Search — Theology Explorer

evangelism eternal destiny objective truth

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.

1 Corinthians 7:25-40 marriage singleness 1 Corinthians 7:25-40

Is marriage a choice? 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 — singleness and marriage as two equally valid, differently good options

Question from Simeon Botha about whether marriage is God's will or a personal choice.

marriage Christian ethics believer-unbeliever marriage

Attending a believer/unbeliever wedding: Mike would likely attend while opposing the union beforehand

Question from Brian Park about attending such a wedding.

parental authority communion children and church

Children and communion: readiness is knowledge-based not age-based; parents decide, not the church

Question from Kimberly Mencina about a four-year-old not participating in communion.

Joel Osteen gospel prosperity gospel repentance

Repentance-free Christianity: omission of sin, judgment, and hell produces a distorted gospel

Question from Chip Lutec about self-improvement replacing holiness in modern Christianity.

Isaiah 53:10 crucifixion atonement Sodom and Gomorrah

Penal substitutionary atonement: two valid senses of God's wrath on the cross — displeasure toward sin; outward punishment of sin

Question from Zoe Abundant about whether Jesus experienced God's wrath and what that means.

crucifixion atonement shame

Shame and guilt on the cross: Jesus experienced the full weight of all human guilt — an underappreciated dimension of atonement

Mike adds to the physical and death dimensions of what Jesus suffered.

Romans 1 1 Corinthians 6:9 Leviticus 18:22 biblical interpretation Romans 1 1 Corinthians 6:9

Homosexuality passages: pedophilia reinterpretation refuted — Mike's four-part series using pro-gay Greek scholars

Question from April Stafford about the claim that biblical passages condemning homosexuality are actually about pedophilia.

Acts 2 Galatians 5:23 Acts 2 self-control charismatic gifts

Three arguments against drunk-in-the-spirit theology: self-control is a fruit of the Spirit; accusers were unsaved; Scripture describes the gifts

Mike's comprehensive rebuttal of drunk-in-spirit theology.

charismatic gifts slain in the Spirit Pentecostalism

Personal testimony: Mike faked being slain in the Spirit at a hyper-Pentecostal church due to peer pressure as a teenager

Mike's personal experience with being slain in the Spirit.

Acts Acts persecution bold witness

Book of Acts as counter-example to private faith: the apostles were imprisoned and beaten rather than stop speaking about Jesus

Closing reinforcement of the bold witness argument.

YouTube ministry YouTube Tactics with Mike Winger

Announcement: second YouTube channel 'YouTube Tactics with Mike Winger' for evangelical ministry on YouTube

Closing announcements.

Matthew 18 Brian Simmons Matthew 18 Bill Johnson

Matthew 18 is widely misused on the internet to silence discernment of public teachers

Mike introduces the recurring question about whether he has the right to critique public teachers like Bill Johnson, Todd White, Brian Zond, and Brian Simmons

Matthew 18:15-17 hermeneutics church discipline Matthew 18:15-17

Matthew 18:15-17 is about personal sin resolution, not evaluation of public teaching

Mike reads Matthew 18:15-17 and explains its actual contextual meaning

"Touch not the Lord's anointed" means do not murder -- not do not critique

Mike addresses the second common objection to his discernment work

David Saul Old Testament

Mark 16:18 Psalm 91 Matthew 4 Mark 16:18 Psalm 91 Matthew 4

Snake handling is condemned as tempting God, mirroring Satan's temptation of Jesus using Psalm 91

Mike addresses the serpent-picking clause in Mark 16:18

Mormonism rabbinic literature hermeneutics

In Jewish thought: first heaven = atmosphere, second heaven = space/stars, third heaven = God's presence

Mike explains the consistent rabbinic framework for multiple heavens

Christian liberty bodily stewardship exercise

Bodily stewardship and exercise as a moral issue -- knowingly neglecting physical health can become sin

Mike extends the 1 Corinthians 6 framework to exercise and diet

Luke 23:34 2 Peter 3:9 Numbers typology cities of refuge high priest

Luke 23:34 'Father forgive them' likely refers to delayed judgment / forgiveness offered, not full salvific pardon

Responding to Reid's question about whether unbelievers are forgiven to some degree, referencing Luke 23:34

Christian ethics pastoral care sin nature

Responding pastorally to a parent whose daughter came out as bisexual: distinguish identity from sin, love without approval

Responding to 'Whatever is Lovely' whose daughter was baptized in 2018 then came out as bisexual in 2019

Mormonism apologetics pre-mortal existence

Socratic approach for witnessing to Mormons about pre-mortal existence: let them make their case first

Responding to Alexander Duncan's question about addressing Mormon belief in pre-mortal existence

Romans 14 Lord's Supper Romans 14 Christian liberty

Unleavened bread at communion is symbolically important (sinlessness of Christ); alcoholic vs non-alcoholic wine is incidental

Responding to Kumbo Munsaka's question about whether alcoholic wine and unleavened bread are required at the Lord's Supper

1 John 1 John 2:1 Peter 1 John perseverance

Habitual sin and salvation: honest uncertainty, but the answer is always to press toward Christ rather than despair

Responding to Adriano's question about whether living in habitual sin from addiction while truly wanting to stop means he is unsaved

fulfilled prophecy Q&A format Rethink Conference

Introduction to subscriber Q&A hangout format

Mike opens his first Q&A livestream, explaining the format and ground rules for how questions will be taken from the chat.

