The Cold-Case Christianity Podcast
The Cold-Case Christianity Podcast, hosted by Dateline-featured cold-case homicide detective and former atheist J. Warner Wallace, examines the evidence for God’s existence, the reliability of the Bible, and the truth of the Christian worldview. Drawing on decades of investigative experience, Wallace treats the New Testament documents like eyewitness case files, testing their claims with the same tools he used to solve real murders. Each episode tackles big questions about God, Jesus, Scripture, and culture, offering clear, accessible, and logically grounded case-making for Christians and skeptics alike. Topics include the historical evidence for Jesus, the resurrection, the problem of evil, the impact of Christianity on culture, and how to think biblically in an increasingly skeptical world. J. Warner also responds to common objections, interviews leading Christian thinkers, and equips listeners to share the truth of Christianity with confidence and grace. To explore more articles, videos, resources, and training materials, visit ColdCaseChristianity.com: https://www.coldcasechristianity.com.
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Unmasking the Gospels: Is Mark the Original Jesus Report?
08/05/2026
Unmasking the Gospels: Is Mark the Original Jesus Report?
If Mark really preserves Peter’s eyewitness testimony, what does that mean for the other Gospels—and for skeptical claims that the New Testament is late, legendary, and contradictory? In this follow‑up episode, we build on the case from Part 1 and argue that Mark is not only rooted in Peter’s preaching, but is also likely the earliest written Gospel that Matthew and Luke used as a framework. You’ll hear why Mark’s short, urgent, “rough” style points to an early source, how Matthew and Luke expand and smooth Mark’s material, and what editorial patterns suggest about who was copying whom. We’ll also explore Mark’s heavy emphasis on suffering, persecution, and costly discipleship, and show why that matters when responding to prosperity teaching and “legend” objections. Finally, we’ll connect all of this to practical evangelism: how understanding Mark as Peter’s first‑hand case file can help you answer skeptics, strengthen your confidence in Scripture, and share the story of Jesus as real history rather than religious rumor. If you found this series helpful, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and all major platforms. Taking a moment to review the show helps more people encounter the evidence and examine the claims of Christianity for themselves.
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Eyewitness or Legend? The Truth About Mark’s Gospel
07/29/2026
Eyewitness or Legend? The Truth About Mark’s Gospel
Was the Gospel of Mark built on real eyewitness testimony—or is it just another religious legend? In this episode, cold‑case detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace (you) walks through the historical and forensic evidence that Mark’s Gospel is rooted in the firsthand experiences of the apostle Peter. You’ll discover why early Christian writers called Mark “Peter’s interpreter,” how Mark’s rough Greek, Aramaic quotes, and Roman details fit a live translation of Peter’s preaching, and why Peter’s fingerprints are visible all over the narrative. We’ll examine ancient sources, internal stylistic clues, and the structure of Mark itself, arguing that this is not a distant, polished myth but a raw, early case report from someone in Jesus’ inner circle. If you’ve ever wondered whether you can really trust the Gospels—or if skeptics in your life have raised those questions—this episode will give you solid reasons to treat Mark as powerful eyewitness evidence. If this conversation helps you, please subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes, and rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and wherever you listen. Your reviews help more people discover the case for Christianity.
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Deconstructing Judas: Saved, Lost, or Something Far Worse?
07/22/2026
Deconstructing Judas: Saved, Lost, or Something Far Worse?
In this episode, cold-case detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace reopens “the Judas file” and asks a blunt question: Was Judas ever truly saved, or was he an unsaved insider from the start? Drawing on a detective’s methodology, J. Warner walks verse by verse through every major Judas passage, examines Judass remorse in Matthew 27, and weighs historic voices—from the Church Fathers to the Reformers—before offering a cautious but clear verdict. Along the way, he shows how Judas became a trusted ministry insider, a treasurer, and a preacher, yet still serves as a chilling warning that you can be close to Jesus, busy in ministry, and never actually belong to Him. This episode is designed to help believers, leaders, and skeptics think more carefully about salvation, apostasy, secret sin, and the danger of mere proximity to the truth. If this conversation is helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast—then share it with a friend. Your reviews on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast platforms help more people discover and engage with this content.
