0:59:22.930 --> 0:59:28.010 But atrophy. Yes. Turning to fat. No. What was what 0:59:28.130 --> 0:59:31.330 what was the purpose of that myth? To not go 0:59:31.330 --> 0:59:31.970 to the gym. 0:59:32.010 --> 0:59:33.370 I know, to discourage. 0:59:33.410 --> 0:59:34.770 It's all going to turn to fat anyway. 0:59:34.810 --> 0:59:36.050 Soon as it's not working out. 0:59:36.090 --> 0:59:38.090 Because if you stop working out, it's. 0:59:38.090 --> 0:59:40.450 Like, no, no, no, no. There are benefits to working 0:59:40.450 --> 0:59:42.250 out to weight training. Let's go for. 0:59:42.250 --> 0:59:42.490 It. 0:59:43.130 --> 0:59:44.650 Let's go back to the phone lines. Who do we have? 0:59:44.650 --> 0:59:44.970 Ali. 0:59:45.010 --> 0:59:47.850 Let's go to Evelyn. First time caller from Florida. What's 0:59:47.850 --> 0:59:50.450 the myth that you heard? That's been debunked. 0:59:51.490 --> 0:59:56.450 Hey. Good morning. Hey, I heard all my life that 0:59:56.450 --> 0:59:59.570 if you eat salt, it dries your blood out. 1:00:00.250 --> 1:00:00.650 Wow. 1:00:01.930 --> 1:00:02.730 Okay, I. 1:00:02.770 --> 1:00:03.010 Guess. 1:00:03.010 --> 1:00:03.450 I've heard. 1:00:03.450 --> 1:00:05.410 That one. Where do these come from? 1:00:06.490 --> 1:00:07.690 Where do they come from? 1:00:07.690 --> 1:00:10.450 Maybe to get your kids to not eat as many 1:00:10.450 --> 1:00:12.130 French fries or something, like, I don't know. 1:00:13.370 --> 1:00:13.690 It's a. 1:00:13.690 --> 1:00:14.450 Mystery there. 1:00:14.490 --> 1:00:17.530 There is. Usually with these myths, there's another motive. Like 1:00:17.530 --> 1:00:20.530 the swimming one. We've already tackled it. But miles in Florida. 1:00:20.530 --> 1:00:21.730 What do you say, Miles? 1:00:22.810 --> 1:00:25.370 Well, you know what? Since you already heard that one. 1:00:25.370 --> 1:00:27.090 The other one was when I was in Little League 1:00:27.130 --> 1:00:31.610 and I played Little League baseball, and I also played football, 1:00:31.610 --> 1:00:33.530 and I always wanted I was always going to the 1:00:33.530 --> 1:00:36.370 gym and my mom would say, no, if you lift weights, 1:00:36.370 --> 1:00:39.490 it's going to stunt your growth. And I hated. 1:00:39.490 --> 1:00:39.890 That. 1:00:40.290 --> 1:00:42.500 You know, because I wanted to work worst because all 1:00:42.500 --> 1:00:44.340 the other guys were bigger than I was, you know. 1:00:44.700 --> 1:00:47.980 And so that was the one. I couldn't stand it. 1:00:48.020 --> 1:00:49.820 All my friends got to go and work out, but 1:00:49.820 --> 1:00:51.420 I couldn't go work out. 1:00:51.660 --> 1:00:53.700 Well, here's the good news. Even if your mom was 1:00:53.700 --> 1:00:56.740 right back then, Myles, the growth plates are done growing 1:00:56.740 --> 1:00:58.140 so you can go to the gym. I want to 1:00:58.140 --> 1:01:01.660 tell you, you can go to the gym Myles. Everything's fine. 1:01:01.660 --> 1:01:06.580 Thanks Myles for calling in. It's totally safe. These are hilarious. 1:01:07.100 --> 1:01:08.660 They are really cracking knuckles. 1:01:09.500 --> 1:01:15.540 Cracking knuckles 4701 cracking knuckles caused arthritis I did hear that. 1:01:15.540 --> 1:01:17.220 And I definitely heard I've seen this one come in 1:01:17.260 --> 1:01:19.979 a couple times about crossing your eyes and they'll stay 1:01:19.980 --> 1:01:23.460 that way. That was a that's that that's a myth. 1:01:23.860 --> 1:01:25.060 I think it. 1:01:25.060 --> 1:01:25.780 Discouraged. 