Can The New Testament Be Trusted?
I love talking with skeptics, atheists, and anyone else who will listen to my reasons for believing that Jesus is the resurrected Lord. In my opinion, the historical evidence is compelling...read more

Is There Any Evidence for the Soul?
In the past couple weeks two of my former students (now in college) have contacted me with the same question: Is there any evidence for the existence of the soul?...read more

The “Secret” Deception
Last Friday an 8th grade girl came into my classroom with a deep concern on her face. “Mr. McDowell” she said, “have you heard of The Secret?”...read more

Do All Roads Lead to God?
George Lucas, in a magazine interview, made a comment that represents what many people think today about world religions: “I remember when I was 10 years old, I asked my mother...read more

How Can a Loving God allow Evil?
The Amish community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, will never forget the tragedy of October 2nd, 2006. Charles Roberts, a non-Amish local father of three...read more

Debunking the Da Vinci Code
A few weeks ago I received a frantic call from a mother afraid her daughter would lose her faith after reading The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown...read more

Why would a loving God send people to hell?
I don’t like the idea of hell. Hell is not merely an academic issue, but one that is very personal to me. To think that some of my loved ones could spend...read more

If God made the world then who made God?
I remember lying in bed as a boy wondering about how God could have always existed. Maybe like me you have wondered, “If God made the world, then where...read more

Why Modern Evolutionary Theory is Wrong about Sex
Modern evolutionary theory is based upon the idea that human beings are “designed” (their term) to be promiscuous. The basic idea is that women have sex with multiple...read more

Understanding Intelligent Design
Where did we come from? Why are we here? How did life as we know it come about? Are we accidental by-products of a purposeless, dark, and cold universe...read more

Three Questions to Ask Your Biology Teacher
High school biology textbooks are riddled with errors, misstatements, and exaggerations about evolution. This may come as a surprise to you...read more

What’s the Big Deal with Porn?
Earlier this year some high school students invited me to lunch. To my amazement, the girl across the table from me had live TV on her cell phone.....read more

The Changing World of Teen Sex
At the opening of the cinematic version of Lord of the Rings, Galadriel says “The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the...read more

The Pornography Revolution
At the end of last year I lead a class discussion on the topic of Internet pornography (I teach at a private Christian school in southern California)...read more

Answers to Tough Questions about Sex
As a high school teacher and speaker, I regularly receive questions about sex, love and dating from young people. Below are researched answers to some...read more

Finding True Love in a Hook-up World
If you were like King Solomon in the Bible and could have any one wish come true, what would you wish for? When I pose this question to my students they often...read more

Why Doctrine Matters More than Ever
Doctrine is under attack. Your initial response might be, “Of course it is, heretics have been challenging the foundations of the church since its inception!” and that is true, but today’s attack...read more

What will Heaven be like?
If you knew for certain that you only had three days left to live on Earth, how would you spend your remaining time? Recently I posed this question to a group of Christian high school seniors...read more

Knowing God's Will Part 1
Have you ever wondered, “How can I know the will of God for my life?” To be honest, this question deeply troubled me for many years of my life...read more

Knowing God's Will Part 2
“I know God’s specific will for your life.” When I tell this to my students, they often think this means I’ve received a special word from God, and that...read more

Finding God in the land of Narnia
From Star Wars to the Matrix, from Harry Potter to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, modern fantasy and science fiction are filled with references to the possible...read more

Apologetics for a New Generation
Most Christian teenagers today are rolling through life without much thoughtful reflection about their faith. They have deep confusion about the nature and character of the Trinitarian God, other essential...read more


Truth and the Emergent Church
Sean, as you know, I have a great deal of respect for your ministry, and for that of your dad. In fact, I have a very distinct memory of being 16, and I was a camp counselor at our church's camp for 3rd-5th graders...read more

Women in the Emergent Church
Sean, today I was watching CNN in the morning, and something occurred to me. Not only are we talking about a woman candidate for President of the United States...read more

The Gospel and the Law
As you know, Sean, one of the most difficult items of Christian faith that we must navigate is the relationship between the law and the gospel. As with so many other things...read more

The Emergent Church and Biblical Authority
Since we’ve started our discussions, Tony, I’ve wondered how our views on the Bible compare. We’ve both expressed concerns about the lack of biblical knowledge today among...read more

Altar Calls and the Emerging Church
Sean, first let me make a confession: I came forward at church camp in 5th grade and “invited Jesus into my life as my personal Lord and Savior.” I cried like a baby, too...read more

Technology and the Emerging Church
There’s been a lot of talk recently about the dangers of MySpace, the hazards of Internet pornography, and concern about how technology can isolate people...read more

Education and the Emerging Church
Sean, I’ve got a topic that’s sure to get some folks bent out of shape (and I mean no disrespect to you and your job), but here it goes: I think Christians should go to public school...read more

Abortion and the Emerging Church
Although this may surprise you, Tony, I do not believe we should spend all our time and resources fighting abortion. Abortion is not the only issue. But I do believe that few Christians, and in particular, pastors and youth pastors, have taken this issue seriously enough...read more

Relativism and the Emerging Church
As you know, Sean, a “straw man argument” is one that’s constructed by people simply so that they can tear it down. For instance, an atheist might mischaracterize the Bible’s external documentation and then say that proves how unreliable the Bible is...read more

Apologetics and the Emerging Church
The ancient church offers a powerful model for the role apologetics should play as we seek to be missional. There are two key aspects of the outreach of the early church. First, there was the content...read more

Hell and the Emerging Church
Tony, I’ve got a topic that’s sure to create some sparks. So, here it is: I think the church needs to reclaim a balanced biblical approach to eternal judgment. It seems to me that we have given in to cultural pressures and softened the reality of hell...read more

Evangelism and the Emerging Church
The first thing I wonder when I come across something like the “Great Commission” is, who gave this passage that name? Neither “great” nor “commission” are found anywhere in the text, so someone...read more

True for you, but not true for me
This past summer I was the guest speaker at a youth Bible camp in Northern California. The theme throughout the week was Matthew 22:37...read more

What's the Big Deal with Wicca?
Once considered a fringe religion for social misfits, Wicca now has big appeal among teenagers. Thanks to an extreme makeover by the media (and a 1986 federal court ruling that Wicca is a legal religion protected by the U.S. Constitution), Wicca is now one of the fastest growing religions among teenagers...read more

Conversational Survey #1
…on Religious & Moral Matters - Do you believe in God or a higher power?...read more

Conversational Survey #2
…on Existential Questions - Is there a meaning to life? If so, what is it?...read more

Who Cares about Truth?
This activity helps students realize that truth should be the guiding principle for what we believe, and as a result, how we live our lives...read more

Does Believing Make It True?
This activity helps teens realize the difference between belief and truth. Young people must see that truth is not the type of thing we can change by mere belief....read more

The Truman Show
Discussion Questions...read more

A Stolen Summer
2002, directed by Pete Jones...read more

Worldview Project: Movie Analysis
The purpose of this assignment is to analyze the worldview of a contemporary movie. After getting your movie selection approved you may begin the project...read more