It these days of postmodern relativism, it can be challenging to navigate the waves of opinion while in pursuit of truth. George K., an American Christian Tours Education Program Leader, provides a review of a great resource: The Truth Project. If you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to check it out!
“The Truth Project” DVD Small Group Curriculum by Dr. Del Tackett (Focus on the Family – 2006)
“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” Proverbs 23:7
Every human being, whether or not they are aware of it, has a worldview…a unique and complex matrix of ideas and core values that shapes their perception of reality and dictates their actions. This worldview impacts every area of life. “Ideas have consequences.” The extent to which this worldview aligns with God’s reality…the truth…will determine the wholeness and happiness of each individual and the whole of society. The purpose of this study is to develop in every Christian a comprehensive Biblical worldview as they are introduced to the truth claims of God.
Dr. Del Tackett is the former President of the Focus on the Family Institute and a former Senior Vice President of Focus on the Family. He is the primary instructor in this course which is presented in the setting of a traditional college lecture hall, with college aged students listening and interacting with Dr. Tackett.
This may sound dull, but don’t be fooled! Dr. Tackett is a master teacher, and his creative intertwining of Power Point slides, video clips, objects, illustrations, dramatics, and humor is thoroughly engaging. In addition, some lessons feature provoking instruction by Christian scholars and philosophers such as Ravi Zacharias, R.C. Sproul, Os Guinness and Gordon Pennington.
“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.” (The Truth Project Leaders Guide)
The following are descriptions of the 12 sessions with brief comments taken from the Leader’s Guide:
- Lesson #1 – Veritology: What Is Truth?
What is truth? Why is it important? What role does it play in the biblical view of the world, God’s purpose for the cosmos, His will for mankind, His plan of salvation, and the way we live our personal lives?
- Lesson #2 – Philosophy and Ethics: Says Who?
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). Current thought pictures reality as a closed box—a cosmic cube—in which there is no room for anything that cannot be sensually or materially perceived. The problem is that with the lid of the box closed and God excluded, philosophy is deprived of a universal reference point and thus crippled in its “scientific quest for ultimate reality.” As a result, it cannot answer the most basic questions about right and wrong behavior
- Lesson #3 – Anthropology: Who Is Man?
Who is man? Where did he come from? What is the meaning and purpose of his existence? Why is there evil in the world?
- Lesson #4 – Theology: Who Is God?
Knowing God is absolutely central to the meaning of human life, for it is only in the context of an intimate, personal relationship with Him that we experience eternal life. At the same time, there is no assignment more daunting, no task more demanding, no challenge more overwhelming, than that of seeking to understand the being, nature, character, and attributes of the eternal Creator, who is Himself the ultimate source of all truth.
- Lesson #5 – Science: What Is True?
In the contemplation of nature, we come face to face with the truth that God exists and that He has revealed Himself to us, not only through His written Word (special revelation) but also through the works of His hands (general revelation). Intelligent design is displayed everywhere in God’s creation. Man shows a tendency to deny what is plain to the senses and to “exchange the truth of God for a lie”
- Lesson #6 – History: Whose Story?
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
Order is apparent in the social systems God has instituted. Dr. Tackett lays out six that he sees in Scripture: family, labor, church, state, community, and the relationship between man and his Maker. The order we detect in this flows out of His very nature. It is a reflection of who He is. Just as the world, the flesh, and the devil hate the Creator with a fervent and undying hatred, so they inevitably stand opposed to the social order that bears the imprint of His divine nature…such as marriage, the family, and the church.
- Lesson #8 – Unio Mystica: Am I Alone?
Unio Mystica…Mystical Union. Here, in the most intimate and profoundly 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 …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. We as believers are to confine our quest for personal significance to the covenant relationship with the Creator.
- Lesson #9 – The State: Whose Law?
Governors and magistrates hold their power purely as delegates and representatives of the King of all kings. The state has the capacity to exert a tremendous 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. Without God, truth, or any higher moral standard, people are increasingly looking to the state as savior and the supplier of every human need.
- Lesson #10 – The American Experiment
The American Experiment is unique in the history of the world. Here on these shores, and here alone, people with a strong Christian worldview have been afforded an unparalleled opportunity to create from scratch what they considered an ideal system of government—a system designed in careful conformity with the principles outlined in Lesson 9. Today, America has largely forgotten God and denied the validity of her biblically based Christian roots. As a result, we see the power of the state expanding in our time. Ultimately, we must face the fact that the American Experiment is likely to fail altogether if we do not take intentional and deliberate steps to salvage it.
- Lesson #11 – Labor: Created to Create
Far from being a curse, creative labor is a glorious privilege. It flows out of the heart of God Himself, who labored six days to bring the world into existence, stamped His inventive and energetic image upon mankind, and placed Adam in the garden to tend it, beautify it, and increase its productivity. The creativity of man, then, while subject to the effects of the Fall, is nevertheless a mirror image of the creativity of God. It is designed to be a source of joy so fulfilling and wonderful that the Lord deemed it necessary to give us the fourth commandment in order to insure that we would set our work aside and rest at least one day a week!
- Lesson #12 – Community & Involvement: God Cares…Do I?
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 love not only Him, but also our neighbor.
The Truth Project small group curriculum is a life-changing experience for almost all who participate. In this reviewer’s opinion it is an absolute must for all Christians…and perhaps non-Christians as well. In my estimation it is appropriate and applicable for 9th grade students and above.
For so many years Christians have been taught what they should believe, but not why they believe it, nor why their beliefs are superior to other truth claims. We are indebted to Dr. Tackett and Focus on the Family for simplifying and clarifying deep philosophical truths for life application and transformation by the common man.
Only One Life 