APOLOGETICS 101 - Part 3

Preface from Brannon Howse - "Building a Biblical Worldview: Verse by Verse"

It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention, and that is certainly the reason this book is in print today. Like many that make up this series, it was written out of my own need as a father. The necessity to teach my children Biblical doctrine weighed heavily on me—not in spite of the fact that they were only 4, 7 and 10 when this book was written but because they were so young and in need of instruction from early on. Hopefully, you think it’s normal that a father would be so concerned about teaching Christian truths to children, but you would be shocked to find out how many parents, and even pastors and Sunday school teachers, do not think about teaching children anything but simplistic Bible stories. They ignore a child’s need to know the truth behind the tales. The American church is in a sad state today because most have neglected doctrine in favor of entertaining stories. I recognize from my own upbringing the astonishing shortcomings of my Christian school and church, and I have been committed to laying the foundation for my own children so they will not be false-converts as was I until an adult. To accomplish the goal of training my children, I turned several years ago to a catechism for children. The book was structured so as to ask a theological and doctrinal question. Then children were to memorize a long paragraph with huge words that most adults could not define. I found myself scratching out certain words and substituting others my children could understand. After a few family devotions with this book, I realized my children were not going to learn sound doctrine this way! Since my family and I travel thousands of miles each year to one speaking engagement after another, I have lots of time to think as I sit behind the wheel of our motor coach. So one day I asked myself, “What do I want my kids to learn”? To that simple question I arrived at a simple answer: I want my kids to learn how to think Biblically. To do that, I knew they had to learn doctrine, and the best source for that is the Bible. After all, which would I rather have them commit to memory: a man-made paragraph or the divinely inspired word of God? Later that day, I typed out 52 questions—one for the kids to work on each week of the year—on my laptop. They are the questions for which I want my children to have a ready answer, from memory, from the Word of God. After coming up with my 52 questions, I searched the Scriptures for just the right verse to quickly answer each question. While I was writing this book, my then 10-year-old son was dreaming about the upcoming hunting season. He imagined owning a particular 20-gauge shotgun and joining me and my two labs for quail and pheasant hunting when he turned 11 early in the fall. Although my son had been saving his pennies, he counted out his jar of coins and bills only to discover he had nowhere near the funds needed to buy his gun. I sensed a motivational opportunity, so once I completed this manuscript, I printed it out and placed it in a three-ring binder. I told him that if he could memorize all 52 verses and be ready to answer any of the 52 questions with the appropriate Bible verse, I would buy the shotgun for him. The challenge resonated with him, and within three days he had memorized the first five verses. He also mapped out a plan to memorize all 52 verses in time to go hunting. Over the next few weeks I asked, “Who created the universe,” and my son would quote John 1:3. “Why is there evil in the world?” He quoted 1 John 3:8. Each time I threw out one of the 52 doctrinal and worldview questions, he answered them with a Bible verse. Wow. How cool, I thought. He’s learning doctrine—and Scripture! My boy is now well on his way to memorizing all 52 verses, and I really can’t wait to buy him that shotgun. He’ll make a great hunting partner. And if the Lord tarries and my son has a son, he can pass along that shotgun, together with the story of why his father bought it for him. The gun will be not only a great family heirloom but the physical symbol of a spiritual dynasty in the making. Oh that his shotgun were passed down to 10 generations of Howse sons as a reward for hiding the Word of God in their hearts!

BRANNON HOWSE August 2007

1. What is God's warning about being deceived and cheated?
Colossians 2:8

2. Why did Jesus Christ have to die for our sins?
2 Corinthians 5:21

3. How does a beleiver live a victorious Christian life?
Galatians 2:20

4. Where does every good gift come from?
James 1:17

5. What does satan desire to do to every person?
1 Peter 5:8

6. What does the Bible say about abortion?
Exodus 21:22-23

7. What does the Bible say about gambling?
2 Thessalonians 3:10 / Proverbs 11:18

8. What does the Bible say about active euthanasia?
Matthew 5:21

9. What should Christians do when they have problems or experience anxiety?
Philippians 4:6-7

10. What is the difference between someone who gains wealth over time through hard work and the person who strives to get rich quickly?
Proverbs 28:20

11. What should be the standard for our thought life and entertainment?
Philippians 4:8

12. What did Jesus say was the first and greatest commandment?
Matthew 22:37

13. What did Peter say about Jesus Christ after living with Him for 3 years?
1 Peter 2:22

14. How can a Christian obtain great gain?
1 Timothy 6:6

15. Who are Christians to imitate or look to as their role model?
Ephesians 5:1

16. What seven things does the Lord hate?
Proverbs 6:16-19

17. Why should we not be surprised or deterred when the world makes fun of our worldview and faith in Jesus Christ?
1 Corinthians 1:18

18. How should Christians live?
Philippians 1:27-28

19. Apart from salvation through Jesus Christ, what is the end result of our sin?
Romans 6:23

20. What does God desire for the wicked?
Ezekiel 33:11

21. What are we to do with every thought?
2 Corinthians 10:5

** (Remember, when you are clicking on the hyperlinks, give it a few seconds to load to the correct verse. And, for a more detailed explanation of the questions/answers you see above - check out the book "Building a Biblical Worldview Verse by Verse" - written by Brannon Howse. You can order you own copy by clicking here.) **