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All (309) Mike Winger (309)
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

Why was Zechariah punished for his question about John's birth, but Mary was not punished for asking the same type of question?

Question from Terry Defilo about Luke 1:18 (Zechariah) vs. Luke 1:34 (Mary) and the apparent inconsistency.

John the Baptist Luke 1:18 Luke 1:34 Mary John the Baptist Luke 1:18
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-23

Christians financially support entertainment content they watch, making passive viewing of blasphemy morally problematic even if personally unaffected.

Continued Q1 discussion on watching movies that use God's name in vain.

entertainment and media financial complicity blasphemy
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-23

Spiritual doubt overcome through volitional trust: Mike's personal testimony of months of intellectual and emotional doubt resolved by choosing to trust God regardless of feelings.

Q17 from Healthy Bleach: feeling cut off from God, wondering if prayer is talking to oneself, if faith is wishful thinking.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Genesis flood narrative Proverbs 3:5-6 perseverance spiritual dryness
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Passion for God fading: treat it as a red flag, diagnose sin, then take outward spiritual actions to let the heart follow

Q17 from Langille Zandi: How do you counsel someone whose passion for the Lord is dying — not praying, not reading the Bible?

James 4 Revelation 2 (Ephesus) spiritual disciplines James 4 sanctification
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

The NT reliably narrates events where Jesus was alone — he could have told disciples, and Holy Spirit aided gospel authors

Q19 from Stephen Richeson: How do we know the NT is reliable for events where Jesus was alone, such as the temptation in the wilderness or Gethsemane?

John 14:26 eyewitness testimony Holy Spirit inspiration temptation of Jesus
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-19

Baptism: biblical basis and urgency; no reason to delay

Listener Kenneth asks how to explain the importance of baptism to a new Christian who has not yet been baptized.

Acts 2:38 Acts 8:36-38 Hebrews 5 Philip the Evangelist Ethiopian eunuch Acts 2:38
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-30

Caution against broadly judging the church as disunified; American church worldliness is the real local issue.

Continuation of Question 1; addressing Tanya's concern that the church lacks unity.

Matthew 7 Ephesians 4:1-3 church unity self-examination worldliness
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-12

Q&A: Is it okay to mock atheists? Mike and Braxton both lean toward cordial conversation. Mockery has a legitimate place biblically but easily leads to responding "in the flesh." Most people aren't discerning enough to mock wisely.

Q&A — mocking atheists

apologetics apologetics mocking opponents
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-08

The JW blood transfusion example actually comes from Watchtower proclamations, not biblical interpretation. John notes the Bible's manuscript tradition makes it more reliable than modern media like video. Even supernatural direct knowledge could still be questioned by skeptics.

Additional response to Q1 — JW example and textual reliability

textual criticism textual criticism Watchtower
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-26

Reason 1 (Sherry): Her 8-week ultrasound. She didn't see a clump of cells — she saw her child. "My choice was to keep her alive or kill her." Ultrasound compilation shows parents instinctively calling the image "he" or "she," never "the fetus."

Reason 1 — ultrasound revelation

ultrasound pro-choice to pro-life conversion
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-26

Reason 5 (Dominic Kalana): Reading a description of partial-birth abortion. Mike shows three Live Action videos from Dr. Anthony Levatino (who performed 1,200+ abortions before becoming pro-life) describing third-trimester, second-trimester (D&E), and first-trimester medical abortion procedures in clinical detail.

Reason 5 — learning what abortion actually is

Anthony Levatino Live Action D&E procedure
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-26

Q&A: Luke 14:33 ("renounce all you have") and Luke 12:33 ("sell your possessions") are hyperbolic expressions of total dedication to Jesus, not literal commands for universal poverty. Lydia continued her business after conversion and used profits to support missionaries.

Q&A — sell everything and follow Jesus

Luke 14:33 Luke 12:33 Luke 14:33 Luke 12:33 Lydia (seller of purple)
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-11

"Water under the earth" (Psalm 136:6, Exodus 20:4) = the ocean. Exodus 20:4 prohibits idols of things in heaven, on earth, or in the water under the earth — if this isn't the ocean, then the idol prohibition doesn't cover fish/sea creatures. Psalm 24:2: "founded upon the seas, established upon the rivers" — earth (dry land) is simply above water level.

