"I believe Apologetics is more important than ever for world evangelism. While most of the Latin world, Asia and much of Africa is being swept into the kingdom of God, Western Europe and the United States are becoming more and more secularized. In the UK, where Charles Haddon Spurgeon used to preach to thousands, there are now more atheists than Christians in the population. This is a sad state of affairs that can be reversed if the body of Christ will take the admonition of 1 Peter 3:15 seriously and earnestly pray to the Father for a love for the lost that keeps us fervent, burdened, strategic and focused.

We must make a great commotion about the "Great Commission," not only at home but throughout the world. As believers we need a firm grasp of two simple principles: to revere Christ as Lord and to see all people as worth the time, effort, energy, resources it takes to give them answers. The Bible says to do that with gentleness and respect.

That can sometimes be difficult, especially when many skeptics view themselves as superior and can be abrasive, condescending and even hateful toward us. We are sometimes privileged to endure a small portion of what our Savior did, yet He looked out at those who nailed Him to a cross and said, 'Father forgive them for they know not what they do.' An Apologetic that gets the facts right but returns tit for tat with wounded people we are trying to persuade misses the whole point.

Apologetic defenses of Christianity rarely work when separated from Christians displaying a genuine love for lost people and a respect for the thinking and experiences that have led them to embrace their current views. I'm not interested in merely impressing Christians with the formidable Christian case. My life's work is also to impress upon Christians how to practice 'Apologetics with a heart,' so that we can be not only right, but effective - which is infinitely, even eternally more important."