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Crabapple Christians
When I was growing up, my grandparents had a crab apple tree in their front yard, and every time we went to visit them, my brother and I would see the tree and hope the apples were ready to eat. It was actually quite frustrating for us because we found the readiness of crab…
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How To Pray Better (Carnivore Theology Season 3 Begins!!! – Ep.71)
Why is prayer so difficult sometimes and what are some practical ways to become better at it? Our first episode of Season 3 kicks off with one of the most important topics we could think of: prayer. Podcast Audio: Book Recommendations: The Hour that Changes the World – Dick Eastman The Book of Common Prayer…
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Why Bad Theology Makes Me CRINGE! (Examples of Every Day Heresies)
If you’re on YouTube, then you’ve probably seen the “Try Not To Laugh” challenges where someone puts together a bunch of funny clips and you’re supposed to watch them with a friend and see who laughs first. Well, I was watching some YouTube videos the other day and came across one where the people…
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God’s Plan For Your Life is Revealed Not Discovered (Stop Looking, Start Listening)
If you remember last week, we learned that regardless of what the multitudes of unbelievers in this world think, there really is objective truth and objective morality, and those things were written long, long ago by God Himself. And therefore, despite all of the dramatic changes of opinion which seek to envelop us, and all…
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Christians and “The Wrong Side of History?”
A lot of people are very concerned about being on “the wrong side of history” these days. They’re terribly worried about being “stuck in the past” and spend a lot of time thinking about how they can be assured that they will be remembered by historians as being on the “right side” when it’s…
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What Can We Do and What Must God Do Alone?
We like doing things ourselves, right? I think almost everyone here today takes pride in the skill and abilities they have, what they can accomplish, and how, for the most part, they don’t really need anyone’s help to get by. Sure – as I said last week – some of us are willing to…
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The Simple Truth: Is The Gospel Enough?
Spectacle over Substance Our North American society, including the Christian church, tends to overvalue style, spectacle, and cleverness in not only our educators but also our teachers, preachers and authority figures. What a person may lack in knowledge, character, understanding, wisdom and kindness, they can more than make up for in how they look, their…
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Listener Questions from the Mailbag: Magic Handkerchiefs, Bacon & Guns (Carnivore Theology. Ep 70)
What’s the deal with prayer handkerchiefs? Are there rules for what Christians should eat? Can a Christian carry a gun? Chad returns from his special assignment to help Al and Steve answer some listener questions. Podcast Audio: Behind-The-Scenes: How Can You Help Carnivore Theology? 1. Pray for us! 2. Subscribe and rate us on…
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All About Baptism – What is it and Who’s it for? (Carnivore Theology Ep. 69)
Baptism is important, but there is a lot of confusion about it. What is it? Who is it for? Why are there different types? Where did it come from? What age should one be? Podcast Audio: Behind the Scenes: How Can You Help Carnivore Theology? 1. Pray for us! 2. Subscribe and rate us on…
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We Need Both God and The Church (Paul Comes to Corinth)
Quick Review Last week we started a new series on Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians and I talked about the two principle players involved , that being Paul and the city of Corinth. The two things that I hope you walked away with last week was Paul’s passion for spreading the love of…
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Should I Become a Church Member? (Carnivore Theology Ep. 68)
Church membership is a controversial topic for a lot of people. Let’s talk about the historical, biblical, practical and emotional aspects of becoming a church member. Podcast Audio: Behind the Scenes: How Can You Help Carnivore Theology? 1. Pray for us! 2. Subscribe and rate us on iTunes! (If you don’t have iTunes use…
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Women and the Church (Carnivore Theology Ep. 66)
In this week’s SUPER SIZED episode we talk with blogger Christel Humfrey (Foretaste of Heaven) about common women’s issues in the church, relationships between men and women, and feminism. Podcast Audio: Click Here for the Behind the Scenes Video! How Can You Help Carnivore Theology? 1. Pray for us! 2. Record a question in your…
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What About the Jews? (Carnivore Theology Ep. 65)
While wandering around Ottawa we come across Israel’s official Embassy and it gets us talking about the history of the Jews and the hatred some people have against them. Podcast Audio: How Can You Help Carnivore Theology? 1. Pray for us! 2. Record a question in your voice on our SpeakPipe page! (We love this the…
