• We, and especially our children, are constantly being followed by a camera-toting wife
• “Scenarios” are constantly being arranged for photo opportunities.  We wonder if this is really candid living or carefully orchestrated dramatization.
• We’re known to say things like “Can we live the moment instead of trying to capture it?”
• We’ve got silly, cryptic names, as if people can’t figure out who we are…  in my case, it’s “Minister Man”
• We’re caught on camera doing some of the dumbest and revealing things.  It’s hard to decide if the posts are an invasion of privacy or an insight into our uniqueness.
• Our backsides are photo-centric
• We’re constantly ducking out of photo opportunities while our children have not yet learned that defense mechanism – this leads to lots of pictures of our hands and the sides of our heads
• Our meals have to be photographed before they’re prepared or eaten.  This is true of home-cooking and of restaurant meals.  Don’t you ladies know that we’re hungry?!?!
• On the upside, all this recipe sharing leads to some pretty yummy meals and snacks
• The story of our lives, while likely average or mundane, are highly dramatic sounding when written out in our wives’ photoblogs.  It’s almost as if we’re living on a reality TV show.

I’d love to hear if there any more of you out there in the blogosphere.  You know who you are!  Let’s hear from you, and perhaps we can add to this list.

• First, our house is now officially for sale.  We’re completing a few finishing touches on the house and the yard to prepare for an open house next weekend.  This is our greatest area of need for prayer.  We trust that God will finish his work of preparing us for a move to Charlotte.

• I’ve received a wonderful scholarship from the EPC that will effectively pay for a large chunk of our personal financial responsibility for seminary.  This is such a huge blessing, but we can only utilize it by being a full-time student in Charlotte (which requires a course load of 12 credit hours per semester).

• My church has graciously decided to show more financial support for seminary students in the future, which will also greatly assist in being able to afford seminary and supporting my family in the process.  Praise God for showing us how he plans to support us through this journey!

• I’ve signed up for my next seminary class, an online lecture class called Systematic Theology I.  The course requirements include two exams and a response paper.  I’ll have four months to complete the course, although I plan to work much faster than that this time.

• Ideally, our house will sell in time to move to Charlotte in late July or early August.  If that happens, I’ll be able to take Greek I for three weeks beginning August 2nd.  If our home hasn’t sold yet, we’re going to have to consider some contingency plans.

• If we don’t move by late August, we’ll have to consider what to do about my son and his education.  He’ll be in the first grade this upcoming school year, and our options are public school, private school (where he went for kindergarten), or homeschool (the current #1 contender).

• We’re on the hunt for churches in Charlotte.  Ideally, we’ll find a place where we can worship as a family and I can serve as a paid intern.

Your prayers would be appreciated for the above topics, and anything more that I ought to be considering.  May the Lord bless you and he’s blessed us!

As I embark on this voyage into ministry, I realize that I am going to have to rely solely on the power of the Holy Spirit to do anything effectively.  I am only beginning to understand the gravity of that realization, though.  It means that everything I’m good at, all of the “gifts” that the Lord has given me, they’re nothing compared to the power that’s necessary for successful ministry.  Look at the apostles… they were fumbling fools at the feet of Jesus, and yet when they were filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, they went on to perform “greater works” (John 14:12).

I want the kind of power that the apostles were given to do ministry.  I can imagine that only by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit will I be able to truly be the hands and feet of Christ on earth.  I’m aware that I’ve jumped into murky waters here.  I know that the “cessationist” versus “continuationist” debate rages on, and that both sides claim biblical support for their positions. I’ve learned that the biblical debate centers on 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 and Ephesians 2:20, and with my limited understanding of exegesis, I tend towards the continuationist side.  I’m quite aware that I’m heading to a school that’s quite firmly entrenched in the strong cessationist perspective.  I’ll also be facing opposition for my belief on the ordination of women, though that’s a whole other topic for discussion.  I think that the bottom line is that I’m a bit more open minded on the intentions and methods that the Lord uses.  While I agree with the bulk of Reformed theology in general, and I subscribe to the principle of Sola Scriptura, I feel that this understanding must also accompany an experiential relationship with the Lord that has captured my heart.

