PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE BY J.D. MITCHELL

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20 
 
1. “An Engineer Looks at the Creation/Evolution Controversy –The Creation Dialogues.” A presentation that looks in-depth at the Evolution vs. Creation controversy from the perspective and education of a Christian professional engineer and conclusively answers the question, “Can Christians really accept evolution and millions of years into their faith?” Based on the book The Creation Dialogues – 2nd Edition. Appropriate for ages 12 and older. Length: about 45 minutes.

2. “Archaeopteryx — What Was It?” Using casts, photographs and the results of years of original research the opinions that Archaeopteryx, the “poster child of evolution,” was a bird are carefully examined. The animal definitely is not a transitional form between reptile and bird as promoted by evolutionists. You may be surprised at the conclusion arrived at for the world’s “most famous fossil.” Was it a bird, a dinosaur, a fraud, a mosaic like platypus? Appropriate for high school age and older. Length: about 90 minutes. 

3. “Divine Proportion in God’s Creation-the Hand of God.” Divine Proportion, the Golden Spiral, the Golden Rectangle, Fibonacci Numbers, Phyllotaxis, Phi, geometric figures in peacock feathers and more are all amazing evidences of the hand of God in the creation that are highlighted in this PowerPoint presentation. Appropriate for high school age and older. Length: about 40 minutes. 

4. “Polystrate Fossils & Petrified Forests.” Any fossil that crosses two or more sedimentary layers is called a poly (many) strate (strata) fossil. Polystrate fossils are found all over the world. In this PowerPoint presentation learn the geological and paleontological evidences surrounding these interesting phenomena and the interpretation that they are best explained by the Genesis Flood. Biblical-creationist explanations for the petrified forests of Yellowstone National Park are discussed among other related topics. Appropriate for high school age and older. Length: 60 minutes.

5. “Homology, Cladistics and Evolutionary Trees.” Evolutionists believe all of life has developed from common ancestors over hundreds of millions of years. The principle of homology (similarities in different kinds of lifeforms) is used as the “proof” for this assumed evolution of one kind to another kind. In this presentation the science behind these beliefs is investigated and a more realistic biblically-based alternative is proposed. Appropriate for ages 12 and older. Length: about 45 minutes.

6. “Living Fossils” Living fossils are lifeforms found in earth’s rock record that have changed little or not at all compared to living examples of today. There are many hundreds of identified living fossils today and their existence cannot be satisfactorily explained by evolutionary theories. This PowerPoint presentation explores this fascinating topic and explains why living fossils support the biblical-creationist view of a recent creation followed by a catastrophic worldwide flood. High school age and above. Length: about one hour. 

7. “A Comparision of the Most Popular Origin Beliefs.” A PowerPoint comparison of five of the most popular origin belief systems of Western Societies with regard to 19 different topics. Includes belief systems Biblical Creation, Intelligent Design Biology, Theistic Evolution, Progressive Creation, and Atheistic Molecules-to-Man Evolution. Appropriate for ages 12 and older. Length: about 60 minutes.

8. “Was Charles Lyell a ‘Devout Christian’?” Lawyer Sir Charles Lyell is touted as the foremost geologist of the 19th century, a person of great influence on the ideas of Charles Darwin, and the strongest proponent for the doctrine of uniformitarianism. He believed in aspects of various theories of evolution, but never totally accepted Darwin’s theory. Some historians attribute this to Lyell being a Christian…even a devout Christian. This PowerPoint presentation uncovers the truth about the matter from the actual writings of Lyell himself. Appropriate for high school and above. Length: about 60 minutes.

9. “Lucy and Laetoli.” Secular scientists of today teach that man evolved from an ape ancestor on the African continent millions of years ago. They also teach that the fossil Australopithecus afarensis (aka Lucy), an extinct ape, has a common ancestor with humans. These teachings are obviously at odds with the Bible. In this presentation the truth about this topic is uncovered and the significance of the famous Laetoli footprints found in stone in Africa is explained from a biblical perspective. Other proposed apes-to-man links are also discussed. Appropriate for ages 12 and older. Length: about 50 minutes.

10. “The Power of Biblical Paleontology & the John Day Fossil Beds.” A discussion of how the subject of biblical paleontology can provide powerful encouragement to any Christian believer willing to do a minimal amount of research and study. Based largely on the book by the speaker, Discovering the Animals of Ancient Oregon about the history, geography, geology and paleontology of the John Day Fossil Beds of Central Oregon. Appropriate for high school and above. Length: about 45 minutes.

11. “God’s Created Dinosaurs.” A presentation summarizing information on dinosaurs from the Guidebook to North American Dinosaurs According to Created Kinds by the speaker. This is a biblical creationist view explaining when and how dinosaurs came into being and what happened to them, as well as a hypothesis for the likely original created kinds of dinosaurs. Appropriate for youth and adults. Length: about 30 minutes.

12. “Defending Your Faith: An Introduction to Biblical Apologetics.” This talk is designed to help Christians be better prepared to defend their faith in a logical and reasonable manner. The truth about the diametrically opposite worldviews of Christianity and Secularism is made clear. This presentation is appropriate for youth as well as adults. Length: about 45 minutes.

