Truthful Hope Podcast

Jacob Vazquez
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Helping people SEEK after God with their questions, FIND true answers leading to Jesus, and TELL others! Send us your questions to discuss all things Christianity at https://www.truthfulhope.com/ask-questions.

  1. 4d ago

    Catholic vs Protestant Justification: Debate Review (Part 2) | Michael Pagano

    What is the real divide between Catholics and Protestants? In Part 2 of our debate review, Jacob Vazquez is joined again by Michael Pagano to break down Jacob’s recent friendly debate with Roman Catholic historian Dr. Edmund Mazza. This time, we examine perhaps the most important disagreement between Roman Catholics and Protestants: How is a person justified before God? Are we justified by faith alone in Christ alone, with good works flowing from our salvation? Or does final salvation involve our cooperation with God’s grace through works and the sacraments? Michael and Jacob revisit the arguments from the debate and dig deeper into the Council of Trent, Sola Fide, faith and works, Martin Luther, Augustine, baptism, the Eucharist, John 6, John 15, eternal security, and assurance of salvation. Along the way, we wrestle with some major questions: • If Christ begins the work of salvation in us, who fails if we ultimately don’t persevere? • Are good works the result of salvation or part of attaining eternal life? • Is baptism necessary for justification? • Does John 6 teach the Roman Catholic understanding of the Eucharist? • Does John 15 teach that a genuine Christian can lose salvation? • Can a Christian actually know that he or she is saved? • What did early Christian writers such as Clement and Augustine say about justification, works, and perseverance? Whether you are Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, or simply exploring Christianity, we hope this conversation encourages you to examine these questions carefully, charitably, and ultimately in light of Scripture. What do you think is the real divide between Catholics and Protestants on justification? Let us know in the comments. Subscribe to Truthful Hope for Christian apologetics, theology, debates, interviews, and conversations providing strong reasons for trusting in the True Living Hope, Jesus Christ. Get your copy of Jacob's first book, Sacred or Secular: The Pro-Life Case for Grounding Human Value in the Image of God (Foreword by J.P. Moreland) out now! You can purchase your copy here: https://a.co/d/0hNd4lgq #CatholicVsProtestant #Justification #SolaFide #FaithAlone #Catholicism #Protestantism #Salvation #ChristianApologetics #TruthfulHope

  2. Sep 29

    Roman Catholic vs Protestant Debate: Are We Saved by Faith Alone? | Dr. Ed Mazza (Part 2)

    Are Christians saved by faith alone—or are good works necessary for salvation? In Part 2 of this friendly Roman Catholic vs Protestant debate, I sit down again with Roman Catholic historian Dr. Edmund Mazza to discuss one of the most important disagreements between Catholics and Evangelical Protestants: justification and salvation. At the heart of the Protestant Reformation was the doctrine of sola fide—justification by faith alone in Christ alone. But the Roman Catholic tradition maintains that saving faith cannot be separated from works of love and teaches that the good works of the justified can possess genuine merit. So what does the Bible actually teach? One of the most important distinctions in our discussion is this: Protestants and Catholics can agree that genuine saving faith produces good works. The disagreement is over what role those works play in our justification. Are good works part of obtaining salvation—or are they the necessary fruit of a salvation already received by grace through faith? That distinction becomes central to our discussion. This is Part 2 of my friendly Catholic–Evangelical dialogue with Dr. Ed Mazza. In Part 1, we discussed the underlying question of authority: Scripture, Tradition, and the Church. Here, we turn to what I consider the central soteriological divide between Roman Catholicism and Evangelical Protestantism. If you haven’t watched Part 1 yet, I recommend starting there before jumping into this discussion. Subscribe to Truthful Hope for more conversations on Christian apologetics, theology, philosophy, and evidence for the Christian faith. NEW APPROACH TO ABORTION: Sacred or Secular: The Pro-Life Case for Grounding Human Value in the Image of God by Jacob Vazquez is OUT NOW. #CatholicVsProtestant #FaithAlone #SolaFide #ChristianApologetics #Justification

  3. Sep 22

    Should Christians Support IVF? The Ethical Problems No One Talks About | Dr. Joshua Holler

