However how about killing two birds with one stone: turn this evangelist training course into mini-evangelistic events. Open the event up to not just cater for the Christian. Promote it as something Christians could even bring unbelievers to.

1. For the Christian – To train up and equip your church about the defeater beliefs, objections to Christianity, and tough questions that they face in the conversations they are having with their friends.
2. For the Unbeliever – They would not only cater for the Christian but the unbelieving friend also. They would be nights where you could easily invite your friends to, and allow them to hear more about the Christian worldview.

Get a speaker to speak on their hobby horse topic, have a panel of speakers, or even open it up for questions time also.
Topics could include:

» Resurrection proof
» Hasn’t science disproved Christianity
» Reliability of the bible
» Objective Morality
» Ultimate truth/Exclusivity of Christianity
» Where is God during the GFC
» God hates religion – cause of all wars
» Christian disunity
» Role of sex in relationships
» Christianity is a group of homophobes
» Place of suffering in humanity
» Origin of creativity and beauty
» Purpose of work/career
» Toxic Culture
» Money

Canberra man Robert Brown was fishing off the Tathra wharf two years ago when he saw a pram carrying a 15-month-old boy, and four-year-old boy fall into the sea… “Robert acted selflessly and at severe peril of his own life to do his best to help a complete stranger,” link

Why? Why would Robert a complete stranger risk his life to help a father and his two kids from drowning?

Scott Kauffmann in his blog essay “The Problem with Good” highlights 3 possible answers to questions like the above:

Logically, there are three possible answers to the problem of good.

1. “Comic grace”: we’re good enough to save ourselves
2. “Cosmic waste”: goodness outside salvation is an illusion
3. “Common grace”: goodness outside salvation is God’s gift to everyone

… I believe the best answer to the problem of good is common grace. Common grace is one of the most essential, useful, redemptive, and dangerous truths to understand as we interact with the world around us. It helps us understand God, our world, and others.

… Let’s start with some key elements of common grace.

1. God gives immense grace (unmerited favor) to all His creatures, in many ways.
2. God cares about more than just saving individual souls. That is certainly of great interest to Him, but it’s not His only interest. He also cares about restoring His creation to glory through the coming of His kingdom.
3. God is the author of truth, beauty, and goodness wherever – and in whomever – they are found. And they can be found nearly everywhere – in virtually every person, place, situation, or idea that ever existed.
4. Wherever they are found, they can and should be used to point others and ourselves to their source in Jesus.

Read the rest of the article here

Pat Condell doesn’t respect your beliefs and doesn’t care if you get offended. He has writting a book “Godless Comedy”, which is his serious thoughts on religion and giving it the kicking it apparently deserves. You can watch many of his video-posts on youtube that detail why Christians and other ‘religions’ have it so wrong.

Check out his website here

What would it take you to believe that Robert Pattison and I once dated?

What would I need to do to prove it to you?

• A photograph?
• A testimony of my friend?
• Robert Pattison himself standing before you saying “YEP – we dated”

And What would it take you to believe that Jesus is Alive.

It is almost as just as outrageous claim.
Robert and me once an item.
Jesus is Alive.
What is more believable?

Heaps of people think the death and resurrection of Jesus is a joke, that it’s just some fairytale. But its not! It is history and there is proof. He appeared to many and the accounts have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Do you doubt? Most of us do… even a guy named Thomas wanted proof before believing and it was only a week after the resurrection. Read his story in John’s Gospel (chapter 20).

Check out other resources.

• The Trouble with Christianity | Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York
• Questions & Answers | Christianity.net
• Library | Centre for Public Christianity

“Reason to Believe” – view on Creation

We believe that the physical universe, the realm of nature, is the visible creation of God. It declares God’s existence and gives a trustworthy revelation of God’s character and purpose. In Scripture, God declares that through His creation all humanity recognizes His existence, power, glory, and wisdom. An honest study of nature — its physical, biological, and social aspects — can prove useful in a person’s search for truth. Properly understood, God’s Word (Scripture) and God’s world (nature), as two revelations (one verbal, one physical) from the same God, will never contradict each other.

———-

Perhaps science isn’t a massive concern for you personally but you know that science apologetics is important and wish some of the literature out there is aim more at  you-an average person (by “average” I mean nonexpert in apologetics, and especially in science). Why not check out Reason to Believe‘s  Average Joe Blog

Reincarnation operates on the notion of karma:  we get what we deserve.

The gospel of Jesus Christ operates on the notion of grace:  we get what we don’t deserve.

The first sounds a great deal more exhausting than the latter. And if we take a hard long look at ourselves we all deserve to come back as a cockroach. I’m thankful that justice was nailed to the tree but so mercy can overflow to us.

By Voddie Baucham

Associate Producer with ninemsn has written an article with the above title. He writes of his own experience waiting until married to engage in sexual activity.

It is very subjective defence for  sexual purity: “Virginity by choice only works if it is a choice you have made and have chosen to stick to. I made the choice because of my Christian faith. It’s a decision that I don’t expect many people to make, but it’s one I’m proud of.”

It’s an interesting twist to promote virginity as more difficult challenge than to actually ‘get laid’. I wonder whether the reverse psychology will encourage anyone to view sex differently? I wonder if Nick’s choice made because of his Christian faith and now publicesed choice will impact people to investigate why Christian faith does impact decisions and choices like this.

If you are wondering what the connection between God and sexuality is I ask you to WATCH THIS (it runs for 2mins 35secs)