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Can ANYONE Close the Missing Centuries of the Shroud of Turin?
07/15/2026
Can ANYONE Close the Missing Centuries of the Shroud of Turin?
How do you investigate the “missing centuries” of the Shroud of Turin like a real cold-case detective? In this third episode on the Shroud of Turin, J. Warner Wallace walks through the most popular claims about pre‑Turin relics—sudariums, veils, and rival “shrouds”—and explains why none of them close the chain‑of‑custody gap needed to treat the Turin cloth as first‑century evidence for Jesus. For more on how to examine the claims of Christianity like a detective, check out Cold-Case Christianity: Visit our website for articles, videos, and resources: https://www.coldcasechristianity.com If you find this podcast helpful, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform—it really helps others discover the case for Christianity.
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Why Jesus Kept ‘Poking the Bear’ on the Sabbath—and What It Proves
07/08/2026
Why Jesus Kept ‘Poking the Bear’ on the Sabbath—and What It Proves
In this extended episode, cold-case detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace investigates every one of Jesus’ Sabbath miracles and controversies as if they were crime scenes on a case board. Instead of treating these passages as isolated “nice healings,” J. Warner stacks them side by side—Capernaum, the withered hand, Bethesda, the bent woman, the man with dropsy, the man born blind—and asks the questions any good detective would ask: Why this person, on this day, in this setting? Why are so many of these healings non‑emergencies that easily could have waited until the next day? Why does Jesus keep staging these events in synagogues, at Jerusalem feasts, and in Pharisees’ homes, right in front of the people most likely to object? What is He claiming about Himself when He heals on the very day that belongs uniquely to God? As J. Warner walks through each Sabbath scene, he collects the “evidence”: the wording of the texts, the legal questions (“Is it lawful…?”), the escalating conflicts, the reactions of the religious leaders, and the way Jesus talks about His relationship to the Father and to the Sabbath itself. When all the case files are finally pinned to the board, a striking pattern emerges. The Sabbath isn’t just a backdrop to these stories—it’s the key piece of forensic evidence. By the end of the episode, J. Warner argues that the cumulative pattern of Jesus’ Sabbath activity forces a verdict: either Jesus is a reckless lawbreaker, or He is exactly who He claimed to be—the Lord of the Sabbath, acting publicly as Israel’s God in the flesh, freeing people from a deeper bondage and offering the true rest the Sabbath always pointed toward. If you’ve ever wondered why Jesus kept “poking the hornet’s nest” of Sabbath law—or what these stories reveal about His deity—this episode will help you see what’s been hiding in plain sight. If this investigation is helpful to you, please subscribe and leave a review on whatever platform you use to listen—Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app. Your ratings, reviews, and shares help more people discover the show and join the conversation.
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21 Clues Everyone Misses About Jesus’ Deity in John’s Gospel
07/01/2026
21 Clues Everyone Misses About Jesus’ Deity in John’s Gospel
Is Jesus really God, or did the church just make that up later? In this episode of Cold-Case Christianity, homicide detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace works through the Gospel of John like a case file, pulling one key piece of evidence from each chapter (John 2–21) to test the viral claim, “Jesus never even said He was God.” You’ll see how titles, reactions, and “hidden in plain sight” details in John quietly build a powerful cumulative case that Jesus is more than a great teacher—He is God in the flesh. If this episode helps you, please subscribe and rate the podcast on your favorite podcast platform so more people can discover this content.
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How Should Christians Respond When The World Is On Fire?
06/24/2026
How Should Christians Respond When The World Is On Fire?
In this episode, J. Warner Wallace joins The Bill Arnold Show to discuss how followers of Jesus can thoughtfully respond to the recent events in Minneapolis. Drawing on his background as a cold-case detective and Christian apologist, J. Warner explores how to separate facts from headlines, think biblically about justice, authority, and race, and model truth and hope in a culturally divided moment. Listen in as we examine how to apply a forensic faith framework to breaking news, avoid outrage-driven narratives, and live out a distinctly Christian response in times of crisis. Check out The Bill Arnold Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theBillArnoldshow Learn more in J. Warner’s book “The Truth in True Crime”: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1496472592 If this conversation is helpful, please subscribe and leave a review on whatever podcast platform you’re using—it really helps others discover the show.
