How to Talk to Progressive Christians (Part 1) With Greg Koukl 

This is so eye opening to my husband and me. We raised our 2 daughters in active Biblical Christianity. One is married and one is finishing Christian college yet the college daughter who during 2020 ended up getting an apartment because of Covid restrictions about college ended up lonely and hooked to a small group of progressive Christians and in the same college. Now both of our children are on board with BLM and LGBQ marriage and more as of summer of 2020. My husband and I didn’t even know how to talk with them because they shut us down and these are wonderful insights as to how to start those conversations now. God bless you for sharing this.We are heading to get the book.

Seriously change my life about evangelism...I’m a gardener. Thank you! I look forward to spiritual conversations to come!

My perspective changed when I encountered Greg's approach on gardening. Life changing.. Thank you, Alisa for your great interviews!.. Bless you both❤

Yes! Some plant, some water, but GOD makes it grow!

I’m only 6 and a half minutes in, but what he said about having more of a heart for discipleship and Christians really resonated with me. I have been disheartened by past experiences (as someone who grew up in the church) where it seems many churches focus so much on the evangelism aspect (definitely important), but don’t seem to care as much about discipleship. I believe I’m also called to be Christ to the world, but discipleship is big on my heart. I see so many falling away, and I think at least some of it is based on a lack of knowledge. Him saying that relieves some guilt I’ve had about those topics.

Gardening. Nailed it. [1Co 3:6 KJV] 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

I have been feeling the weight of evangelism for a while now, and it churned inside of me. Today you talked about how some plant (and turn the soil!), some water....It set me free. I felt such a weight leave me. This was an answer to an actual prayer. God has given me rest knowing that I have harvested but in my older years, I am mostly praying, teaching, proclaiming and edifying. I no longer feel that I have fallen so short. I hope He does allow me to do that again, but in my older years it is fine with me if I tend the fields for others to harvest. Thank you.

Yes. Get to know people. Meet them as fellow human beings, not as some project.

Thanks Alisa and Greg for giving us such an encouraging word. this is how Jesus did his ministry. Its Jewish in nature to ask provocative questions. Wow. so encouraging. I teach on a college campus and this is inspiring. God bless y'all.

I just ‘gossip the gospel’. In other words, I have learned not to preach at people, but relate and talk normally with them.I certainly identify with being a gardener and have just ordered Tactics.

Very interesting, the Columbo tactic. I am in the middle of reading Trey Gowdy's new book: "Does't Hurt to Ask". Same tactict, but different venue examples.

God will always be Sovereign and guide us in the timing of how we share the truth of God's word with people. We need to listen to people more than we talk as we garden.

I say, l will listen to you, then I’ll say what I believe.

"...the Lord’s servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing, in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if peradventure God may give them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth, and they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him unto his will."

Just ordered your book and his book! So thankful to you both for alllllll the help I know I'm about to get in speaking with my more 'progressive christian' friends. Blessings, Sommer

This was a fascinating interview Alisa …just bought Greg’s book “Tactics”anniversary edition what a blessing your channel is ..keep the great content coming 🙏❤️

this was soo good! My husband introduced me to Tactics a few years back, and I was so thrilled to see this interview. Keep up the good work, Alisa!

I am the absolute worst at this. 😂 I'm not on the bench I just call stuff out and make people mad 😬

This is absolutely a blessing to me and I'm grateful. Glory to God 🙏

This is brilliant! I do this all the time when I disciple Christian women. I ask questions, then use their answers to guide my next question to purposely guide them to think about their answers. It's question, revealed answer, question, revealed answer - until the lightbulb moment for the disciple, which leads to them asking me questions. Beautiful! And when it works, and the person doesn't shut it down, it really can set that person free.

Trying to push people into Salvation is a bad idea, let the Holy Spirit do His work. I talked to my son inlaw for years, he got close and backed off so many times, One day I was frustrated and I asked the Lord why he was taking so long to make the decision, these words came into my mind "premature babies are always weak". He got there in the end and took off like a rocket! That was about 8 years ago and he's still going strong.

