TOMS Anglican Churches

TBW 2013 - Tough Questions for Dummies - Talk 4 - Answering Tough Questions (continued)

A sermon by Stuart Pearson at St Tom’s Big Weekend 13. This is the last in a series of four talks on the topic of 'Tough Questions for Dummies'.

This talk is entitled 'Answering Tough Questions (continued)' and was delivered on the 8th of September 2013.

Outline:

• Can I trust the New Testament documents?
• Assumption 1: They are biased, but not distorted
• Assumption 2: They are historically suspect
• Assumption 3: They haven't been transmitted accurately
• The Qur'an and the Bible
• Islam is in the line of Judaism and Christianity
• The Bible is God's revelation
• The Qur'an and Christians
• The Qur'an and the Bible
• Dealing with the barriers: Christian doctrine
  The resurrection of Jesus from the dead
• Evidence 1: The tomb was empty
• Evidence 2: Women were the first witnesses
• Evidence 3: Similarities and differences in accounts
• Evidence 4: The disciples' transformation
• Dealing with the barriers: Personal barriers

TBW 2013 - Tough Questions for Dummies - Talk 3 - Answering Tough Questions

A sermon by Stuart Pearson at St Tom’s Big Weekend 13. This is the third in a series of four talks on the topic of 'Tough Questions for Dummies'.

This talk is entitled 'Answering Tough Questions' and was delivered on the 7th of September 2013.

Outline:

• Three broad approaches to Christian apologetics
• From what God has revealed
• From what God has done
• From what I have experienced
• What does the Bible have to say?
• What method should we use?
• Apologetics in action and the existence of God
• The cosmological argument
• The teleological argument
• The moral argument
• The religious experience argument
• Apologetics and the existence of God

TBW 2013 - Tough Questions for Dummies - Talk 2 - Gearing Up for Tough Questions

A sermon by Stuart Pearson at St Tom’s Big Weekend 13. This is the second in a series of four talks on the topic of 'Tough Questions for Dummies'.

This talk is entitled 'Gearing Up for Tough Questions' and was delivered on the 7th of September 2013.

Outline:

• Socrates, Plato and the Apostle Peter
• A definition of Christian apologetics
• The characteristics required
• Personal characteristics:
• Real
• Credible
• Prepared to fail
• Perseverance
• Christian characteristics
• Persuasive (Acts 18:4)
• Dependence on God (Acts 13:46-48)
• Flexibility - able to change approach (1 Cor 9:19-23)
• Principled - not trying to trick, coerce or force (1 Thess 2:3-4)
• Love (2 Cor 5:11-15)
• Conclusion

TBW 2013 - Tough Questions for Dummies - Talk 1 - Introduction to Tough Questions

A sermon by Stuart Pearson at St Tom’s Big Weekend 13. This is the first in a series of four talks on the topic of 'Tough Questions for Dummies'.

This talk is entitled 'Introduction to Tough Questions' and was delivered on the 6th of September 2013.

Outline:

• Some barriers and roadblocks to the Christian faith
• Key Bible verse - But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
  1 Peter 4:15-16
• Two key points:
1.  
2.