Matthew 5:29 1 John 2:1 repentance hyperbole sin

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.

youth ministry evangelism Christlikeness

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.

word of wisdom word of knowledge prophecy

Cessationism vs. continuationism — Mike holds continuationism but respects cessationists

A viewer asks what Mike thinks about cessationists.

John 10:11 2 Corinthians 5:21 Mark 10:17-18 John 10:11 Ray Comfort deity of Christ

Mark 10:17-18 — Why does Jesus ask why he is called good? Implicit claim to deity

A viewer asks Mike to explain Mark 10:17-18, the rich young ruler passage.

1 Corinthians 7 Luke 14:26 1 Corinthians 7 discipleship Luke 14:26

Luke 14:26 — Forsaking family for Christ: hyperbole and ultimate priority, not literal abandonment

A viewer asks what Jesus meant by forsaking family and hating father and mother.

Craig Keener miracles Miracles

Craig Keener's book on miracles — medically verified miraculous accounts

A viewer asks for a good example of raising the dead today.

Philippians 4 Romans 6 Proverbs 11:14 Philippians 4 Romans 6 pastoral counseling

Scriptures for believers needing deliverance — Romans 6 for sin, Philippians 4 for oppression

A viewer at 3am asks for scriptures for believers needing deliverance.

Calvary Chapel youth ministry church discipline

How Mike ended up at Calvary Chapel — left previous church over moral compromise in youth ministry

A viewer asks how Mike ended up at Calvary Chapel in Bellflower.

apologetics William Lane Craig philosophical arguments for God

William Lane Craig as a model for popularizing philosophical apologetics

Mike references William Lane Craig while discussing vocational gaps in the church.

1 Corinthians 14:34 1 Timothy 2:12 hermeneutics 1 Corinthians 14:34 gender roles

Women's silence passages in context — likely addressing local disorder, not a universal ban

A viewer asks whether men and women can be in a Bible study together and if women should be silent.

calling worship leading apologetics

Gaps in vocational ministry — expository preaching, apologetics, archaeology, worship leading

A viewer asks what the church is most lacking in vocational ministry.

1 Timothy Mark Luke 1 Timothy textual criticism Mark

Dating the Gospels — pre-70 AD arguments deserve more weight than commonly given

A viewer asks whether most NT historians date all four Gospels to around 70 AD or later.

Matthew 18:15-17 Galatians 6:1-2 false teaching church discipline mysticism

Handling a friend pursuing unbiblical mysticism — staged intervention using Galatians 6:1-2

Mike answers an emailed question from Nikki about a close Christian friend who keeps pursuing mystical and unbiblical things despite multiple conversations.

James White Romans 1 James White Calvinism Romans 1

James White's upcoming Calvinism response — Mike's posture of learning; concern about misrepresentation of Romans 1 argument

Mike closes by addressing James White's upcoming video response to his Calvinism video.

1 John 5:16-17 hermeneutics eisegesis salvation

Sin leading to death in 1 John 5:16-17 — interpretation depends on prior theology

Question about whether 1 John 5:16-17 implies one can lose salvation.

1 Kings 21 Genesis 4 Exodus 20 theocracy 1 Kings 21 right to life

Biblical basis for rights to life, liberty, and property

Question asking for verses that imply life, liberty, and property are inalienable rights.

Acts 5:29 Acts 5:29 conscience civil disobedience

Christian liberty includes disobeying government when God's commands conflict with the state

Continued discussion of biblical liberty.

Hebrews 1:1-2 1 Timothy 1:18 Revelation of John Hagar charismatic movement prophecy

Hebrews 1:1-2 does not prohibit God from speaking to individuals today

Question about whether God still speaks through a still small voice today, referencing Hebrews 1:2.

Romans 5:12 Romans 8:20-22 young earth creationism Fall of Man Romans 5:12

Death before the Fall: Romans 5 and 8 address human death, not animal death

Question about whether macro-evolution is consistent with Scripture given death entered through sin.

evangelism prayer witnessing

Evangelizing resistant family members: heart attitude must precede strategy

Question from someone whose parents think religion is stupid and who fears being judged for sharing their faith.

James 1:13-15 personal responsibility Satan sin

Temptation originates primarily from one's own sinful desires, not Satan — James 1:13-15

Question about whether all temptation comes from Satan/demons or from one's sinful self.

Romans 13 theocracy justice Romans 13

No single biblical form of government; Christianity fits any system through principles

Question about biblical support for monarchy and the Christian attitude toward it.

Acts 2 Psalm 51:11 John 14:17 David Acts 2 Abraham

Old Testament believers were saved but lacked the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Question about whether Old Testament believers were born again and could be called children of God.

Christian liberty holiness Sabbath

Nerdy hobbies are reconcilable with Christianity if kept holy and in moderation

Question about whether hobbies like comics, video games, and tabletop games should be abandoned.