Resources
from our
Fall 2022 Sermon Series
Based on Rebecca McLaughlin’s book
Will the Christian faith stand up to scrutiny? Some believe the answer is “no.” In the West, there are many Christians deconstructing their faith and coming out on the other end faith-less. There are many people who never had faith, ambivalently standing outside of it or staring it down with a critical eye.
Yet, Christianity is exploding in much of the rest of the world—unstopped by totalitarian regimes and social stigma. And even in the West, there is a remnant of faithful Christians, clinging to the Jesus who they were compelled by when they came to believe, but whose faith is perhaps a bit challenged by the questions which our culture is asking and they are ill-equipped to answer.
In this new sermon series, we’ll explore how these questions are being answered today, and hear from subject matter experts to help us detangle complex issues. Bring your own questions. We will seek to answer your questions, and we might even question some of your answers and invite you to do the same with us.
Will the Christian faith stand up to scrutiny? We believe the answer is an emphatic, “yes.” Jesus and the largest religion in the world are not threatened by even the most difficult questions. Indeed, when something is beautiful and true, nothing can ultimately destroy it. So no matter how you would identify yourself—whether you’re a skeptic or a saint or somewhere in between—you are invited to come, as we face 11 of the hardest questions being raised against the Christian faith.
part 1
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Gandhi famously said, “I like your Christ but I don’t like your Christians.” Unfortunately Christians often don’t look like Christ. As a result, many people believe that Christianity has caused more harm than good. But are the wrongs done in Christ’s name consistent with his teachings? And taken in total, what is the true legacy of Christianity in the world? More than that, why do billions today hold to the Christian faith?
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Scripture from sermon: Mark 1:14-15, John 14:6, Acts 2:42-47
Books for further study:
• Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin
• The Reason for God by Timothy Keller
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
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Part 2
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Due to Christianity’s early spread in Europe, and the association of Christianity with colonialism, some have concluded Christianity is ‘a white man’s religion’—more or less implying it’s a faith of uniformity rather than unity amid diversity. But is this the message of the Bible? And how have Jesus’ followers applied its teaching to deal with the differences that typically divide people—differences such as our culture, class, country or color?
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Scripture from sermon: Genesis 12:1-3, Galatians 3:7-9
Books for further study:
• Building a Multi-Ethnic Church by Derwin Gray
• Generous Justice by Tim Keller
• The Post-Black & Post-White Church by Efram Smith
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Part 3
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Nearly all people—Christian or not—support human rights. But how is morality determined? Is there a universal transcendent reality? Or do we discover reality from within? Many people believe that because Christian morality originates with belief in a transcendent creator God, that its moral code is inherently irrelevant, unappealing, or at least unrealistic. So why do Christians conclude that it is both beautiful and wise?
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Scripture for sermon: Jeremiah 18:1-6, Jeremiah 31:31-34
Books for further study:
• Can We Still Believe in God? by Craig Blomberg
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Part 4
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The crusades. Holy wars. Violent cultural imperialism. Throughout history Christians have given plenty of reason for people to believe that it is a violent religion. Yet, at the center of Christianity is Christ himself. How did he live and teach about violence? And how does that affect Christian views on warfare, weapons, and our enemies?
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Scripture from sermon: Deuteronomy 20:16–18, Joshua 10:40-41, Isaiah 53:4–12, Romans 12:17-21
Resources for further study:
• Old Testament ‘Holy Wars’ - examples of injustice? Click here to download file.
• Pastor Joel’s message on Turning Our Enemies into Neighbors
• Pastor Joel’s message on A Cross-Shaped Response to Evil
• Foxe’s Book of Martyrs by John Foxe
• Mosaic of Atonement by Joshua McNall, especially chapters 11-13
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Part 5
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Almost everyone agrees—the Bible is a fascinating book. But fascinating doesn’t mean truthful. Yet, if the claim is that this book was inspired by the Spirit of God, how are we to understand what sort of truth the Bible purports to tell? What passages are figures of speech or symbolism and what meaning or truth can we find in them?
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Scripture from sermon: Isaiah 55:6-11 and 1 Peter 1:22–25
Resources for further study:
Here is a long debate on the reliability of New Testament texts, or listen to a very short response here.
