Thursday, September 30, 2010

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: Leading Apologetics in Small Groups

Leading Apologetics in Small Groups
by Mark Tabladillo

In my contribution today, I aim to talk about making apologetics come to life in your local area through small group leadership.  Apologetics 315 reaches a worldwide audience, and though my story focuses on the southeastern United States, I will draw lessons for all my sisters and brothers around the world.  I start with my story, and move to the main apologetics question of this series.
[MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Table of Contents]

Ken Boa Teaches Through Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (36 MP3 Series)

Teacher, author, and apologist Ken Boa presents this series of lectures in which he teaches through the content of C.S. Lewis's classic Mere Christianity. Boa is an interesting and thorough teacher, and this series covers a lot of great material.

Check out the 36 MP3 Series on Mere Christianity here.

Enjoy.

See also the C.S. Lewis course by RTS on iTunesU here.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: Forming a Local Church Apologetics Society

Forming a Local Church Apologetics Society
by Adrian Urias

As an evangelical college student, I’ve seen a demand for an education in apologetics, not merely for me and my Christian comrades, but for the sake of the lost that we evangelize to as well. Unfortunately, this demand can often be underrated, pushed back at the end of the minister’s “to-do” list, and the prejudice of it being a “heady” thing while the church deals with “hearty” things can do some damage. Yet when the validity of this realization comes too late, someone may have already walked away from God and the church. But, we can take heart, since materials, lessons, and aid of all sorts is readily available, and most of them even for free, and meeting the demand can be done with minimal effort.

Responses to Stephen Hawking and The Grand Design

Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlondinow's recent book The Grand Design caused a lot of buzz in the media and blogosphere prior to its release. For this reader, the new best-seller was a letdown. It was short, anticlimactic, and seemed lacking much new information or actual argument. However, the responses to Hawking and Mlodinow have been interesting to follow and helpful to read, as they elucidate some of the key issues and implications of Hawking's ides.

Audio Responses
• William Lane Craig's Questions for Stephen Hawking (MP3)
• William Lane Craig responds to Hawking's book (MP3)
• William Lane Craig discusses Stephen Hawking's book on Stand to Reason (MP3)
• Alister McGrath & Roger Penrose respond on Unbelievable? (MP3)
• Philosopher Jay Richards responds (MP3)

Written Responses
• Alister McGrath on Stephen Hawking, God and the role of science (article)
• Professor John Lennox responds to Hawking (article)
• Frank Tipler Responds (article)
• JP Moreland on How Scientism Makes Scientists Laughable (blog post)
• Physicist Frank Tipler weighs in on Stephen Hawking’s theory (blog post)
• Philosopher Peter S. Williams on Hawking, God and Philosophy (blog post)
• The Grand Design (Book Review) - Thinking Christian (blog post)
• Albert Mohler on Stephen Hawking (article)
• William Lane Craig Q&A here.
• David Robertson responds (article)
• More responses can be found here.

Video Responses
• Professor John Lennox responds to Stephen Hawking (video)
• David Robertson responds (video)

Have you found other responses you would like to add to the list? Leave a comment below for consideration.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: What I Learned While Teaching Apologetics in Church

What I Learned While Teaching Apologetics in Church
by Daniel A. Ashworth

I am very fond of Christian apologetics because it plays such a major role in my personal testimony.  Since apologetic arguments and evidences were helpful in leading me to Christ, I immediately began to devour as much of it as possible.  I also began to see a need for apologetic teaching in church, to help fellow believers to be secure in their faith with Christ and to equip them to have answers for their evangelism.  I have taught apologetics at two very different churches and through it all, believe I have learned much through my experiences.  I want to chronicle my journey and my education, in the hopes that others can learn from my experiences. 

