Educate For Life With Kevin Conover

A 13 year old boy told a school counselor that he felt he should not have to go to church three times a week with his parents.  The counselor called for an “emergency removal” of the boy from his home.  At a subsequent hearing the judge mandated that his parents only take him to church once a week to retain custody of their son. This scenario occurred not under a communist regime or in a George Orwell novel, but in modern-day America.  It is just one example (albeit an extreme one) of the government undermining parental rights.  This week Kevin talks with Michael Farris, President of ParentalRights.org and Chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association.  Michael is a constitutional lawyer (and the litigator on the above case) devoted to the issue of parental rights.  He explains how the government has given itself the ability to take rights away even from responsible, non-abusive parents, and what we must do to correct this injustice. When our nation was founded,

Ultimately, it’s not up to a church, youth pastor, Christian school, or anyone else to make sure that your kids are strong enough in their faith to face the world’s challenges: it is your responsibility. Many parents feel that when it comes to teaching their children to answer the faith’s more difficult questions, either they don’t have time, or they don’t know how to bring up the topic, or they don’t feel up to the task themselves. That’s why Natasha Crain, a Christian mom and blogger turned apologist, wrote her book “Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side: 40 Conversations to Help Them Build a Lasting Faith.” In this episode of Educate For Life with Kevin Conover, Natasha and Kevin discuss her book and the importance of parents training up their children in the ways of God. “Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side” can help any Christian parent introduce some of the most difficult topics to their children, from the problem of evil to slavery in the Bible. Check out Natasha’s website, ChristianMomThoughts.com, to buy the b

This week Kevin talks to psychologist Dr. Julie Hayden, Dean of the Graduate School of Behavior Sciences at Southern California Seminary.  Julie is trained not only in psychology, but also in religious studies (in which she has both a Bachelor’s and Master’s).  This dual focus enables her to approach psychology from a Biblical perspective, in order to best understand how God has designed humans to function.  It also allows her to understand how certain behaviors, such as pornography abuse, are harmful to both individuals and families. Maintaining a family is never easy, but it’s much harder when a member struggles with something like addiction (whether drugs or pornography), PTSD, or infidelity.  However, as traumatic as they are, even these issues can be overcome: with the proper methods, there can be healing.  But how do you confront a loved one about something so sensitive, and how can you be sure that they will make a las

One of the most dreaded responsibilities of any parent is that of talking to their child about sex.  Aside from the general awkwardness of the topic, it feels as though bringing it up will spoil a child’s innocence.  However, if parents aren’t proactive in teaching their children a biblical perspective on human sexuality, the world will be all too eager to fill their heads with harmful misinformation.  And with children having more and more internet access from increasingly younger ages, they will almost certainly be exposed to the worst teacher of all: internet pornography. This week Kevin talks to Luke Gilkerson, a Christian author, co-founder (with his wife) of the family website IntoxicatedOnLife.com, and an 8-year employee of Covenant Eyes.  Luke is all too aware of the dangers of pornography: he was addicted to it for years.  After countless attempts (many halfhearted) to give up porn left him believing he could never truly change, Luke was finally able to escape

Does the geologic evidence really prove an ancient Earth, or can a biblical perspective do a better job of explaining our world’s features?  This week Kevin’s guest is research geologist Dr. Steve Austin.  He may not be a stone-cold wrestler, but he does know a lot about rocks.  You may think geology sounds boring, but Steve could prove you wrong: he recently climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, and has visited many other exotic and beautiful locations for his research (especially the Grand Canyon). Steve talks to Kevin about some of the evidence he’s uncovered for biblical history throughout his long and productive career.  Where did the Grand Canyon come from, since it clearly wasn’t formed by the Colorado River (as secular geologists are now admitting)?  Why are there so many marine fossils in completely inappropriate places, like deserts and high mountains?  Could there be evidence that there really was an earthquake when Jesus was crucified, as the Bible says? &

Many people can name a specific reason why they became a Christian, but how many would say the reason is “math”? Probably very few, and Douglas Ell is one of them.  Kevin talks to Doug about his recent book Counting to God, in which he explains how mathematical analysis of the scientific evidence over several decades finally persuaded him to change from atheism to Christianity.  For Doug, it wasn’t moral arguments, spiritual feelings, or difficult life circumstances that brought him to God.  He needed hard evidence, and that’s just what he found.  Kevin and Doug discuss this evidence, from biology (the fact that so many organisms have completely unique and functional DNA code with no evolutionary history) to quantum mechanics (the existence of measurable, physical phenomena that defy the laws of physics) and beyond.  They show that God isn’t just a last resort to cover gaps in scientific knowledge: there are irrefutable positive evidences why He is absolutely neces

As Christians, we believe that God created us.  Does it really matter how he did it?  This week Kevin talks to Mike Riddle, founder and president of the Creation Training Initiative, who has been involved in creation ministry for over 30 years.  As someone who grew up in a non-Christian home and accepted the theory of evolution from a young age, Mike brings a unique perspective to creationism.  In this episode he explains why both the Bible and logic tell us that evolution is not an adequate view of origins.  He talks about why a Christian’s view of Genesis matters, and addresses some common objections to creation science. In his early education Mike was taught that evolution was the only theory around, and didn’t think to question it.  It wasn’t until his adulthood, while he was serving in the marines, that a stranger planted the seed that would transform his life.  One day while Mike was at the gym, another marine approached him out of the blu

