For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

This week we’re learning about apologetics. And while that might seem boring or lifeless, studying apologetics is powerful. It helps strengthen your own faith in God and also it gives you tools so that you can answer the objections others have about faith in Jesus.

When we share our faith, we can be led to believe that we should leave the Bible out of the defense of our faith to keep things neutral. The truth is, however, that the Bible is the most important part of the defense of our faith. If we don’t use the Bible, we’re laying down our most powerful apologetic weapon.

That’s because the Bible does what we can’t do. We can present evidence and reasons why the Christian worldview makes sense. But we can’t change hearts or attitudes. That’s where God’s word comes in. The Bible is alive, powerful, and active.

So when you speak to someone about your hope in Jesus, be sure to use the Bible also. The Bible is your greatest weapon, so don’t leave it out of your defense. There is power when you begin to speak the word.

Today’s Truth: The Bible is your greatest weapon, so don’t forget to use it to defend your faith.

As you stand up for your faith today, be sure to speak God’s word. Share scripture and know that as you do, God’s word is working in the hearts of those who are listening to you.

Pray: God help me to see opportunities today to share my faith. I know there are people out there who need to hear the hope I have in Jesus. I ask for your boldness to go out and share my faith with them today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Discussion Questions

1. What are some scriptures you could use when sharing your faith with others?
2. How can you keep those scriptures with you so that you’re always ready to share your faith?
3. Who is God leading you to share with today?

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. – Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

As we talk about apologetics this week, one thing we want to be sure we understand is that we are reasonable as Christians to believe what we do. The Christian worldview makes sense. It doesn’t contradict itself, and it accounts for the world around us and life as we see it today. That means our faith in God isn’t blind. It makes sense and can account for the world around us coming into existence.

Yes, there are aspects of believing that we can’t see. There are things in the Bible that we have to take entirely by faith. However, overall, belief in God isn’t a huge leap in the dark. It makes sense scientifically and logically.

As we study science, we realize how complex our bodies are. We see how intricate plants and living things are. It’s hard to believe that those things happened entirely by chance or by evolution. The chances of life on earth happening by chance are so small it defies probability. In that way, the Christian worldview makes sense of life and the things we see around us.

That means that our faith isn’t blind. No, we can’t see God, but we can see His creation. We see His love in sending His son Jesus to die for us. Those are just a few examples of how faith in God makes logical sense.

Today’s Truth: Faith isn’t Blind – It Makes Sense.

So today, don’t believe the lie that faith in God is blind. It’s not, as you study apologetics you’ll realize that the Bible is amazing in its accuracy. The prophecies in the Bible given about Jesus are accurate. The historical events described in the Bible took place and there is evidence for them in the world around us.

Don’t allow the world to silence you. Stand up. Be bold. Know that your belief in God is reasonable, and it’s right. Go out boldly and share the hope of Jesus with the world around you. See God move mightily through you!

Pray: God I thank you that believing in you makes sense of the world I see around me. I ask you for opportunities to share my belief in you today. I know that with your help I can make a difference in the world around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever sit and thought about how complex creation is? Do you believe that all that complexity could have come into existence by chance and evolutionary processes?
2. Who is someone you can share your faith in Jesus with today?
3. What are some resouces you can begin reading or reasearching to prepare yourself to give answers to the tough questions people have about faith in God?

Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. – Jude 1:3 (NLT)

We’re talking about apologetics this week. Apologetics might seem like a big scary word. It doesn’t have to be too overwhelming. If we break it down, it’s simply giving an answer or a defense for what you believe.

In our world, there are increasingly more and more people that don’t follow the Christian faith. As Christians, our response should be to stand up and give answers for our belief in Jesus. Often there are just small things that keep our friends and family from believing in Jesus. We can give them the answers they need and remove the things that might keep them from following Jesus. That’s why we study apologetics.

You might think that apologetics is apologizing for what you believe or learning to argue really well. It’s not. Instead, it’s sharing your hope in Jesus and giving good answers for the questions others might ask you about your faith in Jesus.

For example, some people feel the Bible is not relevant or it’s outdated. Others may feel like God is distant and not loving, so to respond to them, you should know what you believe and why you believe it. Then you can confidently stand up for what it is you believe and for the hope you have in Jesus.

Today’s Truth: Stand up and give a defense for your hope in Jesus.

You might be the only chance some people have to hear the gospel. So you should study and make sure you know what you believe and why you believe it. God has called you to be bold and stand up and defend your faith. Today choose to begin to study and know both the Bible and why it’s important to your day-to-day life.

Pray: God, I ask for your help in sharing my faith. Give me opportunities today to stand up and boldy share my hope in Jesus. Amen.

Discussion Questions

1. Do you feel equipped to share your faith? Why or why not?
2. How can you begin today to prepare yourself to give a defense for your hope in Jesus?

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, – 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

This week, we’re going to be talking about apologetics. That word might make you want to stop reading right now out of boredom. And I get it. I used to think the idea of studying apologetics was boring and lifeless. But as I’ve grown in my walk with God, I’m beginning to see that studying apologetics isn’t boring and useless.

