Table Of ContentEBI Church Planting Leadership Training Centers 230 Introduction to Apologetics Portfolio
Introduction to Apologetics
How to Answer Questions
Name Date Course Grade
Session 1: What Makes You so Sure that God Exists? ................................................................................ 2
Session 2: Why Trust the Bible? ................................................................................................................. 29
Session 3: How Could a Good God Allow so much Evil? ........................................................................... 32
Session 4: How Can I Trust Christianity when there Are so many Hypocrites? ......................................... 36
Session 5: Why Should I Think that Heaven Really Exists? ....................................................................... 39
Session 6: Study Guide for Midterm Exam ................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Session 7: Christianity—The Relationship between Faith and Reason ....................................................... 2
Session 8: The Cosmological Arguments for God ........................................................................................ 5
Session 9: A Moral Argument for God .......................................................................................................... 8
Session 10: Miracles and the Problem of Evil ............................................................................................. 11
Session 11: The Challenge of Postmodernism ........................................................................................... 15
Session 12: Religious Pluralism and Christian Exclusivism ....................................................................... 19
Session 13: Student Presentations and Term Papers ................................................................................ 43
Session 14: Study Guide for the Final Exam .............................................................................................. 44
Course Description
This course focuses on how to share the major reasons in support of the Christian faith so that people
can come to Christ in a postmodern world. Topics include arguments for apologetics, reasons for
believing in God, reasons for believing in Christ, reasons for believing in miracles, philosophical and
cultural challenges to Christian faith, and religious challenges to Christian faith. Students will create a
visual project and a written defense of the Christian faith.
Required Textbooks
1. Apologetics Study Bible for Students. Holman Christian Standard Bible.
Notes by Sean McDowell. Nashville, TN: Holman, 2010. CBD
9781433614835
2. Doug Powell. Guide to Christian Apologetics. Nashville, TN: Holman
Reference, 2006. CBD $14 9780805494600
3. Mark Mittelberg. The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask. Carol
Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2010. CBD 9781414315911
4. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Edited by Charles Draper. Nashville,
TN: Holman Reference, 2003. CBD or 9780805428360
Additional Books for Pastors, Leaders, and Advanced Students
5. God’s NOT Dead DVD. CBD
www.youtube.com/user/GodsNotDeadTheMovie
6. Lee Strobel 3-Disc Film collection: The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith,
the Case for Creation. CBD Amazon
Internet Resources - 4truth.net * bible.org * blueletterbible.org *
carm.org/apologetics * gotquestions.org * helpmewithbiblestudy.org *
jeremiahstudybible.com * leestrobel.com * lifeway.com * ministrygrid.com *
www.namb.net * nextgenleader.net * wayofthemaster.com/
Professors – Click here to receive the Notes by email. The intent of this course is to equip you with the Word of God, to strengthen
your character and integrity, and to develop your relational and servant-leadership skills for the glory of God.
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EBI Church Planting Leadership Training Centers 230 Introduction to Apologetics Portfolio
Session 1: What Is Apologetics? Does God Exist?
Name Date Points /50
Discuss Observation and Interpretation Questions – 60 minutes
Study chapters 1-2 in Guide to Christian Apologetics. Answer the questions before class. Answers
should be between 25-50 words. This assignment is worth 50 points.
1 What are the key ideas in “What is Apologetics?”?
2 What are the key ideas in “Apologetics Is for Believers as Well”?
3 What are the key ideas in “Apologetics in the Bible”?
4 What are the key ideas in “Use and Abuse of Apologetics”?
5 What are the key ideas in “Tollers and Jack”?
6 What are the key ideas in “Conclusion”?
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EBI Church Planting Leadership Training Centers 230 Introduction to Apologetics Portfolio
7 Chapter 2. What are the key ideas in “Does God Exist? The Cosmological Argument”?
8 What are the key ideas in “The Kalam Cosmological Argument”?
9 What are the key ideas in “The Thomist Cosmological Argument”?
10 What are the key ideas in “The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument”?
11 What are the key ideas in “Scientific Arguments”?
12 What are the key ideas in “Conclusion”?
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EBI Church Planting Leadership Training Centers 230 Introduction to Apologetics Portfolio
Journal Reflections and Applications – 40 minutes
Writing journal reflections is an opportunity to experience life change and develop Christian character.
Thinking about what you are learning and discussing how to apply it makes learning practical and
meaningful. Reflecting on Christian virtues—integrity, honesty, self-control, charity, generosity, diligence,
persistence, patience, kindness, compassion, courage, and humility—is a key component of character
development.
1 What is God teaching you in this course? Are there things you need to do? Attitudes you need to
change? Commands you need to obey? Errors you need to avoid? Examples you need to follow?
Leadership principles you need to practice? Promises you need to hold on to? Relationships you need
to work on? Resolutions you need to make? Sins you need to confess? Things you need to be
thankful for? Truths you need to believe? Lessons you need to share with others?
