Homeschool Review: Geology and Apologetics (Northwest Treasures) #hsreviews #geology #dinosaurs #apologetics

"Can I trust the Bible?"
"Are the geneaologies and chronologies of Genesis accurate and reliable?"

These are the most debated questions that I hear and the very reason that I requested to review the Geology and Apologetics online course from Northwest Treasures.  We've been "rock collectors" for years, bringing home special rocks from places that we visit as a reminder of where we've been and we've also discussed the age of those rocks and what that means in correlation to what we know about GOD's Word.  I am a firm believer in Creation (and that it happened just like Genesis says it did), but not everyone that I know and love is.  It's what I have taught my children in our homeschool.  I've listened to debate on young versus old earth and "was there an actual Great Flood?" for as long as I remember, and I was interested in learning the science behind Scripture for myself.  Geology and Apologetics is a brand new, six-session course that is helping me understand in my head what I already understood in my heart.



As an extra bonus (and as a great way to lay some foundations before I started working through the class session for Geology and Apologetics), I first viewed Taking the Mystery Out of Geology.  This 20-minute class serves as a great introduction to the science of Geology by teaching from a Biblical viewpoint and explaining basic geological terminology.  This was most beneficial to me as I had no idea what the words vitrophyre, orogeny, or cirque actually meant.   Geology expert Patrick Nurre knows that we might find it easier to "learn some rock types and move on" instead of tackling the frontal assault on what we believe, but he challenges us to realize that Geology is the foundation of all science as noted in Genesis 1:1 -- In the beginning, GOD created the heavens and the earth.  Mr. Nurre encourages us to teach our children Geology and Earth Science from a Biblical perspective, so that they will believe the Word of GOD for their entire lives and not deviate from it.  He says that this is the starting point for setting an unshakeable worldview.  I like this.

The online video lessons present as a series of moving slides (with some absolutely gorgeous pictures from Mr. Nurre's private collection of samples and items found during field study and photos of places he has been) intermingled with personal video.  All of the lessons are narrated by Mr. Nurre.  I find him to be knowledgeable and fascinating.  His lessons are both interesting and refreshing.  I had to continually pause the online lesson as I watched in order to make sure that I took good notes from his teaching.  You can tell from the notes I'm sharing below that I was writing fast and furiously.  Seriously, y'all -- he's good . . . very good -- and he backs up everything he says with Scripture.   His challenge to go deeper in your geology study and grow deeper in your FAITH inspires me to continue studying, digging, and visiting the marvelous places of GOD's beautiful design.  What a perfect introduction to understanding Geology from a Biblical perspective!

Once I completed the Taking the Mystery Out of Geology video, I felt better prepared to begin the Geology and Apologetics course.  The six-part course covers the following topics in lessons that range from 11 - 22 minutes each:

Lesson One --  Knowing the Scriptures in the Secular Geological Age -- The first step in developing apologetics is to know and master the Scriptures.  I LOVE that Scripture is the very basis for all of the teachings in this course.  As Christians, we can stand firmly on the foundation of GOD's Word without wavering.

Lesson Two -- Clarifying the Conflict between Science and the Bible --  Learning the meanings of the words science, history, and philosophy help us to clarify the misconceptions of modern geology.

Lesson Three -- The Genealogies and Chronologies of Genesis, Are They Accurate and Reliable? -- We need to read the genealogies of Genesis as though we have not been exposed to what modern science says about the age of the earth.   The Bible is the critical record of man and I really enjoyed the genealogical study presented in this lesson.  Don't you just love it when you can pull your Bible out to help you learn?

Lesson Four -- Revolutionary Gaps in the Fossil Record, How Serious Are They? --  Actual science can be observed, tested, and repeated.  Scientists must rely on the rocks and fossils that they have to determine the age of the earth.

Lesson Five -- Dinosaur-to-Bird Evolution, the Story that Never Seems to Die -- GOD did not need "transitional creatures" and HE left no "missing links."  Mr. Nurre shares interesting backstories and discusses important dates to clarify this debate.

Lesson Six -- Time and Chronology in the Secular Geological Age --  My favorite lesson of all, Lesson Six explains geochronology (the study of the earth's past history) and challenges me to conscientiously study our Christian chronology.  Without an accurate chronology, my JESUS is not rooted in history.  I want to make sure that I am able to faithfully demonstrate that HE is very real.

This course serves as SO MUCH MORE than just a "science" lesson.  It IS science, but there is a wonderful Bible study element as well that I am enjoying, too.  I appreciate the combination of science and faith.

Another thing that I like about this course is that each lesson ends with a series of questions to be pondered, answered, and discussed.  Many of the answers can be found within the video lesson itself, but some of the questions lead you to study your Bible to discover more.

Did you know that the field of Geology has universally affected every area of science beginning in the 1700s?  If I'm honest with you, I have to admit that I never really understood the importance of Geology before now, but now that I understand that it is foundational to EVERYTHING else, I want to go back and revisit the sciences I've studied to learn more.  My perspective has completely changed.  Mr. Nurre reminds us that "acceptance of an idea is not the same thing as science" and this is exactly what I've tried to convey when involved in the Creation versus Evolution discussions.  It is important that we are able to discern between science, history, and philosophy.  SCIENCE is knowledge.  It can be observed, tested, and repeated.  That "repeat" is key and marks the difference between secular geology and Biblically-based geology.  I stand with GOD's Word.

Now that I've had the opportunity to study through Geology and Apologetics for myself, I would love to share the Northwest Treasures Curriculum Project:  Building Faith for a Liftetime of Faith with my daughter.  This series consists of four semesters of Earth Science taught from a young earth perspective and includes everything you need for a comprehensive high school study -- activities, quizzes, rocks, minerals, fossils, and final exam.  I can't help but think about how fun it would be to add a fantastic field trip to this study, too.  A visit to Yellowstone is on my bucket list and touring GOD's beauty with a Biblically-based expert would be perfect.

Northwest Treasures offers educational kits and a multitude of curricula that are birthed from YEARS of real-life geological studies by Patrick Nurre.  He shares his knowledge and love of GOD through each lesson taught and his passion shines.  Much more than an opportunity to "look at rocks," Northwest Treasures allows us to begin to properly understand geology so that we can begin to fully understand biology, anthropology, earth science, and paleontology.  Mr. Nurre explains that an understanding of these sciences will help us to understand GOD's Word on a deeper, more intimate level.  That is exactly what I desire most for my family.


Do yourself a favor and sit down for a spell with Northwest Treasures.  We have collected rocks from places that we visit for years, but understanding the "why they are where they are" and "how they got there in the first place" questions fascinates us now that we've had the opportunity to delve into geology from an entirely different perspective.  I think you'll be just as fascinated as we are once you spend some time with Northwest Treasures.  You can find out more information by visiting the following Social Media sites:

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I know you'll be glad that you did!

I was given the opportunity to review the Geology and Apologetics online course 

from Northwest Treasures as a member of the Homeschool Review Crew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought of this course and others (or just click on the banner below.)

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