Because I don’t currently possess any of the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, it might be easy for me to believe that those gifts did indeed pass away at the end of the apostolic age.  After all, when I was baptized as a believer a few years ago, I also then received the Holy Spirit.  I do believe that I received some specific spiritual gifts right then, notably faith and teaching (and maybe others).  I don’t seem to have received any of the gifts of supernatural power, though.  So, should I conclude that because of my personal experience, I ought to dismiss the possibility of the continuation of the gifts of power entirely?

The implications of such a stance would be huge for me.  First and foremost, I would have to believe that some of my trusted friends who claim to possess some of the miraculous gifts, most notably speaking in tongues, are either delusional or deceptive.  I’d have a hard time making that conclusion, especially when those friends have devoted their lives to spreading the gospel and the ministry of the church.  They work in Jesus’ name.  They also seem to be the folks that earnestly rely most heavily on prayer and seek the Lord’s guidance in their daily walks.  Am I to conclude that some of the biggest prayer warriors I know are frauds?  I cannot.

Thus, my search for the power of the Holy Spirit continues.  I’m curious to learn what some trusted scholars have discovered, particularly Sam Storms, Wayne Grudem, and Jack Deere.  I plan to seek the counsel of some of those trusted friends and well as doing my due diligence academically.  I will continue to pray for the Lord to reveal to me His true intentions for the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and how he wishes for me to utilize the gifts he’s given me.  Finally, I thank the Lord for what appears to be answers to some of the prayers that I’ve been praying on this matter.  He’s led me to some wise counsel and he’s opened my eyes to some real opportunities for growth.  Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness.

The glimpses of seeing the Lord at work in the lives of my kids are seemingly few and far between, but tonight I had perhaps the most satisfying moment as a father.  Oddly enough, the moment came tonight after a questionable decision to watch the movie “Avatar” with my six-year-old son over the past two evenings before bed.  He seemed to enjoy the the first half of the movie so I agreed to let him watch the second half with me tonight despite my knowing that there would be violence.

*Spoiler alert* Please skip to the next paragraph if you haven’t seen Avatar and you intend to!  During the final battle scene, when the Na’vi had finally turned the tides and the forest creatures joined in, my son was thrilled to see the “bad guys” get destroyed.  He gleefully shrieked when a pack of giant hammer-headed beasts crushed the mechanized warriors that had decimated the good guys just minutes before.  He absolutely loved seeing the “dragons” fling the flying warships into the cliffs.  He really had a great sense of who to root for, particularly against the evil forces.  In the past, my son had often rooted for the bad guys in various movies and shows, but not this time.  Amazingly, this is not the end of my story.

When the movie finished, it was time to head off to bed (an hour late because of the movie).  We laid down on his bed and talked a bit about the movie.  I was interested to hear his favorite parts as well as finding out if any of the violence had scared him or impacted him.  He told me his favorite part, which involved the “dragon”, and he said that he wasn’t scared or sad or anything, and then he got quiet for a minute.  I was about to ask him what the scariest part was when he said “Daddy, I don’t think they worshiped the same God we do.”  He meant the “good guys”, that they didn’t worship our God.  I was floored, so I probed a little deeper.  I said “You’re right, buddy (my heart is full at this point)… there was something/someone missing from the story, wasn’t there?”  He said “Yeah, they didn’t know Jesus.”  WOW!  He continued “They were worshiping, but they were worshiping the wrong thing.  I mean, they prayed and stuff, but they prayed to a tree or something.”  Then, as if I wasn’t already fully blown away, he concluded with this nugget of spiritual wisdom.  Mind you, this is ALL unprompted…  he said “How can a created (the tree) be THE Creator.  It just doesn’t make sense.”

I about fell off the bed.  I told him how right he was, how proud I was, and we immediately prayed, among other things, that the people that made the movie would meet the Jesus that we know and love.  I really think that he was praying with me in his heart and not just listening to his bedtime prayer before zonking out.  Even now, as I write this an hour later, I am still full of thankfulness to the Lord that captured my heart.  I am thankful that he is answering my prayers for my kids.  I trust that my kids will both be believers, and true warriors for the Kingdom of God.