This week Kevin examines one of the oldest objections to theism, dating to even before Jesus walked the earth: the problem of suffering (aka. the problem of evil, the problem of pain, etc.).  The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus argued, if there were a righteous and all-powerful God, he would not allow evil to exist.  Yet evil does exist.  Therefore a righteous, all-powerful God does not.  Case closed, right? But perhaps Epicurus’ argument raises more questions than it answers.  What is evil?  Is it an absolute quality, and if so, what defines it?  Can we really know for sure what a righteous and all-powerful God would or wouldn’t allow?  Kevin takes a look at the questions raised by Epicurus’ challenge, as well as the basis for morality and reasons to believe God exists.  As Josh McDowell stated, “Don’t allow the unexplainable to keep you from the undeniable.” Though the reality of suffering can be hard to deal with,

Have you ever wished you could introduce a friend or relative to the basic concepts of Christianity in a welcoming environment that’s less intimidating than a church service?  The Alpha program was created to provide just such an opportunity.  In this episode, Kevin talks to Dana Kloo and Chris Gaudi, two people who have seen countless lives (including their own) benefit from the program. So many people are unbelievers not because they have thoughtfully rejected the gospel, but because they never understood it to begin with.  Inviting people to church is a great way to introduce them to the faith, but some may not be comfortable accepting the invitation, whether due to bad past experiences or a general aversion to church.  That’s where Alpha comes in. Alpha is an engaging, low-pressure Bible study program that is geared towards people who are totally new to faith.  It is totally free and open to anyone who wants to know more about Christianity, from open-minded spiritual see

If all Christians share a biblically-based worldview, how can they disagree so strongly on every major political issue?  Kevin discusses this question with his guest Dran Reese, founder of the Salt and Light Council.  Being a faithful Christian may not require that you belong to a certain political party, but it should lead you to vote in a way consistent with Christian values.  Sadly, many Christians are unable to do so because they don’t even have a good idea of what a biblical worldview is!  Because of this, the church is failing to fulfill its duty as the salt of the earth.  We are losing our unique flavor as the people of God and assimilating into a bland, worldly culture that’s turning further and further away from Him. That is why Dran Reese created the Salt and Light Council, a ministry that trains Christians all across the country to apply a biblical worldview to culture and politics.  The Salt and Light Council provides programming tha

What do a conservative Christian Republican and a religiously-unaffiliated Democrat have in common when it comes to divisive political issues?  More than you might think.  This week Kevin talks with Steve Fink, who for the past 15 years has been a “None”—someone who answers “none” to the survey question “what is your religious affiliation?”.  Steve is certainly not alone in America, where Nones have been on the rise for quite some time. According to the Pew Research Center, Nones were the single category in religious affiliation surveys with the most growth between 2007 and 2014, going from 12.1% to 15.8% (+3.7).  In the same period, those identifying as any type of Christian decreased from 78.4% to 70.6% (-7.8). Steve grew up in a conservative Christian home, and even worked as a youth pastor for a time as a young man.  He then spent years living abroad in Mexico and Japan, and as he met more and more good people of different faiths, he ceased to identify with Christia

Knowing what you believe is a good start, but having good reasons why you believe it is the real challenge.  A great way to give your faith the acid test is to converse with a knowledgable person from an opposing worldview.  This week Kevin facilitates just such a dialogue between Christian apologist Jay Seegert (author of Creation & Evolution: Compatible or In Conflict?), and returning guest Sean Taylor (of the Humanist Fellowship of San Diego). Throughout the episode Jay explains different reasons why he believes in God, and Sean offers his own counter-perspective.  The two discuss many fascinating questions of faith and reason, such as: does evidence speak for itself, or do our presuppositions determine our beliefs?  Could using DNA as evidence for God be just as misguided as when ancient people used thunder and lightning?  Must a rational person withhold judgment on the God question, or is the

Are the stories of the Bible history, or mythology?  The science of archaeology can help to provide the answer.  This week Kevin speaks with Dr. Scott Stripling (a returning guest) and Dr. Bryant Wood, archeologists with the Associates for Biblical Research (ABR).  They discuss some exciting new archeological finds, including the signet ring of King Hezekiah (the same Hezekiah who had a 533-meter-long tunnel constructed under Jerusalem). The three of them also discuss a compelling new documentary that Dr. Wood was involved in: Patterns of Evidence: Exodus.  This film, created by Tim Mahoney, explores the evidence for Israel’s arrival, prosperity, enslavement, and exodus from Egypt as described in the Bible.  Although there is abundant archaeological data supporting the biblical account, secular historians write it off as appearing far to early to match up with the rest of ancient history.  But could it be that the archaeological establishment has erred in its&