Monday, September 27, 2010

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: Accessible Apologetics Training in the Church

Accessible Apologetics Training in the Church
by Mikel Del Rosario

“How do I get apologetics training into my church?” If you’re reading this, you’re at least interested in considering your role in making this happen. Let me commend you. Christians who ask this question understand the importance of knowing what we believe and why we believe it. Maybe you’re someone who’s devoured incredible apologetics books like William Lane Craig’s Reasonable Faith and J.P. Moreland’s Love your God with All Your Mind. You’re dying to share everything you learned. But how? You can’t just hand people a stack of books and say, “Here. Read these!” Let’s face it, most Christians don’t know what the word “apologetics” even means. Making apologetics accessible to people who are totally new to this whole thing can seem tough. Where do you begin?
[MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Table of Contents]

Apologist Interview: Mikel Del Rosario

Today's interview is with Mikel Del Rosario. He's an apologist, speaker, and trainer based in California. He talks about his background and how he got into defending the faith, the goal of making apologetics accessible, the issue of tolerance, the need for apologetics in the local church, his experience and advice in starting apologetics initiatives, and his work as a trainer. Check out his website here, speaking page here.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (36 min)

Enjoy.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Mortimer J. Adler on Faith and Reason

"I suspect that most of the individuals who have religious faith are content with blind faith. They feel no obligation to understand what they believe. They may even wish not to have their beliefs disturbed by thought. But if God in whom they believe created them with intellectual and rational powers, that imposes upon them the duty to try to understand the creed of their religion. Not to do so is to verge on superstition."

- Mortimer J. Adler

Mortimer J. Adler, "A Philosopher’s Religious Faith," in Kelly James-Clark (ed.), Philosophers Who Believe: The Spiritual Journeys of Eleven Leading Thinkers (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1993), p. 207.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Francis Schaeffer Lecture on Apologetics MP3

In this audio, Francis Schaeffer presents a lecture on apologetics, presuppositions, communication in culture, and the line of despair. Although somewhat of a fragment (it's only part of a group of lectures), it's a nice audio for getting a feel for Schaeffer's style, ideas, and approach. Original at SermonIndex. More by Schaeffer here.

Full MP3 Audio here (1hr)

Enjoy.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (09/17 - 09/24)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

Or just add this feed to your RSS reader 

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: Getting Apologetics in the Local Church

Getting Apologetics in the Local Church
by Ron Pantalena

This essay briefly covers three main areas: How our apologetics ministry came about, some of things we have done, and some suggestions for starting an apologetics ministry in your church.

I have been blessed to be leading the apologetics ministry in our church since its inception in 2001. I was taking courses from Southern Evangelical Seminary and realized that the things I was learning needed an outlet in the church. I approached the person who oversaw the ministries at our church with the idea of starting an apologetics ministry. He gave me the names of others who may be interested and we all met to discuss the idea and what our ministry would be about.
[MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Table of Contents]

13 Good Reasons for Studying Logic by Ken Samples

Philosopher and theologian Kenneth Samples hosts the Straight Thinking Podcast over at Reasons.org. (It's one of our Top16 apologetics podcasts.) He is in the middle of a series of five episodes on the topic: Thirteen Good Reasons for Studying Logic, based on content from Peter Kreeft's Socratic Logic book. Good stuff:

Thirteen Good Reasons for Studying Logic
Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5

Subscribe to the podcast here: RSS feed | iTunes | website

Enjoy.

More logic resources here!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: How We Got Apologetics in Our Church

How We Got Apologetics in Our Church by Marcus McElhaney

The key to getting apologetics in a church is to capture the imagination of the congregation and to make it fun. Apologetics is tied inextricably to evangelism. If you can remind your congregation that Jesus commands us to evangelize the world, you can explain that we can use apologetics as a tool to doing just that. We can encourage people to talk to those of other faiths and worldviews but in order to do that you have to be able to articulate what you believe and why you believe it.
 [MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Table of Contents]

The Best Pro-Life Resources Online

If you are looking for the best place to find pro-life resources, start with Scott Klusendorf's Life Training Institute. With audio for defending the unborn, pro-life articles (check out "The Five-Minute Pro-Lifer"), podcasts, video, and more.

