Defend Breakout Schedule

Monday, 1:15pm

Monday, 2:30pm

Monday, 3:45pm

Tuesday, 1:15pm

Tuesday, 2:30pm

Tuesday, 3:45pm

Wednesday, 1:15pm

Wednesday, 2:30pm

Wednesday, 3:45pm

Thursday, 1:15pm

Thursday, 3:00pm

Monday

Room • Track • Speaker • Topic

1:15pm

LSC 211 • CHRISTIAN ETHICS • Chandler Warren • Apologetics and the Great Commandment

The work of an apologist should stir him to greater love for God and neighbor. I argue that the apologist should pursue this discipline as a greater means to love God fully and to love his neighbor as himself. By looking at Christ’s commands, we see a more robust picture of the life of an apologist, which is spiritually beneficial and captivating to others.

LSC 222 • PROBLEM OF EVIL • Richard G. Howe • The Metaphysics of God’s Goodness & The Euthyphro Dilemma and the Problem of Evil

These two pose challenges to the Christian view of the nature of God. Does God will something because it is good or is something good because God wills it? Several solutions to the dilemma are proposed, including the most common one offered by contemporary apologists. I will show how the Classical theistic (i.e., Thomistic) approach would qualify that solution. This Thomistic approach to the Euthyphro Dilemma also has important implications for the Problem of Evil.

LSC 234 • C.S. LEWIS • Jeff Riley (NOBTS) • Further Up and Further In: From Ordinary Morality to Extraordinary Ends in the Ethic of C. S. Lewis

The goal of this breakout is to examine Lewis’s ordinary, human ethic—the Tao or Natural Law—and trace in Lewis the necessity of the Christian faith for true and lasting human moral flourishing.

LSC 219 • BIBLE DIFFICULTIES • Jeff Audirsch (NOBTS) • Making Sense of Divine Self-Revelations in the Book of Exodus

For decades, scholars have argued the divine self-revelations in Exod 3 and 6 are contradictory and represent two ancient, scribal traditions. Through canonical criticism, the alleged contradictory, divine self-revelations in these chapters can be (and should be) read as espousing a unified portraiture of Yahweh.

LSC 223 • ENGAGING POSTMODERNISM & RELATIVISM • David Calhoun • The Goodness of God’s Plan for Integrated Human Selfhood

A group of Christian thinkers including Blaise Pascal and Søren Kierkegaard have offered what might be called an “anthropological apologetic”: an account of what the human person is, how a human person becomes disordered, and how the solution for healthy and integrated selfhood is found in the claims of Christianity. In this breakout session, I will sketch out this argument and examine God’s good plan for being a human self. I will contrast the Christian view on selfhood to a very influential modern atheist view that provides the theoretical grounding for the idea that the human self is nothing more than a product of the self’s own construction.

LSC 237 • CHRISTIANITY & SCIENCE • Fuz Rana • Fit for a Purpose: Just-Right Biochemistry and the Case for the Creator

One of the most compelling arguments for a Creator’s existence and role in the origin and design of the universe is the anthropic principle—the fitness of the universe for life—evidenced by the fine tuning of the constants of physics. In this presentation, I argue that the anthropic principle also manifests in the just-right features of biochemical systems, adding to the evidence that a Creator played a role in the origin and design of life.

LSC 218 • GENDER & SEXUALITY • Bill Newton • Embodiment, Transgenderism, & the Bible

While the terms “embodiment” and “transgender” are not found in Scripture, the Bible speaks directly to the underlying questions these concepts raise. This breakout session will examine key passages which speak to these concepts, identifying principles and providing application. Attendees will be equipped with a deeper understanding of how to approach these complex issues with a balance of biblical truth and Christlike compassion.

LSC 204 • CULTS & OTHER RELIGIONS • Corey Miller • I Bear You My Testimony: The Evolution of the Mormon God and the Mormon Jesus

While not an essential doctrine, the LDS (mis)use of “testimony” is an essential of dialogue for Christians to understand and exploit if they hope to get the Mormon to seriously consider objections to essential doctrines like God and salvation. We also explore the concepts of God and Christ, revealing a problem that in Mormonism there is no distinct theology or anthropology, but only anthropotheism.

LSC 203 • JESUS • George Moore • In Defense of Luke: How Luke's Writing Proves the Reliability of Scripture

Luke’s Gospel offers the most detailed and compassionate portrait of Jesus’ love among the four accounts. Throughout
his writing, Luke weaves in references, clues, and rich details—all with one purpose: to strengthen the faith of a single
person. And yet, centuries later, his words continue to strengthen us. His Gospel was written “so that you may know the
certainty” of who Jesus is. In this session, we’ll explore key moments in Luke’s account that reveal why we can trust the
truth of Scripture—for all time.

LSC 217 • APOLOGETICA GENERALE • Bill Warren (NOBTS) • La Llamada “Busqueda para el Jesús Histórico:” El Pasado, el Presente, el Futuro, y Nuestra Respuesta, Part 1

The so-called “Search for the Historical Jesus:” The Past, Present, and Future and our Response (Parts I and II)

Monday

Room • Track • Speaker • Topic

2:30pm

LSC 211 • CHRISTIAN ETHICS • Matthew Tingblad (Sightline) • The Case for Community

Today, most Christian apologetics is about why we should believe in God, the Bible, and Jesus. But another pressing issue is often missed: Why should we believe in the local church? Church is messy and sometimes even wounding, so how can it be good? In this talk, Matthew defends the goodness of God’s program for Christian community by presenting a biblical case of God’s design for his local church and why it matters.

