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Following Jesus isn't always
easy, but it's not complicated.

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Join us each week as we
work to make faith simple.

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This is simple faith.

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Welcome back everyone.

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I'm Rusty George, and we are
on episode four of our journey

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into relational apologetics.

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If you've missed the previous three.

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Stop right now and go back and
listen to those first three.

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We've explored the power of connection,
the art of empathetic listening, the

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importance of finding common ground.

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Now we're tackling something that
can often feel like a roadblock

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in conversations about faith
objections and difficult questions.

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In our exploration of relational
apologetics, we've established

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that building bridges of
understanding is paramount.

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But even in the most carefully
constructed relationships, questions

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and challenges will inevitably arise.

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These objections, whether intellectual,
emotional, or experiential, are

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not necessarily signs of rejection.

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Instead, they can be viewed as
opportunities for deeper engagement and

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a more nuanced understanding of faith.

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Oh, that's so good because I think
sometimes when someone raises an

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objection, our defenses immediately go up.

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We feel like we need to have
all the answers right then and

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there, and it can turn into an
argument instead of a conversation.

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Exactly.

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Think back to our clip with Greg
Coco, who emphasizes the importance

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of using questions in conversation.

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When someone presents an objection,
instead of immediately countering

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it, we can respond with curiosity.

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Instead of saying, well,
you're wrong about that.

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Well, you could ask something like,
tell me more about why you feel that

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way, or what makes you say that?

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Yes, this approach aligns with hearing the
heart like we discussed in episode two.

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Understanding the heart behind
the objection is super crucial.

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Is it based on a misunderstanding,
a personal experience, or hurt, or

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a genuine intellectual struggle?

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You have to allow them to empty the
bucket, and you have to be able to

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hear when they're ready to listen.

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Then once that bucket is empty,
they can ask the question

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that is truly on their heart.

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That is your moment when you can help
guide them as a community toward the

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answer that they are looking for.

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You make it sound so simple, it
sounds like you're saying that

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we don't have to be the expert.

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But we do have to be prepared.

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That's the difference between relational
apologetics and traditional apologetics.

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You change the order from believe,
then belong to belong then believe.

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In  fact, it's very interesting.

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The, one of the, the prayer of Jesus
to me that's the most fascinating

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is when he's on the cross.

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Hmm.

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When you think about the, when you read
the, uh, the New Testament description

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of the crucifixion in the original Greek
in which it's written, one of the things

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you notice is that the imperfect tense
of the Greek suggests that Jesus did not

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just say it once, but he kept praying
it over and over during all the torture

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of the crucifixion, while the nails
were being driven through his hands.

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While the nails were being driven through
his feet, he kept repeating over and over.

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Father, forgive them.

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Father.

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Forgive them.

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Father forgive them for they
don't know what they do.

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So John Stotts, famous British pastor,
pointed out, he said, look, um, the, the

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son of God prayed until his final gasps
on the cross for people so depraved,

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they were torturing him to death.

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And the implication is for those
of us who are followers of Jesus,

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in light of that, how can we
justify not praying consistently

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and fervently and expectantly?

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For lost people in our lives.

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That was a conversation with Lee Strobel,
and that is an especially convicting

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thought because if we're truly inviting
our lost friends and loved ones into

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community, then we'll naturally feel
the urgency to pray for them, and not

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just for intellectual wisdom, but as
someone who knows the joy and hope of

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salvation and desperately wants a loved
one, to experience that even as that

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person is rejecting Jesus at that moment.

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And as it just so happens, that's
how Jesus feels about them as well.

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Mm mm.

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Community not only means falling
in love and belonging, but  comes

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with the burden of heartbreak when
someone rejects that community.

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I.

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It's also important to recognize that
objections can come in different forms.

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Sometimes they are intellectual
challenges to the logic or

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evidence of Christian beliefs.

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Other times they might be emotional
responses stemming from pain,

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disappointment with the church or
perceived hypocrisy, and sometimes they

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are practical concerns about how faith
intersects with real world issues.

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Now, of course when I say what's the root
of it, that depends on how we define it.

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But I think a few things, if we mean
deconstruction, somebody leaving

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their faith, there's a few common
threads I often find, and by leaving

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their faith, I mean either becoming a
Christian or the kind of progressive

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Christian that rejects orthodoxy.

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We find a few things in common.

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Number one, very often
a fundamentalist strict.

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Background in the church.

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Not always, but often that is there.

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Second, you find a lot of hurts.

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Mm-hmm.

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And pain of how people were treated.

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And third, you often find no
room for questions and doubts.

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Just believe or very
experiential kind of faith.

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Mm-hmm.

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I'm not, uh.

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Rejecting or downplaying the importance of
the intellectual questions people raise.

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We have to be ready with an answer,
but those threads are frequently

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there when somebody is deconstructing.

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So it's important.

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I wanna get to the heart of the issue
for somebody and deal with it if I can.

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That's so good It, I mean, it really
does come down to listing, doesn't it?

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You just gotta ask several questions.

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What is it you're deconstructing from?

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What is it that you've
found to be inconsistent?

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And I.

