Lanny and Marilyn Johnson are former evolutionists with degrees in geology and biology. Creation teaching was instrumental in bringing them to a settled assurance that all of God’s Word can be trusted. In 1993, God led them to join Alpha Omega Institute and establish the Children’s Ministry to fortify children with the truth of the Bible and to help them avoid the pitfalls of evolution. They are well-known for their dynamic VBS programs with puppet shows featuring “Eugene,” an ornery but loveable lion. While continuing to minister extensively to children, their family programs and presentations for youth, college students, and adults are also very well-received.
Email: [email protected]
*The ministry of AOI, including the speakers, is a support based ministry. This ministry cannot continue without God’s Work – including His Work in calling others to be a part of this ministry with finances and prayer. Be a practical part of the Johnson’s ministry. Pray for them and Donate now designating your support to the “Johnson Ministry Fund.”
Topics List (click for descriptions below)
K-6th grades
Talks designed to teach children (K-6th) the truth of God and His Creation in terms they can understand. The abstract has been taken out and subjects are simplified for children’s understanding. These lectures are very suitable for the adult audience in a family presentation, and are followed by a time of more technical question/answer or discussion time.
CREATION VERSUS EVOLUTION
This talk deals with the two different ideas of origins of the universe and life. The main emphasis is on the ideas of evolution and what is wrong with them. Subjects include: Big Bang, The Second Law of Thermodynamics, “simple” cell, DNA, evolutionary tree, missing link, mutations, variation in kind, and art work in science. One goal is to teach children to recognize artwork (story) and ask “what’s the evidence”. The evidence points to Creation as the best model of origins.
DESIGN
This talk gives evidence for the existence of God. We see design in nature, and design points to an intelligent designer, not random chance and accident. A look at how animals are designed and what they can do points towards a Creator. Subjects are: Bombardier Beetle, Woodpecker, Sea Anemone, Sea Slug, and Mallee Fowl. The evidence demands a Creator!
DINOSAURS-WHAT WE DO KNOW AND DON'T KNOW ABOUT DINOSAURS
We can study the fossils of dinosaurs and come up with a hypothesis about their color, how they acted or behaved, and even what they ate. Today, most of what is being taught about dinosaurs is taught as truth, not as a hypothesis (an educated guess). With an emphasis to distinguish between imagination and observational science, subjects include: fossils (what can they tell us), art work versus fact, look at some of dinosaurs and current stories about them, what do sharp claws and teeth mean.
DINOSAURS AND THE BIBLE
Evolution teaches that dinosaurs died out 65 to 70 million years ago and that man has only been around for 200,000 to possibly 3 million years. Therefore, according to evolution, man and dinosaurs never lived together. This presentation challenges that idea with descriptions of dinosaurs in the Bible, and other evidences of man and dinosaurs living at the same time. Also discussed – problems with dinosaurs dying 65 to 75 million years ago, and what happened to dinosaurs. A real favorite with all ages.
FLOOD
This talk deals with Noah’s flood. Subjects include: conditions on Earth before the flood, age of man before and after flood, size of animals before the flood, the Ark (size of boat and how many animals it could hold), who built the Ark and why, could dinosaurs fit on the Ark and what happened to the them, a promise (rainbow), and a message of salvation through Jesus Christ.
ORIGINS OF MAN
This talk takes a look at the origins of man and a look at evolutionary lack of evidence. Subjects include: we all look at the evidence in different ways (same evidence- different bias), human evolution chart, Neanderthal man, Ramapithecus, Java man, Australopithecus (Lucy), Laetoli ash fields, Piltdown man, and Nebraska man. A goal here is to teach children to recognize artwork and to ask the question, “What’s the Evidence?”. The evidence does not point to evolution, but to Biblical Creation as the better answer! With adult audiences also includes a short talk about how old is the earth and problems with the dating methods used today.
OPTICAL ILLUSIONS
Optical illusions are perfectly normal. Every person with normal eyesight experiences them. We are simply deceived by what we see. God warns us “(For we walk by faith, not by sight;)” II Corinthians 5:7.Satan will use anything he can to trick you into not believing in God (false religions, evolution, etc.) But if we have faith in God and His word (the Bible) you will not be deceived. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32. This talk looks at the wonderful design of the brain and eye and shows how it is so easy to be tricked by what we see. We need to stay focused on God and not let the world philosophies trick us into unbelief.
