Christian Basics Video Series

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Of course there is no way to take centuries of arguments, volumes of literature, timeless debates, and reduce this question to a 15-minute video. But I want you to at least know that you really have two choices: God or absurdity. If God does not exist, then nothing can exist. But God does exist, so your life matters. And if you have an open mind, all of the evidence in the world is available to you. 

This class looks at whether or not you can really trust all of those stories about Jesus. Do we have what the original authors wrote? Can we trust those old words for our salvation?

This short video is a basic summary of what others said about Jesus and what Jesus said about himself. When confronting what others said about Jesus, we are left with only a few options. 

Genesis 4-11 is often overlooked as mere myth. After all, these chapters contain the story of the great flood and the Tower of Babel. But is there good evidence that might just speak to the historicity of these accounts? Ted Wright of Epic Archaeology (www.epicarchaeology.org) joins us to talk about these important - and fascinating! - chapters.

Archaeologist Ted Wright of Epic Archaeology joins me to look at the historical evidence for the Exodus from Egypt. The Exodus is the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt and heading for the land promised to Abraham and his offspring. Is it possible that this story is not just a myth, but the true story of a massive escape from Egypt?

This class looks at the book of Joshua, but really, more than anything, at the issues surrounding the conquest of the land. Many unbelievers will cite the conquest of inhabited lands (as depicted in Joshua and elsewhere) as evidence that either God does not exist or if he does, he is cruel. As Christians, however, we defend the prerogative of God to judge all evildoers, including ourselves, and the conquest of this land is not an ongoing practice that Christians participate in.

I interview Dr. Adam Harger of Houston Baptist University to take a look at the Prophets. Part 2 of 2. 

Dr. Chad Bird of 1517 joins me to look at the Kings in the Old Testament. We conclude our look at David's reign and make it through the divided northern and southern kingdoms. 

This video ends our brief look at the Old Testament, but not before telling the story of the return to Israel and highlighting some of the important books that were not covered.

This video looks at the second table of the 10 Commandments that deal with how we love our neighbor. Parents, you may want to know that when the commandment against adultery is discussed, the topic of pornography is mentioned. 

This is the first of two videos that look at the Lord's Prayer. 

This video concludes our look at Luther's Small Catechism with his teaching on the sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Lutherans are a sacramental people, which means we trust that God can do Spiritual things through these ordinary means of grace. 

James Walker from Watchman Fellowship joins me to take a look at the Trinity. This pivotal doctrine of the Christian faith is often misunderstood or falsified by non-Christian groups.

Dr. Jordan Cooper of Just and Sinner joins me to take a look at what really makes Lutherans unique. How are we different from other Christians? What aspects of our history have made us who we are? Check out Dr. Cooper's podcast - Just and Sinner - to follow him.

Dr. Jordan Cooper joins us for a third video on Lutheran distinctives. In this case, we look at another Reformation tradition very similar to ours, the Calvinist tradition, often found in Reformed and Presbyterian churches. To follow Dr. Cooper, check out his podcast, Just and Sinner.

Thanks to Ted Wright of Epic Archaeology for joining me to talk about one of the most interesting figures in the New Testament. John is a transitional prophet from the New to the Old Testament. Thanks to Ted for offering some historical background and biblical insight! 

This class looks at both Jesus calling his disciples as well as the way we are also called to be disciples of Jesus.

This class looks at Jesus' teaching using the phrase, "You have heard it said, but I say unto you." Here Jesus unpacks the kind of obedience that he desires for us, which is not merely outward obedience, but a deep love of God from the heart. This is the first of a three-part series that considers Jesus not only as a gentle shepherd, but a fighter with a zeal for righteousness.

This class looks at how Jesus fights against spiritual powers, especially that time he cast demons into a herd of pigs. We also consider a number of passages which encourage Christians towards holy living. This is the third of a three-part series that considers Jesus not only as a gentle shepherd, but a fighter with a zeal for righteousness.

Ted Wright of Epic Archaeology joins me again as we continue our look at Jesus' fascinating parables.

Thanks to Taylor Neill of Search for stopping in and taking a look at the historical claims for the death and resurrection of Jesus. If the historical claims of his death and resurrection are not true, nothing else will hold together. This is, as all of these videos are, a high overview. A fun, easy read on this is a book called "Who Moved the Stone" by Frank Morrison.

This class looks at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and the ongoing role of the Spirit in the life of believers. We touch on some of the controversial aspects as well like speaking in tongues and other so-called Spiritual Gifts. 

This video is a very quick look at a handful of Saint Paul's letters. We look quickly at the main themes of Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, and Thessalonians.

A quick look at important letters in the New Testament not written by Paul.

Thanks again to Pastor Michael Salemink from Lutherans for Life for joining me to talk about a difficult subject. This is the second of a four-part series on application of Christian moral theology. Abortion is a reality in our land and the greatest moral evil of our day. We talk about what it is exactly, why it is wrong, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the wake of abortion.

In our final video for the series, we look at what Christian theology has to say about the role of government and what good government might look like. Beyond "red" or "blue", what are the underlying principles that all Christians should apply to any question of government?