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Summary:

What can a cold-case detective teach us about the Christian life? J. Warner Wallace joins Michael Easley to explore human nature, identity, purpose, truth, and the wisdom found through mistakes and suffering.

Wallace explains why true crime fascinates us. We want to understand what motivates people and believe we can recognize danger before it reaches us. His work investigating murders has also revealed something Scripture has taught for thousands of years: human nature has not fundamentally changed. We are capable of both remarkable goodness and devastating evil.

That understanding leads to a deeper question: Who are you? Wallace argues that identity is one of humanity’s greatest struggles because we connect identity with purpose and value. Careers, relationships, accomplishments, health, and social status can all change. When they do, our sense of self can become shaken.

For Christians, Scripture points to a more stable identity: being in Christ. Wallace describes Christ not as another label on the signpost of our lives, but as the post holding every other identity in place.

The conversation also explores objective truth, moral truth, financial freedom, aging, marriage, wisdom, and sharing the gospel. Wallace encourages believers to identify their idols, cultivate humility, and faithfully invest in others while trusting God to do the work only He can do.

Takeaways:

• Human nature has not changed, which makes the Bible’s description of humanity remarkably relevant to every generation.
• Our identity shapes our sense of purpose and value, which is why changing careers or circumstances can deeply affect us.
• Christ should not simply be another identity label; He should be the foundation supporting every other role we carry.
• If you want to know where your identity really rests, look at your time, money, desires, and what you cannot bear to have questioned.
• Mistakes and suffering can become the very places where God develops wisdom that we can eventually use to serve others.
• We should faithfully communicate the gospel while remembering that our persuasion is not what saves people—the gospel carries the power.

ABOUT J. WARNER WALLACE

Warner Wallace is a cold-case homicide detective, popular national speaker and best-selling author. He continues to consult on cold-case investigations while serving as a Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. He is also an adjunct professor of apologetics at Biola University and a faculty member at Summit Ministries. J. Warner was a conscientious and vocal atheist until the age of thirty-five, when he took a serious and expansive look at the evidence for the Christian Worldview and determined that Christianity was demonstrably true. After becoming a Christ follower in 1996, Jim continued to take an evidential approach to truth as he examined the Christian worldview. He eventually earned a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary.

Warner’s professional investigative work has received national recognition; his cases have been featured more than any other detective on NBC’s Dateline, and his work has also appeared on CourtTV and Fox News. He also appears on television as an investigative consultant (most recently on truTV) and had a role in God’s Not Dead 2, making the case for the historicity of Jesus. J. Warner was awarded the Police and Fire Medal of Valor “Sustained Superiority” Award for his continuing work on cold-case homicides, and the CopsWest Award after solving a 1979 murder. Relying on over two decades of investigative experience, J. Warner provides his readers and audiences with the tools they will need to investigate the claims of Christianity and make a convincing case for the truth of the Christian worldview.

Links Mentioned:

Cold Case Christianity Website

The Truth in True Crime by J Warner Wallace

Other Books by J. Warner Wallace

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