The Ryley Heppner Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with comedian and creator Anthony Russo to talk about his latest release, "The Bible Is Funny: Volume 2" - a card game that finds comedy in the most unexpected corners of Scripture. In our conversation we explore why the Bible is funnier than most people realize, how humor can deepen our engagement with God’s Word, and what it means to do comedy as a Christian.Anthony Russo, the author of the bestselling Bible Is Funny Card Game, is the creator of The Bible Is Funny Instagram and one half of the duo Isaac Improv, which offers clean comedy content. A popular comedy performer, Russo grew up memorizing Scripture—partly to understand God’s Word, but probably more so to earn badges for his Awana vest. He is an ordained minister who served on church staff for nearly two decades. He and his wife, Rachael, live in Seminole, Florida, and have two children.https://www.ryleyheppner.comhttps://apologeticscanada.com/ryley-heppner/

In this episode, I chat with historian Daniel Hummel about his new book, "The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism." We explore the story behind the Left Behind series, the Scofield Bible, rapture theology, literal bible interpretation and dispensationalism's move from fringe to mainstream.Daniel G. Hummel (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison) is the director of the Lumen Center in Madison, WI and a research fellow in the History Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author of The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle Over the End Times Shaped a Nation (Eerdmans, 2023) and Covenant Brothers: Evangelicals, Jews, and U.S.-Israeli Relations (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019).https://www.ryleyheppner.comhttps://apologeticscanada.com/ryley-heppner/

In this episode, I talk with Benjamin MacDonald (Apologetics Canada) about the rise of secularization in the West: what it is, where it came from, and how it’s quietly reshaping not just our culture, but our churches.Ben MacDonald is a theologian, speaker, and educator with a heart for engaging faith and culture. After a brief career in television news, Ben earned his Master of Theology from Acadia Divinity College and completed a PhD in Theological Studies at Wycliffe College, TST. In addition to his work with Apologetics Canada, Ben serves as recruiter and adjunct lecturer at Acadia Divinity College.

In this episode, I sit down with pastor, author and scholar, Paul Hoffman, to talk about his book "AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep" and to explore how artificial intelligence and digital habits are shaping the way pastors lead, churches function, and disciples are formed.Paul A. Hoffman (PhD, University of Manchester) is associate professor in the Department of Biblical and Religious Studies and director of the Preministerial Scholars Program at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He previously served as a senior pastor and is the coauthor of Preaching to a Divided Nation, named an Outreach 2023 Resource of the Year.

What kind of man was the Apostle Paul? In this episode, Frank Thielman joins me to explore Paul’s life, mission, and message. We talk about how Paul’s years in chains shaped his message of grace, why he often concealed the deepest parts of his story, and the surprising misconceptions people still carry about him today.Frank Thielman joined Beeson Divinity School faculty in 1989, and teaches courses in Greek, New Testament Theology and the Pauline letters. His scholarly work concentrates mainly on the apostle Paul. Thielman is the author, among other books, of Paul, Apostle of Grace (Eerdmans, 2025), Romans (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, 2018) and Theology of the New Testament: A Canonical and Synthetic Approach (Zondervan, 2005).https://www.ryleyheppner.comhttps://apologeticscanada.com/ryley-heppner/

In today's episode I chat with Dave Ripper about his new book Experiencing Scripture as a Disciple of Jesus: Reading the Bible like Dallas Willard. Dave unpacks how Dallas Willard’s vision of the “with-God life” can transform the way Christians approach Scripture—not as a textbook to master, but as a living Word to encounter and experience.Dave Ripper is the lead pastor of Crossway Christian Church, a multicongregational church in southern New Hampshire, focused on spiritual formation. He earned a doctor of ministry in spiritual direction from Fuller Theological Seminary and The Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture and Dallas Willard Research Center at Westmont College. He is coauthor of The Fellowship of the Suffering and serves as the chaplain for the Boston Bruins. Dave and his wife, Erin, a mental health therapist, have three children. They make their home in the woodlands of New England near Nashua, New Hampshire.https://www.ryleyheppner.comhttps://apologeticscanada.com/ryley-heppner/

What does it really mean to follow Jesus? And is it possible that it's simpler than we think? When we look at the first disciples—the twelve who left everything to follow Jesus—we see a template for what it means to walk with Him. They weren’t perfect. They stumbled, doubted, and even failed. Yet their lives reveal three core patterns that defined their following.https://www.ryleyheppner.comhttps://apologeticscanada.com/ryley-heppner/

For years I thought reading the entire Bible was too much for me—until I broke it down in the simplest way! You don’t need to be a fast reader or super disciplined—just a little math and a small daily habit can transform your Bible reading.https://www.ryleyheppner.comhttps://apologeticscanada.com/ryley-heppner/

In this conversation, Reed Dunn joins me to talk about his new book "When You Don’t Have the Words: Praying the Psalms." Reed shares how the Psalms give us language for every season of life—joy, sorrow, doubt, and hope—and how they point us to Christ as they shape our prayers.Reed Dunn is the pastor of Redeemer Hudson, New Jersey. He cares deeply about pastoral care and spiritual formation. https://www.ryleyheppner.comhttps://apologeticscanada.com/ryley-heppner/

In this episode, I talk with Robert S. Smith about his new book The Body God Gives: A Biblical Response to Transgender Theory. We explore what transgender theory is, how it became so influential in Western culture, and why the Bible’s vision of the body as “given” rather than self-crafted offers a more hopeful and truthful foundation for identity.Robert Smith is lecturer in theology, ethics & music ministry at Sydney Missionary Bible College in Sydney, Australia, and serves as Ethics and Pastoralia book reviews editor for Themelios. He has written The Body God Gives: A Biblical Response to Transgender Theory (Lexham Press, 2024), The Gender Revolution: A biblical, biological and compassionate response (Co-authored with Patricia Weerakoon and Kamal Weerakoon (Matthias Media 2023), and much more.https://www.ryleyheppner.comhttps://apologeticscanada.com/ryley-heppner/