A Faith Worthy Of Our Examination

Proof is the wrong word. We don’t “prove” there is beauty in the artwork or that our spouse is in love with us. But we know it—and it is true and very real. 

Is it reasonable to believe in God and in the Christian story? 

We interpret facts on the ground through the lens we have already chosen. Detective work doesn’t start with what evidence we want to have in front of us, but what we actually have in front of us. And it doesn’t help if I tell you I have a secret code you don’t have, or I only will consider evidence that already fits into my system but nothing else. No…I want us to look at what is readily available to just about anyone, and see what it suggests. So I’d like to look at some clues…that’s the phrase I prefer…clues…that point me to the story that defines my life. In this lesson, we look at clues in nature, in people, and in the story itself that has given rise to faith all over the world.

The sermon today is titled "A Faith Worthy Of Our Examination." It is the third installment in our "Worthy Faith" Series. The Scripture reading is from Deuteronomy 4:39. Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on November 6, 2022. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under Begin: A Satisfying Faith.

Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.

Footnotes (Sources and References Used In Today's Podcast):

• St. Augustine, Confessions.
• "I believe in Christianity, like I believe the sun has risen" (C. S. Lewis, "Is Theology Poetry?" in The Weight of Glory)
• Thomas Nagel, The Last Word (2001).
• Robert Jastrow, God and the Astronomers (1978)
• Arthur Eddington, The Expanding Universe (1933)
• Odds of life: 1 in 10(299). Lee Smolin, The Life of the Cosmos (Oxford, 1999). See also this article in Scientific American.
• H. S. Lipson, "A Physicist Looks at Evolution," Physics Bulletin 31 (1980), p. 138.
• A. N. Wilson, "Why I Believe Again" New Statesman (2009)

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Chapters

• 0:00 Series Intro
• 1:05 Introduction Highlight: How To Think of God
• 2:10 Proof?
• 7:21 Openness
• 10:43 Clue #1: The World
• 21:01 Clue #2: The Human
• 27:21 Clue #3: The Story
• 29:57 Conclusion: Will You Doubt Your Doubts?