After his reluctant conversion, C.S. Lewis's life began to change. In his friendships and work at Oxford, his faith started to make a difference. But a phone call changed everything. When Lewis was invited to address the nation on the BBC about spiritual hope during WWII, he started to become the C.S. Lewis we know today. From then on, he would write book after book, letter after letter, and become the world spokesman for "mere Christianity."
Apr 17, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 265
“In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed, perhaps that night the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.” This is no normal conversion story, but so C. S. Lewis narrates his journey of faith in Surprised by Joy. Like so many parts of Lewis’s life, his conversion is full of surprises, twists and turns, and the evidence of God’s work. Throughout his life, Lewis was blessed with rich friendships, and in this episode, his friends, his pa...
Apr 10, 2024•44 min•Ep. 264
Before he was known to the world as C. S. Lewis, “Jacks” as his friends and family called him, struggled through his early years. After his mother’s passing and the trenches of the Great War, Lewis was a fledgling scholar trying to make his way in the world. But he was also searching for Joy. This opening episode traces Lewis’s life from the paradise of Little Lea to the trenches on the Western Front and back to Oxford again.
Apr 03, 2024•47 min•Ep. 263
On Thursday of Holy Week, Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples in what we now call the "Last Supper." Then he washed the disciples' feet, and they went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. But Maundy Thursday gets its name from something else that happened that Thursday. Jesus gave his disciples a "new commandment," or in Latin, a "new mandate" to love one another. This command of love has been celebrated in the church for centuries. In this message, Terry Feix gives a message on Maund...
Mar 28, 2024•34 min•Ep. 262
One of the great conversations in the Bible is between Jesus and Pontius Pilate in John 18-19. Pilate is shrouded in mystery, and we know very little of his life outside of the Bible. Cole and Terry discuss Pilate's life, the role he plays in Jesus's death, and what we can learn as we anticipate Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Mar 27, 2024•52 min•Ep. 261
The Easter season is full of great music, and one way to focus on Christ's death and resurrection during Holy Week is to read, sing, and meditate on great hymns from Christian history. Dr. Kim Arnold has picked out 5 hymns for Holy Week this year that guide our hearts to the cross and the empty tomb. To read about these hymns, see her article, " Hymns for Lent ." "O Sacred Head Now Wounded" - Paul Gerhardt "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" - Isaac Watts "O Love Divine, What Hast Thou Done?" - C...
Mar 25, 2024•48 min•Ep. 260
It is impossible to understand the world of the New Testament without Greek culture, philosophy, and history. But the Greeks play a role in the Old Testament, too, and between the Testaments. In this episode, Cole and Terry look at the Greeks and the ways God used this region and these people to work his plan in the world.
Mar 13, 2024•42 min•Ep. 259
Cyrus the Great may own the title for the greatest conqueror before Alexander. He and his famous successors Darius and Xerxes conquered the known world and extended their empire all the way to Greece. The Persian Empire did not treat the Israelites like the Assyrians and Babylonians; they returned them to the promised land, let them rule themselves, and allowed them to rebuild the temple. In this episode, discover the roles the Persians played in biblical history and learn from their legacy as t...
Feb 28, 2024•42 min•Ep. 258
One empire stands above them all in the Bible: Babylon. From the opening pages of Genesis to the end of Revelation, Babylon stands in for every city and kingdom that would raise itself against God. But how did it become that symbol? Cole and Terry discuss the origins of Babylon, the high point under Nebuchadnezzar, the final destruction of the city, and the reputation that lives on to this day.
Feb 21, 2024•58 min•Ep. 257
The Assyrian Empire was the first world empire. Founded in the small town of Ashur on the Tigris, the Assyrian kingdom would eventually engulf much of the known world until it vanished nearly overnight. The kings of Assyria play leading roles in the Bible and the northern kingdom of Israel falls to Sennacherib in 722 BC. In this episode, Terry and Cole discuss the empire and what the Bible has to say about the Assyrians.
Feb 14, 2024•50 min•Ep. 256
What opportunities does the post-Christian world hold for Christians? Glen Scrivener's book The Air We Breathe sorts through the Christian values that pervade our post-Christian world and discusses opportunities for Christians to reconnect people to the person of Jesus Christ.
Feb 07, 2024•40 min•Ep. 255
Tom Holland's book Dominion has sparked a wave of books, articles, and interviews about the Christian foundations of the West. Though fewer people might call themselves Christians, their worldviews are still saturated with Christianity. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss the Christian foundations of the West and the glimpses of that worldview still shining through today.
Jan 31, 2024•31 min•Ep. 254
1776 was a formative year for the West, in fact, Andrew Wilson argues in his new book Remaking the World that it is an origin point for so much of the world as we experience it today. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss the book and the making of the post-Christian world we live in in the West.
Jan 26, 2024•39 min•Ep. 253
How can a good God allow evil? Or, since God created everything, is he responsible for evil? In this final episode on common objections to Christianity, Cole and Terry discuss responses to the problem of evil.
