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All (201) Mike Winger (201)
Mike Winger idea 2019-02-20

Q&A: How does God speak to new Christians? Live by biblical principles, not impressions

Q&A pastoral advice for new Christians wondering about hearing from God.

Christian living hearing from God spiritual discernment
Mike Winger idea 2019-02-20

Q&A: How did the Gospel writers know about private conversations (Jesus and Pilate)?

Q&A on the epistemological question of how private Gospel scenes were recorded.

Pontius Pilate eyewitness testimony Gospel historicity
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-13

Prosperity preachers and false prophecy: prophets whose utterances focus on wealth and success are false prophets.

Question from "First Last" about whether God wants believers to be wealthy and whether to trust wealth-focused prophets.

1 Peter 1 Peter False prophets Prosperity gospel
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-13

Proper epistemology for trusting Scripture: demonstrate Bible is from God, then trust it — rather than requiring external proof for every claim.

Mike's methodological note on the Exodus question.

Biblical inspiration Biblical epistemology Apologetics methodology
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Tim Barnett (Stand to Reason): faith is not an epistemology but a way of trusting; knowledge and trust are distinct categories

Video clip from Tim Barnett responding to Boghossian

Mark 2 William Lane Craig Stand to Reason Tim Barnett
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Q&A: Does faith by nature seek understanding? Mike says faith is simply trust and the seeking of understanding is optional

Question from JMD Apologetics about faith and knowledge

Faith Faith and knowledge Faith as trust
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Twitter poll on the definition of faith: Christian vs. non-Christian results

Opening segment introducing the topic

faith trust belief without evidence
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Why Mike gave only two poll options and why "trust" is the appropriate generic definition of faith

Explaining poll methodology

faith trust allegiance
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Non-believer "Snoopit" acknowledges double standard: uses "trust" for human faith but "belief without evidence" for Christian faith

Examining skeptic responses to the poll

faith belief without evidence double standard in faith definitions
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Anthony Magnabosco defines faith with two tiers: trust for natural claims, "untestable truth" for supernatural claims

Examining the top Street Epistemology YouTuber's definition of faith

Street Epistemology Anthony Magnabosco definition of faith
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Shannon's question: if faith is trust with evidence, isn't it knowledge? Mike argues knowledge and faith can coexist

Q&A on the epistemology of faith

faith and knowledge epistemology of faith trust and allegiance
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Debate with Matt Dillahunty on the reasonableness of believing in the resurrection — hosted on Capturing Christianity

Final announcement about the upcoming debate

Matt Dillahunty evidential apologetics resurrection of Jesus
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-24

Gen Z fact-checks in real time — credibility and truth-telling are now more important than ever for teachers and pastors

McDowell describes speaking at Berkeley and observing real-time fact-checking

apologetics fact-checking trust
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-01

Textual criticism: the discipline that traces copies back to originals and why we can trust the transmission

Brief explanation of how we verify the integrity of the New Testament text.

Biblical manuscripts Textual criticism New Testament reliability
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-16

Peter Williams — Can We Trust the Gospels?

Winger recommends Peter Williams's book as a resource for the general reliability of the Gospels.

Peter Williams historicity of the Gospels Can We Trust the Gospels?
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-16

James the brother of Jesus — conversion from skeptic to martyr

McLatchie presents the conversion and martyrdom of James, Jesus's brother, as particularly strong evidence for the resurrection.

Acts 1 James the brother of Jesus John 7:5 Josephus resurrection of Jesus Acts 1
Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Teresa Dedmon / Bethel: selling art as a vehicle for "spiritual impartation" and prophetic clothing that enhances God's presence is false teaching and commercial exploitation.

Second specific example from Bethel: the creative arts director's website claims her paintings and clothing impart heaven's presence.

Bethel Church false prophecy discernment
Mike Winger idea 2019-07-03

Christian response to suffering: trust God's sovereign goodness despite not knowing the outcome

Pastoral application regarding suffering and theodicy

theodicy suffering faith
Mike Winger idea 2019-08-07

Consequence 3 of denying wrath: undermines divine holiness

Mike connects wrath to the doctrine of divine holiness.

God's wrath divine holiness theological error
Mike Winger idea 2019-10-02

Gandhi as a test case for "good people" — his nightly nude sleeping with other women, including nieces

Response to the common invocation of Gandhi as the exemplar of a good non-Christian

apologetics grace human nature
Mike Winger idea 2019-10-02

Q&A: Is it wise to tell someone their deceased Catholic loved one is in heaven?

Viewer question from Hannah Elizabeth

salvation gospel Catholicism
Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

Matthew 28:18-20 — baptism follows discipleship/belief, not precedes it

Winger examines the Great Commission to establish the pattern for baptism in the NT.

Matthew 28:18-20 Great Commission discipleship baptism
Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

Baptism is always a response to faith in the NT — the consistent universal pattern

Winger synthesizes part 1: the uniform NT pattern is hear the gospel → believe → be baptized.

faith baptism infant baptism
Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

Q&A: False conversion followed by genuine salvation — should the person be re-baptized?

