Are you prepared to face the challenges to the Faith from outside and inside the church? Among the many places throughout the Scriptures that believers are called to not only proclaim but also defend the Gospel, Titus 1:9 commands specifically those in church leadership to,
“[hold] fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict” (NASB).
We had a great day at Pleasant Garden Baptist Church this past Saturday preparing to do just that. It seemed everyone in attendance greatly benefited from the information given. The day was divided into two major parts. The morning was devoted to facing challenges from outside the church. Following an interactive atheist role-play, we spent the morning hitting the high points of a complete case for the truthfulness of Christianity. If you would like the slides from the morning portion please click the links below (and also please be sure to visit Dr. Howe’s website for even more great information):
Atheist role play – Adam Tucker
The Truth About Truth – Dr. Richard Howe
Existence of God – Adam Tucker
Reliability of the Bible – Jeff Lenhart
The afternoon was spent thinking about how we can know the nature of God and how an objective understanding of the Bible is possible. We examined how many in the evangelical world have adopted bad ways of thinking and started down some very dangerous paths regarding these issues. While some of these topics seem obscure and abstract, it became evident how these same topics can lead to a comprise of the very Gospel itself. For the slides from the afternoon session click the links below:
Challenges from inside the church – Adam Tucker
How Theology Needs Philosophy – Dr. Richard Howe
What does this verse mean to you – Jeff Lenhart
The Concept of Truth in the Inerrancy Debate – Dr. Richard Howe
In addition, the audio of the event is available HERE.
C.S. Lewis says in The Weight of Glory,
“To be ignorant and simple now – not to be able to meet enemies on their own ground – would be to throw down our weapons, and betray our uneducated brethren who have, under God, no defense but us against the intellectual attacks of the heathen. Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.”
I challenge you to make it a priority to equip yourself and those within your sphere of influence to know why you believe what you believe, to love God with all your mind, and move beyond an emotionally-driven Christian walk to a faith that is substantive. As Ravi Zacharias says,
“Faith in the biblical sense is substantive, based on the knowledge that the One in whom that faith is placed has proven that He is worthy of that trust. In its essence, faith is a confidence in the person of Jesus Christ and in His power, so that even when His power does not serve my end, my confidence in Him remains because of who He is.”
Please remember that SES is here to serve as a resource for you in many different ways. From the mobile app to the Lay Institute to our academic programs to our T.E.A.M. equipping ministry SES has something for everyone. In addition, you can receive a FREE apologetics talk by SES co-founder Dr. Norman Geisler by subscribing to our SES email list.
One more thing, it would help us tremendously, for those who attended this event, if you could offer some brief feedback (positive or negative) on your experience. Thank you!
Help us serve others better by providing feedback on our event!
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