Great Stories by Haven Today

#28: David Instone-Brewer On Divorce and Remarriage in the Church

The Bible offers guidance on many issues. But when it coms to issues like divorce and remarriage in the church, there are still many questions that don’t have quick and easy answers. Questions like …

• Is adultery the only grounds for divorce?
• Is remarriage considered adultery?
• What should you do if your spouse walks away from the marriage?

Dr. David Instone-Brewer helps clear things up on these issues that continue to remain controversial in the church today. Originally recorded in 2013 on the grounds of Tyndale House in Cambridge, England, today's episode of the Great Stories podcast is packed with answers to some of the toughest questions surrounding divorce and remarriage, along with helpful insights on what is actually said in the Bible and how the church should respond.

Dr. Instone-Brewer is the author of several books, including Divorce and Remarriage in the Church. He is also a research fellow at Tyndale House, which is a research library in biblical studies located in Cambridge, England. He previously served as a Baptist minister.

Going Deeper

• Take a deeper dive into the research behind Dr. David Instone-Brewer's conclusions by getting a copy of his book on the topic.
• Read some excerpts from his book in this short blog titled 4 Questions you were scared to ask about divorce and remarriage.

#27: Fernando Ortega Wants You to Slow Down and Worship

Too many of us live each day under the tyranny of the urgent. Not only is this frenetic pace of the 21st century unsustainable, it’s not the way God intended you to live. On today’s episode, Fernando Ortega makes the case for slowing things down and making time for God in our daily lives. If you’ve ever heard him sing, you know the sound of his voice is unmistakable. Here, he talks about how worship is more than what we sing on Sunday. It’s a way of life that happens ever day. The question is, who — or what — do you worship?

#26: Tim Keller Answers Your Biggest Questions About Faith, Jesus, and the Reason for God

• Why does God allow suffering in the world?
• How could a loving God send people to Hell?
• How can one religion be “right” and the others “wrong”?
• Why have so many wars been fought in the name of God?

These are questions Dr. Timothy Keller has been fielding from doubters in New York City for the last 30 years. On today’s episode of the Great Stories podcast, Tim answers some of the toughest questions that often come up about Jesus and the reason for God. By the time he's finished, you’ll have a better understanding of how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with a deep compassion for those who truly want to know the truth.

#25: Nabeel Qureshi on Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, and What That Meant for His Family

As a young boy, Nabeel Qureshi wanted to be just like his father—a devout Muslim. Eventually, he started studying the claims of Christianity and found the historical evidence for Jesus to be more strong and credible than his own religion. This led him on a journey to know Jesus. 

Recorded just a few years before his death, Nabeel Qureshi sat down with Charles Morris to talk about this journey from seeking Allah to finding Jesus, the events that took him down this road, and what it meant for his close-knit family. 

Click here to learn about a documentary called American Gospel: Christ Alone, which features segments of Nabeel's story as he faced life's final chapter. 

#24: Costi Hinn on the Prosperity Gospel, His Famous Family, and Finding Jesus Outside the Word of Faith Movement

Wealth. Luxury. Comfort. Who wouldn’t want these things?

Costi Hinn is the nephew of one of the most famous prosperity preachers in the world, but he no longer works for his uncle. After growing up in a life of luxury, Costi found Jesus outside the Word of Faith movement. In what became our most listened-to interview of 2019, he tells his story, while also explaining what the prosperity gospel gets wrong about Jesus.

• To hear more from Costi in a new documentary, watch American Gospel: Christ Alone.
• To read Charles Morris’ article on this topic, read What’s wrong with the prosperity gospel?
• Get your own copy of Costi’s book God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel. 
• Get the audiobook version of Costi’s book here.

#23: Elyse Fitzpatrick On How Heaven and the New Earth Satisfy Our Deepest Longings

Where do we go when we die? What will heaven be like? Who goes there? How do we live each day in light of our eternal home?

Elyse Fitzpatrick wrote one of the best, most comprehensive and biblical books on Heaven called Home: How Heaven and the New Earth Satisfy Our Deepest Longings. On today’s episode of the Great Stories podcast, she joins Charles Morris to help us peek through the cloud of uncertainty surrounding the topic of Heaven by looking at what Scripture actually says about our eternal home.

Elyse holds a certificate in biblical counseling from CCEF (San Diego) and an M.A. in Biblical Counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary. She has authored 25 books on daily living and the Christian life.

#22: Ann Voskamp On the Abundant Life, Brokenness, and How They Go Hand-in-Hand

The prayer of Jabez. God’s Formula for Success and Prosperity. Your Best Life Now. These are just a few of the many books out there on how to achieve the abundant life. If you pray hard enough, give enough money, or have enough faith, you too can break through to the blessed life. But that’s not the way Ann Voskamp sees it.

In this conversation that originally aired as a live webcast from her farm in Ontario, Canada, Charles Morris and Ann Voskamp discuss themes from her recent book, The Broken Way. Unlike the previously mentioned books, Ann believes the only path to abundance is in the shape of a cross.

• Click here to watch the live webcast version of this episode.
• Click here to learn more about The Broken Way.

#21: Dr. N.T. Wright: Did the Resurrection Really Happen? How Can We Be Sure? Why Does it Matter?

The most startling claim of Christianity is that Jesus rose from the dead after being brutally executed on a Roman cross two thousand years ago. Could it possibly be true? And if it were, what difference could it make to us today?

Dr. N.T. Wright, a leading New Testament Scholar and retired Anglican Bishop, joins Charles Morris for a special Easter episode of the Great Stories podcast. In this conversation about the historical resurrection of Christ, you’ll hear one of the best explanations for why we can be certain Jesus really rose from the dead and why that matters today.

#20: Lysa TerKeurst On Cancer, Infidelity, and Trusting God Through Hard Times

Where is God when bad things happen? What about when things go from bad to worse?

Bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst joins Charles Morris on today’s episode to talk about a season in her life when she faced one difficult moment after another … until the words, “God won’t give you more than you can handle,” just seemed empty and naive. And yet, the Lord was there all along.

If you’ve ever gone through hard times, you’re going to find a friend in this interview who knows what it feels like to walk through deep devastation and heartbreak while still standing on the reality that God is good.

Click here to read a transcribed version of this interview. 

#19: Andrew Peterson On Encountering Jesus through Music, Christ-Haunted Places, and Celebrating the Resurrection

Easter is coming. But unlike the Christmas season, Easter doesn’t have as many of the rich traditions that help us anticipate Christ’s death and resurrection. On today’s episode, Andrew Peterson helps us bridge the gap between what we read in the gospel and how these events have direct implications for how we live every single day. You’ll also hear him talk about how he connects with Christ through music and the sense of feeling God’s presence in historic Christian places that are no longer active today. 

As Easter approaches, we encourage you to prepare your heart to celebrate the Resurrection through Andrew Peterson’s album Resurrection Letters, Vol. 1. You can also view a video of one of the most powerful songs on the album here (Is He Worthy?).