A viewer asks about someone who was baptized during a false conversion and then genuinely saved.

assurance of salvation baptism pastoral counsel
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Christians have confident, warranted belief in Christianity apart from evidence through the Holy Spirit

Core thesis introduced: knowledge of Christianity's truth comes primarily through the Holy Spirit, not evidence

Holy Spirit epistemology faith and reason
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

When the Holy Spirit's witness conflicts with external evidence, Christians are warranted in trusting God over evidence

Addressing the case where scholarly or empirical evidence seems to contradict Christian faith

epistemology fideism faith and reason
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Nearly all human knowledge rests on testimony from credible witnesses, not direct personal observation

Defending testimony as a valid epistemological category in response to empiricist objections

testimony epistemology faith and reason
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

The Mormon burning-in-the-bosom claim does not undermine the Christian's witness of the Spirit

Responding to the classic objection that the Spirit's witness is unreliable because others claim the same for false religions

Mormonism Book of Mormon epistemology
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

John the Baptist's doubt from prison: Jesus responded with fresh evidence rather than rebuke

NT case study: how Jesus handled the doubt of a believer who already had abundant witness

John the Baptist John the Baptist faith miracles as evidence
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Repentance from lust should be immediate; do not delay until emotional relief arrives

Q&A: pastoral guidance to a viewer who struggled with lust

repentance sanctification lust
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Closing exhortation: trust the Spirit's witness for your own confidence; use evidence to invite others to seek the Lord

Summary and call to application, including a direct appeal to non-believing viewers

evangelism apologetics knowing vs. showing
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-28

A childhood "blood pact with Satan" has no power over someone who trusts in Christ — the cross cancels all such claims

Question about a friend who at age 12 signed his soul over to Satan in a blood pact and now feels he cannot be saved.

2 Corinthians 5:17 salvation Satan spiritual warfare
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-28

The elect are not a closed group from which some are necessarily excluded; election involves foreknowledge and preserves both God's and humanity's free choice

Question from Threads of Hope about whether the doctrine of election means some people simply cannot be saved.

election soteriology free will
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-28

A church with a single pastor and no elders should seek plurality of leadership; address the concern privately and graciously with the pastor

Question from Michael Francisco about a church with one pastor who teaches everything and no elders — how to raise the concern.

submission church leadership pastoral care
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-04

Communion/eucharist: real and important but not transubstantiation; early church writings are secondary to Scripture; John 6 is not about communion

Q from Chris Middleton about Mike's views on communion/eucharist and how much weight early church writings should carry.

John 6 Council of Trent doctrinal development communion
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

Romans 10:9 — confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in the heart involves personal yielding and trust, not merely intellectual assent

Response to Ryan Hasty asking how to know if one believes in the heart versus merely thinking the evidence points toward Christianity being true.

Romans 10:9 confession Romans 10:9 lordship
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

Strategy for confronting prosperity gospel error in friends and family: affirm first, then use bridge-building resources they cannot interrupt

Response to Robert Butcher asking how to lovingly reveal errors of the prosperity gospel to friends and family.

discernment prosperity gospel false teaching
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Faith as small as a mustard seed — the call is to use existing faith, not to manufacture more

Question from Lavell Martinez about the tension between being told to have great faith and Jesus saying mustard-seed faith moves mountains.

Luke 17:5-6 faith discipleship mustard seed
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Apparitions of Mary at Fatima — three interpretive options; not sufficient to validate Catholic Marian dogmas

Question from Cody Skinner about Catholic apparitions at Fatima and messages to the shepherd children.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 apologetics miracles Catholicism
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Parable of the Talents: the main point is investing what God has given you for his kingdom

Q&A from Faded Princess about the Parable of the Talents and discerning spiritual gifts

Matthew 25 spiritual gifts stewardship Matthew 25
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

1 John 4:17-18 — perfect love casts out fear; God's love applied to judgment produces confidence

Continuing the 1 John 4 reading and application

1 John 4:17-18 atonement assurance of salvation fear of judgment
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

1 John 3:19-20 — God is greater than our condemning heart and knows everything

Additional passage addressing the fear and self-condemnation of the questioner

1 John 3:19-20 assurance of salvation fear of judgment 1 John 3:19-20
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Non-Calvinist view: God initiates faith through the proclaimed word, but the individual makes the decision to believe

Mike's positive account of how faith works in a non-Calvinist framework

Romans 10:17 faith Calvinism soteriology
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Near-death / heaven-visiting accounts: deep skepticism warranted; Paul's 2 Corinthians 12 model shows the right posture is silence, not book tours

Question from S.M. Hart about people selling books on visiting heaven or hell

2 Corinthians 12 Paul 2 Corinthians 12 false prophets
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Baptism: no required level of knowledge — New Testament pattern is immediate baptism upon faith

Question from Dimitar Bratov about the level of understanding required before baptism

catechesis baptism discipleship
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-17

Corporate view of election and God's foreknowledge conditioned on faith

Mike's alternative to Calvinist individual unconditional election.

Calvinism Free Will Election
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-17

Favorite Bible verses for daily courage — Proverbs 3:5-6 and Psalm 62:8

Q from Eighth Day Adventist about Mike's favorite Bible verse for daily encouragement.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Psalm 62:8 Proverbs 3:5-6 Faith Guidance
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

JWs are victims of their organization's false teaching, not perpetrators

Mike closes the JW section with a pastoral appeal.

Jehovah's Witnesses New World Translation spiritual abuse
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

Witness of the Holy Spirit is mental/spiritual awareness of sonship, not necessarily emotional feeling; love for God is primarily volitional, not emotional

Question from "JW" about not feeling the witness of the Holy Spirit or love for God despite trusting Christ.

Romans 8:15 assurance of salvation witness of the Holy Spirit Romans 8:15
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-30

Parachute/airplane illustration: beliefs do not determine outcomes — reality is independent of belief

Mike uses a vivid analogy to show relativism fails when applied to real-world consequences.

evangelism eternal destiny objective truth