One more thought before I wrap this up.  I’ve talked to lots of people about Avatar, even though I hadn’t seen it until yesterday.  I had heard from a source or two that there were bits of bad theology mixed into the movie, mainly pantheism.  So, I was prepared for it when I saw it, and I wasn’t surprised at all.  Most people I talked to about Avatar, though, made no notice of the theology and just enjoyed the movie.  Mind you, I enjoyed the movie, too.  Anyway, leave it to my six-year-old, as if he were a mature Christian, to solemnly point out that they weren’t worshiping the right God.  I find that highly ironic and totally amazing.

Nights like tonight are so gratifying, comforting, fulfilling, and all kinds of other words ending in ING.  I am just so happy that the Lord is taking hold of my kids’ hearts and that the time I spend telling them everything I know about the Creator of the universe is actually sinking in.  Wow… just wow!

Now, in order that this renewal to happen, we have work to do.  We’ve got to get praying for Cleveland.  Certainly, innumerable people have been praying for Cleveland for decades upon decades, but I think that a more concerted effort of focused prayer for renewal in Cleveland is in order, and on a grand scale.  I’m thinking of numerous groups of prayer warriors, from numerous churches, praying for Cleveland and its numerous facets… leaders, residents, employees, visitors, and SPORTS TEAMS???

Yes, I think we ought to be praying for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  I think we ought to be praying for LeBron James.  LeBron is clearly a person of significant influence, and for the most part, he seems to have his head on straight.  Occasionally you’ll hear him give thanks to the Lord for his God-given talents.  He keeps his nose clean and stays away from trouble and controversy.  I have a slight problem with the whole “King” thing, although I don’t think he asked for that moniker.  I think we ought to pray for him (and his elbow).  I pray that LeBron will embrace his high-profile circumstance and use it to give glory to God’s majestic name.

A championship would be such a blessing for Cleveland, although perhaps not in the way you might think.  I would like to see a championship in Cleveland not merely because it makes rooting for Cleveland sports more fun, but rather it’ll allow us to get over our wallowing in self pity.  Maybe it’ll even help us to recognize the renewal that’s unfolding in this city.

The name of a blog I check from time to time summarizes the condition we’ve become accustomed to in enduring Cleveland sports… “Waiting For Next Year“.  Isn’t that what we’re always doing here in Cleveland?  Let’s get past this incessant waiting for next year and focus on the moment we’re in.  Let’s give thanks for the blessings we’ve been given keep our eyes open for opportunities to glorify God in the now.  Finally, if we want to look to the future, lets consider only the coming of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.  And while we have our sights set on the return of the real King, I think it’d be alright if we ask him to bless the Cavaliers and grant us a championship!

We’re in desperate need of some help! As most of you know, my family and I are planning a move to Charlotte, North Carolina this summer so that I may continue my seminary adventure. In order for that to happen, we need to sell our house in Seven Hills ASAP. In order for THAT to happen, we need to knock out a list of repairs so that the house is fully marketable. This is where we need your help.

As you may know, I am woefully inept when it comes to “handiness”. Mostly, I lack the tools and experience to do anything effectively. That’s why I’m asking for your help. The following is a list of needs for our house. If you have any time and expertise available for any of these tasks, or if you have a capable friend/spouse that’d be willing to help, please let me know if we can arrange a time in the near future to cross it off the list. Here’s the honey-do list…

• Repair front doorway woodwork
• Refinish/replace wood trim leading down the stairs to the basement
• Install threshold plate from the hallway to the master bedroom
• Power clean and refinish the deck
• Tighten/adjust the some of the loose/crooked wooden pieces on the deck
• Install light fixture in kitchen hallway and downstairs bathroom
• Replace the banister at the bottom of our staircase. It’s missing a spoke or rung or whatever it’s called and it looks old in general.
• Fasten the wooden threshold plates to the floor that lead from the living room to the kitchen
• Patch a small hole in the wall in the upstairs bathroom
• Replace a small piece of rotten molding in the upstairs bathroom
• Replace the water pipes in the garage that burst a year and a half ago because we forgot to cut off the water pressure to that faucet
• Reseat upstairs bathroom toilet with a new wax ring and reattach with new screws
• Repair/replace bathtub water faucet in upstairs bathroom
• Install light cover in upstairs shower
• Paint/wallpaper upstairs bathroom
• Paint ceiling in master bedroom

If you feel that you could help or provide guidance for any of these projects, please let me know. We’d love to have you over to get a better idea of what we’re talking about here. Some of this stuff I could possibly do myself with a little time and direction (and tools). If you’re unable to help us right now, that’s alright. We ask that you might join us in prayer for the sale of our home and for God to be glorified in the process.

