Every Believer Confident
In Every Believer Confident, Mark J. Farnham presents a clear and accessible introduction to apologetics for everyday Christians. This book equips readers to engage others thoughtfully and respectfully in conversations about faith.
Presuppositional Apologetics
Farnham takes a presuppositional approach to apologetics—an approach that encourages dialogue by grounding it in a deep understanding of both the Christian worldview and the beliefs of one’s conversation partner. He reminds readers that all Christians are called to defend their faith (1 Peter 3:15), and that the first step in doing so is to thoroughly know the Christian faith. The second step is to understand, as much as reasonably possible, the beliefs and assumptions of the person you’re speaking with.
One particularly encouraging aspect of the book is Farnham’s reminder that we do not have to focus on proving God’s existence. As Romans 1:18–21 explains, every person already has a basic knowledge of God, though it is often suppressed. Farnham helps readers learn to ask insightful questions that uncover this suppression and reveal the deeper heart issues behind resistance to God.
What’s their worldview?
The book teaches believers to ask the kinds of questions that challenge the foundations of an unbeliever’s worldview. Farnham emphasizes that the burden of proof doesn’t rest solely on the Christian. Unbelievers should be challenged to justify their objections to the Christian faith. By gently and respectfully questioning the authority structures in which unbelievers place their trust, Christians can help expose the weaknesses in those frameworks.
The ultimate goal of both evangelism and apologetics is to point people to Jesus—his historical reality, his claims to be God and Messiah, his role as the only way to be reconciled with God, and his resurrection from the dead. We can also show the beauty, coherence, and rationality of the Christian faith. Engage others with life’s biggest questions: Why am I here? What is my purpose? Who am I? What’s wrong with the world? Why is there evil and suffering? Where is everything headed?
When presenting the gospel, Farnham advises using clear biblical language, emphasizing human sin and guilt, and highlighting God’s love through Christ. Grace—not merit—should be the heart of our message.
Share Your Faith
The book concludes with practical strategies for effective gospel conversations. These include listening carefully for mistaken beliefs, logical fallacies, implicit biases, or self-contradictions; identifying claims that lack support; and recognizing when to press further or pull back. Farnham also stresses the importance of ongoing relationships in apologetics, showing that long-term engagement often bears the most fruit.
Every Believer Confident left me feeling excited about sharing my faith. It’s a helpful, hope-filled guide for any Christian who wants to engage the world with both truth and grace.
I received a media copy of Every Beiever Confident and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.