The Deep Thoughts Podcast with Matt Shantz: Recent Episodes
Matt Shantz
Every episode explores one aspect of the Christian faith a little more deeply. This podcast exists to help you foster deep faith.
The promise of technological advancement seemed to be that work and life would be simplified. The promise of social media was limitless possibilities of connection and deep friendship. In reality, the technologies of our day seem determined to keep us scrolling and swiping at all costs, plugged into a feedback loop of impatience, comparison, outrage, contempt, and algorithm-built echo chambers. Blind to the dangers, we enjoy its temporary pleasures, unaware of the damage to our minds, bodies, and souls.
In this episode, Matt talks with Jay Kim about the ways the digital age and its values affect the Christian life and church life. And as you can guess from the title, Jay advocates for analog faith in the midst of our digital world.
ABOUT
Jay Kim lives with his family in Silicon Valley, California and is Lead Pastor of WestGate Church.
He’s the host of IVP’s Digital Examen Podcast and Barna’s Making Space Podcast.He’s the author of Analog Church;Analog Christian, and his most recent book, Listen, Listen, Speak — all of which we explore in this episode.
This is the fourth Q+A episode where Matt attempts to answer some of your deepest listener-submitted questions.
Why don’t we all get the same thing out of God’s Word? [2:05]
What if I’m not actually saved? [9:55]
Does God love Satan? And if Satan changed his mind and wanted to go to heaven would God let him? [15:30]
How should I make school choices for my family? [22:30]
If only Sheol existed in the Old Testament, how does hell suddenly appear in the New Testament? [29:30]
As modern Christians do we believe that angels and demons constantly surround us? [32:00]
How do we know if something is random chance, circumstances, or answered prayer in keeping with God’s will? [39:25]
Scott Thomas talks about the beauty and brokenness of the local church by speaking transparently about his own challenging experiences with the church and why he still loves it so much.Topics include planting and replanting churches (5:30); the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill and our own susceptibility to fall (10:00); church hurt (19:00); embodying the welcome and warmth of Christ (26:00); gospel culture (33:00); emotional intelligence (37:30); and the promise of Jesus for His Church (50:00).ABOUTScott is the Director of Multiplication at Great Commission Collective and Lead Servant of Church Planting Partners. He served as Executive Pastor at Immanuel Church in Nashville, TN, Associate National Director of C2C Network, President of Acts 29, and Scott served as a lead pastor for 17 years. He is the author of a number of books including: The Gospel Shaped Leader; and Gospel Coach.Scott and his wife Jeannie live in Nashville, TN.
We are experiencing the largest and fastest religious shift in North American history. It is faster than the First and Second Great Awakenings and revivals combined, but in the opposite direction. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that everyone listening to this episode either has people in their lives who have left the church in recent years or you've left the church yourself. Jim Davis, co-author of The Great Dechurching, chats with Matt about the findings of their major research project that spawned the book, who’s leaving, why they’re going, and what it will take to bring them back. The findings and opportunities are more hopeful than you’d think!
ABOUTJim Davis (MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is teaching pastor at Orlando Grace Church (Acts 29), and a Council member of The Gospel Coalition. He is the host of the As In Heaven podcast and coauthor with Michael Graham of The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back?. He and his wife, Angela, speak for Family Life’s Weekend to Remember marriage getaways.
The issue of gender has roared onto the scene so quickly, the concept has evolved so rapidly, the level of importance deemed so integral, that you would be hard-pressed to find a more pressing, confusing and divisive subject. Enter Dr. Abigail Favale. Her book, The Genesis of Gender is insightful, wise and timely. Abigail is an expert in areas of post-modernity, gender studies, and feminism and her radical re-conversion to Christianity has led her to take everything she has learned about gender and apply it through the lens of the Bible.
ABOUT
Abigail is a writer and professor whose work lies at the intersection of Catholic theology, literature, and women’s studies. Her abiding interest as a writer and scholar is the meaning and dignity of woman, and her work explores sexual difference and embodiment in the Catholic imagination. She holds a concurrent appointment in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, where she teaches on topics like Edith Stein’s Theology of Woman and Religion & Literature. Abigail has a bachelor's degree in philosophy from George Fox University, as well as a master's degree in Women, Writing and Gender and a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. She is the author of multiple books including, Into the Deep: An Unlikely Catholic Conversion (Cascade 2018) and The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory, which was published in 2022 and has already been translated into multiple languages. She lives with her husband, Michael, and their four children in South Bend, Indiana.
Andrew Wilson joins the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about special needs, the case for eucharistic and charismatic worship in the life of the church, and why the year 1776 was such a big deal and how the West is now post-Christian because of it.
ABOUT
Andrew Wilson (PhD, King’s College London) is the teaching pastor at King’s Church London and a columnist for Christianity Today. He’s the author of several books, including the three they talk about in this episode: Remaking the World, Spirit and Sacrament, and The Life We Never Expected. He’s a part of the Mere Fidelity podcast, co-hosts the “Post-Christianity?” podcast with Glen Scrivener, and regularly writes on the Think Theology website. Andrew is married to Rachel and they have three children: Zeke, Anna and Samuel. He is also a great follow on X/Twitter.
Statistically, only about 9% of those who make New Years Resolutions actually complete them, with the vast majority of people failing within the first week and month. David Mathis refers to the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, and commitment to a local church as habits of grace and asserts that they are paramount for relationship with and enjoyment of Jesus. As we embark on a new year, resolve to know and enjoy Jesus through these habits of grace. In this episode Matt sits down with David Mathis to talk about leadership in the church (6:30 mark) and habits of grace (31:00 mark).
ABOUT
David Mathis serves as senior teacher and executive editor at desiringGod.org, a pastor at Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and an adjunct professor at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis. He and his wife, Megan, have four children. He is the author of several books, including the two talked about in this episode: Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines and Workers For Your Joy: The Call of Christ on Christian Leaders.
The nativity stories from the gospels of Matthew and Luke are familiar to everyone. Baby Jesus in a manger, Mary and Joseph, the little town of Bethlehem, the shepherds, and wise men. We’re less familiar with Revelation’s nativity story found in chapter 12 that includes a seven-headed dragon. But it is one of the Bible’s telling of the Christmas story nonetheless. In this brief episode Matt explains why this cosmic Christmas story is worth including in your nativity.
Today we’re told to be true to ourselves, look within for answers, and follow our hearts. But when we put our own happiness first, we experience record-breaking levels of aimlessness, loneliness, depression, and anxiety. In Don’t Follow Your Heart, Thaddeus Williams debunks the “ten commandments of self-worship” and points to a life beyond the self-defeating dogmas of self-worship to a more meaningful life centred on Someone infinitely more interesting, satisfying, and awesome than ourselves. Thaddeus Williams is back on the podcast, this time to tell us not to follow our hearts but to follow God’s heart!
ABOUT
Thaddeus J. Williams (Ph.D., Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam) loves enlarging students’ understanding and enjoyment of Jesus at Biola University in La Mirada, CA, where he serves as associate professor of Systematic Theology for Talbot School of Theology. His previous appearance on Deep Thoughts, to talk about Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth (episode 36) is one of the podcast’s most popular episodes. He has also taught Philosophy and Literature at Saddleback College, Jurisprudence at Trinity Law School, and as a lecturer in Worldview Studies at L’Abri Fellowships in Switzerland and Holland, and Ethics for Blackstone Legal Fellowship the Federalist Society in Washington D.C. He resides in Orange County, CA with his wife and four kids.
Let’s face it: When people complain that masculinity is toxic, they often point to evangelical men as their prime example. But findings from the social sciences debunk those charges. Research shows that committed Christian men who attend church regularly test out as the most loving and engaged husbands and fathers. These facts show that Christianity has the power to overcome toxic behaviour in men and reconcile the sexes—an unexpected finding that has stood up to rigorous empirical testing. We should be bold in bringing it into the public square. In her new book, The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes, Professor Pearcey explains how secularism has villainized the concept of masculinity and how Christian men shatter the negative stereotypes.ABOUT
Nancy Pearcey is the author of The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes, as well as Love Thy Body, The Soul of Science, Saving Leonardo, Finding Truth, and Total Truth. She is professor and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University. She has been quoted in The New Yorker and Newsweek, highlighted as one of the five top women apologists by Christianity Today, and hailed in The Economist as "America's pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual."
