First Importance

"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17). Paul couldn't have been any clearer. The resurrection of Jesus is the linchpin of the Christian faith. If Christ didn't rise from the dead, it's all a sham. For this reason, Paul begins 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, one of the clearest declarations of Christ's resurrection, by stating that it's of "first importance." And if the resurrection is of first importance, Christians better have good reason to believe it. Moreover, having evidence for the resurrection is critical as we think about how to best engage our lost neighbors who are skeptical about the truth claims of Christianity. This series, therefore, will seek to both bolster the believer's faith as well as their confidence for engaging their lost neighbors with the gospel.