LESSONS IN NATURE
Man has made many technological things; however when we study nature, God had already created them. Also a look at some wonderful creatures that use camouflage in various, amazing ways. One of the points to be made in this talk is not to hide or camouflage our faith … “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5: 15-16)
ASK THE ANIMALS
A shorter version of “LESSONS IN NATURE” topic above
DESIGN IN WILD GAME
In Romans 8 we learn that the whole creation is suffering because of Adam’s sin. Even though we live in a world in which it is a struggle to live, God, through His love and compassion has provided ways for all of His creatures to survive. A look at provisional survival design in Grant’s gazelle, deer, ducks and geese, and the Archer Fish.
Teen – Adult
DATING GAME
How old is the earth? There are two ideas … old or young. This talk gives evidence of what is wrong with the evolutionary dating methods that are taught as truth everywhere we look. The evidence actually supports a young earth as found in the Bible.
FIBONACCI NUMBERS AND THE DIVINE PROPORTION, THE HAND OF GOD
Paul tells us in Romans, chapter one, the more you look at creation, the more you’re going to see God. When we study the evidence in the world around us it becomes obvious that Somebody made this universe. A look at fascinating Fibonacci numbers and the Divine Proportion are just one more example of the endless incredible design found everywhere in nature … design that could never happen by the chance and accident of evolution. The evidence it is clear that it is “God that made the world and all things therein,” (Acts 17:24a). Only the hand of God could create such marvelous wonders that we find around us!
IS THE BIBLE SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE?
The Bible is not a science textbook. It was never meant to be. It was not written as a complicated, detailed story about the natural world. It was written to explain God’s purpose and relationship to man. Yet the Bible does contain a great deal of scientific truth. Many facts of modern science and medicine were stated in the Word of God hundreds, and sometimes thousands of years before being “discovered” by modern scientists. This talk looks into what God has to say about the Laws of Science, Anthropology, Astronomy, Biology, Geography, Geophysics, Geology, Hydrology, Medicine, Meteorology, Oceanography, and Physics.
MIRACLE OF LIFE, part 1
God reveals that He not only created us, but instructed man to be “fruitful and multiply”. This talk takes a look at the male reproduction system (a very conservative approach – no offensive graphics or terms) and why conception could never have even taken place unless designed functions were not in place from the beginning. “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Psalms 139:14
BOTANY
When God created plants, He gave them abilities that defy the evolutionary idea that they are simple forms of life. Plants have complex mechanisms that point to a Creator. “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us–ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” Psalms 40:5
ICONS OF EVOLUTION
These icons (so called “proofs”) of evolution have been shown to be wrong many years ago … so why are they still being taught as truth in many textbooks today? Some of the so called “proofs”of evolution presented are: recapitulation, embryonic gill slits, embryonic tail bone, embryonic yolk sac, vestigial organs, structural homology, molecular homology, “life in a test tube”, “Darwin’s” finches, the peppered moth, horse evolution, and more.
DOES IT MATTER?
Many people have tried to compromise the ideas of evolution with the Bible. However, scripture shows that the two ideas are incompatible. Does our worldview matter? A look at some of the atrocities of the past based on evolutionary thought will show that ideas do have consequences. As we will see, the first chapters of Genesis are the very foundation and an integral part of the rest the biblical record. If the foundation is undermined, it will not be long until the superstructure built upon it collapses as well.
AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE 1 - MANUSCRIPTS AND ARCHAEOLOGY
“Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” (Psalms 119:160). Are there any evidences to back up the claims that the Scriptures are true? Is the Bible we have today what the authors originally wrote? Manuscripts – A look at the number of copies of the New Testament, the time interval between when they were copied from the originals, and the rate of distortion due to coping errors as compared to other classical and historical literature. Also a look at the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls give us confidence that what we have written today is what was originally written. Archeology – Archeological discoveries constantly confirm what the Bible declared long ago, and not one archaeological discovery has ever proven any Biblical reference to be untrue.So many Bible cities, names and events have been unearthed through archeology that the Bible is considered the single most important historical document in existence.
AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE 2 - PROPHECY AND STATISTICS
A Bible prophecy is not just a prediction about the future – it is a promise about the future. Within the Bible are approximately 2500 prophecies, about 2000 of which already have been fulfilled to the letter—no errors. A look at just a few broad, general examples of fulfilled prophecy and a look at messianic prophecies and the probability of one man fulfilling the major prophecies made concerning the Messiah – showing that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Because the Bible proves to be such a dependable document, we should expect that the remaining 500 prophecies dealing with the “time of the end,” will also be fulfilled to the last letter.