Evangelicals are known today for culture-wars, politics, conspiracy theories, and moral failures as much or more as the historic pillars of evangelical identity. In this brief episode Matt defines evangelicalism and explores how we might get that clear and compelling evangelical vision back.ABOUT Matt Shantz is the Lead Pastor of Central Community Church, a vibrant multi-generational church that meets across 5 campuses in the beautiful eastern Fraser Valley, BC Canada. Matt loves to introduce people to Jesus, teach the Bible, and raise up the whole church to be ministers of the gospel.
Unclear on God’s purpose for the family? This episode is for you! In 2012 Jefferson Bethke released a spoken word video to YouTube called, “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus” that went viral and changed his life forever. Viewed over 35 million times and followed up with New York Times bestseller, Jesus > Religion, now Jeff and his wife Alyssa have written a number of books and lead a number of ministries, including Family Teams, which they talk about with Matt in this episode. Alyssa and Matt are in a Western Seminary Global Masters Cohort together. Apparently Jeff was in the same cohort years ago but unlike Alyssa and Matt, he’s a quitter. Alyssa is the author of Satisfied, and together they’ve written, Love That Lasts and others. Jeff and Alyssa live in Maui, which was hit this summer with the deadliest wildfire in the US in over 100 years. For ways you can help right now and provide resources for those in need—go to hopechapelmaui.com
ABOUT
Alyssa Bethke is a mother of three children, Kinsley, Kannon, and Lucy, and a dog named Aslan. She and her husband, Jeff Bethke, live in Maui, and are bloggers, YouTubers, and hosts of The Real-Life podcast. Alyssa is the author of Satisfied and together with Jeff wrote, Love That Lasts. They are passionate about encouraging and strengthening families at familyteams.com, an online initiative equipping families to live as a multigenerational team on mission. They live in Maui with their daughters, Kinsley and Lucy, and son, Kannon.Jefferson Bethke is the New York Times bestselling author of Jesus > Religion and It’s Not What You Think. To say hi or to learn more, go to jeffandalyssa.com
What do we do with passages in the Bible that are strange or even troubling? Matt talks a bit about that while unpacking one of the weirdest stories in the Bible: A couple bears mauling a bunch of boys. This brief ‘A Deep Thought’ episode is a summary of a sermon he preached entitled, A Grizzly Scene, from 2 Kings 2.
Matt unpacks the parables of the treasure and pearl of great price and the astounding reality that Jesus treasures us. This brief ‘A Deep Thought’ episode is a summary of a sermon he preached entitled, Treasure Jesus, from Matthew 13:44-46.
You asked some seriously deep questions and Matt has tried his best to answer them in this Q&A episode.
Do you think Abraham and Isaac had a conversation before he tied him up as an offering? [2:45]
What is the stance on marijuana use as Christians? Many conversations about this lately. [7:05]
What should we make of the Gift of Tongues in the church today? [10:00]
What will the church look like in 10 years? [18:45]
How do we know if feelings come from God or if we need freedom from that? [24:45]
What does the Bible say about the souls of those who commit suicide? [27:50]
What does it look like to respond like Jesus when a transgender person wants to join our life group? [32:00]
How can we be truly happy in heaven if we know loved ones are in hell? Seems selfish. [39:00]
What are we to make of John 7:53-8:11 and its Canonicity? [43:10]
Is what we have today, splinters of faith traditions around the globe, really God’s intent? [50:30]
Matt shares 6 common excuses that he thinks keep many of us from participating in the Mission of Jesus — and shows how the commission Jesus has given us nullifies every last one of those excuses. This brief A Deep Thought episode is a summary of a sermon he preached entitled, Christians Make Disciples, Not Excuses.
The 6 excuses that keep us from participating in the mission of Jesus: 1. The task is too great 2. I’m not qualified 3. I’m not the type 4. I don’t feel called 5. I don’t have the resources 6. What if they say “No”?
More than 360 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith in Jesus. Jared Vander Meulen from Open Doors Canada joins Matt to talk about what severe persecution looks like in the most difficult countries in the world to be a Christian and what Christians in the West can do to support them. This conversation is humbling, inspiring, heavy, and will equip you to pray effectively for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. ABOUTOpen Doors Canada is a ministry that seeks to strengthen Christians where faith costs the most. As promised, here are links to the resources we referenced in the episode: The World Watch List, Sahar’s story on persecution and gender, and the Prayer resources.
Matt had Joshua Ryan Butler back on the podcast to talk about his latest book, Beautiful Union. About 48 hours after Matt’s interview with Josh in early March, a social media firestorm erupted when an excerpt of Beautiful Union was released on The Gospel Coalition website (that has since been removed). Pushback about Josh’s unpacking of the biblical analogy between Christ and the Church came swift and strong, some calling it dangerous and others simply calling it gross. The uncharitable way in which people lambasted Josh aside, Matt believes that the evangelical church has a lot to learn from a more robust (and beautiful) theology of sex. So give it a listen and let us know what you think!ABOUTJoshua Ryan Butler is the author of Beautiful Union, The Pursuing God, The Skeletons in God’s Closet, and co-author of the forthcoming The Party Crasher. He loves shifting paradigms, to help people who wrestle with tough topics of the Christian faith by confronting popular caricatures and replacing them with the real thing. He has served as a Lead Pastor of Redemption, Tempe for the last number of years. You can find out more about Josh and his ministry here. Matt refers to an episode of the Theology in the Raw podcast that can be found here.
Conversations around human sexuality are some of the most sensitive and complex in our culture today and around the church more specifically. Sam Allberry is a celibate, same-sex-attracted pastor/theologian who has written extensively and spoken all over the world on these topics. In this conversation, Matt chats with Sam Allberry about the tenth anniversary edition of Is God-Anti Gay? and 7 Myths About Singleness.
Is God Anti-Gay? is a sensitive exploration of the Bible’s teaching on sexuality that's been written to help both Christians and non-Christians struggling with the Bible's teaching on this issue, and how the gospel is good news for everyone, whatever their sexual orientation.
In 7 Myths About Singleness, Sam seeks to help Christians—married and unmarried alike—value singleness as a gift from God so that we can all encourage singles to take hold of the unique opportunities their singleness affords and see their role in the flourishing of the church as a whole.
ABOUT
Sam Allberry is a pastor, apologist, author and speaker. He speaks throughout the world at conferences, has recently transitioned from pastoring in the UK to a church in Nashville, TN, co-hosts a podcast with Ray Ortlund called, You’re Not Crazy: Gospel Sanity for Young Pastors, is a Canon Theologian for the Anglican Church in North America, is a Senior Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, and was named a Fellow at the recently launched Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics.He is the author of a number of books, including Is God Anti-Gay?; What God Has to Say About Our Bodies; Why Does God Care Who I Sleep With?; 7 Myths about Singleness; a commentary on the Book of James; and Why Bother With Church?
Here we go! We’re fascinated by the supernatural. Ghost stories, shows like Stranger Things, super hero movies with villains of cosmic proportions all intrigue us. But when it comes to the spiritual realm that the Bible describes we tend to either ignore that reality completely or have an unhealthy obsession with it. While we need not spend much time thinking about Satan and the demonic (far better to fixate on Jesus than the devil), it is important to have a biblical understanding of Satan, demons, and spiritual warfare. So Matt gets Dr. Gerry Breshears on the line to fill us in.Links referenced in the episode: Live No Lies (John Mark Comer); 3 Crucial Questions About Spiritual Warfare (Clint Arnold); Gerry Breshears resourcesABOUTDr. Gerry Breshears has been Professor of Theology at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon for over 40 years, served on the board and as consultant for the Bible Project, trained and mentored countless Christian leaders, co-wrote Doctrine, Death By Love, and A Gracious Theology (forthcoming) and speaks at conferences such as Exiles in Babylon this March.
