Over the past few weeks, hundreds of thousands of Christian students have started their first semester of college. But how strong will these students' Christian faith be when they leave college? Or will they still see themselves as Christians at all? Even if these students' faith remains intact, what beliefs will be the hardest for them to believe and to defend? In this special back-to-school episode, Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones are joined by Dr. Grady Adkins and Dr. Joshua Swindall, two researchers who have spent the past year exploring which specific Christian beliefs are the most difficult for college students to believe and to defend. Now, Grady and Joshua are broadcasting the results of their research for the first time in the first half of this week's program. In the second half of the program, Garrick and Timothy dig deeper into the nature of faith by looking at biblical faith through the lens of one of the greatest rock hits of all time, "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey. Along the way, your intrepid hosts search unsuccessfully for south Detroit, contemplate what sort of people “streetlight people” might be, and discover a strange and mysterious link between the band Journey and prosperity preacher Paula White. As if this week's back-to-school episode wasn't strange enough already, the Infinity Gauntlet pits midichlorians against mutant powers, forcing a showdown between the Jedi and the X-Men that you won't soon forget.
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In this Episode
Grady Adkins, Ed.D., is Executive Pastor of Coram Deo Bible Church in Davenport, Iowa. Grady has been married to Alissa since 1998 and they have four lively, red-headed children: Landon, Reagan, Griffin, and Rowen. Joshua Swindall, Ed.D., is the headmaster at Cullman Christian School in Cullman, Alabama. Joshua and his family attend Crosshaven Church, where he serves as the student minister.
Questions to Discuss
1. What Christian beliefs do college students struggle most to believe and to defend?
2. Why does college seem to have a corrosive effect on students' faith?
3. How can churches prepare children and students to persist in their faith in college, in light of what you have learned in this episode?
Links to Click
If you're interested in learning more about how to help children and college students keep their faith, one great place to start is Perspectives on Family Ministry, edited by Timothy Paul Jones. To learn more about this book, visit http://www.bhacademic.com
The Institutes of the Christian Religion: book by John Calvin
Soul Searching: book by Christian Smith
"Don't Stop Believin'": song by Journey
"Like a Rolling Stone": song by Bob Dylan
"All Along the Watchtower": song by Jimi Hendrix
"Sweet Child O'Mine": song by Guns N' Roses
"Highway to Hell": song by AC/DC
Trial by Fire: album by Journey
If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/
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The Closing Credits
Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
Joshua Swindall and Grady Adkins: What Christian Beliefs Do College Students Struggle to Defend? + "Don't Stop Believin'" (Journey)