    In vitro fertilization (IVF) helps couples struggling with infertility have children—but should Christians support it? In this episode of the Truthful Hope Podcast, Jacob Vazquez sits down with Josh Holler, author of Misconceiving IVF: An Essential Guide to the Perils of In Vitro Fertilization, to examine IVF through a biblical and pro-life framework. We discuss why IVF has gone largely unexamined in many churches, what actually happens to embryos during the IVF process, the moral status of frozen and discarded embryos, whether there is such a thing as “ethical IVF,” and how Christians can respond compassionately to couples experiencing infertility. We also tackle a deeper question: Can the desire for a child—even a genuinely good desire—justify the means used to have one? Josh explains why he believes the issue goes beyond embryo loss to questions about the one-flesh union, reproductive technology, human dignity, adoption, and what it means to trust God amid infertility. 📖 Misconceiving IVF by Josh Holler is available through Founders Press and Amazon. Sacred or Secular: The Pro-Life Case for Grounding Human Value in the Image of God by Jacob Vazquez, foreword by J.P. Moreland, is OUT NOW! Subscribe to Truthful Hope for conversations on Christian apologetics, theology, bioethics, and the biggest worldview questions facing the Church. #IVF #Christianity #ProLife #ChristianEthics #Bioethics

  4. Sep 18

    My First Book Is FINALLY Here! | Sacred or Secular

    Sacred or Secular: The Pro-Life Case for Grounding Human Value in the Image of God is officially OUT NOW in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle!In this special release episode, I share the story behind my first book—from beginning as a master’s thesis to receiving a foreword from J.P. Moreland—and explain the central question driving the entire argument:What makes human beings valuable in the first place?For decades, the abortion debate has focused on “What is the unborn?” But our culture increasingly demands a deeper question: Why does being human matter?In Sacred or Secular, I examine the pro-choice position, secular pro-life arguments, consciousness, rationality, human dignity, the soul, Scripture and abortion, the violinist argument, the embryo rescue case, and more—ultimately arguing that the Imago Dei provides the best foundation for intrinsic human value.📖 Get Sacred or Secular: https://a.co/d/0j2TZxQcIf you read it, consider leaving an Amazon review and sharing the book with someone who wants to think more deeply about abortion, human value, and the Christian worldview.#SacredOrSecular #ProLife #ChristianApologetics #ImagoDei #AbortionDebate

  5. Sep 15

    Catholic vs Protestant: Who Has The FINAL Authority? Debate Review | Michael Pagano (Part 1)

    Who has the final authority in Christianity: Scripture, Tradition, or the Church? In Part 1 of this Catholic vs. Protestant debate review, Jacob Vazquez is joined by Michael Pagano of True Christian Ministry to break down Jacob’s recent dialogue with Catholic scholar Dr. Ed Mazza. We examine some of the biggest questions dividing Catholics and Protestants: Sola Scriptura, apostolic authority, the Magisterium, Sacred Tradition, papal authority, Vatican II, and whether Christians need an infallible Church to interpret an infallible Bible. Michael also raises an important question: if Scripture and Tradition ultimately require the Magisterium to identify and interpret them infallibly, does the Catholic position function as a form of “sola ecclesia”? This is Debate Review Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we continue reviewing the Catholic-Protestant discussion and turn to the debate over salvation. Subscribe to Truthful Hope for Christian apologetics, theology, and conversations examining the evidence for Christianity. #CatholicVsProtestant #SolaScriptura #ChristianApologetics #Catholicism #Protestantism

  6. Sep 8

    Roman Catholic vs Protestant: Friendly Debate on Bible & Authority | Dr. Ed Mazza (Part 1)

