Author of several books, his latest: God’s Not Dead (2013)
Co-founder, Every Nation family of churches, over 1,000 churches and hundreds of campus ministries in over 60 countries
Senior Minister, Bethel World Outreach Church, Nashville, TN
Graduate, Mississippi State University
MA, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi
Doctorate, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA
GUEST
Evidence of God in an Age of Uncertainty
CBN.com
–GOD’S NOT DEAD
When he was a junior in college, Rice gave his heart to the Lord. His brother, Ben was a junior in law school at Souther Methodist University and wanted to meet Rice at their parents’ home to “talk him out of this born-again thing.” As Rice listened to Ben and simply addressed his older brother’s doubts, the truth of God’s word began to soften Ben’s heart. “I could see he was doubting his doubts,” says Rice. At the end of the day, Rice baptized his brother in a swimming pool! That was over thirty years ago and a turning point for both men. Ben gave his life to the Lord, is still serving God today and is a successful trial attorney in Texas. Since that day, Rice began working primarily with university students around the world.
Rice is also the senior minister of Bethel World Outreach church in Nashville. Some of the members of the nationally-acclaimed Christian music group, The Newsboys, attend his church and asked Rice to write a book to accompany their 2012 hit single, God’s Not Dead. So he did. He says faith in God is rising but so is skepticism.
In 2012, Rice attended the Global Atheist Convention in Melbourne, Australia. His goal was to simply listen and, after all of their rants, speaker after speaker ridiculed Christianity. “Atheists have more insults than arguments,” says Rice. Faith is being framed as irrational and illogical. He further explains that real faith isn’t blind and includes not believing everything said in the name of “science.” “The evidence that God exists is all around us and inside of us,” says Rice. Atheists believe a story that the universe just happened, by chance, and that all of this life came from nothing. Reason helps us sort out helpful beliefs from hurtful ones and demands that we examine claims made in the name of faith or science in the same way we would examine anything else. Rice urges skeptics to wrestle with the “blind faith” on which skepticism is based. He also urges believers to be able to give the reason for the hope that is in them (1 Peter 3:15).
NINE PROOFS
Rice offers nine proofs of evidence for God:
- Real faith isn’t blind. It is evidence-based and requires all our efforts in pursuit of the truth.
- Good and evil are no illusions. Evidence of evil is not evidence of God’s absence in the universe but evidence of His absence from our lives.
- There was a beginning. When someone asks for evidence of the existence of God, reference the fact that the universe itself demonstrates the reality of our God.
- Life is no accident. Life appears to be designed and the probability of this happening by chance is so vanishingly small that atheists have to propose an infinite number of universes to explain it away.
- A pointless beginning points to a pointless existence. We are created in the image of God, on purpose and for a purpose.
- Jesus and the resurrection. The death and resurrection of Christ verified His identity as the Son of God and proved His words were the words of God Himself.
- The witness of Scripture. The truth of the Bible speaks to the core issues of everyone’s life.
- The grace effect. Grace brings a deep sense of civility and compassion for one another.
Living proof. There is no better time to demonstrate the reality of God through His presence that empowers us to go through the toughest times with the greatest of hope.
CBN IS HERE FOR YOU!
Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting?
Are you facing a difficult situation?
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.
