Josh's Featured Messages
Josh speaks on the following topics:
Classical Apologetics
Relational Apologetics
Moral Apologetics
Classical Apologetics
Help people understand the importance of Christ, the reliability of the Bible, and the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.
Why Did Jesus Have to Die?
Christian theology is too often man-centered (“What did Jesus do for me?”). So, when it comes to the question, “For whom did Jesus die?”, Josh’s answer may surprise you. By examining what is true of God, you will gain a greater appreciation of the depths to which he went to pursue a relationship with you. Josh shares poignant and powerful illustrations of the complex terms of propitiation and redemption giving you a whole new perspective of God’s passionate love for you.
Who Is Jesus, Really?
Most people don’t deny Jesus existed. They believe he was a moral teacher or a good man but stop short of calling him God. Is that even an option? Using an intriguing breakdown of C.S. Lewis’s Trilemma and a fascinating treatment of Jesus’ fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, Josh brings clarity to two points – did Jesus claim to be God? And is there evidence that he is God?
The Bible: Fact, Fiction, or Fable
Does the Bible we have today really contain what was written down over 2000 years ago or has it been changed? And, is what was written down true? From manuscript authority to eyewitness accounts, Josh presents convincing evidences supporting the reliability of the New Testament. The evidences for the validity of Scripture reveal that God has protected His Word through the centuries, and we can know that it’s true. This thrilling message will give you a renewed confidence in your faith and will help provide you with answers to questions about the Bible.
Misconceptions of Christianity
Before Josh became a Christian, he needed to overcome three common misconceptions of Christianity held by believers and non-believers alike: Christianity is a blind faith; it’s a subjective faith; and it needs to be proven scientifically in order to be accepted exclusively.
Josh dissects each misconception and demonstrates how Christianity is actually an intelligent faith and an objective faith. He exposes the fallacies of the scientific method when used to verify historical events. Rather, they must be proven using the evidential method (legal, historical), and Josh convincingly demonstrates how Christianity passes those tests.
Discover the Evidence Experience
Experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! This incredible spiritual adventure through history, archaeology and antiquities will satisfy your mind and soul regarding the reliability of the Bible. You will be able to touch and experience an authentic 500-year-old Jewish scroll, learn how these ancient scrolls were preserved and see manuscript fragments that were hidden for over 1600 years!
Through the unveiling of ancient artifacts and early manuscripts that would normally be behind glass in a museum, you will have a first-hand encounter of how God has protected His Word through the centuries.
Did the Resurrection Happen, Really?
According to Josh, the Resurrection is either one of the greatest facts of history or one of the greatest fables ever forced upon the minds of men and women. Disprove it, and our faith is rendered useless. Josh provides vivid illustrations and details of Christ’s crucifixion and burial that will help you gain a better understanding of what Christ experienced. Presenting astonishing historical evidences, exploring eye-witness testimony and debunking popular theories surrounding the empty tomb, Josh will give you confidence that the resurrection is true.
Relational Apologetics
Help believers live out the teachings of Jesus in their relationships (friendship, marriage, parenting, self-image, etc.).
The Bare Facts
Josh believes nothing is sabotaging the spiritual growth of college, high school and even middle school young people more than sexual experimentation. Our kids are bombarded with a worldview of sex that is detrimental to their well-being. In this message, Josh shares a positive biblical view of sex that may surprise you.
Josh delivers frank and godly answers to the top questions young people ask about sex, love and relationships—questions parents are often afraid their kids will ask! “What is love and purity?” “Why did God create sex?” “What are some of the consequences of living outside of God’s design for sex?” “What are the positives of waiting until marriage?”
The Art of Fighting Fair
“Make it a fair fight” is the final caution a referee gives to boxers. Sometimes relationships seem like a boxing match—there’s always conflict that needs to be resolved. The question is whether you will fight fair or not.
A marriage relationship is no different, and how we handle that conflict makes all the difference in the world. If it isn’t resolved with a positive approach, long-term consequences can occur. Using his own marriage of over 50 years as the background, Josh presents seven simple and biblically based principles in dealing with conflict that can actually strengthen your relationships.
The 7 “A”s
Rules without relationships lead to rebellion. Truth without relationships leads to rejection. Relationships form the very foundation on which we pass our faith to the next generation. Josh shares seven practical principles (affection, appreciation, acceptance and four others) that are essential for developing healthy and long-lasting relationships with your kids.
Relationships That Transform
One of the most important factors contributing to a child’s success in life is actively involved parents who have relational connections with their children. Kids need and desire that kind of relationship. Citing current research on the family, biblical wisdom and real-life examples, Josh unveils the need for parents to develop authentic relationships with their children and demonstrates the importance of showing unfailing love and truth to them.
*Suggested Parent Event: Combine Relationships That Transform with The 7 “A”s for an unforgettable 2-hour parent seminar.
