The problem: If God is good and all-powerful, why would he allow evil and suffering, and send people to hell? Here are 3 things to consider. 1. Unconditional love is impossible if suffering and evil are impossible. God, like a good father, allows us to learn from our mistakes, rather than dysfunctionally protecting us from them by a) preventing us from making them, or b) … [Read more...]
A Different Argument from Morality
The Moral Argument I don’t like the traditional version of this argument that argues from the moral law to a moral law-giver: Traditional Argument from Morality Premise 1: There is an objective moral law. Premise 2: Every law implies a law-giver. Conclusion: Therefore, there is a moral law-giver. The most important problem with this argument is, if God is not just making … [Read more...]
Community Apologetics: Starting with your family
Before you venture out on your voyage to becoming a community apologist, it’s time for a status check. Fellow CAA blogger, Austin Gravley, points out that becoming a community apologist ripples out from your relationship with Jesus. The next peak in the ripple: If you have a family, they are the first community for which you are responsible. Before you swim off to prevent … [Read more...]
Poll: What grounds objective moral truth?
Choose one option from this poll: What grounds objective moral truth (think “human rights”)? The good is a construct of God, man or nature. God wills the good in accordance with his loving nature. Nothing, there are only constructs which do not obligate. Or, in other words: The good is a construct of God, man or nature—the good is created (made up). God wills the … [Read more...]
A Christmas Carol versus the gospel
The first three parts of the Christmas sermon series, “He Came to Us: Four Gospels - Four Perspectives,” preached by Redeemer’s lead elder, Jim Applegate, are subtitled, “Matthew: In our brokenness,” “Mark: To all of us,” and “Luke: Knowing we are skeptics". This fourth and final part is subtitled, “John: For all eternity” and evaluates A Christmas Carol, complete with … [Read more...]
Luke's orderly birth narrative for the healthy skeptic
Below is my summary of the sermon, He Came to Us: Knowing we are skeptics, preached by Jim Applegate out of Luke 1. It is the third part in a four part series of the significance of Christmas in each Gospel, with the theme of "He Came to Us" throughout the series. Part 1 (Matthew) | Part 2 (Mark) | Part 4 (John) Luke 1: 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a … [Read more...]
The true meaning of Christmas
Christmas, whatever its true date, is when God became one of us, so that when the time came, he could demonstrate, by dying for us, that he loves us despite our works, whether they are good or sin. He came to demonstrate that his unconditional love motivates choosing good works over sin, rather than the other way around: good works motivating unconditional love (which would be … [Read more...]
Mark is the Gospel for outsiders
Carson Weitnauer lists Six Easy Ways to Add Apologetics to Your Sermons, fleshed out on his blog, Reasons for God: 1. Explain the historical context of the passage. 2. Compare and contrast Christianity with other worldviews and religions. 3. Ask questions. 4. Talk about clues. 5. Discuss the explanatory power of the Christian worldview. 6. Share a story about your doubt and … [Read more...]
Jesus’ birth shows “God helps those who help themselves” is a lie.
My church, Redeemer Modesto, is doing a four-part Christmas series on Jesus’ birth, focusing on one Gospel each week, with the theme of “He Came to Us” throughout each sermon: 12/2: He Came to Us: In our brokenness. Matthew. 12/9: He Came to Us: To all of us. Mark. 12/16: He Came to Us: Knowing we are skeptics. Luke. 12/23: He Came to Us: For all eternity. John. I’m going to … [Read more...]
It is okay and good to question our beliefs.
In "The Reason for God" Tim Keller points out “A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it.” He sees that all doubts emerge from a starting point of alternate belief and encourages skeptics to “doubt their doubts” with as much force as they require justification for Christian belief. Everyone (whether they consider themselves secular or … [Read more...]