... Greg K, awesome material , was there from the early days of STR when Greg was putting out his Tactics materials in lectures, cassettes, and print-outs. I think I still gottem. Memorable!..

Thank you so much for this. I just ordered Tactics. I've been needing this! I love all of you out there that committed too!

Thank you. I just got the book and on chapter 4 so far . I'm enjoying it and I'm not a big reader. This may be only the 4th book I've read in many many years . Praying this helps me in my conversations with friends and family.

Love it Alisa, so grateful Pastor Mike Winger led me to you and you introduced me to Greg. Praise the Lord, I learned so much and received clarity for the confusion I have been feeling about evangelising which I'm not good at, but I do think I'm a gardener. A priest said to me one day that if I'm one link in a person's chain then I have succeeded in helping them to come to Christ. I think, like they say it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a village to raise a Christian. 😄🙏✝️💟

This was really helpful. Lately it seems that half the times I watch your videos I have to buy another book or start reading another blog. Please keep it up--i just discovered your channel a few months ago and I've already gotten encouragement and great new information.

Wow, I always felt like I was a gardener. One of my best friends is a harvester. But, I have felt guilty that I have not done more harvest. However, you just set me free putting together the links of scripture where this was how we are designed as the body. Bless you both.

Sounds very much like the “life coaching” theory. Ask the questions to draw information out. Love this

I feel like I could chew on this for a long time ! So good

Getting Tactics tomorrow and another gospel! Excited to see part 2!

This was so great! I am so excited to get this book! Thank you Alisa for mentioning the Atonement... I want to research the different views on this more as this is a huge one esp for my POC Christian friends.

As someone still on a journey towards Christianity, Greg's approach is exactly what appeals to me. I don't want Christians throwing their harvest/fruit/beliefs at me in the expectation that I suddenly BELIEVE. I want to take the time to understand the Bible from a rational perspective. I've met a lot of adults over 45 who want the same thing. We've all been educated in the secular system and need a systematic, learned approach to the Bible.

This was soooo helpful.

I just got my copy of Tactics!!! Can't wait to read it 😁😁❤️

I’m a gardener too! Thank you for your encouragement to sow the seeds while discerning the ripe fruit

This is awesome. i have met people that speak to us about healing and if not see a healing treat you as you are not believer. i am a believer i desire more of our lord. thank you for the messages u have been able to receive in u tube. i look daily to your messages

For the longest time I called it 'working the soil'!

Suuuuper off topic, but I LOVE UR HAIR!!! It's beautiful, keep slaying queen 💕💕💕

Watched it a second time around, fantastic teaching.👍

Thanks for the hint. I just purchased it now online.

Great video. thanks

Very good indeed!!

I love the asking of questions! I’m going back to Muslim at work to ask him to prove why Jesus isn’t The Son of God (which he said earlier). Thanks also that both of you are very respectful. It’s easy to get angry at the false messages out there. It was freeing for me to realize that it’s God who brings the increase!

Thank you for excellent teaching in challenging those in misdirected beliefs. I was able to utilize the use of questions effectively to reveal contradictions to a friend who has believed that the Rich Man and Lazarus is somehow a story of Heaven and Hell.

Wonderful interview!! Can’t wait for the second interview 🙏🙏✝️

I feel like I am in the wrong meeting room and hearing something I'm not supposed to. (Not a Christian) Got to love youtube algorithm.

I got and read through the Tactics book two or three times!

Thank you

THIS IS SOOOOOO IMPORTANT. THERE ARE SOOOO MANY UNINFORMED BELIEVERS THAT ARE CAUSING SO MUCH TROUBLE FOR THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.

To compare to basketball, the sowers are making the assist/smooth pass to the reapers, who get to slam the ball down, but the easy bucket is only made possible by the sower. When a championship is won, the whole team celebrates.

I so love and appreciate STR!!

Been looking for a fellowship that isn't infected with progressive music and shallow teaching. Feeling isolated here in Thornton, Colorado. Is anybody out there?

Why are these methods manipulative if you’re a progressive Christian or an unbeliever, but if you’re a conservative Christian it’s all good?

