Curriculum Sneak Peek!
IMPACT: Unit 1 builds on the principles of apologetics, biblical worldview, and critical thinking to enable young adult believers to unpack the rich content of our DeBunked videos.
Today, I want to give you a sneak peek into one part of our soon-to-be-released IMPACT curriculum! You may have heard of it as the DeBunked curriculum, since the content of our DeBunked videos is what inspired this project. However, once all the research and most of the writing was done for Unit 1, and layout and design were in progress, we could truly envision how impactful this new resource would be, so that’s what we’ve named it—IMPACT. And, we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as Unit 1 (of 6) is available for pre-order or purchase.
The approach of IMPACT: Unit 1 is to build on the principles of apologetics, biblical worldview, and critical thinking to enable young adult believers to unpack the rich content of our DeBunked videos. To further enhance the reach of these fast-paced, mind-blowing, thought-provoking optical wonders, each unit provides opening engagement activities, team-building and family-strengthening exercises, strong biblical teaching, reflection time for the student, and lots of practical application to make Christianity real and life-changing for each participant. In other words, we’re putting our “Know It! Live It! Share It!” philosophy into practice in a BIG way!
One of the key components of teaching the Christian Gen Z population how to live out 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear,” is to teach them how to respond to some of the most frequently-asked questions by unbelievers. We call it “building an apologetics arsenal.” But don’t just take my word for it; see for yourself with the handout example below. Before you go right to that handout, though, please watch this video to build the background the students will get within the context of the curricular lesson.
After watching and discussing this video in the lesson, students will receive the following handout to read through, mark, and learn together in class as well as outside of class.
The Most Typical Questions Asked by Unbelievers That Christians Need Answers For
Handout 1: Who Made God?
If you claim that God made the universe and everything in it—even if you back it up with the Kalam cosmological argument—you will often be asked, “Then who made God?”
God’s Word can work in the hearts of those we talk to, and when we turn to Scripture to consider what we observe in the world around us, we can have confidence that our observations will line up with what we see in the Bible. Locate and read the following Scriptures:
Exodus 3:13–14 Isaiah 40:28 Deuteronomy 33:27 1 Timothy 1:17
The best way to approach this question is to explain that even trained scientists, with all their research and accumulated knowledge, cannot provide a shred of evidence for something—anything—coming from nothing.1 So all things that exist must have come from something. There had to be a beginning and, consequently, a being who started it all. Because of this fact, we can state, on the basis of both logic and the Bible, that God is the first cause. God tells us in His Word (see the verses above) that He is eternal, not bound by time. Watch the following video to reinforce this message.
God’s Word can work in the hearts of those we talk to, and when we turn to Scripture to consider what we observe in the world around us, we can have confidence that our observations will line up with what we see in the Bible. Locate and read the following Scriptures:
Exodus 3:13–14 Isaiah 40:28 Deuteronomy 33:27 1 Timothy 1:17
The best way to approach this question is to explain that even trained scientists, with all their research and accumulated knowledge, cannot provide a shred of evidence for something—anything—coming from nothing.1 So all things that exist must have come from something. There had to be a beginning and, consequently, a being who started it all. Because of this fact, we can state, on the basis of both logic and the Bible, that God is the first cause. God tells us in His Word (see the verses above) that He is eternal, not bound by time. Watch the following video to reinforce this message.
Proponents of the big bang theory and even believers in a multiverse cannot get away from the fact of an origination point. There had to be a time when time began. The Bible confirms this idea in Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Today, many people acknowledge an Intelligent Designer because there is no escaping that our universe shows a massive amount of intricate design by a great intelligence. The complexity of a single cell cannot be explained away by Darwinian evolution. Common sense, evidence, and the Bible can all be used to explain the need for a Creator. We believe that Creator is the God of the Bible.
So there’s your “sneak peek”! If you’re a parent (or grandparent) or teacher like me, you may be saying to yourself, “I wish I’d had a tool like this to support my faith when I was growing up.” Though such a resource may not have been there for us, we can each make sure that our children and grandchildren get access to this life-changing study. We will have a Leader's Kit available for church, Christian school, and Bible Study groups as well as a family Homeschool Edition which is perfect for parents who homeschool or not (to use with their teens who aren’t homeschooled). Let’s all commit to being a part of training and equipping the next generation to stand boldly on the Word of God. Stay bold!
1 Alistair Wilson, “How Could the Big Bang Arise from Nothing? The Conversation (January 3, 2022). Available online at https://theconversation.com/how-could-the-big-bang-arise-from-nothing-171986?fbclid=IwAR0TfoYeaJvN4e51-fS06FO3UYvoVsEGMpYQ2by8JvVVme5h_3i6AAgbdDU
To answer the questions you may have about God, creation, and the Bible, I encourage you to purchase a copy of our book, Did Jesus Commit Suicide? And 27 Other Questions Teens Are Asking about the Bible (That Adults Want to Know, Too) by clicking HERE.
HELP US REACH 10,000 DOWNLOADS OF OUR APP BEFORE OUR ONE-YEAR APP ANNIVERSARY, MAY 1ST! Our app is FREE and is designed to encourage you in your walk with Christ and to train and equip you in staying bold in your faith. Just click HERE, and look for the blue asterisk on the black background.
Holly Varnum, Director of Curriculum Development at Reasons for Hope, has decades of experience working with teens and adults in camp ministry, teaching, leadership, and curriculum writing (A Beka Book, Focus on the Family, and Answers in Genesis, to name a few). Saved at a very young age and with a passion for God’s truth, she has served in various roles including classroom teacher, homeschool mom, instructional coach, administrator, camp counselor, Sunday School and ladies’ Bible study teacher, and conference speaker.
Cooking/baking, hiking, traveling, and DIY projects are among her favorite pastimes. Holly and husband, Paul, have been married for almost 33 years, and enjoy any time spent with their three daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren (so far!). They live in Maine, and yes, eat lobster (properly pronounced “lobstah”) whenever they can!
Cooking/baking, hiking, traveling, and DIY projects are among her favorite pastimes. Holly and husband, Paul, have been married for almost 33 years, and enjoy any time spent with their three daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren (so far!). They live in Maine, and yes, eat lobster (properly pronounced “lobstah”) whenever they can!
Posted in Holly Varnum
Posted in IMPACT, Reasons for Hope, DeBunked, curriculum, apologetics, biblical worldview, critical thinking, Gen Z, Know It! Live It! Share It!, I Peter 3:15, Who Made God?, Stay bold!, Holly Varnum
Posted in IMPACT, Reasons for Hope, DeBunked, curriculum, apologetics, biblical worldview, critical thinking, Gen Z, Know It! Live It! Share It!, I Peter 3:15, Who Made God?, Stay bold!, Holly Varnum
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