Day 1: Introduction to the series

A simple and authentic explanation of things you might not otherwise hear.

Bible References (NIV)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.

But in your hearts revere 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.

Devotional

Have you ever believed something that later turned out not to be true? I once believed in Santa and the Tooth Fairy. As a parent, I’d now rather that strangers didn’t break into my house at night! There are, however, untrue things that have greater implications than this.
Today, throughout many of our societies and schools, there is a widely held belief that science can explain everything about our existence. This viewpoint makes all things that are ‘religious’ untrue, being suited for personal belief but not for public conversation.
What’s easily missed is that physical science can never prove anything about God – who is, by His very nature, non-material (not physical). All it can do is reveal the logical inference that He must exist.
Many see a clear inference to God’s existence in the evidence of design, information, and irreducible complexity in the creation. However, if these areas of evidence are not discussed, the claim that science answers everything and that all religions aren’t, therefore, true becomes very believable for people.
Various studies across past decades have revealed that Western churches are consistently losing approximately two-thirds of their young adults. Interestingly, the primary reason is a lack of known rational reasons for believing this faith to be true when faced with alternative ideas.
Why then do Christians believe their faith to be true? It’s an important question. This 24-day devotional will summarize some of these reasons in a systematic and clear-thinking way. These devotions range from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how fast you read. These aren’t normal devotions either; they have the potential to profoundly equip you.
Consider someone who’s had some amazing spiritual experiences. Having been touched by the power of God, they feel sure there is a God – until they discover that many Hindus have spiritual experiences too.
Consider a Christian who never questioned God’s existence, who is then confronted with the arguments of ‘secular humanism’ in a tertiary institution. They are made aware of other religions, which they’d never thought about before. They are then confronted by the idea that Christian morality might itself be prejudicial (judgmental). They gradually lose their inner conviction and walk away from their faith.
The Apostle Peter encouraged the believers to be ‘always ready to explain the reason for the hope they had’ (1 Peter 3:15). In this series, we will look at a myriad of reasons for holding to the Christian belief and hope.
Peter also said that our conversations with people about why we believe should be engaged ‘with gentleness and respect.’ This series will teach this by modelling what a ‘gentle and respectful’ approach might sound like. The subtitle to this series is ‘a simple and authentic explanation of things you might not otherwise hear.’ That is exactly what this series will be. It’s not pushy. It is simply an answer to the question, “Why do Christians believe this faith to be true?”
With each devotion, there will also be a video clip. These come from the video series on the home page that these devotions summarise.
Today’s video clip is part of the introductory video to that series – but please stay here with this series. These 24 devotions will cover some amazing things!
I pray you find a renewed sense of strength, conviction, and confidence in your faith from this series. God is there, and He can be known!

Video clip: Introduction — 2mins

Reflection questions

  • Have you ever had doubts that left you wondering how we could know what is true and real about God, life, and eternity?
  • If a God does exist who is also loving, just, and good, is that something you’d want to know about?
  • If faced with alternative ideas, do you think you could defend your Christian belief in a God who is good, as revealed through history in the Bible, and ultimately through Jesus?

For prayer

“God, if you are there, I definitely want to know you.”

related topics

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coming up in our next devotion

Day 2: Did God really create? – Part 1a

What is the most amazing thing humans have ever created? For me, it’s got to be something like the airplane. The flight of a 300-ton plane seems almost a miracle — equalled only by the miracle of its safe landing! When we compare the things people have made to what God has created there’s no comparison. The things God has created are far more complex. When considering life, all life has multiple interlinking components. Many of these components are invisible to our eyes. Powerful modern microscopes have, however, now made some of these things visible. The detail and complexity discovered within life is mind-blowing!

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