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If you would like to have Brett speak at your event, here is a list of topics he is prepared to cover. To find out how to schedule Brett, please contact Amy at amy@str.org.
Click on the links below to jump down the list.
Mission Trips
Topics for adults and students
Special topics for adults
Seminars
MISSION TRIPS
Brett has developed a groundbreaking approach to mission trips, creating a one-of-a-kind training experience that immerses participants in real-life apologetics, theology, and evangelism. He orchestrates interactive trips to Berkeley, California, and to various parts of Utah where participants are equipped to engage atheists, Mormons, university students, and other non-believers.
Berkeley Mission Fact Sheet
Berkeley Mission Sample Budget
Berkeley Mission Sample Itinerary
A Glimpse into the Berkeley Mission Experience
TOPICS FOR ADULTS AND STUDENTS
Who's Waiting for You?
This talk introduces students to some of the people and ideas they will meet once they leave the safety of a Christian home, church or youth group and step onto the college campus. Are they prepared for aggressive challenges to their faith? Recent studies on youth tell us they are ill-equipped, so we will outline a strategy that prepares them for the people and ideas waiting.
Why I Am a Christian
We will examine the most common reasons Christians give for why they embrace Christianity, then we’ll examine the primary reason why we ought to embrace Christianity: because Christianity is true. We’ll clarify this controversial claim and show how the truth of religious claims must be grounded in reality. Naturally, such a claim is followed by questions of how we can know Christianity is true, so we’ll set out a cumulative case approach that takes into account the wealth of evidence for the Christian worldview.
Truth & the Real World
Our culture is deeply confused about truth. In this talk, we'll examine the nature of truth and then test our own understanding, the results of which are eye-opening for students and adults alike. We'll evaluate common objections to truth and discover why the truth really matters.
True for You but Not for Me?
Moral relativism is pervasive. “Whatever” is the mantra when it comes to moral choices, and it subtly erodes our confidence in God’s commands. We’ll examine moral relativism and its flaws and equip you with an understanding of how we come to know moral truth and defend it.
Is One Way the Only Way?
Less than half of conservative Protestant teens and about a quarter of mainline Protestant teens believe Jesus is the only way. Christian adults don’t fare much better. We’ll examine common objections to the exclusivity of Christ’s claims and then build a careful case for Jesus as the only way to God.
Is Faith a Blind Leap?
Is faith believing even when all the evidence is against you? Does true faith have anything to do with knowledge, reason and evidence? In this talk we will examine the true nature of biblical faith and show how faith and reason go hand-in-hand.
Why Should I Trust the Bible?
Recent attacks on the reliability of the Bible threaten to undermine our confidence in the Bible as the very words of God. In this talk we’ll examine how the Bible has been transmitted, demonstrate why the Bible is the most historically reliable ancient document we have, and uncover God's divine fingerprints within the pages of this life-changing book.
Dead Men Rising: Is Jesus’ Resurrection Fact or Fiction?
According to the Apostle Paul, if Jesus did not rise bodily from the grave, our faith is worthless. But is there any evidence for this historical event? We’ll examine the evidence and see that Jesus’ resurrection is fact, not fiction.
Is the Bible Intolerant?
In today’s culture, the Bible is politically incorrect. Its views on issues like homosexuality, gender and sexuality are considered outdated and intolerant. In this talk we’ll demonstrate how the accusation of intolerance is flawed in three important ways. We’ll examine the true nature of tolerance and raise the most important issue in this discussion: What is true?
Tactics in Defending the Faith
Tired of finding yourself intimidated in conversations about your faith and values? Want to increase your confidence and skill in discussions, no matter whom you're talking to? Then you need Tactics. You'll learn specific skills to help engage others in friendly conversation and be equipped to present Christ in an intelligent yet gracious way.
Mormonism 101
The maze of Mormon belief can be complicated and confusing. Where do we start when talking to our Mormons friends or family? This helpful overview will give you a brief introduction to Mormon history and will outline the most important issues to raise with Mormons. You’ll learn how to address common objections and bring the discussion back to God’s grace.
The Mormon Challenge
How well would you fare in a conversation with the Mormon at your door? Would the Mormon know his Bible better than you? Find out as Brett role plays a Mormon for your group. Drawing upon hundreds of conversations with Mormons through the years, Brett will challenge your group like never before.
Why I'm Not an Evolutionist
Where do we start in our discussions of evolution? Isn’t the evidence for evolution overwhelming? We’ll help you sort through and make sense of this controversial topic and demonstrate the scientific evidence clearly points to an Intelligent Designer.
Can We Be Good without God?
Atheists claim we don’t need God to be moral. In this talk we’ll examine the atheist’s confusion, raise the problem of good for the atheist and show that God’s existence best explains the existence of objective moral values.
If God Is Good, Why Is There Evil?