1:01:25.820 --> 1:01:26.740 Eye crossing. 1:01:27.220 --> 1:01:33.340 Yeah I mean it hurts, but they don't stick, thankfully. Uh, 1:01:34.460 --> 1:01:38.340 there's some funny ones in here, too. Uh, my wife 1:01:38.380 --> 1:01:41.670 thought that the North Pole was a myth, Like Santa. 1:01:42.510 --> 1:01:43.550 I like to. 1:01:43.590 --> 1:01:45.350 Like. Yes. Well, I think when you think of the 1:01:45.350 --> 1:01:47.430 North Pole, you think of like, there's a Christmas shop 1:01:47.430 --> 1:01:51.750 up there, you know, like a factory. But it's just 1:01:51.750 --> 1:01:52.950 like a it's just a place. 1:01:52.990 --> 1:01:54.510 I is it in Alaska? 1:01:55.030 --> 1:01:58.630 Well there's two. There's two North Pole and that's north 1:01:58.630 --> 1:02:00.870 of the city of North Pole. But there is a 1:02:00.870 --> 1:02:01.510 North Pole. 1:02:01.550 --> 1:02:01.990 Alaska. 1:02:02.030 --> 1:02:04.350 I actually just found this out over the weekend. It 1:02:04.350 --> 1:02:06.950 came out, came up. Someone said that they had been 1:02:06.950 --> 1:02:09.350 to the North Pole. And in my mind, I was going, 1:02:09.390 --> 1:02:12.150 that exists. I didn't know that was a real place. 1:02:12.190 --> 1:02:13.630 Oh, just this weekend. 1:02:13.630 --> 1:02:14.670 Just this weekend. 1:02:14.670 --> 1:02:16.390 Someone told me they'd been to the North Pole. And 1:02:16.390 --> 1:02:19.070 I was thinking, did you get to see Santa Claus? 1:02:21.750 --> 1:02:23.230 But I guess it's a real place. 1:02:23.270 --> 1:02:23.990 Oh my goodness. 1:02:24.150 --> 1:02:26.830 Someone gave this one. This is sobering, but it's this 1:02:26.830 --> 1:02:28.990 is a myth that needs to be debunked. And I 1:02:28.990 --> 1:02:31.550 think it already has been. Sticks and stones may break 1:02:31.550 --> 1:02:34.190 my bones, but words will never hurt me. 1:02:34.230 --> 1:02:37.190 Definite myth. Definite myth. 1:02:38.110 --> 1:02:42.630 Maybe. To the flip side, it'd almost be better off 1:02:42.630 --> 1:02:45.950 with sticks and stones. Good feedback here. Some crazy myths 1:02:45.950 --> 1:02:48.950 out there. We're debunking them all week long. Hang on here. 1:02:49.310 --> 1:02:51.990 She was trying to earn her way to God, but 1:02:51.990 --> 1:02:55.510 God showed her she didn't have to. Ali is in 1:02:55.510 --> 1:02:58.910 the crew. It's Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 1:02:58.950 --> 1:03:01.590 We have Rebecca McLaughlin with us this morning. She wrote 1:03:01.590 --> 1:03:05.110 the book Confronting Christianity 12 Hard Questions for the World's 1:03:05.110 --> 1:03:06.310 Largest Religion. 1:03:06.830 --> 1:03:11.110 So let's tackle a big one. How can you say, Rebecca? 1:03:11.150 --> 1:03:16.189 There's only one true faith, you narrow minded evangelicals, some 1:03:16.190 --> 1:03:16.870 might say. 1:03:18.550 --> 1:03:22.390 Um, I absolutely answer to the accusation of being evangelical. 1:03:22.390 --> 1:03:25.550 I don't know that I'm. I hope I'm not narrow minded. 1:03:26.230 --> 1:03:29.030 And I say that because I actually make it a 1:03:29.030 --> 1:03:31.990 priority to read and listen to people who think very 1:03:31.990 --> 1:03:33.390 differently than I do. 1:03:33.430 --> 1:03:33.950 Including. 