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Woe to the God-Makers (Why People Think They Can Get Away with Anything)
Review We’re currently on week 8 of our 3 week series on the Old Testament book of Habakkuk, and this week we’re concluding our study of the five Woes Against the Chaldeans that we find in chapter 2. If you remember the other sermons in this series you’ll remember that we’ve seen quite a…
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How to Have a Quiet Time (Carnivore Theology Ep. 62)
Doing your devos discussed! We talk about what devotions are (and are not), why they’re important, and some practical ways to spend time with God. Podcast Audio: Behind the Scenes Video: Links: Spiritual Journaling Using Scripture as Your Guide Two Traps To Avoid in Your Daily Time with God How Can You Help Carnivore…
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Listener Questions (Omnipotence, Calvinism, Nudity, Backsliders & More) (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 60)
The guys wander into the mail-room and answer some listener questions: – Can God create a rock so large he can’t lift it? – Is Carnivore Theology overrun by Calvinists? – What does the Bible say about nudity? – How can a Christian remain calm while watching fellow believers slip deeper into the world? –…
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How to Confront a Sinning Friend (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 59)
Our “live and let live”/”everyone has their own truth” culture isn’t very good at calling out or confronting sin, but scripture is clear that Christians are supposed to be holding one another accountable to God’s Word. So, what should a believer do when we see a friend caught in sin? Podcast Audio: Behind the Scenes Video:…
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Why, God, Why?
The Charge of the Light Brigade There’s a scene from the movie Saving Private Ryan that gives a great illustration of waht we’re talking about today. If you haven’t seen it, it’s about a squad of soldiers who have been given the task of tracking down a paratrooper who is the last surviving brother…
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The Role and Qualifications of Deacons
(I want to start by thanking 9Marks for some great articles that helped me put this together.) Intro to Deacons This week, however, I want to talk about something that I’ve never covered here before – the role of deacons in the church. This is both important and pertinent as the Nominating Committee…
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A Carnivore Christmas Devo with Pastor Al (Carnivore Theology Ep. 57)
We’re continuing our annual advent tradition by taking some time to give some personal, devotional reflections on the season. Steve, Chad and I thank you for listening this year and hope you have a Blessed Advent and a Merry Christmas. Podcast Audio: How Can You Help Carnivore Theology? 1. Ask us a question in…
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Let’s Talk STAR WARS! (Carnivore Theology Ep: 55)
The cultural phenomenon that is STAR WARS has another episode coming out soon! The guys from CT are excited about it, but should they be? Let’s talk about the cultural and religious impact of Star Wars. Podcast Audio: Special Thanks to Sheepstar15 for her amazing Star Wars Theme ukulele cover! Behind the Scenes Video:…
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What is a “Good Church”? (Part 4 – Spirit-Led Evangelism)
This is the last sermon of our mini-series-within-a-series where we’re answering the question “What is a Good Church?”. This series is inside of the “Burning Questions” series which came about after I asked you all to submit some questions that you’ve had that I could answer. I hope that this series has been helpful…
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Are Muslim Refugees Our Neighbours? (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 54)
Jesus told us to love our enemies, but that seems very complicated these days. Immigration concerns for the people being displaced by jihadist radicals is a growing concern. Many thousands of refugees are being displaced and seeking new homes around the world. How should Christians respond to this humanitarian crisis? What about our enemies…
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What is a “Good Church”? (Part 3 – Inspired Worship)
We’re currently in the middle of a mini-series-within-a-series called “What is a Good Church?” – which is inside the “Burning Questions Series”. Now you know what happens when I give myself a few bumper-weeks in my sermon planning – we get series-within-series. I hope that isn’t confusing, because my intention is neither to confuse…
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Sharing Our Faith Can be Scary (Kid’s Sermon)
We just had Halloween a couple weeks ago, and of course that strange season is one where people talk about scary things like ghosts and vampires and zombies. Who here went trick-or-treating? Did you see anything scary? Well, I went digging around on the internet to learn about some different things that people are…
