How Should We Respond to the Never-Ending News Cycle?
In a culture filled with bad news, may God give us wisdom to lead graciously and share boldly the good news of Christ.
Articles for tag: Christian Apologetics
January 7, 2025
I Binged Joe Rogan This Week …
After binge listening to the Joe Rogan podcast, Tyler McKenzie offers a few insights he gained from his listening experience.
Forming the Faith of the Next Generation: The Urgency of Shaping Worldview
John S. Dickerson warns that mission drift can take root over time and calls the Restoration Movement to prioritize spiritual and intellectual formation. His Youth Worldview Initiative aims to help students “hold to” Jesus’ teaching across generations.
Raising the Strongest Generation
The Youth Worldview Ministry of Connection Pointe Christian Church
September 28, 2021
Possible Errors in Practicing Apologetics
"I believe we can make at least two errors in practicing apologetics," writes Chad Ragsdale. "The first error is when we forget the purpose of apologetics. Apologetics is a servant of evangelism and discipleship. . . ."
September 1, 2021
Still Learning from Ravi Zacharias: How Do We Respond When a Role Model Falls?
I was greatly humbled about a year ago when I was invited to write an article about the late Ravi Zacharias’s impact on my journey. I still stand behind every word of that piece, published in last November’s Christian Standard, a few months after Zacharias’s death. However, just prior to that issue’s cover date, apparent confirmation of Zacharias’s alleged infidelity and sexual misconduct surfaced. And I, like most people blessed by his ministry, was shocked and brokenhearted. Perhaps the most difficult challenge for me was in the fact that prior to this alarming development, there were no shortage of testimonies
February 16, 2017
Helping the Skeptical See God
By Richard A. Knopp Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical Timothy Keller New York: Viking, 2016 Tim Keller writes, “If you think Christianity doesn’t hold much promise of making sense to a thinking person, then this book is for you.” I would add: If you even have contact with anyone who thinks Christianity doesn’t hold much promise of making sense, then Making Sense of God is for you. Whether you are a strong skeptic, a Christian scholar, a sermonizer, a church shepherd, or a concerned saint, this book is worth your time (and your dime). Keller’s numerous
February 11, 2017
After the ‘Hot Button’ Is Pushed (Strategies for Engaging Skeptics about the Faith)
By Chris Moon Imagine the following scenario: You are sitting in the bleachers at your child”s soccer game on a Saturday morning. It”s a beautiful day, and you strike up a conversation with another parent whom you have seen at several games. You find you have a lot of things in common””but not everything. When your new friend asks what you”ll be doing the following day, you casually explain that you”ll be at church in the morning. Then you remember your pastor”s encouragement, and you offer the invitation: “You are more than welcome to come with us. We could do
July 24, 2016
An Interview with Jeff Vines
Jeff Vines explains to Kelly Carr, editor of The Lookout, why church leaders must focus more on apologetics and why he believes all evangelism must be one-on-one. See this interview, from the 2016 NACC in Anaheim, here.
July 15, 2015
A Conversation with Rich Knopp and Mark Mittelberg
CHRISTIAN STANDARD Editor Mark A. Taylor speaks with Rich Knopp and Mark Mittelberg about an apologetics initiative called Room for Doubt that is designed to both reinforce Christians in their faith while also reaching non-Christians. The idea is to defend Christian faith with mercy and grace. Knopp is a professor of philosophy and Christian apologetics at Lincoln (IL) Christian University and Mittelberg is a Christian writer and speaker. Watch the interview.