1:03:34.270 --> 1:03:37.790 Plenty of atheists and agnostics thinkers. And I think when 1:03:37.790 --> 1:03:40.080 it comes to the question of how can you say 1:03:40.080 --> 1:03:42.680 there's only one true faith it feels to people like 1:03:42.680 --> 1:03:46.000 it's respectful to all the different kind of world religions 1:03:46.000 --> 1:03:48.320 to say, you know, maybe you guys each have a 1:03:48.320 --> 1:03:50.240 different piece of the pie. You know, maybe there are 1:03:50.240 --> 1:03:52.680 just multiple ways to look at the question of God. 1:03:52.680 --> 1:03:54.720 Maybe there are multiple paths. You know, there are various 1:03:54.720 --> 1:03:57.160 kind of metaphors and stories people tell to suggest that 1:03:57.200 --> 1:04:00.720 perhaps Christianity and Islam and Hinduism and Judaism and Buddhism 1:04:00.920 --> 1:04:03.240 could all be true in their own ways. And one 1:04:03.240 --> 1:04:06.680 of the biggest problems with that is Jesus. And why 1:04:06.680 --> 1:04:09.320 do I say that? Well, number one, Jesus claims about 1:04:09.320 --> 1:04:12.920 himself are wildly exclusive and universal. 1:04:12.960 --> 1:04:14.000 You got that right. 1:04:14.040 --> 1:04:16.040 You know, Jesus says he's the light of the world. 1:04:16.040 --> 1:04:17.880 He says he is the way, the truth and the life. 1:04:17.880 --> 1:04:20.360 He says he is the resurrection and the life. And 1:04:20.360 --> 1:04:23.440 the kinds of claims that Jesus makes about himself are 1:04:23.440 --> 1:04:28.040 ones that are either crazy and ridiculous and untrue, or 1:04:28.320 --> 1:04:31.400 mean that he is actually the one true Savior of 1:04:31.400 --> 1:04:33.840 the world. And you know, I'm happy to talk to 1:04:33.840 --> 1:04:36.439 anybody who thinks that Christianity is wrong. I think that's 1:04:36.480 --> 1:04:38.560 a respectable thing to think, and I would love to 1:04:38.600 --> 1:04:40.000 sort of talk to them about why they think that 1:04:40.000 --> 1:04:42.360 and blame, why I disagree and I believe the claims 1:04:42.360 --> 1:04:46.120 of Jesus, but actually to say that Christianity can be 1:04:46.120 --> 1:04:48.840 true and Islam can be true and Hinduism can be true, etc., 1:04:49.080 --> 1:04:51.480 is ultimately less respectful to people who hold any of 1:04:51.480 --> 1:04:53.960 these religious beliefs. Because what we're saying is, we don't 1:04:54.000 --> 1:04:57.200 take you seriously enough to take your claims on truth seriously. 1:04:57.480 --> 1:04:59.600 The other problem that we have with this idea that 1:04:59.600 --> 1:05:01.640 all religions are sort of basically saying the same thing, 1:05:01.640 --> 1:05:03.840 or they can be kind of reconciled to one another, 1:05:04.200 --> 1:05:09.600 is the fact that Christianity depends on one specific historical claim. Now, 1:05:09.600 --> 1:05:11.400 as a follower of Jesus, I believe that Jesus died 1:05:11.400 --> 1:05:13.480 on a cross 2000 years ago and that on the 1:05:13.480 --> 1:05:15.800 third day after that, he was physically raised from the dead. 1:05:16.160 --> 1:05:19.800 So let's look at what the three great monotheistic religions 1:05:20.080 --> 1:05:24.320 say about that Judaism, Christianity, Islam. So Jews, and for 1:05:24.360 --> 1:05:27.360 that matter, Hindus and Buddhists and atheists and agnostics would 1:05:27.360 --> 1:05:29.760 say that Jesus died on a cross, but he didn't 1:05:29.760 --> 1:05:32.960 rise from the dead. Muslims would say that Jesus actually 1:05:32.960 --> 1:05:35.280 didn't die