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All (122) Mike Winger (122)
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Apologist/counter-apologist "Paulogia": Cameron had a debate with him on the resurrection on the Non Sequitur Show

Q&A from Nick J about Paulogia's series on the resurrection

resurrection of Jesus Non Sequitur Show Paulogia
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Closing message from Mike to skeptics: the evidence for Christianity is robust and surprising; Jesus really died for sins; God is personal and loves people; life is not purposeless

Mike's closing address to skeptic viewers

atonement gospel apologetics
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Greg Koukl contrasts his book "Tactics" with Boghossian's book: both use questions, but Koukl cares about truth and intellectual virtue while Boghossian cares only about instilling doubt

Video clip from Greg Koukl (Stand to Reason)

Greg Koukl Stand to Reason A Manual for Creating Atheists
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

Prison epistles and other NT letters as evidence that suffering was a church-wide reality needing sustained pastoral address

The pervasive theme of persecution across the entire NT corpus

1 Peter Romans 8 Revelation 2-3 1 Peter Romans 8 Revelation 2-3
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-24

Practical parenting principle: integrate discipleship into activities you are already doing rather than adding new programs

McDowell addresses practical application for parents

parenting discipleship worldview
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-01

Q&A: Is it wrong to approach a pastor who taught something theologically unsound?

Viewer question about church accountability.

Christian living Church accountability Pastoral correction
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-30

Caution against Christians consuming antagonistic atheist YouTube content without a clear apologetic purpose

Winger advises viewers about atheist YouTube channels after a question about responding to 'Prophet of Zod.'

apologetics media discernment
Mike Winger idea 2019-06-19

Pastoral observation: many Jesus mythicists are atheists/agnostics who find it convenient to deny Jesus existed rather than grapple with who he claimed to be

Winger's pastoral/spiritual observation about mythicists' motivations

apologetics atheism Jesus mythicism
Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Many cessationists themselves discourage using 1 Cor 13 as a proof-text for cessationism because it does not yield the argument verse-by-verse.

Transitional observation before presenting the second, more sophisticated cessationist argument from the Masters Seminary.

John MacArthur 1 Corinthians 13 John MacArthur cessationism 1 Corinthians 13
Mike Winger idea 2019-07-17

Q&A: Why did God stop doing big signs and miracles (burning bush, parting the sea)?

Question from a listener puzzled by the apparent cessation of large-scale miracles after the Old Testament.

miracles cessationism continuationism
Mike Winger idea 2019-07-17

Closing exhortation: Be the tortoise, not the hare

Winger closes with a personal reflection and encouragement about long-term faithfulness.

repentance perseverance faithfulness
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

Women and pornography: the church's silence stems from greater shame; solutions come from women who have found victory speaking out

Response to viewer asking for Christian resources for women struggling with pornography and why the church focuses more on men.

church culture sexual sin shame
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Attending a same-sex wedding generally expresses affirmation, not merely love — Christians should decline

Q&A from Joel Holmberg about attending a same-sex wedding

Christian ethics same-sex marriage sexual ethics
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Empathy as a tool for helping others leave false teaching — remembering your own exit

Additional counsel for Mimi on reaching her sister in Word of Faith

discernment Word of Faith pastoral care
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 2018-09-26

Pluck out your eye (Matthew 5:29) vs. having an advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1)

A viewer asks how to reconcile the command to pluck out your eye with the promise of an advocate with the Father.

Matthew 5:29 1 John 2:1 repentance hyperbole sin
Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Advice for teenagers in the church — serve humbly, aim higher than leaders, evangelize peers

A teen asks for suggestions on how to contribute to the church.

youth ministry evangelism Christlikeness
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q6 (wrong week): Advice for someone leaving a cult (JW) and finding a church; overcoming spiritual abuse

Response to question about choosing a church after leaving JW (note: Mike realized partway through this was from a previous week's questions)

spiritual authority Jehovah's Witnesses baptism
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Gift of singleness: a choice, not only a sovereign assignment

Continuing Q9 on singleness

1 Corinthians 7 1 Corinthians 7 singleness free will
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Calibrated theological humility: hold beliefs with appropriate confidence, expect some error, keep learning