May 31, 2015
Advancing Apologetics at Lincoln
By Jennifer Johnson In May 2013, a representative of the Loftis Foundation contacted Lincoln (IL) Christian University with a perceived need and a solid solution. The result is Lincoln”s new “Room for Doubt” initiative. “John Loftis lost his faith when he went to college,” says Dr. Richard Knopp, professor of philosophy & Christian apologetics at Lincoln. “He returned to church as an adult but says his faith at the time was shallow. The turning point, he says, was when he came across apologetics material in his 50s and it changed his life and his commitment to Christ. He wondered if
Something Special
By Mark A. Taylor It happened again, this time on the campus of Lincoln Christian University on a cold Friday night a couple of weeks ago. Mark Mittelberg, a best-selling author, widely traveled speaker, and well-known Christian apologist, was speaking to leaders about LCU”s initiative “Room for Doubt.” But before he talked about the materials he”s helping to develop for this ministry, he paused to speak about the movement of churches that will promote and use them. Mittelberg is something of a celebrity in general Evangelical churches; his résumé includes stints on staff at Willow Creek Community Church outside Chicago and
September 1, 2014
2014 NACC: One Man’s Testimony
By Darrel Rowland Lee Strobel has made The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and even The Case for Christmas. At the North American Christian Convention, the popular Christian speaker and apologetics author made the case for Christian churches and churches of Christ. “This movement of churches is nothing short of miraculous,” he said the day before taking the NACC stage. “God is doing amazing things. I love their pastors””they”ve got huge hearts, they love the lost, they”re strategic, they”re prayerful, they”re culturally relevant, they”re scriptural, they”re entrepreneurial.” Strobel has appeared at several Christian churches across the country.
June 24, 2014
Room for Doubt””Reason for Hope
By Mark Mittelberg “Mom, Dad . . . I don”t want to hurt you, but you need to know that since moving away from home I”ve started to have a lot of doubts about spiritual stuff you taught me growing up. I”ve been thinking about it quite a bit and, well, the whole idea that there”s a supreme being who made everything and who hears all our prayers and is trying to guide our lives””I just can”t accept it any longer. . . .” I can”t tell you have many times I”ve heard words like these when I talk with
June 23, 2014
Where Will We Go Without God?
By Richard Knopp Those who refute the possibility of cosmic intelligence””they won”t allow that God created the universe””make several demands on those who do believe. Are their demands reasonable? And do they abide by them themselves? Many Christians are aware that apologetics involves “defending” the faith. Peter says we are to be ready always to “make a defense [Greek, apologia] to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15, New American Standard Bible). The need for apologetics is illustrated by the disturbing number of churched young people who are wandering
June 20, 2014
Failure to Convince
By Jonathan Williams “I don”t need your God to make me good.” I was having lunch with Tom, a close friend and devout atheist. I ordered the Reuben. He went light with the salad. The topic was heavy. “Then what”s your foundation for goodness and morality?” I asked him. “What stops you from being a compulsive liar or a career con artist?” “Morality and goodness are biological,” Tom replied, “they”ve been with us from the beginning. That”s how our species not only survives, but also thrives.” I brought up the late Jeffrey Dahmer, a convicted murderer and sex offender, who,
June 15, 2014
An Interview with Ravi Zacharias
By David Faust Why have you devoted so much of your life and ministry to Christian apologetics? I come from India, where the Christian faith is clearly a minority.1 When you believe something out of deep conviction that has cost you quite a bit and is not in the mainstream, then you have to answer the questions that arise. There is no escaping it, internally or externally. You are constantly surrounded by deep-seated questions of truth. I myself had many questions as a young person, and came to Christ on a bed of suicide at the age of 17. Thus,
June 11, 2014
Who Needs Apologetics?
By Chad Ragsdale While attacks abound on faith in general and Christianity in particular, some claim the time for apologetics is past. But I say apologetics will always be relevant and essential for two reasons: the nature of our faith, and the nature of our call. “Apologetics is a wonderful thing,” the guest speaker said. “If you live in the 1950s. And in Kansas.” It was an awkward moment. And not just because the crowd included a large number of Kansas students sometimes sensitive about their home state being used as the universal standard for lameness. But also because it
April 4, 2014
After the Facts
By Jennifer Johnson The men at our church LOVE to study apologetics. I think it”s because they like to argue. One reason I contacted Bob Hall after reading about the apologetics group he created was the wording of the announcement in Velocity Christian Church“s e-news: “This team has kicked off a long-term effort to understand our culture”s perceptions, assumptions, questions and issues that are barriers to faith in Jesus. We”re now assembling well-documented, thoughtful and effective responses and preparing to use them in a respectful way.” The guys at our church aren”t at all disrespectful, but they do have a
November 30, 2008
More Than Fun and Games
By Ben Walker Christian college was extremely enriching, but after three years in the holy huddle, I was champing at the bit at the prospect of reengaging the world. I was excited to step into my first evening class at the secular university I had transferred to, a class from the world religions department that promised an engrossing ideological tour of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. The professor opened that first class by asking, “Why are you here? Let”s go around the room and share our interest in this topic.” The first student responded by saying he”d been raised Catholic but