on a cross. He just seemed to. And 1:05:35.370 --> 1:05:37.290 Christians say that Jesus died on the cross and was 1:05:37.290 --> 1:05:40.570 raised physically from the grave on the third day after that. 1:05:40.890 --> 1:05:43.970 Now we can say, you can't prove that Jesus rose 1:05:43.970 --> 1:05:46.330 from the dead. I agree, I can't prove beyond reasonable 1:05:46.330 --> 1:05:49.330 doubt that that happened, but it either happened or it didn't. 1:05:49.690 --> 1:05:52.010 So either I'm correct that Jesus rose from the dead, 1:05:52.050 --> 1:05:54.690 like walked out of his grave in bodily form on 1:05:54.690 --> 1:05:58.330 the third day after he was brutally executed. Or I'm 1:05:58.330 --> 1:06:01.210 wrong and he didn't. But there's actually no way for 1:06:01.210 --> 1:06:03.850 both me and my Jewish friends and my Muslim friends 1:06:03.850 --> 1:06:07.090 to all be correct. Because once we say that if 1:06:07.090 --> 1:06:08.970 we say that, yes, well, it can be true for 1:06:08.970 --> 1:06:10.650 me that Jesus rose from the dead, but not true 1:06:10.650 --> 1:06:13.730 for my Jewish or atheist or agnostic friend, then we've 1:06:13.730 --> 1:06:17.450 lost our entire grip on history and everything just becomes perspective. 1:06:17.770 --> 1:06:19.450 And so that's just a place that we don't want 1:06:19.450 --> 1:06:21.610 to land logically or rationally. 1:06:21.930 --> 1:06:25.370 Rebecca, I'm curious because you are clearly someone who engages 1:06:25.370 --> 1:06:29.290 in deep conversations with a lot of people who believe 1:06:29.330 --> 1:06:32.490 a lot of different things. What fruit have you seen 1:06:32.530 --> 1:06:37.410 of this sort of Study and willingness to engage with people. 1:06:37.410 --> 1:06:41.130 Answer questions. What's the fruit you've seen of this in 1:06:41.130 --> 1:06:43.490 a conversation? Maybe this is you can answer this generally 1:06:43.490 --> 1:06:47.890 or specifically of having this conversation where you're obviously well 1:06:47.930 --> 1:06:50.930 studied and equipped, but also willing to really listen and 1:06:50.930 --> 1:06:52.690 understand where other people are coming from. 1:06:52.930 --> 1:06:55.090 Honestly, I don't think any of us want to listen 1:06:55.090 --> 1:06:57.570 to somebody who hasn't listened to us. I think it's 1:06:57.570 --> 1:07:00.210 just sort of a basic piece of of human nature 1:07:00.290 --> 1:07:02.930 that when somebody shows an interest in what I think 1:07:02.970 --> 1:07:05.690 and my life story and what I believe and why, 1:07:06.810 --> 1:07:09.490 that actually makes me feel respected as a human being, 1:07:09.490 --> 1:07:11.970 and it makes me more interested in what they might 1:07:11.970 --> 1:07:14.210 have to say about their life and their beliefs and 1:07:14.210 --> 1:07:15.850 how they've come to them as well. And so I 1:07:15.850 --> 1:07:17.530 think one of the things, if you like me to 1:07:17.530 --> 1:07:19.450 follow Jesus, I think one of the the most powerful 1:07:19.450 --> 1:07:22.530 things that we can do is actually meaningfully listen to 1:07:22.570 --> 1:07:24.970 other people's stories. You know, perhaps you have a friend 1:07:24.970 --> 1:07:29.050 who identifies as an atheist rather than sort of going 1:07:29.090 --> 1:07:30.730 straight in with like, well, let me tell you why. 1:07:30.730 --> 1:07:32.970 I think it doesn't make any sense to be an atheist. 