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Where is God When Things Don’t Get Better?
This week on Wellness Wednesday, we explored a difficult but important reality: What do we do when things don’t get better? So many people in our digital community are struggling—whether with mental health, relationships, unanswered prayers, or just the weight of life—and they’re looking for real answers. My mission with Wellness Wednesday is to…
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The Role of Prayer in Content Creation: Passion & Pivotal Moments (Series Introduction)
What Do You Do Before Creating Content? Imagine you’re getting ready to start a big creator project – new video, art portfolio, new podcast concept, stream-a-thon. You’ve got your equipment set up, software open, references lined up, and a carefully curated playlist in the background to keep your energy up. You even posted on…
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Taking A Big, Scary Leap
First, welcome to everyone from Ko-Fi who’s transitioning from the newsletter over there to here! I know there have been a lot of site changes over the past few years as I’ve been growing, so it means a lot to have you leapfrog one more time. ♥ I just did something that freaks me…
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The Biggest Frustration & Hurdle to Leap as a Digital Ministry
Digital ministries are beset with a myriad of challenges. Ever-changing technology, high-level skillsets, creative thinking, long hours, fighting algorithms, making high-quality, competitive content, counselling and community building through text, following up with vulnerable viewers, and more… but when I think about the most difficult thing I’ve had to face in my two years in…
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2022 XN Year in Review: From Foundation to Framework
Introduction Like many others, 2022 was a year of ups and downs for me and my ministry work. It began with the sudden death of my second-born son which led to a series of difficult months, but throughout them all, my local church and online communities were there with support and encouragement for my…
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The Difference Between Devotions and Bible Study
There is a huge difference in approach between your personal devotional time and doing a personal Bible study, and knowing that difference is going to change everything about how you connect with God. XtianNinja explains the difference and then gives an example of what it looks like. Podcast Version: https://anchor.fm/xtianninja/episodes/The-Difference-Between-Devotions-and-Bible-Study-e1lak0r I Need Your Support…
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How long do you need to wait between sinning and praying?
What does it mean that we are “Free in Christ”? How free? Does that mean we can do whatever we want? Is there anything we can do to lose that freedom? How long do you have to wait between sinning and praying? Podcast Version: https://anchor.fm/xtianninja/episodes/How-long-do-you-need-to-wait-between-sinning-and-praying-e1l57e9 I Need Your Support I’m doing this full-time and…
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Where is God Anyway?
Each day on stream we take time to go through a Verse of the Day, explain its meaning, and find an application. This verse is a very encouraging one on the surface, but what does it mean, really? Podcast Version: https://anchor.fm/xtianninja/episodes/Where-is-God-Anyway–And-What-Does-it-Mean-that-God-is-With-You-e1kikto I Need Your Support I’m doing this full-time and the only way I…
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When God Asks the Impossible
Sometimes life throws stuff at us that we just can’t handle. Illness, relationship issues, responsibilities, big needs, cause all of us to shrink back and ask ourselves, “Why would God bring this into my life?”. There are a lot of people who have faced the same situation. What are we to do? Podcast Version:…
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Can Anyone Ever Actually Feel “Peace” in this Troubled World?
Everyone in the world wants “peace” – but when we try to make it ourselves it doesn’t seem to work very well or last very long. How does the peace that Jesus promises us in the Bible differ from the peace we keep trying to make for ourselves? Podcast Version: https://anchor.fm/xtianninja/episodes/Can-Anyone-Ever-Actually-Feel-Peace-in-this-Troubled-World-e1ikg2v I split my…
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Does Everything Really “Work Out For the Good”?
Christians often quote Romans 8:28 (“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” to each other as a way to bring encouragement to someone going through a tough time. So, why then does it come as such cold…
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What REAL Prayer Looks Like
New Video: Sometimes talking to God feels like a shopping list, complaint form, or even a 911 call – but does prayer mean something more? Podcast Version: https://anchor.fm/xtianninja/episodes/What-REAL-Prayer-Looks-Like-e1g75e9 I’m doing this full-time and the only way I can keep it up is through support from folks like you – so please consider supporting me…
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Is God Too Busy to Care About You?
