The Bible is the most important collection of documents in the world. The sixty-six canonical books, in my view, are a gift of grace: God’s revelation to us. The Bible teaches about what is real. It is the means by which we know enough about who God is to worship, to love, and to obey Him. It is through the Biblical narrative that God has taught us about our origins, our identity, and our future.
I have a reverence for the Scriptures because they point me to God and show me – and all of us – how to live a fully human life.
Below, you’ll find a convenient list of the major posts on this site that are most directly related to the Bible. Many of these are the transcript of talks I have given at various churches or Christian fellowships.
For a more in-depth look at these topics, we have a number of book recommendations as well.
Sermons, talks, and reflections on the Bible:
60+ Innovative Church Growth Strategies
Who doesn't want to be part of an exciting, growing, and large church? The greater the desire for a bigger and better church, the more important church growth strategies are. The motivation from this post came as I read through 2 Corinthians, looking for how Paul pastored this church. His methodology is so different from my own. It is…
A Collision with God – A Sermon on Mark 10:35-45
"A Collision with God" is a sermon on Mark 10:35-45, given on June 24th, 2012, at a regional worship gathering for Church of the Cross in Boston, MA. You are welcome to give this sermon in other contexts (for instance, at a church service), but please do not reproduce the written text elsewhere. Passage: Mark 10:35-45 (read at Bible…
God, Evil and Justice by Dr. Paul Copan
The following talk was given at Boston College Law School on March 19th, 2012, through a partnership between the Christian Legal Society and Telos Ministries. We are grateful for the partial funding provided for the event by Tactical Faith! Evil and Justice Boston College Law School Paul Copan (www.paulcopan.com) 19 March 2012 I’m…
How Jesus Responds To Tragedy
Every time a major tragedy grips the conscience of America, some prominent Christians will offer unhelpful explanations. I'd like to look at some of the most embarrassing examples, consider a few reasons why this happens, and then contrast their perspective with the teaching of Jesus. As we'll see, there is a stark difference between…
How Should the Church Respond to Doubt?
Whatever their worldview, everyone has doubts. Christians are no different. Given this pervasive experience, every local church needs to acknowledge the reality of doubt. In preparing to respond to doubt, the church has a responsibility to anchor its approach in solidly Biblical principles. As we'll see, however, this requires us to…
Is God Good? Are Humans Bad?
The following is the transcript of a talk given at Church of the Cross during the "Dealing with Doubts" series on August 19, 2012. Today we are going to look at perhaps the most difficult question that any human can face: the problem of evil and suffering. The problem of pain. This is a problem that everyone has to resolve. Christians…
Pastors: Six Easy Ways To Add Apologetics To Your Sermons
Many pastors would like to include apologetics in their preaching and teaching. Why? Because they know that people in the pew are starving for reasons to believe in Christianity, struggling with doubts, and hopeful for answers. They know that nonChristians are listening in, questioning everything, and wondering why they should change…
The Absurdity of the Cross
“And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified Jesus, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” - Luke 23:33 Historically speaking, there’s nothing special about crucifixion. Perhaps tens of thousands were crucified throughout the Roman empire. Before the time of Jesus, in 87 B.C.,…
The Opposite of Acts 2
What if God doesn't exist? What if Jesus never rose from the dead? Assuming that we accept naturalism as true, how might an accurate historian have explained the events of Acts 2? Here's my attempt at recreating this story if we assume there was no actual divine intervention: ...Allow me to briefly digress from these important histories…
The Wise Men and The Search For Jesus – A Talk on Matthew 2:1-12
This talk was given at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church during their 2012 "Voices of the Nativity" Advent Forum. A quick summary of the talk: Main point: The wise men were wise because they passionately sought after Jesus. Primary application: Be wise like the wise men - passionately seek after Jesus this…
Why Naturalism Is False (or Irrational)
"Why Naturalism Is False (or Irrational)" is a talk given to student organizations at both Harvard University and Boston College Law School in April 2013. The following notes reflect the substance of my talk after introductory comments: Our first task tonight is to define naturalism. What idea is it that I believe is false or…