The AC Podcast

This week the AC Podcast heads to the classroom for a Christmas Eve special. With Christmas commonly known for its traditions, one can't ignore the folklore and commercialism that comes with it. But what are the kids saying about it and how much do they know? Join Troy and new AC Adjunct Speaker Rachel Mackenzie, as they chat with her grade 3 class from Regent Christian Academy.

On this week's episode, Andy, Troy, Wes and Steve have a conversation about Christmas. The team looks at how their perspectives on this year may differ from the previous. Hope and Expectation are two common themes that come up. Given the times, there is something to be said about the foreshadowing of the promised son to Abraham, and the prophecy fulfilled by the birth of Jesus that calls us to remain hopeful and expectant. Tune into this week's episode as we discuss the true meaning for Christmas and how it pertains to us as believers throughout the year.

It finally happened. A new iteration of the Conversion Therapy Ban bill has now received Royal Assent and become law. This amends the Criminal Code of Canada to criminalize conversation therapy. Those who are charged and convicted can face up to 5 years of jail time. Steve sat down with André Schutten to discuss the implications of this new law.

Throughout history we have seen a consistent pattern of fear being used as a motivator. From warlords and politicians to the advertisement industry. Regardless of the narrative, a culture driven by fear is contrary to God's ultimate design for us. Through right relationship with him we are able to acknowledge boundaries and parameters that are necessary to our flourishing. This fear that we are called to have is one of reverence and adoration for the God of the universe. When he tells us not to fear, he means it. Join Andy, Troy and Wes as they discuss the current cultural climate that is perpetually projecting fear as a motivator.

Every year leading up to Christmas, protestants and catholics celebrate Advent. Historically it has been met with the lighting of candles with each representing a different theme. Hope, Joy, Peace, Love and Christ. However, few if any truly know of its origins. What's to say that it's not just another "pagan" holiday to be done away with? Join Andy, Troy and Wes as they talk about the history and origins of Advent and its significance in todays culture.

At Facebooks latest launch event, Co-Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Meta. According to their website "The metaverse is the next evolution of social connection." Their company’s vision is to "help bring the metaverse to life," so they are changing their name to reflect their "commitment to the future." This leads to the glaring question, what does that mean for real world implications and consequences of an alternate reality? As people who were designed for bodily community, how does the believer navigate the potential future of social interaction? For the first time, join the entire team of Andy, Steve, Troy and Wes as they discuss the METAverse.

On Friday November 5th, Rapper Travis Scott took the stage at his annual festival Astroworld. The festival was put on by Scotts label, "Cactus Jack" in partnership with renowned Live Entertainment company, Live Nation. Due to what many are calling negligence at the highest level, mixed with Travis' historical incitement of unstructured moshing or "raging", the festival scenes lead to the death of 9 guests and over 100 injured. In addition to lives lost, Travis Scott, Live Nation and others are facing numerous lawsuits and potential criminal charges. This tragedy has lead to many questioning whether or not this was preventable or if it was a ticking time bomb. As well as who does the blame fall to in a multi layered laps in organization. Listen to this weeks episode as our hosts Steve Kim and Troy Lydiate discuss the importance of accountability, leadership and integrity in lieu of these traumatic events.

What does investment banking have to do with Jesus? As odd a question as this might seem, how we answer this question has a close connection to our understanding of vocation and ministry. Does Jesus come to work with you? Does he have anything to say about your profession? Join us on this week’s edition of the AC Podcast as Andy sits down for a conversation with Garth Jestley, an accomplished business leader and author of More than Your Business Card.

Everyone knows that the Medieval era was a time of scientific stagnation brought on by the Church deliberately suppressing any knowledge outside of divine revelation. But is this true? Dr. Seb Falk, a historian of science at the University of Cambridge, has recently written a book entitled The Light Ages to address the gap between what scholars know of this period and what an average person on the street thinks of it. Andy and Steve sat down with him across the pond to hear his thoughts on a period that is too often misunderstood.

Most of us don’t think about death all that much, at least until we experience it near us. And yet, when we examine our behaviour, we will find that almost everything we do is driven by our fear of death at some level. How does the gospel change the framework on this? Andy and Steve invited a friend and teacher, Dr. Clay Jones, to discuss his newest book, Immortal: How the Fear of Death Drives Us and What We Can Do About It.