You may have had an experience where you were confronted with an anti-Christianity worldview. Maybe that was when you went off to college; or you grew up in a non-religious household; or you are challenged because of your faith every single week at work. These conversations have the potential to shake our faith. Have you moved beyond those initial doubts and researched your own faith? Can we really trust in an Eternal God and still believe the scientific facts we see right before us? Are faith and science mutually exclusive?
What you will need: A Bible or your Bible app, a notebook, pen, and highlighter. The verses highlighted below are linked so that you can easily access them during your study time.
Jump Start
1. If you could ask God one question about the earth, creation, or science, what would it be?
2. Build your faith through knowledge. Read 1 Peter 3:15, Psalm 19:1, and Acts 17:26-28. As believers, what is our responsibility? As the Father of all humanity, what is God’s responsibility and how does He accomplish it? What questions cannot be answered by science? Is science inherently wrong?
3. Study for yourself. Read Acts 17:11, 2 Timothy 2:15, and 2 Peter 1:5-8. Why would God ask you to study? What are the issues with “blind faith” or “my parents’ faith”? Have you found that when you dig deep into hard questions, you get more confused, or you are drawn closer to God? The 2 Peter passage takes knowledge and adds to it “godliness” and other behaviors which are indicative of a maturing believer. What is the result of this pairing?
Note: Check out these websites to further your ability to explain the Gospel or defend your faith: AnswersinGenesis.org, CrossExamined.org, GotQuestions.org and Josh.org.
4. Teach others. Read Colossians 3:16 and Deuteronomy 6:4-7. Where do you see teaching others occurring in these verses? Are you part of passing on the knowledge of the faith that you have gained from your own study and experiences?
5. Behave like you believe. Read 1 Peter 3:15-16, 1 Peter 2:12, John 13:35, and Philippians 2:14-15. No matter what you know, the “rubber meets the road” where? What does your behavior have to do with leading others to Christ? Discuss this statement: “The greatest evidence of Jesus is how He has changed our lives.” How does 1 Corinthians 13:13 impact your actions every day in every situation?
Deeper
6. Study these passages. Look for the speaker and the audience: who was discussing faith verses philosophies, religion, or creation? What was the outcome? How should we react to doubt in others (or ourselves)? Can you always know the outcome when you begin a spiritual discussion?
a. Acts 17:16–34:
b. John 20:24-29:
c. Hebrews 11:1-3 and Colossians 1:15-17:
For more on this see: J.P. Moreland, “Chapter 7: Science and Christianity,” in Scaling the Secular City: A Defense of Christianity, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1987) (p. 197-200)