Doesn’t Believing in God Require Faith?
Let’s first agree on what faith is. The Bible doesn’t say, “Throw your mind away and believe in someone or something blindly.” Rather, it says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The two important words there are assurance and conviction, which stem from personal knowledge. […]
Overcoming Hurdles: I Know God is Real
Friends! We’ve reached the final post in this blog series based on Josh’s best-selling apologetics classic: More Than a Carpenter! Our goal in these 17 posts has been to definitively answer “Who is Jesus?” This week we’re sharing with you how Josh made the leap from diehard skeptic to sold-out believer. In Josh’s case, the […]
Was Jesus a Lunatic?
Jesus! He’s our focus in this blog series based on Josh’s best-selling apologetics classic: More Than a Carpenter. Our goal is to definitively answer “Who is Jesus?,” to help you answer these big life questions: “Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?” Last week we asked if Jesus was a liar. […]
Do the Facts Prove Jesus?
Welcome back! In this, our blog series based on Josh’s best-selling apologetics classic: More Than a Carpenter, it’s time to ask, “Is Jesus a liar?” Or can we actually have confidence in Him? YES! As Josh notes, Jesus claimed to be God, and it was of fundamental importance to Him that we believe Him to […]
Did Jesus Say He Is God?
Yay! You’re back for more in this series based on Josh’s best-selling apologetics classic: More Than a Carpenter. We’re continuing to look at Jesus, to answer the question, “Who is He?” A teacher? A crazy person? Or actually God? Everything about Jesus seems confounding! At least until we begin to really look at Him, getting […]
Jesus: Truth That Changes Everything
Welcome back to our series based on Josh’s best-selling apologetics classic: More Than a Carpenter. If you’ve read the four January posts, then you’re up to speed on how Josh journeyed from diehard skeptic to stunned believer in the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Josh then had to decide if he was willing to […]
Jesus: Truth or Fantasy?
Thanks for joining us for more in this series based on Josh’s best-selling apologetics classic: More Than a Carpenter. So far you’ve learned about Josh’s search for meaning and purpose, and how he accepted the challenge from a group of college Christians to prove that Jesus was real, not myth. Josh accepted — expecting to […]
Jesus Resurrected, Giving Life Purpose
We started this More Than a Carpenter series two weeks ago, when we shared how Josh earnestly began to search for meaning and purpose when he got to college. His journey to finding answers took a surprising turn when a group of campus Christians challenged Josh to prove his claim that Christianity was pure fantasy. […]
Jesus Christ Offers Meaning?
Last week, when we started this new More Than a Carpenter series, we shared with you that when Josh got to college, he began to earnestly search for happiness and meaning. But he grew increasingly frustrated by the answers offered up by both his church and his college professors. Not even partying or taking on […]
Searching for Happy
It’s a new year! Are you happy? Does your life have meaning and purpose? Welcome to our new More Than a Carpenter blog series, in which we focus on Jesus! Let’s start with this quote by Thomas Aquinas, the famous philosopher and theologian: “There is within every soul a thirst for happiness and meaning.” Some […]
Trusting Not Santa, But Jesus, at Christmas
When I was a kid, “Christmas” didn’t mean presents. It meant glittering ice trees; fresh, crisp air; houses and streets festive with colored lights and white-frosted windows. My family was part of a cult that embraced a mishmash of various religions and practices, which meant that because of our version of the Jewish “Holy Days,” […]
Christianity: Putting It All Together
What’s the point of all this “Follow Jesus” stuff? Wow! With this blog post, we complete a full year of blogging about the evidence for Christianity — from its historical roots (Jesus really lived!), to why Jesus calls us into relationship with Him. The purpose of this series was simply this: to give you historically […]
Can We Know If God Really Exists?
Is it possible to know if God really exists, or do we each get to decide His existence for ourselves? When it comes to asking if God really exists, some contemporary philosophers deny that we can know for sure. No one, they say, can really know, because His existence isn’t provable. God, they say, is […]
What is the Personal Experience Argument for God’s Existence?
One way that we can know that God exists is through the personal experience we develop with him. Few of us have the dramatic conversion that Paul experienced. In fact, for a while after asking Jesus to be our savior, we may feel exactly the same. We can’t, at that time, prove to anyone that […]
What is the Design Argument for God’s Existence?
The design argument is also known as the teleological argument. It is based on the premise that the universe demonstrates immense specified complexity, via an Intelligent Designer. Consider the flower beds at Disney World that clearly resemble Mickey Mouse. Certain flowers make up his eyes, others his nose, and others his mouth and renowned ears. […]
What is the First-Cause Argument for God’s Existence?
The first-cause argument, also known as the cosmological argument, is based on a 3-pronged premise: 1) that everything that exists has a cause; 2) that the universe began to exist; so 3) therefore the universe has a cause. The basis for this argument is that something cannot spring from nothing. So the question becomes, “Who […]
What Kinds of Proofs Are There That God Exists?
The majority of people in this world believe there is a God. And they cite our exquisitely crafted world as the basis for that belief. Scripture says, “Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature” (Romans 1:20). Every tree, bird, babbling brook, and towering mountain proof God’s […]
Is It Wrong to Have Doubts About God?
God wants us to place our faith in him and believe that he has our best interest at heart. He wants our faith to be assured and become deepened by our convictions. Having some uncertainties at times is understandable, as we’re human. But seeking to know why you believe what you believe can strengthen your […]
Doesn’t Believing in God Require Faith?
Let’s first agree on what faith is. The Bible doesn’t say, “Throw your mind away and believe in someone or something blindly.” Rather, it says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The two important words there are assurance and conviction, which stem from personal knowledge. […]
Why Does God Seem Hidden From Us?
One of the challenges of first believing – and then trusting – in God is that he’s not a physical being. But that’s by design. The bible tells us that “God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). It also tells us that God says, “You […]
