I recently went on the hunt for Christian Apologetics books for kids and was pleasantly surprised that there are more options than I expected! In this post, I want to share a few of the books I found that seemed like good options. 

Even though my son is only two at the moment, as we all know kids grow up quickly. And it’s important that we start preparing for that day when their simple questions turn into deeper Theological questions.

If you don’t know what Christian Apologetics is, you can read my post “What is Apologetics”. But in a nutshell, Apologetics is all about learning to defend the Christian faith with evidence and reason. Apologetics demonstrates how Christianity is not just some feel-good worldview. But it’s a worldview that is backed by actual, reasonable evidence. 

Studying Apologetics as a Christian can really help ground our faith in something that is not dependent upon how we feel. But real solid, scholarly supported evidence that in turn can help us share the gospel a little easier. In my post, “4 Ways Apologetics Can Help You and Your Family Grow Spiritually“, I go more in detail on just how studying Apologetics can help strengthen your entire family spiritually.

When I was younger, I was not introduced to anything close to Apologetics. Like a lot of believers I know, I was simply handed the Bible, went to church, and told God was real. And as I got older, this didn’t change. So when questions starting coming up from either myself or others around me, I had no idea how to answer. And we do not want that to be the experience of our children in today’s world. They will get chewed up by the progressive Christian, and destroyed by the “woke” young culture that is developing.

So that is what sparked my interest in procuring this list. I even found a couple of options for the preschool age group, which is pretty awesome.

Let’s take a look!

This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you!

How to Help Your Child Grow Spiritually

As Christian moms, one of our goals is to help our children grow in their faith. There are a ton of different things we can do. And reading good, solid Christian books to them is one way. Teaching kids to defend Christianity at a young age could be a game-changer in our culture.

Take a look below at the 8 different books I found that could be great additions to a child’s collection or even make great Christian gifts for children in your life.

1. Why God?: Big Answers About God and Why We Believe in Him (Ages  4-8)

“Thomas loves to think about silly questions. (Are bats really mice with wings?) But other questions are humdingers . . . like when Thomas wonders, Why God? Why do we believe in Him? That’s when he and his sister, Hope, must go in search of a humdinger of an answer. Come along as they discover the clues God has given us to help us know how real and wonderful He truly is.  

Written by Dan DeWitt, an apologetics professor with a love for stories, Why God? takes apologetics and makes it accessible for children, not only answering their questions but also opening their hearts to the wonders of God.” 

2. Picture Book Apologetics with James and Ruth Book Series (3 Book Series)

“While James and Ruth are playing outside, they meet a grumpy wild pig that challenges their understanding of the universe and God’s creative work. Join them as they learn to think carefully about what they believe and why they believe it as their father teaches them how to defend what they know to be true. This colorful story will encourage deep conversations, help you equip your children with faith-strengthening tools, and embolden them to defend their Christian beliefs from an early age.”

3. Fact or Fantasy (Children’s Bible Study) (Ages 4-9)

“Apologetics for kids! Learn why you believe what you do, and what evidence there is to back it up.”

4. Cold-Case Christianity for Kids: Investigate Jesus with a Real Detective (Ages 8-12)

“Drawing tweens into the thrill of high-stakes investigating, respected cold-case detective Wallace trains them how to think rather than telling them what to think. Showing kids how to test witnesses, examine the evidence, and more, he gives them the investigative skills they need to understand and defend the truth about Jesus.” 

5. The Awesome Book of Bible Answers for Kids! (Ages 8-12)

“Keep this practical guide handy for the next time your preteens ask “Who’s God?” Filled with key Scriptures and topical explorations of forgiveness, right and wrong, making choices, different beliefs and religions, the Trinity, church, prayer, and more, it’s a great way to build a foundation of truth in 8- to 12-year-old hearts. 192 pages, softcover from Harvest.”

6. If I Could Ask God Anything: Awesome Bible Answers for Curious Kids (Ages 6 – 10)

“Does God ever sleep? Did Jesus live before or after the dinosaurs? Kids ask the darndest things about God—and Slattery tackles some of the “toughies”! Using simple language and bright illustrations, she offers fresh answers to questions about faith, prayer, Christianity, and more to help children articulate what they believe and why. Ages 6 to 10. 224 pages, softcover from Nelson.”

7. Young Defenders (4 part book series) (Ages 6 – 11)

“Almost every night Thomas and his father watch the night sky. One night, Thomas has a question: “Dad, how do we know God is out there?” Together, Thomas and his father begin to examine the cosmological evidence for God’s existence as seen through the expansion of the universe. This fun picture book is designed to introduce kids to an important question of the Christian faith in terms even pre-readers can understand. NIV Scripture. 9.25″ x 7.25″. Hardcover.”

8. The Case for Christ for Kids (8 – 12)

“Equip your 8- to 12-year-olds to defend their faith in an unbelieving world! This revised kid-friendly edition of Strobel’s bestseller presents historic evidence, up-to-date scientific research, and true stories taken from Off My Case that provide compelling support for Jesus’ life, ministry, and miracles. Reliable answers for inquiring young minds and hearts! 128 pages, softcover from Zonderva.”

I hope this list of books will help get you started with teaching Apologetics to your kids!

Apologetics Programs for Kids

In addition to the books listed above, I found a couple of really neat Apologetics programs for kids. If you’re looking for a unique way to help your child grow spiritually and teach them Apologetics, one of these programs could be it.

1. The First is foundationworldview.com.

Foundation has two different course options: 1) Comparative Worldview for ages 8 – 12, and 2) Careful Thinking for ages 10 – 14. So if you’re a mom of kids these ages, this might be a good place for your kids to get some Apologetics training. The pricing is affordable, in my opinion, at $175 for each curriculum. Details below.

The Comparative Worldview Curriculum Summary:

“Foundation Comparative Worldview Curriculum equips 8-to-12-year-olds with a biblical worldview and exposes them to the basic beliefs of competing worldviews. This Curriculum sets the stage for critical worldview analysis and biblical worldview integration in every area of life. As children begin to learn the basic tenets of competing worldviews, they quickly will begin to recognize these philosophies in novels, textbooks, television shows, movies, music, and daily conversations.”

The Careful Thinking Curriculum Summary:

Foundation Careful Thinking Curriculum equips 10-14-year-olds with the basic skills they need to evaluate the truthfulness of ideas. This Curriculum sets the stage for critical thinking in every area of life. As children begin to learn the basic skills in careful thinking, they quickly begin to recognize faulty ideas in the world around them.

2. The Second is Kids 4 Truth Clubs

The Kids 4 Truth Clubs teaches “Systematic theology for kids that teaches Bible doctrine. Apologetics for kids!“

“Kids4Truth Clubs helps to fulfill this mission by equipping local churches, families, or ministry-minded individuals to reach kids worldwide through creatively and memorably taught doctrinal truth.”

And one of their goals is to “Define and refine the minimum standard of Christian knowledge that boys and girls ought to have in order to avoid confusion, discourage hypocrisy, and promote authentic faith.”

This program sounds amazing. It seems to be specifically designed for churches versus homeschooling or individual learning. But if you’re open to finding a local club or starting one at your church for your kids, this could be a great program.

Well, that’s the last of it. I hope this list of resources will help you on your journey to help your child grow spiritually. Let’s make a real effort to teach our kids sound doctrine, strong faith, and evidential Christianity.

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If we are to spread the good news, we cannot do that without being at least somewhat prepared for some of the not-so-fun questions that come along with it. Furthermore, we need to have thought through some of the tough things ourselves and tackled those things internally. Otherwise, we might run into someone that shakes our faith and causes us to truly doubt God.

This is definitely important as mothers. Our kids turn to us for answers most of their younger years. And when they reach that age of “why”, or when they reach those teenage years and start really thinking things through, we want to be ready.

Dealing with our doubts and questions can be scary and even make us feel like we’re not true believers, or that we are somehow disrespecting God. But it’s necessary that we tackle these questions head-on instead of suppressing them and pretending they’re not there. Because the truth is, if you do have doubt or untackled questions that you haven’t come to peace with, those things can resurface and cause you to stumble later.

It’s so much better to get those things out on the table and discuss them with God immediately. You can even discuss these things with a pastor, or a mature Christian in your life for help. But we cannot pretend they are not there because that is very dangerous.

5 Faith Questions to Ask Yourself

Below are 5 reflection questions to ask yourself about faith. The Christian faith is under threat. And unless we begin to stand firm and be ready to fire back (with love) and Truth, it will only continue to get worse. The point of these questions is to force us to look inwardly and really make sure our foundation is strong.

1. Are you ready to give a defense for your faith?

The Bible tells us to always be ready to give a defense.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man who asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

1 Peter 3:15

But are we realistically ready? I’ll be honest, although I know in my heart why I believe, it can be very difficult to articulate to someone else who just either doesn’t get it, thinks your belief is complete bologna, or is super combative and resistant.

It can be difficult and even intimidating. And what I’ve discovered is that it takes practice. It takes courage. It takes studying and spending time in prayer asking God to allow the Holy Spirit to give you boldness.

And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the Word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:31

Unfortunately, what we seem to be witnessing today is a weak body of Christ. A body of Christians who lack the skills to tackle this new generation’s questions and objections. 

In general, we are just not prepared.