LSC 222 • PROBLEM OF EVIL • Doug Taylor • Why the Problem of Evil isn't a Problem

This presentation focuses on the background arguments used by skeptics alleging evil counts against the existence of God. More specifically, the presentation demonstrates why those committed to materialistic naturalism have no ground upon which to bring the challenge of evil against Christianity.

LSC 234 • C.S. LEWIS • Bob Stewart • Evangelistic and Apologetic Tips from C. S. Lewis

Quoting liberally from Lewis’ works, I give a biographical overview of Lewis’ life up to his Christian conversion (and sometimes going beyond when it helps to do so), and then lay out some principles for evangelism and apologetics that I find helpful.

LSC 219 • BIBLE DIFFICULTIES • Donald Williams • Hell: Its Importance to the Tasks of Evangelism and Apologetics

One often hears Evangelical preachers and missiologists argue against doctrines such as universalism and conditional immortality on the grounds that accepting them would undermine the urgency of fulfilling the Great Commission. This is not a valid argument, getting the cart before the horse. If Scripture taught those doctrines, we would just have to find our motivation for mission elsewhere. If on the other hand Scripture does teach something like the traditional Evangelical doctrine of Hell, the urgency of the evangelistic task is certainly supported by that fact. Urgency then is properly seen as a conclusion to this debate, but it should not be used as a premise.

LSC 223 • ENGAGING POSTMODERNISM & RELATIVISM • Ryan Rice (NAMB Send City Missionary) • Missional Apologetics: Confronting Evil & Suffering with the Hope of Christ

The Send Network missionary task leads church planters and missionaries to Engage the City, Make Disciples and Plant Churches. Yet, how can the missionary task, help embody an apologetic in contexts marked by deep suffering? Participants will learn how the gospel speaks to real-world evil, how Christ’s incarnation and resurrection provide the foundation for hope, and how engaging their community with the Gospel, Making Dispels and Planting Churches becomes a living apologetic for the goodness of God. We will examine practical ways to Engage suffering, difficult questions people ask amid pain and how missional presence can become a powerful defense of the faith.

LSC 237 • CHRISTIANITY & SCIENCE • Greg Woodward (NOBTS) • The Wonder of the Ear: Wrestling with our Complexity before a Holy God

As the 21st century emerged, the unfolding story of DNA coding has roughly paralleled our journey in discovering how sound enters the ear and is transformed from a remarkably precise analog recording to something like digital recording. Yet, ongoing investigations regarding the biological complexities of the ear reveal an underlying aspect of the cosmos in a fallen world: our sense organs work with imperfections. These realities reveal a gap between the limitless perfections of God and the human capacity for perception and creative activity.

LSC 218 • GENDER & SEXUALITY • Charlie Ray III (NOBTS) • The Strength of Men and the Beauty of Women: Gender Differences and God’s Good Creation

Since many today argue for the essential sameness of men and women, Christians must consider how to talk about the created differences between men and women. I will argue that God created men especially to display his strength, and women especially to display his beauty. I will then discuss how to engage a confused culture with the goodness of God’s created order.

LSC 204 • CULTS & OTHER RELIGIONS • James Walker • What the Qur’an Really Teaches About Jesus

Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the history of the world and may be the greatest geopolitical issue of our lifetime. Who is Jesus (Isa) to Muslims? Is Jesus a prophet of Allah or is He the Savior of the World? Understanding a few key passages in the Qur’an and the right questions to ask, Christians have a powerful catalyst for some great spiritual discussions with their Muslim neighbors.

LSC 203 • JESUS • Gary Habermas • Historical Sources for Jesus

A case is made for the existence of Jesus, drawn from sources outside the New Testament.

LSC 217 • APOLOGETICA GENERALE • Bill Warren (NOBTS) • La Llamada “Busqueda para el Jesús Histórico:” El Pasado, el Presente, el Futuro, y Nuestra Respuesta, Part 2

The so-called “Search for the Historical Jesus:” The Past, Present, and Future and our Response (Parts I and II)

Monday

Room • Track • Speaker • Topic

3:45pm

LSC 211 • CHRISTIAN ETHICS • Richard G. Howe • In Defense of Natural Law Ethics

In this session, I explore the model of morality known as Natural Law theory and how it arises from an understanding of some basic elements in metaphysics and theology including: What is human nature? What does the term ‘good’ mean? What is the connection between good and God? and more.

LSC 222 • PROBLEM OF EVIL • Archie England (NOBTS) • Does God Commission Evil?

1 Kings 22:19, combined with Job 1-2, Isaiah 10, and Habakkuk 1:5-11, suggests that God uses evil to accomplish His will. This session explores how God uses or commissions evil as one of His means to achieve His divine purpose.

LSC 234 • C.S. LEWIS • Sarah Enterline • Seeking Something More: The Argument from Desire

This session is an in-depth examination of the argument from desire for God’s existence, made popular by scholars in the past like C.S. Lewis, and more recently, by Dr. Peter Kreeft. This examination will be an anthropological overview of the cultural phenomena that gives evidence for the existence of a Creator and Savior God. These phenomena include myth, evil and suffering, religion, special divine action, and inherent metaphysical desires.

LSC 219 • BIBLE DIFFICULTIES • Tommy Doughty (NOBTS) • Whose Book Is It Anyway? The Dual Authorship of Scripture

This breakout will introduce the nature of biblical texts as written by both God and humans. The evangelical doctrines of inspiration and inerrancy will be defined to help balance attention to both authors.

LSC 223 • ENGAGING POSTMODERNISM & RELATIVISM • Jade Turner • Reaching Gen Z: Communicating Truth To A Passionate Generation

This presentation covers what research shows about GenZ and faith, and how we can communicate biblical truth as well as the importance of relational apologetics with young people.

