One of the most challenging issues for the Christian Worldview is seeking to make sense of all the pain, suffering, and evil in the world. While we might understand certain aspects of the origin and cost of human sin or might readily offer a logical solution to the Problem of Evil; when pain, chaos, and confusion shake everything in our own lives, we ache for more. We long for the security of unshakeable ground—the security found only in Jesus and His unshakeable Kingdom.

As followers of Jesus, we are all called to make disciples, but how do we enter into spiritual conversations in a way that is natural and effective, especially in cultures where people have either written off Christianity as “crazy talk”, or they think they know all they need to know because they attend church and call themselves Christians? How do we take Jesus’s words and actions and apply them in today’s world? How do we prepare for such conversations, and what do we say when the opportunity arises? In this talk, we will address these questions and more as we seek to both equip and encourage the listener to fulfill the Great Commission day to day.

Compromising on God’s design for sex and marriage is all the rage today. Whether it’s turning a blind eye to congregants who are shacking up, shrugging off divorce, re-writing God’s command for one-man-one-woman marriage, or silence on the dangers of reproductive technologies, many churches are prioritizing adult desires over God’s clear commands. Further, some churches do so in the name of “compassion” and “love.” But compromise in any of these areas violates God’s clear command to not cause “one of these little ones to stumble.” Those little ones are children. When adults bend God’s rules on sex and marriage, children are the victims. Both in terms of our bodily design and in the Old Testament laws, God’s prescription for sex and marriage maximizes child protection and thriving. Any deviation from that design forces children to sacrifice their natural rights for the sake of adult desire. “Compassion and love” for adults often means that children are starved of what they need to thrive- their mother and father loving each other and loving them… for life. Understanding God’s design for sex and marriage includes extending empathy and compassion to adults in struggling marriages, to our friends who experience same-sex attraction, to our friends burdened with infertility. But it also means insisting that adults “do hard things” so children’s needs are met. God is right about sex and marriage. Most of us know WHAT God says about it. You are about to find out WHY, when it comes to children, God’s design is so good.

Just as Jesus endured the pain of the cross for the joy of saving others, there may be pain ahead for us as ambassadors for Christ as we face opposition, but if we respond as He did, our lives will be a powerful apologetic for Jesus and the gospel. Come find out how to think about opposition theologically, view angry opponents with love, and persevere through it all.

How can Christians be a stand for righteous living in a culture of angry justice? Monique Duson and Krista Bontrager (co-founders, Center for Biblical Unity) make their case for Boaz as a role model for justice informed by Scripture.

How do we discuss ethnic relations in our churches or at schools? Is Critical Race Theory an acceptable guide for navigating our turbulent past? How can the Gospel shape our understanding and guide our conversations?

The Self-Help industry is an estimated $11 billion industry, yet people are more miserable than ever. Why is it that with society focused so heavily on understanding oneself, and being happy that there is more confusion? Because we fail to understand our existence, fundamentally. We lack a relationship with our Creator, and we ignore His explanation for our predicament, which precipitates the societal and personal confusion and misery we see. During this session we will discuss:

• Why the Biblical Worldview is the only worldview that can coherently explain the world around us.
• Why Jesus is the only answer: A Case for Christ
• How to communicate these truths to/in our self-absorbed world hostile to the Gospel

Paganism is a polytheistic worldview where the adherents employ manipulative powers, in an attempt to change or control the circumstances of their lives or others. While typically associated with the ancient world (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Greco-Roman mystery religions), the current culture of relativism has allowed this worldview to once again thrive, resulting in a renewed need for understanding. Through an analysis of ancient paganism, as seen through archaeology, the framework of the pagan worldview will be outlined, after which correlations between ancient and modern paganism will be drawn. This will be followed by a discussion of the differences between the pagan and Christian worldviews, which will include how the Christian savior story differs from that of pagan accounts. The final remarks will cover the manner in which the early church handled paganism, with application points on how modern Christians can do the same.

For many, the idea of a sinless hero entering a chaotic world to bear our punishment as his own is simply beautiful. There’s a reason literature has a character called the “Christ figure.” Something in all of us deeply resonates with such a hero. And yet, for others, the brutality and injustice of such a sacrifice are simply incomprehensible, even abhorrent. Why did Christ have to die? Surely there was another way? What kind of loving God would kill his own son? In this heartbreaking yet eye-opening presentation, we address these questions and respond to many accusations thrown at the Atonement, an essential doctrine of orthodox Christianity. Was Christ simply a victim of an abusive father? Has his entire story been twisted by the witnesses of that day? Find out in this breakout presentation.