In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental illness. By the time Canadians reach 40 years of age, 1 in 2 have – or have had – a mental illness (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2022). What does God and the Bible say about mental illness and how can we make churches places where those who struggle with mental health conditions are welcomed, understood, nurtured, and supported: a foretaste of the new creation. Matt interviews Helen Thorne, Director of Training and Resources at Biblical Counselling UK and co-author of the new book, Mental Health and Your Church.*If you are struggling in your mental health, please reach out to your local church, a loved one, or reach out to Talk Suicide Canada or CASP to speak with someone right away.ABOUTHelen Thorne is Director of Training and Resources at Biblical Counselling UK. She formerly worked with the London City Mission and has written Hope in an Anxious World: 6 Truths For When Things Feel Overwhelming; Purity is Possible: How To Live Free of the Fantasy Trap; Walking with Domestic Abuse Sufferers; and 5 Things to Pray for Your City: Prayers That Change Things For Your Church, Community, and Culture. Mental Health and Your Church: A Handbook for Biblical Care with co-author, Dr. Steve Midgley releases March 1, 2023.
A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This one's on Faith & Politics and is a sermon Matt did at Central Community Church in the summer of 2021, entitled “Shaped By The Gospel: Politics". It serves as a helpful follow up and compliment to episode 72 and is something of "a theology of politics". It is not a partisan pitch but a vision for engaging politics Christianly.
In this episode Matt sits down with former Member of Parliament Chuck Strahl to talk about Faith & Politics. ABOUT Chuck Strahl was elected to the House of Commons in 1993 and was re-elected in 6 consecutive elections before retiring from Parliament. He filled a number of Parliamentary roles while in Opposition from 1993 to 2006, including House Leader and Deputy Speaker. Upon Stephen Harper’s Conservatives winning the election, he served in several senior roles including Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and Minister of Transport and Infrastructure. Chuck is a man of deep conviction and faith, resides in Chilliwack (where Matt lives & Pastor) and is an elder in his church. *Disclaimer: There is no partisan agenda here. While Chuck was a Conservative Party MP, his experience as a politician and man of faith is what makes him the ideal guest for this subject matter.
Matt gets Russ Ramsey on the line to talk about art and faith. What is the role of art in the world? In other words, what’s the point of being creative and why is beauty itself important? Russ’s new book, Rembrandt Is In The Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith, helps us explore all of this while focusing on some of the most famous artists and pieces of art throughout history. Not only does Russ describe the work of Rembrandt, for example, but the faith of Rembrandt as well. Christians, especially in the Protestant (and more specifically, the evangelical tradition) would do well to wrap our minds and hearts around the place of art in life and faith.
ABOUT
Russ is a pastor and author living in Nashville, Tennessee. His books include Struck: One Christian’s Reflections on Encountering Death, and the Retelling the Story Series. His personal mission is to communicate the truths of Scripture in accessible ways to people in process.
Aside from his books, Russ has written for The Rabbit Room, She Reads Truth, The Gospel Coalition, Crossway, The Art House, Lifeway, Parenting Teens, Dec 2015, The Blazing Center, among others.
Follow Russ on Twitter @russramsey or Instagram @russramsey1 to fill your timeline with beautiful works of art, which will be a nice change from what usually clogs our timelines! You can access his weekly Art Wednesday column by going to artwednesday.fathomcolumns.com.
Matt gets Australia’s sweetheart—John Dickson—on the line to talk primarily about his book, Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History. Host of the Undeceptions podcast and professor of ancient history, John does not shy away from the blemishes in Christian history, nor the beauty in it. Matt also asks what we can learn from church history in our modern moment. ABOUT Dr John Dickson works as an author, academic, and media presenter. In 2007 he co-founded (with Dr Greg Clarke) the Centre for Public Christianity, and has published 18 books and three TV documentaries. He teaches ‘Historical Jesus’ at the University of Sydney, and is a Visiting Academic (2016-2021) in the Faculty of Classics at the University of Oxford. In 2019 he was appointed Distinguished Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Public Christianity at Ridley College, Melbourne. In all that he does, whether in the media or the church, creative or academic, he strives to be a public advocate for the Christian faith. His podcast Undeceptions seeks to promote clarity about Christianity in doubting times.
Recent Barna research reveals that 38% of Protestant Pastors (51% of Mainline Pastors) thought about quitting full-time ministry this past year. Tensions over politics, race, and covid have caused enormous divisions in society and have seemed to ramp up the discouragement of pastors in the process. That’s why Jonathan Dodson’s new book—and this conversation—are such a timely word and breath of fresh air. If you are a pastor or want a window into recent challenges in pastoral ministry or simply relate to all the tensions and divisions of the past two years, you’ll love this conversation. ABOUT Jonathan Dodson is the founding pastor of City Life Church in Austin, TX and is also the founder of Gospel-Centered Discipleship, which produces resources to help make, mature, and multiply disciples of Jesus. He is author of a number of books including Here in Spirit; The Unbelievable Gospel; and the brand new book that is the focus of this episode, The Unwavering Pastor. Just about any week you can catch Jonathan listening to M. Ward, watching sci-fi, and going for walks.
A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on Christianity and the ‘isms — you know — like universalism, polytheism, and deism. This episode focuses on comparing and contrasting Christianity with materialism, secularism, individualism, and pluralism.
A Deep Thought is a “concise” episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on Israelite Conquest of Canaan. More specifically, Matt aims to help our listeners to make sense of the passages of Scripture where God instructs the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites dwelling in the land. You know, some light summer listening.
In this episode Matt chats with Heather Thompson Day, a passionate advocate for women and young adults. She believes her calling is to stand in the gaps of our churches for young people. This conversation was a ton of fun and really insightful. If you’re a young adult I hope you feel seen and loved in this episode and if you’re desiring to make an impact in young peoples’ lives, you’ll find this episode super helpful. ABOUT Dr. Heather Thompson Day is an Associate Professor of Communication at Andrews University. She runs an online community called I’m That Wife which has over 200k followers. She is also a speaker and has been a contributor for Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Newsweek and the Barna Group, and hosts a podcast with Christianity Today called Viral Jesus. Her writing has been featured on outlets like the Today Show and has been interviewed by BBC Radio Live and been featured in Forbes. She believes her calling is to stand in the gaps of our churches for young people and is the author of 7 books; including two that we get into a bit in this episode: It’s Not Your Turn, and Confessions of a Christian Wife.
Matt answers listener submitted questions on all sorts of topics: 1. Can Christians play the lottery? 2. Has the Church been built or is it being built? 3. How do we know what God’s will is when making decisions? 4. How can Christians help fellow believers turn from sin to truth? 5. How can I trust God’s plan for me and live in the waiting of singleness? 6. What are we to make of “weird takes” people have regarding Covid and the Ukraine/Russia war? 7. What should Christians think about the prospect of Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court? 8. What is the best way to study the end times? Keep your eye out on the Deep Thoughts instagram for future opportunities to submit a question. In the meantime, thank you for listening to deep thoughts. We hope it helps you in fostering deep faith.
Whether he likes it or not, Mark Vroegop has become known as “The Lament Guy.” Matt chats with Mark primarily about the place of prayers of lament in the Christian life and how utilizing this biblical prayer language is a gracious gift. Mark is the author of “Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy” and “Weep With Me.” ABOUT Mark Vroegop is the Lead Pastor of College Park Church in Indianapolis and is the author of two books: "Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament" — which won the Christian Book of the Year award in 2020 — and "Weep With Me: How Lament Opens A Door For Racial Reconciliation”. Plus, Mark just released the “Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy Devotional Journal.”
Matt chats with tweed aficionado and Oklahoma’s finest, O. Alan Noble about his two books, Disruptive Witness and You Are Not Your Own. How can we be a disruptive witness to a distracted, secular culture? In a society that tells us that you are your own and belong to your self, how is the Christian paradigm that you are not your own but belong to Christ actually incredibly freeing and comforting? ABOUT Dr. O. Alan Noble is assistant professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University and cofounder of Christ and Pop Culture. He has written for The Atlantic, Vox, BuzzFeed, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, and First Things. He is also an advisor for the AND Campaign. Plus, the simple pleasure of dressing nicely gives him sense of order in a disordered world.
