A LEAP OF FAITH?

•    Kierkegaard: Objectivity & truth incompatible
•    existentialism infects the church: Bible not “Word of God” objectively, but only as speaks to me
•    Schaeffer: moderns’ giving up on rationality results in despair

1A) THE BIBLE: RELIABLE HISTORICAL DOCUMENT

•    textual support greater than other ancient manuscripts
•    close in time to original events
•    accuracy rate over 99%; no vital teaching or command in doubt

1B) THE BIBLE: SUPERNATURALLY INSPIRED - PROOF IS IN THE PROPHECY

•    if truly “God-breathed”, predicted events would take place
•    high stakes: false prophets to be put to death
●  His Conception
●  His Birth
●  His Betrayal
●  His Death
●  The city of Tyre

2) CREATION

•    intricate designs imply a Designer: intracellular complexity
•    even atheists now conceding origins of life highly problematic

3) THE PERSISTENCE OF THE CHURCH

•    believers multiply despite persecution
•    martyrs’ witness: nobody dies for what they know to be false

4) YOUR EXPERIENCE

•    Holy Spirit empowers witness to what we’ve seen
•    being with Jesus brings a noticeable change in our lives

5) ANSWERED PRAYER

•    some outcomes HAVE to be “a God thing”
•    those imprisoned by pleasure may be blind to the open cell door