This week we are starting a new class called “A Case for Christianity, Person of Interest” based on J. Warner Wallace’s new book: “Person of Interest, Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible.”
Much of the Christian Apologetics’ resources and references that I have used over the years come from J. Warner Wallace who has been a motivator and encourager for this website and subsequent posts on social media. It was Wallace who once said in a class I took at Biola, and I paraphrase, “the battle on the internet is basically between two types of media: pornography and religion. Which side of the battle will you be on?” Then he challenged all of us to get in the game (social media) and be a warrior for the Gospel.
“We don’t need million dollar apologists,” Wallace says, “but we need more who are willing to spread the truth of the Gospel in whatever capacity and ability they have.” I began this website and my postings on social media to share these truths, and I am honored to be one of the “one million, one dollar Christian Apologists” that Wallace encourages us to be, and I continue to get that encouragement from him years later!
A little background on J. Warner Wallace:
J. Warner Wallace’s journey from atheism to Christianity is amazing because he used his skills as a detective to come to the undeniable conclusion that God exists, that Jesus proved who he claimed to be, and that the Bible is the inspired and reliable Word of God.
A little more about Wallace from his website, Cold Case Christianity:
“J. Warner Wallace is a cold-case homicide detective, popular national speaker and author. He serves as an adjunct professor of apologetics at Biola University and as a faculty member at Summit Ministries. J. Warner was a conscientious and vocal atheist until the age of thirty-five, when he took a serious and expansive look at the evidence for the Christian Worldview and determined that Christianity was demonstrably true. He eventually earned a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. J. Warner’s professional investigative work has received national recognition and his cases have been featured more than any other detective on NBC’s Dateline, and his work has also appeared on CourtTV and Fox News. In addition, he had a role in God’s Not Dead 2, as a witness making the case for the historicity of Jesus.”
J. Warner’s books (and subsequent articles, videos, podcasts and curriculums) include:
- “Cold-Case Christianity, A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels.” This book provides readers with ten principles of cold case investigations and utilizes these principles to examine the reliability of the Gospel eyewitness accounts.
- “God’s Crime Scene, A Cold-Case Detective Examines the Evidence for a Divinely Created Universe.” In this book, Wallace investigates eight pieces of evidence in the universe to make the case for God’s existence.
- “Forensic Faith, A Cold Case Detective Helps You Rethink and Share Your Christian Beliefs.” This book will help readers understand why they have a duty to defend the truth, learn how to employ the techniques of a detective to discover new insights from God’s Word and become better communicators. It includes real-life detective stories, fascinating strategies, and Biblical insights.
- “Alive, A Cold Case Approach to the Resurrection.” This is a short, 48 page, defense of the Resurrection. Wallace applies his skills as a detective to the claims of the New Testament, and comes to a startling realization that the case for Christianity, and the Resurrection, is as convincing as any case he’d ever worked as a detective!
- “So the Next Generation Will Know, Preparing Young Christians For A Challenging World.” Co-authored with Sean McDowell, this is a powerful book that will help Christian parents, youth leaders, or educators who works with our “next generation.” This book shows how to share biblical truth with young people that desperately need to hear it in a way that draws them in instead of pushing them away.
Cold Case Christianity, God’s Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith all have “Kid’s Versions” of these books as well as curriculums that can be used for any level of study. I highly recommend them for home study, small groups and individual study. There is also a “Cold Case Christianity” App for your phones, that has “Quick Shot” and “Rapid Response” sections that are easy to maneuver and read. They give you those quick answers to tough questions (because we know most people will only give you a minute or so to respond before you lose their attention)!
Watch J. Warner Wallace’s short presentation on his new book: “Person of Interest”
Class Preparation
In preparation for our first class session next week, you will want to do the following:
- Get the book and begin reading chapter one: Person of Interest (the link is to Amazon, but it is available on the other sites as well).
- Get a good study Bible (I recommend the Life Application Bible in NASB if you are new to Bible study) and read, or re-read chapters one through twelve to get familiar with the context of the events as next week’s study will have questions beginning in chapter thirteen – you can also go back and read through the Gospel of Luke for the first part of Luke’s narrative prior to the book of Acts.
This study in the book of Acts will show us how the first apostles and disciples of Christ shared the Gospel, and used Apologetics, by presenting evidence from the historical “fuse” that led to the coming of Christ, and the subsequent “fallout” of that event that continues even today.
Join us next week as we begin our first session in our “Case for Christianity, Person of Interest” class!
———————————————————————
You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.
Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.
Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.
Teri Dugan
TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com
1 Peter 3:15
Sorry, comments are closed for this post.