Water under the earth — the ocean

Exodus 20:4 Psalm 24:1-2 Psalm 136:6 water under the earth Exodus 20:4 Psalm 24:1-2
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-11

Q&A: Who should we direct prayers to? Generally to the Father (Matthew 6:6), but praying to Jesus or the Holy Spirit is acceptable. "In Jesus' name" is not a required phrase — you pray through Christ whether you say it or not because he is your mediator.

Q&A — directing prayer

Matthew 6:6 prayer direction Matthew 6:6
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-18

Q: Did Jesus enable drunkenness at the wedding in Cana (John 2)? No. Weddings lasted days, so "well drunk" doesn't mean currently intoxicated. The master of the feast comments that the best wine usually comes first — he's surprised, not diagnosing drunkenness. Jesus providing wine doesn't excuse individual lack of self-control.

Q&A — wedding at Cana and drunkenness

John 2 wedding at Cana John 2 wine in the Bible
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-16

Q: Is COVID God's judgment? Maybe, but claiming to know is pastoral arrogance. Jesus addressed this with the Tower of Siloam (Luke 13:4-5): those who died weren't worse sinners — but if you don't repent, you'll perish too. Judgment stands over all humanity; any time God doesn't judge is grace. The right response to any disaster: get your life right with God.

Q&A — is COVID God's judgment? (Tower of Siloam)

Luke 13:4-5 Tower of Siloam Luke 13:4-5 pastoral arrogance
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-08

The bad news: all humans are sinners (Romans 3:10-12, 3:23). We underestimate our sin because we compare ourselves to other sinners instead of to God's holiness. The Freeze analogy: a guy celebrates while losing a race because he doesn't see who he's compared to. Isaiah 6: when Isaiah saw God's holiness, he cried "woe is me."

The problem of sin

Romans 3:23 Romans 3:10-12 Romans 3:23 Romans 3:23 holiness of God Romans 3:10-12
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-08

Each chapter has a conversation guide: (1) "Open the conversation" — easy questions to get kids talking without intimidation. (2) "Advance the conversation" — deeper questions with tips in parentheses guiding parents on key points to cover. Designed to move from kids' heads to actual parent-child dialogue.

Conversation guide structure

Natasha Crain kids apologetics conversation guides
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-15

Sex before marriage: Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:2 — the solution to sexual immorality is marriage, which means sex outside marriage IS sexual immorality. If premarital sex were acceptable, marriage wouldn't be needed to avoid sexual immorality. Marrying outside the faith: 1 Corinthians 7:39 — free to remarry "only in the Lord." 2 Corinthians 6:14 — unequally yoked.

Sex before marriage and interfaith marriage

1 Corinthians 7:2-4 1 Corinthians 7:39 unequally yoked 1 Corinthians 7:2-4 sex before marriage
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-19

Points 6-7: (6) Lamb was one year old (prime of life) — Jesus began ministry at 30, the age of full maturity for priestly/sacrificial service. (7) Lamb selected on 10th of Nisan — Jesus entered Jerusalem on the same day (Triumphal Entry, Palm Sunday). The crowd cried "Hosanna" (Psalm 118) = "save us" — presenting himself as the Messianic King. He was then "inspected" for 4 days through questioning by religious leaders, found faultless.

Points 6-7 — age, selection date, triumphal entry

Psalm 118 Passover Passover triumphal entry
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-21

Advice for a new missionary to Japan: (1) Don't go alone — attach yourself to other believers and protect those relationships; Satan will target them. (2) Long-term missions requires patience — it's years of investment, not quick results. (3) Your impact ripples through generations even if it feels small. The lives you change will change other lives for decades.

Missionary advice — Japan

long-term missions
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-28

The prayer promise is couched in the destruction-of-temple context because Jesus is inaugurating NEW COVENANT prayer — from temple-mediated access to direct access through Christ. Christians ARE the new temple.

The temple context explains WHY this prayer teaching appears here in Mark

1 Peter 2:5 Ephesians 2:19-22 2 Chronicles 6:24-40 1 Peter 2:5 Ephesians 2:19-22 2 Chronicles 6:24-40
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-19

Mark 12:13-17 ("Render to Caesar") is one of the most political NT passages — the Pharisees and Herodians try to trap Jesus with a question about the poll tax, and Jesus's answer gives principles for Christian politics.

Introduction to Mark Series pt 47 on the tribute to Caesar

Mark 12:13-17 Mark series render to Caesar Mark 12:13-17 render to Caesar
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-19

The trap: Pharisees and Herodians (sent by the Sanhedrin) use flattery to pressure Jesus into a direct yes/no answer. They want either criminal charges (sedition) or depopularization (alienating zealot followers).

