Know Why You Believe

Course Syllabus

Ten Weeks
Williamsburg Community Chapel

Facilitators: John Paine and Ken Petzinger

Course Text: Know Why You Believe, by Paul E. Little (KWYB)

Please check the syllabus each week before completing the suggested reading—we will adjust the syllabus as needed during the course!

Week 1.  How Did We Get Here?
Topics: Course Introduction; 1 Peter 3.15-16; the intent of apologetics; Reasons To Believe.
Week 01 Slides

Week 2.  Is Christianity “Reasonable?”
Topics: How can we be reasonable in presenting Christianity?  (This question underlies all the rest).  The Christian faith is historical, not fideistic.
Preparation:  Veracity’s Top 10 Apologetics Sites post; Getting C.S. Lewis post; Go online, find an active atheist blog or debate to follow through this course; Read KWYB Chapter 1, Is Christianity Rational?
Week 02 Slides

Week 3.  Is There a God?
Topics: What does science have to contribute?  Don’t science and scripture conflict?
Preparation: Searching for God post; Watch Hugh Ross Science & Faith
video; Read KWYB Chapter 2, Is There a God? Read KWYB Chapter 9, Do Science & Scripture Agree?
Week 03 Slides

Week 4.  Who is Jesus?
Topics: How can he be both man and God? Is the Trinity an oxymoron?
Preparation: The Ascension Was Not Enough post; Read KWYB Chapter 3, Is Christ God?
Week 04 Slides

Week 5.  What is the Significance of the Death of Christ?
Topics: Did Jesus rise from the dead and why is this so important?
Preparation: Lost Tomb of Jesus post; Subtraction of Easter post; Read KWYB Chapter 4, Did Christ Rise from the Dead?
Week 05 Slides

Week 6.  How Does God Reveal Himself?
Topics:  Is the Bible God’s word?
Preparation: God Creates post; Read KWYB Chapter 5, Is the Bible God’s Word?
Week 06 Slides

Week 7.  Can We Trust the Biblical Documents?
Topics: Reliability of the Scriptures.
Preparation: Luke’s Sources post; Inerrant & Infallible post; Judge for Yourself post; Historicity of the Bible post; New Manuscript Evidence post; Read KWYB Chapter 6, Are the Bible Documents Reliable?
Week 07 Slides

Week 8.  How Can a Good God Create a World of So Much Suffering and Evil?
Topics:  Evil and suffering.
Preparation: D.L. Moody’s Bow Wake post; Process of Suffering post; Dick Woodward Suffering posts; Read KWYB Chapter 10, Why Does God Allow Suffering & Evil?
Week 08 Slides

Week 9.  Don’t All Religions Lead to God?
Topics: How does Christianity differ from other religions and worldviews?
Preparation: Read KWYB Chapter 11, Does Christianity Differ from Other World Religions?
Week 09 Slides

Week 10.  Course Conclusion
Topics: So what now?
Preparation: Why I Believe post; Respond to 1 Peter 3:15—Write out why you believe.  Post your response as a comment reply to Why I Believe Post.
Week 10 Slides