Continuing Q14 on following heart vs. conscience vs. Scripture

epistemology theological error intellectual humility
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

God is good and His promises remain — our eternal kingdom is incorruptible and preserved in Christ

Opening encouragement at the start of the Q&A, framed against social and political polarization in early 2021

Christian worldview kingdom of God eternal security
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Christians risk confusing Christ's kingdom with contemporary political events, as did the first disciples

Transition from opening encouragement into a warning about political entrenchment

discipleship kingdom of God Christian political engagement
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Psalm 37:4 is misused in Word of Faith teaching as a blank-check promise to receive material desires

Question from Lungil Zandi about how to read Psalm 37:4 without falling into a Word of Faith trap

Psalm 37:4 hermeneutics prosperity gospel covetousness
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Psalm 37 in context is an encouragement to the righteous who are NOT experiencing abundance, not a promise of material wealth

Contextual reading of Psalm 37 to correct the Word of Faith misuse

Psalm 37 contextual interpretation eschatology prosperity gospel
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Prosperity preaching flips Psalm 37 upside down — the psalm encourages those with little, not those seeking more

Conclusion of the Psalm 37 discussion

Psalm 37:16 Psalm 37:21 prosperity gospel Word of Faith contentment
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

The feeling of "not being there yet" in Christian growth is healthy when it motivates pressing on rather than giving up

Question from Derry Draws about how to grow spiritually when the fire feels gone

Philippians 3:13-14 calling Paul discouragement
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

The Hobbit analogy: getting into the Word is like climbing above the fog to regain vision and direction

Transition into the bonus questions — encouragement for the viewers

perspective Christian worldview kingdom of God
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-15

Ministry faithfulness in obscurity is intrinsically valuable regardless of audience size

Mike introduces himself and describes his Sunday night service in Bellflower, CA — typically 12-15 attendees despite massive YouTube reach — as an encouragement to small-ministry workers.

Matthew 25:14-30 Luke 16:10 Matthew 25:14-30 Faithfulness in ministry Parable of the Talents
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-29

Discipleship readiness: everyone can encourage immediately; formal leadership is about raising others up, not establishing authority

Second part of Bree Herb's question: how do you know when you are ready to disciple others?

discipleship spiritual leadership mentoring
Mike Winger idea 2018-10-31

Mike introduces the livestream as an informal Q&A format, explains he is preparing for an upcoming debate on the resurrection of Jesus Christ against an atheist on Thursday.

Opening remarks and format explanation

resurrection of Jesus debate preparation livestream format
Mike Winger idea 2018-10-31

Mike advises Christians to witness to Jehovah's Witnesses as they would to anyone, noting the advantage that JWs already want to talk about God, and encourages boldness in gospel witness with all people.

Response to viewer question about engaging Jehovah's Witnesses

evangelism Jehovah's Witnesses gospel witness
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

Q5: How to view false Trump prophecies — identified as wrong, traced to pride, competitive prophetic culture, and spiritual dysfunction

Viewer Crystal Peck asks about Christians who falsely prophesied Trump's 2020 electoral victory.

testing prophecy charismatic movement false prophecy
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-19

Question: Synoptic differences — disciples called before/after healing Peter's mother-in-law; Luke heals by rebuking the fever

Viewer Stephen Wilson asks about the differences between Matthew/Mark (disciples called before healing) and Luke (called after; heals by rebuking the fever).

Luke Matthew Mark synoptic problem Luke Matthew
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-19

The still small voice (1 Kings 19) is not a model for seeking God through hints and whispers

Common proof-text for listening prayer misapplied.

1 Kings 19 spiritual disciplines still small voice listening prayer
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-19

Closing encouragement: abide in Christ as the first peg; upcoming study on the return of Jesus

Mike closes the Q&A with pastoral encouragement and preview of upcoming content.

eschatology second coming pastoral care
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Wife more spiritually mature than husband — encouragement over competition

Lil Mik Nick asks for advice when a wife is more spiritually mature than her husband who has admitted it.

marriage encouragement discipleship
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-05

Anxiety about eschatology (pre/mid/post-trib) is unnecessary — Christians are called to live ready for a full lifetime of service

Responding to a question about hoping Jesus does not return until after the questioner has died, due to eschatological anxiety

eschatology rapture abomination of desolation
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-05

Helping a believer in mental anguish: bear burdens without requiring performance; listen and meet needs without trying to fix them

Responding to how to help and encourage a believer going through a season of mental anguish

Galatians 6:2 Proverbs 14:10 pastoral care Galatians 6:2 mental health
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

Parting thought: eternal perspective reframes present suffering

Closing encouragement from Winger at the end of the Q&A session.