Analysis of the trap question setup in Mark 12:13-16

Mark 12:13-17 Acts 5:37 Proverbs 29:5 Josephus Josephus Sanhedrin
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-19

Be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). Paul before the Sanhedrin (Acts 23) is a model — he cleverly divided the room on the resurrection issue rather than just proclaiming Jesus is Lord.

Example of Christian cleverness from Paul in Acts 23

Acts 23 Matthew 10:16 Acts 23 Matthew 10:16 shrewd as serpents
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-22

A controversy exists in NT scholarship over whether gospel authors used "literary devices" from Greco-Roman biography that allowed them to change facts. Dr. Lydia McGrew argues against this; Mike Licona argues for it.

Introduction to the literary devices controversy with Dr. Lydia McGrew

Mike Licona Mike Licona Lydia McGrew
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-22

Key examples of alleged literary devices: (1) John moved the temple cleansing from Passion Week to early ministry; (2) John invented "I thirst" on the cross as a theological symbol; (3) Matthew's raised saints as "special effects." McGrew argues all are unnecessary — simpler historical explanations exist.

Examples of literary devices McGrew disputes

Matthew 27 Matthew 27 literary devices in Gospels fictionalizing literary devices
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-22

Critical distinction: achronological narration (not specifying order) vs. dischronological narration (deliberately changing order). The former is uncontroversial; the latter requires heavy burden of proof. "Mere difference hunting" is not sufficient evidence for fact-changing.

McGrew's key methodological distinctions

harmonization literary devices in Gospels achronological vs dischronological narration
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-22

The external evidence (compositional textbooks, Plutarch) is far weaker than claimed. The textbooks never explicitly say "it's acceptable to change historical facts." Plutarch's differences may just be mistakes, not intentional literary devices. Licona admits attributing devices to the Gospels that aren't even found in the textbooks or Plutarch.

Critique of the external evidence for literary devices

Plutarch Mike Licona Mike Licona
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-22

Positive evidence FOR gospel reliability: consistent personality of Jesus across Gospels, unexplained allusions (John 7 — Jesus quotes a scripture nobody can identify), unnecessary realistic details, and the absence of realistic fiction as a genre in the first century.

McGrew's positive case for the reportage model

John 7 undesigned coincidences Lydia McGrew John 7
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-22

The literary devices view has serious apologetic consequences: it eliminates resurrection appearances, undermines doubting Thomas, weakens the case for Jesus's deity from John's "I AM" sayings, and gives ammunition to cults and skeptics.

Apologetic implications of accepting literary devices in the Gospels

deity of Christ resurrection appearances resurrection appearances
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-26

Du Toit systematically changes key gospel texts: John 1:12 ("become children of God" → you're already God's offspring), John 3:3 (born again → you were already born from above), John 3:18 (condemned already → under your own self-judgment).

Specific examples of the Mirror Bible inverting gospel texts

John 1:12 John 3:3 John 3:7 born again John 1:12 John 3:3
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-29

CRT redefines racism as "prejudice plus power" — meaning only the dominant group (whites) can be racist, and systemic racism is the only real racism. This enables dismissing any concern from majority groups while making all disparities evidence of racism.

CRT's redefinition of racism and its consequences

Proverbs 18:13 Robin DiAngelo Ibram X. Kendi prejudice plus power
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-29

Biblical framework: impartiality in judgment (no favoritism for rich or poor), all humans of one blood in God's image, individual sin/accountability, Scripture as the authority over lived experience. CRT is incompatible with Christianity on every core tenet.

The biblical response to CRT

Leviticus 19:15 image of God image of God biblical justice
Mike Winger idea 2020-11-02

Romans 13:1-4 endorses the death penalty in the NEW Testament era — the government "bears the sword" as "God's avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer." Romans 12:19 commands individuals NOT to avenge — leave it to government.

Romans 13 as NT endorsement of the death penalty, paired with Romans 12

Romans 13:1-7 Romans 12:19 death penalty Romans 13:1-7 Romans 12:19
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 2021-06-18

Should Prayer be a Dialogue or Monologue?: About prayer, I’ve heard many people say that praying to God should be more of a dialogue than a monologue. Isn’t the Lord’s Prayer spoken by Jesus a monologue? How should we pray then?