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What is a “Good Church”? (Carnivore Theology: Ep 52)
Every Christian wants to attend a “good church”, but we all seem to have different ideas of what a “good church” looks like. The guys take on this question and give a biblical perspective. Podcast Audio: Behind the Scenes Video: How Can You Help Carnivore Theology? 1. Ask us a question in your voice on…
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Is Harry Potter Good or Evil? (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 51)
JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series is a worldwide, cultural phenomenon, beloved by many and hated by some. Christians can’t seem to agree on whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Carnivore Theology takes on the question: “Is Harry Potter Good or Evil?” Podcast Audio: Behind the Scenes Video: Recommended Reading: Harry Potter,…
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God and The Great Pumpkin
You’ve probably heard of Charles Shultz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip and cartoon series. Many people know and love his Christmas special, but another classic is the Halloween one called “It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown”. The Charlie Brown Christmas was extremely popular and the CBS Company was more than happy to air…
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Love Does (AWANA Kid’s Talk)
When I was asked to speak here this evening, I grabbed onto a theme that I’d already spoke to another group about. They’re going through a book called “Love Does” and discussing what it means to love people in a real, hands-on, practical, concrete, expressive, applied way. I really appreciate that theme and was…
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Mass Shootings and Martyrdom (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 48)
The tragic massacre in Roseburg, Oregon, US has raised a lot of questions. Some news articles are claiming that one of the motives of the shooter may have been hatred of religion in general, or Christians in particular. Were the victims of the shootings martyrs? What is a martyr? Podcast Audio: Behind the Scenes…
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Christians & Politics with Former MP Reed Elley – Part 2 (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 47)
Talking (More) Politics With Reed Elley Politics is on the minds of everyone in North America these days, so today we talk politics with former parliamentarian Reed Elley. In this episode Reed gets personal and pastoral with some important applications for Christians and pastors. Podcast Audio: Behind the Scenes Video: How Can You Help Carnivore…
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Christians & Politics with Former MP Reed Elley (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 46)
Talking Politics With Reed Elley Politics is on the minds of everyone in North America these days, so today we talk politics with former parliamentarian Reed Elley. We dig deep as we seek to find out how biblically minded Christians should understand and respond to the political arena. Podcast Audio: Behind the Scenes Video:…
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The END OF THE WORLD (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 45)
Did you Miss the End of the World? According to some people, today (Sept 23rd, 2015) is the last day many of us will be on earth. And so, today’s episode covers how Christians should respond to the many, many predictions about the end of the world. Podcast Audio: Behind the Scenes Video: How…
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Response to Buzzfeed’s “I’m Christian, But I’m Not…” (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 44)
What is a Christian Anyway? Our Response to Buzzfeed’s viral video: “I’m Christian, But I’m Not” answers some important questions: “What is a Christian?” “How do we respond to popular culture’s idea of what a Christian is and isn’t?” “Can a person be a Christian but not follow the Bible?” and “How can we minister…
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How To Corrupt a Church in Four Easy Steps (Jude: Summer Shorts Series)
Same Truth, Different Problems Today, again, for the third week in a row, we are going to be talking about the need for Christians to study, understand and fight for the truth. When I decided to preach the shortest books in the New Testament back to back, I didn’t realize how pervasive this theme…
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Why Do People Homeschool? (Carnivore Theology: Ep 41)
The 41st episode of “Carnivore Theology”. Chad, Al, Steve and Others Talk About Why They Homeschool A couple weeks ago we talked to The Familyman, Todd Wilson about parenting and life as a homeschooling family. Today, we continue that conversation by discussing the motives behind our decision to homeschool our children. Podcast Audio: Click here to…
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How the Will of God Works – The GotQuestions.org Episode (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 40)
The 40th episode of “Carnivore Theology”. Two For One in our special GotQuestions.org Episode: How to Know God’s Will & Free Will vs. Predestination Everyone has questions, and pastors have a chance to answer a lot of them. In this episode we answer some of our most asked questions with the help of a favourite resource:…