There is an element of relying on the Holy Spirit, but we also have to do the work. In order for God to use us, we have to act.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Mathew 7:24

I use the word WE intentionally because I’m guilty of it too. I’m guilty of getting lazy when it comes to defending the faith. But we have to stop being lazy and be intentional about learning to defend the Bible and our faith.

For example, do you have friends or family that don’t believe in the validity of the Bible? Start there. Study your butt off to learn as much as you can about Bible history and origin so that the next time it comes up in conversation, you’re ready.

If you have a friend who doesn’t believe Jesus died and was risen, go out and get some facts on why his existence is supported. A good book for this, by the way, is “The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus“. I haven’t completely finished the book yet, but it has a lot of really good information. It outlines a lot of the common and not-so-common objections to the truth of Jesus and gives the reader actual answers they can use in discussion.

We don’t have to have all the answers, or memorize lengthy paragraphs of complicated, uninteresting Biblical facts. But, we should be at least making a genuine effort to growing our knowledge base so when asked a question, we know a little something about something.

You can read my post “6 Tips to Make Studying Apologetics Less Intimidating” about how to study Apologetics if you’re a bit nervous to start that journey. 

2. What areas of faith do you struggle with?

This is a really good question to ask yourself. Because if you’re struggling with certain aspects of your faith but yet trying to tell others about the Gospel, you might be susceptible to getting shaken when someone tackles that area.

It’s totally fine to have questions and struggle with a particular faith question. However, we have to be honest with ourselves about it and go into prayer about it.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Mathew 7:7

We should be diligently and proactively seeking answers. Not passively waiting for God to download the answer into our brains. If we have questions about why something happened the way it did in the Bible, fast and pray until God answers or gives you peace about it.

But ignoring the struggle can create a weak spot in your faith. I know in the past this has happened to me. And as soon as someone hits that button, I started questioning everything I believed. Not good.

3. Do you have any doubts about your faith?

This question piggybacks off of the last question. But if there are areas of doubt, tackle them ASAP. Talk to a trusted, mature Christian, a pastor, and most importantly, pray and fast to God. Doubts can turn into disbelief.

The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!

Mark 9:24

Let’s all strive to have a strong, unshakable faith. A faith that makes unbelievers uncomfortable, but in a good way. The type of unshakable faith that has them questioning their worldview, not the other way around. Questions about faith and doubt should be embraced and addressed, not suppressed.

Don’t be afraid to disappoint God with doubts. My guess is He would be overjoyed to help you overcome these doubts so that you can have stronger faith in Him.

4. Are you prepared to tackle contradictions in the Bible?

Oh, the world famous Bible contradictions conundrum. Are there contradictions in the Bible? Do you know the answer to that question? Are you aware of any specific examples, and can you point out why they are not contradictions?

Atheists have a full list of “contradictions” in the Bible. And there is no way that we can or should be expected to know or memorize them all. You can practically make a contradiction out of anything if you try hard enough. But, it doesn’t hurt to be aware of a handful. And even more importantly, be in the Bible enough to know how to recognize the error in a contradiction if it’s brought up to us.

In my post “5 Contradictions in the Bible…That Are Not Contradictions“, I tackle 5 Biblical “contradictions” that atheists try to use to debunk the validity of the Bible.

5. Do you know how to address the issue of suffering under a good God?

This is perhaps one of the toughest questions to tackle in Christianity. And one that keeps a lot of people from believing in God. But it’s important that we as Christians know how to address it, even if we don’t know the full answer. With so much suffering in the world, we cannot afford to simply ignore this one or brush it off.

It can be hard to have this particular conversation with someone, but being at least somewhat prepared to address this if asked could make a world of difference for someone.

Here is an article from crossexamined.org that outlines how evil and suffering are actually evidence that God exists. This could be a good starting point for how to tackle this question. Crossexamined.org also has tons of other excellent posts dealing with the topic of evil and suffering. If this topic interests you, I highly suggest you browse their site.

In Conclusion

It’s crucial that we ask ourselves deep questions about Christianity. If we want the secular world to understand our faith and why we believe, we first have to understand it ourselves. It can be very uncomfortable to tackle our own doubts or questions.

But God already knows your heart and He knows if you’re experiencing doubts or are struggling. Why try to hide that from Him? Be open with God and ask Him to help you work through those things so that you can come out on the other side with stronger faith.

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We often say that the Bible is inerrant. But what does that actually mean? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines inerrant as free from error.

So, is the Bible free from error? What about the hundreds of errors that atheists and skeptics point out? And even more important, are you prepared to deal with these objections if your kids, family, or friends bring them to you?

I briefly tackle the question of are there contradictions in the Bible in my post “12 Faith Questions Your Skeptic Friends Might Ask”. But in this post, I want to dive into five specific examples of contradictions skeptics use to object to the reliability of Scripture.

As a mom, knowing how to tackle these types of objections, or at least being aware of them, is so important. My son is only 2 right now, but he will be a young man before I know it. And personally, I’d like to beat him to these contradictions and get the answers ahead of time in preparation for the day he asks about them.

What is a Contradiction?

In order to answer the question “are there contradictions in the Bible?”, it is important that we define the word first. Let’s first define a contradiction. If you Google the definition of a contradiction, it reads “a combination of statements, ideas, or features of a situation that are opposed to one another”.

So, if one statement is said to be true, but a second statement is also claiming to be true, a contradiction would occur if both statements cannot be true at the same time in the same situation.

And when looking at proposed Biblical contradictions, it’s so important to pay attention to context. In these “contradictions”, who is being addressed in the Bible? What is the context? What’s going on historically? These are important details.

One thing I noticed when researching some of these “contradictions” was that the skeptic would often take a statement made in the Old Testament, compare it to a different statement made in the New Testament, and then call it a contradiction.

Well, as Christians, we know that a new covenant was made after the death and resurrection of Christ. And under a new covenant, old covenant laws may take on different meanings. In the NT (New Testament), statements were made that may appear to contradict what God said in the OT (Old Testament). However, the situation changed once Jesus came and died.  

So…Are There Contradictions in the Bible?

So, let’s answer the big question. Are there contradictions in the Bible? The short answer is no. However, skeptics will provide you with an entire list of Scriptures that do appear to be contradictions at first glance. When you see the list, it may even shake you a bit. They may even seem like contradictions to us as believers.

But, once you start taking a closer look at a particular Scripture and what is actually being compared, what the context is, and which people group are being addressed, it becomes easier to debunk the contradiction.

5 Contradictions That Are Not Actually Contradictions

Let’s dive into these 5 common contradictions and see if this exercise can help us answer the question: are there contradictions in the Bible?

1. The Sabbath Day Contradiction

The first contradiction is regarding the Sabbath day. The atheists compare Exodus 20:8 to Romans 14:5. Let’s take a look.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Exodus 20:8

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Romans 14:5

Well, I spotted the first problem with this supposed contradiction immediately. Skeptics are comparing the OT with the NT, which requires a deeper understanding of the Christian faith to understand why these verses do not contradict one another.

In one instance, it says to keep the Sabbath holy. But then in Romans, it says let every person be persuaded in his own mind on whether they esteem the day. Yes, it sounds like a contradiction to someone who hasn’t studied Scripture.

However, Christians know that after Jesus came and died on the cross, His work on the cross placed us under a new covenant. And with that, a lot of the ceremonial traditions and rituals performed in the OT are no longer required because of what Jesus did on the Cross.

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross…Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ

Colossians 2:14, 16, and 17

Now, of course, keeping the Sabbath Day holy is one of the 10 Commandments. And the commandments are still very much valid to Christians today under the new covenant. There is nowhere in Scripture that tells us to stop honoring the Sabbath after Christ’s resurrection.

However, the way in which we honor the Sabbath is no longer chained to the traditional Old Testament Jewish way of honoring the day.

And if we want to take it a step deeper, Jesus is our Sabbath. Jesus fulfills the law as Jesus says in Mathew 5:17. So, as we rest in Christ, we are honoring the Sabbath, who is Jesus.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law of the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.

Mathew 5:17

Christianity.com has an excellent article that dives into Jesus as our Sabbath. You can read it here.

2. The Permanence of Earth Contradiction

Okay, so the second “contradiction” we’re going to tackle is one about the future of the Earth. Let’s dive in.

… the earth abideth forever.

Ecclesiastes 1:4

… the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

2 Peter 3:10

In this supposed contradiction, in one instance, the Bible says the Earth will live on forever. But in another instance, it will melt away and be burned up.

Do you see how this is not a contradiction at all? Again, this contradiction is written by someone who has not truly studied to understand Scripture.

As we know, in the end, the world will be burned up. The old world will be destroyed, and essentially renewed. It will be established forever after Jesus returns, and His saints will live on the new earth.

For behold, I create a new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.

Isaiah 65:17

The article here on defendinginerrancy.com explains this very well. According to the article, the Hebrew word for forever (olam) doesn’t necessarily mean forever. It can just mean for a very long time.

But, even if Ecclesiastes 1:4 is taken literally, there is no contradiction. Old earth destroyed. New earth born. Earth goes on forever.

3. The Seeing God Contradiction

This third contradiction deals with seeing God face to face. Let’s compare the verses.