A famous scientist once said, “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” The Christian claim that Jesus literally rose from the dead is certainly an extraordinary claim! Come explore the extraordinary evidence that convinces scientist Xandra Carroll that the resurrection of Christ is a historical fact.

How can we use music as a bridge with the non-believing world?

The Psalmist wrote, “the earth is the LORD’S, and all that is in it.” Yet when we look around our world today, we often see pollution and degradation. How are we as Christians meant to protect and honor the world Jesus created?

False ideas are readily available and easily accessible everywhere in our culture. We need only view a billboard, turn on the news, go on the internet, send our children to school, or watch a Disney movie to see that false worldviews have taken the day. How can we possibly raise up the next generation to be clear-thinking Christians who possess a biblical worldview in such an environment? We will tackle this all-important topic in this talk.

Instructing our students in Biblical truth as they approach adulthood is more important now than ever. Together, we will discuss how to effectively communicate with this diverse and digital generation, and encourage them to be rooted in Christ in an ever-changing culture.

According to 1 Peter 2, some people make Christ the cornerstone of their lives. Others stumble over him. But Christians get in trouble when they try to make Jesus and his teaching (esp about sex and marriage) into something other than a rock. They try to soften it/compromise. Those Christians are on dangerous ground. The proper path for Christian’s interacting with those who disagree is to “watch our lives and our doctrine closely.” We stand firmly on the rock (doctrine) but also refusing to allow our lives (failure to love well, initiate friendship, bear their burden, become hard-hearted) to add additional stumbling blocks to their path. The biblical Christian will hold tightly to truth in one hand and to the preciousness of our LGBT neighbor in the other. The world will tell you that you can only do one or the other. God insists we do both with all our might.

“There are so many errors in the Bible, and it’s been changed so much over the years, there is no way we can know if any of it is true!” Have you heard this claim before? It’s an unfounded belief widely spread today that needs to be corrected. Attend this breakout session to learn the truth about the historical reliability of the Gospels to not only bolster your own faith about the words of Christ, but to refute others who are mistaken about its accuracy.

Instructing our students in Biblical truth as they approach adulthood is more important now than ever. Together, we will discuss how to effectively communicate with this diverse and digital generation, and encourage them to be rooted in Christ in an ever-changing culture.

Christian parents often choose to make the financial sacrifice to send their child to a Christian college, thinking that this will be an extension of their values as their child transitions into adulthood. And these colleges often promise to educate students within the framework of the historic Christian worldview. However, for the last 10 years, most Christian colleges have been restructuring their policies, curriculum, and hiring around the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. While many of these colleges still technically affirm their historic statements of faith, there has been a silent restructuring of residence life, clubs, and chapels according to DEI. Before you spend tens of thousands of dollars on a Christian education, learn how to pull the curtain back on the school’s public image and find out what’s actually happening behind the scenes in campus life.

“The arguments for abortion are changing rapidly. No longer are we dealing with advocates arguing in the realm of biology but rather theology. How did we get to this point and where do we go from here? In this session, Anna will guide us through the new landscape of Pro-Life apologetics and anticipate the objections we will face from the abortion advocates of tomorrow.”

The first objection often raised by Muslims against Christianity is that the Bible has been changed. Muslims are so confident of this that they will usually bring it up early on in their relationship with a Christian in order to “prove” that Islam is true and Christianity is false. Until this claim is adequately refuted, the charge of biblical corruption will continue to be a barrier to Muslims hearing and believing the truth. The good news is that it is easily refuted using the Muslim’s own sources. Not only that, but this simple argument demonstrates the unreliability of the Qur’an, putting Muslims in a difficult position for defending Islam. If I could only teach Christians one argument for interacting with Muslims, it would be this one. It’s an absolute game-changer.

This session explores how genuine love can break down barriers, build steps towards God, and be a powerful apologetic towards opening the door to Christ.

In this session, learn how to give a defense for the divinity of Jesus. Doreen will demonstrate that Jesus is more than just a good teacher or guru but is the Son of God.