Dr. Raphael Samuel’s story begins with his upbringing during Apartheid in South Africa. For his day job he works as an anesthesiologist but he’s also passionate about explaining the coherence of the Christian faith and does itinerant work as an Apologetics Canada speaker. In this episode Matt and Raphael get into Christianity’s scientific, moral, logical, and historical coherence. ABOUT Raphael Samuel is a Christian speaker, apologist and anesthesiologist. Born in Durban, South Africa, he obtained his medical degree and a Master’s degree in Medicine there. He further obtained Fellowships in Anesthesiology from the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He is currently completing his Master’s degree in Christian Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, Southern California. Having lived, worked and ministered in three different countries on three respective continents, he testifies to the transformative power of, and universal need for the Gospel of Jesus. By presenting evidence for the moral, logical, historical, and scientific coherence of the Christian worldview, he aims to help the fellow believer to love the Lord God with all his mind (Mk 12:30), as well as address barriers to belief faced by the skeptic.
Everybody dies and everybody loses people they love dearly. How does the gospel affect and inform the way we grieve as Christians?
Matt sits down with two members of Central Community Church for a roundtable conversation about the intersection of reading, writing, and the Christian faith. Sheri and Cecily both happen to be book-writing, home-schooling moms. ABOUT Sheri Hiebert co-wrote THINKING?: Answering Life’s Five Biggest Questions and RECLAIMED: How Jesus Restores Our Humanity In A Dehumanized World with Andy Steiger. Sheri is a freelance writer and homeschooling mother of three. Cecily Dickey wrote RAISING GIRLS: Devotional for Mom: 60 Days of Uplifting, Faith-Filled Wisdom. She is a wife and mom, worship leader, writer, and cohost of The Boom Clap Podcast.
It’s a new year and we already need a fresh dose of hope! So Matt called up some pastor and ministry leader friends and asked them two questions: "What’s a word of caution you would give the church for 2022?" and "What’s an opportunity before the church in 2022?”. Guests: Chris Ross, Family Pastor, Central Community Church (1:07-mark) | Shaila Visser, National Director, Alpha Canada (15:40-mark) | Jeff Bucknam, Lead Teaching Pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel (24:45-mark) | Brett Landry, Senior Pastor, Christ City Church South Vancouver (34:40-mark).
A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on Christmas.
In this episode Matt interviews Jared C. Wilson, who has been a pastor and church planter and now trains them at Midwestern Seminary. He’s also authored over 20 books including The Imperfect Disciple; Your Jesus Is Too Safe; and his personal favourite, Gospel Deeps. They focus primarily on a couple of his latest books, The Gospel-Driven Church and Gospel-Driven Ministry but before getting there they talk about topics ranging from doppelgängers to depression; from book publishers to feeling “called"; from leading with a limp to what being “Gospel-Driven” actually means.
ABOUT
Jared Wilson is a former pastor and church planter whose now one of those guys with like 6 jobs. He serves at Midwestern Seminary as Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Author in Residence. He’s the General Editor of For The Church (and host of the FTC Podcast — they produce a ton of great resources for those in ministry). He’s the Director of The Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, MO. He also co-hosts The Art of Pastoring Podcast published by Christianity Today.
Matt gets Australian-born, NYC pastor and author Jon Tyson on the line to talk about a proven plan to raise sons of integrity, faith and consequence from his latest book, The Intentional Father. They also talk about what Jon refers to as the three key pillars of discipleship: Tangible Presence, Counter-Formation, and Sacrificial Mission; The three modes of communication (prophetic, pastoral, persuasion) and how the art of persuasion is the need of the hour; The difference between cultural apologetics and traditional apologetics; and how 2020-2021 has been America’s first truly secular crisis. ABOUT Jon Tyson is lead pastor and church planter of Church of the City New York in Manhattan, NYC. Originally from Adelaide, Australia, Jon moved to the United States over two decades ago with a passion to seek and cultivate renewal in the Western Church. He is the author of Beautiful Resistance; A Creative Minority; The Burden is Light and his latest, The Intentional Father.
In this brief episode Matt explains how Christian marriage serves as a picture of the gospel.
The release of this episode coincides with National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Canada’s new statutory holiday on September 30. Matt sat down for interviews with Chief Andrew Victor and John Johnstone about their stories of faith, the 60’s Scoop, Residential Schools, the Indian Act, and how Christians and churches can be a part of meaningful truth and reconciliation. Andrew Victor has been on council at Cheam First Nation for the past six years and Chief for the past two. He is also a pastor of Chilliwack Native Pentecostal Church. John Johnstone serves as Ambassador to First Peoples in Western Canada for Multiply. RESOURCES TRC: Calls to Action 215: Brian Doerksen The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America (T. King) Indian Horse (a movie that follows the life of Native Canadian Saul Indian Horse as he survives residential school & life amongst the racism of the 70s) We Were Children (a 2012 Canadian documentary film about experiences of First Nations children in the Indian residential school system) 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality; Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips & Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality (B. Joseph) Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (J. McDiarmid) One Church Many Tribes: Following Jesus the Way God Made You; Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys: A Native American Expression of the Jesus Way (R. Twiss) The Indian Residential School Survivors Society’s crisis line is available 24 hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress. 1-800-721-0066
A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on making sense of Old Testament Law. What do we do with all the Old Testament Laws? Isn’t it picking and choosing and inconsistent to continue to keep some to this day and then seemingly ignore others altogether? In this brief episode Matt describes the place of the Old Testament Law in the Christian life and supplies helpful rules for interpreting Old Testament Law.
Jorge Salazar spent 10 years planting a Church in Baja, Mexico, while training indigenous pastors and leaders throughout Latin America. He is now the Director for WorldServe Bible College which trains pastors in difficult access areas and persecuted countries of the world. This episode is about training pastors in hard places. ABOUT Jorge Salazar has his doctorate degree in Systematic Theology and is the Director for WorldServe Bible College which trains pastors and leaders of the church in difficult access areas and persecuted countries of the world. To support Jorge in his work training pastors in hard places go to worldserve.ca His wife Aimee is a Biblical Counselor, together they have three adult sons, and great accents.
In this episode Matt has a conversation with Rich Villodas, the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fellowship in Queens. Rich gives Matt a lesson on all things New York, from sports teams to boroughs, where to get the best food, and how no one goes to Staten Island. Then they get into the subject matter of Rich’s CT Award-winning book, The Deeply Formed Life, on five transformative values to root us in the way of Jesus. ABOUT Rich Villodas is the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fellowship a large multiracial church with more than seventy-five countries represented in Elmhurst, Queens. Rich holds a Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary He enjoys reading widely, preaching and writing on contemplative spirituality, justice-related matters, and the art of preaching. He's been married to Rosie since 2006 and they have two beautiful children, Karis and Nathan. His first book, The Deeply Formed Life is now available wherever books are sold.
What better way to celebrate our 50th episode than to get the show’s very first contributor on for an opening segment: Emily Shantz. Matt and Emily talk about their favourite episodes and moments so far; Play a 'getting to know you' game they entitled “Seasons of Life”; Revisit some of Emily’s least-favourite Christian jargon: “Doing Life”, “Coming Alongside”, “Brother" and her latest, “Seasons”. Plus Matt gives Emily’s mom a call to get her honest opinion of the podcast in a new recurring segment every 50 episodes called “Lizzy’s 2 Cents”…and frankly it was more filtered than he expected. The half-century mark episode ends with Matt answering the following questions submitted by listeners of the show:
Is a hotdog a sandwich? With marijuana legalized in Canada, can Christians use CBD oils without THC? Would you counsel a couple in an unhealthy relationship to stay married? My friend lost her husband and has felt the most insensitive comments have come from Christians. What is biblical, nitty gritty, messy and God-honouring grief? How should I approach conversing and living with family and friends from different religions and atheism? If God is only God while being Trinitarian, then when the Father rejected Jesus, did God exist?
No deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this episode of the podcast because no deep thinking happened in this episode Special thanks to Jordan Esau for sound editing episodes 1-45 and Andy Boldt for episodes 45-50.
A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on sharing Jesus with others.