“… I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Genesis 32:30

No man hath seen God at any time…

John 1:18

In this contradiction, atheists compare the statement that Jacob made about seeing God face to face, with John’s statement that no person has seen God at any time.

In Genesis 32:30, if we actually take the time to read the chapter, we learn that Jacob wrestled with a man that night, who he later realizes is God. So, Jacob does not see God in His full glory face to face. He sees a form of God face to face.

So, the statement still stands true, that no one has seen God face to face. This article here on answeringenisis.com does a great job breaking this down.

But essentially, John is correct. No man has seen the fullness of God face to face. In fact, God told Moses in Exodus 33:20 that no man shall see Him and live.

But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.

Exodus 33:20

This tells us that seeing God face to face is too great for us to handle. Therefore, if Jacob had seen the fullness of God face to face, He would have surely died.

4. The Human Sacrifice Contradiction

Contradiction number four is all about human sacrifice. Let’s look at which verses atheists compare.

… Thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God…

Leviticus 18:21

“… If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

Judges 11:29-34

In this contradiction, they highlight the command in Leviticus not to sacrifice children or have them pass through the fire. They then compare that to Judges, where we see Jephthah vow to sacrifice the first thing that greets him when he returns home. Inadvertently, he makes a vow to sacrifice his daughter to God if God allows him to win a battle. 

Well, Jephthah does win that battle. And therefore, regrettably carries out his oath as promised.

Now, based on the skeptic interpretation, because God gave Jephthah victory in battle, this confirms that God accepted the daughter as a sacrifice because He already knew who would come running out to Jephthah first.

Well, let’s talk about what we know and why this is not a contradiction.

Jepthah may have made a ridiculous oath to God. However, nowhere in the text does God say this oath was acceptable or pleasing to Him.

The atheist argues that a God who says He’s against human sacrifice wouldn’t have let Jepthah win the battle, having the foreknowledge that the young woman would be the first to greet him.

Well, let’s think this through. A battle is about to happen. It is God’s will that Jephthah win this battle. Should God then change His plan because Jephthah made a silly oath?

You see, that little oath had nothing to do with God. And nowhere does the Scripture say that God rewarded Jephthah with the win because He wanted the daughter sacrificed. Whether Jepthah made the oath or not, it is likely that the battle still would have been won, and no oath ever had to be made.

People promise God all sorts of things, silly promises that they can’t keep. Should God really be held captive by the impulsive promises and oaths that men and women make every day? If God has a plan, our oath or promise is not going to scare God away from doing His will.

5. The Power of God Contradiction

Okay, so the last contradiction deals with the power of God. Let’s look at Scripture and see if this last contradiction helps us get any closer to answering “are there contradictions in the bible?”

… with God all things are possible.

Mathew 19:26

…The LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

Judges 1:19

In this contradiction, we are comparing Mathew 19:26, which states that with God all things are possible, to Judges 1:19, in which it seems God is unable to drive out the inhabitants for Judah.

Let’s tackle Mathew 19:26 first. It says with God all things are possible. The key word here is possible. Just because all things are possible with God, does not mean God is going to let all possibilities happen.

In other words, just because God does not allow a certain possibility to happen, does not mean He is incapable of doing so. 

Secondly, if you really pay attention to the verse, it says that “…he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron.” The he in this statement is Judah. Judah could not drive out the inhabitants.

Yes, the Lord was with Judah. But having God with you does not automatically guarantee everything you try to do will be successful. God did allow Judah to drive the inhabitants from the mountains. However, God chose not to let Judah drive out the inhabitants from the valley. But in no way does this indicate that God is incapable. Or that Judah was incapable because God lacked the strength to make it happen.

In Conclusion

Whew, that was a lot! But this exercise was very eye-opening for me.

Because it shows us how the Bible is often misunderstood by those who do not study it. It’s very concerning that these types of lies are being spread and keeping people from coming to Christ. 

Let’s make it a practice to be aware of the lies being spread so that we are prepared to tackle them.

So, what do you think? Are there contradictions in the Bible? What other Biblical contradictions have you heard? Are there any contradictions that you’ve been unable to find a solution for?

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I know, I know. What does Apologetics have to do with spiritual growth? Isn’t Apologetics all about appealing to the reason and logic of man? Isn’t Apologetics more interested in natural evidence and proving skeptics wrong than it is about growing closer to God?

Well, it can seem that way. But let me challenge your thinking.

Consider scenario #1:

A family sits down for dinner, and the child asks his mom where in the Bible does it say being transgender is a sin. Well, it doesn’t directly say that it is. So, how do you respond to this question?

Consider scenario #2:

Your son comes home after graduating college to share with you that he no longer believes in God. And when you dig deeper, you find out it’s because his boss convinced him God was a fairy tale. 

This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Well, these two examples are real scenarios shared by real mothers. One, from a Christian stay-at-home-mom group I follow on Facebook. And the second is shared by one of the authors in Mama Bear Apologetics.

How do you respond in these moments? Because these scenarios can be any of us. As mothers, parents in general, we want to see our children grow closer to God. The last thing we ever want or expect is for them to abandon God. Especially simply because they weren’t able to get their faith questions answered.

When you study Apologetics, you are preparing yourself as a mom to help your family build a strong foundation in their faith by standing on the facts. And I am going to share 4 ways this can help you and your family grow spiritually.

Here are 4 ways Apologetics can help you and your family grow spiritually:

1. Apologetics can strengthen your faith with corroborated facts that help you overcome the doubts that hinder spiritual growth.
2. Apologetics is a form of seeking God.
3. Apologetics can teach your kids to identify lies and repel the influence of their non-believing friends.
4. Apologetics can help you understand the Bible better.

Keep reading below to dive a little deeper into each topic.

1. Apologetics can strengthen faith with corroborated facts that help overcome doubts that hinder spiritual growth.

Understanding why Christianity is a reasonable worldview backed by strong evidence can really help build that foundational block for your family’s faith. Because when someone presents an objection to you or your kids, you know that no matter what, there is well-researched evidence that supports what you believe. And that can strengthen your faith tremendously.

Studying Apologetics can help answer some of those burning questions that cause that sliver of doubt that we may not want to admit pops up from time-to-time. Doubting God and the Truth of the Cross is a barrier that can prevent us from getting closer to God. 

Because instead of focusing on building that relationship with God, we end up spending our time questioning His existence. That doubt can creep in and distract us from nurturing our relationship with God, essentially keeping us stuck.

The wealth of Apologetics content available, from answering questions about why there is evil, to dealing with questions about contradictions in the Bible, can help clear up that doubt before it turns into disbelief.

By the way, if you’re interested, a good book that deals with the question of pain and evil is “Should We Fire God” by Jim Pace. And a good book dealing with some of the “contradictions” is “Cold Case Christianity” by J. Warner Wallace.

2. Apologetics is a form of seeking God.

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

~ Proverbs 8:17

Learning Apologetics is just another way to seek after God. Studying Apologetics as a family is a great way to come together and seek God. Incorporating some time into this branch of study will do nothing but help you and your family learn more about who God is.

God left us pieces of evidence to help our journey in finding Him. For example, the biggest piece of evidence is the Bible! (Although many skeptics don’t see the Bible as reliable.)

Additionally, God blessed us with minds that have the ability to reason. And I am very thankful for the many Apologists who have devoted their time to helping people see how Christianity is the most reasonable worldview from an ethical, philosophical, archaeological, and even scientific point of view.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you

Mathew 7:7

The Bible tells us if we seek Him, we will find Him. Well, Apologetics is a form of seeking God. And God has continued to show up over the years in Apologetics research and studies as we discover new evidence and perspectives that point to Him.

God is all about evidence. It was the evidence of seeing the bright light of the risen Jesus that converted Paul into a believer of Jesus Christ. (Acts 9). It wasn’t until the disciples saw the evidence of the risen Jesus did they believe Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:11). Thomas literally said he would not believe unless he saw.

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe

~ John 20:24-25

God knew that some people would need strong evidence to help their disbelief. He provided evidence for the disciples. And He continues to do the same now through Apologetics. And many have come to Christ because of the work that Apologetics has accomplished. Not only that, many have grown closer to God and knowing who He is because of their Apologetics seeking.

3. Apologetics can teach your kids to identify lies and repel the influence of their non-believing friends.

As a mom of a toddler, I am worried about how the state of the world will influence my son. I started reading into Apologetics before Skyler (my son) was born. But now that he is in my life, studying how to make a reasonable case for the faith is even more important to me.

Our kids’ souls are at stake, literally. And Apologetics can potentially help us answer the one question that might convert our kids to atheism.

Apologetics can help you be a rock for your family because whenever your kids come home with “so-and-so said this”, you’ve studied and prepared for how to handle it. You’re ready. And your readiness will spill over into your children and help them be ready to identify the many lies they will encounter.

This will help them stand strong against the heavy influences they will  come across. With facts, reason, and a roaring mama bear in their back pocket, they will be able to resist the attempts of Satan to lead them away from God. Resisting the devil will allow them to flourish spiritually because the enemy will have a hard time getting near them.

4. Apologetics can help you understand the Bible properly.

Another amazing way Apologetics can help you grow spiritually is by expanding your Biblical understanding. I am currently studying through The Apologetics Study Bible which has over 100 articles geared at answering tough faith questions that skeptics use to raise objections to the Bible.

