5 Launching Pads for Stellar Content

Do you ever feel like you’re having a hard time getting your research off the ground? Here are five starting points for content that’s out of this world.

1. Yourself

If you’re a Christian, you certainly know the gospel, and probably much more if you grew up in church.  

As the light of the world, Christians ought to have internalized enough of our faith to understand and explain it in our own words while conversing with an unbeliever. As professional, credible speakers, we hold to higher standards of academic integrity than we do in everyday conversations, of course. An informal, working knowledge may not be enough, but it’s a great start.

You’re also your own launching pad because you have unique life experiences and stories that no other speaker could contribute. Perhaps you used to believe one of the statements for analysis, and then God corrected your thinking. Maybe learning the meaning of a term was a breakthrough for you in understanding the gospel. It’s your speech, so make it truly yours.

2. Books

Books are fantastic, and since theology doesn’t change, you don’t have to worry about your sources being outdated. Church libraries are the best; you can also borrow books from club members and friends. Wait to buy a book until you know it’s the one you want.

A. Systematic Theologies

Most of these are really thick books, and some can feel dry and dense. Keep reading, though—they tend to be solid and very beneficial. This year I discovered Foundations of the Christian Faith by James Montgomery Boice, and I wish I had had it during my time in NCFCA.

B. Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Okay, we know that explaining the meaning and significance of something is way more than just defining it. Still, reading a definition in a speech improves credibility and clarity, and it earns you points for outside sources. Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias are also beneficial in expanding and crystalizing your own knowledge base.

C. Books Specifically for Apologetics

Lucky for us, real-life apologists write books to persuade unbelievers or equip Christians to do so. My favorite is C.S. Lewis’ classic Mere Christianity; two other excellent examples are Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ and Josh McDowell’s Evidence that Demands a Verdict. These cover a variety of topics and are interesting.

D. Books on Specific Topics

Apologists, theologians, pastors, and philosophers have written hundreds of books dealing with subjects relevant to our speech topics. Just make sure you know the author’s positions before you believe or cite him. I like The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W Tozer for Category I and W.A. Criswell’s Why I Preach that the Bible is Literally True for Category II. Ravi Zacharias has several helpful gems dealing with other worldviews.

3. Pastors and Church Leaders

Seriously, what pastor or youth pastor wouldn’t want to talk with a curious student about a specific Bible-related question? Be courteous and schedule a meeting (with a time limit) in advance. Remember to ask where to find more information, since you need outside sources. If you’re really polite, you might score a killer speech AND a community judge!

4. The Internet

No matter how instinctive it is to pull up Google whenever we need information, researching on the internet isn’t your best option. The most important tip is to know what makes the author a trustworthy expert. As in debate, the only excuses for being on Wikipedia are mining it for real sources or checking an author’s bio.

Still, there is a lot of helpful information, if you’re willing to search for it. You can also use the internet to read from non-Christian sources for free. For instance, you may not want to support Richard Dawkins by paying for one of his books, but you can access his website to learn about atheism and naturalism from the perspective of their proponents.

5. Unexpected Places

Everyday life is full of tidbits to incorporate. Listening to a sermon? Take good notes! Having your quiet time? Ask God to teach you as you read, and you’re certain to run into something for competition as you seek God in His Word. Reading the news? Listening to music? Watching a movie? Guess which worldviews are at play. Reading literature? Look for analogies and illustrations.

The great thing about apologetics is that it deals with real-life questions about real-life issues. Ideas are everywhere people are. We know that competitive apol is supposed to help with real apologetics, but can I tell you a secret?

It works the other way, too.

Some of my best speeches used stories of actual people with whom I’ve shared the gospel or talked about spiritual matters. Seriously, go interact with unbelievers and have the courage and compassion to bring up the best news you could ever give them.

With these five launching pads, you’ll be well on your way to speaking with stellar content. Take to the sky, and remember to have a blast along the way. 

4-Point Refutation in Apologetics

When starting out, it's easy to fill a speech with assertions, conclusions, and support willy-nilly. Things get more complicated when you address claims you don't believe. However, there is an orderly way to refute an idea with which you disagree. Debaters should recognize this format, and even non-debaters will find it simple to understand and use.