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What 1,300 Years of SILENCE Says About the Shroud of Turin
06/17/2026
What 1,300 Years of SILENCE Says About the Shroud of Turin
Is the Shroud of Turin a genuine relic of Jesus, a medieval hoax, or something else entirely? In this second episode on the Shroud of Turin, cold-case detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace examines the shroud the way he would any piece of evidence in a homicide trial, focusing on chain of custody, historical silence, and what the earliest Christians actually relied on to make the case for the resurrection. For more on how to investigate the claims of Christianity like a detective, check out the book Cold-Case Christianity: Visit our website for articles, videos, and resources: If you find this podcast helpful, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform—it really helps us reach more people with the case for Christianity.
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Did We Make Up God… or Superheroes? A Cold-Case Detective Investigates
06/10/2026
Did We Make Up God… or Superheroes? A Cold-Case Detective Investigates
Are our favorite superheroes just modern myths—or are they clues that we were made for something more? In this episode, cold-case detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace takes you on a deep dive into the “theology of superheroes.” Drawing from Marvel, DC, and other comic-book universes, J. Warner explores how the attributes we assign to our heroes—unlimited power, knowledge, justice, mercy, sacrificial love, and even “friendly neighborhood” presence—mirror the classic attributes of God described in Christian scripture and theology. Why do we long for an all-powerful but good savior? Why do stories about incorruptible heroes, just vigilantes, and self-sacrificing champions move us so deeply? And what if our obsession with superheroes isn’t an escape from reality, but evidence of a deeper, God-shaped longing we can’t shake? Along the way, J. Warner connects specific heroes and scenes—from street-level protectors to godlike cosmic beings—to the eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, just, loving, and present God of the Bible, and builds a cumulative case that our stories are echoing a much older, truer Story. If you find this episode helpful, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen. Your reviews help more people discover the show and think clearly about faith, culture, and the evidence for Christianity.
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If the Gospel Is So Powerful, Why Bother Persuading Anyone?
06/03/2026
If the Gospel Is So Powerful, Why Bother Persuading Anyone?
Many Christians say, “Just preach the gospel—God will do the rest.” But Scripture paints a richer picture: the gospel is the power of God for salvation, and God still calls us to reason, explain, and persuade. In this episode, J. Warner Wallace walks through key passages—from Romans and Proverbs to the book of Acts—to show how Jesus’ first followers actually shared the message. You’ll see why Peter, Paul, and the other apostles worked so hard to contextualize the same unchanging gospel for very different audiences, from devout Jews to skeptical philosophers and hostile officials. J. Warner then turns to our modern, post‑Christian culture and makes the case that wise persuasion and careful “translation” are not optional add‑ons, but part of biblical evangelism. You’ll learn why trusting the Spirit and the power of the message should actually motivate you to think harder about your words, your tone, and your starting point in every conversation. If this episode challenges or helps you, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast—your feedback helps more people discover this content and strengthens our growing community of Christian case makers.
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Deconstruction vs. Truth: A Detective Looks at the New Doubt Movement
05/27/2026
Deconstruction vs. Truth: A Detective Looks at the New Doubt Movement
In this conversation, J. Warner Wallace joins Janelle Wood from Finding Something Real to examine the case for Christianity through the lens of a cold-case detective. Together they explore evidence, doubt, and the reliability of the Gospels, offering practical help for anyone wrestling with whether Christianity is really true. Watch more from Finding Something Real with Janelle Wood on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FindingSomethingReal Learn more in Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels: Please subscribe and leave a review of this podcast on whatever platform you’re using—it really helps others discover the show.