Matt chats with journalist Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra about the state of the news media today and how Christians can be informed, discerning, and full of hope in an anxious age. In Gospelbound, her book with co-author Collin Hansen, Sarah reveals what authentic gospel living looks like in a culture of anxiety and fear through powerful, hope-stirring stories of believers transforming the world for Jesus. Plus, for all my Dutch listeners this episode of Deep Thoughts is 50% more Dutch than usual. You're welcome. ABOUT Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra is a senior writer for The Gospel Coalition where she oversees coverage of faith and work. She earned a BA in English and Communication from Dordt University and an Master of Science in Journalism from Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Before working at TGC, she reported news for Christianity Today for more than a decade. Unfortunately, she doesn’t appear to be directly related to any Zylstras living in the Fraser Valley but we like her anyway.
A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on faith and work.
Rachel Gilson is a writer, speaker, and campus minister. Her book, Born Again This Way, is described as offering no glib before-and-after narrative, but is a practical guide for sinners—same-sex attracted and otherwise—who dare to believe that Jesus is the best lover. Rachel’s book (and this interview) get into her story of coming out, coming to faith, and what comes next. ABOUT Rachel Gilson currently live in the Boston metro area and works for Cru on the leadership team for theological development and culture. She holds a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is the author of Born Again This Way: Coming Out, Coming to Faith, and What Comes Next. Her writing has featured in Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and Desiring God, among other places. Rachel loves Greek, Hebrew, theology, literature, and the transforming work of the Spirit in her messy life. She started following Jesus during her freshman year at Yale College after splitting up with her high school girlfriend. She has been married to Andrew for twelve years and they have a daughter.
In this episode Matt chats with Tim Muehlhoff & Richard Langer about their latest book together, Winsome Conviction, which is all about developing the art of loving people in the church with whom we disagree. They also wrote a book called Winsome Persuasion about how Christians should engage the broader culture in a way that is persuasive, civil, and challenges the cultural assumptions of our day but with love and respect. Where my conversation with Gavin Ortlund (episode 42) is about ranking doctrines in order to recognize what should and shouldn’t divide us, my conversation with Tim & Rick is about how we should respond when our convictions on just about anything differ with fellow believers. We desperately need both frameworks in the church today. ABOUT Tim Muehlhoff (PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is a professor of communication at Biola University and is the author of I Beg to Differ and coauthor of Authentic Communication: Christian Speech Engaging Culture. Richard Langer (PhD, University of California, Riverside) is professor of biblical and theological studies at Talbot School of Theology and director of the Office for the Integration of Faith and Learning at Biola University. Together they run The Winsome Conviction Project launched from a heartfelt concern for the toxic, polarized and simply unloving communication climate that is permeating our nation and penetrating the body of Christ. They believe that followers of Christ are obliged to communicate with others in loving ways that preserve human dignity, even as we engage in honest and passionate disagreement. They hope to foster conversations within the church and the broader culture that deepen relationships and enrich lives rather than tear us apart.
Is there a way to walk faithfully through doubt and come out the other side with a deeper love for Jesus, the church, and its tradition? Can we question our faith without losing it? Matt chats with AJ about his new book, After Doubt: How To Question Your Faith Without Losing It.
ABOUT
A. J. Swoboda (PhD, University of Birmingham) is assistant professor of Bible, theology, and world Christianity at Bushnell University in Eugene, Oregon, and leads a Doctor of Ministry cohort on the Holy Spirit and leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including Subversive Sabbath, winner of a Christianity Today Book Award (Spiritual Formation) and an Award of Merit for CT's Beautiful Orthodoxy Book of the Year.
Swoboda served for ten years as the lead pastor at Theophilus Church in urban Portland. It’s in the contexts of being a college pastor, a church planter in Portland, and a professor that he has had a front row seat to watch doubt and deconstruction play themselves out over and over again, giving him the opportunity to learn a lot about it. He considers After Doubt a manifesto of 22 years of his life.
His career really took off when he grew a beard and got the right glasses.
This special bonus episode of the podcast is a talk Matt was asked to give for a Youth YouTube night on the topic of Racism & The Great Commission. While the talk is specifically geared toward Grades 6-12’s, we think it is worthwhile hearing Matt address racism from a theological perspective — how Christians should view human beings, nations, and ethnicities in light of what the Bible has to say about it.
Matt chats with Gavin Ortlund about his book, Finding The Right Hills to Die On. “In theology, just as in battle, some hills are worth dying on and others are not. But how do we know which ones? When should doctrine divide, and when should unity prevail?”
Matt also asks Gavin if there’s any friendly competition in the family of authors. Plus, he tries to get to the bottom of what was in the water at the Ortlund household to raise not just a family full of wonderful theologians, but great, godly people. So they talk about parenting to start things off in the interview, before settling into figuring out which hills to die on.
ABOUT:
Gavin Ortlund
Gavin Ortlund is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai in Ojai, California and the author of books including Theological Retrieval For Evangelicals Why We Need Our Past to Have a Future; Finding The Right Hills To Die On: The Case for Theological Triage — the primary subject of our episode; and his latest book: Why God Makes Sense In A World That Doesn’t: The Beauty of Christian Theism. He blogs at Soliloquium.
A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on how to study the Bible.
Matt and Matt talk about heart postures for Bible-reading before delving into a discussion about Deacons. They also talk about Mark Dever’s internship program and his office (which are both the stuff of legends) and a bonus conversation at the end on what it’s been like being a part of The Gospel Coalition in such polarizing times.
*Warning: Deep thoughts not guaranteed.
ABOUT:
Matt Smethurst
Matt is the author of books including Before You Open Your Bibleand Deacons(which is in the fantastic 9Marks Building Healthy Churches series), is the managing editor of The Gospel Coalition, and served as an elder at Third Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. But he just recently announced a big life change: He will be planting a church in Richmond, Virginia in the coming months.
Matt chats with Martin Smith about his songwriting career, worship leading, the early days of Delirious?, and what he thinks is lost when the church doesn’t gather for corporate worship for a year, before finishing things off with some fun rapid-fire questions.
*Warning: Deep thoughts not guaranteed.
*Special thanks to Integrity Music and Capitol CMG Publishing for permission to use the songs in the episode.
ABOUT:
Martin Smith
Martin Smith was the frontman of a band called Delirious? from 1997 until their final show together in 2009. A number of their songs reached the Top 20 on the UK Singles Chart. Many of their songs are quintessential worship songs in the church. Check out their music on Apple Music or Spotify and check out Martin’s solo music on Apple Music or Spotify.
During the pandemic, Martin found himself remotely leading worship for some churches and that turned into GloWorksTVwhere he and some of his worship leader friends lead worship from home that churches can use for their online services all over the world.
A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is about the claim on which Christianity rises or falls: The resurrection of Jesus. And why—if Jesus did in fact rise—it changes EVERYTHING.
Join Matt and J.T. English for a conversation about deep discipleship in the local church. J.T. skillfully helps us diagnose and treat our discipleship disease. This episode is a must-listen for anyone thinking about discipleship in the local church context and anyone longing to grow in your discipleship to Jesus. Matt also attempts to convince J.T. that people call Colorado "the poor man’s British Columbia” but he’s not buying it.
*Warning: Deep thoughts not guaranteed.
ABOUT:
J. T. English
You might recognize the voice of my guest from the Knowing Faith podcast he co-hosts with Jen Wilkin & Kyle Worley. He was on staff at The Village Churchin Flower Mound, Texas and started The Village Church Institutewhere he prioritized making the Bible and theology accessible to everyone through transformative learning environments within the church. He now serves as the Lead Pastor of Storyline Fellowship in Arvada, Colorado and is the author of the new book, Deep Discipleship — which is all about forming deep disciples in the local church.
Thaddeus Williams is convinced that social justice is one of the most epic and age-defining controversies facing the 21st-century church. In this episode Thaddeus chats with Matt about his new book, Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth, bringing biblical faithfulness and timely clarity to issues such as racism, Black Lives Matter, Intersectionality, and Critical Race Theory. By distinguishing 'Social Justice A' (biblically required and socially necessary) from 'Social Justice B' (our culture’s present definition), Thaddeus shows us that while Social Justice B contains some truth, it represents a completely different worldview. This may be the most important episode you listen to this year.
*Warning: Deep thoughts not guaranteed.
ABOUT:
THADDEUS WILLIAMS
Thaddeus Williams loves enlarging students’ understanding and enjoyment of Jesus at Biola University in La Mirada, CA, where he serves as assistant professor of Systematic Theology for Talbot School of Theology. He has also taught Philosophy and Literature at Saddleback College, Jurisprudence at Trinity Law School, and as a lecturer in Worldview Studies at L’Abri Fellowships in Switzerland and Holland, and Ethics for Blackstone Legal Fellowship the Federalist Society in Washington D.C. His latest book, Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth is the subject of this episode.