How to read the Bible for All It’s Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul
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Part 6
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Christians and Atheists alike have pitted science and faith against one another as though they are mutually exclusive. But are they? While things like miracles in the Bible can’t be measured with the scientific method, what truth claims do each belief system make that are incompatible with the other? And how do we determine which has the final say on the matter?
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Scripture from sermon: Genesis 1-3, Romans 5:12-21
Resources for further study:
Explore the various Gospel Coalition articles on science and faith.
Read a brief article by an MIT scientist on How a Scientist Can Believe in the Resurrection or watch a lecture he gave on miracles.
Read Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design, edited by J.B. Stump
…or explore the different views on these websites:
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Part 7
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We live in an egalitarian society. Patriarchy is more or less dead in the modern west—even in much of the church. Still, in many traditional cultures, women have been denigrated or abused, and though Christianity is traditional, does a biblical worldview actually promote the equality of men and women? If so, how do we account for certain practices in scripture that seem archaic to us?
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Scripture from sermon: Genesis 1-3, Ephesians 5:22-33.
Resources for further study:
Read Jesus Through the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord by Rebecca McLaughlin
Read Beyond Authority and Submission by Rachel Green Miller or watch this dialog she has on egalitarian vs. complementarian on Unbelievable.
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Click here to watch the teaching (please note: this teaching is split up into multiple parts throughout the service).
Part 8
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More than any previous generation, 20% of Gen Z identifies as LGBT. Why the sudden rise? What does it have to do with contemporary definitions of what human beings are and how we go about determining our purpose? And if the Bible teaches us to love everyone without prejudice, how can we square that with its traditional sexual ethic?
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SCRIPTURE FROM SERMON
Matthew 19:3-12; Genesis 1:27-28, 2:18-24; Acts 8:26-38
RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY
On Homosexuality:
• Read books or listen to podcasts by Preston Sprinkle, especially People to Be Loved.
• Read Is God Anti-Gay? by Sam Allberry (also, watch this video: You Are Not Your Sexuality)
On the Christian vision for Sexuality:
• Mere Sexuality by Todd Wilson
• Divine Sex by Jonathan Grant
Explore the various Gospel Coalition articles on sexuality, especially this one from Rebecca McLaughlin.
On Singleness:
• Read 7 Myths about Singleness by Sam Allberry
• Read Redeeming Singleness by Barry Danylak
On flourishing for Same-sex Attracted Christians in the church:
• Read Still Time to Care by Greg Johnson
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Part 9
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Slavery is nearly as old as human civilization and still exists today. But rarely has a nation had slavery in the form or scale as ours had. We are rightly disgusted when we look back on that history, yet, then we learn that oftentimes slavery was defended and even promoted by use of the Bible. But is that actually what the Bible says? And how does our understanding of slavery and the Bible’s reference to it differ?
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Scripture from sermon:
Mark 10:45, John 15:13, Romans 6:15-23, Philippians 2:5-8
Resources for further study:
• Reading While Black by Esau McCaulley
• Divided by Faith by Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith
• God and Race in American Politics by Mark Knoll
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Part 10
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Though the Bible teaches that God is love and makes claims that he is redeeming this world, evil persists—and not just by human hands. Oftentimes some of the greatest suffering that people experience is from a source beyond our control or knowledge. If the Christian God can stop it, why doesn’t he? Or if he plans to, when will he?
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Scripture from Sermon: Job 1-3, 38-42; Luke 24:13-27
Resources for Further Study:
Read Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller
Listen to A God of Love in a World of Suffering from Tim Mackie and the Q&R afterward, or for a much more brief telling, check out this short video on the book of Job.
Watch the story of Joni Eareckson Tada and how she has walked through suffering with God.
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Part 11
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Hell is a hard one. While God as a loving creator seems appealing even to the atheist, few people are attracted to the concept of hell. Indeed, we all would love to imagine a world without a need for it. Yet, we all want justice for those who have done wrong. Is hell just? Is hell devoid of love or an expression of it? Does it even exist?
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Scripture: John 3:16-21; 2 Thessalonians 1:7b–9; Revelation 20-22
Resources for further study:
Watch this video from Preston Sprinkle explaining 3 Christian views on hell.
Read Is God a Vindictive Bully? by Paul Copan.
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