1. The Bible and Decision Making Matthew 22:23-33

4. Luther “I AM BOUND BY THE SCRIPTURES I HAVE QUOTED AND MY CONSCIENCE IS CAPTIVE TO THE WORD OF GOD”

5. Jesus 1.He taught that Scripture was true and authoritative. He taught that Scripture is to be consulted. 2.He taught that Scripture sits in judgment over other ways of knowing.

6. The Most Important First Step Before we will apply it, we must settle in our minds and hearts that the Bible is God’s Word. Before we will apply it, we must settle in our minds and hearts that the Bible is God’s Word. We must really believe it is revelation from God. We must really believe it is revelation from God.

7. The Most Important First Step We deal with all sorts of skeptics We deal with all sorts of skeptics This attack is not new This attack is not new We must come to a decision We must come to a decision It will be more of the heart than the head usually It will be more of the heart than the head usually

9. The Building Blocks of Confidence The Bible is Uniquely Powerful The Bible is Uniquely Powerful –There is no other book like the Bible on the face of the earth –Written: Over 1,500 years, by over 40 different authors, on three continents

10. The Building Blocks of Confidence The Bible is Uniquely Powerful The Bible is Uniquely Powerful –The Bible claims to be the very words of God –2 Timothy 3:16-17 –The Bible is a miraculous book

11. The Building Blocks of Confidence The Bible is Uniquely Miraculous The Bible is Uniquely Miraculous –It is miraculous in the unity of its message. –Why was the Bible written? (1 John 5:13)

12. The Building Blocks of Confidence The Bible is Uniquely Miraculous The Bible is Uniquely Miraculous –How do you understand what it teaches about how a person can have eternal life? –The Bible is not like other books of religion

13. The Building Blocks of Confidence The Bible is Uniquely Miraculous The Bible is Uniquely Miraculous –The central theme of the Bible is Jesus (Luke 24:25-27) –The unique way of salvation is that salvation is a GIFT

14. The Building Blocks of Confidence The Bible is Uniquely Miraculous The Bible is Uniquely Miraculous –Christian conversion rooted in the Bible is powerfully unique in the world.