The Christian And Creation - A Workbook On Bible Evidences and Apologetics

This is an excellent read on a needed topic. Here’s what I liked…

CONCISE
With an average chapter length of about 9 pages, this book doesn’t get bogged down in minutiae. You can use it as a summary of deep topics, and as a starting point for further reading by seeking out the many Scriptures and sources cited.

GREAT QUESTIONS
The Questions at the end of each chapter are absolutely top-notch, and if you plan to use this book to teach a class, you can count on plenty of discussion. Instead of just regurgitating facts, they build upon what the chapter discussed and even introduce new thoughts and passages. Take Question 9 from Chapter 2 as an example: “We usually think of Darwinism in the scientific realm, but organic evolution also has social implications. Research the sad life of Ota Benga in American history and discuss the impact of Social Darwinism.”

INSIGHTFUL QUOTES
The book itself is highly quotable, and useful to me as a quick reference for that reason. It also contains some interesting quotes from other sources, such as Ionkov and Settlemyer’s quote about the data storage efficiency of DNA (p. 28), Isaac Newton’s mention in Principia about the “dominion of an intelligent and powerful being” (p. 73), and Benjamin of Tudela (A.D. 1160) describing the destruction of Tyre (p. 111).

APPENDICES
Don’t overlook the three bonus chapters in the back. I especially liked Appendix C, which refutes the “Infinite Monkey Theorem.”

John Evans has published this book through One Stone Biblical Resources. It is a workbook “suitable for 45-minute classes,” but I’ll also recommend this work for anyone to read through and study.
Some workbooks on topics like this are technical, academic and therefore beyond the reach of the average reader. This book is simple, well sequenced, scriptural and with some fresh approaches and illustrations that support the theme: that life hinges on our answers to the profound questions: “How did life begin? What is our purpose? Is there life after death? Where are we going after we leave here?”
Do we know anyone who doesn’t need to discover the objective answers to these questions? Do we know any Christian who doesn’t need to be ready to give answers?
John takes us into both external and internal evidence. He states the claims and then presents the evidence (an approach as old as the bible itself and the apostle John in particular, Jno. 20:30,31).
He brings up various illustrations I had not explored as clearly as expressed in this book. In chapter five, the ant, the monarch, the woodpecker reveal the genius of divine order. And throughout the book, he keeps coming back to the fundamental: “can anyone imagine that humans are the product of a random, undirected process with no designer and no foresight?” He argues strongly against the idea of some accidental evolutionary process that somehow resulted in presently observed complexity.
His references to George Washington Carver are well suited to the theme of the book. Carver said, “I’m not interested in any science that leaves God out; in fact, I’m not interested in anything that leaves out God.”
Throughout the book, there is this emphasis: “Jesus says, ‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matt. 11:28). This is the most precious promise ever made, the greatest gift ever offered. Will you obey Jesus and come?”
I recommend this book for its content, the valuable illustrations and most of all, the object to affirm creation truth and take people to the Savior.