The Deep Thoughts Podcast with Matt Shantz

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.

Jared C. Wilson, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and accomplished author, shares insights from his journey in ministry and academia. He discusses the importance of vulnerability among pastors, tackling the stigma around mental health. The conversation dives into his books, particularly 'The Gospel-Driven Church,' emphasizing a deep understanding of gospel-centered principles. Wilson also reflects on the complexities of being called to ministry, balancing personal struggles with community expectations, all while sprinkling in anecdotes about sports loyalty.

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.