    What happens when a Roman Catholic and a Protestant sit down to seriously discuss one of the biggest theological disagreements in Christianity? In Part 1 of this friendly Roman Catholic vs. Protestant debate, Jacob Vazquez of Truthful Hope sits down with Dr. Ed Mazza for a wide-ranging conversation about the Bible, Tradition, the authority of the Church, and how Christians can know what is truly infallible. Rather than arguing over every Catholic-Protestant disagreement individually, Jacob and Dr. Mazza go beneath the surface to examine the foundational question: What is our ultimate infallible authority for Christian faith and doctrine? In this episode, they discuss: • What Protestants actually mean by Sola Scriptura • Whether Scripture is the sole infallible authority • Scripture, Apostolic Tradition, and the authority of the Church • Apostolic succession and the authority of bishops • Peter, the papacy, and the early Church • Irenaeus and the Roman Church • Whether Christians need an infallible interpreter • How the Church recognized the canon of Scripture • Why Catholics and Protestants have different Old Testament canons • The Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical books • The Council of Florence and Vatican II • Salvation and the question of whether those outside the Catholic Church can be saved • Where Catholics and Protestants can find genuine common ground This is not a Catholic-bashing episode or a Protestant-bashing episode. Jacob and Dr. Mazza approach their disagreements with mutual respect while taking the theological questions seriously. And this is only Part 1. The conversation continues in Part 2 with an even deeper discussion of justification, faith, works, grace, and salvation. 📖 Jacob Vazquez’s upcoming book: Sacred or Secular: The Pro-Life Case for Grounding Human Value in the Image of God, Foreword by J.P. Moreland Releases September 18. If you enjoyed this conversation, like, subscribe, and share so we can continue having charitable conversations about the most important questions in Christianity. #CatholicVsProtestant #SolaScriptura #ChristianApologetics #CatholicDebate #TruthfulHope

  7. Sep 1

    Are Mormons Christians? Ex-Mormon EXPOSES The Truth with Dr. Corey Miller

    Is Mormonism actually a denomination of Christianity? Former Mormon Dr. Corey Miller joins Jacob Vazquez on the Truthful Hope Podcast to explain what LDS really teaches about God, Jesus, salvation, Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the afterlife—and why those beliefs differ fundamentally from historic Christianity. Dr. Corey Miller was raised Mormon and was a seventh-generation member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before leaving Mormonism and becoming a Christian apologist. He shares his personal journey out of Mormonism and explains the questions that ultimately led him to investigate Christianity and Christian apologetics. In this episode, we explore: • Is Mormonism Christian? • Who is God according to Mormon theology? • Do Mormons believe God was once a man? • Who is Jesus in Mormonism? • Do Mormons believe Jesus and Lucifer are brothers? • Are Mormons saved by grace alone or grace plus works? • What does the Book of Mormon claim about salvation? • What happened to Joseph Smith? • Is the Book of Mormon historically and archaeologically reliable? • How should Christians respond when Mormon missionaries come to their door? If you want to understand Mormonism from someone who lived it and now approaches it from the perspective of Christian apologetics, this conversation is for you. 🎙️ Guest: Dr. Corey Miller 📚 President of Ratio Christi 🌐 drcoreymiller.com | ratiochristi.org Subscribe to Truthful Hope for Christian apologetics, theology, philosophy, science, and thoughtful answers to difficult questions about Christianity. #Mormonism #ChristianApologetics #Christianity

  8. Aug 25

    Earth Wasn’t Just Designed for Life… But for DISCOVERY? | Dr. Jay Richards

    Why is Earth not only capable of supporting life—but also remarkably well-suited for discovering the universe?Dr. Jay Richards joins Jacob Vazquez to explore the fascinating argument behind The Privileged Planet: that the same rare conditions that make intelligent life possible may also make scientific discovery possible.From the universe’s extraordinary fine-tuning to the remarkable properties of Earth, solar eclipses, our atmosphere, and humanity’s ability to understand the cosmos, this conversation asks a profound question:Are these features merely the result of chance—or do they point to a universe designed for discovery?Dr. Richards also responds to objections involving the anthropic principle, multiverse, chance, necessity, and fine-tuning, explaining why he believes the evidence raises serious philosophical and theological questions.If the universe were designed for discovery, what would we expect to find?And what if that is exactly what we find?🎙️ Guest: Dr. Jay Richards🎙️ Host: Jacob Vazquez📖 Topic: Fine-Tuning, Intelligent Design & The Privileged PlanetSubscribe to Truthful Hope for Christian apologetics, philosophy, science, theology, and conversations about the evidence for Christianity.#PrivilegedPlanet #FineTuning #IntelligentDesign #JayRichards #ChristianApologetics #EvidenceForGod #ScienceAndFaith #GodAndScience #PhilosophyOfScience #Christianity

See All (81)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Helping people SEEK after God with their questions, FIND true answers leading to Jesus, and TELL others! Send us your questions to discuss all things Christianity at https://www.truthfulhope.com/ask-questions.

Information

  • Creator
    Jacob Vazquez
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    81
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jacob Vazquez
  • Show Website
    Truthful Hope Podcast

You Might Also Like