What’s in the box:
You get a DVD album which contains two DVDs and one data CD. Each DVD contains three 30-minute sessions. The data CD contains a PDF with table of contents, a 109-page student manual, student instructions, a 109-page teacher manual, and teacher instructions.
What’s on the DVDs:
The DVDs contain teaching sessions delivered by Greg Koukl in a church setting. In essence, you will be hearing Greg teaching on the main content of his Tactics for Defending the Faith (see also the book here
). The title menu has links to each of the 3 sessions contained on each DVD. As Greg teaches, PowerPoint slides are shown onscreen as you watch. At key moments Greg will instruct the group to do various exercises or group activities outlined in the study guide, which the student will use as they watch. Here are the titles of each of the sessions:- Session 1: Learning the “Columbo” Tactic
- Session 2: Refining the “Columbo” Tactic
- Session 3: Perfecting the “Columbo” Tactic
- Session 4: The “Suicide” Tactic
- Session 5: The “Taking the Roof Off ” Tactic
- Session 6: The “Steamroller” Tactic
The DVDs are provided in a standard quality album. The actual discs have been labeled with full-face color-printed labels. The six PowerPoint slides (1 for each session) are simple and attractive. (They are only needed if you don’t use the DVDs to do the teaching.) The really impressive part is the 109-page PDF study guides, suitable for printing and putting in a binder. This is very well produced, thorough, and will actually add a lot to the teaching. Excellent material.
The quality of the actual content:
For those familiar with Greg Koukl’s Tactics in the Defending the Faith, this is his excellent, tried and true content. There is nothing new here as far as the Tactics content goes – but it is presented in a way specifically designed for small groups to interact and master the material. The way STR put it together seems to accomplish that purpose very well.
Who will find this useful:
This is a great resource for those who run small groups, home groups, apologetics study groups, or Sunday school classes. The materials provided allow the DVDs to do the teaching part, while the group leader can facilitate the discussion. For a practical, accessible DVD resource that teaches Christians how to be good ambassadors this is a great choice.
Where to get it:
Get it from Stand to Reason here. Apologetics 315 readers can receive a 20% discount by entering the discount code 315TACTICS during checkout. This is a one-week offer. Enjoy!
25 comments :
Thanks for the review, Brian! I've read the Tactics book, which is extremely helpful, and I've considered getting the DVD for my apologetics small group. From what you're saying, it might be just what my group needs.
That's exactly what I think it is best geared for - and it does it well. Let me know how it goes!
Brian, thanks for all the information. this is fantastic. I wonder why they don't publicize these on amazon or elsewhere. I've added this book to my wish list but i didn't know there were DVDs as well. I hate that the book is not in audio book format. I'm trying to learn so much so quickly i just can't read it all. If there was an audio book i could read along with, that would make my reading experience more enjoyable. Here is my issue. I went to Stand to Reason, i saw 5 Audio CDs but i did not see the DVD anywhere. Plus i need to act fast to get the discount. :-)
Maurice,
The DVD is linked in the post - clicking the link should take you right there to the DVD.
Best tactic? Love.
Is that not what Christ wanted us to do? Does love need to be defended?
You can all the knowledge in the world but if you have no love you have nothing and like atheist you will spend your whole life defending "nothing".
Are you not defending love in your own statement?! What did Jesus mean by "love"? How did he define it?
I am simply stating that at the core of Jesus teaching was love as Paul so eloquently describe in 1st Corinthians and my observation that you may not realize the consequence of omitting it.
And as far as Jesus defined love, it was at the core of his being for his life was a testament to it.
How did Jesus define love? Your too vague. 1st Corinthians says many things. Again your too vague. Lets be specific.
Great review Brian. I used the book in the course that I am teaching this semester. Though an Introduction to Worldviews course, Tactics will help them engage people of other worldviews and be confident in the conversation in the battle of ideas.
I type these from my phone so pardon the short responses. But I will eloquently state as Jesus did and say to to see and treat all as christ.
Again, what do you mean? Christ treated people in a variety of ways depending on the situation. "to see and treat all as christ" is still far to vague and unspecific with no practical application.
If I were to give you the number of notes for Beethoven's moonlight sonata would it be of much use in explaining it's purpose?
It would yield the same fruits as to know the specs for love.
But Davitor, you are always trying to define love. Sometimes you say "don't judge" and sometimes you quote Jesus. But when we actually ask you to be specific suddenly love has no meaning.
Do you love your son? How do you act towards him to show your love? Answer those questions and then tell me that love has no purpose or meaning.
Love has no meaning? I don't think your following what I'm saying so I will explain again. Love is the only purpose for life. Without it we would not exist. My being must abide in love for all as myself if I don't I am lost with a concept of myself as a separate entity hence hell exist. When I love you as much as myself then I see no separation between God, you and myself. Hence heaven exist within me.
