THE TRUTH PROJECT:
Is there anything more important than the Truth? We live in a post-post-Christian era that is steeped in relativism and is losing any bearings on what is true and therefore, what is real. This has implications at every level — whether people think their life, or any life, has intrinsic value, or what makes for a full life. Is there any purpose in my day-to-day, or should I get married, or should I have kids, or how now shall we live? And on and on the questions go...
Join us as we go through 12, one-hour video sessions that ask "What is Truth?" in every area of life. Jesus said, "The truth shall set you free," so we want to know and live for that which is True.
Join us as we go through 12, one-hour video sessions that ask "What is Truth?" in every area of life. Jesus said, "The truth shall set you free," so we want to know and live for that which is True.
Lesson 1: Veritology — What Is Truth?
In this initial episode, students receive a general introduction to the overall scope and purpose of The Truth Project. This series is designed to take participants on a guided worldview tour, following the points of the worldview compass, a tool designed to direct our thinking with regard to four fundamental issues: truth, God, man, and the social order. Along the way, we attempt to build a logical, systematic framework by which to organize and evaluate the various truth claims encountered during the tour. Our ultimate goal is not simply to gain knowledge, but to look upon the face of God—and to be transformed in the process.
Watch Tour 1
Lesson 2: Philosophy & Ethics — Says Who?
In this second installment of our worldview tour, Dr. Tackett takes students into the northeast quadrant of the compass for an introduction to philosophy and ethics, the two outside pillars of our Temple of Truth or framework of foundational concepts. In essence, the message of this lesson parallels the precept of Proverbs 23:7—“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” There is a formal and vital connection between our ideas about the nature of the world (philosophy) and our understanding of right and wrong behavior (ethics).
Lesson 3: Anthropology — Who Is Man?
Lesson 3 takes us into the western regions of the compass, where we engage in an in- depth examination of biblical and contemporary ideas about the nature of the human race. The focus of the discussion is anthropology: Who is man? Where did he come from? What is the meaning and purpose of his existence? In the course of this study, Dr. Tackett demonstrates that the answers we bring to these questions have a direct bearing on our approach to another pressing problem, one of the thorniest and most challenging of all— Why is there evil in the world?
Lesson 4: Theology — Who Is God?
Having explored the concept of truth and examined the biblical view of human nature— two basic issues that had to be settled before we could move on to the present discussion— Dr. Tackett now takes us to the eastern point of the compass. Here he proceeds to lay the third and most important foundation of our “Truth Temple”: theology, the branch of study and investigation that grapples with the question, “Who is God”? Knowing God, he argues, ought to be our passion and our highest goal. For until we look upon His face, we cannot rightly know ourselves or begin to grasp the meaning of our existence in the world.
Lesson 5a: Science — Who Is True?
In this, our fifth worldview tour, we head northwest, enter the cavern of nature, gaze upon the jewels of creation, and establish yet another important pillar in the Temple of Truth: science. In the process, we discover that whereas “the heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1)—so that the Creator’s “invisible attributes are clearly seen” (Romans 1:20)—mankind has nevertheless chosen to ignore the obvious truth, twisting scientific investigation into a vehicle for propagating a godless philosophy of human independence and self-determination.
Lesson 5b: Science — Who Is True?
In this second part of Tour 5, Dr. Tackett continues to explore the character and nature of God as reflected in creation, through the study of science. Our study confirms the truth of God's Word: “the heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1)—so that the Creator’s “invisible attributes are clearly seen” (Romans 1:20). As we saw in part one of science, the evidence confirms that mankind has nevertheless chosen to ignore the obvious truth, twisting scientific investigation into a vehicle for propagating a godless philosophy of human independence and self-determination.
Lesson 6: History — Whose Story?
The word remember is central to the message of lesson 6. On this tour we set up the fourth and final pillar in the Temple of Truth—history—and take a close look at the importance of maintaining a firm grip on the past. In the process, we see that a proper appreciation of historical context—in other words, our place in God’s “larger story”—is fundamental to an accurate understanding of almost every aspect of our lives. History provides us with indispensable insights into the meaning of existence, God’s plan and purpose for the ages, man’s responsibility toward the Creator, and his duty toward his fellow creatures.
Lesson 7: Sociology — The Divine Imprint
During the course of Lesson 5 we took a good look at a few of the miraculous ways in which the physical universe declares the glory of its Maker. Now we turn south to consider some of the amazingly detailed reflections of God’s nature inherent in the social order. According to Dr. Tackett, the evidences of the divine imprint that we see in this realm are even more awe-inspiring and more indicative of the heart of the Creator than the marvels of DNA replication or the complexities of the blood-clotting system. But for this very reason they also stand closer to the focal point of the cosmic battle.
Lesson 8: Unio Mystica — Am I Alone?
Lesson 8 takes us to the southeast sector of the Truth compass for a tour of the social sphere that Dr. Tackett characterizes as the heart and soul of Christianity: the Mystical Union (Latin, Unio Mystica) between God and man. Here, in the most intimate and pro- foundly mysterious sphere of the “Intimate Three” (family, church, and the God-man relationship), we have the privilege of pondering exactly what it is that Christ has purchased for us at the price of His precious blood shed on the Cross for our sins: not simply salvation from hell, but an invitation into communion with the Godhead, where we may experience an incomprehensible oneness with the Creator of the universe.
Lesson 9: The State — Whose Law?
In the southwest quadrant of our compass lie the spheres of the state, politics, and law. On this, the ninth of twelve worldview tours to be completed during the course of The Truth Project, we take a close and careful look at how these spheres are interconnected and how they relate to other aspects of the social realm: family, church, labor, community, and the relationship between God and man. Special attention is given to the design, structure, and role of the state, its place in God’s plan for human society, and the rightful extent and limits of its power. The state, as we will see, has the capacity to exert a tre- mendous power for good in the affairs of mankind as long as it operates within its proper boundaries. But it also has the potential to become the most horrendously pathological and abusive of all the social spheres if not kept in check.
Lesson 10: The American Experiment — Stepping Stones
For this tour we remain in the southwest sector of the compass long enough to examine a special sub-category of our last topic of discussion: the design of the state. In particular, we take a brief look at the questions, “What should God’s minister on earth (Romans 13:4) look like? What is a proper form for this agency that is divinely appointed and commissioned to administer justice, punish evil, and encourage goodness among its citizens or subjects?” We approach this task by considering the American Experiment.
Lesson 11: Labor — Created To Create
We now turn our attention to the northwest and embark on a tour of our fifth social sphere: labor. By the time this tour is finished, we will have made a number of striking discoveries about this system. We will have found that creative labor is a vital element of God’s plan for the social realm; that work is not a “curse,” as it is often represented today, but an essential element of our humanity; that it is, in fact, rooted in the nature of God Himself, the Original Worker. We will also learn that the structure of this sphere parallels that of the others we have already visited in that it also appears triune in design. And we will begin to see that the importance of work is closely related to our divinely given responsibility to care for the poor.
Lesson 12: Community & Involvement — God Cares; Do I?
For this final installment of our “worldview tour” we will head southeast and gaze upon the face of God as it is revealed to us in the last of our six social spheres: the sphere of Community and Involvement. Here, perhaps more than in any other sphere or field of inquiry, we will have an opportunity to draw near to the Creator and learn what it is that has compelled Him to draw near to us. We will find that the God of the Scriptures is in fact the Lord of the lonely, the Savior of the outcast, the Defender of the defenseless, and the Sustainer of all who find themselves in need. Our call is to become like Him by discovering what it means to not only love Him, but to love our neighbor.