Sharpening Arrows

Victor Joecks
  • 5.0 (12)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Training teens to think Biblically about life and politics. Hosted by Victor Joecks.

  1. 2D AGO

    Ep. 56 – Why girls’ sports should be for girls

    Letting a boy play on a girls’ sports team isn’t compassion. Its cruelty to the young women he’s competing against. Parental pause point questions: 1. How do you think the lawyer responded? (4:21) 2. Do men have an advantage in sports? And if so, are you a better basketball player than a woman in the WNBA? (6:30) 3. Does this athlete have the same opportunity as his peers? (10:57) 4. Can an issue that only affects a small number of people be important? (11:45) 5. Does this mean that men are better than women? (19:51) 6. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use to respond to this argument? (23:38) The Great 8 Questions: 1. What happens next? 2. Has this been tried before? 3. Is there a principle involved? 4. What are the trade-offs? 5. What do you mean by that? 6. Is this an appeal to emotion or logic? 7. Am I focused on the speaker or the argument? 8. What does the Bible say?

    29 min

  2. JAN 13

    Ep. 55 – Men are not women. And it isn’t bigotry to say so.

    Many of the same people who don’t believe in absolute truth will get very upset when people refuse to ignore biological realities, like men are not women. Parental pause point questions: 1. What do you know about transgenderism? (6:41) 2. Is everything a person feels valid? (9:08) 3. What would you say in response to this argument? (11:34) 4. Have you ever been insulted for your beliefs? (12:29) 5. Which of The Great 8 Questions apply here? (13:29) 6. How do you stand up for your beliefs in the face of opposition? (17:37) 7. Did high school science books once teach that having XY chromosomes made a person male? (26:28) 8. Do you have any unanswered questions on this topic? (33:06) The Great 8 Questions: 1. What happens next? 2. Has this been tried before? 3. Is there a principle involved? 4. What are the trade-offs? 5. What do you mean by that? 6. Is this an appeal to emotion or logic? 7. Am I focused on the speaker or the argument? 8. What does the Bible say?

    34 min

  3. JAN 6

    Ep. 54 – What did Trump just do in Venezuela?

    President Donald Trump sent the U.S. military into Venezuela on a daring raid to arrest the country’s president. Was that a victory, an example of American imperialism or the start of another forever war? Parental pause point questions: 1. What have you heard about the U.S. arresting Nicolas Madura, who claimed to be Venezuela’s president? (3:48) 2. Why does Venezuela have so much oil, but produce so little? (12:06) 3. Which argument do you think is the strongest? (14:16) 4. Which of The Great 8 Questions apply here? (15:27) 5. Do you think U.S. forces have ever gone into a country to arrest its leader? (27:10) The Great 8 Questions: 1. What happens next? 2. Has this been tried before? 3. Is there a principle involved? 4. What are the trade-offs? 5. What do you mean by that? 6. Is this an appeal to emotion or logic? 7. Am I focused on the speaker or the argument? 8. What does the Bible say?

    34 min

  4. 12/30/2025

    Ep. 53 – How to make New Year’s resolutions you’ll actually keep

    It’s almost New Years. Is it worth making resolutions? Parental pause point questions: 1. What do you think about New Year's resolutions? (4:08) 2. Have you ever made a resolution? What was it about? (5:35) 3. Did you keep your resolution? (6:57) 4. Which of The Great 8 Questions apply here? (11:39) 5. What is the problem with these goals? (18:21) 6. What is a specific, measurable and controllable goal that you can set for the next year? (23:32) 7. How can you turn your goal into a habit? Who can hold you accountable? (27:55) The Great 8 Questions: 1. What happens next? 2. Has this been tried before? 3. Is there a principle involved? 4. What are the trade-offs? 5. What do you mean by that? 6. Is this an appeal to emotion or logic? 7. Am I focused on the speaker or the argument? 8. What does the Bible say?