The reality of human suffering poses the most difficult question anyone can ask about a God who is both good and powerful. If God is absolutely powerful and ultimately good, He would deal with evil. Instead, He appears too weak to oppose it or too indifferent to care, and no one can believe in a God like that. Brett answers these questions and shows that there is no contradiction. You'll also learn why the presence of evil in the world is one of the best proofs for the existence of God.
Does God Really Exist? You Bet Your Life
If faith means taking a blind leap against all evidence and sound reason, then your average atheist has more faith than the Apostle Paul. In this teaching Brett explains arguments for God’s existence in a way that is understandable and compelling and severely weakens the atheist's case. You will also find out the real reason many intelligent people don't believe in God. It has little to do with the facts.
The Atheist Challenge
How would you fare in a conversation with an atheist? Could you defend the faith with more than “the Bible says so” or “I just have faith?” Find out as Brett role plays an atheist for your group. This challenge will expose your knowledge of Christianity and your ability to defend it (or lack of!). You’ll walk away motivated like never before.
“God Is a Crutch” and Other Common Atheist Objections
Tired of getting caught speechless when a friend raises an objection to God’s existence? Are there good answers to the most common objections? We’ll carefully examine key objections and demonstrate how each is seriously flawed. You’ll walk away with greater confidence that God’s existence can be defended against its loudest detractors.
The New Atheists: Old Arguments, New Attitude
The titles are numerous and daunting: God Is Not Great—How Religion Poisons Everything (Christopher Hitchens), The God Delusion (Richard Dawkins), Breaking the Spell—Religion as Natural Phenomenon (Daniel Dennett), The End of Faith—Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason (Sam Harris). Worse, they’ve also been dominating the bestseller lists recently. The authors are a new breed of skeptics, atheists with an attitude. They’re convinced religion is not just false, it’s dangerous. With these “new atheists,” though, there’s a lot more bark than bite in their challenge. Brett will walk you through the issues, answer their charges, and demonstrate that the real culprit is not religion, but false religion, or true religion improperly or inconsistently applied.
Abortion: Only One Question
Our value is tied to the kinds of beings we are: creatures that bear God's image. This image is what gives us our transcendent value, requiring us to treat all humans as beings with dignity and worth. Do the unborn fit into this category? Learn to use the one simple question that, when answered, resolves all of the issues: What is the unborn?
Living for a Cause Greater than Yourself
True meaning in life is only found when you live for a cause greater than yourself. And the greatest cause is the cause of Christ. However, to engage a lost world effectively there are three important skills you must be growing in: knowledge, wisdom and character. Discover what each one looks like and how together they enable you to be a compelling ambassador for Christ.
The Trinity: A Solution, Not a Problem
The Trinity is confusing, irrational, and contradictory, right? Besides, does it really matter if we can explain it clearly? In this talk you’ll discover the Trinity is absolutely vital to our understanding of God and much less complicated than you think. In fact, it's a solution, not a problem. And you’ll see how an in-depth study of the Trinity actually leads you into a much deeper, richer worship of God.
Credo: What Are the Essentials of the Faith?
Why are some Christians so caught up in what they believe? Aren’t appeals to orthodoxy just a way to say who’s “in” and who’s “out?” In this talk you’ll discover what are essential Christian beliefs and why they are essential. And you’ll find out why the essentials are a matter of life and death.
What Do I Say to My Homosexual Friend?
Can we oppose homosexual behavior and love our homosexual friends at the same time? Brett will equip you with the biblical and philosophical arguments against homosexuality while demonstrating the compassion so desperately needed in this discussion.
Same-Sex Marriage & the Future of Family
Few issues in our culture are as explosive as the question of same-sex marriage. Homosexual partners continue to vie for legitimacy by having their relationships sanctioned with the same privileges and protections afforded their heterosexual counterparts. But when challenged to defend the traditional view of marriage, too many Christians have little more to offer than "because the Bible tells me so." In this timely session, Brett presents several effective arguments in defense of one of the most consequential issues of our time.
Never Read a Bible Verse
Why does the Bible so often seem confusing and its meaning impenetrable? Is there a correct way to study the Bible? This talk gives you keys to unlocking the meaning of God’s Word. In this practical presentation, you will learn why you should never read just a single verse, but always read a paragraph, at least. Only when you are properly informed by God's Word the way it is written - in its context - can you be transformed by it.
Hell Yes! The Terrifying Truth
When was the last time you heard any lengthy teaching on hell? In this teaching, Brett talks about why the concept of hell has fallen on hard times and gives good reasons why we should take the notion seriously. We’ll examine the biblical view of hell and answer key objections. This teaching will not leave you unmoved because there is only one solution to avoid being in hell forever.
Why Should I Believe Anything at All? Worldviews in Conflict
What is a worldview and why does it matter? In this talk you’ll discover that everyone has a worldview but most people have never thought carefully about why they believe what they believe. Ironically, one’s worldview has profound consequences for all of life. We’ll examine the three prominent worldviews in our culture and then discuss how we test worldviews for truth.
The Invisible Man: Is There Proof for the Soul?
