Introduction, what is it?

So what is apologetics? It can be simply put as two things. 1) Presenting the rational basis of Christian faith, 2) Defending the faith. It is important to know what you believe, to have some sort of foundation for your faith, be it through experience or logic. Apologetics is important because it is practiced in the bible (Acts 26:2) and we are also told to do it (1 Peter 3:15).

It is important to be clear and honest about what you believe in and know. As with all things, do it with humility because the aim is not to win the argument, but to break down some intellectual barriers which may be holding back people from coming to Christ. Often, it would be appreciated if you just said "errrm...I don't really know, but I will write it down and get back to you on that one" rather than forcing out an argument which you yourself may not find to be convincing or relevant.

One thing to keep in mind is to address the question. If someone asks you...WHY DID YOU BECOME A CHRISTIAN? It would be useless to tell them about how you met a nice guy, then went for coffee and joined a small group then after reading the bible you committed your life to Christ! Sure, that is a great thing but have you really answered the question? You told them HOW you became one, rather than WHY.

So why do you believe? Is it because of better answers, or morality, or ways of life? Address these questions. However, I believe that if you search within yourself, the answer is a sunday school one...JESUS. It is because of Jesus we believe, because of Jesus' sacrifice, because od Jesus changing our lives. But why Jesus? Because He was the only one who could do it. If you look at all the 'founders' of 'religions', for example Buddha, or Mohammad, they could have been replaced by anyone else in history, but Jesus can't! Without Jesus, we have no reason to believe.

So think logically, be gentle and above all pray about it, let God work!

Additional resources:
http://bethinking.org/what-is-apologetics/