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Does God Exist? A Cold‑Case Detective Reacts to TikTok Atheists
05/20/2026
Does God Exist? A Cold‑Case Detective Reacts to TikTok Atheists
In this episode, J. Warner Wallace — cold-case detective, Christian apologist, and author of God's Crime Scene — reacts to the most viral atheist claims circulating on TikTok right now and runs them through the same forensic framework he used to solve decades-old murders. The central question: Can you account for all the evidence in the universe by staying inside the universe? Whether you're a skeptic, a deconstructing believer, or a Christian who's been rattled by what you've seen on social media, this episode is your call-out bag for the most common objections you'll face. 📖 Get the book this episode is based on: God's Crime Scene: A Cold-Case Detective Examines the Evidence for a Divinely Created Universe by J. Warner Wallace 👉 If this episode helped you or challenged you, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Reviews help more people find the evidence. Thank you for being part of the investigation.
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Jesus on Trial: Investigating 5 Difficult Verses in the Gospels
05/13/2026
Jesus on Trial: Investigating 5 Difficult Verses in the Gospels
In this episode, I put five of Jesus’ hardest sayings under the investigative spotlight. As a cold-case homicide detective, I’ve spent my career testing witness statements, examining context, and following the evidence wherever it leads. In this “case file,” I apply that same approach to some of the most troubling verses in the Gospels. Along the way, I’ll walk through investigative tools you can use on any tough passage: Examining the historical and literary context Comparing parallel gospel accounts Understanding ancient language and idiom Testing skeptical vs. Christian explanations to see which best fits the facts If you’ve ever wondered whether these verses disqualify Jesus as a trustworthy source of truth, this episode is for you. Want to go deeper and learn how to think like a detective about your faith? Check out my book Forensic Faith for an in‑depth look at building a case for Christianity and living it out with confidence. 👉 If this podcast helps you: Please subscribe so you don’t miss future “case files” Leave a rating and review in your podcast app—it really helps others discover the show Share this episode with someone who struggles with Jesus’ difficult teachings
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The Most Dangerous Kind of Faith in the Church Today
05/06/2026
The Most Dangerous Kind of Faith in the Church Today
Faith is not supposed to be blind, reckless, or detached from reality. In this episode, J. Warner Wallace (cold-case detective and Christian apologist) takes a hard look at the way many Christians think about “faith” and shows why some popular versions of faith are not just weak—they’re dangerous to the church. He explains the difference between unreasonable faith, blind faith, and reasonable (forensic) faith, and why only one of these is actually biblical. Drawing on years of courtroom experience, Jim unpacks how juries reach verdicts “beyond a reasonable doubt” and why that same standard makes sense for the Christian worldview. He addresses why so many churches avoid apologetics, how “just have faith” can become a license for intellectual laziness, and why that’s leaving our kids vulnerable to every counterfeit worldview that comes along. He also tackles commonly misused passages like Hebrews 11 and the story of “Doubting Thomas” to show that Scripture consistently presents a thoughtful, evidential faith—one that welcomes investigation rather than fleeing from it. If you’ve ever felt like the only person in your church who cares about evidence, or you’ve struggled with the idea that faith means shutting off your brain, this episode will help you reframe biblical faith as a reasoned trust grounded in what God has already revealed in history. If this conversation is helpful, please remember to subscribe to the podcast, leave a rating and review, and share it with a friend—your reviews on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the major platforms really do help more people discover the show and join us in making the case for the Christian worldview.
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What If Jesus Is Just One More Myth? Inside a Homicide Detective’s Spiritual Crime Scene
04/29/2026
What If Jesus Is Just One More Myth? Inside a Homicide Detective’s Spiritual Crime Scene
In this episode, cold-case homicide detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace walks through the “spiritual crime scene” of his own journey from skeptical naturalist to follower of Jesus. Drawing on decades of investigative experience, he explains why the usual reasons people give for being Christians (“I was raised this way” or “I had an experience”) are not uniquely Christian, and why the real question is whether the Gospels record what actually happened in the first century. You’ll hear how eyewitness variation in the Gospel accounts first caught his attention, how the standard jury instructions for testing witnesses can be applied to the New Testament, and why abductive reasoning from four key facts about Jesus points most reasonably to the resurrection. J. Warner also unpacks his memorable distinction between “belief that” and “belief in,” using a bulletproof vest story from an officer-involved shooting to show what genuine, evidence-based trust in Christ looks like when the stakes are life and death. Along the way, he addresses miracles in other world religions, the rising generational question “Is Christianity good and worth caring about?”, and the power of God-honoring content to reshape our culture. If this conversation helped you think more clearly about Jesus, take a moment to subscribe so you never miss an episode. And if you’d be willing to leave a rating and review in your podcast app, it really helps more people discover the show and join the conversation about the case for Christianity.