Progressive Christianity is new to me. But it explains why there are people who called themselves Christians but their views are so different to the Holy Bible. Then, why they didn't just create a new religion?

Thanks for sharing, excellent podcast, God bless you, I am following you from Spain.

"Burden of proof" aka Hitchen's Razor.

I have both editions of Tactics the second even Autographed by Greg Koukl😇 and also recommend The Case For Life by Scott Klusendorf. God bless you all in Jesus' name - Amen.

Greg Koukl is a treasure in the apologetics world. Tactics has been indispensable in my interactions with unbelievers as well as liberal Christians. Great interview, Alisa! You are a wonderful interviewer! 👍💕

Check out Voddie Baucham he's the best!

There’s just one thing that bothers me… Why can’t I find the sinner’s prayer in the Bible and why did the 10 examples of conversions in the Acts of the Apostles include immediate baptism for the forgiveness of sins?

Another point: a perspective from “the other side” (but frankly there is IMO one side - we are all just human beings, fragile, ignorant, lost); as an atheist if I am approached by an evangelical Christian, a Mormon, a Jehovah’s Witness … I will always ask this person what THEY believe and why they believe it to be so … not as some trick but to avoid being browbeaten or suckered into someone else’s “truth”; and it’s surprising how ignorant so many Christians are btw of their own faith - it’s creeds, doctrines, the formation of the text, the different forms of Christianity through the centuries and across the world & the broader history of Christianity (I have Tom Holland’s book and while his perspective is compelling remember this is still a contested space BTW - Grayling is a philosopher not a historian if I remember correctly) - and sadly many Christians are clueless about the Greek or Hebrew texts and where the Septuagint differs from the Hebrew (Tanakh). But the point is I too am ignorant… and is this some shitty battle of who seems the cleverest? Alyosha couldn’t argue with his brother Ivan’s Misotheism in Brothers Karamazov- but it is clear Dostoevsky saw the deeper truth lay in Alyosha’s faith, no? He’s not my favourite scholar by far but ol Bart Ehrman at least exposes this considerable ignorance of the New Testament texts - J Tabor too - evident in conservative, fundamentalist, inerrantist, so-called Bible believing Christians. If they are evangelising or proselytising (or just gardening?) then the asking of questions seems to me not merely some tactic but a two way street where both parties need to be open, vulnerable and authentic. Debates seem silly really when authentic sharing of our human experience of life is more meaningful. Any idiot can argue facts and so what? I’m cleverer than you? I caught you out?! Its puerile to do this.

I'm not certain why some would disagree with the gardening idea when we see statements like this in 1 Corinthians 3:6. "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow." Maybe it's because we immediately think of the Samaritan Woman discourse where Jesus stated that the fields are 'White/Ripe for harvest' (John 4:35). Many of us think therefore that Jesus is saying that the sowing is done the harvest is ready like Jesus stated in Matthew 9:37. However, even Jesus mentions that the sowing here was done previously by 'others.' He uses the plural. It could be argued that the sowing, (which is always done through or by God) here was performed more immediately by the woman sharing with the townspeople and the reaping by Jesus himself. And yet, it seems more likely, (due to the Samaritan women's knowledge of Messiah), that Jesus was referring to the work done through the preceding OT prophets. Thus, Jesus statement about the labourers being few and the harvest ready in Matt 9:37 maybe because few were currently in ministry and many of the Jews were already prepared by prophets and John the Baptist; the seed thus already planted. Either way Paul makes it clear that planting, watering and God overall increasing this gardening, is practically necessary and completely Biblical. IMHO. But I could be completely missing something in my interpretations here and so any thoughts are appreciated. God's richest blessing to you all.

If you want to know the truth, you will ask the Holy Spirit for it regardless who makes the claim. If you want to help your brother, then you will. If you want him to stay ignorant, you will do the same.

