#327 Josh Howerton - "In 50 Years, China Will Have More Christians Than America"

What you'll learn

• 1 (01:04) **Introduction and Gift Exchange** - Pastor Josh Howerton enters and presents Shawn Ryan with a 1943 "heart shield" Bible, a brass-plated New Testament designed to stop bullets for WWII soldiers.
• 2 (04:25) **Background and Calling** - Howerton describes being a third-generation pastor, his grandfather's blue-collar start, and his father planting a church, leading into how his own faith became real.
• 3 (11:03) **First Sermon and Calling Confirmed** - Howerton recalls being stood up to preach at age 16 by his youth pastor, who told him "everybody listened" and there was "a little heat" on his teaching.
• 4 (13:35) **Why Christianity Is Uniquely Disparaged** - Howerton answers why Christianity is the one religion acceptable to attack, grounding his answer in biblical prophecy about spiritual warfare.
• 5 (21:28) **Islam and Prophecy** - Howerton delivers a detailed theological comparison between biblical prophecy and Islamic eschatology, arguing Islam may be the fulfillment of New Testament warnings.
• 6 (36:45) **Christianity: Growing or Shrinking?** - Howerton distinguishes between the decline in the West and explosive growth in the Global South, Africa, and Asia.
• 7 (41:32) **Why the Tide Is Turning** - Howerton and Ryan agree that pervasive darkness, institutional distrust, and the failure of human leaders are driving people back to the church.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app