Clearer Thinking Podcast: Recent Episodes
Clearer Thinking Podcast
This episode is a recording of the sermon that Pastor Paul Vanden Brink preached on January 28th, 2024 on the topic of the doctrine of election.
If the church wants to minister effectively to a culture deeply confused about issues of sexuality and gender, we must learn to tell a better story about human sexuality than the one most people believe. Christians need to recapture the cosmic vision of human sexuality that the Scriptures reveal.
In the final episode of the Clearer Thinking Podcast for this season, Pastor Paul wraps up his series on relationship repair by trying to answer the question, "What do you do when someone who hurt you refuses to say sorry?"
The Bible says "Forgive one another, just as in Christ God forgave you." Okay. What does that look like, especially when you've been deeply hurt? Pastor Paul explores this very question on this episode of The Clearer Thinking Podcast.
To err is Human, to forgive is Divine. So said Alexander Pope. It's true: human beings are not naturally inclined to forgive. And yet, Jesus says we must. If we don't, we may find ourselves outside his eternal kingdom. In this episode, Pastor Paul explores why it is imperative for Christians to forgive those who sin against them.
Relationships often need repair. But what if we could avoid the quarrels and fights that lead to the need for confession and forgiveness? In today's episode, Pastor Paul considers how we can avoid relationship breakdown by listening to the wisdom of James in James 4:1-3.
In this episode, Pastor Paul continues to think about the practice of confession. How do you say sorry? How should you? Once again, the Bible gives the answer.
"Say sorry." Confession and Repentance are not something we naturally do. We have to learn how to say sorry. But what does true confession look like? In today's episode, Pastor Paul looks at Psalm 32 to distinguish between true and false confession.
Last Sunday, Pastor Paul preached a sermon on relationship repair. We often text questions after the sermon, but he'd never received so many questions about one sermon before. Turns out lots of us have damaged relationships that we wish we could repair. For the next few episodes we're going to construct a theology of Confession and Forgiveness to see how the Gospel gives rich resources for how to handle our toughest relationships.
On this episode, Pastor Paul is interviewed by Ben Joliffe, host of the Canadian Church Planting Podcast. Click here to follow the Canadian Chuch Planting Podcast on Spotify.
He's both popular and influential. Richard Rohr, the Franciscan monk from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is being read by countless progressive Christians and ex-evangelicals. But should we trust the theology of the so-called "Godfather of Deconstruction?" Have a listen and find out.
Some stories in the Old Testament are hard to read, especially those in which God commands the Israelites to "utterly destroy" another people. Understandably, people say “I can’t worship a God who would command his people to go kill all the men, women, and children of another nation.” How do we reconcile a God of love with a God who commands genocide?
Pastor Paul Vanden Brink addresses the most common objections to the historic biblical perspective on human sexuality and addresses some practical issues around engaging with people who think differently on the issue.
Pastor Paul Vanden Brink addresses the most common objections to the historic biblical perspective on human sexuality and addresses some practical issues around engaging with people who think differently on the issue.
"Why does God care who I sleep with?" Interesting question. To find the answer, tune in this week as Pastor Paul unpacks this question and other important questions relating to what God thinks about our sexuality.
This week's episode is a continuation of the series that Pastor Paul has been doing on sexual orientation and how Christians ought to love one another with dignity and respect, but also how to set some solid boundaries. It is so relevant to many of us today and we hope you'll take the time to listen. If this is your first time listening to this series, I encourage you to go back at least a few episodes so you can get the full picture of what's been talked about so far.
Pastor Paul is back for the fall season of The Clearer Thinking Podcast, with a continuation of our theme on homosexuality.
In this episode Pastor Paul discusses the problem with sexual orientation and raises some interesting questions on sexual identity and emerging cultural norms.
In this follow up episode to "Love Thy Body: A Christian Response To The Transgender Debate", Pastor Paul answers some Frequently Asked Questions that you may have. He will cover some practical ways you can engage with those around you, should this topic of conversation come up.
We've spent the last 6 episodes on an in-depth journey into the intellectual roots of the sexual revolution. If you're wondering how you're going to remember all of this, what to do with all this info, or are looking for a simple framework to rely on when you're talking to other people, definitely tune in to today's episode.
New podcast episode this week! How did sex get so political? It's a question many of us have been asking over the last few years. Tune in as Pastor Paul unpacks this hot topic.
On this episode, we continue to trace the history of ideas with an episode on Friedrich Nietzsche, everyone's favourite individualist.
Pastor Paul is continuing with his series on deconstruction. This week, Paul tackles polarization (on literally every level) and the influence of Marxism on public discourse and the culture war.
What is a Christian supposed to do about it? Tune in and find out
In this weeks episode, Pastor Paul talks about three factors that can trigger someone to start to deconstruct their faith: an experience, a life transition or a crisis. If you are struggling with doubt or you've been thinking some thoughts you aren't sure you're "allowed" to think - tune in to this weeks episode. Pastor Paul openly talks about some issues that may make you clutch your pearls, but I promise, no lightning bolt came from down from the sky during the recording of this episode.
Jesus says that we are to build our houses on the solid foundation of the truth of the Gospel. In this day in age, it's very easy to let the sand of cultural nuances and societal norms infiltrate and erode our solid foundations. How do we tell what is the truth or just our own biases and opinions? In this episode, Pastor Paul starts to unpack what deconstruction looks like, why it can be healthy, and what our end goal should be. p.s, The word of the day today: Iatrogenic
We are back for Season 2! This week, Pastor Paul talks about deconstruction, as in a movement in the evangelical Christian church where people start to deconstruct their faith and start questioning and dismantling some of the unquestioned beliefs that they grew up with.
The fact is, people need to know its okay to ask hard questions about their faith. And a certain amount of skepticism is actually good for you. But what are some of the results of this process? And what impact does it have on our culture today? Listen in as Paul unpacks the concept of deconstruction, this week, on the Clearer Thinking Podcast.