The Search For Meaning

Two friends discuss honest questions about God

Life today is busy. And all too often, the demands of a hectic daily schedule keep us from pursuing answers to life's big questions, the kinds of ultimate questions that give us a sense of who we are and why we're here. Questions like why things don't often go our way, how we should live life and what happens to us and our loved ones when we die.

We're all vitally interested in these kinds of questions, but may be afraid that there are no answers, or that if we ask them to friends and family they'll just give us a pat, condescending, dogmatic answers; or worse, that they'll criticize, judge or even reject us.

Listen in as Bill and Lamar, two good friends, discuss their big questions with openness, honesty, logic, evidence, and a great deal of mutual respect. These are the kinds of conversations we've all wished for but perhaps thought couldn't happen.

There is real help in these dialogues for intellectually honest people who want faith in God to make sense, who want to build a solid basis for purpose, meaning, ethics, and personal priorities in life.

Dialogue One: Can anyone know if God exists?

  1. What's missing? — Starts at 0:00
  2. The atheistic and the agnostic leap of faith — Starts at 4:03
  3. The universe as evidence for God — Starts at 7:26
  4. Order and morality as further evidence — Starts at 11:05
  5. Pascal's wager — Starts at 15:07

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Dialogue Two: How can a rational person believe in miracles?

  1. If there is a God who can act, then… — Starts at 0:00
  2. Do miracles violate the laws of nature? — Starts at 5:00
  3. The evidence for the empty tomb — Starts at 8:20
  4. The after-death appearances — Starts at 16:08
  5. The disciples' radical change — Starts at 18:54

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Dialogue Three: Is faith just a psychological crutch for weak people?

  1. Wishing doesn't make it true — Starts at 0:00
  2. Wishing doesn't make it false — Starts at 4:03
  3. Examining the object of faith — Starts at 6:25
  4. Real needs versus felt needs — Starts at 11:36

Dialogue Four: Is the Bible mythical or historical, divinely inspired or merely human?

  1. Evidence from archaeology — Starts at 0:00
  2. Evidence from ancient documents — Starts at 8:14
  3. Unity out of diversity — Starts at 13:46
  4. Fulfilled prophecy — Starts at 20:22
  5. The problem of interpretation — Starts at 2:37
  6. What difference does it make? — Starts at 8:37

Dialogue Five: Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?

  1. Pain is personal — Starts at 0:00
  2. Atheism and evil - Circular reasoning — Starts at 4:23
  3. Pantheism and suffering — Starts at 8:15
  4. Love, choice, and consequences — Starts at 12:06
  5. Reason to hope — Starts at 18:35
  6. How could a loving God send anyone to hell? — Starts at 23:16

Dialogue Six: Is Jesus the only way to God?

  1. Truth and sincerity — Starts at 0:00
  2. Truth: absolute or relative? — Starts at 3:08
  3. Narrow-mindedness versus soft-headed indulgence — Starts at 6:00
  4. The law of non-contradiction — Starts at 10:23
  5. Truth and tolerance — Starts at 13:20
  6. The claims of Christ - Good teacher or God? — Starts at 16:42

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Dialogue Seven: Would a fair God condemn those who have never even heard?

  1. Excluded withoug information? — Starts at 0:00
  2. Accountability that is fair — Starts at 3:16
  3. Good news, yes, but how can the primitive hear? — Starts at 8:36
  4. What about babies, or people before the time of Christ? — Starts at 15:36
  5. Part of the problem or part of the solution? — Starts at 22:59

Dialogue Eight: Does hypocrisy invalidate the claims of Christianity?

  1. The guy in the office, and the TV preacher — Starts at 0:00
  2. Definitions: "hypocrite" and "Christian" — Starts at 3:38
  3. Comparisons don't work — Starts at 8:09
  4. The most important point — Starts at 11:38

Dialogue Nine: How good must we be to qualify for heaven?

  1. What would you say at the gate? — Starts at 0:00
  2. The goodness and justice of God — Starts at 3:36
  3. The problem with Bill — Starts at 10:20
  4. The good news — the love of God — Starts at 15:00
  5. Life's most important decision — Starts at 18:57

Dialogue Ten: What does it really mean to "believe"?

  1. Isn't it too easy? — Starts at 0:00
  2. It's either impossible or free — Starts at 5:02
  3. The role of reason and doubt in faith — Starts at 10:17
  4. Transferring the trust — Starts at 15:33
  5. Faith plus performance? — Starts at 19:24

Dialogue Eleven: Once you gain eternal life, can you lose it? If not, why be good?

  1. Is a maintenance agreement required? — Starts at 0:00
  2. A license to steal versus a secure relationship — Starts at 4:49
  3. Are future sins covered as well? — Starts at 10:30
  4. An attitude of gratitude — Starts at 13:57
  5. Going for the gusto — Starts at 16:16
  6. Avoiding painful, natural consequences — Starts at 20:35
  7. Avoiding loving discipline — Starts at 23:57
  8. Going for the gold — Starts at 3:20

Dialogue Twelve: How do you grow closer to God in the here and now?

  1. The most important decision — Starts at 0:00
  2. The second most important decision — Starts at 11:22
  3. Reading the Bible — Starts at 17:16
  4. Prayer — Starts at 23:35
  5. Church — Starts at 3:27
  6. Learn with a friend — Starts at 7:26

Copyright Search Ministries Inc. 2013