Stand to Reason Blog

Just One Book (Video)

If you could read just one book besides the Bible in the coming year, what would it be and why?

Links Mentioned on the Show

The following are links that were either mentioned on this week's show or inspired by it, as posted live on the @STRtalk Twitter feed:

• CrossExamined Instructor Academy

• The Rap on the Rapture by Greg Koukl

Register at str.org and sign in to listen to today's show or download any archived show for free.

CrossExamined Instructor Academy 2011

If you're looking for a way to become a speaker on apologetics, Frank Turek's annual CrossExamined Instructor Academy (CIA) is coming up on August 11-13 in North Carolina:

CIA is an intense three-day program where you will learn how to present I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist—which involves four main topics: Truth, God, Miracles and the New Testament—and how to answer questions about those topics in a hostile environment. During those three days, in addition to hearing lectures and participating in discussions, you will be asked to present a portion of I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist and answer questions from several instructors including Frank Turek, Greg Koukl, Richard Howe, and others.

This year you will also have the benefit of interacting with one of the founders of the Intelligent Design movement, Dr. William Dembski….

What happens after completing CIA? We would like you to present I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist wherever you can get invited—your church, youth groups, middle and high schools and anywhere else people will hear you. Bloom where you are planted! You will also become part of the CIA network of instructors that gives you exclusive access to our email forum where you can ask questions and exchange ideas about apologetics, Christianiity and related topics.

Greg and Brett will both be instructors at CIA, as they have been for the past few years. See the website for more info on qualifications, applications, tuition, etc. Application deadline is July 11.

Oprah & Camping

Some timely articles:

It's very dismaying that some Christians think Oprah teaches Biblical ideas consistent with Christianity.  She doesn't.  Even though there may be some similarity in language, she talks about g-o-d, and quotes (or misquotes) the Bible, what she teaches has more to do with westernized Hinduism and humanism than what the Bible really teaches. Christians need to be discerning and not read into her use of similar language and evaluate the meaning and ideas she is conveying.

Oprah's Secret: A Fatal Attraction

Oprah's Religion: A Brief Evalluation of Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth

And on the subject of the rapture much discussed because of Harold Camping's false prophecies and teaching....The Bible doesn't teach the rapture, it teaches the Second Coming.  The critical nature of this is that Christians have to be prepared to go through the Tribulation because the Bible doesn't teach that we'll be rescued from suffering.  It teaches that God will be with us through suffering, and He will defeat evil when the end comes at the Second Coming.

Report from the Field

If you live in Southern California, I'd like to invite you to join Greg Koukl and me for dinner on Friday, June 3. I'll share several stories about how God is using my work at Stand to Reason to make inroads among Muslims, abortion-choice advocates, and non-believers. Then, Greg will explain the importance of partnering with me to train Christians to defend their convictions.

But wait, there's more!  The C.S. Lewis Society is offering a FREE DVD to the first 50 people that RSVP to this event. You'll have your choice of The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith (featuring a segment with Greg Koukl), or Prophecies of the Passion. You'll receive your DVD when you arrive at the banquet.

The event will be catered by La Taquiza. They'll cook the carne asada and chicken on-site and then serve it to you fresh with tortillas and all the fixings. The meal has been paid for so there's no cost to you for the event.

You can RSVP either at the Facebook event page or by emailing Dawnielle Hodgman at Dawnielle@str.org

Pass on this invitation to anyone you know who is interested in apologetics or fulfilling the Great Commission. If they're not familiar with my work, they can view samples of my teaching here:

Pro-life tactics seminar to Oregon Right to Life

Video highlights of a teaching sermon on Islam

Debating a feminist at Cal State San Marcos

Spiritual Warfare (Video)

Greg explains an aspect of spiritual warfare that is often neglected.

Part 1

Part 2

Define God (Video)

Define God and give two examples.

Still Here?

The pastoral challenge and opportunity when the rapture doesn't happen.

Radio Sunday

Greg is literally gone fishing on vacation.  So on the program Sunday we'll play his message "The New Atheists: Old Arguments, New Attitude."  We'll also play an hour of "best-of" commentaries, and re-air an interview with Dr. Gary Habermas.  Only on-air - sorry no podcast.  Listen live or streaming.

Ratio Christi Apologetics Clubs

How are you putting your apologetics knowledge to work? So many people are training themselves in apologetics through their own research or by attending universities like Biola or Southern Evangelical Seminary for apologetics degrees. They do this on the side because they love it, not yet knowing how the degree will be used.

If you’re one of these people, you should look into Ratio Christi, a fairly new apologetics organization that is seeking to change the intellectual atmosphere at universities by bringing Christianity into public, academic discussion. Their goal is to start on-campus apologetics clubs at 500 universities in the next five years. This is where you come in--because it’s also Ratio Christi’s goal to connect each of these clubs with a person who has been trained in apologetics (but who probably has a different day job) to act as chapter director.

Ratio Christi helps each chapter organize one or two campus-wide events a year by connecting them with speakers and debaters like William Lane Craig and Gary Habermas, helping them find the funding, etc. But after the event has come and gone, the lay apologist is still there to lead discussions and interact with the Christians, skeptics, atheists, and seekers who may never have realized that Christianity has a weighty intellectual tradition behind it.

Students and professors, you can see if your university currently has a chapter. If not, you’re in an especially good position to start a new one. Get involved, and spread the word!