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Are Christians Allowed to have Fun? (Entertainment, Indulgence and Christian Hedonism) (Carnivore Theology: Ep 38)
The 38th episode of “Carnivore Theology”. Are Christians Allowed to Have Fun? It is difficult in the North American life style, to find a balance between work and play, especially when the world is telling us that he who dies with the most toys wins. On the other hand, because of modern conveniences, many people have more free time…
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How Should Christians Respond to Racism? (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 36)
The 36th episode of “Carnivore Theology”. Racism is Exploding in North America Racism has plagued humanity forever, but based on what we’re seeing in the rioting in Baltimore, Ferguson and Miami, there seems to be an explosion of violence based on racism across North America in the past couple months. Canada’s not immune. Similar tensions to…
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What Does it Mean to “Deny Ourselves” and “Take Up Our Cross”? (Mark 8:34-9:1)
The Bali Nine This week in Indonesia, a group of eight convicted drug traffickers who were caught, arrested, and tried, finally met their end at their execution. I can’t imagine there is much sympathy out there for a group of drug smugglers, and there aren’t too many people in the world who would have…
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Is Prayer Illegal in Canada? (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 35)
The 35th episode of “Carnivore Theology”. Civic Prayer and the Supreme Court Ruling in Canada The Supreme Court recently outlawed civic prayer. How should Christians respond? Podcast Audio: Click here to download the episode MP3. Here’s the link to the behind-the-scenes YouTube video. Please Consider Partnering with Us! How can you help Carnivore Theology…
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How to Deal with Doubts and Unbelief (Mark 7:31-8:33)
Today we’re going to study Mark 7:31-8:33. At first these stories are going to seem disconnected, but as we read them, hopefully you will see a theme developing. I also want you to listen for similar phrases and events. It’s set up as a sort of sandwich where we see a couple of similar events,…
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A Warning Against Hypocrisy in Our Religious Activity (Mark 7:1-23)
“Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of…
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Navigating Social Media (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 30!)
The 30th episode of “Carnivore Theology”. How Should Christians use Social Media? We often ask ourselves and others, “What’s new with the world?” and respond with a bit of gossip or something funny we find on social medial We have to ask ourselves if this is healthy or not? What are the potential damages…
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Can We Trust the Bible? (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 29)
The 29th episode of “Carnivore Theology”. Can We Trust the Bible? Chad just got back from The Shepherd’s Conference and Biblical Innerancy Summit and it gives us the perfect excuse to ask some really important questions like: How do we know the Bible is completely true? Aren’t there questionable passages people aren’t expected to…
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From Saul to Paul: A Conversion Story
Saul: Enemy of the Church Paul has an amazing testimony, and it’s broken up into two very different parts. The part he is most famous for is where He is Paul, the great missionary and theologian of the Christian church. But he wasn’t always the Apostle Paul – for the beginning of his life he…
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How Should Christians Respond to “Season’s Greetings”? (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 18)
The 18th episode of “Carnivore Theology”. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings? Jingle Bells and Christmas Lights abound as people everywhere say: “Seasons Greetings”? What happened to “Merry Christmas”? How should Christians respond when someone says “Season’s Greetings”? Which is the best way to say “Merry Christmas”? What is Christmas all about anyway? Podcast Audio: Click here to…
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An Inexplicable God
Podcast Audio: Insatiable Curiosity Today, we want to have an explanation of everything. We want to know how everything works, where it came from, what it’s doing, why it does it, and what it’s going to do next. Our society has an insatiable appetite for knowledge. Sociologists study people so they can learn how…
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Anger and Arguing (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 16)
The 16th episode of “Carnivore Theology”. Are Christians Allowed to Get Angry? Biblically, how angry is a Christian allowed to get? Can a Christian argue with another believer or non-believer? Did Jesus ever yell and argue? And what does this all have to do with Star Wars?!? Podcast Audio: Click here to download the episode in MP3.…