How does a lifelong Muslim named Muhammad, who comes from a Muslim family and lives in a Muslim country, wind up in prison for preaching Christianity?  In this episode Kevin’s guest, Pastor Daniel Massieh (author of the autobiographical work Traitor), provides the answer. Before changing his name, Daniel grew up as Muhammad in the predominately Muslim country of Egypt.  He had a single Christian friend, but in 12 years this friend never once shared the gospel with him or invited him to church.  Daniel consequently had no idea what Christians believed, and assumed that the primary faith of the USA was accurately represented in Hollywood movies.  Curious to witness the zoo that he imagined a Christian worship service to be, Daniel invited himself to his friend’s church.  When he didn’t see any guns, hard drinks or bikini-clad women, he decided to investigate further and find out what the Christians were really up to behind closed doors.  As p

A recent change to New York City’s anti-discrimination laws has added fines of up to $250,000 as a penalty for one particular offense.  This fine isn’t incurred by discriminating based on age, sex, race, religion, or even sexual orientation; it is for failing to treat someone according to their self-determined gender (regardless of their biological sex). This week Kevin discusses the growing issue of transgenderism and transsexualism.  In the legislation, the New York City Commission on Human Rights states that a person’s gender is about what they feel, not what biology or the law says.1  This relativistic way of thinking is a sign of our culture’s descent into solipsism: the idea that reality is defined by the feelings of the individual, regardless of the facts.  Though God told us long ago that He created humans male and female (Genesis 1:27-28), mankind begs to differ.  But once you remove God from authority, where does solipsistic reasoning lead? &nbs

The Syrian Civil War has created an overwhelming refugee crisis, displacing millions upon millions of people from their homes.  Men, women and children have been forced to leave their jobs, schools, and possessions behind — just to stay alive.  Though a large number of refugees have been accepted into neighboring countries, the majority still face severe hardship and lack basic necessities.  Elsewhere in the Middle East and Africa, civilians are being forced to leave their homes due to the threat of ISIS and other radical Islamic groups.  As the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, what should Christians be doing to reach out to this enormous population of people in need? A situation as devastating and large in scale as the current refugee crisis can seem utterly hopeless—what can any one person possibly do to address a need so great?  But in this episode, Kevin talks with someone who has resolved to do her part non

It’s not easy to keep a marriage healthy and vibrant for the long term, as anyone who has tried it can attest.  There are so many things that can come between two spouses, like careers, overbooked schedules, family obligations… and pornography.  Porn is a multi-billion dollar industry (more profitable than all the major league sports in the US), and it affects countless individuals, couples and families.  There is a lot of misinformation about pornography: that it can be consumed without a negative impact, that it is not a real addiction, and that it does not harm marriages (and can even help them).  But in reality, porn usage by either partner in a marriage causes them to find sexual fulfillment somewhere other than their spouse, and this has grave consequences.  It drives a wedge between the two people, dissolving intimacy, communication, and trust.  Often this damage is never undone: porn is a major factor in over half of

America knows that freedom doesn’t come cheap.  There is always a high price to pay for liberty — and those who serve in the military bear the brunt of the expense.  Putting your life on the line for your country takes a heavy toll physically, psychologically, and spiritually.  That is why, in addition to the many other services provided for military personnel, our government funds a chaplain corps to meet their spiritual needs.  Military chaplains help service men and women to live out their constitutional right to the free exercise of religion, even while deployed. This week Kevin talks with Bob and John Freiberg, a father and son who both serve as Navy chaplains.  Bob and John explain the duties of a chaplain, and why they provide a service that other types of counselors simply cannot.  As a military corps, chaplains are deployed with soldiers wherever they go.  They understand firsthand what servicemen go through, unlike professional counsel

Islam is utterly opposed to Christianity at its core, denying the message of Jesus’ deity, his death for our sins, and his resurrection to give us new life.  Yet across the world, Muslims are converting to Christianity in record numbers.  How is it that people who have been taught from a young age to reject the gospel wind up being transformed by it? In this episode Kevin talks to a formerly Muslim, now Christian woman who goes by the name Tach (to protect her privacy, some of her personal information will not be disclosed).  Tach is a motivational speaker and television program director who brings the good news of Jesus Christ to women around the world.  She was raised by a Muslim family in a Soviet-ruled country, at a time when the government had made the practice of religion illegal.  Tach’s mother (her only family member who was serious about their religion) instilled a spiritual awareness in her from a young age, and she began to searc

From God’s first acknowledgement that it is not good for man to be alone, the Bible affirms the importance of marriage through and through.  If Christians look to God’s word to understand His plan for marriage, they will be able to experience the true joy of having a God-honoring relationship with their spouse.  This week Kevin’s guest is Hobby Howard, who has been on staff with Family Life for 20 years.  Hobby is a ministry representative for Family Life’s Weekend to Remember marriage conference.  Weekend to Remember can equip any couple, whether their marriage is going strong or falling apart, with knowledge and tools to strengthen their bond.  It has brought many struggling couples back from the brink of divorce, and in some remarkable cases (as Hobby explains) even brought already divorced couples back into a strong marriage bond! What is so special about this conference?  Even though marriage is the cornerstone of society, we spend little time throughout