Additionally, each book of the Bible starts with an introduction giving some history and background of the author, information about the culture at the time, and details as to why the book is reliable. Why does all this matter?

Because understanding the cultural context and literary style of scripture can help us properly break down a verse’s meaning. As opposed to twisting scripture to mean something that God and the author never intended for it to mean.

Properly understanding scripture is an important key to getting to know who God is and His ways.

The research that apologists have contributed to the historicity of the Bible over the years is phenomenal. And the results of that research helps us to properly interpret and understand passages.

In Conclusion

So, those are the four ways studying Apologetics can help you and your family grow spiritually. Knowing how to reasonably defend the claims of Christianity can help us bring others to Christ, as we are called to make disciples of all nations. (Mathew 28:19-20).

I know some still view Apologetics as an unnecessary part of the Christian walk. But, I think that in today’s climate, it is more necessary than ever before.

What do you think? Do you think introducing Apologetics to your family will help you all grow spiritually?

You might also like:

6 Tips to Make Studying Apologetics Less Intimidating

7 Ways to Fight Distractions Hindering Your Spiritual Growth

How Christian Journaling Can Help You Grow Spiritually

The post 4 Ways Apologetics Can Help You and Your Family Grow Spiritually appeared first on .

Well, I completely get it. There are times when I’m reading an Apologetics book and I have to reread an entire section to understand what the author is trying to say. And some stuff is just so technical or wordy that I just lose interest and stop following the meaning. How am I supposed to articulate what I’ve learned if I’m still trying to wrap my head around it?

This can be discouraging in the beginning when you’re first starting out. It can feel like you’re just not meant to study Apologetics. Like maybe you’re just not smart enough to learn this stuff.

I do think that Apologetics tends to be geared towards a particular type of analytical personality type. However, I want to encourage you not to let that push you away from the genre. There is something everyone can get out of Apologetics, even if you’re not the analytical type.

If Apologetics is simply learning to reasonably defend the faith, every Christian should be the target audience. So, in this post, I’m going to talk about 6 ways you can simplify your Apologetics learning journey. It doesn’t need to be complicated. You don’t need to be a scholar to study Apologetics.

The 6 Tips to Make Studying Apologetics Less Intimidating are:

1. Make a list of Apologetics books to read and just start reading.
2. Read and study Apologetics books that will help you answer real questions from people in your life.
3. Focus on the things that stand out and resonate with you.
4. Don’t feel pressure to memorize everything you learn on the spot/Focus on one thing at a time.
5. Have fun with it!
6. Invite God into your journey as you study Apologetics.

Keep reading below to explore each tip!

1. Make a list of Apologetics books to read and just start reading.

The best way to start learning and studying Apologetics is to simply start reading. There are tons of books from excellent apologists to choose from. As you come across interesting titles, jot them down and keep a list of books to read. That way when you’re ready to begin, you already know where to start.

That’s what I did. I started writing down titles of books that sounded interesting. I just wrote them down in the notes app on my phone. And today, I’m slowly picking away at that list. Take your time and go at whatever pace is comfortable for you.

Don’t know what books to start with? Here are a few books I would recommend:

1. Mere Christianity (read my book review here)
2. Mama Bear Apologetics (read my book review here)
3. Cold-Case Christianity
4. The Reason for God

2. Read and study Apologetics books that’ll help you answer real questions from people in your life.

So, you’ve started making your reading list. But other than the four books I recommend above, you aren’t sure what other titles to read that would help you become a more informed Christian.

I suggest thinking back through conversations you’ve had with family, friends, and colleagues. Maybe there was a question someone asked you, or an objection that you didn’t know how to respond to. Well, now is a great time to get the knowledge. And maybe once you’ve attained this knew knowledge, you can bring that information back to your friend or family member.

That’s the point of studying Apologetics, isn’t it? I mean, we aren’t just learning these things to keep all this information bottled up to ourselves. The point is to help make us better defenders of the faith to help bring people to Christ. So why not start with some titles that address specific questions that you have already encountered.

3. Don’t feel pressure to memorize everything you learn at once.

When you start studying Apologetics, you will come across a lot of new information and terms that you probably didn’t know before. It can definitely be information overload if you approach it with the wrong mindset. It’s not a race to see how much you can remember and how fast. The key is to simply start reading to train your brain to retain this new information overtime.

I don’t know about you, but I have terrible recall. I just don’t retain new information very quickly or easily. I can understand things just fine. But it takes me a while before I start memorizing certain information, especially when it’s unfamiliar and complex. This can be really annoying and makes instantly sharing what I’ve learned challenging.

So, I’ve come to learn that it’s okay. You don’t have to have all the answers ready at the tip of the tongue. And I’m sure God does not expect that of you either. Just knowing one or two very impactful things can make a world of difference to the right person.

But if memorization is your goal, take baby steps. Maybe the main reason you want to learn Apologetics is to be able to share your faith with confidence and help open the eyes of skeptic friends and family. That’s a great goal. But I would recommend focusing on one concept, idea, or new piece of information at a time. There can be a lot to unpack in some of the books you read, and if you expect to be an expert by the end of reading one book, you will likely disappoint yourself.

You don’t have to pass some Apologetics quiz during your journey to see if you know enough. And you also don’t have to wait until you’ve read hundreds of books and articles before you’re qualified to share what you’ve learned. Take one thing at a time, one book at a time, and try to master one or two ideas.

4. Focus on the things that stand out and resonate with you.

That brings me to my next tip. In this tip, as you move along on your Apologetics journey, instead of trying to memorize everything you learn, you’ll focus on mastering the things that stand out to you or are relevant to you now. This will help you to choose which things to try to master or memorize. So, while you are working on mastering one thing at a time, focus on the things that speak to you and your current situation, or the things that touch you spiritually.

Doing this can help you figure out what to share with friends and family, without feeling like you have to recite the entire book in your next conversation.

For example, at the time I was writing this post, I was reading “The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus”. And one of the chapters has a handy chart that lists five non-biblical sources that corroborate the Biblical claims that Jesus was a real person in history who died due to crucifixion. Well, this stood out to me because I had a friend mention to me that there were no sources outside the Bible that support the claims of the Bible. So, I took a snapshot of this chart and texted it to this person. Easy. No need to go on some elaborate explanation.

I took what stood out to me because it was relevant to my current situation and focused on using that information alone. God can use even the smallest mention of His name and Truth to tug at someone’s heart.

5. Have fun with it!

I know Apologetics can be a bit dry at times. But try to have fun as you learn the new concepts and ideas that you read about. I truly enjoy learning about new perspectives on old topics, or learning about a new historical figure who wrote about Jesus, or getting useful advice on how to approach skeptic questions.

As much as it is informative, it’s fun to learn more about God’s history from an Apologetics perspective. I enjoy that it challenges my own thinking, pushing my critical thinking skills to new heights and preparing me to challenge others to grow as well.

So, get excited when you learn a new way to debunk a skeptic’s objection to Christ. Because every debunked objection is a potential opportunity to help that person see the truth of the Gospels. And that’s just one more potential soul that God can save.

6. Invite God into your journey as you study Apologetics.

Lastly, but certainly not least, don’t forget to invite God into your Apologetics journey. He is the purpose for learning all this new information. Unfortunately, Apologetics can sometimes feel more about winning an argument than about winning hearts. And it can be easy to get so engulfed in the new language of Apologetics that you can forget that it’s not about sounding smart or knowing how to crush the next atheist in an argument.

But it’s about winning souls. And only God can do the true work of pulling the heart strings of a person. As you learn all that you learn, study with God. Ask Him questions when you come across confusing information. Ask the Holy Spirit to help give you clarity and understanding. But most of all, allow God to help you use the information that you learn to gently defend Truth to those who so desperately need Him.

What are you looking forward to most about studying Apologetics?

You might also like:

Defending Christianity with 4 Apologetics Arguments: Part One

What is Apologetics: The Art of Defending Our Faith

Book Review: The Apologetics Study Bible

Join the community for more posts like this one!

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Is Jesus real? That is a big question. Well, not really. It’s a simple question with a simple answer. Yes, Jesus is real. However, it’s a big question to tackle with a skeptic. A lot of people will claim there is no proof that Jesus was a real person in history, so they use that excuse to stay in their disbelief.

But I can’t help but wonder. How many other ancient historical figures do skeptics believe existed with little to no proof? I’m finding that in a lot of cases, people scrutinize the claims of the Bible with a higher level of skepticism than other texts presented to them.

And you know what, that’s fine. Because the best news is that there is evidence to support the claims of the Bible that Jesus lived, died, and was risen on the third day.

“Christians should be delighted to find that the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is extremely compelling, even when using only a small collection of strongly attested historical facts to support the event.” (A Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, 28).

I’m quickly learning that there is more evidence pointing to the truth of Christianity than I realized. And it’s so exciting to learn about these discoveries. Because each piece of evidence can help Christians make a stronger case that will hopefully win more people to Christ. In this blog post, I’m going to outline a few pieces of evidence that can help us know that Jesus is real.

Is Jesus Real Just Because the Bible Says So?

The Bible tells us that it has been made plain to us that God is real, and that man is without excuse for their disbelief.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,^[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 1:19-20

According to scripture, we all know the truth. But because of our unrighteousness, we suppress it. We pretend it’s not real and make up reasons as to why it’s not.