By studying apologetics, we can share the love of God with others confidently. In 1 Peter 3:15, we read about being prepared to give an answer for the hope we have in Christ. Part of our job when we share our faith is to give people the answers they need to the questions that stop them from believing in Jesus.

Today’s Truth: When we study apologetics, we can share God’s love with others confidently.

If you’re like me and have thought that apologetics are boring and lifeless, stick with us this week. Each day I’ll share with you reasons why learning apologetics is good, and hopefully, give you a good foundation as to why we should study God’s word and learn to boldly speak up and proclaim the truth found in God’s word to those around us.

Pray: God, give me a heart for those around me. Help me to share my faith boldly with others so that I can let them see the hope that’s found in Jesus.

Discussion Questions

1. Do you feel that you could confidently share your hope in Jesus with others? Why or why not?
2. Who is someone you could share your hope in Jesus with this week? Ask God for opportunities to share with them.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – Phil 4:6 (NIV)

What is stressful in your life? Are you getting ready to go back to school and the idea of dealing with all the drama makes you almost sick? Perhaps your parents are fighting a lot and it makes you feel unsettled and scared. Regardless of the situation, stress and anxiety will show up at different points in your life.

The truth about anxiety is that if you give in to it, it will ruin your life. If left undealt with, anxiety will stop you from doing the things God has planned for you.

Truth One: I Can Control My Response

When anxiety hits, it’s good to know that you can control your response to the stressful situation. You can choose to give in to anxiety and let it cripple you or you can choose to overcome it.

Truth Two: I Can Say No To Anxiety

Even if you have a good reason to be anxious, you can say no to it. You can choose to focus on the truths in God’s word. You can combat anxiety in your life and overcome it.

Truth Three: I Can Choose Peace – Even When Things Don’t Look Good

It’s true, we all face those moments in life when things don’t look good. Maybe it looks like your parents will split up. Perhaps you’re failing a class and will have to repeat it next semester. Sometimes things just don’t look good. The truth is, in the middle of all the bad things happening around you, you can choose to live in peace.

You can look to God, to His word and find peace there. God’s promises are true. And you can choose to be at peace even when everything around you is not going the way you’d like it to go.

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So today be encouraged. You might be facing something that’s really stressful. You might have every reason to be anxious. But instead of giving in to anxiety, choose to focus on these three truths. Realize that God loves you, He’s rooting for you, and He will see you through every situation that you face.

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. – Eph 4:29 (NLT)

One time, my grandma made a pumpkin pie and she used chili powder instead of nutmeg as one of the ingredients. When we ate the pie, we were surprised at how bad it tasted. One small ingredient in the batter made a huge impact on the flavor of the pie.

Today’s Bible verse talks about the importance of words. Words are small things, that make a huge impact. A word can tear someone down or build them up. And while it’s easy to take our words for granted, we should be trying to do what we can to speak words of life to others.

Our words should be good and helpful. They should be words that build others up and encourage them. So today, as you’re speaking, take notice of the words you use. Ask God to help you use words that are good, helpful and encouraging!

Pray: God help me to put a guard over my mouth. Help me to remember to use language that builds others up rather than words that tear people down. I ask for your help today, In Jesus’ name, Amen.

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. – Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)

Have you ever dealt with depression, low self-esteem, and anxiety? If so, you’re not alone. Mental health issues like these are common, especially after the things you’ve dealt with in 2020.

In the midst of all of this, it’s good to remember that you’re not alone. God tells us that He will be with us when we walk through the fire. That means that even when you struggle, you’re not alone. You don’t have to face these things by yourself. God is there, ready to walk you through to the other side.

Don’t forget that God has provided total and complete freedom for you through Jesus. Believe to see victory over mental health issues. Know that God has provided you with an overwhelming victory through Jesus. Stand strong and expect to see God come through for you.

I remember always being bothered by bullying. When I rode the bus to school, there was a little girl who always got bullied because she was short for her age. The older kids would pull her hair and just make her feel bad.

I hated watching that, so I decided to reach out and be her friend. I asked her to sit on the bus with me. After a few weeks, this girl became one of my best friends that year at school.

We will always have bullies. Why? Because we will always have sin in the world. As long as people are not letting the Bible be the foundation for their actions and decisions, we will always have people doing bad things to other people. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that you can help. If you see someone being bullied, determine not to just sit by and watch or ignore it. Instead, choose to be a safe place for that person. Let them eat lunch at your table. Invite them to sit by you. Talk to them. Be an encouragement to them and look for ways to tell them about Jesus, if they don’t already know Him.

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. – Philippians 2:4 (NLT)

We aren’t to just sit by when we see people mistreated. So when you see someone being hurt or bullied, choose to help them. Don’t just worry about yourself, but take an interest in others. As you do, you’ll be amazed at how God will use you to help those around you.

Today’s Truth: Share the love of Jesus by Taking an Interest in Others.

You can make a huge difference in the friends and family around you by loving them, taking an interest in them, and letting Jesus shine through you!

Pray: Jesus, help me to take an interest in others. I ask for boldness to stand up and share your love with others in my world each day. Amen.