“Squared away” is a term used in the military to mean “in good shape and ready for action.”

1 Peter 3:15 commands us to be “always ready to give answer to anyone who asks you the reason for the hope that you have.” In Greek, “answer” is apologia, from which we get the word apologetics. It means “defense.” Are we squared away as defenders of our faith? Are we ready to give an answer?

I’ve heard from quite a few FBC members that they would like some training in apologetics. They aren’t hoping to win public debates with skeptics. They need apologetics for ordinary, real-world situations: They have loved ones who have questions and doubts about the faith; some have even walked away. They have co-workers and acquaintances who have negative views of institutional Christianity or the Bible. They overhear people say untrue things about our faith, and feel a desire to offer a God-honoring response. In other words, they don’t want to win arguments; they want to win people to Christ. What can our church offer to help them feel ready, squared away?

In my opinion, we each need three things to effectively defend our faith:

1) An authentic Christian walk.

2) A wise approach.

3) Confidence in the truth.

That’s what we’ll explore in this study on Wednesday nights at 6:30, from mid-August until December.