And as a Christian, I accept as truth what scripture tells us about our hearts. However, a skeptic does not believe the words of the Bible, so this statement means nothing to them. To a skeptic or nonbeliever, this is just a cop-out. A lazy way for believers to not have to think for themselves.

The pretty cool thing is, however, that the Bible is actually a reliable source of evidence for its own claims. The Bible is not one book written by one person at one particular point in time. It’s a collection of historical accounts written over centuries of time. And this fact helps us to analyze and conclude that the Bible is sufficient evidence to support itself. Here are a few reasons the Bible should be included as reliable evidence.

1. The Bible is written my several authors over spans of time sharing information that corroborates the historical accounts shared.
2. Biblical prophecies have been fulfilled.
3.  “Moreover, the Bible has never been controverted by solid historical data”. (The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus). Meaning, there is no proof that the Bible is false or that Jesus did not live.

These are just a few reasons the Bible should be considered as a reliable source for its own claims. If the Bible is reliable, then the accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry within the Bible should be as well.

Is Jesus Real According to Nonbiblical Sources?

Okay, so I was very eager to write this section because I get SUPER excited about the evidence outside of the Bible that supports the Bible. Providing this sort of “outside the Bible” evidence is one way we can help skeptics begin to see that it’s possible that Jesus was and is real.

I once had someone tell me that there were no sources outside the Bible that support the Bible’s claims. Like ZERO. And this was back before I had really done my own research on the matter. And all I could really respond with at the time was “I’m sure there are”.

But what stood out to me about the conversation was that this person was so certain about his claim.

This struck me because how can someone be so certain of a thing before they’ve done any research? And I fear that a lot of nonbelievers (and believers for that matter) are the same way. They become convinced a thing is true because of something they heard and something they feel.

But the great news is that my friend was wrong. There is nonbiblical evidence that supports the claims of the Bible. Reasonable evidence that confirms the existence of Jesus. And I am going to share 3 below, all of which can be found in “Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels” by J. Warner Wallace.

Three Nonbiblical Sources of Evidence for the Existence Jesus

1. Flavius Josephus. Josephus was a Jewish historian born in AD 37 who authored the Antiquities of the Jews (a history of the Jewish people). And he described Christians within his text on three separate occasions. He described the death of John the Baptist, the execution of James (Jesus’ brother), and he also mentioned Jesus, describing him as a “wise man”. You can learn more about Josephus here.
2. Cornelius Tacitus. Cornelius Tacitus was another historian, born in AD 56, who in his historical records wrote about how Christians were treated during Emperor Nero’s reign in Rome. Inadvertently, his description of how they were treated and what happened during that time supports that Jesus lived in Judea and was crucified by Pontius Pilate. An excerpt of what he writes: “…Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus…”. You can read more about Tacitus here.
3. Thallus. Thallus, a Samaritan historian, wrote a three-volume history of the Mediterranean area during the middle of the first century. Most of his work is lost, but another ancient historian by the name of Sextus Julius Africanus in AD 221 quoted a passage from Thallus’s original work. And per that quote, we learn that Thallus described the darkness that accompanied Jesus’ death in his original work. Thallus didn’t believe the darkness had anything to do with the supernatural, but nonetheless, his commentary corroborates what happened on the day Jesus was crucified. (find a site to reference)

Learning about the non-biblical evidence that corroborates the Bible just lights a stronger fire under me to want to spread the gospel.

Is Jesus Real According to Archaeology?

There have been several archaeological discoveries over the years that support the claims of the Bible and point to Jesus’ existence. Let’s briefly look at three examples.

1. Quirinius. A coin from around AD 5 to AD 6 was discovered baring the name of Quirinius, the Syrian governor that conducted the census that prompted Joseph and Mary’s return to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-3).
2. The Pool of Bethesda. John wrote about this pool in John 5:1-9. And in 1888, archaeologists discovered remains of a pool matching the description in John. Additionally, the Dead Sea Scrolls also confirmed the pool’s existence. Furthermore, The Copper Scroll (written somewhere between AD 25 and AD 68) also describes a location in Jerusalem that includes this pool.
3. Pontius Pilate. In 1961, a piece of limestone was discovered describing a building dedication from Pilate to Tiberius Caeser. This fascinating discovery not only confirms Pilate’s existence, but confirms his relationship with Tiberius Caesar, and points to Jesus’ crucifiction.

These are just a few archeological findings, which I’m citing from “Cold-Case Christianity”. These are fascinating discoveries. These real life, physical pieces of evidence make for an extremely compelling case for the truth of the Bible.

Spiritual Evidence of Christ: The Holy Spirit

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Mathew 7:7

As much as I love what Apologetics offers and think it’s a necessary method of reaching certain types of people, there is one piece of evidence that surpasses all evidence. And that’s the spiritual evidence of the Holy Spirit.

I look at Apologetics as just another way of planting the seed of Truth to a particular type of person who tends to be more analytical, intellectual, and logical. Their brains work in a different way, and they need something a little more than the words “just have faith”. And I don’t look at that as a bad thing. It’s good that they don’t just accept any and every “truth” that is presented to them.

However, we know that “if God is not involved in the process, conversion will not take place”. That’s a quote taken from “The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus”. And it’s so true.

The Holy Spirit does the true work. And the power of the Holy Spirit is the biggest piece of evidence that exists. I think it’s amazing that God was thoughtful enough to leave us nuggets of natural evidence to help our faith. But ultimately, however the seed is planted, the Holy Spirit does the real work, and people have to choose Him.

“The Christian has the Holy Spirit who testifies to her that Christianity is true and that she belongs to God. The historical certainty we have of Jesus’ resurrection only reinforces that God’s Spirit has indeed spoken to us.” (The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, 33).

Is Jesus real? If you’re a Christian, you know the answer is yes. If you’re not a Christian, I encourage you to explore the evidence that exists, but to first surrender yourself to God and ask Him to help you be open to the Truth. Otherwise, no matter what is presented to you, you will reject it.

What other evidence have you learned that supports the truth of the Cross?

You might also like:

Where are All the Black People in Apologetics

12 Challenging Faith Questions Your Skeptic Friends Might Ask

Defending Christianity with 4 Apologetics Arguments: Part One

The post Is Jesus Real and How Can We Know? appeared first on .

Since beginning my journey about a year ago to learn more about Apologetics, I’ve noticed a very concerning lack in the Apologetics arena. And that is the lack of black faces.

I recently did a quick Google search to see who “the internet” considered to be the top apologists of our time. I came across a top 20 list on crossexamined.org (here). Now, keep in mind that this list is a bit old, being published back in 2014.

But regardless, out of all 20 people listed, there was not one black individual. The only “ethnic” person listed was the late Ravi Zacharias. This did not necessarily surprise me, but it was disappointing. Given black history, African Americans have had to play catch up in a lot of sectors. So, I just had to accept that there were simply zero black leaders in Apologetics for me to learn from.

Just some background, I first learned about Apologetics accidentally, stumbling upon an apologist named Frank Turek online. He was probably my first introduction to Apologetics and my first introduction to the science of defending Christianity with reason. I practically binge-watched a bunch of his stuff online when I first discovered him. I was eating it up. It was so exciting to find answers to difficult faith questions, and reasonable responses to arguments I had no idea how to tackle.

After eating up a lot of Turek’s online debates, and prowling through his website (crossexamined.org), I started trying to find more content to dive into. And I quickly noticed two things. 1) The absence of women in Apologetics, and 2) The absence of people of color.

This honestly didn’t surprise me too much. This is a consistent trend in most, if not all, industries. I’ve grown accustomed to being the only black face in certain spaces, so I wasn’t super shocked, although a little disappointed.

With that being said, I am very hopeful that we will begin to see a huge change within the black community and church as it relates to Apologetics.

Maybe Black People Are Just Not Interested in Apologetics?

As I started to write this blog post, I got really excited. I figured, now that I’m actually going to dive into this topic and really do some research, I just know I’ll find some amazing black apologists that maybe just haven’t gotten much attention.

So, I began my search…crickets.

I searched and searched and searched and was highly disappointed to find almost completely nothing.

As a blogger, I do keyword research for SEO purposes, essentially making sure I’m including key terms in my blog posts that will help people find my content. Obviously, I want to write posts that people can actually find. So, I do research to find out what people are already searching for.

But when I looked up terms like, “black apologetics”, “black apologists”, “African-American apologetics”, “Apologetics for black people”, etc, there is practically no one searching for these terms. Based on my research, no one is interested.

So, this got me thinking, why aren’t black people interested in Apologetics? I’m interested in the topic! Am I just weird? lol

Then comes along an article published in Christianity Today titled “Rethinking Apologetics for the Black Church”. And a woman by the name of Lisa Fields was being interviewed about an organization she had founded that focused specifically on Apologetics within the black community! The organization is called the Jude 3 Project. Their Instagram profile reads “The primary mission of J3P is to help the Black Christian community know what they believe and why they believe it.”

And can you guess how many followers they have?!

They have 16,000 followers! 16K! Now, that doesn’t sound like a disinterested community. Of course, not all of those followers are African Americans, but I’m willing to guess that the majority are.

Why Does the Black Community Need Apologetics?