1:07:33.060 --> 1:07:35.620 Why not say, oh, that's really interesting. I would love 1:07:35.620 --> 1:07:38.460 to hear how you've reached that conclusion. Maybe there'll be 1:07:38.460 --> 1:07:40.300 pieces of their life story. Perhaps they were raised in 1:07:40.300 --> 1:07:43.100 a religious tradition. They became really disillusioned with that. Perhaps 1:07:43.100 --> 1:07:45.260 they they kind of feel wistful. They wish that they 1:07:45.260 --> 1:07:46.980 could still believe in God, but they don't. Or maybe 1:07:46.980 --> 1:07:49.860 they've become angry because of some particular experience. Like, I 1:07:49.860 --> 1:07:51.820 want to know what the individual in front of me 1:07:51.820 --> 1:07:53.860 believes and why. And then I want to be able 1:07:53.860 --> 1:07:56.979 to say to them, hey, this is why I actually 1:07:56.980 --> 1:07:59.540 think that Jesus makes the most sense of the world 1:07:59.540 --> 1:08:02.340 around us today. This is why I think that Jesus 1:08:02.340 --> 1:08:05.900 fulfills our deepest longings for justice and love and relationship. 1:08:05.900 --> 1:08:08.300 This is why I think that Jesus helps us to 1:08:08.500 --> 1:08:11.380 bring together what we know about the world from science, 1:08:11.380 --> 1:08:14.300 with what we deeply believe about the world ethically. And 1:08:14.300 --> 1:08:17.020 this is why I think Christianity kind of makes sense 1:08:17.060 --> 1:08:19.460 not just in isolation, but actually makes sense of the 1:08:19.460 --> 1:08:21.500 world that we see around us and the lives that 1:08:21.500 --> 1:08:23.979 we live. It gives us a hope and a sense 1:08:23.979 --> 1:08:27.580 of meaning and identity and purpose that we can't actually have. 1:08:27.620 --> 1:08:30.299 If we take atheism to a sort of logical conclusion, 1:08:30.300 --> 1:08:33.540 if we look around the world consistently from an atheist perspective. 1:08:33.580 --> 1:08:34.820 And you know, I'd love to tell you more about 1:08:34.820 --> 1:08:37.179 Jesus if you'd be interested. Yeah, I think there's an 1:08:37.180 --> 1:08:40.620 incredible openness, at least. I mean, I'll speak for where 1:08:40.620 --> 1:08:43.620 I am. I'm in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the US here, and 1:08:43.660 --> 1:08:47.940 I'm seeing more openness and opportunity to share the gospel 1:08:47.979 --> 1:08:50.340 now than I have ever seen in the 16 years 1:08:50.340 --> 1:08:50.860 that I've lived. 1:08:50.939 --> 1:08:53.179 That's that's a big statement and. 1:08:53.180 --> 1:08:57.900 That's so encouraging. Rebecca McLaughlin here with us today. You know, 1:08:57.939 --> 1:08:59.540 I want to kind of double up on what Ashley 1:08:59.540 --> 1:09:02.300 just said and ask you a curious question. You're obviously 1:09:02.340 --> 1:09:07.220 a great theologian scholar, apologist, but I look at the 1:09:07.220 --> 1:09:11.380 26th chapter of acts, and I see Paul appealing to 1:09:11.420 --> 1:09:13.780 Agrippa telling his story. 1:09:14.660 --> 1:09:15.260 He's he's. 1:09:15.260 --> 1:09:15.420 Just. 1:09:15.420 --> 1:09:16.660 Telling his story. 1:09:17.580 --> 1:09:22.179 Personal story. You've heard theirs. How how does that fit 1:09:22.180 --> 1:09:25.139 into the mix with you? You must be your own 1:09:25.140 --> 1:09:28.099 storyteller at some point, rather than just saying, read my 1:09:28.100 --> 1:09:30.750 book on these 12 hot button questions here. 1:09:31.189 --> 1:09:32.870 You must pour out your heart, right? 