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My Most Requested Case Ever: Investigating the Shroud of Turin
04/22/2026
My Most Requested Case Ever: Investigating the Shroud of Turin
In this episode, cold-case homicide detective and Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace finally turns his investigative lens on one of the most talked-about religious artifacts in history: the Shroud of Turin. Is it a medieval forgery created for profit, or a powerful piece of physical evidence that points to the crucifixion of Jesus? J. Warner walks through the chain of custody, the historical record, the scientific testing, and the forensic details, while also exposing the limits of what any single piece of evidence can truly prove. Drawing on decades of experience presenting cases to juries, he explains how a detective evaluates artifacts, weighs competing explanations, and navigates the space between “possible” and “reasonable” doubt. He also shows why—even if the Shroud were authentic—it could never replace the historical case for the resurrection grounded in early eyewitness testimony. If you’ve ever wondered whether Christians should use the Shroud of Turin when making a case for Christianity, or avoid it altogether, this episode will help you think it through carefully. If this conversation is helpful to you, please subscribe to the Cold-Case Christianity podcast and take a moment to leave a rating and review in your podcast app. Your feedback helps more people discover the show and join the conversation about the evidence for the Christian worldview.
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The Trinity Is NOT a Problem… It’s the Solution
04/15/2026
The Trinity Is NOT a Problem… It’s the Solution
In this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity podcast, J. Warner Wallace tackles one of the most controversial and misunderstood doctrines in the Christian worldview: the Trinity. Drawing on his experience as a cold-case homicide detective, J. Warner treats the identity of God like a crime scene, building a suspect profile from Scripture and then asking: Who actually fits the evidence? J. Warner explains why the word “Trinity” doesn’t need to appear in the Bible for the doctrine to be thoroughly biblical, how the classic attributes of God (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, eternality, immutability, Creator and Sustainer, and the sole object of worship) apply not only to the Father, but also to the Son and the Holy Spirit, and why this forces us to a triune understanding of God if we’re going to be honest with the text. He also explores why groups like members of the LDS Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Oneness Pentecostals—who may claim to believe in Jesus—still fall outside historic, orthodox Christianity when they deny the triune nature of God. Along the way, J. Warner offers a clear, working definition of the Trinity (“one what and three whos”), warns about common heresies like modalism and Arianism, and shows how the earliest creeds and confessions weren’t inventing new ideas but summarizing the best inference from biblical data. This episode will help you clarify your own thinking, disciple your kids and students, and confidently engage missionaries and friends who say, “We’re Christians too,” while rejecting the Trinity. If this episode is helpful to you, please subscribe to the podcast and take a moment to rate and review it. Your subscription and review really do help more people discover the case for the Christian worldview.
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Cops, Christians, and a Culture on Edge
04/08/2026
Cops, Christians, and a Culture on Edge
In this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity podcast, J. Warner Wallace takes you inside the current crisis of confidence in American law enforcement—from the perspective of someone who actually wore the badge. Drawing on decades of experience as a gang officer, undercover cop, SWAT operator, and cold-case homicide detective, Jim helps Christians think more clearly and biblically about the role of police in our culture. Are all officers the same? Is there a difference between local cops and federal agents like ICE? How should thoughtful followers of Jesus respond to viral videos, headlines, and public outrage? If you’ve ever struggled to reconcile your Christian worldview with what you see on the news about policing, this episode will help you rethink assumptions, make careful distinctions, and respond with both truth and compassion. If this conversation is helpful, please subscribe to the Cold-Case Christianity podcast and take a moment to rate and review the show in your podcast app. Your subscription, rating, and review really do help more people discover this content and think more carefully about the Christian worldview.
