The Nightmare Is When I Wake Up | Greg Laurie & Frank Turek
The War on Reality: Finding Hope and Truth in a Confused World
Our culture is in the middle of a significant upheaval. Questions that just a few years ago seemed settled—matters of morality, gender, the value of life—are now hotly debated at every turn. As believers, we’re called to engage these issues with both truth and grace, confident in the unchanging reality of God’s Word. In this article, we’ll explore the wisdom shared in a recent conversation between Greg Laurie and apologist Frank Turek, touching on grief, eternity, cultural confusion, and how Christians can respond in a world at war with reality.
Grief, Evil, and the Ripple Effect of a Faithful Life
When tragedy strikes, it’s often easy to question God’s presence or goodness. Frank Turek knows this pain well, having suffered the devastating loss of a close friend, Charlie Kirk, who was murdered while engaging university students with the gospel. Frank’s raw honesty is sobering: “People ask if I have nightmares. The truth is, the nightmare is when I wake up.” Charlie’s influence lingers—his legacy continues not only through personal memories but also in transformed lives worldwide.
This loss brought two profound realities into sharper focus for Frank. First, evil is undeniably real; it’s not a philosophical abstraction, but a cruel force that destroys lives. Yet, even in the face of evil, God can bring good. Frank notes the “ripple effect”: people from Sweden to across the United States have written him, sharing how Charlie’s faith and death led them to Christ. God truly works through tragedy, birthing hope and redemption out of darkness.
Second, eternity’s importance shines brighter than ever. If there’s no afterlife, if we’re mere accidents destined for nothingness, then our choices—whether for good or evil—are ultimately meaningless. But because God exists and Jesus rose from the dead, every moment and every soul matters. As Frank says, “If you have Jesus, you receive grace. If you don’t, you receive justice.” The gospel is not just important; it’s essential.
Standing for Truth in a Warped Culture
Our world refuses to acknowledge truth. “You can’t defeat reality,” Frank insists. No matter how much culture tries to redefine morality, biology, or even logic itself, reality remains undefeated. If we keep pushing back against God’s design, it’s not only ourselves who get hurt—it’s those around us, especially the most vulnerable.
Twenty years ago, the biggest questions young people asked had to do with whether Christianity was true: Are there good reasons to believe in God? Now, the battleground has shifted. The main objections Frank encounters on college campuses aren’t about facts or evidence, but morality: “Is Christianity good by my standards?” Most debates center around sexual ethics, identity, and the human desire to live unencumbered by any higher authority.
We’ve embraced a postmodern age, where everyone has “their own truth.” But as Frank humorously points out, “Reality doesn’t have pronouns. There’s not my gravity or your gravity; reality is what it is.” God’s moral law is woven into creation. We might disagree about specific issues, but no one truly lives as though right and wrong are purely subjective. History illustrates this tragic truth, as ideologies like fascism and totalitarianism have always sought to redefine who counts as “truly human”—with devastating consequences.
The Battle Within the Church: Discipleship vs. Comfortable Belief
This cultural confusion hasn’t just remained outside the church—it’s crept inside, too. Many churches aim to be “seeker-friendly,” watering down tough topics to appeal to more people. But, as Frank reminds us from Ephesians, the true purpose of the church is deeper: it’s not just to fill seats with attendees, but to make disciples—committed followers who deny themselves and follow Jesus no matter the cost.
Jesus himself was not afraid to thin the crowd, calling people to full commitment. Our culture often seeks easy faith, but true discipleship demands surrender. As Frank reflects, “You get into the kingdom by denying yourself and following Jesus at all costs.” This is a message the church must recover if it’s to withstand the relentless assault on truth.
Responding to Confusion: Practical Help for Families
Never has cultural confusion been more apparent than in the rapid rise of transgender ideology. Frank outlines the alarming statistics: a 4,000-6,000% increase in young girls identifying as boys in just a decade, mostly fueled by social media. He and his coauthor offer practical advice for parents: if your child comes to you declaring a new identity, don’t react with anger or panic. Instead, ask questions: “What does that mean to you? What happened that made you feel this way?” Frequently, trauma or online influences are at the root.
It’s also vital to speak truth in love: feelings can and do change, especially during puberty. Statistics show that the vast majority of kids who experience gender confusion will resolve those feelings by adulthood—if they’re given time and support, not surgery or hormones. The real solution lies not in altering the body, but in seeking healing of the mind and soul—caring through counseling, prayer, and Christ-centered community.
Dangerous Ideologies: The Rise of Socialism and Anti-Semitism
Our universities, once bastions of critical thought, now often serve as breeding grounds for radical ideologies. Socialism and communism—ideologies responsible for the deaths of millions in the last century—are gaining new followers. Frank asks pointedly, “If socialism is so great, why are people fleeing from Cuba and Venezuela to America—not the other way around?” He notes that, unlike Christianity, where the individual is eternal and the state serves people, socialist systems reverse this: the collective is everything, and the individual becomes disposable.
Anti-Semitism, thought to be vanquished after World
