The Case for Christianity Answer Book

by Lee Strobel

Overview

Answers to the most-asked questions about Christian faith!

The Case for Christianity Answer Book is a great book for both newer and seasoned Christians alike. The Q&A format lends itself to helping believers know how to effectively defend their faith. Perfect for those ready to consider Jesus, longtime believers, someone seeking the truth, or even a skeptic. This book is great for anyone looking for a handy reference. The Case for Christianity Answer Book provides succinct answers to real questions about Christianity. Strobel, a former atheist, uses his investigative journalism skills to dig deep into the Bible to provide compelling and concise answers about Christianity.

In this answer book, bestselling author Lee Strobel offers biblically based answers to questions such as:

• Did God use evolution when He created the world?
• If God is loving, why is there so much suffering?
• Do the resurrection accounts in the four Gospels contradict each other?
• Can you have doubts and still be a Christian?

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310355151
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	08/12/2014
Series:	Answer Book Series
Sold by:	HarperCollins Publishing
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Lee Strobel, former award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Lee earned a journalism degree at the University of Missouri and was awarded a Ford Foundation fellowship to study at Yale Law School, where he received a Master of Studies in Law degree. He was a journalist for fourteen years at the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers, winning Illinois’ top honors for investigative reporting (which he shared with a team he led) and public service journalism from United Press International. Lee also taught First Amendment Law at Roosevelt University. A former atheist, he served as a teaching pastor at three of America’s largest churches. Lee and his wife, Leslie, have been married for more than fifty years and live in Texas. Their daughter, Alison, and son, Kyle, are also authors. Website: www.leestrobel.com

Read an Excerpt

Case for Christianity Answer Book

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By Lee Strobel

ZONDERVAN

Copyright © 2014 Lee Strobel
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-310-33955-7

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CHAPTER 1

Prelude

Seeking Spiritual Answers

1

I have so many questions—and a few doubts—about the Christian faith. What should I do with them?

You are doing precisely what you need to do—you're being honest with yourself and open with your questions. That's the first step toward finding answers. If you do the opposite-bottling up your concerns in the hopes they'll go away—then they'll just fester and infect your entire spiritual life.

Instead, let me urge you to follow the wisdom of Scripture. Jesus said, "Everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matt. 7:8). This echoes a principle in the Old Testament: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jer. 29:13).

I've struggled with spiritual questions for most of my life, and in some ways I still do. It's an ongoing process to find answers that satisfy my heart and soul. But even bouts of doubt can show we're thinking and growing, rather than simply clinging to what we've been told.

As I described in The Case for Christ, my greatest season of spiritual introspection came after my wife, Leslie, announced that she had become a Christian. That was hard news for a skeptical journalist to hear! But it set in motion my own journey of asking tough questions—and discovering unexpected answers. In the end, I concluded that it would take more faith for me to maintain my atheism than it would to become a Christian!

After almost two years of searching, I got on my knees and asked Jesus to forgive my sins and lead my life. It was a decision that changed everything; in fact, it was the pivotal moment of my life.

That decision, mixed with the research I did then and in the time since then, led me to a sense of confidence that there are satisfying answers to even our hardest questions. It's in that spirit that I write this book.

Jesus stayed behind ... sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.

Luke 2:43, 46–47

2

Can you offer any practical ideas on how to approach this journey of finding answers?

Despite my initial reluctance to seeking spiritual truth, I did do one thing right. I set three principles for myself at the beginning of my search—guidelines that helped me then and that I trust will help you now, whether you're a skeptic or a Christian with questions.

1. Make the search a front-burner issue.

Finding answers is too important to approach casually or in sporadic snatches of time. I knew—and hope you agree—that these are urgent matters. Jeremiah 29:13 encourages us to seek God and his truth "with all your heart."

2. Keep an open mind and follow the evidence wherever it leads.

This principle had been drilled into me as a journalist, and it served me well in my spiritual journey. I had to strive for as much objectivity as I could muster, putting aside preconceived ideas and biases. Only then could meaningful answers be discerned. French philosopher Blaise Pascal said, "Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that unless we love the truth, we cannot know it."

3. When the evidence is in, reach a verdict.

I knew these realities were far too important to ignore. If God is real, and if Jesus is who he claimed to be, then I would have to respond accordingly. Similarly, I hope you'll decide up front that when you weigh the facts, you'll allow the evidence to impact your own beliefs.

One more suggestion: Ask the God you may not be sure about to guide you. Just as Jesus honored the doubter who said, "I do believe; help me overcome my belief!" (Mark 9:24), he will honor your sincere request.

If you'll apply these principles and seek answers wholeheartedly, I'm confident you'll discover—as I did—that Jesus was indeed right when he promised:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

Jesus, in Matthew 7:7–8

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Case for Christianity Answer Book by Lee Strobel. Copyright © 2014 Lee Strobel. Excerpted by permission of ZONDERVAN.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

I. Prelude: Seeking Spiritual Answers, 1,
II. Answers About God, the Creator, 11,
III. Answers About the Bible, 41,
IV. Answers About Jesus, 93,
V. Answers to Other Challenges to Christianity, 147,
VI. Postlude: Turning Answers into Action, 183,
Notes, 203,
Recommended Resources, 211,
Meet Lee Strobel, 213,