LSC 237 • CHRISTIANITY & SCIENCE • Jeff Zweerink • Why AI Technology Needs Christianity

Humanity is in a relentless pursuit of developing artificial intelligence. Such an accomplishment will require technical ingenuity and have profound theological, ethical, and philosophical implications. Although sentient AI remains far in the future (and may never happen), AI technology continues to infiltrate more and more of our daily lives. So, how should we think about and use AI? In this talk, I’ll discuss how AI is and will be a powerful tool and how Christianity must be true in order to use it for good and mitigate the potential damage.

LSC 218 • GENDER & SEXUALITY • Cory Barnes (NOBTS) • Love, Sex, Marriage, and the Biblical Narrative

God created sex for our good and for his glory. The biblical narrative shows us that God has a design and purpose for sex, marriage, and singleness. In our current culture, we often struggle with how the plan God gives us in Scripture is relevant in a world with rapidly changing ideas about sex. The purpose of this breakout is for us to look at how the Bible informs our sexual practice and how we can speak about the Bible’s message concerning sex with bold compassion in a world that has serious questions about the Bible, sex, and sexuality.

LSC 204 • CULTS & OTHER RELIGIONS • James Walker • Jehovah’s Witnesses: Understanding and Reaching Them in Love

Learn two practical approaches to engaging in gospel conversations with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Method one highlights the “do’s and don’ts” when Christians only have time for a brief 3 to 5-minute encounter. For longer discussions, method two prepares students to discuss the Watchtowers controversial history of prophetic speculation with Jehovah’s Witnesses. This Includes full documentation of their failed predictions for the end of the world in 1914, 1918, 1925, 1975, and 1995.

LSC 203 • JESUS • Bill Scott • Jesus' Use of the Imaginative Apologetics

Jesus encounters Nicodemus by night and speaks into his cultural context. Jesus shares the Gospel by using a parable and speaking into Nicodemus’ cultural context.

LSC 217 • APOLOGETICA GENERALE • Zach Milstead • Los Milagros (Miracles)

¿Debemos creer en los milagros? ¿Existen pruebas que respalden la creencia en los milagros? Si es así, ¿qué tipo de pruebas son suficientes? En esta sesión, intentaremos abordar estas preguntas.

TUESDAY

Room • Track • Speaker • Topic

1:15pm

LSC 211 • CHRISTIAN ETHICS • Jeff Riley (NOBTS) • Let Justice Roll Down: Towards a Recovery of Social Justice in a Judgmental Soceity

The current socio-political milieu is hostile to a biblical understanding of justice. In this breakout, we will examine the source of that hostility, define justice from a Christian worldview, and consider practical responses to injustices that reflect the transformative nature of God’s redemption.

LSC 222 • PROBLEM OF EVIL • Jeremy Scarbrough • The Problem of Evil and the Problem of Hell

This presentation offers an introductory-level survey of the problems of evil and hell, comparing
Eastern and Western perspectives before briefly distinguishing the logical, evidential, and
existential problems of evil—highlighting the unique emotional power of the existential problem.
We briefly explore common responses, including the free will and greater goods defenses.
Extending the discussion, we examine several perspectives on hell, considering how our deep
human sense of injustice demands true justice and the question of what would be required to
address this profound moral concern satisfactorily?

LSC 234 • C.S. LEWIS • Alex Rea • Amusing Ourselves from Death: Diversions as Clues to Transcendence

I’m making an argument for a transcendent reality, starting from one of Pascal’s insights in his Pensées about how we pursue happiness by distracting ourselves from the reality of death. I’ll examine a few ways we do this while showing how they are ultimately inadequate. The avoidance of death hints at something unnatural about it. Christianity provides a better framework. This argument can be taken in tandem with Lewis’s Argument from Desire, perhaps as a prelude to Lewis.

LSC 219 • BIBLE DIFFICULTIES • Matthew Tingblad • Did God Really Say?

In this special presentation, Matthew brings in real artifacts of the Old and New Testament, taking his listeners back in time and explaining how they demonstrate that the text of the Bible has been reliably preserved for us today. The talk is more than a simple apologetic presentation, but an opportunity to encounter real evidence for the living Word of God.

LSC 223 • ENGAGING POSTMODERNISM & RELATIVISM • Greg Koukl • Truth Is Not Ice Cream, Faith Is Not Wishing

Two misunderstandings both outside and inside the church threaten to make our Christian views completely irrelevant. In a relativistic age, we are tempted to think of religion and morality the way we think of ice cream—we choose what we like instead of what is true. We are also tempted to think of faith as a kind of religious wishful thinking that reduces religion to a mere “feel good” placebo. In this talk, Greg brings clarity to both of these core elements of Christianity. First, he describes how the notion of truth has fallen on hard times (“There is no truth”), and how to clarify that for followers of Jesus there is a difference between believe and make-believe. Second, Greg describes why he thinks the English word “faith” has become too distorted for any productive use and should be abandoned for a more accurate—and biblical—alternative. He then demonstrates, using verses from throughout the Scripture, why biblical faith is no leap, but rather an informed step of trust. This is a talk that makes crystal clear distinctions that are central not only for evangelism, but also for a solid and secure walk with Jesus.

LSC 237 • CHRISTIANITY & SCIENCE • Bob Stewart • 21st Century Myths About God and Science

“Science and Christianity are at odds?” “If it can’t be proven by science, it can’t be known.” “Science Has Disproven God and Miracles.” “Darwin Destroyed Design.” Come hear why people believe such things and how you can be confident that they aren’t true.