14:00 I've been tract planting since 1976. Walmart carts are very good places, where I plant Foreign ( Arabic /Spanish ) being that many employees are a mission field. The Pure Gospel of Grace is what I focus on ... Don't push prayers, Church, Baptism... Not very good at relationship evangelism, being a very private person, been burned by cults, very sensitive to most church gatherings ( Whenever I try to Rejoice in my Eternal Security in Christ , theirs always some 'brethren' who will try to discourage me otherwise )

We can’t save someone or change them, the Holy Spirit does! Realizing that was so freeing.

struggling with a progressive and i don't know what else to do.

We, as Believers, Need to be in the " Drivers Seat " so to speak!

(10 mins in) So... is this just a two hour, two-part commercial for home boy's book?

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers.” 1Corinthians3:6-9

I have the book my husband and I took a class that when over the book but it was fast passed and a little complicated . I need to read it again. Since the my husband is into this weird doctrine not sure what it is. He even stopped reading the work and attending church. He is saying the Bible is myth after 20 years of walking with God . 🙏

The most important thing to pray for is to Know right from wrong….discernment. AND being careful about your choices of “friends”. Read about what Jesus said in John 2. Be kind but be very careful about trusting men/women. Jesus spoke about a very important way of dealing with people when he told the disciples how to meet and share with others as he sent out the 22? They were to share “peace” with those who would listen, but shake the dust off your shoes and leave where you are not appreciated. The Gospel should be the focus. If someone accepts the Gospel, 1 Corinthians 15) then THEY will ask for more info. But. IF THEY DON’T then more info won’t matter, because “you must be born again to see the Kingdom of God”, and that starts with the Gospel. Also you must BELIEVE THE GOSPEL to have the Spirit, to UNDERSTAND ANY OTHER BIBLICAL TEACHING, beyond the Gospel. In a conflicting conversation, KEEP PRESENTING THE GOSPEL, until you are convinced of the non-interest. It doesnt’ take long , an d they will call you a name or walk away. Either way, this is their opportunity to believe, or NOT. The Progressives are not on board with this because the feel so guilty if they don’t MAKE SOMEONE BELIEVE. But the “weaponization of guilt” is controlling the progressives. There are other gifts beside evangelism like the Apostle Paul. Unfortunately, “religiousity” makes people feel important which appeals to their pride. Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord. All the gifts were given for the COMMON GOOD OF THE ENTIRE BODY. We each have our part that we must be faithful to do. The Lord brings it all together. Their are many jobs for many people.and it’s all God’s business. My particular job is to pass truthful help and information to “reliable men”, AND to CONNECT GOD’S PEOPLE. I am a trouble-shooter and i can discern when bible is not being correctly interpreted, because the Lord leads me, and He keeps me informed. Everything happens in the Body of Christ by His grace…..always His grace. He has promised that He would KEEP US. KNOW THE TRUTH. You can not argue with the Truth. That is why these CRT people AVOID AND EVADE the Truth. They would rather talk about “love” as the culture sees it. The 4 types of love shared, in a kind way, will destabilize them. KNOW YOUR BIBLE, AND JUST WAIT TO BE NEEDED, THEN STEP IN, PROVIDE WHAT YOU HAVE. THE GOSPEL. Well-placed questions are very endearing to the relationship. help them know what they think. Then you have something to work with. Do you have something in common that you can frame with a change you have made to live more authentically, if you are comfortable with the person. If they seem interested, ask them if there are any changes they would like to make in their lives. Then you have a possible “open door” to share how Jesus has helped you. Just remember, to DON’T PUSH. Take your time and be sincerely interested in their life. If God brings an end that brings Salvation, that is His business. If they don’t, you left a seed. Pray.for them.Respect for the freedom that Jesus gives everyone to have our own point of view. Gentleness and respect. When we show we care by listening, we are being like Jesus. And their view of us has changed for the better. If that is the only thing that happens it is good for the next brother/sister they meet. The Body of Christ is a living breathing organism. We are all connected and we work together even when we are not present. Do we desire to “keep the unity”? Do we desire to help the person understand? Or to shut them up? Nothing is more helpful than giving sincere help.i listen for the leading of the Spirit. Sometimes the Lord brings a stalemate to the situation. Think through what is emotional for you, and have facts handy. The Truth is the necessity, always. Playing a guitar has truthful emotions that you learn to have the Spirit control. Justice is necessary, because all the Laws are just and loving. But God was not able to be loving and just everywhere in the Old Testament. But Christ’s death and resurrection made it possible at Pentecost. He is now with everyone who believes. Don’t be afraid to speak and live His mind.

