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mid-week apologetics booster (8-6-2026)

Good morning friends,

Quote of the week:
The unborn is not a potential human being, but a human being with potential. Sperm and egg are potential humans, but at their union, there’s a new human being who has the potential to grow and mature. – Sean McDowell

Now, here are your weekly links:

Roman Catholic View of Justification (Part 1): Luther and the Reformation with R.C. Sproul – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0zU6EXtb0I
Roman Catholic View of Justification (Part 2): Luther and the Reformation with R.C. Sproul – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4R5fSfRgQA
3 BIG Reasons Why Christians Should Care About Israel + Immigration with Frank Turek, John Ferrer & Jason Jimenez – YouTube – Why are so many Christians divided over Israel? And what does the Bible actually say about God’s promises to the Jewish people? This week, Frank welcomes Dr. John Ferrer and Pastor Jason Jimenez, recorded on site from CrossExamined Instructor Academy 2026 in Charlotte, NC, to kick off a two-part conversation on what they call the 4 I’s that Christians are struggling to think biblically about: Israel, Immigration, Islam, and Identity. In Part 1, they tackle the first two and answer questions like: ● What are the theological, moral, and political implications of how we approach Israel? ● What are the major views on the current state of Israel? ● Is God finished with Israel, or do His covenant promises still stand? ● What is the proper context of Romans 11 in regards to Israel? ● What Scriptures reveal God’s future plan for Israel? ● Why should Christians support an apostate Israel? ● What does it mean to “bless” Israel? Should we agree with everything that Israel does? ● What does Paul mean when he says the Gentiles will be “grafted” into God’s plan for the Church? ● What is the Khazar theory? ● How does anti-Zionism often become antisemitism? ● Why does it seem like the Jewish people are constantly being persecuted? ● Why do Christians need to understand Islam to understand Israel’s actions? ● Why are borders important, and what does loving your neighbor actually require?: https://youtu.be/sKskfCepsIg?is=Kp8uP9-lRW7fOPyp
To be clear, this is not a Christian video. Nevertheless, it presents some VERY interesting data about the benefits of prayer. That’s why I’m including it. Scientists slid praying nuns and monks into a brain scanner and watched one region roar to life while another went completely dark. What they found may be one of the most powerful (and completely free) forms of protection against memory loss and dementia ever studied. A growing stack of research from Harvard, Duke, and the Journals of Gerontology keeps circling back to this ancient habit: prayer. I’m Neal K. Shah, a Johns Hopkins- and NIH-funded caregiving researcher and CEO of CareYaya, and I have helped thousands of families navigate aging, dementia, and serious illness. In this video I walk through the real science of prayer and the brain, what brain scans actually show, why chronic loneliness raises dementia risk by 31%, the famous experiment skeptics use to “debunk” prayer. Whether you’re praying every day or a caregiver desperate for anything that helps, the takeaway is the same: the science here points to something free, safe, and possibly already in your hands. HERE’S WHAT WE COVER: 1. The 2024 University of South Australia study that overturned “sit less, move more” – and why not all stillness is equal 2. What SPECT brain scans reveal about the prefrontal cortex and superior parietal lobe during deep prayer (Dr. Andrew Newberg’s “neurotheology”) 3. How Harvard cardiologist Dr. Herbert Benson’s “relaxation response” lowers cortisol – the stress hormone linked to hippocampus damage and Alzheimer’s 4. Why loneliness is as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day (per the U.S. Surgeon General) – and how prayer fights it 5. The Harvard study of 74,000+ women linking weekly religious attendance to a 33% lower death risk 6. The STEP trial that “disproved” prayer – and the critical detail almost everyone misses 7. 4 free, science-backed things you can do today (plus free caregiver helplines) If you’re aging, caring for someone who is, or lying awake afraid of losing your memory, I made this for you.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGTWsK8ohVY
Sean McDowell meets with Scott Rae, who debunks 10 Common Moral Slogans – YouTube – Can you legislate morality? Is secular ethics neutral? Did Jesus really say “never judge”? Dr. Scott Rae, one of the world’s leading Christian ethicists and Sean’s Think Biblically co-host, is here to work through ten of the most common moral slogans in circulation, and why each one falls apart under scrutiny. Scott addresses all ten in the newly released fifth edition of Moral Choices, updated with new material on the ethics of technology and AI, criminal justice, gender, race, immigration, and gene editing.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9JJGylIHp0
The Story About John Quincy Adams You’ve Never Heard with Speaker Mike Johnson on Cross Examined – YouTube – This is an amazing piece of history here which I did not know!! How did John Quincy Adams’ convictions change the course of American history? In this exclusive clip, Frank takes us along on his tour of the Capitol with House Speaker Mike Johnson as Mike unpacks the powerful legacy of President Adams. If you’ve ever felt like your mission as a Christian is in vain or your voice isn’t being heard, you won’t want to miss this special piece of history. Be faithful and leave the results to God!!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUB_DHes_6A