13. “In Search of Leviathan.” In chapter 41 of the book of Job (in the Bible) is a detailed description of a creature that God calls Leviathan. Leviathan is described by God as being too ferocious for men to get near or to control. Was Leviathan a real animal or was he mythical or symbolic? If real, was he a land animal? Whale? Sea monster? Marine reptile? Sea dragon? Crocodile? The speaker will come to a conclusion as to what Leviathan was. Appropriate for ages 12 and older. Attendees will benefit more if they have recently read Job chapter 41. Length: about 35 minutes. 

14. “Whales & Fairy Tales.” A dictionary definition for a fairy tale is “an unbelievable story, a lie, or a made-up story.” The popular evolutionary stories for how whales came to be are cases in point. This presentation provides information on the two major categories of whales, explains current evolutionary explanations for how whales evolved from hoofed land animals, and shows how those explanations can only be understood as fairy tales. Information about whale watching on the Oregon coast is also included. Appropriate for ages 12 and older. Length: about 40 minutes.

15. “A Grand Canyon Rafting Adventure.”In this talk a three-day rafting trip on the Colorado River through a portion of the Grand Canyon of Arizona is described and illustrated. Is the Grand Canyon the result of a little water over millions of years or is it due to lots of water over a short time? Learn the evidence, uncovered on the trip, that indicates the Grand Canyon to be a “monument to Catastrophe” and a “Testimony to Judgment.” Appropriate for ages 12 and older. Length: about 40 minutes.

16. “Can the Secularization of the Church be Reversed?” (A Creationist’s Look at Biblical Compromise & its Effect on the Church). All indications are that the vast majority of Christian churches are accepting more secular ideas and practices with each passing year. This presentation documents the fact of the secularization, the cause of it, the resulting error of it, and then provides a Bible-based cure. Appropriate for all Christians, but probably most helpful for the edification and encouragement of biblically conservative parishioners. For high school age and older. This scripture-heavy talk is designed primarily as a sermon. Length: about 40 minutes.

17. “Tools for the Worldview Battle.” This PowerPoint talk is designed to inform Christian families about valuable tools that are available to them to assist them in the battle between Biblical Christianity and today’s prevalent secular worldview. A summary of nearly 35 years of study, research and publication in the fields of creation science and biblical apologetics is given. The tools for the worldview battle include The Christian Family Worldview Library and the online “Biblical Christian Colleges” listing. Many will find it surprising that true biblical colleges and universities have a remarkable variety of courses of study available in order to prepare Christians for most every valid field of endeavor. Length: about 50 minutes.

18. ” How to Interpret Fossils.” This talk highlights information in J.D. Mitchell’s book, Fossils:Description & Interpretation – Within a Biblical Worldview. A point of focus will be the foundational ideas upon which the book is based:

• Most fossils are evidences of a single, year-long, cataclysmic event that took place on earth some 4,500 years ago (the Genesis Flood).
• These fossils have great value today because they are a reminder of, and proof of, God’s judgment, power and grace.
• These fossils are not evidences of many events over hundreds of millions of years that have value today because of their great age and their proof of the macroevolution of life.

In order to emphasize the truth of the book’s foundational ideas, the “18 Facts of Paleontology” will be enlisted to make clear the superiority of the Biblical Worldview over the Secular Worldview. Fossils only make sense to the critical thinker if the vast majority of them are understood to be the result of the global Flood at the time of Noah. Appropriate for ages 12 and older. About one hour.

19. “Gravity – the Phenomenon that Mystifies Scientists.” Every person on earth has some understanding of gravity, or at least they have an understanding of the results of gravity concerning its effects on their own bodies. Few would say that there is no such thing as gravity, or that gravity is of little importance, or gravity can be ignored with no consequence.

In this talk Mr. Mitchell delves into the science of gravity in order to see if a better understanding of the phenomenon can be determined for the layman. While Sir Isaac Newton developed his Law of Gravitation over 300 years ago, by and large, gravity still presents a number of great mysteries today. We do not know what gravity really is or how gravity works. Gravity is certainly a good example of the limitations of science. Ages 12 and older. About 40 minutes.

20. “Arizona’s Petrified Forest – Spectacular Trees of Mystery.” This talk examines numerous natural evidences at the Petrified Forest National Park and attempts to answer eleven very interesting questions regarding the area in and around the park:

• Where is the Arizona Petrified Forest?
• What does the forest look like?
• How did the petrified trees get there?
• When were the trees deposited?
• Who were the ancient residents of the area?
• Who were the first historical residents?
• When did the land become property of the USA?
• When was the Petrified Forest established as a National Park?
• Is there a consensus regarding the geology of the Petrified Forest?
• Are there fossils other than petrified wood in the Petrified Forest?
• What was the “Driving Force” for establishment of the Petrified Forest National Park? 

Appropriate for ages 12 and older. Length: about one hour.