Time is of the essence. Thanks in advance!

Blessings, Jason

PS: If any of you have any experience with real estate transactions, we could use your advice. Here are our listings on Zillow and Craig’s List. We’re considering retaining the services of a realtor or using a service like NextHome. Your thoughts are certainly welcome.

This is it!  We are finally placing our home on the market after nearly a year of anticipation.  Here are the essentials in case some miracle sends a potential buyer to this site…

Our beautiful red brick home is for sale!  This home is a unique bungalow design with a large attached garage, a full second story, central air, and a huge yard.  The upstairs features two large bedrooms (15×15), one small bedroom/nursery, lots of closet and attic space, and a full bathroom with shower and tub.  The main floor features a large eat-in kitchen with updated stainless steel appliances and a tile floor, a large living room (20×12) with hardwood floor and wood burning fireplace, a carpeted den/playroom (12×12), and a half-bath.  The basement is finished with tile floor and wood burning fireplace on one side and a utility/laundry area on the other side.  The house has modern paint and light fixtures throughout.  The outside features a deck (20×12), a number of trees, and lots of area for gardening.

• Address: 4195 E. Pleasant Valley Rd.
• City: Seven Hills, OH 44131
• Style: Brick Bungalow, Built: 1946
• 3 Bedrooms, 1.5 Baths, ~1617 square feet
• Large 0.76 acre property
• Schools: Green Valley Elementary, Hillside Middle School, Normandy High School
• See it on Zillow, Craigslist
• Price: $167,500

I would not generally say that I flat out deny the existence of God because I would change my mind if confronted with good enough evidence.  That makes me an agnostic atheist (just like every other atheist I’ve ever met).  This means that I don’t believe there is a God, but I don’t claim to know for sure.

More specifically with the Christian God, I suppose I would deny outright the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient and omni-benevolent God because of the problem of unnecessary suffering.

Take, for example, the cosmological argument, with which I’m sure you’re well familiar.  When I examine the scientific findings regarding the expansion of the universe, it leads me to believe that the universe had a “first cause”.  If it’s growing, it had to start from nothing.  In my opinion, the only possible first cause is God.  However, when you’re confronted with the same evidence, you might suggest that our universe is part of a greater “multiverse”, and the tools for creation rest in there.  Of course, I would counter that claim by asking how the multiverse came to be.  Your own “burden of proof” becomes a stumbling block there as well.

My question to you is, don’t you think that if I were to show you some compelling evidence for the existence of God, you would dismiss it with some sort of naturalist response?  From my perspective, there’s an overwhelming abundance of evidence for God.  His signature is all over the universe, at both the cosmic and the microscopic scales.  Scripture says that unbelievers all know this to be true, and yet they suppress this truth (Romans 1:19-21).  I don’t necessarily want to have a debate over the specifics of each of those “evidences”, particularly because of what I’ve said already.  I think we should start simply by recognizing that we cannot bridge our gap by my providing any evidence and then go from there.

One more statement I’d like to make is that I’m a bit curious about your definitions of perspectives.  You claim to be an “agnostic atheist”, but do you actually spend time investigating from a theist perspective?  For example, do you go to church every so often, just to see if you might discover the truth one day?  If you don’t believe you could ever discover the truth in a church (or a mosque, synagogue, temple), then could you really call yourself an agnostic?