I highly recommend Greg Koukl's book Tactics, and Scott Klusendorf's The Case For Life. Essential for every Christian's library. Edit: I have the original and updated edition😁 ❤✝️🙏✝️⚓✝️

Alisa is so pretty.

Alisa, I think you're a fabulous debater/conversationalist... I've heard you graciously communicate with others and I am always inspired by your exchanges. Also, Greg.. I recently purchased Tactics and I love it! The gardening metaphor is such a great analogy! There is a lot of cultivation that must happen before a harvest. I think the key for gardeners is to recognize and discern opportunities for harvest in their gardening conversations.

Atonement seems abuse because too many times we preach it without the incarnation context: "For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way , in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted" (Hb 2, 17-18). God could have saved us in any other way, He's omnipotent after all. He could have just forgiven everyone with no atonement. But the Son Himself chooses to carry our sin, to suffer for us. Making atonement this way is not child abuse, but our Savior choosing to suffer with us, so we can see the seriousness and uglyness of our sins and feel his support in times when life is hard and we can't understand. And of course, because this way He shared all our struggles. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet he did not sin" (Hb 4,15). "Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross" (Phil 2,6-8).

The teaching in the average congregation is shallow and law and grace are mixed together when the body of Christ is specifically addressed in the New Testament Epistles under grace, not under law. Jesus is specifically addressing Israel under law for their righteousness under a specific covenant in the gospels- "bringing in grace" when reading John's gospel, national, earthly promises, which will be ultimately fulfilled after the 70th week of years in Daniel 9:24-27 when Jesus is king on the earth.

Thank you so much for this podcast. Before moving from San Diego to Nashville in 1993 I fondly remember listening to 3 of my favorite Talk Radio guys on KBRT. Rich Bueler, Dennis Prager and Greg Koukl. I've dropped in on his ministry infrequently over the years but do remember being acquainted with Tactics, Colombo Method Stone in the shoe, et al, probably way before the first book came out. I realized listening to this that I subconsciously have been employing them all along. Thanks Greg. Not exclusively. I sometimes resort to Ray Comforting people with the Law. LOL Also I recently became aware of Alisa thanks to RU-vid algorithm which served up her podcast with the young sister who became indoctrinated at Biola into CRT and Intersectionality. When I shared it on my FB page I said I had no idea who these nice ladies were but I highly recommended the podcast. A friend commented that Alisa was a talented musician and had been in a CCM band Zoe Girl. When I was pastoring at Calvary Chapel Franklin and later Cool Springs we used to let bands rehearse when the building was not being used. So I remembered having met Alisa's acquaintance a time or two at that Bldg on Mallory Ln. This is almost like an LSD flashback. LOL. I say all of that to say that it is such an encouragement to be blessed by your current ministry and to see Gods hand upon your life. I never got a chance to hear your band. But I'm listening now! Keep contending for the faith once for all delivered and May God richly bless you my beloved. (said in J. Vernon McGee drawl) PS I am posting under a pseudonym to protect the guilty LOL

This was so good, can't wait for part 2! I will definitely add "Tactics" to my must-read list!!

Let's prove the claim we believe, that believing the 4 things listed in 1 Cor. 15:3b-8 "by which we are saved" leads us to do the 1 thing in Rom. 10:9-13 "to be saved". That's the very core. Romans 10:14a ties the two passages together (and also coordinates Paul with James just in passing), and 1 Corinthians 15:1-3a proves the necessity of those particular beliefs about Christ and His great Gospel work. Keep praying for the siblings who truly are siblings as Christ knows them to be His own, that they would do right (and you and me, too, in all things!), to His glory and our great gladness.

This is awesome! Thank you for sharing all this wisdom. I ordered the book, DVDs and workbook. Looking forward to learn more.

