Transforming Culture: Recent Episodes
Muskoka Bible Centre
The world is rapidly changing. Every time we blink, it seems there’s a new cultural rule that we all have to follow. It can feel like waves crashing on us: we want to love others well, but also lead them to Jesus truthfully. Join us for a 9 part series where we look at some hot cultural topics and how we can engage with care and Christ-centred truth.
Welcome everyone, to our last episode of Season 1 of Transforming Culture! We're thrilled to have had so many people listening and supporting us over the last two months, and we trust that this season will be a resource to you and your friends as you seek to transform culture for God.
Our last episode is about unity in the Church, and if we're being honest, it wasn't a topic that we would have considered a controversial culture issue until about March 20, 2020. The pandemic certainly highlighted a lot of ways that even Christians can differ from one another, and it has caused a lot of pain with denominations, churches and even families. We're grateful that Sean Sheeran is tackling such an important issue as we close out our first season.
Speaker Bio:Originally from Scotland, Sean moved to Canada as a teenager in 2001. A non-Christian at the time, he was invited to attend Hespeler Baptist Church in Cambridge, Ontario. Through the preaching of the gospel and the friendship of Christians, God showed him his need to repent of his sin and trust in Christ for salvation. This was an altogether different experience and message from his Roman Catholic upbringing. From there Sean attended Heritage Bible college, graduating the same year he came on staff full-time at Hespeler Baptist as Associate Pastor. In 2013 he made the transition to serving as Lead Pastor. He has been married to his high-school sweetheart, Meredith, for fifteen years and together they have four children. When not reading or chipping away at his MDiv at Heritage (almost finished!), you’d find Sean and his family hiking, biking, rock climbing, paddle-boarding, making music, or playing board & video games.
Resources from this Episode:The Six Way Fracturing of Evangelicalism (Michael Graham)
Show Credits:
Transforming Culture is a production of Muskoka Bible Centre.
Producer: Luke LaRocque
Editing, Sound Design and Mixing: Abishek Varghese
Audio and Technical Support: Charles West and the Summer 2022 A/V team
Theme song: “Citizens” by Jon Guerra
Graphic design: Christina te-Bokkel Hotz
Welcome back to Transforming Culture. This is our second-to-last episode, so if you're tuning in for the first time, check out our archive of episodes - the first episode in particular helps explain what this podcast is all about. This week, we're interviewing Steve West, a pastor and professor, about how to have conversation about social justice. He's a great speaker, and brings his unique blend of wisdom and humour which is both incisive and disarming. Social justice can be a tricky thing to talk about these days, because it feels like getting it "wrong" on social justice can be a friendship ending move, but Steve gives good insight into how we can examine the roots of justice for clues about how to move forward together with others. Enjoy!
Speaker Bio:Steve West (PhD) serves as the pastor of Madoc Baptist Church in Madoc, Ontario. In addition to pastoral ministry, Steve serves as an adjunct professor at Heritage College and Seminary in Cambridge. He has preached and taught courses in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Steve is the author of several books and a frequent contributor to a variety of publications. Recent books include Resurrection, Scripture, and Reformed Apologetics (McMaster Theological Studies Series), Head, Heart, Hands: Life-Transforming Apologetics, and published sermons in A Contemporary Handbook for Weddings & Funerals, and Other Occasions. His ministry focuses on biblical preaching, theological engagement, and exploring and defending the Christian worldview.
Resources from this Episode:Leaf by Niggle (JRR Tolkien)
Show Credits:
Transforming Culture is a production of Muskoka Bible Centre.
Producer: Luke LaRocque
Editing, Sound Design and Mixing: Abishek Varghese
Audio and Technical Support: Charles West and the Summer 2022 A/V team
Theme song: “Citizens” by Jon Guerra
Graphic design: Christina te-Bokkel Hotz
Welcome to our first all digital episode of Transforming Culture! Because of some COVID hiccups this summer, Scotty Smith recorded his session over the summer, and then we got the chance to talk about social media during an online interview last week! Scotty is a deeply rooted, well aware pastor, and brings so much depth and knowledge to his conversation about how to manage the tricky online world that we live in.