1:09:32.910 --> 1:09:35.390 That's rather effective. We find in the scriptures. 1:09:35.590 --> 1:09:38.470 Yeah, I think that's absolutely right. I write books which 1:09:38.470 --> 1:09:41.790 could be kind of categorized as apologetics, or people sort 1:09:41.790 --> 1:09:43.750 of seeking to give reasons for the hope that we have, 1:09:43.790 --> 1:09:46.349 as Peter puts it in his first letter. And I 1:09:46.350 --> 1:09:50.110 think today especially, we need to be ready to show 1:09:50.110 --> 1:09:52.630 up with our whole selves and not only with our 1:09:52.630 --> 1:09:56.430 kind of rational arguments or examples. So yeah, I'll share 1:09:56.430 --> 1:09:58.349 things in my in my books and in my speaking 1:09:58.350 --> 1:10:00.389 and my personal conversations that are like, this is where 1:10:00.390 --> 1:10:01.870 the rubber hits the road for me. Or like, this 1:10:01.870 --> 1:10:04.309 is an experience that I had where my faith in 1:10:04.310 --> 1:10:07.830 Jesus really made a massive difference. Or here's a friend 1:10:07.830 --> 1:10:10.030 of mine who has gone from darkness to light just 1:10:10.030 --> 1:10:11.990 in the last year, and this is how she would 1:10:11.990 --> 1:10:14.349 explain how that happened for her. And I have so 1:10:14.350 --> 1:10:19.229 many friends now in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who go back, you know, one, two, three, 1:10:19.229 --> 1:10:21.630 five years and they would have checked every box for 1:10:21.630 --> 1:10:24.110 like least likely to be interested in Christianity. You know, 1:10:24.150 --> 1:10:27.229 they're Gen Z, they identify as LGBT, they don't have 1:10:27.229 --> 1:10:30.350 any Christian background. They're interested in pagan spiritual practices or 1:10:30.350 --> 1:10:32.070 whatever it is. Like the people who you would not 1:10:32.070 --> 1:10:33.870 pick off the list is like, oh, well, this person 1:10:33.910 --> 1:10:35.950 would be interested in Jesus. And they've come to faith 1:10:35.950 --> 1:10:38.110 in Jesus. And so being able to tell some of 1:10:38.150 --> 1:10:40.830 their stories is super helpful to me. 1:10:40.870 --> 1:10:41.189 Because. 1:10:41.590 --> 1:10:43.750 I have the testimony that every Christian parent wants their 1:10:43.750 --> 1:10:45.590 kids to have, which is that I don't remember a 1:10:45.590 --> 1:10:47.309 time when I wasn't following Jesus. I have a very 1:10:47.310 --> 1:10:50.830 boring testimony, and I love it because, you know, that's 1:10:50.870 --> 1:10:52.990 one of the ways that the Lord uses us. But 1:10:52.990 --> 1:10:56.629 I have so many friends who have really surprising stories 1:10:56.630 --> 1:10:59.670 of faith where Jesus has kind of grabbed them in 1:10:59.670 --> 1:11:02.790 an unexpected place and and pulled them into his kingdom. 1:11:02.830 --> 1:11:04.390 And so I want to be telling their stories as 1:11:04.390 --> 1:11:05.189 well as mine. 1:11:05.229 --> 1:11:08.190 Rebecca, we want to thank you. This has been incredibly 1:11:08.189 --> 1:11:13.389 compelling and massively encouraging. This is a book you need 1:11:13.390 --> 1:11:14.870 to get today. 1:11:14.870 --> 1:11:17.870 Just text the word 12. Spell it out. Book's called 1:11:17.870 --> 1:11:21.180 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion. Text 12 1:11:21.180 --> 1:11:28.870 to 800 555 7898. Text 12 to 800 555 7898.