LSC 218 • GENDER & SEXUALITY • Alycia Wood • I Think Therefore I'm Trans, Part 1

The number of people identifying as transgender has risen sharply the past decade. This caught the attention of many people including journalists, scientists and the medical community, and has led many to conclude that something is wrong. Coupled with the “detransitioners” movement, there seem to be serious questions raised as to whether or not someone can change their gender or sex. In this talk we will look at some of the data that is coming out from various cultural sources, go step by step through what gender transitioning is like (including the physical effects on the body), look to the Bible for clarity, and challenge Christians that this is the time to decide how we can be Christ to a hurting people. (Part 1 of 2)

LSC 204 • CULTS & OTHER RELIGIONS • Rob Bowman • Jesus as Michael the Archangel: How Jehovah’s Witnesses Think of Christ

Jehovah’s Witnesses profess to believe the entire Bible to be the word of God. Yet they deny that Jesus is God incarnate and teach instead that he was Michael the archangel, supposedly the first and only direct creation of Jehovah God. According to the Watchtower Society, Jesus died and then was recreated as an angelic spirit again, and he will remain in heaven forever. On all these points, the Christology of Jehovah’s Witnesses proves to be profoundly unbiblical.

LSC 203 • JESUS • Gary Habermas • Jesus Claim to Divinity

This examination is developed from key NT passages, even according to many critical scholars. It is a multi-faceted treatment of this subject from various angles.

LSC 217 • APOLOGETICA GENERALE • Fabio Castellanos (NOBTS) • ¿Es la revelación general un camino de salvación?

Esta conferencia examina las bases bíblicas y teológicas de la revelación general en relación con la salvación. A partir de textos clave se evaluará si el conocimiento de Dios accesible a toda la humanidad puede considerarse suficiente para la salvación. La presentación también abordará brevemente las implicaciones contemporáneas de este tema para la teología y la misión cristiana.

TUESDAY

Room • Track • Speaker • Topic

2:30pm

LSC 211 • CHRISTIAN ETHICS • Corey Miller • The Golden Rule as Evidence for Christianity: A Worldview Comparison

An analysis of the Golden Rule in the context of science and comparative religions (east and west) reveals an apologetic value that has gone virtually undetected by apologists… until now. The Golden Rule, typically understood within an ethical context, is examined for its apologetic value as a pointer to the veracity of Christianity.

LSC 222 • PROBLEM OF EVIL • Gary L. Shultz Jr. • Bald Heads, Female Bears, and The Morality of God’s Word

This paper would examine 2 Kings 2:18-25 as a test case for correctly understanding
the morality of God’s prophets and therefore God’s Word. It would help demonstrate
why the God of the Old Testament is the same God we worship today in and through
Jesus Christ, how every passage of the Bible is morally authoritative, and why the
Bible can be trusted for when it comes to our understandings of goodness, truth, and
salvation.

LSC 234 • C.S. LEWIS • Donald Williams • Into Aslan’s Shadow: C. S. Lewis’s Defense of the Traditional Doctrine of Eternal Punishment

For Lewis, the fundamental fact about human eschatology as related to the justice of God is that each soul must receive that which it ultimately desires: God or something else. He does not address doctrines like conditional immortality directly, but his principles have a natural and obvious implication for them. The non-believer does not typically desire non-existence but rather an existence independent of submission to God. But this is an existence independent of all Good, for which God is the Source, and such an existence would be precisely Hell. Eternal conscious punishment is consistent with Lewis’s premise, and annihilation is not. Therefore, to the extent that Lewis’s premise is consistent with Scripture, a presumption in favor of the traditional doctrine is created.

LSC 219 • BIBLE DIFFICULTIES • Kristen Davis • Old Testament: History or Hoax?

Christianity is often undermined by the claim that the Old Testament should be viewed as a collection of moral stories rather than as an historical narrative of God’s interaction with real people, in real places, at real points in history. However, if Abraham, Moses, David, and others were not real people a significant amount of our understanding of God’s nature and interaction with mankind is lost. This presentation explores the reliability of the Old Testament, responding to specific arguments against the historical accuracy of the Scriptural narrative.

LSC 223 • ENGAGING POSTMODERNISM & RELATIVISM • Jeff Zweerink • Is Science Immune to Postmodern Ideology?

A central tenet of science is the ability to test any explanation against the data from the real world. People do science, and people introduce bias and unfairness into the process. Scientists have a vested interest in eliminating this bias. However, some want to apply critical theory to physics—an approach that will almost certainly undermine the scientific enterprise. In this talk, I’ll discuss recent examples of how postmodern ideas are starting to penetrate the sciences and then demonstrate how essential Christian doctrines illuminate the best path forward.

LSC 237 • CHRISTIANITY & SCIENCE • Richard G. Howe • Has Science Refuted Miracles and the Supernatural?

Building on the shaky philosophy of Logical Positivism, the “scientism” of Richard Dawkins and other scientifically inclined skeptics of Christianity has widely influenced the culture to regard science as the only way to know reality. This session shows that scientism itself does not meet its own criteria of knowing reality and that the discipline of philosophy is unavoidable in a thorough‑going defense of God’s existence and attributes and the truth of Christianity.

LSC 218 • GENDER & SEXUALITY • Alycia Wood • I Think Therefore I'm Trans, Part 2

LSC 204 • CULTS & OTHER RELIGIONS • Rob Bowman • Jesus as Model of Success: Popular Word of Faith Views of Jesus as Our Example

The grandfather of the Word of Faith movement, E. W. Kenyon, asserted that every believer is as much an incarnation as was Jesus of Nazareth. This statement, later plagiarized by the movement’s founder Kenneth Hagin, epitomizes the errors of Word of Faith doctrine. It claims that Jesus acted simply as a Spirit-anointed man and that any believer can do the same. In this and other ways, Word of Faith teachers present a biblically unsound view of Jesus Christ.