Looking for books to educate you on the pro-life position? On a recent Stand to Reason program, Scott Klusendorf recommended his top five suggested books:

1. The Unaborted Socrates (Peter Kreeft)
2. Precious Unborn Human Persons (Greg Koukl)
3. The Case for Life (Scott Klusendorf)
4. Defending Life (Francis Beckwith)
5. Natural Rights and the Right to Choose (Hadley Arkes)

For other pro-life resources on Apologetics315, click here.

Get equipped.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: Starting a Church Apologetics Ministry

Starting a Church Apologetics Ministry by Daniel Hannon

I am sure that there are many ways to get an apologetics ministry started in your church.  There are probably as many ways as there are different personalities and areas of interest in apologetics.  And at the risk of sounding like a relativist, I won’t say if there is a right or a wrong way to go about it, but I would like to relate to you how it happened for me and my local congregation.
[MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Table of Contents]

Fleabytes: Video Podcast by David Robertson

Fleabytes is a video blog by David Robertson, pastor and apologist who authored The Dawkins Letters and who has also been a regular guest on the Unbelievable? Radio program. In this video blog, Robertson responds to questions raised by current issues and events and often address atheism and secularism. The video blog is produced by Solas Centre for Public Christianity in Scotland. Recent videos respond to Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawking.

Find the video blog here.

Enjoy.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: Beginning an Apologetics Class

Beginning an Apologetics Class by Derek Jarrard
I began an apologetics class at my church almost one year ago. Before the class began, I spent several months (about six) in preparation. These six months leading up to the class consisted of several areas. I hope to shed some light on the preparation process I went through in order to help others beginning a similar ordeal.
 [MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Table of Contents]

Monday, September 20, 2010

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: Apologetics Functions in the Community

Apologetics Functions in the Community by Carolyn Horne

The idea of having an apologetics function came during a church Dream Team meeting where we were discussing the best way to reach our local community with the love of God and the truth of the Gospel. Many good suggestions were brought forward that involved getting out to community events, baseball games, and into parks nearby. However I had something stirring inside of me that would not go away. What about reaching those who frequent libraries and those in higher education institutions?  I sort of envisioned having a seminar at a library and having a much simpler William Lane Craig style debate. Our pastor, James Laymon, was open to such an idea.
 [MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Table of Contents]

Apologist Interview: Ellis Potter

Today's interview is with Ellis Potter, pastor of the Basel International English speaking church of Lausanne, Switzerland. He talks about his journey from Zen Buddhism to Christianity through his encounters with Francis Schaeffer and L'Abri, Schaeffer's presuppositional approach, apologetics as a function of love (1 Cor 13), apologetics/kategorics, "taking the roof off," a long-term mentality toward evangelism, "subjective" truth, and more.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here. (35 min)

Ellis Potter homepage and lectures.
Check out his apologetics considerations.

Enjoy.

You may also be interested in the lecture: The Real Problem with Buddhism by Ellis Potter.

For more interviews, subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews podcast here or in iTunes.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Sunday Quote: William Lane Craig on Evangelism

"Successful evangelism involves not only harvesting, but sowing and watering, too. We must never think that because a nonbeliever remained unconvinced by our case that our apologetic has failed. For one encounter is not the end of the story."

- William Lane Craig

Five Views on Apologetics (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000), p. 288.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Book Review: Five Views on Apologetics

Five Views on ApologeticsFive Views on Apologetics edited by Steven B. Cowan is one of Zondervan’s Counterpoint series of books. This book is designed to compare and contrast the views of the various contributors, allowing each one of the authors to present their view, critique other views, and respond to the critiques. This volume edited by Cowan brings together five views on apologetic methodology. The purpose of this review is to briefly outline the contents for the potential reader while assessing the usefulness of the book as a resource for the Christian apologist.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (09/10 - 09/17)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.