Speaker Bio:Scotty is founding pastor and pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church, Franklin, TN. He currently serves as Teacher in Residence at West End Community Church, Nashville TN. He has written 10 books, is a mentor, coach, ministry consultant, seminary professor and vocational discipler. Among his joys are his wife of 50 years (Darlene), two children and four grandchildren, fly-fishing, baking, walking 7 miles a day, and encouraging God’s people in the riches of the Gospel.
Resources from this Episode:Making Faith Magnetic (Daniel Strange)
Plugged In (Daniel Strange)
Show Credits:
Transforming Culture is a production of Muskoka Bible Centre.
Producer: Luke LaRocque
Editing, Sound Design and Mixing: Abishek Varghese
Audio and Technical Support: Charles West and the Summer 2022 A/V team
Theme song: “Citizens” by Jon Guerra
Graphic design: Christina te-Bokkel Hotz
Welcome to our next episode of Transforming Culture! We're on a bit of a journey this week - we needed more time with the audio from Scotty Smith, so we're changing up the episode order! Our bumped episode from Week 3 about deconstruction is now ready, so we're slotting that in right now for you to listen in! You'll noticed a difference in the audio quality and format this week - we ended up doing a complete re-record of the topic due to audio quality issues, so you get to hear us chatting from Kevin's home in southern Ontario. We should be back on track next week with our session on social media with Scotty Smith.
NOTE: during our conversation, Kevin talks about sexual assault in a non-specific way, but we know that it is a hard conversation for some. Please be aware of this before listening to this episode with your younger kids.
Speaker Bio:Kevin Wilcox is an Assistant Crown Attorney in the Durham Region with a background in criminal defence. He is a candidate for a Master of Laws at the University of Ottawa where he is currently completing his thesis project on human trafficking within Canada’s pornography industry. He has also served overseas with International Justice Mission assisting with anti-slavery litigation in South Asia. He has served various ministry roles over the course of his life, ranging from inner-city ministry building community with street-involved and homeless populations to camp, youth, and worship ministry across Southern Ontario. Kevin is passionate about “visiting the widow and the orphan in their affliction”, and seeing the Body of Christ respond to the world’s suffering in the name, love, and power of our Almighty God.
Resources from this Episode:The Explicit Gospel (Matt Chandler)
Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis)
Thou Shalt Not Be A Jerk (Eugene Cho)
Erasing Hell (Francis Chan)
The Screwtape Letters (C.S. Lewis)
Fear and Trembling (Søren Kierkegaard)
The Gay Science (Fredrich Nietzsche)
Show Credits:
Transforming Culture is a production of Muskoka Bible Centre.
Producer: Luke LaRocque
Editing, Sound Design and Mixing: Abishek Varghese
Audio and Technical Support: Charles West and the Summer 2022 A/V team
Theme song: “Citizens” by Jon Guerra
Graphic design: Christina te-Bokkel Hotz
Welcome back to Transforming Culture! We are now officially more than halfway through our first season, and we're so excited that we have the chance to share these conversations with all of you. This week, we're looking at race and colour in church history. Most of us expect to talk about race and racism in a modern context - after the advent of the modern slave trade, for example - but Dr. Michael Haykin is taking us back to the first century context to help us understand how we need to approach things as Christians.
Speaker Bio:Michael A. G. Haykin is on the core faculty of Heritage College and Seminary as Professor of Church History and also serves as Professor and Chair of Church History at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Director of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies at Southern Seminary. He is married to Alison and they are members of West Highland Baptist Church in Hamilton, Ontario. He is a big believer in helping local churches develop an appreciation of the significance of Church History for their churches and to this end he has written or edited nearly a dozen local church histories. He has also written widely on fourth-century Christianity in the Roman Imperium and eighteenth-century British Baptists, in particular, the life and ministry of Andrew Fuller, and his circle of friends that included William Carey.