50 Shades of Love
People often claim they are motivated by love to do the things they do. But very few people can define what that actually means. It’s especially dangerous for our children when culture defines what love is for them. So, how do you know whether you are doing the loving thing if you can’t define it? Josh discusses what love is not (especially in terms of sex) and then shares an insightful, biblical understanding of what love is that will dramatically change how you think.
Moral Apologetics
Help believers align their behavior and actions with the nature and character of God (truth, purity, love, forgiveness, justice, etc.).
Tolerating the Intolerable
Today’s culture believes the greatest virtue in the world is tolerance. It affects almost every line of thought, right down to the young people in the church. It’s a doctrine that teaches all opinions, values, lifestyles and beliefs are equal. And the latest shift of truth has taken it even further, where truth has gone beyond being subjective to being based on emotions. For the first time in history, feelings trump truth.
How do we raise our children to be true followers of Christ in a culture where truth is subjective or even based on feelings? In this eye-opening message, Josh walks you through four simple principles that will give you hope as you start the process of leading your children to walk in the truth of their faith.
The Perfect Storm
A youth crisis of monumental proportions is brewing. It is the confluence of an intellectual storm, a moral storm and a relational storm all driven by the winds of a destructive internet influence on our young people.
In this sobering, but much needed message for the church and believers, Josh shares shocking statistics on our youth’s Christian belief system and how the internet affects their beliefs and morality. It has leveled the “playing field” in terms of differing worldviews influencing our kids. Pornography is specifically addressed as it is the number one hinderance to a person’s spiritual life. While it can seem disheartening, there is hope with solutions that move young people from not just knowing what they believe, but why they believe it.
Teaching Truth in a “Whatever” Culture
Recent surveys show a large percentage of our youth leave the church upon graduation. For the most part, their values, beliefs and worldviews do not mirror those of their parents. Examining the major movements in history, Josh presents a riveting explanation of culture’s shifting view of truth to where we are today with the issue of tolerance (all opinions, beliefs and lifestyles being equal).
You will hear shocking statistics on our youth’s Christian belief system. But, you’ll also find hope as we move young people from not just knowing what they believe, but why they believe it. You can leave a faith legacy.
Straight Talk with Your Kids About Sex
In a sex-obsessed, media-saturated culture, you can be sure your kids are getting the message. But is it the one you want them to get? If your kids are going to get the message about God’s plan for sex, you are the right choice to give it. Taken from Josh and his wife, Dottie’s, own experience raising four children, you’ll gain confidence, encouragement and practical application during that sometimes awkward process of guiding your children into a healthy understanding of God’s gift of sex.
See Yourself as God Sees You
Too often we fall into the trap that our identity is shaped by how we look, how we perform and what we achieve. We live a life of performance and expectations. In this life-changing message, you’ll learn that your self-image should be based on how God views you…no more and no less. And how does God view us? Your audience will be blown away when Josh gets to the heart of how God sees us—lovable, valuable and competent. He demonstrated that by taking extraordinary steps so we could enjoy a relationship with Him.
Right From Wrong
In a culture where truth is subjective, our young people need a strong foundation for determining why things are right and why things are wrong. Josh covers four of the most common responses to why things like lying are wrong and exposes the incorrect thinking behind them. He presents a 4 “C”s process that brings the determination of right and wrong back to the very person, nature and character of God. This message can play a vital role in strengthening the moral foundations of our young people.
Power to Forgive
Nothing destroys relationships faster than the lack of forgiveness…either the giving or the receiving of it. An unforgiving person cannot develop intimate lasting relationships. Drawing upon his own painful childhood, Josh candidly shares the struggles he went through to forgive the man who sexually abused him. Utilizing the “Power to Forgive” sets you free from bitterness and allows you to experience the joy God intended.
“There is nothing too great in my life for God’s power to deal with nor anything too small for His love to be concerned about.” –Josh McDowell
For the Sake of the Children
Internet pornography is one of the top challenges facing the church and Christian families today, but one of the least talked about. In that silence, pornography is leaving a destructive wake. The average age of a young person when first exposed to pornography is eight years old.
Parents too often mistakenly believe their kids are protected. But porn is aggressive, invasive and just one click away. In this heartfelt, passionate message from a father and grandfather, Josh presents the scope of internet porn, its addictiveness and its neurological impact on the brain. A variety of practical steps are laid out to help parents and grandparents prepare their kids and grandkids for the first time they see pornography and not fall for a cheap substitute of God’s original design for sex.
A Skeptic’s Journey
Join Josh as he shares the unforgettable story of his personal encounter with Jesus Christ. A dysfunctional family life, an alcoholic and violent father and a sexually abusive worker on the family farm left Josh with a lifetime of scars and shame. Eager to rail against the existence of a loving God, he set out to intellectually disprove Christianity. You’ll find encouragement, hope and redemption in Josh’s story of how God’s passionate love and grace, along with the evidences for the truth of Christianity, forever changed the life of this former agnostic.