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Jesus Is NOT God – Or Is He?
04/01/2026
Jesus Is NOT God – Or Is He?
Jesus is NOT God…or is He? In this episode, I walk through the claim that “Jesus is NOT God” and treat it like a case file—testing it against Scripture, the beliefs of the earliest Christians, and the logical consequences if this claim were actually true. We’ll look at key passages often used to deny Jesus’ deity, examine what the first followers of Jesus really believed about Him, and ask what happens to the gospel, salvation, and worship if Jesus is only a good teacher and not God in the flesh. If this conversation is helpful, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review—it really helps more people discover this content and think more carefully about what they believe and why.
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Global Flood or Ancient Myth? What the Evidence Really Shows
03/25/2026
Global Flood or Ancient Myth? What the Evidence Really Shows
Is the story of Noah’s flood just another ancient myth, borrowed from earlier pagan texts, or a record of a real historical catastrophe? In this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity podcast, J. Warner Wallace applies his investigative experience as a cold-case homicide detective to examine the Genesis flood account. He compares it with stories like Atrahasis and the Epic of Gilgamesh, traces worldwide flood traditions, and asks whether all these ancient memories point back to a single, real event. Along the way, he explores questions about miracles, philosophical naturalism, geology, the scope of the flood (global or regional), the ark’s feasibility, and the moral difference between the biblical God and the capricious gods of other ancient cultures. If you find this episode helpful, please follow the podcast so you never miss an update, and take a moment to rate and review the show—your review really helps more people discover Cold-Case Christianity.
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Is Jesus REALLY God? The 3 Chapters That Settle It
03/18/2026
Is Jesus REALLY God? The 3 Chapters That Settle It
In this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity Podcast, J. Warner Wallace tackles one of the most important questions in the Christian faith: Is Jesus truly God, or just a created agent of God? Limiting the “evidence” to three key passages—John 1, Colossians 1, and Hebrews 1—he works through the text like an investigative case file, showing how each “chapter one” presents Jesus as Creator, sustainer, redeemer, and the visible image of the invisible God. Along the way, he explains terms like “firstborn of all creation” and “the exact imprint of His nature,” clarifying why the earliest Christians worshiped Jesus and why Christianity collapses if He is anything less than God incarnate. If you’ve heard that Paul invented a different Jesus, that the Gospels don’t teach His deity, or that early Christians didn’t worship Him as God, this episode will help you rethink those claims and better explain Jesus’ identity to the people you love. If you find this conversation helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the podcast with a friend—it really helps more people discover the case for Christianity.
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Alien Shock: Would First Century Christians Even Recognize Our Churches?
03/11/2026
Alien Shock: Would First Century Christians Even Recognize Our Churches?
Would first‑century Christians even recognize what we call “church” today? In this episode, J. Warner Wallace uses a simple “alien thought experiment” to examine how closely (or how poorly) our modern church models resemble the church described in the book of Acts. Drawing from his own journey—from walking into a megachurch as a 35‑year‑old skeptic, to serving in a mid‑sized church, to planting a home church—Jim explores where we may have drifted from the New Testament pattern and how we can realign our communities with the biblical design for gathering, mission, and discipleship. This conversation will challenge how you think about Sunday services, church size, programs, and what it really means to live as the people of God in the world today. If this episode was helpful, please subscribe to the Cold-Case Christianity podcast so you never miss a new show, and take a moment to rate and review the podcast on your favorite platform—your review helps more people discover the truth of the Christian worldview.