I also have no reason to be biased against evidence for God.  Wouldn’t it be great if there was a God looking out for us, or if heaven existed, or if I knew that everyone I knew who’s died isn’t gone and that I’ll see them again?  There are many people who I could have much better relationships with if I believed in God; when I left the Church I left behind a lot of friends.  It’s the same with other claims; wouldn’t it be great if homeopathy worked, for example?  I remember the exact moment that I left Catholicism.  I was standing before the grotto at Lourdes, crying my eyes out, and I turned to my priest and said “I think I’m losing my faith.  I want to believe, but I don’t think I can.”  I had an awful lot invested in my belief in God and I would happily go back to that if I was provided with enough evidence.

Specifically regarding the cosmological argument, and I know you don’t want to focus on specific pieces of evidence (although I don’t know where else this discussion could go), but I can’t just leave it unaddressed.  You say that the only possible first cause is God, but that’s a specific type of argument from ignorance called the “God of the Gaps”.  You can’t think of any other explanation, so you conclude that it must be God.  That’s not how you construct an argument.  You can only argue by eliminating other causes when you know all the possible causes.  Instead of God, why not go with the much simpler explanation of the existence of a particle which exists outside of time as the cause of the Big Bang?  Personally, I am perfectly happy to say that when it comes to the origin of the universe, I don’t know.  The theist, on the other hand, replaces one mystery with another when he says “God did it”.  It is a non-explanation, because it says nothing at all about how it happened.  Furthermore, jumping the gun in that way and going with one explanation before enough evidence is in discourages the search for the real answer.

Regarding church, I have gone a few times but not because I thought it might change my mind.  I want evidence, not preaching.  I don’t really care all that much what the Bible or any other supposedly divine revelation says until I’m convinced that its authority is real.  That doesn’t make me less of an agnostic.  It’s not up to me to investigate every claim that’s ever been made, and those that haven’t, before I can call myself an agnostic.  I do, however, frequently engage with theists, mainly Christians but not exclusively.

Unfortunately, I doubt that either of us will be convinced based on the presumptions of the other.  Rather, we need address our worldviews themselves, since they’re the basis of our interpretation of evidences.  Ultimately, there is no neutral ground to which we can move to evaluate the scenario objectively.  You see, because you deny the existence of God, you must examine evidence using only your own human rationality.  This makes human reason your own highest authority, yet on what basis are you able to trust human reason?  Given a natural, random cause for the existence of the universe (and subsequently beings with the ability to think and reason), why should human thought be trusted as authoritative?  Aren’t our thoughts, then, just accidents caused by various neurons firing in a certain manner at a certain time?

The idea that we can know reason from irrationality, truth from untruth, right from wrong, and good from evil demonstrates that there are some sorts of laws and order to the universe.  For the Christian, this is no problem, because we recognize the evidence that God has revealed to all humans in the form of natural revelation (the world) and special revelation (scripture).  He has made it quite clear for us, and all of the evidence fits quite nicely.  Without the Christian worldview, the ability to even consider evidence and assign value to it becomes rather difficult to explain.  Other worldviews collapse under their own absurdity, often either self-refuting or borrowing from the Christian worldview.  For example, how can one explain rationality itself without assuming that there is an ultimate standard for reason?  How can there be an ultimate standard for reason if we are all here by accident?  Furthermore, why should our reasoning be trusted?  Where else but an absolute personal God can our ability to apply reliable reasoning to the world be attributed?

By “standard of evidence” I am referring to the type, quality and quantity of evidence for a certain claim.  An equal standard of evidence is one of a similar type, quality, and quantity to another, assuming that the claim is of a similar level of extraordinariness.  By that, I mean that if you told me you went to the library this morning, I’d take your word for it, that would be enough evidence because it’s a completely ordinary claim (and also to a certain extent because it doesn’t matter one way or the other).  If, however, you told me you saw a pink elephant fall from the sky, I’d have a hard time taking your word for it, because it’s considerably more extraordinary.  It doesn’t get much more extraordinary than a God claim; we have no experience of it.  Similar claims in the past have not subsequently been backed up by evidence (unlike the library claim, people say similar things all the time and it turns out they’re right), and also because it matters a great deal if God exists or not, particularly if I’m supposed to believe something on his authority.  I don’t need authority on which to base this standard of evidence.  It is, after all, what I find convincing for my own beliefs.   Generally, it’s striking a balance between too high a standard of evidence, in which case you would be dismissing things that are true, and too low a standard, in which case you would believe in things that are mutually exclusive.  But it’s more important to be consistent.

