Think Again Apologetics

As Christians, our greatest responsibility is to share Jesus. When you ask people what it really means to share Jesus, they often say it is about “sharing your story.” For some, their story is about finding God’s forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life through repentance and putting their complete trust in Jesus Christ- rather than their own good works- to save them. But for many believers, their testimony is primarily about their life “before and after Jesus.” In other words, their story focuses on “life improvement” or finding a “more fulfilling life” here and now. Even though this approach to evangelism has become very popular, it has some weaknesses and shortcomings that we need to consider.

For one thing, if our story is mostly about life improvement, people often can and do experience a more fulfilling life for any number of reasons. This is why many of them will tell you that their “life has changed” through: Buddhism, Eastern meditation, a motivational speaker, self-help books, a life coach, a brilliant atheist author or blogger, etc. So, if Christians are simply offering life improvement like everyone else, does the person you are talking to have any reason to become a Christian? Not really. It simply becomes a matter of personal preference. Just pick one- any of them will do.

Secondly, if sharing Jesus is all about telling someone that their life will be “better” as a Christian, what happens if their life gets even worse? In fact, this type of message is precisely what has led to so many false “converts” to Christianity. And this is why you will often hear people say, “Yeah, I already tried that (asking Jesus into my life) and it didn’t work.” Furthermore, what does this message (a “better life”) say about our brothers and sisters in Christ living in China and in Muslim countries, where their loved ones are being executed for the Gospel?

Thirdly, when our story is primarily about finding a more fulfilling life in Christ, we take comfort in the fact that no one can argue with that story because, after all, it’s our story- it’s very personal. But think about that. The reason no one tries to dispute it or argue with it is because there is no need to do so. For example, suppose that I am telling someone about my favorite ice cream flavor. They don’t really have any reason to argue with that because it’s just a personal preference claim. So, if our story is about finding a more fulfilling life, and since there are many options people can choose from to experience life improvement, people will see our story as nothing more than a personal preference claim, so there’s no need for them to challenge it. But by contrast, when we share the Gospel, you can see why people are much more likely to challenge us because we are now making a TRUTH claim. We are saying to the world that it really is true that God exists, He is holy, we are all guilty, and Jesus is the only way that we can experience God’s forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.

In addition to presenting Christianity as a personal preference claim, all too often we present Jesus as if He is simply one of life’s options for people to look into, if they’re interested. We offer Jesus like we’re recommending a movie that we enjoyed or a product or service that “worked” for us; “Give Jesus a try for 30 days and if He doesn’t work for you, you can always return Him.” When we take that approach to evangelism, we treat Jesus like He’s an option. But Jesus is NOT an option, He is a requirement; “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 NASB

Something else we need to consider is that in today’s world dominated by skeptics and atheists, sharing our personal story is not nearly enough. If you are talking to someone who is genuinely convinced that God is “make-believe,” then everything you say is going to be filtered through their skeptical worldview. No matter how sincere your testimony, it can often come across to the skeptic as if you had said, “My life was a mess. But then I found an imaginary friend, and he has changed my life.” Even if your story is one that is very dramatic, even miraculous, you may still run into this same problem when sharing your story with a skeptic. To illustrate, I recently had a young man share his powerful testimony with me. It involved drug-running, a police pursuit, a horrible car accident, nearly losing his life, God sparing his life, and him eventually coming to Christ as a result. If ever there was a dramatic story that should convince an unbeliever, this is it! Out of curiosity, I asked him, “So, what do people say when you tell them your story?” He replied, “Well, when I tell it at church, everyone says, ‘Wow! That is a miracle! That is a God-thing, for sure!’” I then said to him, “No. What I mean is, when you tell your story to your atheist friends, what do they say?” He smiled, shrugged and said, “Yeah, they just laugh and say, ‘Whatever, man. That was just a coincidence.’” Like I said, in today’s skeptical world, sharing your story is not nearly enough. This is precisely why it is so important for all Christians to receive some training in apologetics.

