Literal Genesis

Have you ever discussed the first few chapters of Genesis with someone and felt inadequate to defend or perhaps embarrassed about its account of history? Or are you under the impression that all of science somehow disproves the Genesis narrative? In this lesson we will examine four components of early Genesis history and how they may be supported scientifically. But above all else, as Christians, we should hold firm to Scripture and hold loosely to theories.

You may have heard the statement, "millions of years ago, shallow, warm, inland seas covered large portions of _____". The ending of that statement being any continent you choose. The Bible affirms that all land mass was indeed underwater, not only at the same time, but much more recently than "millions of years ago". In this lesson we will examine one of the evidences which support a recent global flood. Additionally, we will weigh the ultimate cost for discounting the history of Genesis.

If you have ever wondered exactly how the Neo-Darwinian Theory of evolution can transform a bacterium into a basketball player, you're not alone! We will examine the heart of the theory and compare its lofty goals to what is actually observed. Does nature alone possess the ability to move life in an upward direction - from the simple to the complex? Let's ask the critical questions and find out!

Did you know that the lowly, single celled bacterium called MO-1 has 6 million individual parts? Did you also know that a 747 jumbo jet also consists of 6 million parts? No one would ever think that a jumbo jet could not only assemble itself but also write its own instruction manual on how to build it piece by piece. Yet, this is precisely what you must believe about the bacterium when subscribing to evolutionary theory! Let's examine evolution's engine that is supposed to make this happen and discover a few reasons why it could never happen.

We continue our discussion of the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution by examining four dimensions of DNA. Discover how the genetic code is read, how the cell efficiently uses the code, DNA folding, and dynamic reprogramming! With each dimension exhibiting exquisite trademarks of intelligent design, the plausibility of macro-evolution becomes increasingly improbable.

Ever wonder what each of our cells use for energy? The answer is ATP! In fact, every living organism uses this molecule to fuel the millions and trillions of processes taking place within them at any given time. In this session, we examine cellular energy and how it is created with unbelievably tiny bio-motors. Is it possible that these motors, and the entire processes surrounding them, could assemble themselves over time by a mindless, random, accidental process? Or are they the result of an intelligent mind Who not only designed them, but encoded their instructions within the DNA of all living things?

A biological cell has many of the same traits as a physical city. Energy production, waste management, communication systems, factories, workers, and more. No one would believe that a city, even a small one, could spontaneously arise through random, chance processes. Yet we are taught that cellular cities somehow came into existence through nature alone. In this session we will examine a few of the impossible odds associated with these cellular cities arising from chance.

Natural selection is supposed to play a large role in Neo-Darwinian evolution. But is it really equipped to help a bacterium to evolve into a basketball player over eons of time? Let's explore the concept of natural selection, what we actually observe, and if it is up to this incredible task.

Do you know how many fossils there are in the rock layers around the globe? Some scientists say trillions, others say quadrillions. A quadrillion is a 1 followed by 15 zeros - that is a lot of fossils! Scientists also tell us that fossilization is a very rare event. This begs the question as to why are there so many. We will explore fossilization, and look to Scripture to see if there is a Biblical starting point for how this massive graveyard should be viewed.

Sedimentary rock is where the action is! At least if you are interested in fossils. All sedimentary rock began as mud. But did those fossil-bearing sediments take hundreds of millions of years to accumulate? That's one interpretation. But it fails to explain how trillions of living organisms came to be fossils while waiting patiently to be buried over millions of years - without decaying away or being scavenged. Common sense points to rapid burial. Interpreting the sediments through a Biblical lens has amazing explanatory power.

The Genesis account of the global flood clearly states that all of the high mountains were covered with water. Have you ever wondered where all of the water came from? Meteorologists inform us that today's atmosphere can hold enough water to cover the earth to a depth of 1 inch. Obviously, atmospheric water vapor could not be the sole water source for a global flood. We will explore one theory that has the explanatory scope that not only provides the water, but helps to explain the megasequences of sediments on the continents.

There are millions of species of living organisms alive today. Given such a large number, have you wondered how Noah would have been able fit so many living things on the ark? The Bible gives us the ark's size, but what about the number of living animals and the average size of those creatures? How does the math work out? In this session, we will look at the clues from Scripture to see how this might have been possible.

Is the universe young or old? How would we know either way? Does it really matter? The current accepted age of the universe among many scientists is calculated to be 13.8 billion years (+/- 100my). While other scientists concur that the universe is much younger and cannot be older than 6,000 years (+/- 200y). In this session we will review both ages, how they were derived, underlying assumptions, and look closely at Genesis to see what God has recorded that may shed light on each approach. Ultimately, it becomes an important question as there are implications to the gospel itself depending on which path is taken.