Apologetics Profile – Episode 326: Apologetics From a Pastoral Point of View with Pastor Chris Legg - Part Two

Hosts: James Walker and Daniel Ray
Guest: Pastor Chris Legg (South Spring Baptist, Tyler, TX)
Date: January 26, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Apologetics Profile explores how apologetics can be seamlessly woven into everyday Christian life, particularly from a pastoral vantage. Pastor Chris Legg returns to discuss practical, lived apologetics—emphasizing that it's not just an academic endeavor for scholars but an essential part of Christian community and discipleship, accessible to everyone. The conversation blends personal stories, biblical insights, and reflections on integrating apologetics into marriage, church life, and daily relationships.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Apologetics as Practical, Everyday Faith

• Personal Narrative: Grand Canyon Hike
  Chris Legg shares a profound story of confronting his fear of heights at the Grand Canyon, highlighting how the kindness of strangers (a Christian mother and son) helped him persevere to Oo Ah Point.

  • “Their help was a kind of real time apologetic, lived out in a practical way that helped me see the grandeur of God’s creation I could not have seen on my own.” – Chris Legg (05:11)
  • The story illustrates that practical acts of love and support are authentic apologetics, demonstrating the hope and courage born of faith.

• Apologetics Beyond Academia
  Legg stresses that formal training isn't required; every believer is called to "give a reason for the hope" (1 Peter 3:15), primarily through gentleness and reverence.

  • “You do not have to have any formal training in academic apologetics to be a good apologist… Biblically speaking, we are all apologists.” – Chris Legg (06:44)

2. The Humanity of Biblical Characters as Apologetic

• The Realness of Believers in Scripture
  Legg emphasizes the authenticity of the Bible’s portrayal of key figures, noting that their confusion and failure make the narrative credible and relatable.

  • “You don't invent a religion and make yourself look like buffoons. That's right, but we're buffoons… From Peter and James and John and Thomas all the way till now, we're trying to understand.” – Chris Legg (09:35)

• Passover and Human Frailty: Relating to the Disciples
  Discussion on the disciples’ exhaustion during the Passover and their sleep in Gethsemane. Legg relates this to how real people respond, underscoring the Bible’s trustworthiness:

  • “They do exactly what humans do… These are real people. They're real. This is not a made-up religion.” – Chris Legg (12:59)

3. Integrating Apologetics with the Church and Everyday Life

• Marriage and Relationships as Apologetic Legg posits that a loving, sacrificial marriage is itself a powerful apologetic, reflecting God’s relationship with the church.

  • “Marriage is a proof of God… Marriage is a living parable of God’s relationship to us. Sex is meant to be a living parable of the marriage itself.” – Chris Legg (15:09)

• Holistic Approach to Apologetics The church is encouraged to move beyond information and argumentation to holistic discipleship—helping members see themselves as part of God’s ongoing narrative and integrating apologetics into all teaching and ministry.

  • “Apologetics isn’t just for the academically educated. It’s for everyone in the body of Christ… All of us have been equipped to help each other along the path.” – Dan (07:25)
  • “If the church had great marriages… or showed how to live a full life with Christ, I don’t know that we could build churches fast enough.” – Chris Legg (32:23)

• Apologetics as Integrated Theology Legg explains that theology consists of three integrated strands: doctrine, ethics, and apologetics, all flowing together for the whole Christian life.

  • “The study of theology is actually broken into three parts… how do we speak about God to one another? To nonbelievers? How then shall we live based on this God?” – Chris Legg (22:34)

4. Cautions Against Apologetic Pitfalls

• Social Media & "Mood Lighting Apologetics" The hosts critique online apologetics that mimic secular or atheist echo chambers, focusing on spectacle over substance.

  • “Apparently there's a version of apologetics that is just mirroring the atheist model… in my little echo chamber, I'm just going to speak about something… half the time they’re just wrong and they don’t know it.” – Chris Legg (20:10)
  • Reference to 1 Timothy 1 about “confident assertions” without understanding—paralleling social media debates (21:41).

• The Value of "I Don't Know" They encourage humility: admitting when you don’t know is more honest—and more compelling—than feigning certainty.

  • “I am one of the first to admit I don't know everything.” – Dan (18:28)

5. The Power of Narrative: Apologetics as Storytelling

• Craving Larger Stories Discussion on how humans are storytelling creatures seeking a true, bigger narrative—something that both Hollywood and the church tap into in different ways.

  • “We are craving a narrative… We want a story that is true. Hollywood is cashing in on this intrinsic desire.” – Dan (28:09)
  • “I think apologetics should bring people into the world of the gospel and show them: this isn’t just ancient history. This is a story that is continuing and you have a chapter to contribute.” – Dan (29:59)

• Nerd Conferences and Gospel Parables in Pop-Culture Legg mentions his desire to create a conference blending pop culture (like Star Trek or Tolkien) with apologetics, reaching those who feel Christianity excludes "nerd culture." (25:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ordinary Acts as Apologetics:
  "Their own lack of fear and their encouragement to me strengthened me to walk the narrow way, though my fear never went away completely. This, I think, is something of a genuine portrait of the Christian life and of apologetics in general."
  — Chris Legg (05:24)

• On The Humanity of Disciples:
  "No one who invents a religion portrays themselves as, 'Listen, I'm pretty much just the comic relief in this story because I never know what the guy's talking about, even afterwards. I don't get it half the time.'"
  — Chris Legg (12:59)

• On Social Media Debates:
  "People say social media isn't in the Bible. They don't know what they're talking about, but they make confident assertions. That is social media defined right there."
  — Chris Legg (21:41)

• On Marriage as Apologetic:
  "A great marriage is an apologetic. I think we lose kids when they go to college... because their parents' marriage stinks and it offers no inspiration to follow Christ."
  — Chris Legg (31:17)

• On Integration:
  “All of this seamlessly fits together… I’m doing that on video, that hand sign of all the fingers interlocking.”
  — Chris Legg (32:34)

Important Timestamps

• 00:25 – Chris Legg recounts Grand Canyon experience; practical apologetics through kindness of strangers.
• 07:06 – Reference to 1 Peter 3:15; every Christian’s calling to apologetics.
• 09:36 – The "buffoonery" of Bible characters as evidence of authenticity.
• 12:59 – The humanity of the disciples and why it’s a powerful apologetic.
• 15:09 – Marriage as an argument (apologetic) for the reality of God.
• 20:02 – Critique of social media/YouTube "apologetics" echo chambers.
• 22:34 – Threefold taxonomy of theology: doctrine, ethics, apologetics.
• 25:56 – The idea of a “nerd conference” for cultural apologetics.
• 28:09 – Humans as storytelling beings craving larger narratives.
• 32:23 – The impact of relational apologetics within the church.

Final Thoughts

• On Integration:
  "Don’t see apologetics as somehow this distinct thing, independent from the other study that you’re doing. Understand it integrates perfectly into the way we live our lives… apologetics is a natural outflowing of the Christian walk."
  — Chris Legg (33:39)
• Encouragement to Listeners:
  The episode closes with an invitation for listeners and leaders to reach out for discussion on integrating apologetics into church life, marriage, and personal growth (31:04).

For more information:
Visit watchman.org or contact Chris Legg or South Spring Baptist directly.

This summary was created to provide an engaging and comprehensive overview of Episode 326, capturing the key themes, practical insights, and memorable moments discussed by Pastor Chris Legg and the hosts.