One final thought. Every once in a while, I run into someone who would say that sharing Jesus is all about changing the world through acts of kindness and community service. There is no question that such things are important. However, when such actions become divorced from the Gospel, there is no difference between that and the atheist who is also doing acts of kindness and community service. Furthermore, performing an act of kindness for someone might make this world a better place for them, but that alone cannot and does not tell that person how to get to Heaven.

To summarize, sharing Jesus may include some of the above. But ultimately, it is about sharing the Gospel. That is, sharing the “bad news” (why all of us NEED a Savior), as well as sharing the “good news” (why Jesus IS the only Savior). And given the climate of skepticism and atheism in our culture, sharing Jesus also means that we must be prepared to give answers (or at least provide a resource with answers) to questions and objections that we will encounter in the process of evangelism.

Consider the following comment: “If Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, I doubt that He sent you to do so.” Other variations of this include: “Who are YOU to judge? Jesus was all about love. Jesus never judged anyone.” Many people today are trying to present Jesus as a “peace & love hippie.” But even a cursory reading of Scripture says otherwise. Here are just a few examples:
Matt 5:27-28 Jesus condemns adultery.
Matt 15:19 Jesus condemns sexual immorality
Matt 5:29-30 Jesus warns them about hell.
Matt 7:11 Jesus refers to the average person as “evil.”
Mark 7:21-23 Jesus refers to all of the following as “evil”: adultery, fornication (this covers all categories of sexual immorality), murder, theft, pride (we hear THAT word a lot these days). Again, Jesus condemned all of these behaviors as “evil.”
Mark 10:18 Jesus said there is no such thing as a “good” person.
John 8 Although Jesus rescues the adulterous woman from being stoned to death, He lets her off with a warning; Jesus did not “affirm” her lifestyle.
John 3:36 (re: those who reject Him as Savior) Jesus warned that the wrath of God remains on them.
As I said, even a cursory reading of Scripture tells us that Jesus was no “Mister Rogers.” In the first 16 minutes of this podcast, Greg Koukl and Amy Hall of Stand to Reason provide additional reasons why the popular slogan “Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world” is terribly misguided and very misleading. Be sure to listen to the podcast and share it with others. You will find it at the link in the comments below.

"David Barton, founder of WallBuilders- an organization committed to sharing the truth about America’s Christian heritage- helps us learn the facts surrounding our nation’s beginnings. In this message, he teaches about our founding documents and the views held by many Founding Fathers, including John Hancock, Benjamin Rush, and Roger Sherman. Barton highlights how these men believed Christianity to be essential in ensuring effective politics, valuable education, and the survival of the United States. We’ve fallen a long way from these beginnings, but if we want to pass down freedom and liberty to the next generations, let’s commit to honoring God in our politics and government once more." -World Outreach Church

As Barton points out in the following presentation, there are approximately 193 nations in the world today. Throughout 5,800 years of recorded history and thousands of nations in that time, the average length of a governing document in the history of the world is only 17-19 years. And yet, America has endured for 250 years. Let that sink in for a moment. In order to understand how and why America has stood the test of time, it is crucial that we understand our founding documents, the Founding Fathers, and America’s Christian heritage, all of which have come under attack in recent years by secular historians. This is why it is so important for you to watch AND share this eye-opening presentation by David Barton, which you will find at the link in the Comments below.

“As we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, it’s not ‘Christian Nationalism’ to enthusiastically thank God for His generosity. Christians should not worship a country, but I believe it’s rank ingratitude to ignore His blessings and scoff at patriotism. Worship services across America this Fourth of July should overflow with gratitude for God’s goodness.”
“‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above’ (James 1:17). Jesus is God’s perfect gift, and for Him we should be eternally grateful. But the United States is an exceptionally good gift from above, and those of us privileged to live in America should give thanks for that blessing every day.”
“That’s why I think America’s 250th birthday this July 4 should be a big celebration. In this month’s blogs I’m going to share several reasons why I love America and why I still believe it’s the greatest country in the history of the world.” -Bob Russell, pastor and author

This Fourth of July weekend, please be sure to set aside some time to read the following articles by Bob Russell. They are outstanding, so you don’t want to miss them. On his website, Bob has recently published a series of four short articles (5 mins each). They are, in the following order: “Why I Love America.” “I Love America’s Foundational Principles.” “I Love America Because of God’s Providential Care.” “I love America Because of Its Prosperity.”
You will find these articles on Bob Russell’s website at the link in the comments below.