Or just add this feed to your RSS reader 

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: Cultivating a Local Church Apologetics Ministry

Cultivating a Local Church Apologetics Ministry by Chad Gross

So It Begins. The teachings of Jesus Christ were what initially caused me to start asking questions about who He really was.  Not only did I find His teaching to be practical, but I also recognized that His teachings seemed to correspond with the reality I found myself in; however, I also had to acknowledge that this only mattered if His teachings were true.
So, as encouraged by a Pastor, I began an investigation into who Jesus claimed to be and whether or not I had any good reasons to believe Him.  Admittedly, I was impressed with the wealth of evidence I discovered that supported the reliability of the New Testament documents, the historicity of Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the dead, and the existence of a theistic God. [MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Table of Contents]

Interview with Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow on their book: Is God Just a Human Invention?

This is an audio interview with Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow about their new book: Is God Just a Human Invention? - and it's well worth the read. It tackles 18 objections raised by the new atheists while making a positive case for Christianity. In addition, McDowell and Morrow bring in contributions from scholars and apologists such as Greg Koukl, John Warwick Montgomery, Gary Habermas, William Dembski, Doug Geivett, Paul Copan, Frank Turek, Darrell Bock, Doug Groothuis, and more.

This interview with Sean and Jonathan explores some of the themes of their book and their goal behind writing it. Get the book here.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here. (18min)

Check out the book's website at www.didhumansinventgod.com.
Leave a comment to enter a draw for a free copy! 
Winner will be chosen at random from those who leave a comment before Sunday, Sept 19th @ 12.00am GMT.

Enjoy.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: Take the Scenic Route

Take the Scenic Route by Peter Grice

How do I get apologetics in my church? The short answer is... take the scenic route.

Let’s face it.  Apologetics is out of favour with the church today in many quarters.  The situation is no different here in Australia.  But churches are nonetheless participating in apologetics without intending to, tacitly responding to reasonable concerns with a subtle message that they do not matter.  In this dismissive climate, any attempt to allay sceptical questions is undermined and rendered feeble.  The whole enterprise is arguably doing harm to the cause of the gospel. [MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Table of Contents]

5 Book Recommendations for Better Speaking, Listening, and Communication

Last year's post on Resources for Better Public Speaking deserves to be highlighted once again, but this time with some book recommendations for better communication. The titles listed below are obviously just a few of the many out there (go ahead and recommend your favorites in the comments) - but these represent a number of elements that, together, may help to round out your overall communication skills.

How to Argue Like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from History's Greatest CommunicatorHow to Argue Like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from History's Greatest Communicator (Joe Carter & John Coleman) is a great introduction to the rhetorical elements of logos, pathos, and ethos. This book examines how Jesus communicated and what made him persuasive.

101 Secrets of Highly Effective Speakers, 3rd Edition: Controlling Fear, Commanding Attention101 Secrets of Highly Effective Speakers, 3rd Edition: Controlling Fear, Commanding Attention (Caryl R Krannich) is just a great book on public speaking. Very practical, easy to read, and immediately applicable. This is one you can keep coming back to in order to sharpen your speaking skills.

In the Line of Fire: How to Handle Tough Questions...When It CountsIn the Line of Fire: How to Handle Tough Questions...When It Counts (Jerry Weissman). Now this book is interesting, as it is a fascinating manual for dealing with tough questions as a public speaker. With a lot of illustrations from political debates, PR debacles, and hot-seat sort of situations, this is useful for navigating tough encounters.

How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or LessHow to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less (Milo O. Frank) is an annoying little book that you can't ignore. It's goal: to equip you to make your point simply and concisely in a short period of time. Why is it annoying? Listen to the audiobook version to find out. But the content is extremely useful for being a concise and clear communicator. It is also helpful for script-writers or anyone involved in media.

How to Speak How to ListenHow to Speak How to Listen (Mortimer J. Adler ) is an oldy but goody. While a bit slow in parts, the content is a gold mine in certain places and worth reading. For those familiar with Adler's How to Read a Book, this is in the same sort of vein. With this book you will get a good strong foundation on communication principles that will be put to good use with the other tools mentioned above.

What books or resources have you found most helpful for sharpening your speaking, listening, and communication skills?

Be sure to check out last year's post for more resources for better public speaking.

Blog Archive

Amz