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The Case for Faith: a series of seminars
God's Healing of Broken Emotions (GHOBE) are shortly to host a series of seminars looking at the 'Case for Faith'. The sessions are interactive and give opportunity for question and discussion.
Ian Tweedie writes:
I am involved as Chairman of the local charity GHOBE. We are planning to run a series of seminars on "The Case for Faith" and I would appreciate the opportunity to advertise the following series of sessions.
The Case for Faith informal evening seminars featuring the Lee Strobel "The Case for Faith" DVD with interactive discussion/questions are planned as detailed below.
Yours in Him,
Ian
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The Case for Faith
Tuesday evenings (6 sessions)
commencing 2nd February 2010
at
70 Glenurquart Road Inverness
at
7.30pm
Areas to be covered will include Why is Jesus the only way to God? The problem of evil and suffering in the world and Dealing with doubts and faith as a Christian.
Refreshments provided, limited places only.
Contact:
Dolina Geddes/ Ian Tweedie
Tel. 01463 226966 or
Email: contact@ghobe.org.uk
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The Case for Faith: Lee Strobel
In his No.1 best-seller The Case for Christ, legally trained investigative reporter Lee Strobel examined the claims of Christ, reaching the hard-won verdict that Jesus is God's unique son. But despite the compelling historical evidence that Strobel presented, many people grapple with serious concerns about faith in God. As in a court of law, they want to shout, "Objection!" They say, "If God is love, then what about all the suffering in our world?" Or, "If Jesus is the door to heaven, then what about the millions who have never heard of him?" Or, "If God cares for everyone, then why does he eternally torture some in hell?"
In The Case for Faith, Strobel turns his tenacious investigative skills to the most persistent emotional objections to belief--the eight 'heart' barriers to faith. The Case for Faith is for those who may be feeling attracted to Jesus but who are faced with formidable intellectual barriers standing squarely in their path. For Christians, it will deepen their convictions and give them fresh confidence in discussing Christianity with even their most skeptical friends.
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GHOBE Ministries, 14/01/2010
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Tami Jared (Guest) |
16/02/2010 01:41 |
I began reading "The Case for Faith" recently and am interested in finding a discussion group to talk over some of its points. I was raised in the Church and am a "Believer" however, the premature death of my husband and subsequent events along with seemingly UNanswered prayers have left me "Jaded" toward what I had previously believed about God. I am desperately struggling with Faith at this point. To believe or not to believe, that is the question. I want to believe but I need solid evidence to refute my current conclusions.
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Editor |
16/02/2010 08:57 |
Hello Tami,
Your location/situation might not allow you to join in the above group (I don't know). But it would be worth contacting these folks as they would be able to to 'give you a steer'.
However there are also ladies who are part of this (Christians Together) web site whom I am sure will be able to assist you (including your questions about death and 'unanswered' prayer).
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Peter Carr |
16/02/2010 11:07 |
Tami,
If you are in the UK, then there is confidential help/assistance available through a Christian organisation called Crossline - 0845 658 0045.
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Andrea Mac |
16/02/2010 12:42 |
Dear Tami,
I am so sorry to hear of your personal loss and can fully understand why you feel as you do. Just over three years ago, I lost my younger brother in Iraq when he was killed by a roadside bomb. He was a Christian, as are the rest of my family, and the pain resulting from this cannot be described. He was also only married for 3 months at the time and was only two months away from the end of his military career.
Naturally, we had prayed for him the entire time he was in Iraq and were confident that God would protect him while he was there and indeed he survived quite a few serious events in that time. The timing of his death seemed especially cruel and was one of the hardest things to grapple with that he should leave a new wife who was only ten days away from seeing him again and being able to go on honeymoon. Our poor frail mother also had to have this terrible sorrow visited on her. I don't know how many times I asked God "why?" and still don't understand why God allowed this to happen.
However, I feel it was only my belief and faith in God which enabled me to survive the situation at all and I really think I'd have gone off my head with grief if God hadn't been holding me in His arms throughout that time. It was maybe several months before all my family were able to agree that through it all we had felt an incredible comfort, a bit like a soothing balm poured over an excruciating wound. It was also at this time that I fully understood the part of Psalm 23 which says, "even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil . . . your rod and staff comfort me".
I so wanted an answer at the time as everything about what happened seemed so wrong. Even although I never received an answer, I no longer need one and realise now that I can't possibly understand things which are way beyond the realms of human understanding. A thought which occurred to me was that, in fifty years time, none of this will matter. We will all be where our relationship with God leads us and I have complete confidence that all my questions will be answered in a moment and will make perfect sense. In the meantime, I try to keep as close to God as my flawed human nature will allow and know that everything which God allows in my life is for a reason, even if it makes no sense just now. I also draw comfort from the fact that everyone in the Bible whom God loved had personal tragedies and sorrows and it didn't mean God didn't love them any more. I look at the story of Job and wonder how that man survived tragedy upon tragedy but God restored him. I can't possibly compare myself to Job whose personal loss was on a whole different level but God didn't abandon him there and he won't abandon you either.
Faith is usually tested in the hard times when you are clinging to it by your fingertips, else it isn't faith. None of us wants to experience pain yet we know at times it is inevitable since we live in a damaged world and everyone, good or bad, is affected by it to some degree. It is this reality which underlines why God had to make another place for us to be. This world, even at best, is a painful place to be and I long for Heaven where I can live again with those I've loved and lost in perfect safety and joy.
Tami, I'd be happy to communicate with you on a personal level and, if this is something you'd like to do, please let the Editor know and give him permission to pass on your email address to me.
I really hope that you will be able to ask God to give you the peace and comfort that He's given me and I'm sure He will if you turn the situation over to Him.
God bless
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