INTRODUCTION: about 100 words.
1. THE EXISTENCE OF THE UNIVERSE
A. The universe had a beginning – If the universe existed forever than an infinite amount of time has gone by. Since it is impossible to reach infinity, the universe must have had a beginning. In contrast God does not need a beginning, since before the universe began, there was no space or time and therefore no violation of the law of non-infinity.
B. The universe had a cause - Everything that has a beginning has a cause. The universe had a beginning so the universe had a cause. In contrast God does not need a cause since he had no beginning.
C. The cause was a powerful personal being – If a cause of an effect is present, then the effect is also present (it occurs immediately). Therefore if the eternal cause (it must be eternal since it was the 1st cause) was a non-personal condition then the universe would also be eternal. The only way an eternal cause could give rise to a non-eternal universe is this: the cause was a personal being who spontaneously acted to bring the universe into existence. Furthermore the personal being must be immensely powerful - creating the universe is no small feat.
2. THE DESIGN OF THE UNIVERSE AND LIFE
A. The design of the physical universe - The ‘just
right’ values of the cosmic constants and the order
amongst the laws of nature.
B. The design of life
3. THE FULFILLMENT OF BIBLICAL PROPHECY
A. Cyrus
B. Daniel 2
4. JESUS CHRIST - HE WAS GOD ON EARTH
A. Statement of the reliability of the New
Testament
B. The fulfilment of the messianic prophesies
C. The resurrection
i. The empty tomb despite such heavy security
ii. The resurrection appearances
iii. The changed attitudes of the disciples –
they ran away like scared pussycats when Jesus
was being arrested, yet they relentlessly
preached the good news of the resurrection in the
face of torture.
iv. The conversion of Saul
v. The circumstances surrounding the early
christian church - the beginning of the christian
church was marked by an absolute explosion in
the number of converts, yet most of these
converts were devote Jews.
5. THE OCCURENCE OF SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENA
A. Answers to prayer
B. Miracles and angel appearances
6. THE EXISTENCE OF OBJECTIVE MORAL VALUES
A. Objective moral values exist – Some things are
really right or wrong.
B. Objective moral values imply that God exists – If there is no God, if we are nothing more then rearranged chemicals, then how could there be any ultimate moral values? Also, laws imply a lawgiver. Therefore ultimate laws (objective moral values) imply an ultimate lawgiver.
7. THE EXISTENCE OF THE MIND
A. The mind is not matter
B. The mind could not come from matter
C. Therefore mind must have always existed – And
therefore an eternal mind has always existed.
D. The eternal mind is a great mind - Finally since the first mind was eternal and since this mind was the ultimate cause of all other minds, it is reasonable to conclude that the first mind is greater than finite minds.
8. OUR SPIRITUAL NATURE
A. Divine longing - Also known as ‘The desire to
worship something higher than ourselves’.
B. Religious experience - One can wind the
religious experience argument up into a conclusion
by saying something along the lines of ’When one
experiences a close relationship with God, God is
not reduced to an inferred being - rather he
becomes a lived reality’.