Based on my research, the Jude 3 project is a ministry that targets the black community where they teach apologetics through courses, lectures, blog posts, and so much more. The website was first launched in 2014, and they’ve been doing amazing work ever since.

I only just found out about them not too long ago. And I am so excited!

I’ll be 100% honest, being a black woman interested in Apologetics has felt a bit isolating at times. And that’s not to say that I don’t find community with other non-black Christians in this field of interest. But there is sometimes a unique experience that only your specific community can resonate with. A comfortability that you miss out on when you’re the only one.

So, I absolutely love, love, love what the Jude 3 Project is doing.

You might be thinking, why does color even matter in this sphere?

Simply put, it matters because the black Christian community needs to be equipped with the same education needed to defend Christianity that others receive. Because we’re mothers and fathers, sisters, brothers, and friends. And we have people in our lives that also need to hear the gospel. And if Apologetics is a way in which we can strengthen our own faith and help a non-believing friend or coworker find God, then it’s important. Salvation is for all people, of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

For instance, it’s no secret that there are people in the black community who believe Christianity is a white man’s religion. And so for that reason alone, they won’t even come near the Truth and salvation offered to them. But by learning Apologetics, we can help that part of our community see truth.

But if we don’t know how to articulate the facts, or don’t even know what the facts and evidence are, how can we even begin to tackle the unique issues and struggles presented in the black church?

Is Urban Apologetics the “Black” Apologetics?

Nine times out of ten, when someone uses the word Urban to describe communities, people tend to think of black people. But if you look up the definition of Urban, dictionary.com defines it as either “taking place in the city”, or “of or relating to the experience, lifestyle, or culture of African Americans living in economically depressed inner-city neighborhoods”.

But here’s the thing…not all black people live in “economically depressed inner-city neighborhoods”. However, that has become our story, our identity, and what defines us culturally. And while that is part of many of our stories, it does not represent everyone.

Lisa Fields, the founder of Jude 3 Project, said it best:

When I go into white evangelical spaces and tell white people that I’m doing apologetics for black people, they immediately think “inner city” because they’ve pigeonholed black people. I’m a black girl who didn’t grow up in the inner city.

Why does this matter?

It matters because when you place a group of people into a box and try to define them with a one-size-fits all definition, people will feel excluded. What if someone is not part of this “economically depressed inner-city neighborhood” group, but they’re black. If “black” apologetics is “urban” apologetics, this individual must not fit in anywhere.

At the end of the day, we are all responsible for defending the faith, as scripture states. So it is so important that all Christian communities are taught the skills that Apologetics offers, especially in a growing secular world.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man who asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

1 Peter 3:15

I value what Apologetics brings to the church and I would like to see more African Americans join the discussion. The culture shift that is villainizing Christianity is affecting every Christian, regardless of race or ethnicity. And we all should learn to defend our faith with reason.

You might also like:

What is Apologetics: The Art of Defending Our Faith

How to Find Other Women in Apologetics

“Mama Bear Apologetics” Is a Must-Read for Christian Mothers – Book Review

The post Where Are All the Black People in Apologetics? appeared first on .

The holidays are almost here. And with it comes the search for the perfect gift for friends and family. I absolutely love the holiday season, and Christmas is my favorite holiday. The holidays bring families together and reminds us to be grateful for what we have and who we have in our lives.

However, holiday shopping can be so stressful. Fun…but stressful. Especially when it comes to those people in your life you just struggle to find the right gift for every year!

So, I was thinking one day, gift giving is fun and we all love to bring joy to our loved ones this way. But, when we think about the reason we celebrate Christmas, it’s to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is what we celebrate and give thanks for. Because the work that God did on the cross, we are now covered by the blood of Christ, who intercedes for us, and we will live everlasting lives with God in the next life.

The gift of salvation is hands down the best gift ever given. So, there is no gift that can top that gift, period.

However, the next best thing we can do as Christians is spread the news of that gift to others. In this post, I want to share six unique Christian gift ideas (all centered around Apologetics) that you can get for the loved one in your life.

Apologetics: A Christian Gift of Stronger Faith

I remember one year, I found out that an older relative of mine was struggling to read the Bible, like physically read it. So, for Christmas, I bought her the books of the Bible on audio. I felt like doing that was more important than buying her a new scarf or giving her a gift card.

And I think that, while giving leisurely gifts is fine, wouldn’t it be powerful if Christians started using the power of giving to give gifts that point people to Christ? Or a gift to strengthen someone’s faith?

There are tons of really good Christian gift ideas floating around the internet. But what about giving the gift of stronger faith through Apologetics?

Apologetics is the discipline of defending the Christian faith, to put it simply. You can read more about what apologetics is here. But learning apologetics can help us better argue for the validity of the Bible, defend the reasons we believe, present reasonable evidence, and provide competent answers for our beliefs.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of Christians who can’t tell you what or why they believe. And when confronted with real arguments to their faith, because of their weak foundation, they crumble. They fail to give a convincible answer, which not only can harm that individual’s faith, but lead the confronter even further away from the Truth.

And I’m speaking from experience, so this isn’t to point fingers. I’ve been in that place where I’ve been confronted with some tough questions, and I simply did not know how to respond. And that’s why I am learning apologetics.

Every Christian should know why they believe and be able to give a reason for their faith. The Bible tells us this.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

~ 1 Peter 3:15

So, during this holiday season, why not consider giving the gift of stronger faith and bless others with tools to do the same.

6 Christian Gift Ideas, Apologetics Style

Below are 6 Christian Apologetics gift ideas you can give for the holiday season. Give the gift of stronger faith.

1. The Apologetics Study Bible

The Apologetics Study Bible is a gem that I stumbled upon when I was first introduced to apologetics. This Bible has amazing articles and commentary from top apologists scattered throughout the book.

In these special sections, these scholars dive into scripture from a different angle, offering answers and dialogue on some of the tough questions that other Bibles don’t touch on. Some example articles include: 

• “What is Apologetics” by Kenneth D. Boa
• “Are the Days of Genesis to Be Interpreted Literally?” by Ted Cabal
• “Evolution: Fact or Fantasy” by Phillip E. Johnson
• “Can Biblical Chronology Be Trusted” by E. Ray Clendenen
• “Can God’s Actions be Detected Scientifically” by C. John Collins

And this is only a handful of what is available in this Bible. You can read my review of The Apologetics Bible here.

2. Christian subscription boxes focused on defending faith

There are tons of Christian subscription box options available, which is something I just recently discovered. You can check out my post listing a few of the ones under $20 here.

A subscription box or service could be a great and unique gift to give to someone. You could even sign up for one yourself, and pick items out of the box to give away.

One box that stood out to me in my search (which I have not tried yet) is the Faith on Fire subscription box. It’s described as a “A monthly box created to fire up your faith and encourage you to share your testimony with others”. This could be a great gift for someone in need of a little boost to their faith. You can learn more here.

And don’t forget there are tons of other Christ-centered subscription boxes as well that might be a great gift. You can check some of them out here.

RELATED: 8 Christian Subscription Boxes Under $20

3. Apologetics books

If you’ve read a good Apologetics book that has helped strengthen your own faith, why not share that with someone else? Or maybe you’ve heard about a book that really helps to answer the difficult faith-questions. Why not give that as a gift to someone who might be seeking some answers.

Some books I would recommend are:

• “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis (My book review here).
• “Cold-Case Christianity” by J. Warner Wallace
• “Mama Bear Apologetics” by Hilary Morgan Ferrer, Alisa Childers, Teasi Cannon (Book review here).
• “The Reason for God” by Tim Keller
• “Should We Fire God” by Jim Pace

But don’t just stop at this list. There are so many really good books out there. Christianbooks.com has a pretty good selection of Apologetics titles. You can see their list here.

4. The “God’s Not Dead” movies

If you haven’t seen the two “God’s Not Dead” films, I would highly recommend them. I’ll admit, most Christian movies that I have seen over the years are super cheesy and just not realistic. But I think these films do a much better job of being more real and relatable.

The film is about a Christian college student who challenges his nonbelieving college professor about the existence of God. This story could not be more relevant today as many of our children are entering college Christians and leaving as nonbelievers.

5. Tickets to an apologetics conference

This idea popped in my head randomly, and I think it might be my favorite of all the Christian gift ideas! You could buy someone tickets to a Christian Apologetics conference. What a great opportunity to learn and meet others also interested in learning to better defend their faith!

A conference I can’t wait to attend is the Women in Apologetics conference. I believe the 2021 conference will be virtual due to Covid-19. But the dates are January 21 – 23. Get more information here.

6. Pay for an Apologetics course

And lastly, if you want to do something big, you could pay for a loved one to take an Apologetics course. (I change my mind, I think this might be my favorite gift idea). Maybe you have a sister, brother, or an adult child who seems to be pulling away from the faith. Well, why not pay for a course that can strengthen their faith?

Biola University has an online, self-paced Apologetics certificate program that I think is reasonably priced. This course could be just what someone needs to open their eyes to a new way of understanding their faith and keep them on strong ground.

I also stumbled across BiblicalTraining.org. This is such an AMAZING resource of free Bible courses. And as of right now, they have nine courses covering Apologetics topics. I highly recommend that you check out the site. You can take most of their courses for free. But there is also a certificate/diploma option, which costs. But essentially you take a series of courses in a particular program, and you conclude the course with a certificate!

