1 Peter 3:15 (NIV) In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
Realities: 1. Truth: "The truth about truth is that it is true." "The Christian faith is not true because we believe it. We believe it because it's true." The demonstration of our worship involves truth. John 4:23–24 (NLT) 23 But the time is coming—indeed it's here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."
2. Myth: Love is all that matters. "Love may open the door but knowing the truth is what sets people free."
3. Mindsets and Ideas: 2 Corinthians 10:4 (NLT) We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
Post-Modernism:
Relativism: That all truth is relative. There is no absolute truth?
Moral Relativism: Everyone should act in accordance with the individual's society.
Atheism: the belief that there is no God.
Materialism: The only things that are real are material.
Is there reasonable evidence for God? #1. Cosmological Argument Cosmology: Study of the origin of the universe. What caused it? The universe had a beginning & it is expanding. If it's expanding, it had a beginning. "A Big Bang needs a big banger." Greg Koukl
The evolutionist cannot explain how or why:
We have an answer. The non-physical God created the physical world.
Axiom: Self evident truth. Parallel lines
Romans 1:20 (NIV) For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Genesis 1:1–3 (NIV) 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
Why do we believe in God? Because he is the best explanation for the way things are.
#2. Design/ Fine-Tuning argument Teleology-universe is fine-tuned to sustain life. It was created by a designer, with purpose in mind.
The fine tuning of the earth.
The design and positioning of the earth is in the exact position it needs to be from the sun to the sun to sustain life.
The physics of gravity.
Jupiter's orbit produces such gravitational pull that it keeps the earth from being demolished from metor's bigger than the earth.
The level of 21% of oxygen in our atmosphere is perfect.
The precision of that fact happened by accident is irrational and unreasonable.
Psalm 19:1–2 (NIV) 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
Fine tuning of the body:
DNA: In every cell contains DNA that, if unwound, would be 6' of information on how to assemble protein. Unravel all of it, and it would wrap around our solar system twice.
It takes a couple just a couple of minutes to create a child. Then the woman's body will provide all that child needs for the childs life in the womb and a couple of years later.
The human eye(40 mil nerve endings, 137 Mil light sensitive cells)
"What shall we say of the eye?… that it could have been formed by natural selection…I confess that no language at first seems too strong to condemn the absurdity of such a notion." Charles Darwin
If we are designed, we have purpose in mind.
Psalm 8:4–6(NIV) 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet.
"The God who is Spirit, immaterial, spoke his word and created material and breathed His Spirit into the crown of his creation, Human beings, those of whom were made in his likeness."
John 1:1–5 (NLT) 1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
James 1:18 (NLT) 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