A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on the three universal problems that we can’t solve, but Jesus can.
In an episode about Harry Potter as much as anything else, Matt chats with Rebecca McLaughlin about her 2020 Book of the Year, Confronting Christianity and forthcoming, 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (And Answer) About Christianity. In the interview Rebecca responds to some tough questions including:
“Why is Christianity accused of being anti-intellectual?”; “Doesn’t Christianity denigrate women?”; “Isn’t Christianity homophobic?”; “How should we understand transgender identities?”
*Warning: Deep thoughts not guaranteed.
ABOUT:
REBECCA MCLAUGHLIN
Rebecca holds a Ph.D. from Cambridge University and a theology degree from Oak Hill College in London. She spent 9 years as VP of Content with The Veritas Forum where she had the privilege of identifying and equipping Christian professors to speak about their faith in relation to their work. She co-founded Vocable Communications in 2017, which is a speech-focused, data-driven communications firm dedicated to helping leaders deliver messages that change minds.
Follow ups to her Christianity Today Book of the Year, Confronting Christianityare 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (And Answer) About Christianity(March 16, 2021) and The Secular Creed: Engaging 5 Contemporary Claims (Spring).
A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on the inclusive exclusivity of Jesus.
Matt sits down with Dave Currie to talk about porn and the damaging effect it has on our brains, souls, and relationships. They also talk about how the gospel provides forgiving grace (to wash us clean) and empowering grace (to fight sin), and provide a roadmap for recovery. Matt also recounts an embarrassing story that Dave had the pleasure of witnessing. The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts so listeners can explore aspects of the Christian faith a little more deeply. *Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast. ABOUT: DAVE CURRIE Dave has been an international speaker on the topic of marriage and family for 28 years and is the founder and president of Doing Family Right, which seeks to help people maximize their most important relationships — marriage, family, and God. DFR’s ministry includes live seminars, resources on their website, a counseling centre, and recovery groups. Previously, he produced and hosted a TV series called Marriage Uncensored, was the president of FamilyLife Canada, served in pastoral ministry and Bible School faculty.
Matt sits down with Andy Crouch for a sprawling conversation on everything from Jeopardy to Lecrae, cyborgs to culture-making, and how to approach the easy-everywhere nature of technology with wisdom and faithfulness.
The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts so listeners can explore aspects of the Christian faith a little more deeply.
*Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
ABOUT:
ANDY CROUCH
Andy is an author, speaker, and musician whose work focuses on culture, creativity, and the gospel. He is the author of several books including Culture Making, Playing Godand the primary focus of our conversation today, The Tech-Wise Familyand My Tech-Wise Life, the latter of which he co-authored with his daughter Amy.
Just to add even more cred, his work has been featured in Time, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and best of all Lecrae’s single “Non-Fiction.” He’s a full-time partner in theology and culture with Praxis and lives with his family in Pennsylvania. It turns out he was mentored by a Canadian couple when he was a young adult. So, Andy, as Canadians we are happy to take credit for all your success and most wonderful attributes.
While Christians are undeniably generous and compassionate, more than relief projects, “missions tourism”, and individual evangelism are required in order to carry out the work of Jesus in bringing good news to the poor. Matt’s guest, Barry Slauenwhite, explains how it requires strategic compassion. At the end of the episode, we share some ways that you can shine the light of Jesus on some of the poorest children and families this Christmas through Gifts of Compassion. Season 4 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts so listeners can explore aspects of the Christian faith a little more deeply. *Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…yet. ABOUT: BARRY SLAUENWHITE Barry served as the President & CEO of Compassion Canada for 26 years and now serves as President Emeritus. His book, Strategic Compassion, unpacks a theology of poverty and how the gospel is the means and answer to alleviating poverty around the globe. It requires more than mere relief projects or our evangelism individually. It will require us to be strategic in our compassion, focusing on the full depth and breadth of Jesus’ good news for the poor. Check out Child Sponsorship and Gifts of Compassion.
Matt sits down with Pat Sczebel for a conversation on liturgy, exploring the structure and goals of our worship gatherings. We also talk about the fact that liturgy plays a huge role in all of us individually and corporately whether we recognize it or not. This episode was not brought to you by IKEA.
Season 4 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts so listeners can explore aspects of the Christian faith more deeply.
*Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…yet.
ABOUT:
PAT SCZEBEL
Pat has pastored, led worship, and written songs for the past 30 years. He's been married to his best friend for 33 years and has 8 children and 3 grandbabies. He is most passionate about Jesus, his church, good food, and good coffee.
Pat’s songs have been featured on Sovereign Grace albums and C2C Music’s Revive Us Again. He also co-hosts the Worship God podcast for TGC Canada.
Pat and Norm Funk are in the process of replanting Culloden MB Church as Midtown Church in Vancouver in January 2021.
Is progressive Christianity just that? Christianity progressing? Or has it progressed into something else entirely, and a whole other gospel? And what legitimate critiques of evangelicalism is progressivism responding to that we would be wise to listen to and engage with? I talk about all this and more with my guest, ZOEGirl’s own, Alisa Childers. Season 4 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts so listeners can explore aspects of the Christian faith a little more deeply. *Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…yet.
ABOUT: ALISA CHILDERS From singer in the Christian teen pop group, ZOEGirl (think the Spice Girls but less spicy) to the author of one of the bestselling apologetics books of the year, Alisa’s path has been less than conventional. As a lifelong church-goer and follower of Jesus, Alisa experienced a period of profound doubt about her faith in her mid-thirties. She didn’t know where to find answers to her questions, or if answers existed at all. In her book, Another Gospel?: A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity, she invites you into her journey from unreasoned doubt into vibrant, intellectually informed faith. Whether you are exploring faith in Jesus, have big doubts about Christianity, or wanting to become better at articulating your faith, this book will be a lifeboat for you as you tackle tough questions together.
Matt lies on the proverbial counseling couch while Jason walks us through the turbulent waters many are feeling during the pandemic with the gospel-centred approach to counseling that he utilizes. Season 4 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts so listeners can explore aspects of the Christian faith a little more deeply. *Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…yet. ABOUT: JASON KOVACS Jason has been serving individuals, leaders, families, churches and non-profit organizations in the areas of pastoral care, counseling, and orphan advocacy for over 20 years. Prior to starting Gospel Care Collective, Jason served as the Pastor of Counseling at the Austin Stone Community Church where he founded and directed The Austin Stone Counseling Center. Jason’s areas of interest include marriage, adoption-related issues, parenting, depression, anger, anxiety, addiction, stress, and work-related struggles. Jason received his Masters of Arts with a focus on Biblical Counseling, utilizes a gospel-centred, clinically-informed approach, and has received specialized training in working with foster/adopt families and trauma through TBRI® and is a member and Certified Biblical Counselor with the Association of Biblical Counselors. He serves on the Council of the Biblical Counseling Coalition and the Board of the Canadian Biblical Counseling Coalition. He founded and currently serves as the Executive Director of Redemption Counseling Centers in British Columbia, Canada. Jason’s greatest passion is to see clients and churches experience the reality of the overcoming grace of God in their lives.
Matt calls Brett McCracken in L.A. to congratulate him on the Dodgers & Laker's championships and has a conversation about his new book, The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul In A Post-Truth World. They also chat about good and bad Christian art and Brett provides some music and film recommendations. Season 4 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts so listeners can explore aspects of the Christian faith a little more deeply. *Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…yet.
ABOUT: BRETT MCCRACKEN Brett’s latest book, The Wisdom Pyramid comes out February 2021. He also authored, Uncomfortable; Gray Matters; Hipster Christianity; and is a senior editor for The Gospel Coalition. He regularly reviews music and movies and makes recommendations. Here’s Songs to Help Kids Love God: 14 Artists to Know; Quality Christian Music: 15 Artists to Watch; The 15 Best Films About Faith from the 2010s; and 30 Edifying Things to Watch When Stuck at Home — which he curated early on in the pandemic. Brett and his wife, Kira, live in Santa Ana, California, with their two sons. They belong to Southlands Church, where Brett serves as an elder. You can follow him on Twitter. In the episode, Brett recommended Jon Guerra’s new album, Keeper of Days. Matt’s been listening to it non-stop since and now they both highly recommend it.