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John 1 Destroyed My ‘Just-a-Prophet’ Jesus: A Cold-Case Detective Makes the Deity Case
03/04/2026
John 1 Destroyed My ‘Just-a-Prophet’ Jesus: A Cold-Case Detective Makes the Deity Case
This episode walks through John 1 verse by verse to show why the apostle John leaves no room for a “just-a-prophet” Jesus and instead presents Him clearly as the eternal, divine Word of God. Drawing on cold-case investigative principles and the cumulative-case approach he used in homicide trials, J. Warner Wallace explains how the language, structure, and Old Testament echoes in the opening of John’s Gospel build a powerful case for the full deity of Christ. You’ll hear how early Christians came to embrace the triune nature of God not by importing philosophy into the Bible, but by trying to stay faithful to everything Scripture says about the Father, Son, and Spirit. The episode also addresses common objections from those who deny Jesus’ deity while still claiming to follow Him, and offers practical guidance for talking with friends and family who affirm a “human-only” Jesus. If this conversation helps you think more clearly about who Jesus really is, please subscribe or follow the podcast and take a moment to leave a rating and review in your app—your feedback helps more people discover the show and explore the case for the Christian worldview.
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Rethinking Love: Why Covenants, Not Contracts, Change Every Relationship (Married or Single)
02/25/2026
Rethinking Love: Why Covenants, Not Contracts, Change Every Relationship (Married or Single)
This episode reframes how we think about love and relationships by contrasting fragile, contract-style arrangements with the resilient, biblical model of covenant. Drawing from marriage research, Scripture, and decades of walking with couples in crisis, J. Warner Wallace explains why seeing marriage (and other key relationships) as covenants radically changes how you date, marry, and relate—whether you are single, engaged, or married. You’ll hear why people who “love marriage” itself tend to have stronger, more sacrificial relationships, how your marriage (or singleness) is always preaching something to the watching world, and why thinking of relationships as contracts actually trains us to look for exit clauses instead of opportunities to serve. The episode unpacks the idea of a 100–0 covenant mindset—giving 100% with 0% demand in return—as an expression of a deeper covenant with Jesus, and shows how this posture can transform conflict, expectations, and long-term commitment. If this conversation is helpful, please subscribe or follow the podcast and take a moment to leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app so others can find it as well. You can also find and subscribe to the show by searching “Cold-Case Christianity with J. Warner Wallace” in your podcast platform of choice.
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Trauma, Murder, and God’s Plan: Why Your Worldview Determines Your Wounds
02/18/2026
Trauma, Murder, and God’s Plan: Why Your Worldview Determines Your Wounds
This episode wrestles with trauma, murder, and suffering, and explains why the way you see the world—your worldview—largely determines how deeply you are wounded and how you process life’s most painful events. Drawing from real cold-case homicides and personal conversations with victims’ families, J. Warner Wallace shows how expectations about God, goodness, justice, and life itself either shatter under the weight of evil or are refined and strengthened when they match reality. You’ll hear how an underdeveloped or shallow view of the Christian faith can collapse when tragedy strikes, and why a robust, well-thought-out Christian worldview can actually prepare you for suffering rather than promise you a pain-free life. The episode summarizes key ideas from J. Warner’s work on the problem of evil—why God might allow horrific events, how this relates to free will, eternity, and human sin, and why Christianity offers not just an explanation for suffering but hope and meaning in the middle of it. To go deeper on these themes of evil, justice, and the Christian worldview, check out J. Warner’s book The Truth in True Crime here: If this conversation helps you think more clearly about trauma and God’s plan, please follow/subscribe to the podcast and take a moment to rate and review it in your app—your feedback helps more people discover this content and process their own suffering through the lens of the gospel.
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Stop Chasing Platforms: Why Real Christian Service Isn’t About Ministries, Money, or Fame
02/11/2026
Stop Chasing Platforms: Why Real Christian Service Isn’t About Ministries, Money, or Fame
This episode challenges the modern obsession with platforms and “ministry success” and asks whether followers of Jesus have quietly replaced real service with a pursuit of visibility, funding, and fame. Drawing from years of case work, tentmaking ministry, and mentoring aspiring apologists, J. Warner Wallace contrasts the quiet, often unseen work of everyday Christian service with the drive to build brands, launch organizations, and chase numbers in the name of the gospel. You’ll hear why Scripture calls believers to serve without needing applause, income, or a 501(c)(3), and how simple daily acts—loving your local church, discipling a few people, posting faithful content, caring for the hurting—can have more eternal impact than any “big” platform. The conversation also addresses the real dangers of pride, comparison, and monetization, and offers a practical vision for using gifts, tools, and even book sales as fuel for generosity and ministry rather than as measures of personal worth. To go deeper on these ideas about motives, identity, and calling, check out J. Warner’s book The Truth in True Crime here: If this episode encourages or challenges you, please follow/subscribe to the podcast and take a moment to rate and review it in your app—your feedback helps more people discover this content and rethink what real Christian service looks like.