Sean McDowell Visits Mormon Temple… Here’s What Surprised Him – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfgyW-s5KTE
Does Distant Starlight Prove the Universe Is Old? | Answers in Genesis: https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/starlight/does-distant-starlight-prove-the-universe-is-old/
Moral Relativism is One of the Defining Characteristics of Gen Z – Impact 360 Institute: https://www.impact360institute.org/articles/moral-relativism-one-defining-characteristics-gen-z/
Responding: Is Apologetics a ‘Sad Replacement’ for Bible Study? | Mary Jo Sharp: https://confidentchristianity.com/?p=1436
Why You Can’t Get to Heaven through the Mormon Faith – The Cripplegate: https://thecripplegate.com/why-you-cant-get-to-heaven-through-the-mormon-faith/
Why Does It Matter that Jesus Was Born of a Virgin?: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/why-does-it-matter-that-jesus-was-born-of-a-virgin/
What are undesigned coincidences, and how are they used in apologetics? | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2022/05/18/what-are-undesigned-coincidences-and-how-are-they-used-in-apologetics-3/
Peter J. Williams debates Bart Ehrman on his book “Misquoting Jesus” | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2021/06/21/peter-j-williams-debates-bart-ehrman-on-his-book-misquoting-jesus-3/
Why Spiritual but not religious won’t solve your problems – YouTube – “I’m spiritual but not religious” seems to be a popular catchphrase these days. But what does it mean, and does making this claim really solve any problems for the people who embrace it? CrossExamined Apologetics Team (CAT) member Jon McCray breaks it all down for us in this video.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6HkBGl9mOI
Modern Science refutes the Evolutionary theory: 60,000 generations of bacteria – But evolution has not been observed: https://sciencerefutesevolution.blogspot.com/2017/10/60000-generations-of-bacteria-but.html
The World Needs More Faithful Men | Desiring God – Hidden among the nine shining fruit of the Spirit is a virtue some men might find bland. Compared to other marks of Christlikeness, its grandeur may seem small; its glory, dim. The labor required to cultivate this grace can feel unequal to the rewards it offers. Many of us are tempted to forsake the pursuit of it in search of nobler successes or achievements. And yet, if we lack this fruit of the Spirit, we lose every good thing given to us. Our youthful resolves give way to adult indifference, our marriages and ministries slowly wilt, and our best ambitions eventually fade with a sigh. This quality is certainly not the only mark of a godly man, but without it a man will not stay godly for long. In fact, he will not stay anything for long: not devoted to his family, not diligent in his work, not zealous in his Master’s business. What is it? Not love, joy, or peace; not patience, kindness, or goodness; not gentleness or self-control – but faithfulness…: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-world-needs-more-faithful-men
Rubber Crutches – When people ask me, “Isn’t Christ just a crutch?” I have a simple reply. I tell them, “You’re right. Christ is a crutch. But you’ve asked the wrong question.” No one makes fun of a lame person who uses a crutch. So the real question is, “Am I lame; am I crippled?” because crippled people need crutches.: https://www.str.org/w/rubber-crutches
God’s Hiddenness Is Intended to Provoke Us | Cold Case Christianity – God could certainly overwhelm each of us with His power and fame. He could appear to us in the kind of tangible ways skeptics often request. But if God wants His children to love Him without being overwhelmed in this way, He would have to approach us in some form of “disguise.” He would have to hide his power and glory for a time. Christianity affirms this kind of effort, as Jesus Himself came to us in the form of lowly man, voluntarily accepting the limits of a human being and hiding the full capacity of his glory and power. Jesus continues to modestly court His bride, and as a result, those of us who love Him, do so genuinely. Someday God will expose us directly to His power and glory, confident that His bride, the Church, truly loves Him. God’s present hiddenness provokes us to a genuine form of love, and that has likely been His goal all along.: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/gods-hiddenness-is-intended-to-provoke-us/
Doubts about design and the resurrection Â· Creation.com – Showing how its reasonable to doubt universal common ancestry and accept that Jesus tomb was empty.: https://creation.com/en/articles/doubts-about-design-and-the-empty-tomb
What Do You Do When Family Members Persist in Sin?: https://www.radicallychristian.com/p/what-do-you-do-when-family-members-persist-in-sin
Did the Hebrew language exist before the exile into Babylon? | George’s Journal: https://georgesjournal.net/2013/03/05/did-the-hebrew-language-exist-before-the-exile-into-babylon/
4 Reasons Why Christianity is True – YouTube – The reason we believe that Christianity is true, its because the answer to four questions is yes.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ata3XrCiGtY
Doesn’t the Bible Say True Faith is Blind? | Cold Case Christianity: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/doesnt-the-bible-say-true-faith-is-blind/

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. “ Micah 5:2

Blessings to you all