The Australian Union Conference (AUC) launched its latest resource, the What Do You Think? study guide, at the AUC Executive Committee meetings in November 2021, where AUC president Pastor Terry Johnson said a prayer of dedication for the book as it reaches people asking the big questions about life.
The What Do You Think? study guide was written by the director of resource development, Pastor Tony Knight, and contains 13 of the 26 topics raised in the What Do You Think? video series released by AUC’s Waymaker.TV in 2019.
Waymaker.TV is the church’s premier video-on-demand platform delivering high-interest content for a whole range of ministry applications. It currently has over 900 videos organised into 15 different categories and collections which subscribers can enjoy with a free subscription.
“What Do You Think? is a series of short videos on apologetics and seeks to address some of life’s huge questions, like; ‘If God is all powerful and loving why do we have so much pain and suffering in the world?’ ‘Why do good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people?’ and ‘Can science and theology be friends?’” explains Pastor Murray Hunter, director of Waymaker Media Ministry.
“We are proud to be able to create such a great resource to be used with the What Do You Think? video series,” stated Pastor Knight, “this study guide will allow readers to reflect on what they have seen by asking some very specific and probing questions, allowing them to dig deeper on each topic.”
The video series contains the perspectives and comments from some of the greatest minds from around the world, such as world-renowned scientists, philosophers, theologians, apologists, astrophysicists and educators, and the study guide does the same.
“The study guide provides readers with thoughts from significant figures from around the world, either currently or historically, and shows readers what the Bible has to say on the different topics,” Pastor Knight added.
What do you think? has become a very popular video series used by small groups, pastors, teachers and school chaplains for studies, worships and devotionals, and this study guide will be able to further assist these group as they discuss these questions.
“It opens up the conversation and asks people ‘what do you think?’, instead of telling people what to think.” stated Pastor Knight.
“The study guide also does three things,” he added, “the first is it makes people realise that you don’t have to be an intellectual weakling to believe in God. Some of the greatest intellectual minds that the world has produced believe in God and they have good reason and solid intellectual grounds to do so.”
“The second is it gives people a call to action, if you believe something, what are you going to do about it? It challenges the reader to not just be OK with believing a certain thing, but to make changes in their lives to reflect their beliefs.”
“The third is it gives readers the opportunity to continue the conversation beyond the book, encouraging people to connect with a discussion group, or websites in the book which will allow them to converse with others.”
The What Do You Think? study guide is the first of a series of study guides that will developed over the next 12 months, including a sequel called What Else Do You Think? which will cover the remaining 13 episodes in the What Do You Think video series.
The What Do You Think? study guide is available to purchase online or in-store at your local Adventist Book Centre.
