In this episode I talked with Brian DeVries. Brian is the president of Mukhanyo Theological College in South Africa and adjunct professor of missiology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He has been a part of several church plants and is a pastor at Grace Reformed Church in Pretoria.In our conversation we discussed his new book, You Will Be My Witnesses. In this book, Brian gives a thorough and comprehensive theological breakdown of the mission of the Church. He begins by explaining how we can learn about being witnesses from reading the Old Testament and then helps readers to understand the difference between missions work and being a “witness”. We discussed all of this and much more - I hope you enjoy! Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://optivnetwork.comFollow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

In this episode I give a more in depth argument against Gavin Ortlunds claims about Catholics and Protestants. All of the sources are below. I hope you enjoy! Books Mentioned/Recommendations:Christianity and Liberalism - J. Greham MachenHow Should We Then Live? - Francis SchaefferThe Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self - Carl Trueman Philosophical Definitions:Liberalism: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/liberty-positive-negative/Expressive Individualism: https://www.heritage.org/civil-society/report/how-expressive-individualism-threatens-civil-societyPostmodernism: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/postmodernism/Resolutions for Roman Catholic and Evangelical DialogueDefinitions on Justification:Protestant (Reformed): https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/justification-and-the-protestant-reformation/Imputation: https://wm.wts.edu/read/what-is-imputation#:~:text=So%20what%20does%20imputation%20mean,(another%20important%20theological%20term).Catholic: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08573a.htm Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://optivnetwork.comFollow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

In this episode, I respond to a recent video made by Gavin Ortlund called, “Are Catholics Christians? Why Protestants Can Say YES”. Gavin argues that early Reformation theologians like Martin Luther and John Calvin both believed that Catholics are saved. He also makes a postmodern argument for church unity.In my response, I cover John Calvin’s actual thoughts on whether Catholics can be considered “Christians”. I talk about the problems with elitist “intellectuals” like Gavin Ortlund ripping old theologians out of context to push a postmodern, liberal narrative. I also discuss the dangers of referring to church history and old theologians before referencing the Bible. I give a more detailed breakdown of the Catholic and Protestant doctrines of justification and how they are fundamentally opposed to each other. Finally, I talk about what the Bible has to say about people like Gavin Ortlund who distort doctrine and words for personal gain. I hope you enjoy! Books mentioned:Institutes of the Christian Religion - John CalvinRoman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment - Gregg R. AllisonFaith Alone: The Doctrine of Justification: What the Reformers Taught...and Why It Still Matters (The Five Solas Series) - Thomas SchreinerOther books to read related to this topic:Justification: An Introduction - Thomas Schreiner Scripture Mentioned:Galatians 1: 6-10 (ESV)Romans 1:17 (ESV)1 Timothy 6:3-10 (ESV)2 Timothy 4:1-8 (ESV)James 2:18 (ESV)2 Peter 2:1-22 (ESV) Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://optivnetwork.comFollow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

In this episode, I broke down my top 5 Christian books from 2024. The list is as follows: Shepherds for Sale - Meghan BashamTo Gaze Upon God - Samuel ParkisonMaking Sense of Man - Vern PoythressWe Who Wrestle With God - Jordan PetersonSpurgeon: A Life - Alex DiPrimaHonorable Mentions:The Justice and Goodness of God - Thomas SchreinerCrisis of Confidence - Carl TruemanBiblical Typology - Vern Poythress Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://optivnetwork.comFollow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

In this episode, I got to talk with Dr. Stephen Carlson. Dr. Carlson is the Associate Professor in Biblical and Early Christian Studies at the Australian Catholic University. He is the author of three books including The Gospel Hoax, The Text of Galatians and its History, and Papias of Hierapolis. He is also the author of many peer reviewed journal articles. Dr. Stephen Carlson and I did a podcast episode in April on why we should trust our Bible translations.In this discussion we talked about the Book of Enoch, an ancient text that claims to have been written by Enoch (prior to the flood). We also talked about the Nephilim (in Genesis 6) and fallen angels (in the Book of Enoch) - who they are and how we should interpret the Bible verses that talk about them. We finally talked about how the 66 books in the Bible, and more specifically, the 27 books in the New Testament, were chosen. I hope you enjoy!Subscribe to the newsletter: www.optivnetwork.com Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://optivnetwork.comFollow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

In this episode, I got to talk with Dr. Stephen Hicks. Dr. Hicks is a Professor of Philosophy at Rockford University and a Professor at Peterson Academy. He is the author of several books including, Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault, Nietzsche and the Nazis: A Personal View, and Liberalism: Pro & Con. He is also the host of a podcast called Open College and has taught two courses at Peterson Academy; Modern Philosophy and Postmodern Philosophy.In our discussion, Dr. Hicks and I talked about his two courses at Peterson Academy, he gave an overview of both modern and postmodern philosophy, we talked about the Quakers and their influence on the modern church, and we discussed the decline of postmodernism and what comes after it. I hope you enjoy!Our first episode: https://youtu.be/KSEbaAIo8ks  Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://optivnetwork.comFollow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

In this episode I got to talk with a reporter from WORLD News, Lauren Canterberry. Lauren recently wrote an article on the decline of local news across the country, especially in rural areas. We talked about why media and news communication is changing and how Christians can fill the void in local communities left by news outlets that no longer are reporting. We also discussed what is means to "love your neighbor" and how Christians can do that through knowing what is happening in their towns and cities and doing something to bring to change to the places and people closest to them.This podcast is sponsored by Rocketsled Studios. Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://optivnetwork.comFollow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

In this episode, I sat down with Cris Krusen. Cris is a filmmaker, director, producer, actor, and writer - he is also the owner of Messenger Films. He has created many movies that have been viewed millions of times worldwide. We discussed his conversion to Christianity, his love of movies, and how the next generation of Christian filmmakers can reach the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.This podcast is sponsored by Rocketsled Studios.Learn more about Rocketsled Studios Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://optivnetwork.comFollow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

In this podcast, Greg Silker (Producer) and Andy Schmitt (Producer) discuss the mission and vision of Rocketsled Studios and what it takes to create an animated children's series. They talk about the Tales of the Kingdom animated TV series, how they plan to create it, and how you can be a better storyteller! For more information on Rocketsled Studios: https://www.rocketsledstudios.org For more information on Tales of the Kingdom: https://www.rocketsledstudios.org/tales-of-the-kingdom Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://optivnetwork.comFollow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

In this episode, I got to talk with Leah Savas. Leah is the life beat reporter for WORLD News Group. She reports on laws relating to abortion across the country. She is also the co-author of The Story of Abortion in America: A Street-Level History from 1652-2022.In this podcast we discussed the 2024 election and the ten abortion amendments that were being voted on across the country. We also talked about the future of the pro-life movement in America and how we can unify around one vision for life after Roe being overturned. Finally, we discussed her book, The Story of Abortion in America, and how abortion has been normalized in society and even celebrated. I hope you enjoy. Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://optivnetwork.comFollow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)