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And I think, uh, Jim Wallace was
on this podcast and said the same

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thing at the heart of it, usually
it is some kind of church hurt or

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disappointment with God, uh, that
they, they don't know how to reconcile.

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So they've, they've thrown it all out
and, uh, we intellectualize it, but at

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the heart of it, it's some kind of pain.

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Well, I think Jay, you mean
Jay Werner Wallace, right?

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Yes, I do.

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Is that as you refer to
I, I I think he got it.

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That's often, often the case.

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So disappointment can be, I.

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Bad theology and expectations.

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Mm-hmm.

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And then when those expectations
aren't met, we reject this faulty view

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of God that never in the first place
was what we should have expected.

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Mm-hmm.

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That's a piece of it.

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So theology is important, but
I don't think we can downplay

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the role that hurt plays.

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Acknowledging the validity of those
different types of objections is key.

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Someone who has experienced church
hurt, as Sean McDowell mentioned,

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isn't going to be swayed by a purely
intellectual argument until their

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emotional wounds are addressed.

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That's right.

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Our approach needs to be multifaceted,
recognizing the interplay between

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the intellectual, emotional,
and relational aspects of faith.

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When faced with a difficult
question or objection.

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One helpful strategy as highlighted by Lee
Strobel is to make a personal connection.

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Sharing a relevant personal story
or acknowledging a shared human

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experience can build rapport and
create a less adversarial environment.

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So this strategy of sharing
personal stories is.

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Really very similar to Jesus's own
favorite strategy telling parables.

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That's right.

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It reminds me of the power of
personal testimony, which we

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touched on in the last episode.

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When you share your own journey,
your own doubts and how you've

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wrestled with similar questions, I.

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It can be incredibly relatable
and break down barriers.

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Consider also the wisdom of
Greg Coco in his book tactics.

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One more question, sir,
about those sax of gold.

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He emphasizes the Colombo tactic,
asking clarifying questions to

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understand the other person's
viewpoint before offering a response.

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This is not only great detective
work, but it also ensures that you're

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addressing the actual objection.

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And it demonstrates that
you value their perspective.

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I love that book, and I love that this
perspective actually buys you time.

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It's okay not to have all
the answers immediately.

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Saying something like, that's
a really interesting point.

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Let me think about that for a minute.

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Is much better than giving a rush or
inaccurate answer when dealing with

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specific intellectual objections.

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It's very helpful to be familiar
with common arguments and

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evidence for the Christian faith.

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This is why resources from apologists
like Jay Warner Wallace and Lee

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Strobel can be invaluable here.

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However, remember that the goal isn't
necessarily to win an argument, but

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to guide someone to understanding
exactly, and sometimes the most powerful

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response isn't a perfectly crafted
argument, but simply acknowledging

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the difficulty of the question.

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There are some things we may
not have complete answers

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to on this side of eternity.

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Showing humility and honesty in
those moments can be more impactful

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than trying to force a resolution.

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Not only that, but relational
apologetics reminds us that our

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lives are a powerful form of witness.

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As we consistently demonstrate love,
compassion, and integrity, we provide

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a living answer to some of the most.

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And biggest objections to faith?

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Absolutely.

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Our actions speak volumes if we're
claiming to follow Jesus, but our lives

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are marked by judgment and negativity.

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That creates a huge disconnect.

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But there will also be times,
despite our best efforts, a

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conversation reaches an impasse.

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In these situations, it's crucial to
know when to step back respectfully.

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Relational apologetics prioritizes the
relationship, and sometimes continuing to

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press an issue can damage that connection.

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That's a tough one, because we care
deeply about what we believe and we

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want others to understand it too.

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But forcing someone to believe
something they're not ready to accept.

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Is pretty much never effective
and can be counterproductive to

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building a lasting relationship.

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Again, this is like the last supper
when Peter promised that he would

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be willing to die for Christ, but as
we saw in a previous episode, he was

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not yet ready to live for Christ.

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Well, let's consider together,
think about a time you raised a

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difficult question or objection about
something you weren't sure about.

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What kind of response did
you find most helpful?

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And for those of us who were sharing our
faith, how can we become more comfortable

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with not having all the answers and
seeing objections as opportunities for

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deeper connection rather than threats?

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How can we make the mental shift
from being an expert to being a

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host or guide, journeying with
someone to learn the truth together?

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What are some practical ways we
can show respect and empathy?

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When someone challenges our beliefs,
even if we strongly disagree with

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their perspective, take some time
this week to reflect on that.

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Think about how you typically respond
to objections and how you might approach

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them differently moving forward.

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All right.

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Looking ahead to our final episode
in the series, let's consider this.

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If relational apologetics
emphasizes a long-term approach

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of building a relationship.

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And fostering understanding and community.

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What does it look like to persevere
in those relationships even when

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there seems to be no immediate
change or acceptance of our beliefs?

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That's a crucial question
we'll be exploring in our

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final episode of the series.

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It's about the long game
of relational faith.

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Well, thanks for joining us today.

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You can find more resources and
connect with us@pastorrustygeorge.com.

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Make sure you share this
series with a friend.

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But until next time, let's keep
exploring faith through connection

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and remember to keep it simple.