Resources from this Episode:Article:4 Reasons You Shouldn't Be Colorblind (Tricia Newbell)
Book: Beyond Colorblind (Sarah Shin)
Show Credits:
Transforming Culture is a production of Muskoka Bible Centre.
Producer: Luke LaRocque
Editing, Sound Design and Mixing: Abishek Varghese
Audio and Technical Support: Charles West and the Summer 2022 A/V team
Theme song: “Citizens” by Jon Guerra
Graphic design: Christina te-Bokkel Hotz
Welcome to another episode of Transforming Culture from MBC! We're thrilled that you're joining us for another session where we engage with an important cultural debate. This week, we're talking to Dr. Laura Lewis about the debate around abortion, and how to support those who are making decisions during an unexpected pregnancy. When we asked Dr. Lewis to join us for the summer of 2022, we had NO idea that the Supreme Court of the United States was going to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that has been the cornerstone of abortion rights in that country. While we live in Canada and operate under a different legal context, that US decision has reinvigorated debate about what the pro-life/pro-choice movements should and can be doing. Join us for this interesting and important discussion!
Speaker Bio:Dr. Laura Lewis has served as the Executive Director of Pregnancy Care Canada since May 2016. Pregnancy Care Canada is a Christ-centred national organization seeking to help establish, equip, and encourage local pregnancy care centres across the country. After working for 22 years as a family physician, Dr. Lewis saw the need for education, support, and practical options for women and men facing an unexpected pregnancy. She has a Hon. B. Comm degree from Queen’s University, a Medical Degree from the University of Western Ontario, and a certificate of Family Medicine from McMaster University.
Resources from this Episode:When Abortion Suddenly Stopped Making Sense (Frederica Mathewes-Green)
Show Credits:
Transforming Culture is a production of Muskoka Bible Centre.
Producer: Luke LaRocque
Editing, Sound Design and Mixing: Abishek Varghese
Audio and Technical Support: Charles West and the Summer 2022 A/V team
Theme song: “Citizens” by Jon Guerra
Graphic design: Christina te-Bokkel Hotz
Weclome back to Transforming Culture. Muskoka Bible Centre hosted a series of lectures over the summer about controversial culture issues, and we've turned those lectures into a podcast! This is our third episode, so if you're tuning in for the first time, we encourage you to check out our first two episodes on political engagement with Dwayne Cline and wokeness with Michael Pawelke. The first episode in particular helps explain what this podcast is all about
This week, we're listening in on a lecture from Steve Bray about engaging with and authentically loving our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbours. It's a great session, and we dive into so much more in our conversation after the lecture is done. As with all our episodes, we know that these topics can be touchy - which is exactly why we're exploring them together. This particular seminar was the most requested episode from those who heard it during the summer, so we're excited to get it out on the air for all of you who were waiting!
Speaker Bio:Steve Bray attended both Pillsbury Baptist Bible College and Kingston Baptist Bible College for his undergraduate studies and Calvary Baptist Seminary for his (MDiv). He has been in pastoral ministry for over 20 years serving in both Fellowship and Canadian Baptist churches in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and currently as Lead Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. Steve started TGC Atlantic Canada and is a founding member of the TGC Canada Council. He is the Director of Mile One Mission and is dedicated to planting Churches and seeing Indigenous Newfoundlanders raised up to reach Canada’s most easterly province. Their goal and vision is to see 10 Churches planted by 2030. Steve is the blessed husband of Debbie, his childhood sweetheart and proud father of 3 beautiful children and, in his words, 4 beautiful grandchildren.
Resources from this Episode:Is God Anti-Gay? (Sam Alberry)
Gay Girl, Good God (Jackie Hill Perry)
The Bible and Homosexual Practice (Robert A. J. Gagnon)
The Gospel Comes with a House Key (Rosaria Butterfield)
The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert (Rosaria Butterfield)
Show Credits:
Transforming Culture is a production of Muskoka Bible Centre.
