Confronting Christianity with Rebecca McLaughlin

Mike Hood, evangelist, pastor, and spoken-word poet who writes on the reality and beauty of Jesus. He describes wrestling with skepticism, how studying literature and philosophy shaped his faith, and why investigating the resurrection became a turning point. The conversation focuses on historical evidence, why alternative explanations fall short, and how early testimony and unexpected details bolster the claim that Jesus rose.

Rebecca and Derek explore why God’s judgment is necessary, how Jesus’ death defeats sin and Satan, and why the cross is the clearest display of both divine justice and divine love. Follow Derek:XUse code IF to receive 30% off your copy of The ‘If’ That Changes Everything at thegoodbook.com.Visit MoodyPublishers.com or find The Rekindled Heart wherever books are sold.Find Digital Liturgies wherever books are sold, or visit crossway.org/digitalliturgiesbook to get 30% off with a free Crossway+ account.Watch Us on YouTubeSign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and XProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Derek Rishmawy, a Presbyterian pastor, campus minister and theologian who recently completed a PhD on God’s holiness, joins the conversation. He unpacks biblical holiness, why encountering God exposes our sin, and how atonement aims to make us at one again. They probe divine judgment, the seriousness of sin, and why Jesus’ death raises such difficult questions.

Jen Wilkin, author and Bible teacher focused on discipleship, reflects on the spiritual power of middle age and mentorship. She discusses why younger Christians need older, trusted voices. They explore intergenerational church life, middle-aged relevance, and the responsibilities of mentoring across generations.

Jen Wilkin, author and Bible teacher on discipleship and family, explores aging as a biblical gift. They discuss cultural devaluation of elders, the church’s role as extended family, caregiving stories and the danger of a burden mentality. Short reflections on honoring parents, wisdom transfer and reframing end‑of‑life care.

Dr. John Meade, a scholar of scripture formation, and Dr. Peter Gurry, a New Testament historian and author, join to unpack where the Bible came from. They explore why New Testament quotations vary and how local Greek texts shaped citations. They discuss translation revision, how the early church recognized books, and what the Apocrypha contributed to later doctrine.

Where did the Bible come from—and how do we know we can trust it? Rebecca is joined by textual scholars John Meade and Peter Gurry to explore how Scripture was written, copied, translated, and recognized as canon. From the Septuagint to the Apocrypha, they unpack the Bible’s complex history—and why that history strengthens rather than weakens Christian confidence in God’s Word.Follow Peter:XFollow John:XUse code IF to receive 30% off your copy of The ‘If’ That Changes Everything at thegoodbook.com.Visit MoodyPublishers.com or find The Rekindled Heart wherever books are sold.Find Digital Liturgies wherever books are sold, or visit crossway.org/digitalliturgiesbook to get 30% off with a free Crossway+ account.Watch Us on YouTubeSign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and XProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rebecca talks with pastor and author Dr. Stephen Witmer about why poetry—especially the work of 17th-century priest George Herbert—can deepen our understanding of the gospel. Through Herbert’s poems, they explore themes of inadequacy, priesthood, and the imputed righteousness of Christ. Along the way, they discuss why Scripture itself uses poetry and why beauty, metaphor, and imagination matter for Christian faith.Buy Stephen's Book:In All Things Thee to See: A Devotional Guide to Selected Poems of George HerbertUse code IF to receive 30% off your copy of The ‘If’ That Changes Everything at thegoodbook.com.Visit MoodyPublishers.com or find The Rekindled Heart wherever books are sold.Find Digital Liturgies wherever books are sold, or visit crossway.org/digitalliturgiesbook to get 30% off with a free Crossway+ account.Watch Us on YouTubeSign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and XProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Are human beings basically good—or fundamentally broken? Rebecca is joined by clinical neuropsychologist Jo Johnson to explore what decades of psychological work reveal about human nature, shame, and our deep sense that something is “off.” Together they argue that Christianity doesn’t deny our inner darkness, but offers the only true freedom: being fully known and fully loved in Jesus.Buy Jo's Book: DisentangledUse code IF to receive 30% off your copy of The ‘If’ That Changes Everything at thegoodbook.com.Visit MoodyPublishers.com or find The Rekindled Heart wherever books are sold.Find Digital Liturgies wherever books are sold, or visit crossway.org/digitalliturgiesbook to get 30% off with a free Crossway+ account.Watch Us on YouTubeSign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and XProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rebecca McLaughlin and Dr. Rob Smith continue their conversation on sex, gender, and transgender theory by tracing how the New Testament holds together real equality and real difference between men and women. They discuss gender dysphoria, disorders of sexual development, and why Christians can pursue deep compassion without affirming claims they believe are untrue. Throughout, they argue that keeping Jesus—and imitation of his servant-hearted love—at the center helps everything else fall into its proper place.Use code IF to receive 30% off your copy of The ‘If’ That Changes Everything at thegoodbook.com.Visit MoodyPublishers.com or find The Rekindled Heart wherever books are sold.Find Digital Liturgies wherever books are sold, or visit crossway.org/digitalliturgiesbook to get 30% off with a free Crossway+ account.Watch Us on YouTubeSign up for weekly emails at RebeccaMcLaughlin.org/SubscribeFollow Us on Instagram and XProduced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Podcast Co.⁠⁠⁠⁠