As we celebrate America at 250 years, here is a great resource that you can download and share with others. You will find the link in the Comments below.

"Are you facing peer pressure from family, friends, and co-workers to celebrate 'pride' month? As our culture continues to redefine sexuality, many believers are wondering how to navigate these conversations faithfully. Frank explains that past civilizations may offer a warning about where our own culture is headed. What can we learn from history and are we willing to heed those lessons before it's too late?" -Cross Examined

Suppose someone were to ask you, "Is it unloving for Christians not to celebrate Pride Month?" Frank Turek gives an excellent response to this question. This video is only 7 min long, so be sure to take the next few minutes to watch it and don’t forget to share it with others. You will find a link to this video clip in the comments section below.

“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.”
— Billy Graham

“Fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man.”
— Frank Pittman

The following is a tribute to those superheroes who do not wear capes, nor are they known by superhero names. We know them as “Dad.” We do not tell you nearly often enough how much we appreciate you and there is not nearly enough room here to express our deepest gratitude for all you’ve done and for all you do. May God richly bless you, especially on this Father's Day weekend.
Please be sure to watch AND share this powerful Father’s Day video, which you will find at the link in the Comments below.

How would you respond to the following comments/ challenges/ questions? 1) "Jesus never talked about homosexuality." 2) "God is a God of love and so He wouldn't be against relationships that are built on love." (i.e. "All love is love.") 3) "The word 'homosexuality' wasn't even in the Bible until 1946." 4) "If we don't observe Old Testament laws against eating shellfish, why should we observe Old Testament laws against homosexuality?" 5) "God made me this way as a gay person." Beginning at 36:30 in the following episode of the "Live Free" podcast from Lakepointe Church in Texas, they address each of those talking points. In addition to their excellent responses, I would like to add the following re: the popular slogan, "All love is love." a) If ALL love is love, then it must include the kind of love that tells someone what they need to hear, even if they don't want to hear it. b) Imagine a husband and father who is being unfaithful to his wife and children, as he is deeply involved in an adulterous affair. Even though this man and his girlfriend may insist that they are "in love," this is a powerful reminder to all of us that a "loving" relationship is not necessarily a right relationship, morally.
Don’t forget to watch AND share the “Live Free” podcast addressing this topic, which you will find at the link in the Comments below.

Today, we commemorate the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. In remembrance of that momentous event and those who sacrificed their lives on that day to bring freedom, I would highly encourage you to go see the movie, “Pressure” while it is still in theaters. I watched it recently and it is excellent! (Even though the trailer says, “Only showing in theaters May 29th,” it is still showing at this time.) Please take a moment to watch AND share the movie trailer, which you will find at the link in the comments below.

“Illusionists are masters of misdirection. With a flick of the hand and a well-timed distraction, they can make you believe something that isn’t real. Coins vanish. Cards teleport. Rabbits appear. The trick works because your attention is in the wrong place. And just like that, you’re fooled. But what if the same thing is happening, not on a stage, but in the ideas shaping our world? You scroll through Instagram and see a popular Muslim arguing, ‘Jesus never said, “I am God.”’ Your friend asks why people go to Hell for not believing in Jesus. You hear a trending voice claim, ‘Science proves God doesn’t exist.’ Each of these misdirects and misleads, making the truth easy to miss. At this season’s Reality Student Apologetics Conference, we’re tackling challenges to reality—from rival worldviews, to technology, to the exclusivity of Jesus, and more. The writer of Hebrews gives a sobering warning: ‘We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it’ (Heb. 2:1). Drifting doesn’t happen all at once. It happens when we stop paying attention. That’s why Reality Apologetics exists and is essential for every young Christian. We train students to slow down, think clearly, and fix their eyes on what’s true. Join us this year as we expose the challenges to reality and point back to truth.” -Stand To Reason

At the link in the comments below, you will find more information re STR’s upcoming Reality Student Apologetics Conferences. (Primarily geared toward students in middle school through college)