How do we know the soul exists? And why does it matter? In a world increasingly dominated by science in search of tangible proof, reality is being quickly reduced to what is scientific and physical. We’ll turn the tables on science and reveal what cannot be seen from a microscope. Brett will explain that it's not only rational and reasonable to believe in the invisible, but belief in the soul carries with it life and death ramifications.
Real Sex: Why God Thinks Sex Is a Good Thing
Sex is really good. But the best sex can only be experienced in the way God intended. Unfortunately, our culture is awash in bad ideas about sex. In this talk we’ll examine God’s true purposes for sex and how our misunderstandings are often emotionally destructive and physically dangerous.
Mind Games: How Media Messes with Your Mind
Unless you’re Amish or live in a cave, you can’t keep pop culture from seeping into your life. The avalanche of cultural images and sounds comes with such frequency and intensity, you can’t help but absorb the culture’s messages about life. So how do we navigate culture and keep it from being a corrosive influence in our lives? This seminar will show you how.
What Is God’s Will for My Life?
First you're going to be mad; then you'll be thankful. You're going to be mad because this teaching is going to question much of what you understand about the "leading" of the Holy Spirit. But after a careful examination of the Bible, you'll see decision making in a completely new light. By the time we’re done, you will have the tools you need to make sound choices. You will experience a deeper sense of relief and freedom in decision making than you've ever known before.
SPECIAL TOPICS FOR ADULTS
Who’s Waiting for Your Kids?
This talk will open your eyes to the reality of the secular college campus and its aggressive assault on the faith of our students. In addition, we will examine recent data suggesting our students are ill-equipped for such challenges and then discuss what we can do about it.
A Dozen or So Ideas for Worldview Training
Worldview and apologetic training should be an essential part of our student’s discipleship, so it’s a sin to bore them with dry, lifeless content. Breathe life and excitement into worldview training with these practical ideas that can be implemented inside and outside the classroom.
Alive & Well: The Challenge of Relativism
Is relativism’s influence waning? According to recent studies, the answer is clearly “no,” and the data suggests our young people are thoroughly infected. This seminar will help you give students an accurate and biblical view of truth.
The Ministry of Pursuit
This is an important talk for those who work with students. Taking a cue from God’s pursuit of a lost and dying world, we’ll look at how we model such incredible love to the young people we work with. This seminar will conclude with a number of extremely practical ideas for pursuing students for Christ in your ministry.
Mind Games: How Media Messes with Your Kid's Mind
Unless you’re Amish or live in a cave, you can’t keep pop culture from seeping into your home. The avalanche of cultural images and sounds comes with such frequency and intensity, students can’t help but absorb culture’s messages about life. So how do we help them navigate culture and keep it from being a corrosive influence in their lives? This seminar will show you how.
Clarifying Confused Christianity
How can reasonable people hold unreasonable beliefs? Because reason doesn't seem to matter much anymore, even in the church. Brett calls for clarity on three foundational issues often deeply misunderstood by Christians: 1) what faith is, 2) what truth is and 3) what it means to be a Christian.
The Emerging Church
What is the Emerging Church? Who are its leaders and what are they saying? Drawing upon his extensive research and conversations with its leaders, Brett will examine the good, the bad and the ugly of the Emerging Church.
Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism?
What is postmodernism? Should Christians embrace or reject it? We’ll briefly examine the history of postmodern thought and carefully reflect on its key ideas.
SEMINARS
Who’s Waiting for You? (3 to 8 sessions) Target audience: students
Who’s Waiting for You?
Your selections from the list of topics above
Truth & the Real World (3 to 4 sessions) Target audience: students and/or adults
Truth and the Real World
True for You but Not for Me?
Is One Way the Only Way?
Q & A Session
Who’s Waiting for Your Kids? (3 to 4 sessions) Target audience: adults
Who’s Waiting for Your Kids?
A Dozen or So Ideas for Worldview Training
Alive & Well: The Challenge of Relativism
Mind Games: How Media Messes with Your Kid's Mind
Mormonism 101 (3 to 8 sessions) Target audience: students and/or adults
A Brief History of Mormonism
Do Mormons Worship a Different God?
Do Mormons Have the Same Jesus?
The Impossible Gospel of Mormonism
How Do We Know What’s True? The Mormon Testimony
3 Serious Problems for Mormonism: Archaeology, DNA & the Lost Book of Abraham
Responding to Common Mormon Objections
Q & A Session
I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (up to 8 sessions) Target audience: students and/or adults
The Atheist Challenge
Why I Am a Christian
Does God Really Exist? You Bet Your Life
Can We Be Good without God?
If God Is Good, Why Is There Evil?
Why I'm Not an Evolutionist
“God Is a Crutch” and Other Common Atheist Objections
The New Atheists: Old Arguments, New Attitude
Decision Making and the Will of God (3 sessions) Target audience: students and/or adults
Clearing Away Confusion about God’s Will
What Is God’s Will?
Making Wise Decisions: Using the Wisdom Model of Decision Making
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