Halfway to Sunday

Skepticism and the Supernatural w/ Joshua Spatha | Ep 78

Episode Summary

Today we’re talking about the gap between what we read in Scripture and what we expect in real life. My guest, Joshua Spatha, a science-trained missionary and author of Mere Spirituality, names how a materialistic culture can shrink our faith and why aligning with God’s will changes what we see. We’ll talk skepticism, miracles, seeking spiritual gifts, and the humility it takes to ask better questions. No shame, just an invitation to pursue the God who still moves.

Episode Notes

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SHOW NOTES:

Why does the supernatural feel normal in Scripture but rare in our lives? Joshua Spatha traces his journey from a cerebral, science-heavy education to decades in missions, where neat arguments about deism and cessationism couldn’t explain what he witnessed. He argues our materialist culture conditions low expectations (and low pursuit) while Scripture calls us to seek the gifts and align with God’s will in the places He’s moving. We explore how worldview shapes experience, why bad examples don’t make good arguments, and the humility required to test doctrine in the wild, not just in theory. If you’ve wrestled with doubt, abuse of spiritual language, or fear of being fooled, this conversation offers a wiser way: pursue truth, reject counterfeits, and expect God to be who He’s always been. Practical, thoughtful, and faith-stretching.

And as always, we start off the episode with what is bringing us joy and we know you will be so encouraged by this conversation. Listen free on Apple or Spotify, and join us on Patreon for an extended version of this episode as well as exclusive content!

Ways you can connect with Joshua Spatha:

Website
Joshua’s Book

Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We are so glad you’re here!

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SHOW NOTES

Scripture References:

Matthew 7:7 — “Ask… seek… knock.”
1 Corinthians 14:1 / 12:31 — “Pursue spiritual gifts… earnestly desire.”
Matthew 13:44 — Parable of the treasure hidden in a field
Hebrews 13:8 — “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever”
Luke 19:10 — “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost”