Apologetics Guy

Ready for something new? Each month, you’ll hear about my recent opportunities to equip defenders of the faith. We’re in this thing together and I’d love to encourage you to bring apologetics training to your church and beyond. If God can use me, he can use you.

August was huge. I shared a talk called, “Why Does God Allow Suffering?” with 200 at the Bayside Apologetics Seminar. This event drew 1,350 from  Read the rest of this entry »

Does apologetics always have to be all stuffy? Craig Hazen says “No.” Last Friday, I attended a BBQ for area pastors before the Bayside Apologetics Seminar officially began. Dr. Hazen spoke to about 30 people who showed up to this event, saying that “apologetics is a tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit and we need to ramp up the intellectual life in our churches.” The need is super-serious. Our tone doesn’t always have to be.

First, Dr. Hazen analyzed ideas in Callum Brown’s  Read the rest of this entry »

About 1,350 people showed up to the Bayside Apologetics Seminar last weekend and about 200 of them packed out the Bayside Video Cafe for my 8:00 AM talk: “Why Does God Allow Suffering?” It was an honor to speak at a high-profile event featuring J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig—two of the top Christian philosophers in the world.

My friend, Dena Jackson, did an excellent job Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been thinking, “Why does God allow evil?” Sometimes, this topic comes up in conversation looking like an intellectual problem. And you can deal with it on a logical, philosophical level just fine. Other times, it’s more of an emotional problem that requires empathy, a listening ear, demonstrated compassion, and wise, pastoral counsel. I’ve been on both sides of the counselling room and it’s tough either way.

Jesus once told his friends, “I have told you these things, so Read the rest of this entry »

While I was living in the Bay Area, I joined a number of parents—including an atheist and a Muslim—in requesting that our children be excused from elementary school lessons which taught a functional view of the family. These controversial lessons also included an implication that homosexual behavior was normative in the Christian community and fully consistent with biblical teaching.

A few months ago, a reporter from Focus on the Family called Read the rest of this entry »

Some people have asked me about the seminar schedule for the Bayside Apologetics Conference. Check-in begins at 6:00PM on Friday (8/27) and the doors open at 6:30PM. After the main speakers conclude, optional break out groups will meet for further discussion. The Video Café will also be open for coffee and conversation.  

The next day (8/28), I’ll be presenting a lecture called, “Why Does God Allow Suffering?” at a special breakfast seminar (8:00AM). Read the rest of this entry »

If you attend Bridgeway Christian Church, you might be thinking, “Isn’t it a little early for the Apologetics class to be starting up again?” Just a bit. But what I’m talking about is my invitation to speak to the young adult (18-30) group next Tuesday night at 7:00 PM (Aug. 3).

I’ll be discussing the importance of knowing what you believe, why you believe it, and being an ambassador of Jesus. I’ve entitled the lesson, “Don’t Be Sorry: What Apologetics is and Why it Matters to You.” Read the rest of this entry »

Watching Phil Vischer’s Jelly Telly show with my little boy reminded me that accessible apologetics training is for kids, too! In this week’s show, a puppet newscaster hosted a segment called “Buck Denver’s Mail Bag.” At first, I wasn’t too excited about it. But then, Buck said an 11-year old boy asked this question: “Who made God?” What came next was something I’d never seen before: a puppet engaged in apologetics and using the cosmological argument to teach kids!   Read the rest of this entry »

Update on the Bayside Apologetics Conference: I’ve just been invited to speak at a special pre-seminar breakfast entitled “Why Does God Allow Suffering?” happening right before Tim Muehlhoff and J.P. Moreland present on the second day of the conference. This is an important question I hear a lot of people asking, especially in light of our tough economic times. My challenge is to make the material practical, accessible and engaging at 8:00 in the morning! If you’re local, I’d love to see you there. Read the rest of this entry »

You just saw me use Lego Indiana Jones to begin a discussion about faith and reason. Here’s what came next. See how I help students discover that Christians don’t need to check their brains at the door in order to have faith. I take 5 minutes to teach a simple concept: biblical faith requires reason. But that’s not all. Biblical faith requires that we live like our beliefs are actually true. Take a look (video clip):  Read the rest of this entry »