Let’s now discuss reason and truth.   So, do you think that if there were no God there would be no such thing as a fact?  The order of the universe in fact fits very well into the non-theist worldview; if everything is deterministic, then you would expect things to react in a similar way under similar conditions.  Indeed, I’d expect a universe that works according to the whims of its creator not to act consistently, particularly if we’re talking about a God who is supposed to intervene.  I’d also like to quickly point out that not much in the universe is random chance, depending on how you define that.  Evolution certainly isn’t, so here we have an explanation for our faculties to determine fact from fiction.  It usually benefits our survival to know what’s out there, how things work, etc.  However, it is far from perfect; an easy example is an optical illusion or some other type of cognitive bias.  Our brains have evolved to spot patterns, even when there isn’t one, because that’s beneficial to our survival, even if it is not beneficial in an attempt to know the truth. (On a quick aside, how does this imperfection fit into your worldview?  If, as in your last sentence, you claim that our reliable faculties can only be attributed to an absolute personal God, how do you explain the fact that it isn’t perfect?)

This imperfection is exactly why we need logic and science, to iron out the imperfections, and to remove human influence as much as possible from the result, so that we are as close as possible to the truth.  I am a little confused about your “ultimate standard of reason”.  There are absolute truths, I either went to the shops yesterday or I didn’t.  Chemicals either react in a certain way or they don’t.  Reason (and science) is a human tool to determine truth from non-truth, nothing more.  How can we rely on this? Because it gets results!  Look around you, the computer you’re using right now is a product of science, designed using a reasonable application of evidence.  No other system of thought has done anything even remotely comparable to just that one machine, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  Are we just going to throw this process away and rely on faith, or some other system of thought?

So, what happens when the scripture doesn’t line up with the world?  There are plenty of examples; God did not create the world exactly as it is, pi does not equal 3, killing birds and doing some ritual with its blood does not cure disease, there was no census in the year that Joseph supposedly had to return to Bethlehem.  It doesn’t seem like there’s much consistency to this ordered worldview.  And that’s just the factual stuff, there’s also a whole load of stuff in the Bible that differs with our ability to reason out morality.

Quickly, I’d like to give you an answer to your “aside” question before we move on to your worldview, only because it’s relevant to the worldview topic.  An imperfect mind is not at all a problem for a Christian, simply because God didn’t create other gods, he created creatures (humans).  Everything in creation is subordinate to him.  Just because God has perfect faculties doesn’t necessitate that humans have perfect faculties.

Now, let’s discuss that worldview of yours.  Here’s the statement upon which your worldview collapses:  “…to remove human influence as much as possible from the result, so that we are as close as possible to the truth”.  You see, you must use your human faculties to determine this truth from untruth.  However, if you suggest that human influence is to be removed so that we may approach absolute truth, then why not discredit your own human reason?   You seem to recognize that the human mind is fallible and not to be trusted, and yet in contradiction you seem to think that the human mind is able to establish absolute standards upon which we may rely.  To your question, we need not throw away logic, reason, or science precisely because God has given us these tools as a way for us to know about him and the world he created.  Our faith simply allows us to understand the source of these tools.

So, is human reason to be trusted or not?  If so, then how do you know that my human reason isn’t more accurate than yours; and how are we to judge when we disagree?  If human reason is not to be trusted, then by what standard are we able to discover absolute truth?  Can some impersonal source like evolution or pantheism tell us anything about what to believe?  You see, evolution doesn’t care about beliefs or truth, only on behaviors and results.  Can’t you conceive of a person that is wrong about a great many things in the world and yet is still able to survive and to reproduce?  False beliefs can lead to survival equally as well as true beliefs.  Natural selection cares only about living and multiplying, not about truth, rationality, logic, morality, or anything of the sort.  I suggest that the very existence of truth, rationality, logic, and morality necessitate a personal absolute (God).