Q&A question: Should Prayer be a Dialogue or Monologue?

Jesus prayer
Mike Winger idea 2021-07-16

About Jupiter in the Bible: In Acts 19:35 where it says “the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter,” is this referring to the planet Jupiter, and did they know of other planets in that period of time?

Q&A question: About Jupiter in the Bible

Acts 19 Acts 19
Mike Winger idea 2021-11-12

About Praying for the Sick: How should James 5: 13-16 be interpreted in the light of praying for the sick to be healed, especially in church? I’ve seen people praying for others expecting them to be healed immediately.

Q&A question: About Praying for the Sick

James James
Mike Winger idea 2021-12-17

How to be Calm & Kind on Social Media: I often find myself being rude on social media. I don’t mean to be, but it just gets the better of me. How do you approach people, consistently, in such a loving manner?

Q&A question: How to be Calm & Kind on Social Media
Mike Winger idea 2022-04-01

Winger says NO — do not follow your husband to a cult. The Bible never gives husbands spiritual authority to dictate their wife's worship. Wives have a relationship with God independent of their husbands. He also rejects the 'husband as priest of his house' teaching as unbiblical. Uses 1 Peter 3:1-6 extensively.

Q&A: Husband joined a cult teaching women go to hell for wearing makeup/trousers. Should wife submit and follow him there?

1 Peter 3:1-6 complementarianism headship complementarianism
Mike Winger idea 2022-06-24

Are there Sins we Really Can’t Help Doing?: How can I reconcile 1 Corinthians 10: 13 after decades of struggling with sloth, bad work ethic, sin at work, etc.? I’m praying for forgiveness, but was recently diagnosed with ADHD. I now see I can’t help it without meds.

Q&A question: Are there Sins we Really Can’t Help Doing?

1 Corinthians 10 1 Corinthians 10 forgiveness
Mike Winger idea 2022-07-15

Should Prayer be a Dialogue or Monologue?: Should prayer be a dialogue or monologue? How should we determine if instances of humans having a dialogue with God in the Bible are to be taken as normative?

Q&A question: Should Prayer be a Dialogue or Monologue?

prayer
Mike Winger idea 2023-01-27

About the “Church of Christ”: Do you have any insight on Church of Christ doctrine? I have a friend I'm planning to open a dialogue with who is in the Church of Christ. I see works based salvation emphasized, but need help.

Q&A question: About the “Church of Christ”

salvation
Mike Winger idea 2023-06-23

God Lied 4 Times??: I’ve recently had someone use Jeremiah 20:7, Matthew 16: 28, the lack of immediate death in Genesis 3, and Cain’s exile in Genesis 4 as “evidence” that God is a liar. How would you respond?

Q&A question: God Lied 4 Times??

Genesis 3 Jeremiah Matthew 16 Genesis 3 Jeremiah Matthew 16
Mike Winger idea 2023-09-01

Does Video Auto-Play Lead to Sin?: Is it a sin to use a social media service that often displays ungodly messages and music? Short-form video services such as TikTok display videos directly on your feed rather than suggesting them to you. I will still often see ungodly videos even though I don't want to.

Q&A question: Does Video Auto-Play Lead to Sin?
Mike Winger idea 2023-09-29

The Bible Harmonized w/Psychology?: How do we harmonize the Bible and psychology? I have some leaders that try to diagnose people’s sin through the lens of psychology and not Scripture (things like compulsive lying, laziness, etc.).

Q&A question: The Bible Harmonized w/Psychology?
Mike Winger idea 2023-12-16

Why Doesn’t God Immediately Help/Heal?: Why would I "surrender" myself to someone who could help me (be well, not be in pain, heal me) and is with me at all times, but doesn't help me?

Q&A question: Why Doesn’t God Immediately Help/Heal?
Mike Winger idea 2024-07-26

Prayer Request: Bonus.Will you pray for my mom, Kelly? She was diagnosed with breast cancer and has started chemo, but they found a mass on her liver. Not sure if it's cancer but it has grown in the last month. Through this she has been saved! We pray God's will is for her to be healed, but most importantly, for her testimony to live!

Q&A question: Prayer Request

prayer
Mike Winger idea 2024-08-09

Are Guardian Angels Biblical?: What is the biblical case for or against guardian angels? Are they a myth, or do we really all have individual angels following us around and helping us?

Q&A question: Are Guardian Angels Biblical?

angels
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