42:10 A C Grayling isn't a historian, he's a philosopher. Now, many people might wonder if there's a difference. The difference is, the discipline of history looks at empirical evidence and tries to give an interpretation of what happened and why on basis of the evidence we do have. Evidence is like kryptonite to philosophers. They are able to get where they get precisely because, in their (our) discipline we get to think freely without needing to have any evidence for our assumptions and premises. They just need to work on a linguistic level. E.g. P1: All elves like wine. P2: Arwen is an elf. C1: Arwen likes wine. This is called a 'valid argument' which means the conclusion cannot be false. ...If the premises are also true. And every single professional philosopher I know and have worked or spoken with in conferences likes to smuggle in an entire worldview through the premises, if we get down to syllogisms. So you can pretty easily trip up a philosopher by 'pounding the facts'. Remember:'If the law is on your side, pound the law. If the facts are on your side, pound the facts. If neither are on your side, pound the table'

I just got the book on Amazon 🤗 thank you 🙏 for your work Alisa, great interview. Thank you Gerg Koukl for this book, I can not wait to read it.

Awesome, Alisa.

Talk about good timing. :-) Just ordered his book last week and have started reading it. It is excellent!

Try talking about the biblical moment when the talking serpent was tempting Eve to disobey God while God was watching and already knew the outcome. or God was absent and did not know what was happening until later when He went searching for them.

God and Jesus do not need tacticians.

As a gardener of vegetables and a Christian concerned with the process of evangelism I don’t understand the celebration of not doing both evangelical gardening and harvesting. In vegetable gardening you do both. So why not in gospel sharing? So why is it that readers of Tactics and listeners of this video series seem to want to only be the gardeners? Do we not see a loss of Godly balance?

Sounds like Christian street epistemology. Just read a book called God Space which gives techniques on how to have spiritual conversations without forcing it a certain direction. Listening and being patient are never a bad idea. It'd be cool to hear Alisa on the Deconstructionists podcast. It's a progressive podcast that hosts atheists and Christians.

I'm only 12 minutes in, and it seems kinda like an infomercial, however I've already got the new version of tactics and honestly it's one of my favorite books, I immediately started listening to it a second time after I had finished it the first time because the tips are practical and thoroughly explained, I just wanted a refresher. It has helped me understand how I personally approach conversations even outside of topics about religion. This book helps in general communication, but is extraordinary for learning how to engage people with the Christian world view. I don't really like the how calvinst's protrey the gospel, but none of Greg's Calvinism comes through in the book. He is my favorite calvinist. 🙂

There’s no hate like “Christian love”

Wonderful episode. I can’t wait for part 2 and I’m definitely getting the book.

Ok, so i am not sure what or who is a “””Progressive Christian?” Are there persons and or tenants that exemplify Progressive Christianity. They sound like difficult people with difficult views. Assuming we are not Progressive Christians what are we? Like, we are not in the same camp? Their camp is “progressive” right? What is ours? Thank you very much, Tim

Greg Koukl stated that Paul was trained by Jesus. Where can Greg back this up?

I love this!! But why is Alisa looking around much of the time? It's distracting

Gifts of the Holy Spirit?

Instead of always talking about progressive Christianity, why don't you actually interview a progressive Christian like Brian Zhand, Brad Jersak, Pete Enns etc.

I'm still confused about why they are termed "Christians?" Are you affirming that that is true, that they actually are followers of Christ?

It is interesting that what you are describing as a ? seemingly 'new' departure - 'progressive' Christianity - is hardly at all different to classical Liberal Theology - maybe in the USA you do not have the same long history of theological liberalism that we have here in UK and Europe?

According to this article, the burning of the library of Alexandra has been attributed by different people to originally Julius Caesar, some people tried to attribute it to Christians, and some people attribute it to Muslims, but the conclusion seems to be: we don't really know. See: ehistory.osu.edu/articles/burning-library-alexandria

This is incredibly condescending. Not to mention there is the automatic assumption that progressive Christians are inherently wrong. It is much better to get to know people and listen to them without attempting to alter their beliefs or change them.