FAQs
Q. What is an Interactive Forum?
Exodus is a teaching ministry where we allow any participant to stop the discussion at any time to ask a question, pose a different view point, or even to disagree with the point being expressed.
Q. Why do you encourage this level of interaction?
We believe the Holy Spirit speaks through all participants, not just the discussion leader. Often, despite hours of preparation by a speaker, the most salient points are raised by one of the participants. Other times, a question or comment from a participant yields significant insight that would have been lost had that person remained silent. While speaking to a group — rather than with them – may be necessary in larger gatherings, one way communication obscures the questions, emotions and struggles that frequently prevent participants from receiving and understanding the message. There is no more honest way to evaluate how someone is processing the message than to give them the freedom to interact with the speaker while the discussion is still ongoing, and while there is still a chance to address those issues directly.
Q. Doesn’t the discussion get out of hand?
Group facilitators are required to be well versed in teaching through the Socratic method. This means more than being able to facilitate a question-based discussion. It means being prepared with a significant amount of background material on related topics so that questions or objections can be used to enhance the presentation rather than detract from it. The group also fosters an ethos of respect and courtesy, and requires all comments to be directed to the speaker, not at one another, to maintain an orderly discussion.
Q. How do you choose the topics for each series?
We routinely survey group participants for suggestions about which topics are most on their minds. We are generally looking for topics which have not been covered in too much depth by most churches, or which have become obstacles to faith. Some of the topics are apologetic in nature, some address current issues facing the church, while others relate to discipleship, transformation, spiritual practices and the Christian life.
Q. How can I access the Exodus podcasts?
The easiest way is from our website, where you can read a description of each series and access individual podcasts. We also include other background information on our website related to these series. You can also subscribe to our podcast via the website or through iTunes.
Q. What are some examples of topics that have been covered in past series?
Some of our most popular series include:
What Will Heaven Be Like?
The Mystery of God’s Will
How Non-Christians View Christianity
Questions About Prayer
The Origin of the Bible
Why Does God Allow Suffering and Evil?
Money in the Kingdom of God
The Gospel of Matthew (A 45-Week Audio Series on the entire book of Matthew)
Christian Views on Hell
Sex in the Body of Christ
Troubling Images of God in the Old Testament
Spiritual Disciplines and the Road to Spiritual Transformation
How Should Christians Relate to Culture and Society?
Beliefs of the Major World Religions
How To Ruin Your Life by 40
The Parables of Jesus
Can We Believe in Science and The Bible?
Recovering Christian Hospitality.
A full list of all the series can be found on our website, www.exoduspodcasts.com.
Q. Why is the group called Exodus?
Most young adults are in a period of transition from the place they have known, to a kind of promised land in the future. The journey is a great part of the story during college, graduate school and young adulthood: sustained periods of hope and anticipation for the future, punctuated by moments of doubt, deeper questions and a search for meaning. There are great lessons that can be learned from our time in the desert, forged in the tension between the comfort of the past, the expectation of the future, and the reality of the here and now. Change and transition are givens during this time of life, but our goal is to come through such a time with a love for God that encompasses our whole heart, mind and soul.