2 How are you going to apply these concepts to your life, family, and ministry to others?
3 How could we as leaders pass on these lessons to current and future leaders?
Group Activity for Advanced Students – 20 minutes
In small groups, students will illustrate what they have learned this session by creating charts, drawings,
graphs, role-play, skits, or visuals to develop their long-term memory and relational skills.
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EBI Church Planting Leadership Training Centers 230 Introduction to Apologetics Portfolio
Session 2: The Argument from Design & The Moral Argument
Name Date Points /50
Discuss Observation and Interpretation Questions – 60 minutes
Study chapters 3-4 in Guide to Christian Apologetics. Answer the questions before class. Answers
should be between 25-50 words. This assignment is worth 50 points
1 What are the key ideas in “The Watchmaker”?
2 What are the key ideas in “The Anthropic Principle”?
3 What are the key ideas in “Information as Design: Information Theory and DNA”?
4 What are the key ideas in “Complexity as Design: Irreducible Complexity”?
5 What are the key ideas in “Tactical Note”?
6 What are the key ideas in “Conclusion”?
7 Chapter 4. What are the key ideas in “Does God Exist? The Moral Argument”?
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EBI Church Planting Leadership Training Centers 230 Introduction to Apologetics Portfolio
8 What are the key ideas in “Relativism”?
9 What are the key ideas in “Cultural Relativism”?
10 What are the key ideas in “Conventionalism”?
11 What are the key ideas in “Ethical Subjectivism”?
12 What are the key ideas in “Objective Morality”?
13 What are the key ideas in “Where Does Morality Come From?”?
14 What are the key ideas in “What about Conflicting Morals?”?
15 What are the key ideas in “Conclusion”?
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EBI Church Planting Leadership Training Centers 230 Introduction to Apologetics Portfolio
Journal Reflections and Applications – 40 minutes
As you think about and write these answers you are increasing your long-term memory that will transform
your thoughts, attitudes, and character. Be prepared to discuss these applications in class.
1 What is God teaching you in this course? Are there things you need to do? Attitudes you need to
change? Commands you need to obey? Errors you need to avoid? Examples you need to follow?
Leadership principles you need to practice? Promises you need to hold on to? Relationships you need
to work on? Resolutions you need to make? Sins you need to confess? Things you need to be
thankful for? Truths you need to believe? Lessons you need to share with others?
2 How are you going to apply these concepts to your life, family, and ministry to others?
3 How could we as leaders pass on these lessons to current and future leaders?
Group Activity for Advanced Students – 20 minutes
In small groups, students will illustrate what they have learned this session by creating charts, drawings,
graphs, role-play, skits, or visuals to develop their long-term memory and relational skills.
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EBI Church Planting Leadership Training Centers 230 Introduction to Apologetics Portfolio
Session 3: Which God Exists? The Origin of the New Testament
Name Date Points /50
Discuss Observation and Interpretation Questions – 60 minutes
Study chapters 5-6 in Guide to Christian Apologetics. Answer the questions before class. Answers
should be between 25-50 words. This assignment is worth 50 points.
1 What are the key ideas in “Which God Exists?”?
2 What are the key ideas in “Atheism”?
3 What are the key ideas in “Agnosticism”?
4 What are the key ideas in “Pantheism”?
5 What are the key ideas in “Panentheism”?
6 What are the key ideas in “Finite Godism”?
7 What are the key ideas in “Polytheism”?
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EBI Church Planting Leadership Training Centers 230 Introduction to Apologetics Portfolio
8 What are the key ideas in “Deism”?
9 What are the key ideas in “Monotheism”?
10 What are the key ideas in “Conclusion”?
11 What are the key ideas in “Where did the New Testament Come from?”?
12 What are the key ideas in “Who chose the books and how were they chosen”?
13 What are the key ideas in “Who wrote the books”?
14 What are the key ideas in “Dating the Gospels”?
15 What are the key ideas in “Dating Paul’s Writings”?
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EBI Church Planting Leadership Training Centers 230 Introduction to Apologetics Portfolio
16 What are the key ideas in “What about the books that were left out”?
17 What are the key ideas in “Conclusion”?
Journal Reflections and Applications – 40 minutes
As you think about and write these answers you are increasing your long-term memory that will transform
your thoughts, attitudes, and character.
1 What is God teaching you in this course? Are there things you need to do? Attitudes you need to
change? Commands you need to obey? Errors you need to avoid? Examples you need to follow?
Leadership principles you need to practice? Promises you need to hold on to? Relationships you need
to work on? Resolutions you need to make? Sins you need to confess? Things you need to be
thankful for? Truths you need to believe? Lessons you need to share with others?
2 How are you going to apply these concepts to your life, family, and ministry to others?
3 How could we as leaders pass on these lessons to current and future leaders?
Group Activity for Advanced Students – 20 minutes
In small groups, students will illustrate what they have learned this session by creating charts, drawings,
graphs, role-play, skits, or visuals to develop their long-term memory and relational skills.
© 2014 Equip Biblical Institute 10 [email protected]
Description:Session 14: Study Guide for the Final Exam EBI Church Planting Leadership Training Centers 230 Introduction to Apologetics Portfolio