Jan 17, 2024•37 min•Ep. 252
Here are our best books for 2023: Terry's Top 5 Dynasty - Tom Holland Finding Calcutta - Mary Poplin Scalia - James Rosen The Matter with Things - Iain McGilchrist Leadership Not by the Book - David Green and Bill High Cole's Top 5 Timothy Keller - Collin Hansen Remaking the World - Andrew Wilson Dominion - Tom Holland The Pastor of Kilsyth - Islay Burns The Fellowship - Philip and Carol Zeleski...
Dec 27, 2023•49 min•Ep. 251
Christmas is unique among the holidays for so many reasons, above all the music. Christmas music fills the season and our hearts as we prepare to celebrate the Savior. In this episode, Dr. Kim Arnold talks about hymns, Christmas music, and compiling the songs for the new So We Speak advent booklet. Get the new Advent booklet here .
Dec 15, 2023•42 min•Ep. 250
One of the most common objections to Christianity is called the problem of evil. Why does God allow evil? Why do bad things happen to good people? How can we explain the existence of a good and all-powerful God with evil in the world? In this episode and the next, Cole and Terry discuss the problem of evil and ways Christians have responded to this difficult objection.
Dec 13, 2023•31 min•Ep. 249
How can we trust the Bible with all the contradictions? So the objection goes. In this episode, Cole and Terry break this objection down into three pieces; textual errors, factual contradictions, and factual errors. They discuss different approaches to reading the Bible and work through some specific objections.
Nov 29, 2023•33 min•Ep. 248
Thanks to everyone who supports So We Speak! Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to fuel our ministry in 2024? Click here to give!
Nov 28, 2023•3 min•Ep. 247
Are faith and science compatible? One objection many people have to Christianity is that they feel torn between faith and science. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss this objection and ways science relies on a Christian worldview and reasons Christians should be optimistic about science.
Nov 15, 2023•42 min•Ep. 246
How can there be only one truth? In this new series, Cole and Terry discuss the claims of Christianity against some of the most common objections to Christianity. Starting with the question of exclusivity, they look at the nature of truth, different religions, and how it's possible to claim that Christianity it true amid all the other options.
Nov 08, 2023•37 min•Ep. 245
Identity politics, critical theory, and deconstruction dominate our world right now. How can Christians sort out what is good and true? In this discussion, Cole and Terry give an overview of Voddie Baucham's book Faultlines.
Nov 01, 2023•59 min•Ep. 244
As Israel responds to the brutal attacks of October 7, questions are arising about the future, the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, and support for the Palestinians. In this episode, Cole and Terry answer five common questions about Israel: What is the distinction between geographic Israel and historic Israel? Why does the US have such a strong interest in or allegiance to Israel? Why are people supporting Palestinians? Should the US / Christians provide aid to Gaza? Should the US and I...
Oct 27, 2023•34 min•Ep. 243
Over the weekend, Israel came under attack by Palestinian terrorists. What's happening now? Who are the major players? What's going to happen in the future? Cole and Terry discuss the central issues in the attacks on Israel, the path forward, and how to pray for Israel. For more history and background, check out Terry's series, " The Making of Modern Israel ."
Oct 13, 2023•53 min•Ep. 242
Jesus was fully God and fully man, a great moral teacher, and rose from the dead. But was he a genius? In Peter Williams' new book The Surprising Genius of Jesus , he argues that Jesus's cleverness, insight, and depth are unrivaled in the history of the world. Focused on the parable of the two sons in Luke 15, Williams teases out the deep connections to the Old Testament and concludes that only Jesus could have told such a brilliant story....
Oct 11, 2023•41 min•Ep. 241
If there's one book that influenced the men of the great awakening, it was Henry Scougal's The Life of God in the Soul of Man. This short book made a major impact in the years following. What does it truly mean to be a Christian and what are the signs of life with God? Cole and Terry discuss the book and what we can learn from it today in this episode.
Oct 04, 2023•38 min•Ep. 240
Is there more to sin than bad behavior? If we follow our behavior down into our emotions, drives, and desires, we discover that sin is far deeper than the external manifestations. The root issue is idolatry in our hearts. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss David Powlison's article, " Idols of the Heart and Vanity Fair ," and the implications for dealing with sin in our lives and giving spiritual direction to others....
Sep 27, 2023•39 min•Ep. 239
What is preaching? What makes a great sermon? In this last episode on influential books, Cole and Terry discuss John Piper's Expository Exultation, Tim Keller's Preaching, and Abraham Kuruvilla's A Manual for Preaching to model going from the text to the sermon and how to make the sermon stick.
Sep 20, 2023•46 min•Ep. 238
Jonathan Edwards is famous for his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," but there is so much more to this great American preacher and theologian. Many argue that Edwards is the greatest mind America has ever produced, others view him primarily as a defender of the Great Awakening. In this episode, Cole, Terry, and Cliff wrap up the Awakening series with a discussion of Edwards's ministry and legacy.
Sep 15, 2023•45 min•Ep. 237
Edwin Friedman's book Failure of Nerve is a hidden gem for personal and organizational leadership. In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss the key ideas and the ways Friedman's work compares and contrasts with Christian wisdom for leaders.
Sep 06, 2023•44 min•Ep. 236