LSC 203 • JESUS • Gary Habermas • A Brief Case for the Historicity of Jesus' Resurrection

This apologetic drawn from the “Minimal Facts” argument is constructed from historical data that are both heavily evidenced as well as being recognized as factual by virtually all critical scholars who address these subjects.

LSC 217 • APOLOGETICA GENERALE • Zach Milstead • ¿Debemos creer porque otras creen? (Should we believe because others believe?)

¿Debería la creencia de los demás influir en nuestra fe? Suele ocurrir con las creencias cotidianas. En esta sesión, analizaremos cómo se relaciona este concepto con la creencia en Dios.

TUESDAY

Room • Track • Speaker • Topic

3:45pm

LSC 211 • CHRISTIAN ETHICS • Dustin Sims • The Ethical Implications of our Apologetic Method

In this breakout session, focus will be given to our ethical implications of our method of apologetics. An apologetic method will be presented that respects those we are engaging while also connecting with them in a more effective way. If those we engage in apologetic conversations are offended, they should be offended by the message and not the method.

LSC 222 • PROBLEM OF EVIL • Nathan Ward • When God Doens't Seem Good: The Importance of Lament in Suffering

A Scriptural investigation of lament as an appropriate response to enduring
the evils of this life.

LSC 234 • C.S. LEWIS • Jake Carlson • Generative AI in Christian Evangelism

We need to meet this generation where they are: online, using the latest technological advancement at our disposal. There are dangers of misusing technology, ethical questions surrounding its application, and the potential of amplifying secular ideologies. But digital platforms and artificial intelligence can also serve as instruments for proclaiming Christ, connecting with isolated communities, and making disciples across the globe.

LSC 219 • BIBLE DIFFICULTIES • Tommy Doughty (NOBTS) • The ‘Current’ Testament: Making Sense of Works Written Between Old and New"

Some Christian traditions recognize more than 66 books of Scripture. This breakout will identify what the Apocrypha is, why it is included in some Bibles, and how evangelicals should treat it.

LSC 223 • ENGAGING POSTMODERNISM & RELATIVISM • Greg Koukl • Columbo—A Two-Step Game Plan for Maneuvering with Confidence and Grace in Any Conversation

Each of us as Christian ambassador faces two daunting challenges when trying to make a difference for Christ. First, we don’t know how to initiate conversations about spiritual things in a way that doesn’t seem awkward. Second, we don’t know how to keep ourselves from getting trapped or overwhelmed by others more aggressive than we are. In this talk, Greg will teach you a two-step game plan allowing you to maneuver with confidence in any situation, no matter how little you know, and no matter how knowledgeable, aggressive, or even obnoxious your opposition may be. Columbo is the simplest tactic imaginable to help you stop a challenger in his tracks, turn the tables, and then get him thinking. And it can be done in a gracious and winsome way. If you’re tired of finding yourself flat-footed and intimidated in conversations about what you believe, if you want to increase your confidence and your skill in discussions no matter who you’re talking with, this talk is for you.

LSC 237 • CHRISTIANITY & SCIENCE • Mike Strauss • The Bible, The Big Bang, and Evolution

Christians who believe the Bible is God’s inspired and authoritative word have different ideas about how God created and whether current scientific theories contradict or are consistent with the biblical record. In this talk, Dr. Mike Strauss will discuss some of his conclusions about how these current scientific ideas may or may not reconcile with the biblical teachings about creation.

LSC 218 • GENDER & SEXUALITY • Sarah Enterline • Modern Women: The Forgotten Female Apologists of the Modern Era

This session is an introduction to fifteen women that rose above society’s expectations and publicly challenged some of history’s greatest skeptics. This lecture specifically covers published Christian women from the Modern Era, circa 1600~1950. Come meet incredible women who, while their names were temporarily lost to history, wrote eloquent and powerful treatises on the cosmological argument, intelligent design, the defense of Scripture, the life of Jesus, special divine action, and much more!

LSC 204 • CULTS & OTHER RELIGIONS • Rob Bowman • Jesus as Mystical Teacher: Christianity without the Countercultural Bits

Both progressive Christians and New Agers regard Jesus as a Buddha-like teacher who experienced the divine in a way all people can. Their mystical view of Jesus reinvents Christianity as a spiritual path compatible with modern values. They deny God as personal Creator, biblical inerrancy, traditional Christian morality, and humans as sinners needing redemption. An effective Christian response is to show that the Sermon on the Mount—which they often profess to embrace—teaches the foundations of Christianity they reject.

LSC 203 • JESUS • Keith Loftin (DBU) • God, Man, or God-Man?

This talk will explore the Christian belief in Christ’s dual nature — truly God and truly human — through Scripture, church fathers, and current objections. It aims to defend how the Incarnation grounds salvation, upholds doctrine, and meets skepticism with clarity and conviction.

LSC 217 • APOLOGETICA GENERALE • Zach Milstead • Un argumento prudencial para la existencia de Dios (A prudential argument for the existence of God)

¿Existen factores, además de la razón, que deberían motivar la creencia en la existencia de Dios? En esta sesión, analizamos un argumento prudencial basado en la evidencia.

WEDNESDAY

Room • Track • Speaker • Topic

1:15pm

LSC 211 • CHRISTIAN ETHICS • Jeff Riley (NOBTS) • Broken Sexuality: Biblical Theo-drama and Fallen Sexual Practice

This breakout will examine the grand narrative arc of Scripture to understand created sexuality and the nature of sexual brokenness and restoration.

LSC 222 • PROBLEM OF EVIL • Gary Habermas • Emotional Religious Doubt

Here the attention is placed on by far the most common species of religious uncertainty, which tends to be emotional in nature. Pathways are suggested for getting a handle on these situations.

