The Q&R Podcast is designed to foster a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others. Today we’re stepping into a conversation that can feel really tender, especially for those who’ve been deeply hurt.

Forgiveness.

For some, forgiveness has felt like betrayal—like being asked to minimize what happened, move on too quickly, or pretend something didn’t cause real pain. Especially when the other person has not said that they are sorry.

And when churches rush people toward forgiveness without acknowledging justice, grief, or boundaries, it can do more harm than good.

Almost like we’re letting evil win.

In this episode, we’ll explore what forgiveness actually is, what it isn’t, and why it’s not the same thing as reconciliation or trust. We’ll look at how God handles harm in Scripture, how Jesus modeled forgiveness, and what it might look like to forgive without betraying yourself.

It’s a raw conversation, but an important one. Let’s get into it.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:10 - How People Minimize Pain with Forgiveness
13:04 - Justice vs. Forgiveness
21:32 - Jesus Said Forgive 70x7
33:49 - Making Excuses For An Abuser
49:48 - Practical Applications of Forgiveness

The Q&R Podcast is back, and this month we’re taking on one of the most challenging and uncomfortable topics: Does the Bible condone slavery?

It’s a serious and deeply personal question, and it’s often used as a reason to reject Christianity altogether. After all, if the Bible really supports slavery, how could we trust it
as a source of moral authority?

But before we jump to conclusions, we need to ask: What did slavery actually look like in biblical times? How does it compare to the horrific transatlantic slave trade? And does Scripture truly endorse slavery, or does it lay the foundation for its eventual abolition?

We’ll unpack all of this today, tracing how the Bible speaks about slavery from Genesis to the New Testament, and how Christian thought ultimately fueled abolitionist movements throughout history.

Tell us more about you: https://redeemerlsq.com/imnew

Our Q&R podcast for the seeker and skeptic in all of us. It’s designed to foster a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others.

This month, we’re taking on another tough question: Is the Bible anti-women?

Many people assume that Christianity has historically suppressed women, pointing to passages about submission, silence in the church, or even polygamy in the Old Testament. But is that actually what the Bible teaches? Or is there more to the story?

In this episode, we’ll explore how Jesus radically elevated the status of women, how the early church gave them leadership roles, and why a closer reading of Scripture reveals a deeply countercultural view of women’s dignity and worth.

0:00 - Intro

0:52 - The controversy of this question

5:23 - What is biblical submission?

13:34 - Does the Old Testament demean women?

20:52 - Female leadership in the Bible

44:38 - Men & women are equal, but different

Tell us more about you: https://redeemerlsq.com/imnew

Our Q&R podcast for the seeker and skeptic in all of us. It’s designed to foster a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others.

This month, we’re diving into one of the biggest and most difficult questions people ask about the Bible. And one of the most common objections we hear is about the character of God—especially in the Old Testament.

Many people wonder: Why does He seem so different from the God of the New Testament? Why do we see stories of war, judgment, and even what seems like divine anger? Does that make God unjust or even evil?

In this episode, we’ll explore the historical and cultural context of these difficult passages, how justice and mercy actually work together in God’s character, and why understanding the full story of Scripture changes how we see these moments.

Tell us more about you: https://redeemerlsq.com/imnew

Our Q&R podcast for the seeker and skeptic in all of us. It’s designed to foster a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others.

This month, we continue our two-part series on the afterlife by diving into one of the most difficult ideas in Christianity – Hell.

It’s a concept that makes people uncomfortable—and for good reason. If God is truly loving, why would He send people to a place of eternal suffering? Wouldn’t it be more just for Him to save everyone? And if He knew that some people would end up in hell, why create us in the first place?

These are not easy questions, but they’re important ones. If Christianity teaches that God is both perfectly just and infinitely merciful, how do those two ideas fit together? Does hell exist because of God’s judgment—or because of human choice?

Today, we’re digging into the fairness of hell, the different ways people have understood it throughout history, and what the Bible actually teaches about it. We’ll also wrestle with one of the biggest objections: what about people who never had the chance to hear about Jesus? This conversation isn’t just about doctrine—it’s about what kind of God we believe in.

Tell us more about you: https://redeemerlsq.com/imnew

Our Q&R podcast for the seeker and skeptic in all of us. It’s designed to foster a posture of curiosity about ourselves and others.

This month, we begin a two-part series on the afterlife, starting with one of the biggest questions of human existence – “what happens when we die?”. Is there life beyond this world, or do we simply cease to exist?

Every culture, religion, and philosophy has tried to answer this in some way, but for many, it's still an unsettling mystery.

Today, we’re diving into what the Bible actually says about life after death. We’ll explore the concepts of heaven and hell, break down common misconceptions, and wrestle with the real question: who goes where? Is it about being a good person, or is there something more?

This conversation isn’t just theoretical—it changes how we live right now. If eternity is real, what does that mean for our choices, our relationships, and our understanding of justice and grace?

So, whether you’ve grown up with strong beliefs about the afterlife or you’re just trying to figure out what to make of it all, stick with us.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:31 - Different interpretations of the afterlife
11:50 - The need for hell
18:10 - Is hell for bad people?
33:01 - Why would God create heaven & hell?
40:33 - Jesus on the afterlife

Tell us more about you: https://redeemerlsq.com/connect

Our Q&R Podcast is for the seeker and skeptic in all of us, designed to create a posture of curiosity about
ourselves and others.

This month, we explore a heavy hitting question:

Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

In a way, this is a follow up to our last Q&R podcast on pain and suffering, because the resurrection is the future hope that we have. It’s also something that has divided cultures, and caused debate among believers and unbelievers for millennia.

As the Apostle Paul once said, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile.” So in this episode, we examine the compelling case for the resurrection. We discuss the crucifixion, the empty tomb, the witnesses and transformation of the disciples, and finally the explosion of the Christian movement in the ancient world.

We discuss alternate theories of what happened, and why those conclusions do not measure up on an intellectual level. Finally, we discuss why the resurrection brings such hope, and what it means for this life and the next.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:39 - There’s only a few possibilities
13:55 - The details of the resurrection
22:44 - Can you be Christian & not believe in the resurrection?
33:10 - The hope of the resurrection
48:43 - Jesus experienced life as we experience it

Resources:
The Resurrection of the Son of God: https://shorturl.at/6QVT2

Our Q&R Podcast is for the seeker and skeptic in all of us, designed to create a posture of curiosity about
ourselves and others.

Today, we’re going to tackle a question that we will all face at one point or another in our lives.

How do I handle pain & suffering?

This is a topic that the larger culture often leaves us unequipped to deal with. Our culture talks about self-optimization, and longevity has become a popular theme, but what happens when things don’t go our way? When we don’t heal of a disease? When a loved one dies?

When we go through a painful breakup?

In this conversation, Michael and Bekah unpack this both from an intellectual perspective, but also a personal one. Michael shares about his experience losing his dad, and the profound suffering and grief that has unfolded both before and after Tim’s death.

We then get into deeper theological questions of why God would allow this to happen, and why the Christian faith is predicated on a future hope that empowers us to endure anything that comes our way.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:56 - Our culture does not address suffering
6:47 - How we respond to pain & suffering
19:11 - Michael talking about father Tim Keller’s death
23:10 - Discerning why you need in the moment
27:15 - Placing suffering in a spectrum
31:38 - Getting used to grief
38:36 - Why am I going through this?
46:47 - What do you do when something is ongoing?