    29 min

  5. 12/22/2025

    Ep. 52 - Why science can't disprove the Virgin Birth

    Christmas is a celebration of something that’s scientifically impossible. Should this concern Christians? Also, Victor is podcasting from a special location. Listen to find out where. The newly released book, Memory Burn, is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Memory-Burn-Thriller-Resistance-Veilfire-ebook/dp/B0G7G13LKQ/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-1 Parental pause point questions: 1. What makes a compelling story? (2:38) 2. What is the greatest conflict you've ever read in a piece of literature? (4:33) 3. What is the strongest argument against the Virgin Birth? (11:27) 4. Which of The Great 8 Questions apply here? (17:12) 5. What is science the study of? (21:46) 6. Do non-Christians believe things that aren't proved scientifically? (22:13) The Great 8 Questions: 1. What happens next? 2. Has this been tried before? 3. Is there a principle involved? 4. What are the trade-offs? 5. What do you mean by that? 6. Is this an appeal to emotion or logic? 7. Am I focused on the speaker or the argument? 8. What does the Bible say?

    29 min

  6. 12/15/2025

    Ep. 51 – Why you shouldn’t delegate your education to ChatGPT

    It’s time to answer a question that’s vexed high school students for decades. Why do we write papers and do algebra? Parental pause point questions: 1. In 2023, 13% of teenagers used ChatGPT to help with their homework. What percent do you think did so in 2024? (4:55) 2. Is it cheating to use AI to complete your homework? (5:10) 3. Do you agree or disagree with this argument? (7:34) 4. What is the purpose of education? (8:45) 5. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you use here? (9:17) 6. What are the practice benefits to learning math that you won't use again? (14:57) 7. Why do football players lift weights? (20:23) The Great 8 Questions: 1. What happens next? 2. Has this been tried before? 3. Is there a principle involved? 4. What are the trade-offs? 5. What do you mean by that? 6. Is this an appeal to emotion or logic? 7. Am I focused on the speaker or the argument? 8. What does the Bible say?

    25 min

  7. 12/09/2025

    Ep. 50 - Why AI and education don't mix

    Why do students need intelligence when there's artificial intelligence? Victor looks at the role of AI in education. Parental pause point questions: 1. Does you or your school use AI in education? (2:32) 2. What is a benefit and a downside of AI in education? (5:17) 3. Do you know someone who's used AI to complete an assignment? Have you? (10:16) 4. Which of these arguments do you find the most convincing and why? (11:44) 5. Which of The Great 8 Questions would you apply to these arguments? (13:01) 6. What is the purpose of education? (21:00) The Great 8 Questions: 1. What happens next? 2. Has this been tried before? 3. Is there a principle involved? 4. What are the trade-offs? 5. What do you mean by that? 6. Is this an appeal to emotion or logic? 7. Am I focused on the speaker or the argument? 8. What does the Bible say?

    22 min

  8. 12/01/2025

    Ep. 49 – Why Christians should be involved in politics

    One way Christians can improve their communities is by getting involved in politics. Now, that's not something you hear everyday, but Victor shows why it's true. Parental pause point questions: 1. Do Biblical teachings have any practical applications for modern politics? (4:56) 2. Do Christians bring anything important to political discussions? (7:22) 3. Which of The Great 8 Questions applies here? (08:32) 4. Does the law regulate morality? (10:15) 5. Do you think every worldview upholds the values we've talked about? (22:00) The Great 8 Questions: 1. What happens next? 2. Has this been tried before? 3. Is there a principle involved? 4. What are the trade-offs? 5. What do you mean by that? 6. Is this an appeal to emotion or logic? 7. Am I focused on the speaker or the argument? 8. What does the Bible say?

    27 min
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About

Training teens to think Biblically about life and politics. Hosted by Victor Joecks.

Information

  • Creator
    Victor Joecks
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    64
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Victor Joecks
  • Show Website
    Sharpening Arrows