Topics covered

Introductory Dinner Talk: 5 reasons why you need to investigate Christianity

a) because of its impact on human history; b) to separate the fake from the real; c) because at some point in your life you must confront the ultimate questions of life; d) to find God’s help when your world is falling apart, and e) because something inside you says there has to be more to life than just existence.

1. What is God like?

This talk first shows that God is the most reasonable explanation for the source of this universe. Then it looks at the universe to see what it shows us about its maker: powerful, intelligent, purposeful, moral, personal, spiritual. It ends with two implications this truth has for us: a) it changes my view of myself, and b) it means that I am accountable to God because this is His world, not mine.

2. Who am I?

This talk starts by looking at the beauty of humanity made in the image of God (building from the previous talk) and ends by pointing to the fallenness of humanity (tainting every area of beauty with ugliness).

3. What is wrong with the world?

Here we show what individual fallenness does when multiplied onto the societal level. The United Nations is doing what it can, our own government is doing what it can, but we are unable to fix the problems of society unless we can fix the fallenness in the human heart, and only God can do that. We need God’s help!

4. Is the Bible reliable?

Five ways the Bible is reliable: a) reliable manuscripts, b) reliable history, c) reliable prophecies; d) reliable consistency, and e) reliable spiritual truth.

5. Who is Jesus?

Jesus is the way God is helping us (building from the end of talk 3). We start with the ways Jesus is like us (his humanity) and end with the ways he is not like us (His deity). The conclusion is the very powerful Lord/Liar/Lunatic/Legend options with an emphasis that “good moral teacher” is not an option.

6. Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

This talk deals with the issue of relative truth and absolute truth. It makes the point that Jesus’ resurrection is an issue of history and that takes it out of the relative truth category – it either happened or it didn’t. Then the talk looks at the evidence for the resurrection and the implications of it for us.

7. Why did Jesus die?

a) People sent Jesus to die (Judas, religious leaders, Pilate), b) the love and justice of God sent Jesus to die, c) Jesus chose to die, d) our sins sent Jesus to die. This talk covers the grace vs. works idea too.

8. How can I have a good relationship with God?

Brief coverage of the Trinity – God’s relational nature. Also covers several wrong views of how to be right with God (especially universalism and being good enough for God). Then it is very straightforward: recognise your need, understand God’s standard, consequences of separation from God, understand what God did about the problem (substitution), God’s love for you, put your trust in Jesus, the nature of faith, and your choice.

9. Turning towards Christ

This final talk sums up the course, re-explains repentance and faith, and brings people face to face with their decision. The speaker also verbalizes a prayer they can pray with him (although no public response is called for in the course – the idea is that they express their faith in their discussion group).