Welcome to the Eternal Life Podcast, a series looking at Seven Questions every Intelligent Skeptic should ask about Jesus of Nazareth. This is a special free podcast series, created for anyone who genuinely seeks truth, but sometimes struggles to believe in the miraculous and supernatural elements of the Christian faith. I am Rory Vaden, and I hope this is a safe space for you to belong, without necessarily having to believe. I aim to objectively explore the logical, historical, and academic facts and circumstances surrounding Jesus's life, whom many have come to call, Christ. I aspire to convince each and every listener, my sons included, to dive in deep and spend time exploring this topic. Delve into and research the foundational elements of Christianity, which include exploring whether Jesus was a real human living on the earth, that He truly was the Son of God, and that Jesus indeed was raised from the dead (dead in human form). This series is an exploration of the facts, from my source of truth, the Bible. I strongly believe that the Bible contains confident and clear answers to questions many of us have. 

As we embark on this journey of critical thinking, exploration, and the pursuit of truth, we will delve into seven pivotal questions. Each episode will contain a factual investigation into potential solutions for the following thoughts:   

1. What is Your Strategy for Defeating Death?

2. What Evidence is there that Jesus was a Real Person?

3. Was Jesus Just a Good Teacher or Something More?

4. What Evidence is there that Jesus was a Deity?

5. What Evidence is there that Jesus Rose from the Dead?

6. How do you get into Heaven?

7. What do we know about Heaven?

So as we dive into our first episode, we take a look at the first of the seven questions: What is Your Strategy for Defeating Death? Another rendition of the same question could be, "Is it Worth the Time to Explore Eternity?” Allow me to guide you through three compelling reasons that, in my opinion, make a strong case for at least considering the exploration of Christianity. We will look at each of these reasons in more detail, and they encompass:

Reason 1: It could carry eternal implications for you. 

Reason 2: The Bible provides answers and can be a source of truth for your life.

Reason 3: If the story of Jesus is real, and there truly is a resurrection, then that means there is a heaven; an eternity. In short, should the account of Jesus prove to be accurate, then it’s possible you’ll never be separated from those you love.

I am not a pastor, nor a studied theologian. I am a New York Times bestselling author, an 8-figure entrepreneur, a Hall of Fame speaker with a TEDx talk that has more than 4 million views, a researcher, and simply, a husband and a father. So, from the perspective of a curious entrepreneur, a lifelong student, a pragmatist, and skeptic, and someone who believes this is a topic we need to look at, I dive into an exploration of the facts. I may have minor discrepancies in the things that I share on the podcast, and I will try to use plain, non-jargon terminology, however, I have taken a great deal of time to verify the factual stability of what I plan to present in this series. I want you to know that I will always seek truth — even when it’s inconvenient or it creates conflict. I highly encourage you to proceed with an open mind and supplement this with your own exploration of the truth. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Eternal Life Podcast Resource

Andy Stanley

Rory Vaden

Rory Vaden on X

Welcome back to Eternal Life, the podcast exploring the life of Christ through seven questions that hard-core Christians and anyone who may find it difficult to believe in the miracles of God should ask. Today we delve into question number two: Was Jesus a real person? This is a simple question but a very important one for Christians to explore because ultimately, if there was no Jesus, then there could be no Christianity. 

Before we question if Jesus was the son of God, if He did truly have powers of healing, or if Heaven exists, we need to figure out if He was actually a real person. There are three different types of corroboration that prove Jesus’ existence: historical documentation, archeology, and prophetic predictions. Whether Jesus was the son of God comes down to a decision of faith but after this exploration of evidence, it is clear, that the question of his existence has been corroborated a million times over! 

• What historical documents corroborate the existence of Christ and why we can believe that they are true. 
• Archeological facts suggesting that the Bible is historically accurate and therefore a trustworthy source of fact. 
• Who wrote the gospels and how they help us accept the Bible as a source of truth. 
• How the minor discrepancies in the Bible make it easier to trust, believe it or not!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Free Resources
The Case for Christ

The Annals of Imperial Rome

Josephus: The Essential Writings

The Iliad

The Antiquities of the Jews

The Verdict of History

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X

Welcome back to Eternal Life as we continue to explore the seven questions that when answered, will ultimately reveal the true wonder of our Lord, Jesus Christ. This series is for anyone who is looking for facts and evidence about Jesus and His life, from the hardened skeptic to the emphatic believer. Today, we dive into the third of our seven questions: Was Jesus just a good teacher or something more? 

Three things set Jesus far apart from other prophets, thought leaders, and respected speakers of the time: What Jesus said, how He lived, and how the world responded to Him. After examining these three areas of His life, you will find that Jesus was indeed far more than we could ever imagine. But, what do you think?  

• What Jesus said, and how His words prove that He was more than just a good teacher.
• How Jesus’ proclamations of being God confirm that He’s always been so much more.  
• Taking a look at how Jesus lived and how that pertains to His character as better than good. 
• What we can learn from the way people and the world responded to Jesus and His teachings. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Eternal Life Podcast Resource

Dr. Gary Habermas

Rory Vaden 

Rory Vaden on X