Sometimes getting into an apologetic conversation can feel like a competition. The other person offers their objections to Christianity and in return we try to rebut their objections and offer our own arguments. In the heat of the discussion, it can feel like a boxing match, with each person maneuvering …
Read More »How Christian Case Making Impacts the Convinced, the Opposed, and the Undecided
I spoke to a group of students at The Ohio State University a few years ago, and we talked about the importance of Case Making and shared stories of our experiences online. One of the students served in a pro-life ministry on college campuses and took an outspoken approach to …
Read More »The Struggle Between Presenting Arguments and Being Argumentative
If you’re interested in “apologetics” (the defense of the Christian faith), you’re probably interested in arguments. Not the “heated, angry exchanges between people who hold opposing views” (one definition of the term), but “the reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an claim is …
Read More »How Christian Case Making Turns “Free Riders” Into “First Responders”
I’ve been part of a first responder family my entire life. I was born while my father was in the police academy and grew up during his law enforcement career. Prior to his retirement, I entered the academy and my son was born. He watched me serve as a first …
Read More »How the Burden of Proof Can Shape Our Interaction
If you’ve ever been in a criminal trial, or seen one dramatized in a movie or TV show, you are doubtlessly familiar with the reading of the verdict at the culmination of the trial. After careful consideration of the evidence in the case, the jury will decide on a verdict: …
Read More »Why Christians Must Continue to Guard the Truth of the Gospel
We planted a church from a youth group several years ago, and as a result, I pastored a congregation of college aged men and women for a number of years. During this time, one of our young women sent me an email telling me she was about to participate in …
Read More »Talking with Atheists: A Few Observations from Berkeley
Brett Kunkle, Sean McDowell and I took students to Berkeley for several years, creating and facilitating trips to challenge young Christians and expose them to the arguments they may eventually face in their university experience. We typically invited local atheists to join us on these trips to make the case …
Read More »Rediscovering Evangelism: Curbing the Exodus of Christian-raised Teenagers from the Church
This article was written by Samuel Bodnar, a junior at Indiana University studying journalism and religious studies. He conducted three interviews for a class project: Isabella McCoy scowled at her church’s dusty, stained glass windows. No more early Sunday mornings. No more midweek Bible studies trapped beneath the church’s leaky …
Read More »Nine Steps to Presenting the Case for Christianity
After many years investigating and presenting criminal cases here in Southern California, I’ve learned a few important strategies. These simple principles are also valuable to those of us who want to defend what we believe as Christians. Last week I outlined eight steps to investigating the case for Christianity. I …
Read More »How Do I Share What I Believe? The Relationship Between Low Expectations and Lackluster Evangelism
I have a good friend (I’ll call him Bob) who I’ve known for over fifteen years. We’ve worked with one another, we’ve eaten many meals together, and our families are friendly. I’ve shared my faith with Bob and he’s fully aware of what I believe about God and about Jesus. …
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