BiblicalTraining.org provides a comprehensive biblical education from world-class professors to encourage spiritual growth in the church.

biblicaltraining.org

And that’s it! I hope these Christian gift ideas were helpful, or at the very least got your wheels turning. What unique gifts will you be giving for Christmas this year?

You might also like:

8 Christian Subscription Boxes Under $20

5 Reasons Christians Should NOT Allow Their Kids to Believe in Santa

What is Apologetics: The Art of Defending Our Faith

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If you’ve studied or researched apologetics at all, it’s no secret that women have been somewhat absent in this arena historically. But if you do a Google search today, you will find a few more female faces popping up under this branch of study.

Women are definitely starting to show up a lot more in apologetics circles. However, you still won’t find an abundance of women leading or even participating in this subject matter.

Apologetics for a long time has been mostly male-dominated. And we could dive into the many reasons why this might be.

Maybe the restrictive roles placed on women in our society has a part to play in this. Women are still fighting to find a place at the table in many industries. I’m guessing apologetics is no different.

Or maybe it’s just because women don’t find apologetics to be as interesting as men do.

In any case, women’s interest in apologetics is on the rise, and we should all be excited about this.

“Women in Apologetics” Resources to Get You Started

If you don’t know what apologetics is, in its simplest form, it’s the art and science of defending the Christian faith. It’s learning how to use evidence and reason to make a strong case for the truth of the gospels. I write more about what apologetic is here.

When I first started researching ways to defend my faith, apologetics was not one of my keywords. I stumbled upon apologetics by accident. And I quickly fell in love with it.

But then I was a little disappointed to find that there weren’t very many women leading the conversation. Or in the conversation at all, really.

I was missing a woman’s perspective on the topic. And I wasn’t understanding why more women weren’t more interested!

So, because I remember how frustrating it was not being able to find other women in apologetics, I want to share five great resources that I have found along the way.

1. womeninapologetics.com
2. mamabearapologetics.com
3. Alisachilders.com
4. christianmomthoughts.com
5. Girltalkapologetics.com

These five resources were created by and for women and have been extremely helpful in my journey to learn more about apologetics. I highly encourage you to check out each and every one of them.

8 Ways to Find Other Women in Apologetics

Okay, so you’ve done your research, and you’re ready to dive into the world of apologetics. And maybe you’re looking to connect with other likeminded ladies who are interested in the topic. Or just find other women putting out apologetics content to help you on your new journey.

But with so few apologetics resources created by women or focused on women, where else can you go to find other girls who want to defend their faith as you do?

Well, below is a list 8 ways you can find other women in apologetics. I hope this helps you get started!

1. Follow social accounts of popular apologists, male or female, and check out their followers.

A good way to find other women interested in apologetics is to follow apologetics social accounts. It doesn’t matter what platform; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.

You could start by looking up accounts that are specifically for women in apologetics. For example, Alisa Childers has an Instagram account (here) and she also runs a YouTube channel (here).

Then, look at who is following those accounts and follow the cookie trail. You never know who you might find or where you might end up.

And don’t stop there! You could do this with any apologetics account, it doesn’t have to be female-led. Look at the women following those accounts and reach out or just see what other accounts they follow to get more ideas.

2. Ask around in your circle of Christian friends.

This is an obvious one, but most of us probably don’t think to do it. Mainly because apologetics, although it’s making its way up in the world, is still not often discussed in churches, and Christians just don’t know what it is.

But ask your friends if they are interested in learning more about apologetics, or if they know of any resources you could look into. You might be pleasantly surprised. Plus, you might be the one to introduce apologetics to your peeps, and they might be like “That’s exactly what I’ve looking for! I just didn’t know it had a name!”

3. Look at the comments of posts written on apologetics blogs and websites.

If you know of any good websites or blogs that touch on apologetics, you could check out the comments on their posts. See if there are any likeminded women commenting on important apologetics topics.

You might be able to click on their names and be redirected to their blog or website. Check out their content and see if it interests you. Even if their content is not directly apologetics related, you might stumble upon another good Christian website to use as a resource!

4. Attend an apologetics conference or event and link up with the other women there.

Find an apologetics conference and connect with the other ladies you meet there. Women in Apologetics hosts an annual apologetics conference for women, which I am very much looking forward to attending this year. And in 2020 they even included a kid’s segment where children could learn about apologetics too! How amazing is that! This would be a great space for you to connect with other women.

5. Try using other search terms.

As we’ve talked about, people still look at you crazy when you say the word apologetics. It’s still a growing category within the Christian culture. So there may be women online or locally who are “doing” apologetics, but categorize themselves under a different keyword.

Try using different search terms. Switch up the keywords and see what you find. For example, try keywords like “women defending Christianity” or “women defending faith”.  

6. Take some courses in apologetics.

Taking an apologetics course is another great way to find others interested in apologetics. It can be a college-level course or a free online course. Try to find a course that has a group discussion element to it. That way you can connect with some of the other women in the course.        

Biblicaltraining.org offers a few free introductory apologetics courses. The courses are self-paced. But there is an option to enroll and join an existing group.

7. Follow Christian apparel companies with bold statements on their clothing.

There are tons of Christian apparel businesses popping up left and right. And a lot of the apparel is bold and unapologetic! Check out those businesses’ social accounts and see what they are doing in the community, who they are connected with, and who is following their account. This is not a direct track to apologetics, but it’s a unique route that might help you find what you’re looking for.

8. Start something yourself and see who joins!

And lastly, if what you’re looking for just doesn’t exist, you could start it yourself. That is actually how Girl Talk Apologetics was started. One of the co-founders realized there was a need and created it herself with the help of other interested women.

In Conclusion

As you can see, there are quite a few ways you can find other women in apologetics. You just have to be a bit creative with your search.

Both genders should be represented at the apologetics table because each side has a little something different to offer. And I’m excited to see so many women starting to join this conversation.

How did you discover apologetics?

You might also like:

What is Apologetics: The Art of Defending Our Faith

“Mama Bear Apologetics” Is a Must-Read for Christian Mothers – Book Review

Book Review: “The Apologetics Study Bible” (HCSB)

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I’m willing to bet your story is very similar to mine. And the reason you’re reading this post is that you want to be able to answer the tough faith questions when your friends or family ask. You want to have an answer when skeptics and nonbelievers raise objections to your faith at work or even online.

In recent years, I’ve had many discussions with nonbelievers, skeptics, straight up atheists, and even other Christians who doubt the validity of the Bible. And those discussions always tended to end with a faith question or objection that I just could not answer.

And let me tell you, it’s not a good feeling!

My inability to answer these legit faith questions in a knowledgeable way probably only further convinced these individuals that their worldview was correct; that God does not exist, and the Bible is a fairy tale.

Boy, did I feel like I let God down. And even worse, at times these faith questions would even rock my own faith. Why did I not have answers to these questions?

And that is why I created My Humble Apology; to explore some of those challenging questions.

Below, I’m going to share 12 Challenging Faith Questions that you might hear from a skeptic. Following each question is my “apology” or defense against the objection. And along with each question, I’ve included links to some of the resources I used to help shape my response.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

12 Challenging Faith Questions Your Skeptic Friends Might Ask

1. Why would I become a Christian when Christians are hypocrites?

This objection to Christianity is just lazy in my opinion. Since when do we judge and dismiss an entire belief system or worldview solely based on the “failure” of some to practice it “properly”. And if you are a Christian, I’m sure you can guess why I have those two words in quotes.

The “hypocrites” objection to Christianity is a weak argument and an almost unfair question.

I found this post by 1-Minute Bible Love Notes that does a great job breaking down why deciding against becoming a Christian based on others’ display of faith is not logical. Here is a great quote from the article: Hypocrisy is a human problem, not a “Christian problem.” 

Essentially, every religion, political group, organization, you name it, has a group of people that gives it a bad name.

The fact that there are some Christians that do a poor job representing the faith does not suddenly do away with the truth claims of the Bible. Their poor behavior does not define Christianity. Their hypocrisy is not enough to completely discredit the entire Christian worldview.

Not to mention the fact that Jesus died to save the unrighteous. Christians shouldn’t be perfect. Their imperfections are why they need Jesus.

2. What about the atrocities Christians have committed?

Much like the answer to number one, it would be unfair to blame human atrocities historically committed by Christians on the entire faith. That would just be irresponsible and again…lazy.

Humans are capable of some horrid things, and you can find these evils in every religious or people group throughout history. Evil is not bound to Christianity. Christians are people who struggle with sin just like everyone else. Some of us get it right, some of us get it wrong. But none of us gets it right all the time. That can be applied to anyone, not just Christians.

This article from Jesusisnotfakenews.com is a great resource to help tackle this faith question: https://jesusisnotfakenews.com/why-should-i-become-a-christian-when-theyve-done-horrible-things/

3. Isn’t Christianity just a crutch to make people feel better?

The word ‘crutch’ usually has a sort of negative connotation, right? If something is a ‘crutch’, that means it’s hindering you, holding you back, enabling your weakness.

But if we really pay attention to what a crutch is, it’s help! A crutch is literally an object that someone can use to help them walk. Now tell me, why in the world is that a bad thing?