Matt sits down with Norm Funk for a conversation that’s not about horticulture per se, but about planting and replanting churches. Norm planted Westside Church and is a replanter of the soon-to-be Midtown Church in Vancouver. Season 4 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts so listeners can explore aspects of the Christian faith a little more deeply. *Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…yet.
ABOUT: NORM FUNK Norm planted Westside Church in Vancouver 15 years ago and is on the verge of replanting Culloden Church as Midtown Church. Norm’s ministry is marked by his unwavering desire to make Jesus known. During his time at Westside, he trained and released church planters who started churches in other parts of the city and its outskirts. In certain circles, we refer to Norm as the godfather of church planting and the church plant whisperer. Matt made that last one up but would like to see it take off.
In this bonus episode, Matt responds to a request on the Deep Thoughts Instagram page for an episode on when it’s okay to disobey the government.
*Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…that we’re aware of.
Season 3 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast informs the listener on many issues of faith and life today by engaging some deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts.
ABOUT:
In order to answer the question of when it’s okay to disobey the government, Matt interacts with a case study of John MacArthur and Grace Community Church’s decision to defy the state order in California banning indoor worship services and fellow California Pastor Gavin Ortlund’s response, entitled, Should Churches in California Defy Government Restrictions? A Response to John MacArthur. Matt has a ton of respect for both Gavin Ortlund and John MacArthur.
In the season finale, Matt gets Graham Watt on the line to talk about faith deconstruction & reconstruction.
*Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…that we’re aware of.
Season 3 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast informs the listener on many issues of faith and life today by engaging some deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts.
ABOUT:
GRAHAM WATT
My guest this week is Graham Watt. Graham received his Doctorate in Leadership and is the National Director of Creative Communications at Power 2 Change (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ) & co-hosts the Dear Student podcast with his daughter Hannah.
Our conversation centres around the trend of deconstruction as it pertains to deconstructing one’s faith. We will also look at the often neglected side of faith deconstruction, faith reconstruction. For more, read Graham’s article, Deconstruction and reconstruction with Justine Bieber, Rhett and Link.
For more on the concepts of the Transcendent Frame and Immanent Frame we talked about, read How (Not) To Be Secular by James K.A. Smith.
Matt gets Aimee Byrd on the line to talk about her new book, ‘Recovering From Biblical Manhood & Womanhood’. We discuss some ‘fences' that have been built in the church that are extra-biblical and at worst harm women and at best hinder their flourishing in the faith and church. Aimee’s book seeks to serve as a corrective and help the church rediscover her purpose.
*Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…that we’re aware of.
Season 3 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast informs the listener on many issues of faith and life today by engaging some deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts.
ABOUT:
AIMEE BYRD
What a gift Aimee is to us as a woman committed to the church, a wise theologian, and a clarion voice for biblical faithfulness in discipleship. You can follow her on Twitter — as she says in her Twitter bio, ‘Dogs gotta bark, Byrd’s gotta Tweet’ — read her articles on aimeebyrd.com, listen to her alongside Carl Trueman and Todd Pruitt on the Mortification of Spin podcast, and read her books, including her latest, Recovering From Biblical Manhood & Womanhood.
Matt sits down with Marie Baars for a candid conversation about infertility, adoption, foster care, and faith. We also uncover why her voice sounds like Jill’s.
*Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…that we’re aware of.
Season 3 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast informs the listener on many issues of faith and life today by engaging some deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts.
ABOUT:
MARIE BAARS
Marie is married to Gary and they are a part of Central Community Church where Matt serves as Pastor. They have two adopted children, Noah and Hannah, and have fostered 6 children (currently 3) — that is a busy house! Marie’s journey through infertility and on to adoption and foster care involved a lot of grief, hardship and faith struggle and yet she has seen God’s hand of kindness and calling through it. These are the subject matter of our conversation.
Here is some reading she highly recommends: Reframing Foster Care: Filtering Your Foster Parenting Journey Through The Lens of the Gospel and The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family.
Matt sits down with Jason Kovacs, co-founder of Together for Adoption and board member of ABBA Canada, to talk about foster care and adoption.
*Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…that we’re aware of.
Season 3 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast informs the listener on many issues of faith and life today by engaging some deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts.
ABOUT:
JASON KOVACS
Jason has been serving individuals, leaders, families, churches and non-profit organizations in the areas of pastoral care, counseling, and orphan advocacy for over 20 years. He helped plant a church, started a non-profit, and served as the Pastor of Counseling at the Austin Stone Church in Austin, Tx where he founded and directed The Austin Stone Counseling Center. In 2018 Jason and his family moved back to Canada to start the Gospel Care Collective and Redemption Counseling.
He has received specialized training in working with foster/adopt families and trauma, serves on the board of ABBA Canada (provides financial assistance for adoptive families in Canada), and co-founded Together for Adoption. He and his wife Shawnda have been married for 16 years and have 5 children (4 through adoption).
Matt gets Joe Carter on the line to talk about his walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays. 11-year-old Matt wishes that was the case. Instead, Matt talks with another Joe Carter about an article he wrote for The Gospel Coalition entitled, Christians Are Not Immune to Conspiracy Theories.
*Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…that we’re aware of.
Season 3 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast informs the listener on many issues of faith and life today by engaging some deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts.
ABOUT:
JOE CARTER
Joe is an editor for The Gospel Coalition, a communications specialist for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and an adjunct professor of journalism at Patrick Henry College. He also serves as an executive pastor at the McLean Bible Church Arlington campus in Arlington, Virginia. He is the editor of the NIV Lifehacks Bibleand co-author of How to Argue like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from History's Greatest Communicator.
Matt gets Drew Dyck on the line to talk about his recent book, ‘Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible and Brain Science’. It may well be the most exciting conversation you’ve ever heard on the most neglected Fruit of Spirit.
*Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…that we’re aware of.
Season 3 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast informs the listener on many issues of faith and life today by engaging some deep thinkers on some of their deepest of thoughts.
ABOUT:
DREW DYCK
Drew is an acquisitions editor at Moody Publishers and a contributing editor at CTPastors.com. He wrote Generation Ex-Christian: Why Young Adults Are Leaving the Faith and Yawning at Tigers: You Can’t Tame God, So Stop Trying. His latest book is Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible and Brain Science — which will be the subject matter of our conversation today. Follow him on Twitter @drewdyck, you will not be disappointed.
Matt gets Micah Fries on the line to talk about his recent book, ‘Leveling The Church’ about equipping the whole church for ministry. It’s the Chilliwack-Chattanooga conversation you didn’t know you needed.
*Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…that we’re aware of.
Season 3 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast informs the listener on many issues of faith and life today by engaging some deep thinkers on some of their deepest thoughts.
ABOUT:
MICAH FRIES
Micah is the Senior Pastor of Brainerd Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN. Prior to that, he worked at LifeWay Christian Resources. He is the co-author of the new book, Leveling The Church. Supposedly, he is really tall.
Dr. Nancy Pearcey is the author of many books — including one of Matt's favourites — Total Truth. He gets her on the line to talk about her latest book, Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality. She is the definition of a deep thinker who is full of deep thoughts. This is going to be great.
Season 2 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages some deep thinkers on a number of topics that are gripping many of our current cultural conversations.
*Disclaimer: Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
ABOUT:
DR. NANCY PEARCEY
She is the author of many books, including The Soul of Science, Saving Leonardo, Finding Truth, and two ECPA Gold Medallion Award Winners:How Now Shall We Live (coauthored with Chuck Colson) and Total Truth.
She is a professor and scholar in residence at Houston Baptist University. A former agnostic, Pearcey has spoken at universities such as Princeton, Stanford, USC, and Dartmouth — she’s even been to Abbotsford! She was highlighted as one of the 5 top women apologists by Christianity Today and was hailed in The Economist as "America's pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual.” (I wasn’t even nominated in the pre-eminent evangelical Protestant male intellectual category)
and her latest book is the subject of our conversation today, Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality.