Producer: Luke LaRocque
Editing, Sound Design and Mixing: Abishek Varghese
Audio and Technical Support: Charles West and the Summer 2022 A/V team
Theme song: “Citizens” by Jon Guerra
Graphic design: Christina te-Bokkel Hotz
Welcome back to Transforming Culture! This week, we're listening to Dr. Michael Pawelke, who is the president of Briarcrest College in Caronport, Saskatchewan. He's talking to us about woke ideology and how to engage with conversations that can look quite engaging and attractive on the surface, but have a very different meaning when you get down to the foundational roots of the thought.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Michael Pawelke first came to know the Lord through reading a Gideon New Testament during his teenage years when his parents were going through a turbulent divorce. It was during this difficult time that Michael trusted the Lord and began his journey with Christ. Today, Michael strives to honour the Lord in everything he does, including his role as Briercrest College and Seminary’s sixth president. With a vision of “educating disciples, equipping the Church, and engaging our world”, he aims to continually grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ himself. Prior to stepping into his role as president, Michael served in pastoral roles in Manitoba and Ontario, including 19 years as senior pastor of Compass Point Bible Church in Burlington. Michael has an earned doctorate from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, an honorary doctorate from Briercrest Biblical Seminary, an MA in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a BRE from Briercrest Bible Institute. Michael presently teaches on leadership and pastoral ministry in both the college and the seminary and speaks frequently in churches.
Resources from this Episode:The Coddling of the American Mind (Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt)
We Will Not Be Silenced (Erwin W. Lutzer)
Show Credits:
Transforming Culture is a production of Muskoka Bible Centre.
Producer: Luke LaRocque
Editing, Sound Design and Mixing: Abishek Varghese
Audio and Technical Support: Charles West and the Summer 2022 A/V team
Theme song: “Citizens” by Jon Guerra
Graphic design: Christina te-Bokkel Hotz
Welcome to our first episode of Transforming Culture!
This podcast was born out of a desire to help equip and prepare the church to engage with the world around us. Over the summer of 2022, Muskoka Bible Centre invited our summer Bible teachers to share their thoughts on Monday nights with the chapel audience about a controversial cultural issue. We called those sessions our "Transforming Culture Seminars".
Whether it was political engagement, abortion, loving or LGBTQ neighbours, wokeness, deconstruction or many more, they brought so much engaging thoughtful teaching each Monday night, and we are excited to share that with you now as a limited series podcast over the months of October and November. We recorded those Monday night sessions and our host, Luke, then had the chance to sit down with each of the speakers to dig deeper into some of the things that they talked about and hear more about what they think.
We know that not everyone agrees about all the things that we're talking about in these podcast episodes, and that’s okay. Our heart is to present biblically accurate and truthful information, and then allow you to wrestle with the issues as you grow and learn. Whenever they recommend it, we will share resources with you like books and articles that will help you grow.
Our first episode is presented by Dwayne Cline, with a focus on Political Correctness in Civic Engagement.
Speaker Bio:
Dwayne has been the lead pastor of James North Baptist Church in Hamilton, Ontario since January 1995. He was raised in rural Ontario, where God saved him at a young age. After graduating from Tyndale College, God called him to pastor in the heart of Hamilton. James North offers a variety of ministries in the neighbourhood which cares for over 450 unchurched individuals and families each week. In the fall of 2020, they opened their new worship and ministry facility which includes 45 supportive and affordable apartments for those struggling with homelessness. Dwayne married Aimee in 1998 and they are blessed with four amazing children. They are also business owners of a storefront Aimee runs in Hamilton. Dwayne speaks in a variety of forums across the country.
Resources from this Episode:The Coddling of the American Mind (Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt)
The Munk Debates (May 18, 2018)
Show Credits:
Transforming Culture is a production of Muskoka Bible Centre.
Producer: Luke LaRocque
Editing, Sound Design and Mixing: Abishek Varghese
Audio and Technical Support: Charles West and the Summer 2022 A/V team
Theme song: “Citizens” by Jon Guerra
Graphic design: Christina te-Bokkel Hotz