LSC 234 • C.S. LEWIS • Donald Williams • A Tryst with the Transcendentals, Part 1: C. S. Lewis as a Philosopher of Truth

In an age of Post-Modernism and Post-Foundationalism, the very concept of truth finds itself subject to deconstruction. C. S. Lewis held to the old “correspondence theory” of truth, but he did so in a way that withstands contemporary assaults better than many traditional formulations because he sought to integrate Reason and Imagination in ways not typical of earlier philosophy. Essays like “Bluspels and Flalansferes” provide a framework for understanding Lewis’s statements on the nature of truth. They make possible a view of truth that is neither relativist nor reductive, but rather profoundly humane.

LSC 219 • BIBLE DIFFICULTIES • John Ditty • The Angry God Myth

This talk focuses on evidence that the God of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is not an angry God. Rather, God is consistent in demonstrating His love and compassion for humanity in light of His times of discipline due to the sin and rebellion of humanity.

LSC 223 • ENGAGING POSTMODERNISM & RELATIVISM • Jamie Dew • Postmodernism and the Self: Why Their Rejection of Human Nature Fails

At the center of all the cultural madness surrounding gender identity theory is the postmodern rejection of human nature. I trace the history of that concept to show why they reject it and offer criticism of their conclusions. In the end, the concept of human nature is not only viable for us today, but absolutely necessary.

LSC 237 • CHRISTIANITY & SCIENCE • Mark Lanier • Artificial Intelligence: A Theology of Science and Faith

God is God, and God is good! But where does science fit into this truth? How does the arising of AI affect what it means to be human before a good God in an age of unparalleled science and change? This keynote will explore AI, its theological roots, and the interplay with God and faith

LSC 218 • GENDER & SEXUALITY • Bob Stewart • Defusing LGBTQ+ Talking Points in Love

This talk discusses how best to respond to common talking points used to support LGBTQ+ arguments, especially gay marriage, and also gives some practical tips about not only as to what to say but how to present the biblical position.

LSC 204 • CULTS & OTHER RELIGIONS • Kristen Davis • Paganism Rising

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.

LSC 203 • JESUS • Paige Lehrmann • Dreams of Jesus: A Bayesian Case from the Middle East

A striking phenomenon is emerging from the Middle East: reports of Muslims encountering the risen Christ through dreams. Are these reports mere legends or subjective visions, or do they reveal a genuine supernatural reality? This breakout will examine the merits of these claims and employ a Bayesian framework to weigh the evidential force with respect to the truth of Christianity.

LSC 217 • APOLOGETICA GENERALE • Bill Warren (NOBTS) • Entendiendo las Diferencias en las Traducciones de la Biblia

Understanding the Differences in the Translations of the Bible

WEDNESDAY

Room • Track • Speaker • Topic

2:30pm

LSC 211 • CHRISTIAN ETHICS • Michael Sherrard • Confusion to Clarity: Knowing Truth in the Age of AI

With ChatGPT, deepfakes, generative videos, and a culture of confusion, how can anyone know what’s real? The challenge is even greater with spiritual truth, where disagreement about God runs deep. Many conclude that universal truth is unknowable—all we have is private perspective. Yet there are compelling reasons to believe objective truth not only exists but can be known personally.

LSC 222 • PROBLEM OF EVIL • Gary Habermas • Near-Death Experiences

Discusses the most recent evidential cases of Near-Death Experiences that are very unlikely to be answered in natural terms. Responses to prominent challenges are included.

LSC 234 • C.S. LEWIS • Donald Williams • A Tryst with the Transcendentals, Part 2: C. S. Lewis as a Philosopher of Beauty

Truth is a reflection of God’s mind, Goodness of His character, and Beauty of His glory as they are impressed into the fabric of the world He has made. It was Beauty that first impressed Lewis as a feature of the world that could not be adequately explained on the basis of materialism and naturalism. This realization led him to an understanding of Truth and Goodness as realities about the world whose objectivity demanded that they be rooted in the character of God.

LSC 219 • BIBLE DIFFICULTIES • Tommy Doughty (NOBTS) • For Whom the Rooster Crows: A Few Difficult Gospel Parallels

Many read all four Gospels and notice discrepancies in the details of stories about Jesus. This breakout will offer potential resolutions to when Jesus cleansed the Temple, the number of times the rooster crowed at Peter’s denial, and who appeared at the empty tomb.

LSC 223 • ENGAGING POSTMODERNISM & RELATIVISM • Richard G. Howe • The Many Faces of Relativism

This session examines the many ways that Relativism is impacting our culture. As time allows, we will critique: (1) Relativism and Truth; (2) Relativism and Knowledge; (3) Relativism and Faith/Reason; (4) Relativism and History; (5) Relativism and Religion; (6) Relativism and Morality; (7) Relativism and the Bible; and (8) Relativism and the Gospel.

LSC 237 • CHRISTIANITY & SCIENCE • Fuz Rana • Humans 2.0: Transhumanism and the Gospel

Advances in genetic engineering and prosthetic devices may one day not only treat debilitating conditions but also enhance human physical, intellectual, and psychological capacities, further fueling the appeal of transhumanism. Though framed in scientific language, transhumanism is a religious movement that offers an alternative gospel, with science and technology serving as a means to salvation. In this presentation, I’ll provide reasons why transhumanism presents a false gospel. I’ll also show ways to build a bridge between transhumanism and the Christian faith, rendering the true gospel relevant in a surprising way in this age of science and technology.

LSC 218 • GENDER & SEXUALITY • Larry Lyon (NOBTS) • Is the Christian sexual ethic outdated

Christianity has long been engaged in the social sphere addressing moral and ethical questions surrounding sex and sexuality. Many people in today’s world think Christians are outdated, or worse, bigots, in their thinking and way of life in the areas surrounding sex. How can Christians demonstrate the truth and livability of the Christian sexual ethic so people can know how God wants them to flourish?

