College of Evidence

The fossil record had caused Darwin more grief than joy.  Nothing distressed him more than the Cambrian explosion."  ~Stephen Jay Gould, Paleontologist 

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The Cambrian explosion was one of the most spectacular events in the history of life.  In a short window of geological time, an abundance of new animals--and new animal body designs--arose fully formed, without evidence of any evolutionary ancestors.  Charles Darwin viewed this an an inexplicable mystery.  Filmed on four continents, Darwin's Dilemma explores the Cambrian explosion and the scientific controversy that still surrounds it.  Where are the missing transitional forms Darwin's theory requires?  Can any evolutionary process explain the origin of animals?  Or, does the Cambrian fossil record point unmistakably to foresight, purpose and intelligent design?  

Running time:  approximately 60 minutes

 Is life on Earth the product of purely undirected processes like time, chance, and natural selection?  Or, can the origin and diversity of living organisms be traced to an intelligent cause?  

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Unlocking the Mystery of Life explores these timeless questions and presents compelling evidence to support an idea that could revolutionize scientific thought--the theory of intelligent design. 

Running time:  approximately 65 minutes

 Many have claimed that Earth is an insignificant speck of dust, adrift in a vast cosmic sea.  But astronomical evidence suggests otherwise. 

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Only a precise set of factors makes Earth suitable for complex life.  Astonishingly, these same factors provide the best conditions for scientific discovery.  The Privileged Planet explores this eerie correlation between life and discovery and considers whether the universe is designed for a purpose. 

Running time:  approximately 60 minutes

 For more than a century, Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection has defined biology.  Yet, today, a growing number of scientists question its ability to account for the origin and diversity of life.  

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This six-part series examines Darwinian evolution and presents a powerful challenge to its validity:  the theory of intelligent design.  

Segments: 

1:  Life the Big Question  - A new challenge to the theory of natural selection

2. What Darwin Didn't know - Exploring  the complexity of the living cell

3. Molecules and Mousetraps - Molecular machines that defy Darwin's theory.

4.How did Life Begin? - Why "chance" cannot explain the origin of life

5.The Language of Life - DNA genetic information and life on Earth.

6.The Design Inference - The scientific evidence for intelligent design

Each segment is approximately 10 minutes

Articulate Your Faith to a Skeptical World

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This video Bible study on Jesus and the Gospels is for anyone who has ever been stumped by arguments against Christianity or the Bible--or has wondered if Bible's depiction of Jesus is true and not just a made-up fairytale.  Josh and his son, Sean, help Christian know what they believe, why it is true, and how they can communicate biblical truth to a skeptical world.  Designed for group use or individual study.

  Sessions include:

1. Why is Evidence Important for Faith? (15:00)
2. Is There Such a Thing as Truth? (15:30)
3. Is the New Testament Reliable? (16:30)
4. Did Jesus Actually Rise from the Dead?  (16:00)
5. Did Jesus Claim to Be God? (18:00)
6. How Do We Know the Bible Is Accurate? (16:00)

Running time: approximately 97 minutes

True Science and Freedom of Thought are inseparable, but as this video shows, some scientists prefer power to truth." ~Phillip Johnson, Author of Darwin on Trial

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Are students learning the whole truth about Darwin's theory of evolution?  According to a growing number of scientists, the surprising answer is no.  They claim that many of the most famous "Icons of Evolution"--including Darwin's "Tree of Life," finches from the Galapagos islands, and embryos that look remarkably similar--are based on outdated research and sloppy logic.  They say students are being hurt by the failure to present both sides of an emerging scientific debate over Darwin's theory.    Come explore this fascinating new conflict over evolution in the classroom--a conflict based on science, not religion.  Learn about the controversy that engulfs one town when a teacher actually tries to tell students that some scientists disagree with Darwin.  From the Galapagos Islands  to China, Icons of Evolution will take you on a fast-paced, fascinating journey into one of the most controversial issues in today's public arena. 

Running time: Approximately 51 Minutes

 "In light of the evidence supporting the truth of Christianity, it would require more faith for me to remain an atheist than to become a follower of Jesus." ~Lee Strobel

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Based on the Gold Medallion-winning best-seller, The Case for Christ documents Lee Strobel's journey from atheism to faith through his two-year investigation of the Bible and the life of Jesus Christ.  Strobel, the former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, draws upon his investigative skills to examine the historical accuracy of the Gospels, the personal claims of Jesus, and His resurrection from the dead.  Is there evidence to confirm that Jesus of Nazareth is, indeed, the son of God and the savior of the world?  This remarkable film features interviews with 10 leading scholars from North America and England and cutting-edge apologetics.  

Running time:  72 minutes

Everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.  Luke 18:31

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Scholars have identified dozens of Old Testament prophecies that described the specific details of Christ's arrest, trial, death, and resurrection centuries before they ever occurred.  Prophecies of the Passion examines the "greatest story ever told" through the eyes and words of men who looked into the future and saw God's plan for the redemption of the world unfold.  Featuring Greg Laurie, Lee Strobel, and Ed Hindson.

Running time:  60 minutes

"The Christian life is seldom a smooth road.  We can't ignore the tough questions that challenge our faith along the way."  ~Lee Strobel

 In The Case for Faith, journalist Lee Strobel investigates two of the most emotional objections to Christianity:  Why is Jesus the only way to God?  And, how could a loving God exist if there is evil and suffering in the world?  Based on Strobel's best-selling book, the film confronts these barriers to faith and offers honest answers for anyone who has ever experienced doubt or uncertainty about God.

