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admiralnasmith -> youth apologetics (4/13/2008 3:02:09 PM)

I am interested in running a summer course in apologetics(concentrating on church history and Bible formation). Any ideas or materials I can use?



earthless -> RE: youth apologetics (4/14/2008 6:03:47 PM)

Firstly, God bless you for even wanting to do this. This is one area that is SORELY lacking in not only adult Christian circles, but also for our youth.

Kids not knowing what they believe what they claim they believe in.

There are tons of apologetic resources out there for you to use. More than enough to keep you busy for many summers...

Are you familiar with CRI/Hank Hanegraaff? With STR? With Ravi Zacharias? With Dr. D. James Kennedy? With Lee Strobel? With Paul Copan?



admiralnasmith -> RE: youth apologetics (4/15/2008 7:42:56 PM)

YEs

I just want to know HOW to present it.

What are the bestresources?



Bluethread -> RE: youth apologetics (4/16/2008 1:41:03 PM)

Mt 10:19
"But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak."

The problem I have with most apologetics as a course of study is that it ends up being proof texting or a system of belief that clouds ones understanding of Ha Torah(The Word). In the first case, people present information and arguments that they cannot defend because they do not really understand the Scriptures. The second case leads to rabbinics that set up new teachings that are hard to let go of when they are found to contadict Scripture.

I believe the best apologetic is to follow the Shema(Duet6) ". . . you shall teach them (the Scriptures) diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and. when you rise up . . ."

In doing this Adonai writes Ha Torah on our hearts so that we understand what we are saying and are able to rightly divid the tuth from falsehood. With Ha Torah written on our hearts Adonai can bring it to mind when it is appropriate, as He promised.



evry1needsgod -> RE: youth apologetics (4/16/2008 3:56:23 PM)

Hi! I am 18 years old, and I am reading the book "The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict" by Josh McDowell. If you are a Protestant or Evangelical, I STRONGLY recommend this book. It has been an inspiration and a help for me, even as a teenager who has a hard time understanding certain issues. It spends hundreds of pages explaining in detail every aspect of the Bible, from how it came about to its reliability, and so on. However, it does not speak in depth about the church. I guess the question is what church are you talking about? If you're Catholic, this book is probably not the right one for you.

BTW, there is NOTHING wrong with apologetics. Even the writers of the 66 book Bible used logical and scientific reasons for God's existence. Look up Psalm 19:1

Good luck with you and God bless!!!



WesP -> RE: youth apologetics (4/16/2008 4:32:16 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Bluethread

Mt 10:19
"But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak."

The problem I have with most apologetics as a course of study is that it ends up being proof texting or a system of belief that clouds ones understanding of Ha Torah(The Word). In the first case, people present information and arguments that they cannot defend because they do not really understand the Scriptures. The second case leads to rabbinics that set up new teachings that are hard to let go of when they are found to contadict Scripture.

I believe the best apologetic is to follow the Shema(Duet6) ". . . you shall teach them (the Scriptures) diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and. when you rise up . . ."

In doing this Adonai writes Ha Torah on our hearts so that we understand what we are saying and are able to rightly divid the tuth from falsehood. With Ha Torah written on our hearts Adonai can bring it to mind when it is appropriate, as He promised.


How are some of the young people to receive this if they live in homes that are not Christian? This proposed outreach that is being discussed may be the only available avenue to reach some youth. Also, while I understand and agree with much of what you are saying, would an apologetics study not be simply a reinforcement of following the "Shema"? I think that it would for some if the course is taught by someone who has grown in Christ and does not simply "proof text."



Bluethread -> RE: youth apologetics (4/16/2008 5:12:21 PM)

The people you are talking about would be considered widows and orphans, and in that case it is our resposibility to treat them as we would our own children. The only exception is that we should try to get to know their families so that the proper order of things can be restored.

The two extremes are my observations and I have seen few who have not been effected by such tendencies. My concern is with the focus. The use of rhetorical, logical and phylisophical reasoning in discussing the Scripture is not a bad thing, if we are seeking to find and pass on the truth of Adonai. However, if our goal is to merely convince others of what we believe to be the truth, we risk becoming no more than sophists.



admiralnasmith -> RE: youth apologetics (4/17/2008 8:32:50 PM)

When I say apologetics, I want to be able to deal with stuff like the Davici code. I want to address some of the issues, such as the councils which formed discussing which books go into the Bible.



evry1needsgod -> RE: youth apologetics (4/17/2008 10:00:48 PM)

Admiralnasmith: "I want to address some of the issues, such as the councils which formed discussing which books go into the Bible."

Again, if the Bible you are referring to is the KJV 1611 and/or translations of that, I strongly recommend "The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict" by Josh McDowell. It helped me, and it can help ME, it can help anyone!



cognitivemagic -> RE: youth apologetics (4/18/2008 8:26:06 PM)

Here's some good material to consider:

Bruce Shelley's "Church History in Plain Language". (A good, general resource to have for anyone)

Lee Strobel's "The Case for Christ". (I think that there's a study guide and a youth edition now)

Norman Geisler and William E. Nix's "General Introduction to the Bible" and "From God to Us" (the shorter version of "General Intro..").

Paul Barnett's "Is the New Testament Reliable" and "Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity". (Both are really, really great books...lots of insights on the Bible and Christianity....must have resources).

When I taught apologetics to a high school and college youth group, I didn't have much stuff to help with presenting the material. I don't think much has changed. A good recommendation is to listen to other "apologists" give their talks on tape/CD, and then emulate their presentations (albeit eliminating technical language for your youth group). And even find a local apologetics mentor. That's what I did.

You can find tapes by J.P. Moreland, Norman Geisler, William Lane Craig, etc., online by googling and searching their names. Also, other apologetics teachers may come up in your search that may be worth your while. And, there's a lot of free webcasts to listen to without making any purchases.

Another site that wasn't listed is:

Answers In Action

Hope this helps; and may God bless you in this endeavor.



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