Point 1: Identify. While you won’t hear “Contention 3” or “Disadvantage 24”, most General Questions and Statements hide assumptions that you can expose to the judges. For instance, topic III.B.7, “Why would a loving God create hell?” implies that God must not be loving because condemning anyone to hell is cruel. Identifying the assumption behind the question increases your credibility and clarifies your speech.

Point 2: Tag. A “tag” is a summary of your point, short enough for the judge to quickly write down. Fortunately, writing space on an IE ballot is way bigger than those tiny columns on a debate flow! Still, keep it concise and very clear. A tag might be something like, “Hell is a just punishment for sin,” or “God loves by giving sinners what they want.”

Point 3: Support. Don’t just make claims; give the judges a reason to prefer your point over your opponent’s, even theoretical ones. Debaters are rated on their use of evidence or support, and guess what? So are you! In fact, that’s the first thing the judges rate you on after stating and adhering to the topic. (You can download an NCFCA Apologetics ballot here.) It is crucial to include scripture and outside sources, and even more crucial that your support actually strengthens your claims.

Furthermore, speakers too often neglect to cite sources. If you read a statistic, state the year the study was done and what organization performed the research, at the very least. There’s no rule requiring it, but it shows credibility and academic integrity, as well as helping the audience find the information later to share with unbelievers.

Be specific with quotations. Instead of saying, “the Bible says that,” or “as the apostle Paul wrote,” cite the reference if you can. And instead of “C.S. Lewis once said something like,” try “C.S. Lewis wrote in chapter 5 of Mere Christianity,” and read the quotation verbatim.

You don’t have an opponent across the table now, but be ready to dialogue with the many people who disagree with Christianity. Document your support just as carefully as you would for a debate round.

Point 4: Impact. Impacting is showing why your point matters to the judge. Often overlooked, this step can make your speech more personal and memorable. This is different from explaining the meaning and significance of a term in that it focuses on the significance of a particular point you’ve introduced, not an entire theological concept chosen for you to explain.

If you’ve never used 4-point refutation in apologetics, give it a try! Practice using it in your debate rounds, too, if you don’t already. Whenever you’re refuting an idea, this simple format is a recipe for clarity, organization, and solid communication. 

What's the Word? Divine Revelation, Pt. 1

Theologians who discuss Divine Revelation typically start by distinguishing between General and Special Revelation. This distinction is solid theology, and it can be helpful. However, since these terms aren’t in the Bible, I’d like to spark your imagination to see Divine Revelation in a new way. In this pattern of organization, God has revealed Himself through four types of words:

1. His Spoken Word: Creation. Creation is the result of God’s words: He literally spoke the universe into existence. His act of speaking (a fancier term is “locutionary act”) resulted in what He made revealing both His existence and His character. Although creation is marred by sin, it still shows its Designer’s fingerprints. Creation makes it clear that the Creator is worthy of worship. 

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.  He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. (Psalm 33:6-9, ESV) 

 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. (Psalm19:1-4a) 

 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:19-20) 

 2. His Written Word: Conscience. God has high moral standards, and He hasn’t left humanity in the dark about what those standards are. Although not everyone will agree about what to do in a tricky ethical dilemma, there is a common understanding across cultures that a moral law exists, and there tend to be similar ideas of what the virtues or rules are. This is because God has written His moral law on human hearts; even though consciences can become corrupted, they still testify to God’s existence and moral perfection.

 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them (Romans 2:14-15) 

In the traditional explanation, both creation and conscience would comprise General Revelation. They are insufficient for salvation but nevertheless reveal important truths about God. Part two will discuss two other types of Words by which God reveals Himself. Teleport yourself to Part Two to keep reading!

You Found It!

Welcome to Apologetics Toolbox! This site is here to help you better understand your Christian faith and communicate what you believe.

After four years of competing in NCFCA's limited-preparation Apologetics event, I've learned a lot about what works (and maybe even more about what doesn't) in terms of researching the basics of doctrine and communicating it in a way that engages and educates those listening. What you'll find here will apply to both competitive speaking and real-world conversations.

This site is not a shortcut. Please don't use my articles as an excuse to slack on doing your own research and coming up with your own ideas. Think of it as a toolbox, not a warehouse of finished furniture. And whatever you do, don't you dare copy and paste the articles onto your cards for competition.

Sure, I'll admit that I don't know everything, and there are lots of others who have helped me learn and get to where I am. Still, I enjoy teaching what I do know, and I hope that God uses this site to help you learn and speak His truth.

Happy Reading!