The truth of Christianity is my help and comfort, and it is also true at the same time. And it’s a truth grounded in reason and evidence. Here is a helpful resource covering this faith question: https://www.zachariastrust.org/is-christianity-just-a-crutch

4. Isn’t being a good person all that really matters?

This is an innocent enough question. But my first follow up question would be: “What is your standard of good?”

There must be an objective moral standard that we all follow, whether we acknowledge it or not. Otherwise, how do we know what “good” is? Something that seems “good” to me, might not be “good” to you. So, who decides which person’s view of “good” is correct?

But, for argument’s sake, let’s just say Jane Doe is good all her life, but just does not believe in God. Isn’t that enough to get her pass the pearly gates? Well, first off, no one is truly, 100% good. That’s just the facts. Everyone sins in some capacity.

No one makes it to heaven for being “good”, because none of us meets God’s standard of good. The level of “good” required for heaven is high. That is why we need Jesus. By accepting Jesus as our Savior, we are covered, and it’s His goodness that goes before God in our stead.

So no, Jane Doe’s “goodness” does not meet the standards required for Heaven. Only Jesus meets those Holy standards. So without Jesus, you cannot make it to heaven.

Resource: https://crossexamined.org/objections-objective-morality/

5. What about those who’ve never heard about Jesus?

The Bible tells us that everyone will have the opportunity to choose truth. Let’s look at what scripture tells us:

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come

Mathew 24:14

So according to scripture, all nations will be reached before the end. However, I can understand the skeptics objection. How can we KNOW that every single individual will have the opportunity to receive the good news and have the choice to choose?

Well, for one, because scripture tells us that all nations will be reached. And God is able to do that because He is God.

But secondly, if you’re still doubting, take a look at this quote from John Piper:

“God always punishes people because of what they know and fail to believe. In other words, no one will be condemned for not believing in Jesus who has never heard of Jesus. Does that mean that people will be saved and go to heaven if they have never heard of Jesus? No, that is not what God tells us in the Bible.” – John Piper

God is just. That is part of his nature. And he will be sure to judge each of us accordingly.

Resources:

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/then-the-end-will-come

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-about-those-who-have-never-heard

6. But isn’t the Bible filled with errors and contradictions?

The Bible is God-breathed, and the authors of each book were inspired by God to know what to write.

However, the authors were still human, and moreover, the scribes who copied down the scriptures prior to modern technology were not perfect. We may find a handful of “clerical errors”, if you want to call them that. But, you will not find any major errors or contradictions in the Bible of any significant issue.

The core story of the Bible is not impacted by the minor clerical slip-ups one might find throughout the Word. When approached by someone with this faith question, it’s important to ask them to give a specific example. A lot of people will use this objection to Christianity not because they did their own research, but because they are merely repeating what they’ve heard others say.

There are different types of errors. Behthinking.org breaks down the different types of errors nicely in this post. But essentially, you have error in fact, verbal transmission, written transmission, and contradictions. And it’s important to take each “error” and handle them independently.

All in all, you will not find one error in the Bible that destroys the overall message. The writers of the Bible were still human, and after years and years of transmissions and translations, the Bible still holds its core message.

7. If God is so good, why is there evil?

Frank Turek, a great apologist of our day (his online debates and lectures are what sparked my interest in apologetics) put it this way: You can take rust out of a car, and still have a car. But you cannot take a car out of rust because there would be nothing.

In other words, good must exist first before evil can. But evil cannot exist independently of good. Without good, there would be no standard which to judge evil.

Now, the direct answer to this question is evil exists because God allows free will. And because we have the freedom to choose, we are free to reject God. And when we make that choice, we give ourselves over to the only alternative, which is evil.

“If evil is not an actual thing, then God cannot be the author of evil. God is the author of good, but we make moral choices that result in evil.” ~ Robert Velarde (https://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/how-can-god-allow-so-much-evil-and-suffering/)

8. If there’s a hell, why would a loving God send people there?

In my opinion, this is probably the most difficult question of all the faith questions. And if I’m honest, I still struggle with this one, even as a believer.

But ultimately, Hell is a choice. People choose Hell when they don’t choose God, because apart from God, Hell is the only other choice. Harsh, yes. But truth is truth whether we like it or not.

Why not just wipe out everyone who is bound for hell? Well, God created us in His image. This means that our life, made in His likeness, is of high value to Him. So just wiping out everyone in the end is not an option for Him.

Why give us free will if He knew how it would end? Well, God respects human choice. He respects our free will so much, He is willing to give us up to our own desires if we wish, even if it’s not for our own good.

God is holy. We can’t fully understand what that means in our limited human capacity. But sin cannot exist in His full presence. And since we are only covered by the righteousness of Christ, if we reject Christ, we have nothing to cover and protect us from God’s holy fire.

In addition to the resource I list below, the book “The Reason for God” by Timothy Keller tackles this question well in chapter 5, titled “How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell”.

Resource: https://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/is-hell-real/

9.  Why does the Bible condone genocide?

This is another big one that people get hung up on. So let’s take a closer look at a specific example in the Bible where God commands “genocide”.

The author of this article breaks down an example in the Bible where God instructs Joshua to “utterly destroy” a people group. And if we look at the context, the words “utterly destroy” might not mean what we think they mean.

He uses Joshua 11:21 (KJV) as an example:

And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel: Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.

According to Joshua 11:21, the people were utterly destroyed. However, in Joshua 15:12-15, we learn the people were driven out. So, which is it? Utterly destroyed or driven out?

Uh oh…did we just find a Biblical discrepancy?!

No, we did not. Let’s dive in a little deeper.

In today’s world, this type of language used in Joshua to describe the dealings of war would be called hyperbole. A hyperbole is an exaggerated term not meant to be taken literally, as defined by dictionary.com.

We use hyperbole all the time. How often do you hear sports fans say things like, “Did you see the game last night? Team A completely demolished Team B!” But clearly, the world “demolish” is not meant to be taken literally.

I highly recommend you read the article that I share in this section. It brought me so much clarity. He shares so many biblical examples of this. This is why it’s so important to truly study the Bible to understand it, and not just read it on a surface level.

10. Does the Old Testament Endorse Slavery?

One of the best quotes I’ve seen tackle this faith question is: “Just because the Bible describes slavery and regulates the already existing institution doesn’t mean God thinks it’s ideal.”

If you read the old testament’s laws and regulations, you will see that God actually had protections and rights built into the “slavery” system of the time. The type of slavery allowed in the Bible was more a employer-to-employee relationship. It was certainly not the same type of slavery brought in through the Transatlantic slave trade.

Here is an example of what I mean by protections built in. Take Exodus 21:26-27 for example:

When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.

The slavery that taints our American history was nothing like this. Masters were able to treat their slaves in any way they wished. There was no hope of receiving freedom, only a false hope. They were beaten, tortured, raped, and more, and there was no rule to grant them justice. But as you can see in the Bible, these “slaves” were allowed justice and even had laws to protect them.

Read here for more great examples like this one: https://crossexamined.org/does-the-bible-promote-slavery/

11. If God truly wants people to believe in him, why does he not simply show himself to them like he did to Paul?

Oh, let us dive into this question, shall we.

If you read the stories of the old testament, you will see that God showed Himself often to the Israelites. He showed Himself through miraculous signs. The Israelites heard God’s booming voice on Mount Sinai. Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders saw the glory of God on the mountain. God did so much for the Israelites, miracles that should have kept them believing for an eternity.

Not to mention God came down in the flesh and walked among us!

However, as we see, even after witnessing all that God showed to them, the Israelites still grumbled and complained. And in the wilderness, when Moses came back down from the mountain, the Israelites were worshipping a golden calf! After all that they saw God do, they still decided to turn from God and worship idols!

What does this tell us? It tells us that no matter what God does to show Himself to us, there will always be people who reject Him. The angels lived up in heaven with God, and still chose to reject Him and rebel!

History proves that simply revealing His glory to us is not enough.

Resource: http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=5323

12. If the bible has all the answers, why are there literally hundreds of Christian denominations that all think they alone are right and all the other Christians are wrong?

I dive into this topic a little more in my post I Can’t Believe There are This Many Christian Denominations. But essentially, the fact that there are 100s of denominations does not prove that God and the Bible are false.

It just proves that we are human, and none of us have ALL the answers.

The Bible is sufficient. But unfortunately, man takes their own interpretations of what it means instead of seeking understanding from God. Our own biases, interests, likes and dislikes can easily blind us from what the Word is saying. Not to mention that Satan is at large down here, and he is working hard to blind and deceive man.

And please note, not all denominational differences are heaven or hell issues. Some of them are just differences in style, priority, and preference.

Resource: https://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/bible-answers/theology/why-are-there-different-denominations.html

In Conclusion

I hope this post helped to answer some of your faith questions and helped you to see how you can answer your skeptic friends and family.

If you’re looking for additional resources, here are three books that have helped me with some of these questions:

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

Should We Fire God

Mere Christianity

(You can read my book review of Mere Christianity here!)

What challenging faith questions have you encountered? And how do you tackle those questions?

You might also like:

5 Reasons You Can Trust the Bible

Book Review: The Apologetics Study Bible

What is Apologetics: The Art of Defending Our Faith

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