LSC 204 • CULTS & OTHER RELIGIONS • Rob Bowman • Jesus as Muslim Prophet: What Islam Gets Right about Jesus—and What It Gets Wrong

Islam views Jesus as one of many prophets, whereas Christianity views Jesus as God’s divine Son. Yet Islam also gets surprising things right about Jesus, including that Jesus was born of a virgin and performed miracles. Even when it denies the deity of Christ, it does so in ways that reflect correct religious impulses missed by some heretical religions that claim to be Christian. Understanding these things can provide helpful bridges for talking to Muslims about Jesus.

LSC 203 • JESUS • Tyler Wittman (NOBTS) • Did Jesus Unambiguously Claim to be God?

Since the 19th century in particular, with projects aimed at depicting the “life of Jesus” historically, critical scholars have raised several doubts about whether Jesus thought of himself as, much less claimed to be, God. In this session, we will explore some evidence from the Gospels showing that Jesus clearly teaches his divinity. We will then explore the implications of these claims, and the way they are made, for the church’s confession that Jesus Christ is Lord.

LSC 217 • APOLOGETICA GENERALE • Zach Milstead • La resurrección de Jesús (The Resurrection of Jesus)

¿Es razonable creer que Jesús resucitó de entre los muertos? En esta sesión examinaremos los argumentos en contra de la resurrección de Jesús y las pruebas que la respaldan.

WEDNESDAY

Room • Track • Speaker • Topic

3:45pm

LSC 211 • CHRISTIAN ETHICS • Michael Sherrard (Apol, Inc) • Why You Matter: How Your Quest for Meaning is Meaningless without God

Every person longs to know they matter. But in a culture that measures worth by beauty, success, or followers, it’s easy to feel invisible. In this session Mike Sherrard shows how Christianity offers a radical and freeing foundation for human dignity—one not earned but given. Discover why your life has objective meaning and how seeing others through that same truth transforms everything.

LSC 222 • PROBLEM OF EVIL • Keith Loftin (Dallas Baptist University) • Where the Rubber Hits the Road: Practically Understanding and Addressing the Problem of Evil

Evil and suffering aren’t just philosophical problems—they’re deeply personal and practical. This seminar approaches the problem of evil not just as a logical question, but as a deeply human struggle as addressed within the church. With biblical insight, we’ll explore how the Christian faith makes sense of suffering.

LSC 234 • C.S. LEWIS • Donald Williams • A Tryst with the Transcendentals, Part 3: C. S. Lewis as a Philosopher of Goodness

In the first two installments of this study, on Truth and Beauty, we concluded that in the Christian world view of C. S. Lewis, Truth when we find it in the world is a reflection of God’s mind, Goodness of His character, and Beauty of His glory, impressed into the very fabric of what He has made. In this third session on Goodness, we will survey Lewis’s teaching on the nature of the Good, source of the Good, the objectivity of the Good, Good and Evil, earthly Good, and heavenly Good. As with Beauty and Truth, Lewis emerges as a rich and insightful expositor and portrayer of truths that modern and post-modern people are forgetting.

LSC 219 • BIBLE DIFFICULTIES • Brady Blevins • Are Miracles Possible

This breakout session explores the possibility of miracles by defining what they are, addressing common skeptical objections, and considering thoughtful responses. We will also examine the purpose of miracles in the Bible and their significance for faith today.

LSC 223 • ENGAGING POSTMODERNISM & RELATIVISM • David Calhoun • The Self-Referential Incoherence of Reductive Naturalism

A standard theoretical opponent of Christian supernaturalism is metaphysical naturalism, the worldview that reality consists only of natural entities and forces. A common modern variant of naturalism links a naturalist view of reality with a mechanistic understanding of natural events, putatively grounded in modern natural science, that asserts that those natural material entities and forces interact in wholly mechanical ways described by modern natural science. However, according to a line of reasoning developed by Christian thinkers C.S. Lewis and Alvin Plantinga, and surprisingly echoed by agnostic Charles Darwin and atheist thinker Friedrich Nietzsche, this view raises intractable problems if applied to human reasoners, for if reductive mechanistic naturalism is true, the cognitive processes of human beings, and the supposed rational arguments those processes produce, are no more than causal products of mechanical systems. Thus reductive naturalism is self-referentially incoherent. In this breakout I’ll explain and examine this argument.

LSC 237 • CHRISTIANITY & SCIENCE • Mike Strauss • Science, Apologetics, and Christian Witness

A common belief is that science and the Bible conflict with each other. Some apologetic arguments used by Christians have enhanced this false belief and done damage to a defense of Christianity. We will explore how some of the current ideas about science and the Bible have been historically developed and some of the good apologetic arguments from science that can be used as a defense of the Christian faith.

LSC 218 • GENDER & SEXUALITY • Lloyd Harsch (NOBTS) • The Bench and the Bedroom: The Supreme Court's Rulings on Gender & Sexuality

The United States has experienced a rapid shift in its understanding of sexuality in a very brief time. The two genders of the past have multiplied into a dizzying array of combinations and permutations. It falls to the US Supreme Court to decide how to balance individual autonomy and sexual identity with communal life and concerns for safety and propriety. This session will give a brief survey of select Supreme Court findings and precedents leading up to the present that touch on gender and sexuality.

LSC 204 • CULTS & OTHER RELIGIONS • Rob Bowman • Jesus as Mormon God: Joseph Smith’s Stories about Jesus

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) is founded on stories about Jesus told by Joseph Smith. In the “First Vision,” Joseph claimed that Jesus and the Father appeared to him in 1820 to initiate the restoration of Christianity. In 1830, Joseph published the Book of Mormon, allegedly translated from ancient gold plates, in which Jesus appeared to people in the ancient Americas. Historical examinations of these stories show that they are not based on fact.