21. “The Relevance of the Laws of Thermodynamics — for Christians.” This presentation is designed to make clear for Christians the truthful compatibility of the Biblical Christian worldview with reality through a better grasp of the Laws of Thermodynamics. A short history of the development of Engineering Thermodynamics is followed by a discussion of the relation of the First and Second Laws to a Christian understanding of order and disorder in the creation. The basic operation of heat engines is explained and the term “entropy” is defined. The theological relevance of the laws is emphasized; and the question of when the Second Law came into existence is discussed. Numerous Scriptural references are included to show God’s connections to these laws of nature. Appropriate for high school age and older. Length: about 45 minutes.

22. “Worldview, Fossils and Dinosaurs for Kids.” This PowerPoint presentation is designed for grades 5 through 8. The two main worldviews in America are described along with the foundational presuppositions for them. The importance of accepting the Bible as true from the first verse is stressed. The fact that the war between Biblical Christianity and Secularism is not based on scientific interpretations but on two different historical interpretations is explained. The value of scientific research is shown through discussions of fossils and dinosaurs especially with respect to the global Flood. Hands-on use of fossils is a component part of the presentation. Length: 45 to 60 minutes depending on the amount of interaction desired.

23. “The ‘Best Evidence’ for Evolution.” This PowerPoint presentation examines different groupings of favorite atheistic ideas for supporting biological macroevolution as a scientific fact. The first look is at the best evidences that evolutionists supported at the beginning of the speaker’s ministry in 2005; then a description of what the speaker now believes are most often promoted by evolutionists to the general public as the best evidences for evolution. The third examination is of what a recent nationwide survey determined that the youth of today believe are the “most convincing” evidences for evolution. Finally, the very most convincing evidence, according to the youth, is debunked by the speaker. Short version: about 40 minutes. Long version: about one hour. Appropriate for ages 12 through adult.

24. “Dinosaur Eggs, Nests & Babies.” From the time that the word “dinosaur” was coined in 1841 until 1923, the fact that dinosaurs laid eggs was generally assumed, but not proven. This informative talk recounts the exciting expeditions in which dinosaur eggs, nests and babies were discovered and their existence finally confirmed.

A substantial number of interesting questions are answered. Examples are: How many identified egg sites are there in the world, and where are they? Who are the people most involved in the initial discoveries of dinosaur eggs, nests and babies? Where were these discoveries? What do fossilized dinosaur eggs look like? Can it be known if dinosaurs laid eggs in nests like birds do? Is it possible to determine which kind of dinosaur laid a particular egg? What do dinosaur fossil embryos and baby dinosaurs look like? How could dinosaur eggs and nests have survived the global Flood? What do these discoveries of dinosaur eggs, nests and babies contribute to the arguments involved in today’s worldview war? Appropriate for ages ten and older. Length: about one hour.

25. “Dinosaur Kinds.” This talk is a comprehensive look at both secular and biblical creationist dinosaur classification systems that have been developed for consumption primarily by the general public. Questions of consistency between them will be explored. An attempt to determine which, if any, of the systems are truly scientific will be made. Included will be discussion of the following major points:

• Secular vs. biblical creationist presuppositions.
• What is the scientific method?
• The Linnaean classification system and binomial nomenclature.
• Trees of life.
• Cladistical analysis, homology, and transitional fossils.
• Evolution of life vs. engineering of life.
• Specific evaluation of nine different dinosaur classification systems.
• Ark kinds vs. created kinds of dinosaurs.
• Cognitive analysis and dinosaur essence vs. macroevolution from a common ancestor.
• Final conclusions and sources for further study.
• Question & answer time.

Appropriate for ages 12 and older. Presentation time: Adjustable to fit between 60 and 90 minutes.

26. “Dinosaur Soft Tissue.” This talk explains fossil types and considers the ongoing findings of soft tissues in fossilized dinosaur bones supposed to be at least 65 million years old. Also discussed is radiocarbon testing of fossils that shows that they are only thousands of years old not millions. Will evolutionists ever be able to propose a realistic process that could preserve these soft tissues of protein for millions of years?

Appropriate for ages ten and older.

27. “The Coelophysis Dinosaur.” The fossil remains of nearly 1,000 Coelophysis dinosaurs were discovered in 1947 in a bone jumble in Northwest New Mexico. By secular and creationist accounts they were buried in a massive flood. Uniformitarian paleontologists interpret this finding to be the result of rapid burial in a flash flood 200 million years ago. But modern flash floods do not result in the burial and fossilization of animals. A better interpretation is that the massive Coelophysis bone jumble is the result of the cataclysmic actions of the worldwide Flood at the time of Noah about 4,500 years ago.

Learn about this little dinosaur and also about Ghost Ranch were the graveyard of dinosaur remains were found. Ghost Ranch has a long and storied history that will also be described in this talk.

Appropriate for ages ten and older.

If you don’t see listed here the topic your group would like to hear about, please let me know and I will develop a PowerPoint presentation for you on that topic, so long as it falls within my fields of expertise which are:

• CREATION ENGINEERING
• BIBLICAL PALEONTOLOGY
• DINOSAURS & FOSSILS
• ORIGINS & WORLDVIEW

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