Can you answer tough questions that friends/skeptics bring up? Nobody can know everything, sure, but it’s not that hard to dig into an issue that has come up in recent chats you’ve had. My “Recommended” page links to a number of reliable sources (like Cold-Case Christianity’s J. Warner Wallace and the legendary evidence guy Josh McDowell).
I happened to land on Sean McDowell’s (that’s Josh’s son) 1-hour video “12 Tough Questions on God and the Bible.” I couldn’t believe 12 answers could happen in a single hour, but there are actually more than 12—given the secondary questions that come out in the interview! After the brief intro, we’re also reminded of the attitude we need to have. (The goal is not to win an argument.)
This hour concisely packs in practical, honest, simple responses—and with supporting Scriptures. Also appreciated was Sean’s confident-but-humble attitude. When some answers involved speculation, he was careful to say that he didn’t want to go too far with his opinion when the Bible doesn’t specify. (Be suspicious of teachers who claim to have deciphered every detail about the Bible.)
So check it out.
The perpetual, #1 tough question we hear is “Why would a good God allow evil/suffering?” And that’s the first one in this video. (My “God Hates Us All?” post shows how a teen class in the 1990s discussed that question.)
You can hover your cursor over the video’s timeline to see what other questions are addressed and jump to those.
Throughout this interview we also see, clearly illustrated, the importance of asking questions back to a questioner. (“Detective Perspective” steers to some more clues for equipping ourselves to do that.)
As you review the video, consider this suggestion for a small group of adults or teens: Watch a couple of the segments at a time and stop to discuss further. Even better, assign class members one of the questions before they see it in the video; they’re to come next time with their own suggested answers. (Insist that they include some relevant Scriptures.) Then hear their answers, watch Sean’s answer, and discuss further with other Scriptures/thoughts the leader has prepared. For each question, also have class members role-play some scenarios with friends.