LSC 203 • JESUS • Timothy Paul Jones • Who Really Wrote the Gospels?

According to skeptics such as Bart Ehrman, the New Testament Gospels weren’t produced by Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Instead, these names were fabricated later to make the Gospels sound authoritative by linking them to well-known witnesses in the early church. So is there any evidence that the Gospels can actually be traced back to eyewitnesses or close associates of eyewitnesses? Yes—quite a lot of evidence, in fact! Join Timothy Paul Jones as he explores the question of who wrote the Gospels.

LSC 217 • APOLOGETICA GENERALE • Zach Milstead • ¿Quién escribió los evangelios? (Who wrote the Gospels?)

¿Qué sabemos sobre los autores originales de los Evangelios? En esta sesión discutiremos cómo esto se relaciona con la confiabilidad de los Evangelios como documentos históricos.

THURSDAY

Room • Track • Speaker • Topic

1:15pm

Admissions Suite • Gender & Sexuality - Responding to LGBTQ+ Friends & Family

Description: Christians often have no issue holding a biblical sexual ethic without compromise — in principle. However, when friends or family identify as LGBTQ+ the challenge of showing compassion without compromising truth can seem much greater. This panel is dedicated to discussing how Christians can best respond to LGBTQ+ people in their own relationships.

Panelists: Jeff Riley (Moderator), Cory Barnes, Dustin Sims, Zach Milstead, Mike Sherrard, Brady Blevins

NAMB Suite • Christianity & Science - Faithful Christians and Diligent Scientists

Description: A great wall is often imagined to divide faith and science. Such a wall need not hinder faithful Christians from diligently studying God’s good creation nor diligent scientists from faithfully following Christ. This panel focuses on how faith and science can be integrated without requiring one to leave one’s faith before entering the lab or one’s brain before entering the church.

Panelists: Tawa Anderson (Moderator), Mike Strauss, Fuz Rana, Jeff Zweerink, David Calhoun, Richard Howe

LSC 237 • Cults & Other Religions – Touchpoints of Truth

Description: The world is full of religions and worldviews. Full truth and life are found in Christ, but bits of truth are found in the myriad beliefs held by people. While some affirm Jesus as a prophet and teacher, others acknowledge and search for something more than just the physical world. This panel will discuss how Christian apologists can identify and affirm some of the good inclinations of unbelievers and use these “touchpoints” to share the full truth of the gospel.

Panelists: Bob Stewart (Moderator), James Walker, Rob Bowman, Tommy Doughty, Daniel Ray, Gary Habermas

LSC 217 • APOLOGETICA GENERALE • Fabio Castellanos (NOBTS) • Cristo predicó a los espíritus: Una mirada a 1 Pedro 3:18–20

Esta conferencia aborda uno de los pasajes más desafiantes del Nuevo Testamento: 1 Pedro 3:18–20. Exploraremos el significado de la proclamación de Cristo a los espíritus encarcelados, considerando su contexto histórico, literario y teológico. Analizaremos las principales interpretaciones y mostraremos cómo este texto revela la soberanía, la justicia y la misericordia de Dios, fortaleciendo la fe y ofreciendo claridad apologética para la comprensión bíblica del evangelio.

THURSDAY

Room • Track • Speaker • Topic

3:00pm

LSC 237 • Engaging Postmodernism & Relativism - What Is the Meaning of Life?

Description: This question is not new, but its relevance is felt as keenly today as ever. As the world searches for meaning or abandons the idea entirely and tries to forge fulfillment from the meaninglessness, Christianity offers true purpose in life. This panel will discuss the ways in which the purpose found in Christ presents a compelling apologetic for His goodness and desirability over against other worldviews and religions.

Panelists: Alex Oakley (Moderator), David Calhoun, Richard Howe, Zach Milstead, Jeff Zweerink, Daniel Ray

Admissions Suite • Christian Ethics - How Does Christianity Lead to Personal and Societal Flourishing?

Description: Christianity is frequently criticized or rejected today not on the basis of its being untrue, but on the basis of its being bad: bad for individuals, bad for societies. This panel will explore ways in which Christianity has historically led to flourishing on individual and societal levels.

Panelists: Tawa Anderson (Moderator), Matthew Tingblad, Jeff Riley, Kristen Davis, Mike Strauss, Brady Blevins

NAMB Suite • C. S. Lewis - The Legacy of C. S. Lewis

Description: How does the 20th-century’s most prominent apologist continue to impact Christendom in the 21st century?

Panelists: Tommy Doughty (Moderator), Donald Williams, Sarah Enterline, Nathan Ward, Bob Stewart

LSC 217 • APOLOGETICA GENERALE • A.M. Ramos (AKA Dolph) • El verdadero propósito de la Biblia

El hecho de que estudiemos apologética implica que nuestra fe está bajo ataque. Sin duda, ha estado bajo ataque desde sus inicios, y nuestro trabajo es defenderla. Todos los pilares de la fe cristiana, como la vida, la resurrección, la deidad de Jesucristo y la Biblia, son objeto de estos ataques.

La Biblia, su inspiración divina y su exactitud, es el más importante de estos pilares. Ausentes de esta, los otros pilares no pueden sostenerse.

Esta conferencia busca demostrar que la Biblia, con los más de 40 autores que tomó escribir, y los más de 1,400 años para completarla, contiene un mensaje cohesivo y unificado con un propósito. Tal propósito es progresivo, se intensifica y culmina de manera espectacular. Si este es el caso, prueba su fuente divina.