Because of personnel changes at the nursing home where I volunteer, I’m now leading a long-standing weekly Bible Discussion. What a challenge it is, given the widely varying branches of Christianity represented each week, not to mention an interesting cross-section of unbelievers. The common denominator seems to be that most of them have never studied the Bible and are unfamiliar with even its most important teachings.
That’s why a recurrent message in our sessions is the gospel, and what the Bible says about eternal life—quite a surprise for many of these lovely people.
But why should anyone believe what the Bible has to say about everlasting life, when there are so many versions of it being taught today? As one participant reported recently, although he and his contemporaries were raised in “the church,” they were taught that the Bible is nothing more than a collection of myths and fables, and so can be safely ignored.
Clearly, it’s critically important to persuade each member of our group that the Bible is divinely inspired and inerrant--and that we can therefore trust what it says about everlasting life.
Just one question: How?
I’ve given my testimony, but it rests largely on the scientific, historical and prophetic evidence that led me to the Lord. Perhaps it’s not surprising that this audience is less than captivated by what I have to say on these subjects. Irreducible complexity? The fallacious assumptions of radiometric dating? The prophetic fulfillments in Israel’s 1948 restoration? I guess these topics can be enough to make even youngsters nod off, given my less-than-thrilling leadership style.
But there are many other approaches that can be taken. For instance, to demonstrate how the Bible came into being and was preserved over the centuries—a history which in itself confirms its divine origins—we’ve been reading from books like the late Ken Connolly’s fabulous The Indestructible Book. And for an overview of some hard-hitting facts about God’s word, we’ll soon check out highlights from my dog-eared copy of Josh McDowell’s The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict.
At the same time, we’ve been exploring specific issues of interest to these folks, such as suffering: How does the Bible explain it? I can’t think of an issue that doesn’t confirm the Lord's inspiration of the text, once it’s viewed through the lens of the Bible.
But the clock is ticking away and God only knows how much time each of us has left. So if you, dear reader, have any suggestions for me on quickly proving the Bible’s cover-to-cover truth, I’d love to hear from you. To reply, please click on the green “Comments” at the end of this post, or contact me via this page, or email me at kitty@everlastingplace.com. Many thanks!
That’s why a recurrent message in our sessions is the gospel, and what the Bible says about eternal life—quite a surprise for many of these lovely people.
But why should anyone believe what the Bible has to say about everlasting life, when there are so many versions of it being taught today? As one participant reported recently, although he and his contemporaries were raised in “the church,” they were taught that the Bible is nothing more than a collection of myths and fables, and so can be safely ignored.
Clearly, it’s critically important to persuade each member of our group that the Bible is divinely inspired and inerrant--and that we can therefore trust what it says about everlasting life.
Just one question: How?
I’ve given my testimony, but it rests largely on the scientific, historical and prophetic evidence that led me to the Lord. Perhaps it’s not surprising that this audience is less than captivated by what I have to say on these subjects. Irreducible complexity? The fallacious assumptions of radiometric dating? The prophetic fulfillments in Israel’s 1948 restoration? I guess these topics can be enough to make even youngsters nod off, given my less-than-thrilling leadership style.
But there are many other approaches that can be taken. For instance, to demonstrate how the Bible came into being and was preserved over the centuries—a history which in itself confirms its divine origins—we’ve been reading from books like the late Ken Connolly’s fabulous The Indestructible Book. And for an overview of some hard-hitting facts about God’s word, we’ll soon check out highlights from my dog-eared copy of Josh McDowell’s The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict.
At the same time, we’ve been exploring specific issues of interest to these folks, such as suffering: How does the Bible explain it? I can’t think of an issue that doesn’t confirm the Lord's inspiration of the text, once it’s viewed through the lens of the Bible.
But the clock is ticking away and God only knows how much time each of us has left. So if you, dear reader, have any suggestions for me on quickly proving the Bible’s cover-to-cover truth, I’d love to hear from you. To reply, please click on the green “Comments” at the end of this post, or contact me via this page, or email me at kitty@everlastingplace.com. Many thanks!
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