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The Truth Project

The Truth Project. Discussions by: Jim DeGarmo. Veritology: What is Truth.

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The Truth Project

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  1. The Truth Project Discussions by: Jim DeGarmo

  2. Veritology: What is Truth • Jesus stated plainly that He had come into the world "to testify to the truth" (John 18:37). Exactly what did He mean by this, and how is this claim connected with those other aspects of Jesus’ mission – for example, forgiveness, salvation, redemption, and healing – that we more naturally associate with the ultimate purpose of His advent?

  3. Veritology: What is Truth • Dr. Tackett poses the question, "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?" How can we know what we really believe?

  4. Philosophy & Ethics: Says Who? • Why are so many people – even those who argue adamantly for the "cosmic cube" perspective – so obviously uncomfortable with life "inside the box"? How do they attempt to deal with this difficulty?

  5. Anthropology: Who Is Man? • Let's discuss the truth claim that man is basically good. Do you see any evidence that our culture has bought this notion? What is that evidence? • Why do Christians so often feel "stumped" when non-believers point to the existence of evil in the world? According to this discussion, what is the ultimate source of evil? (Without oversimplifying the problem, it is important to state that Christians struggle with this issue largely because they do not know the Word of God. On the whole, the Bible makes it clear that responsibility for the problem of evil lies not at God's doorstep, but at our own. Evil flows directly from man's decision to reject the truth of God and embrace a lie.)

  6. Theology: Who Is God? • Knowing God is absolutely central to the meaning of human life, for it is only in the context of intimate, personal relationship with Him that we experience eternal life. • There were three things that Dr. Tackett said happen to us when we gaze upon the face of God. What were they? (Exposes us.) What does that mean? (Exposes our culture.) What does this mean? (Creates a desire to answer God's call to go for Him.) What does this mean?

  7. Science: What Is True? • In Romans 1:20, the apostle Paul tells us that God's "invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." How is it possible to perceive invisible truths in tangible, physical realities? Have you ever had such an experience?

  8. History: Whose Story? • Have we as a society treated history with proper respect? • Examples

  9. Sociology: The Divine Imprint • What point was Dr. Tackett making with the chicken egg? • How about the “Systems Video”?

  10. Unio Mystica: Am I Alone? • How would you define Christianity? What definition does Dr. Tackett propose during the course of this lesson? Why does he see this definition as being of central importance to our understanding of the Gospel and our overall grasp of truth? (Dr. Tackett defines Christianity specifically in terms of the Mystical Union. Through faith in Christ, he says, we are not simply "saved" or "delivered from hell," but actually introduced into the inner sanctum of the Godhead itself and united in a personal, intimate, and relational way with our Creator. This is what it means to "know God" and thus possess "eternal life.")

  11. Unio Mystica: Am I Alone? • Contemplate, for a moment, the reality of God dwelling within us. How deeply do we believe this to be real? Does our life and thinking characterize this profound reality? (If we are honest, most of us will confess that we think of God as more "external" than actually dwelling within; more "out there" than "in here". That is why our thoughts and actions are sometimes carried out as if nobody sees or knows.)

  12. The State: Whose Law? • At the beginning of the discussion, Dr. Tackett establishes the point that the state, like an individual private citizen, is capable of stealing, murdering, and committing crimes. Why is this concept so important? What are its deeper implications for the nature and design of the state? (The basic principle to highlight here is the existence of a supreme, overarching ethical standard to which the state, like everybody else, is ultimately accountable. This standard in turn implies the existence of God, without whom we have no basis for morals, and who has intentionally placed Himself at the pinnacle of the socio-political design for human life.)

  13. The American Experiment: Stepping Stones • What did John Adams mean when he affirmed that "… Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other"? What does this imply about the foundations of the American Experiment and the basic structure of the system of government it established?

  14. Labor: Created to Create • Why does Dr. Tackett temporarily re-name the fourth commandment "The Labor Command?" How does this tie in with Jesus' declaration that "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath"? (The point here is that we tend to focus our attention exclusively on the "Sabbath rest" aspect of the command and forget that it also says, "Six days you shall labor and do all your work ..." [Exodus 20:9]. This is not a pronouncement of some kind of "doom," but rather a statement about the basic design of human nature. Man was not only made to work, but to find great joy and fulfillment in the exercise of this facet of the Imago Dei. This is what Jesus had in mind when He said, "The Sabbath was made for man ..." He was assuming that without this part of the commandment, we might be tempted to go on working without a break.)

  15. Community & Involvement: God Cares, Do I? • In Luke 10:29 we are told that the teacher of the law who questioned Jesus about the way to inherit eternal life was driven by a desire to "justify himself." What does this mean, and how does it provide the motivation for his second question: "Who is my neighbor?" How do we seek to "justify ourselves?" (Dr. Tackett expresses the thought that the lawyer was asking Jesus to supply him with a "checklist". More than likely, he had a deep sense of his own shortcomings in this area and hoped to assuage his feelings of guilt by reducing love to a simple, comprehensible, controllable task that he could easily claim to have fulfilled. Discuss some of the ways we do this same thing. Instead of "justifying ourselves," we need to be aware of and open to the daunting hugeness of Christ's call, cast ourselves upon His strength and sufficiency, and allow Him to be our justification.)

  16. Jesus describes Himself • I AM the Bread of life • I AM the Light of the world • I AM the Door of the sheep • I AM the Good Shepherd • I AM the Resurrection and the Life • I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life • I AM the true Vine

  17. Is Jesus Christ the Messiah • I believe in my heart and soul that He is. • If Jesus were in front of me and I saw with my eyes, heard with my ears and felt with my feelings the things that the Lord God All accomplished, I would bow down in love and gratitude to my Savior. • Praise God! He is with me and the Holy Spirit is in me and if I allow, He will bring his Word alive with feeling and emotion when I read the Scriptures. So I do bow down in love and gratitude to my Savior.

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