You said “we need not throw away logic, reason, or science precisely because God has given us these tools as a way for us to know about him and the world he created.  Our faith simply allows us to understand the source of these tools.”  As far as I can tell this is a bold assertion without any evidence to back it up.  How do you know that God gave us these tools?  History shows us that science and logic were invented by humans and perfected by humans over the last few millennia.  God doesn’t seem to have had much to do with it at all; indeed, science is largely contrary to faith.  Faith brought us witch hunting and blood-letting, it doesn’t seem to be all that reliable.  Science, on the other hand, gets results.

Given more time and flexibility with the length of this paper, I would have likely continued this discussion by shifting the focus of the discussion away from evolution toward the Christianity and the Bible.  Before long, I expect we’d be engaged on the problem of evil and unnecessary suffering, especially since Mike included that issue in his initial response to my inquiry.  It was clear from his responses that Mike requires evidence for the proof of God’s existence, though I’m convinced that he will never be persuaded by an evidential apologetic.  That is precisely why I persisted with the transcendental argument, even though it seemed to be a futile cause.  Ultimately, Mike put up a good front, and only by God’s grace through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will he be convinced that Christianity is true.

So what’s this about?  It’s certainly a provocative title, but it can’t imply that I intend to cheat on something, right?  Well, the way the book puts it, something or someone is always going to get cheated in our busy lives, and it’s just a matter of who or what.  For me, the issue is time management.  I have a lot on my plate and not enough time to handle it all.  That means that I have to prioritize and cut things short or cut them out entirely.

I have been giving this a lot of thought recently, and I’ve decided on a few particular principles that have become non-negotiable.  First, I need some time for personal devotions.  Simply put, I need to hang out with God.  That means prayer, scripture, time for reflection, and possibly some other edifying books.  Firmly in second place needs to be my family.  Dinner time is essential.  Bed time with the kids super quality time.  Relaxing time with my wife at night is wonderful.  After this, things tend to get foggier.

I thought it’d be fun for me to digitize my current “to do” list, partially to help me sort it out, partially for future reference, and partially for fun.  Here goes, in no particular order…

• Prepare my house to hit the market in a month
• Complete dialogue paper for Apologetics course
• Study for and take final exam for Apologetics course
• Hire a new employee for my company (essentially my replacement – it’s complicated)
• Train said employee
• Grow my business and maintain what we’ve got
• Find a new church home in Charlotte
• Apply for seminary scholarship
• Look for other sources of financial assistance in anticipation of our “seminary adventure”
• Come “under care” of my session and my presbytery
• Continue developing the Men’s Discipleship program at church
• Disciple as many people as possible before we leave, especially the relationships that are already developing
• Have as much quality time as possible with my extended family before we leave
• Write a sermon to be preached hopefully this summer before we leave
• Write research paper for Church History II course
• Study for and take final exam for Church History II course
• Read as much of my book backlog as possible
• Lose some weight and get in shape
• Maintain my low stress level through all of the above

As I examine this list, it strikes me as absurd!  Seriously, how am I going to get all of this done in the next few months?  I think I’m going to have to cheat.  The question is where do I cheat… I expect the Holy Spirit will guide me to the answer, and it’ll be fun to see how He helps me work it out.

The topic for my class was “Apologetics”, which may be defined as a reasoned defense of the faith.  The apostle Peter made a case for apologetics when he said to “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

All of us Christians have had to defend the faith at one time or another.  This would include defending against or trying to persuade a non-believer of the hope that is in you (the gospel).  It could also address any doubts that we face as believers.  Thus, apologetics is not just for theologians that want to “argue” with atheists, but it’s an integral part of evangelism on par with preaching.  Also, I should  make it clear that apologetics does not involve “apologizing”, as if we’re sorry for our Christian beliefs.  Quite the contrary!

There are essentially two components to my grade in the apologetics course.  The first, of course, is an exam… no surprise there.  The other major component is a “dialogue paper” in which I’ll have to present a real or fictitious interaction with a skeptic (non-believers or skeptical believers are equally good).  For this reason, I invite any of you that have questions, concerns, or doubts about the Christian God to share them here as comments on my blog.  I’d be more than happy to answer your questions, and it might just help me out for my course grade!