Unshaken: Why Tested Faith Is Faith That Stands

summitsocal

Sep 1

4 min read

You are allowed to bring your doubts into the room.

In fact, that’s the entire point.

Whether you’re a college student facing classrooms that treat faith like something you grow out of, a young adult with a genuinely good roommate who has never opened a Bible, or someone staring at the ceiling at 2:00 AM asking if you believe this because it’s true or just because you grew up with it—we’ve all faced hard questions about faith.

As we kick off Unshaken—a 17-week journey through the book of Romans—here is the truth we're anchoring to:

"Unshaken doesn't mean untested. It means still standing after."

Testing isn't the enemy of faith; it’s how faith stops being borrowed and finally becomes yours.

1. What Apologetics Actually Is (and Isn't)

The word apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, which means a reasoned defense—like the kind given in a courtroom. Paul uses this exact word in Philippians 1:16 when he writes, "I am put here for the defense [apologia] of the gospel".

Peter uses it too, laying out the mission statement for this entire series:

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer [apologia] to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." — 1 Peter 3:15

Notice that reasoning and posture are bound together.

Apologetics IS: Giving thoughtful, honest reasons for what we believe, taking real objections seriously, and showing that faith and reason were never meant to be enemies.
Apologetics IS NOT: Winning arguments to make someone feel small, using slick "gotcha" comebacks, or proving God with 100% mathematical certainty.

If you walk away from a conversation having "won," but the other person walks away feeling attacked, you haven't done apologetics—you've just won an argument. Paul warns us in 2 Timothy 2:23–25 that the Lord's servant must not quarrel, but be kind and gently instruct, so that others might turn to God. The goal is never winning; the goal is always the gospel.

2. A Simple Shape for Real Conversations

You don't need a seminary degree to defend what you believe. When a friend or coworker brings a tough objection, try this simple framework:

Listen First: Hear their full objection without rushing to a tidy answer. Most people have never had someone just listen to their doubts all the way through.
Ask Before You Answer: Say, "Say more about that," or "What made you start thinking that?" You can't answer a question you don't actually understand yet.
Share Honestly: You don't need every answer. "Here is why I believe what I believe" is plenty to start.
Point Back to Jesus: The ultimate goal is clearing away obstacles so someone can actually see Christ.

When making a case, hold to: Claim, Reason, Evidence, and Invite. State what you believe, give one solid reason, back it up with concrete evidence, and invite them into further dialogue ("Does that make sense to you?").

As Ephesians 4:15 says, we speak the truth in love—never truth at the expense of love, and never love at the expense of truth.

3. Why Romans?

Out of every book in the Bible, Romans is where the early church did its most careful, systematic thinking about why the gospel is true.

Written by Paul around AD 57 to a church in Rome he hadn't yet visited, Romans isn't a hasty letter addressing a local crisis. It’s a masterclass—a carefully built, 16-chapter defense of Christianity covering sin, grace, faith, suffering, sovereignty, and community.

Paul wasn't afraid of the tough questions, declaring right at the start:

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes..." — Romans 1:16

Building on the Rock

Picture a mountain in a storm. The mountain doesn't stay standing because the storm was gentle; it stays standing because of what it is built on.

Jesus closed His Sermon on the Mount with the parable of the two builders. Both houses got hit by the exact same torrential rain and winds, but the house built on the rock did not fall.

Over the next 16 weeks, we are going to dive chapter-by-chapter into Romans to make sure what we're standing on can actually hold. Bring your doubts, bring your questions, and let's build a faith that stands.

Next Steps & Reflection

What is one hard question about faith you've been sitting on that you've been hesitant to voice out loud? Bring it honestly before God this week.
Who in your life is asking hard questions about faith? How can you shift your posture from trying to win an argument to listening with gentleness and respect?

A Prayer for the Week:

Lord, thank You that You are not intimidated by my doubts or hard questions. Give me the courage to bring my real questions to You rather than performing a fake faith. Strip away self-righteousness, and teach me how to give an answer for my hope with true gentleness, respect, and love. Build my life on Your unshakeable truth. Amen.