Imperative

im·per·a·tive [im-per-uh-tiv]
adjective 1. absolutely necessary or required; unavoidable

We heard many good speakers at the Teach Them Diligently Convention that we attended back in March (I know - don't judge), but one speaker had a huge impact on both of us. We listened to several presentations by Answers in Genesis President Ken Ham and what he shared was truly eye opening. So much so, in fact, that I believe it is absolutely imperative that all Christians hear, understand, and 'get' it. I believe his insight and the ministries of AiG and the Creation Museum are vital for today's Christians. This is AiG's Vision Statement taken from their website:

Answers in Genesis is a catalyst to bring reformation by reclaiming the foundations of our faith which are found in the Bible, from the very first verse.

We, as Christians, need to have a clear 'understanding of the times' (1 Chronicles 12:32) and of today's culture in order to reach people with the message of the Gospel, and that is exactly the mission of AiG. As Ken Ham puts it (my paraphrase), "In order to evangelize a secularized culture we must begin at the beginning, and we must replace the foundation of a culture based on man's word with a foundation built on the Word of God."

In addition to replacing the faulty foundation of today's world we must also realize the importance of starting at the beginning (Genesis) because that is where the foundation is laid.  If we don't teach that the Bible can be completely trusted and literally understood regarding the origin of the earth, universe, and man, then how can we expect non-believers to accept the rest of the Bible, specifically the Gospel, as truth?

Another area that AiG focuses heavily on is apologetics, and after listening to several of his presentations I am convinced that teaching apologetics is vital to the mission of the church (particularly in regard to children and youth) because the Bible says that we must 'always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear' (1 Peter 3:15).

At the conference we purchased AiG's Foundations Bible study curriculum. We have watched the first six sessions and the are EXCELLENT. We have found the information so powerful that we are considering offering it as a Bible study in our home in the fall (not making any promises, but drop me an email if you'd be interested).

After hearing Ken Ham I simply cannot stress the significance of his message enough. For more information please check out these aAiG rticles:
Apologetics: Introduction
How Can We Stand on Scripture in an Evolution-Pushing Culture?
Creation Evangelism