Suffering / trials Eternal perspective Faith and trust
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-12

Closing: Mike encourages viewers who are convinced to start seeking God, praying, and paying attention to Christ. He promotes Braxton Hunter's YouTube channel as a resource for apologetics.

Closing exhortation and promotion

evidence for God evidence for God Braxton Hunter
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-08

Good #3: Soul-building theodicy — suffering provides opportunities to develop character virtues (sacrifice, courage, compassion, forgiveness). Good #4: Robin Collins' connection-building theodicy — virtuous responses to evil create valuable relationships that grow infinitely over time.

Response to Q4 — soul-building and connection-building

theodicy theodicy soul-building theodicy
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-19

Q&A: The witness of the Holy Spirit is not primarily an emotion but a witness (like testimony) — the Spirit confirms truths like "I am a child of God" (Romans 8). It can come through Scripture, prayer, or ongoing experience and can be temporarily quenched.

Q&A — witness of the Holy Spirit

Romans 8 Romans 8 witness of the Holy Spirit witness of the Holy Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-15

Mike on women in ministry: he's complementarian — the highest leadership/preaching/governing role is reserved for men God has called. But he struggles with how to apply this to the wide variety of modern ministry situations. Women can teach; the question is in what contexts. He encourages women to study Scripture carefully and let it guide their choices.

Women in ministry — complementarian but cautious on application

1 Timothy 2:12 women in ministry complementarianism complementarianism
Mike Winger idea 2020-06-03

Mike announces BibleThinker is now its own incorporated ministry organization, separate from his local church (while still attending). Also previews follow-up to his marriage/divorce/remarriage study — longest teaching he's ever done (3 hours), nearly 1,000 comments in one week.

Announcements — BibleThinker incorporation, divorce study

divorce and remarriage BibleThinker ministry
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-14

On Steven Furtick: Mike has seen a handful of his messages, finds his preaching style reckless with Scripture. Concerned about the level of allegiance/submission required around him — sounds like pastoral abuse from what he's heard. Furtick doesn't deal carefully with Scripture in context, prioritizing encouragement over accuracy. Similar critique to Joel Osteen.

Steven Furtick critique — reckless with Scripture

Steven Furtick Elevation Church pastoral abuse
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-21

Feeling the presence of a dead loved one: concerning because it may lead to attempting to contact the dead, which the OT consistently condemns. If you're contacting any spirit, it's not the deceased — you're opening yourself to whatever spirit wants to respond. Encourage the person to cherish memories but not pursue spiritual contact. The practice of praying to the dead entered church history through the Eastern church's interaction with pagan culture.

Contacting the dead — biblically condemned

necromancy necromancy contacting the dead
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-15

Four theodicies provide a cumulative answer to the problem of evil: soul-building, free will, natural law, and skeptical theism.

Detailed treatment of theodicies responding to the problem of evil

theodicy theodicy problem of evil
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-05

Christians must have spines — courage of conviction — when facing cultural pressure. Not angry Christians, but Christians who speak truth clearly and wisely. The persecuted church's lesson: when you know you're following God's revealed Word, you don't need man's permission.

Application on Christian courage in the face of authority and cultural pressure

Christian courage people-pleasing
Mike Winger idea 2021-05-28

Encouragement through Chronic Illness: I’m newly diagnosed with a very debilitating chronic illness. How do I continue to serve the Lord in my role as a wife and mother and serve the body of Christ? I’m very discouraged.

Q&A question: Encouragement through Chronic Illness

marriage
Mike Winger idea 2021-06-04

Should our Shortcomings Discourage our Callings?: I believe I am called to be a pastor, but I have sin & inconsistencies in my life. Do you think this could mean I’m not called, or do I just need to work on these things before being used in that area?

Q&A question: Should our Shortcomings Discourage our Callings?

pastoral ministry