I remember a high school basketball practice when the coach caught us completely by surprise.

My friends and I thought we were pretty amazing. Allan was palming the ball and jumping higher than ever. Wade was dribbling behind his back and between his legs and running rings around the other team. I had a double-pump spin that I was sure was the coolest move outside the NBA.

But our coach was not impressed. He made us run sprints until we could barely catch our breath. Then, once every drop of arrogance had been sweated out of our pores, he reminded us how to dribble in a straight line, how to pass without losing the ball, how to do layups—truly basic basketball.

He then informed us that we would do the team no good to look really cool on the floor if we didn’t have the basics of the game under control.

Like that basketball team, Christians won’t be effective if we forget the basics. It is good to know various evidences for creation. But if we want to use our dazzling grasp of the facts to convince someone to agree with us instead of leading a sinner to Christ or strengthening a believer’s faith, we’re showing off our cool moves without actually moving the ball down the court to take the shot.

You may have just recently come to belief in a literal six-day creation and a young earth. Like a beginning basketball player who knows that he needs to get to the goal but hasn’t yet learned to dribble, pass, and shoot, you need that foundation so you can make a difference in the final score.

Well, that’s the intent of the “10 Basics” articles that begin on page 48 of this issue. We asked several top creationist speakers and researchers to write just a few hundred words each on some of the most basic issues for creation apologetics and the church today. They explain why they are not ashamed to believe the truth about the days of Creation Week, natural selection, dinosaurs, the global Flood, suffering, and more.

So, whether you’re a lifelong creationist or a newcomer, I hope these “back to basics” articles will help you be ready to give concise answers to anyone who asks!

All for Him,

Dale T. Mason, publisher