Davitor, the most loving thing to do is to work actively to make our selves better ambassadors for Christ becoming all things for all people seasoning our words with salt in order to know how to answer anyone. I feel your view of love is to simplistic. If your basing your definition of love on the way Jesus acted than you should know that he didn't think love was being nice and doing good things for people without confronting the sin in their lives or stressing the importance of repentance. Read Matthew 23 for example. If we "love" people without trying to do everything we can to share the gospel with them than that is shallow surface level love. We shouldn't use love as a scape goat for going deeper and pressing ourselves past our comfort zone. If Jesus "loved" us without coming to earth, confronting us, and telling us the truth, none of us could be saved. We should follow his example.
Sorry gnol, I did not realize that to believed God dwells within you is shallow may you find peace in you're need for an exclusive God that hands out rewards.
Right lets try and unwrap your statement:
"Love is the only purpose for life. Without it we would not exist. My being must abide in love for all as myself if I don't I am lost with a concept of myself as a separate entity hence hell exist. When I love you as much as myself then I see no separation between God, you and myself. Hence heaven exist within me."
Couple of thing here. Firstly, your concept of Love has no practical application. When I asked you to define love in clear terms, you couldn't. That's why your concept of love is meaningless.
Love for you is about being "one" with others and God. It is a vague, subjective feeling that supposedly draws you closer to "heaven"(whatever that is) and away from "hell"(whatever that is).
The Biblical concept of Love, which you continue to misinterpret to suite your purposes, is very much linked to truth and what is Good. Without truth and Goodness, love is a meaningless concept which allows evil to run riot. Rape, Murder, disease, child molestation; these are evil actions that your concept of "love" has nothing to say about.
Finally, your concept of love is self-defeating. It destroys itself because as it seeks so called unity and "love of others" it stands by and lets evil destroy unity. It cares nothing about injustice, which is a breeding ground for hate and disunity.
Tell me this Davitor. If my Wife was being raped in front of me, should I judge the man's action as evil and stop him? Or should I "abide in love"?
Yes, of course you may stop the man's action of rape but what you must ask yourself is why does God need your help to stop him?
Why didn't Jesus stop Judas from betraying him? Was not his act of betraying the messiah even more evil?
Of course Peter would stop that man who's raping your wife and so would I. What you should be asking is how can I offer the other cheek to any man who's raping as we speak?
God allows us to make evil choices.
Back on topic....
Rape is always evil whether is someone you know or not. If your world-view says we should ignore rape if its happening to someone we don't know then your world-view has big problems. Any rational person can see these problems.
Really, you should stop abusing Jesus' words to suite your opinion. "offer the other cheek" has got nothing to do with allowing rape and other forms of injustice to take place.
In fact, why do you quote the Bible? You don't believe its God's Word. Do you think that we will be affected by your poor interpretations?
I will answer your questions because I notice you don't answer mine. I quote the bible because it's a library of 1500 years of ancient man attempting to understand God.
I don't need for you to accept my interpretation of the God's word, or the truth in any way. Please continue in your thinking of my wrong interpretations. But please if you can answer this one question? In the book of Numbers chapter 31 do you accept that this is what God wanted Moses to do and that this was God's will?
Davitor, if a book can be interpreted in any way a reader feels, it is meaningless. Why can't I just interpret your words anyway I want? Because meaning comes from the author's intent. That's how we can talk to each other. Otherwise, I am going to interpret all your words as follows: pds is correct, Davitor is wrong, pds is correct, Davitor is wrong etc etc etc... Am I wrong in doing so?
By interpreting God's word as you wish, you are not reading God's word or the opinions of the writers. You are simply expressing your opinion.
I am not going to get drawn into a debate about Numbers 31. Its a red herring.
The real issue is about the concept of love. So lets get back on topic. You haven't answered or even attempted to answer my statement:
"If my Wife was being raped in front of me, should I judge the man's action as evil and stop him? Or should I "abide in love"?"
to which you replied with question:
"What you should be asking is how can I offer the other cheek to any man who's raping as we speak?"
to which I replied:
"Rape is always evil whether is someone you know or not. If your world-view says we should ignore rape if its happening to someone we don't know then your world-view has big problems. Any rational person can see these problems."
Your world-view is powerless to act against rape. One of the greatest evils on earth, an act that shatters Unity, and destroys Love. Your world-view ends in disunity and hate.
I did indicate that I would stop the man raping you wife and that I would judge his action s as wrong but what I am trying to point out is that you want God to agree with this action just as Moses wanted God to agree with his action against the Midianites. Again pardon my short replies by phone. May you find peace in judging.
Huh? So you do believe rape is evil? I thought your world-view doesn't allow for the concept of Good and Evil? I do find peace in seeking justice as I can, but my greatest peace is found in the knowledge of God's final judgement, where all actions, good and evil will be accounted for.
You seem to find the judgement against the Midianites wrong. Why?
I will say it again... just because I think its wrong or evil for the any woman to be raped or people to killed does not mean God thinks its wrong or evil. Let me ask you if God does not have a final judgement is that wrong? Why?
looking for the group study dvd...page does not exist?
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