Running time: 79 minutes

Can we prove the existence of God, or are we left to grapple in the dark and take blind leaps of faith about what we believe?   Everyone askes these questions, and maybe you think you have the answers.  But can you defend your beliefs when peers and professors are challenging your worldview?  

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In  TrueU®  Does God Exist? Dr. Stephen Meyer plays a sort of "philosophical survival" game pitting four worldviews against one another in the quest to decide which one gives the best answers.  Dr. Meyer helps you examine the evidence and provides the tools needed to defend your faith and make it your own.  

Session topics: 

1. What is Faith? 
2. Big Bang:  Before the World existed
3. Big Bang:  The Beginning of Time
4. Big Ban: A Finely Tuned Universe
5. DNA by Design:  Surprises in the Cell
6. DNA by Design:  What are the Chances? 
7. DNA by Design:  Mind behind the Matter
8. So It Was God after All
9. The Moral Evidence:  Right and Wrong
10. The Moral Evidence:  Failure of Relativism

Contains ten 30-minute lessons

"The Grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8 Who is God, and how can we know Him?  The Bible claims to be the direct revelation of our Creator.  So if the biblical record is true, it is a primary means by which the God of the universe has revealed Himself to mankind.  However, if it can be proved false, then the God of whom it speaks is simply one more pretender in the assembly of gods that man has created.   

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In Is the Bible Reliable? Dr. Stephen Meyer challenges you to examine the historical and archaeological evidence to determine for yourself the veracity and accuracy of Scripture.  Is the Bible true?  You decide.  

Session topics:

1. In the Footsteps of Abraham
2. The Exodus:  From Egypt to Canaan
3. The Israelites Conquer the Promised Land
4. Israel's Rise to Prominence through David and Solomon
5. The Assyrian Invasion
6. The Babylonian Conquest of Judah
7. Investigating the Historical Authenticity of the New Testament
8. The Reliability of Luke and Acts
9. How Archaeology Backs Up the New Testament
10. The Trial of Jesus

Contains  ten 30-minute lessons

For over 2,000 years, people everywhere have continued to grapple with this all-important question.  Then answer is available--but is often clouded by misunderstanding and mistruth.  Unfortunately, this is especially the case on today's college campuses, where facts are regularly blurred in the name of tolerance and pluralism.  

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TrueU® Who I Jesus? is designed to help students and young adults discover the truth about Jesus--for themselves.  Dr. Del Tackett, host of  Focus on the Family's The Truth Project, is assisted by guest experts Lee Strobel, Gary Habermas and others.  Together they intelligently explore Jesus's ancestry and prophetic mission; His words, works and character; His death and resurrection; whether Jesus is the only way to God; and more.   

Session Topics:

1. The question
2. The Promise
3. The Prophecy
4. His Life
5. The Death
6. The Resurrection
7. The "God" Claim, Part 1
8. The "God" claim, Part 2
9. Is Jesus the Only Way? 
10. 10 Handling the questions. 

Contains  ten 30-minute lessons.

Throughout history, butterflies have fascinated artists and philosophers, scientists and school-children with their profound mystery and beauty.  In Metamorphosis you will explore their remarkable world a few ever have before.  

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Spectacular photography, computer animation and magnetic resonance imaging open once hidden doors to every stage off a butterfly's life cycle--from an egg the size of a pinhead to a magnificent flying insect.  It is  a transformation so incredible biologists have called it "Butterfly magic."  The butterfly's superbly engineered body is magnified hundreds of times to reveal compound eyes made of thousands of individual lenses, wings covered with microscopic solar panels, and navigational systems that unerringly guide Monarch butterflies on their annual migration from Canada to Mexico.  How did these extraordinary creatures come into being?  Are they the products of a blind, undirected process?   Or were they designed for a purpose by an intelligence?   Filmed in the lush rainforests of Ecuador, Mexico's Transvolcanic Mountains, and leading research centers Metamorphosis is an unforgettable documentary filled with the joys of discovery and wonder.  

Running time:  64 minutes

LIVING WATERS: Intelligent Design in the Oceans of the Earth is a fascinating exploration of life in the liquid universe that covers more than 70% of our planet.  

Filmed in Canada, Bermuda, Polynesia, Mexico and the United States, this remarkable documentary celebrates the beauty and brilliance of the biological systems that make life in the oceans possible.  Extraordinary cinematography and computer animation open windows on the engineering marvels of a dolphin's internal sonar system; the network of magnetic compasses embedded within the head of a sea turtle; a Pacific salmon's unparalleled sense of smell (the key to its spectacular migration); and the power and grace of a humpback whale.  Each leg of this cinematic odyssey is highlighted by cutting-edge research and compelling evidence for purpose and design.  LIVING WATERS is and unforgettable film that challenges scientific materialism with the timeless truth about the origin and complexity of life on Earth.   LIVING WATERS is the third film in Illustra Media's acclaimed documentary collection, THE DESIGN OF LIFE.   

Running time:  68 Minutes

FLIGHT;  The Genius of birds marks the launch of Illustra Media's new series The Design of Life.  

Filmed in North America, England, Peru, Greenland and Antarctica, FLIGHT probes the mysteries and biological mechanisms of a bird's anatomy, instinct and embryology to reveal stunning provisions essential for life in the skies.  You'll marvel at a hummingbird's high-performance skeletal, muscular and metabolic systems...the endurance and navigational abilities of an Arctic tern as it travels from pole to pole during the longest migration on Earth...the instinctive strategies that enable a flock of 300,000 European starlings to evade predators at break-neck speeds...and much more.   The ingenuity of a bird's behavior and biology showcase unmistakable evidence of design, purpose and plan--hallmarks of genius best explained by and intelligence that transcends the natural world.  

Running time:  63 minutes