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The One Trait That Destroys Celebrity Culture (And Could Save Your Soul)
02/04/2026
The One Trait That Destroys Celebrity Culture (And Could Save Your Soul)
This episode looks at why humility is the one trait that can quietly destroy our obsession with celebrity, platform, and approval—and why it may be the key to saving your soul in a culture built on self-promotion. Drawing from cold-case investigations, Scripture, and decades in ministry, J. Warner Wallace shows how the pursuit of fame, followers, and influence so often leads to moral compromise, spiritual shipwreck, and deep dissatisfaction, even when it “works” on the outside. You’ll hear how both secular and religious “doing worldviews” tend to fuel pride by making everything transactional and comparative: do more, get more, be more than the next person. In contrast, the Christian worldview begins not with achievement but with repentance and grace, received through an act of humility before God. By walking through biblical teaching—from the words of Jesus about the last being first, to the letters of Paul and Peter on humbling ourselves under God’s mighty hand—this episode highlights why only a cross-shaped, humility-driven faith can free us from the tyranny of image, success, and celebrity. To go deeper on these ideas, check out J. Warner’s book The Truth in True Crime here: If this conversation helps you, please follow/subscribe to the podcast and take a moment to leave a rating and review in your app—your feedback helps more people discover this content and rethink what true greatness looks like in light of the gospel.
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You’re Not Who You Think You Are: Exposing the Lies That Steal Your True Identity in Christ
01/28/2026
You’re Not Who You Think You Are: Exposing the Lies That Steal Your True Identity in Christ
This episode explores why your identity is the most important thing about you and how Scripture calls followers of Jesus to root who they are in Christ rather than in changing roles, emotions, or cultural labels. Drawing from social research, biblical theology, and real-life examples from law enforcement, ministry, and family, J. Warner Wallace exposes the lies that say you are what you do, what you desire, or what others say about you—and contrasts them with the unshakable identity offered “from above” in the gospel. You’ll hear about the three main ways people form identity (outside-in, inside-out, and top-down), how trauma and life transitions reveal what you’ve really been trusting, and why only an identity in Christ can provide lasting stability and peace. By walking through key passages like John 3, Ezekiel 36, 2 Corinthians 5, and Galatians 2, this conversation will help you diagnose where your identity actually rests today and how to relocate it to the only foundation that will never shift. To go deeper on this subject, check out J. Warner’s book The Truth in True Crime here: . If this episode is helpful, please take a moment to rate and review the podcast in your app, and be sure to follow/subscribe so you never miss a future episode. Your engagement helps more people discover this content and begin thinking carefully about their true identity in Christ.
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How to Be A Good Christian Case Maker in Our Noisy Culture
01/21/2026
How to Be A Good Christian Case Maker in Our Noisy Culture
J. Warner Wallace is interviewed by of and talks about the importance of becoming a good Christian Case Maker and a specific strategy for selecting those with whom we share what we believe. This excerpt is from a longer interview with apologist .
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Is It Unbiblical to Examine Evidence to Confirm the Reliability of the Bible?
01/14/2026
Is It Unbiblical to Examine Evidence to Confirm the Reliability of the Bible?
In this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity Broadcast, J. Warner Wallace responds to two emails from viewers of the show. (1) Is it unbiblical to examine evidence to confirm the reliability of the Bible? Shouldn’t we just trust what the Bible says since it is the Word of God? (2) Do the varied interpretations of Genesis 1 invalidate the Bible as a source of reliable information? If the Bible is the Word of God, shouldn’t we be able to come to agreement about what it teaches?
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