Anxiety and depression are more common than ever. It’s more than likely that you or someone you love experiences depression. And yet, the church hasn’t always done a good job of supporting those with depression. In fact, sometimes the church has contributed to the pain, either by ill-timed advice or just plain bad theology. Matt’s guest opens up about his depression and clears up a number of these harmful missteps.
Season 2 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages some deep thinkers on a number of topics that are gripping many of our current cultural conversations.
*Disclaimer: Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast. In fact, some may have found it therapeutic.
ABOUT:
JEFF BUCKNAM
Jeff Bucknam is the Lead Pastor of Northview Community Church, arriving in Abbotsford via New Zealand and born and raised in the great state of Washington. We all think he should have written some books by now but still hold out hope that it’s only a matter of time. (Just watch, he’ll start releasing a book or two a year once he’s in his fifties à la Timothy Keller)
Valentine’s Day doesn’t get much more romantic than this: Matt is sitting down with Emily for a candid conversation about being a pastor’s wife (swoon). Being a pastor’s wife may have the worst 'bad pay-high expectation' ratio out there. Emily gives us a window into the weird and (occasionally) wonderful world of the pastor’s wife life. Season 2 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages some deep thinkers on a number of topics that are gripping many of our current cultural conversations. *Disclaimer: Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
ABOUT: EMILY Emily and Matt have been married for 12 years and they have two sons, a dog, and a great love for the indoors. Her gifts, passions, and studies have led her to work in various child, teen, and parent advocacy roles.
You ever see a self-professing Christian angrily criticize someone on social media who holds a different view? It has become commonplace and it’s just not helpful. How do we get back to our roots? How do we live as a compelling Christian witness with faith so irresistible that the world can’t resist? Matt gets Scott Sauls on the line to talk about this very thing. He’s the pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville and the author of several books, including his latest, Irresistible Faith.
Season 2 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages some deep thinkers on a number of topics that are gripping many of our current cultural conversations.
*Disclaimer: Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast…although Scott Sauls might say otherwise.
ABOUT:
SCOTT SAULS
Scott is pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN and is the author of several books including Jesus Outside the Lines,Befriend,and his most recent, Irresistible Faith.
We are one generation removed from the days of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who helped terminally ill patients end their lives through physician-assisted suicide. Today, euthanasia or ‘Medical Assistance in Dying’ (MAiD) is legal in a handful of western countries, Canada being one of them. So Matt sat down for a conversation with his mom, a long-time palliative care nurse and coordinator, to talk about MAiD — specifically, 4 Issues for Christians to consider when thinking about MAiD. Yes, the dinner conversations at the Shantz household are unique.
Season 2 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages some deep thinkers on a number of topics that are gripping many of our current cultural conversations.
*Disclaimer: Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
ABOUT:
HEATHER SHANTZ
Heather Shantz lives in Calgary, Alberta, is involved in her local church and has enjoyed giving back to the community through participating in programs like ESL and grief support. This time a year ago, she was informed that the breast cancer she had five years prior had metastasized to her lungs, lymph nodes, and bones — which makes this conversation personal and not merely intellectual or theoretical.
There isn’t much that concerns people about the Christian faith as much as hell, judgment, and holy war. So Matt gets Josh Ryan Butler on the line to talk about those very things. He’s the author of The Skeletons in God’s Closet: The Mercy of Hell, the Surprise of Judgement, the Hope of Holy War and pastors at Redemption Church in Tempe, Arizona.
Season 2 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages some deep thinkers on a number of topics that are gripping many of our current cultural conversations.
*Disclaimer: Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
ABOUT:
Joshua Ryan Butler
Joshua Ryan Butler has written two books, The Pursuing God (2016) and The Skeletons in God’s Closet (2014) and is Co-Lead Pastor at Redemption Church in Tempe, Arizona.
Matt gets Dan Strange on the line in London to talk about his great book, ‘Plugged In’ that seeks to help you connect your faith to what you watch, read, and play. His object is to teach Christians how to think and speak about culture in a way that plugs into a bigger and better reality—the story of King Jesus, and his cosmic plan for the world. Plus, Matt tries to find out what kind of dark superpowers Dr. Strange has. Season 2 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages some deep thinkers on a number of topics that are gripping many of our current cultural conversations. *Disclaimer: Incredibly, no deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
ABOUT: DAN STRANGE Daniel Strange is College Director at Oakhill Theological College in London where he lectures on Culture, Religion and Public Theology. Dan is married to Elly and they have seven children. He is an elder at East Finchley Baptist Church and loves jazz music and West Ham football club.
Matt gets Preston Sprinkle on the line for a theological yet highly practical conversation about LGBT+, Jesus, and the Church. The rapid-fire Q&A at the end of the interview alone is worth the price of admission. Season 2 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast engages some deep thinkers on a number of topics that are gripping many of our current cultural conversations. *Disclaimer: We in no way guarantee that this podcast will include deep thoughts. Incredibly, No deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
ABOUT: PRESTON SPRINKLE Preston Sprinkle has a Ph.D. in New Testament and Early Judaism and has been a college professor for a number of years. He's a New York Times bestselling author, who’s written several books including People to Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is not Just an Issue. Preston currently serves as the president of The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender, an organization that’s aimed at helping Christians engage questions about faith, sexuality & gender with theological faithfulness and courageous love. If you have questions related to the LGBTQ conversation, please check out The Center’s website, centerforfaith.com, for lots of great resources. Questions about faith, sexuality & gender are among the most pressing ethical questions facing the church today. This is why I’m so excited to tell you about the Grace/Truth learning experience, the highly acclaimed small group material produced by The Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender. Grace/Truth 1.0 and 2.0 is a 10-week small group learning experience that helps Christians, churches, and community groups to engage the conversation about homosexuality and LGBTQ related questions with theological faithfulness and courageous love. If you’re interested in engaging this conversation with other Christians, then the Grace/Truth learning experience is a perfect place to begin.
Emily takes over as host and they discuss the season that was and the season that’s coming in the new year. Thanks for listening!
*Disclaimer: No deep thoughts included in this episode.
We wrap up Season 1 with an episode about church, acknowledging two things at once: It can be difficult and it is important.
Season 1 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast focuses on a handful of faith doubts common to many.
*Disclaimer: We in no way guarantee that this podcast will include deep thoughts. No deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
We get Dr. Paul Chamberlain on the line to talk about whether or not science refutes too much about God and the Bible. Plus, Emily assesses Matt’s health and fitness.
Season 1 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast focuses on a handful of faith doubts common to many.
*Disclaimer: We in no way guarantee that this podcast will include deep thoughts. Incredibly, No deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
With so much injustice throughout church history, what are we to make of Jesus, Christianity, and the Church? Plus, Matt and Emily work on ending segments properly.
Season 1 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast focuses on a handful of faith doubts common to many.
*Disclaimer: We in no way guarantee that this podcast will include deep thoughts. Incredibly, No deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
With so many religions and myths out there, how do we know Christianity is for real? Isn’t Christianity just another fairytale? For this episode, Matt is joined by Chris Battle. Chris is the Lake Errock Campus Pastor at Central Community Church.
Season 1 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast focuses on a handful of faith doubts common to many.
*Disclaimer: We in no way guarantee that this podcast will include deep thoughts. No deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
Many find Jesus compelling but the hypocrisy of Christians often leads them to not only reject the church, but Jesus too. Plus, Matt and Emily try to think of each other’s greatest hypocritical behavior and find it surprisingly hard.
Season 1 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast focuses on a handful of faith doubts common to many.
*Disclaimer: We in no way guarantee that this podcast will include deep thoughts. No deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
With so much evil and suffering in the world, it can feel like God doesn’t care or doesn’t exist.
Season 1 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast focuses on a handful of doubts common to many.
*Disclaimer: We in no way guarantee that this podcast will include deep thoughts. No deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.
We can feel like no one else has doubts but in reality everybody doubts. So what should we do with our doubts?
Season 1 of The Deep Thoughts Podcast will focus on a handful of doubts common to many.
*Disclaimer: We in no way guarantee that this podcast will include deep thoughts. No deep thinkers were harmed in the making of this podcast.