We often hear that “God has better things to do” than help unimportant people like us – that He might be at work in the world, but only on the really big stuff. Is that true? Are you a priority to God or not? Podcast Version: https://anchor.fm/xtianninja/episodes/Is-God-Too-Busy-to-Care-About-You-e1fji1s **When God called me to this new…
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How To Replenish and Protect Your Soul When You Feel Spiritually Dry, Attacked, or Hopeless
New Video: How do you replenish and protect your soul when you’re in a spiritual “dry season” where God feels distant, the Enemy is winning battles, and/or you are struggling to grow in faith and hope? This video might help. I’ve been working really hard to make good and helpful videos lately, so if…
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Pilgrim’s Progress Intro Study – and MORE! (“Of Interest” Ep. 16)
This week, I talk about Relationship Simulators, share an interesting article about the Lord’s Prayer, an interesting resource about… well, also the Lord’s Prayer, and then we’ll be continuing our interesting study of John Bunyan’s classic, Pilgrims Progress by exploring the first chapter, entitled, “The Jail”. Interesting Links: Article: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/stop-praying-stuff/ Resource: https://www.gty.org/store/books/452007/alone-with-god Study: https://www.desiringgod.org/books/the-pilgrims-progress Want to Support…
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How the Devil Tricks People Into Sinning – Romans 6:22-23 (“Sunday Study” Ep. 2)
This week we’re going to do something a little different. Yes, I’m aware that I’ve only done this once and that last week I told you that we’d be going through the gospel of John, but that was before I came across this amazing clip from a John Piper sermon that I really want…
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Withdraw to Desolate Places (Caring For Your Heart, Soul, Mind & Body in Difficult Times)
Service Video: Podcast Audio: Sermon Text: Please open up to Luke 5:16. We’re going to concentrate our efforts on one verse today and use it as a jumping-off point for something that I believe is important for us during this difficult time. Luke 5:16, “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”…
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Stay in the Word (God Speaks to You Personally Through the Bible)
Service Video: Podcast Audio: A Living and Active Word Most of you know the passages I read at the beginning of service – the Call to Worship and the weekly Scripture Reading – are chosen long before I read them on Sunday mornings. Around the beginning of December each year I usually take…
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How Do I Experience The Power of God? (HC:LD18c)
Imagine following in the footsteps of Moses – how huge a task that would be. Moses is probably the most important person in the Old Testament. It was through Moses that the nation of Israel was delivered from Egypt. It was Moses that led and judged the people for decades. It was Moses…
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No Really, Do Your Devos
Audio: Text: As I said a couple weeks ago, working through all the things that Day 8 of the Heidelberg Catechism wants to go through takes a lot longer than just one week. In fact, we’ve done four sermons on Day 8 and it’s going to take us at least two more weeks to…
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Bible Reading, Prayer & Your Crucible
Audio: Text: I’ve been doing something lately that I rarely do. I can’t actually remember when I’ve done this before. I’ve been reading books for myself. I know that sounds weird to say, but usually when I read, study, or watch something, it’s so that I can learn for the sake of my job.…
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Marijuana vs. Alcohol, Distrusting Media, Gov’t Daycare, Tazing Teens, Comedians, and More! (Ninja News – Ep. 4)
Episode 4 covers Marijuana vs. Alcohol, Gov’t Daycare, Tazing Teens, Comedians, and More! Don’t forget to leave your comments on the Facebook and YouTube pages. Story Links: Daycare:http://www.iheartradio.ca/580-cfra/1.3715223 Social Media: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/03/28/internet-police-warn-business-owners-of-sabotage-on-google-maps.html https://www.challies.com/articles/beating-facebooks-algorithm-and-being-your-own-curator/ https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/technology/social-media-privacy.html Tazing: https://www.abc15.com/news/crime/pd-phoenix-woman-tazes-teenage-son-to-wake-him-for-church Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/80171362 Book: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00B85ADQ2 Marijuana: https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/marijuana-vs-alcohol-which-is-worse-for-you.htm Google: https://www.google.com/doodles Paper Airplanes: https://youtu.be/3BNg4fDJC8A News Script: https://youtu.be/hWLjYJ4BzvI
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Resolutions (And How to Stick To Them)
Audio: Text: The start of the year, as I said last week, is a time when a lot of people take time to evaluate where they are in life and make some decisions about making some changes, often called “New Year’s Resolutions”. They feel convicted that some area of their life needs to change,…
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Should Christians Use Thoughts and Prayers? (Carnivore Theology Ep. 103C)
Social media is great for a lot of things, but saying “thoughts and prayers” can get you into trouble these days. What’s the controversy about and should Christians use the #ThoughtsandPrayers hashtag? Podcast Audio: Donate to NAMB Sutherland Springs How Can You Help Carnivore Theology? 1. Pray for us! 2. Record a question in your voice on…
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A Mighty Fortress – Psalm 62
Audio: Text: “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? They only plan to…
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How To Face Discouragement
Audio: Text: Nehemiah So Far If you don’t know Nehemiah’s story, I highly recommend you give it a read, but let me give you a summary of what is going on up until this point. Nehemiah was a Jewish man who had risen to prominence in the Persian Empire to become one of…
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5 Reminders for Students (Carnivore Theology – Ep. 73)
Whether you’re going into High School, College, University or Post-Grad, Pastor Al gives some important reminders to students returning to school this semester. 1. Guard your reputation. 2. Remember why you’re there. 3. Find a good church. 4. Keep your devos going. 5. Try to find balance. Podcast Audio: How Can You Help Carnivore…
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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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Mind Your Buckets: What You Need to Know to Get Your Priorities Straight
I was given the opportunity to be a special speaker this week and as I was preparing my sermon, I ended up stopping and thinking: “You know what, the talk I just wrote for this other group really lines up to what we’re talking about in 1st Corinthians. Maybe I should just share this…
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Will You Relent to God? (When God Answers Your Prayers in Uncomfortable Ways)
When crisis hits – whether it happens to us, our family, our friends, or we just hear about it on the news – our first instinct is to ask a lot of questions. Why did it happen to me/us? What will happen next? Is it over now or will it get worse? How far…
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Why We Don’t Pray More (and How to Start!)
Most of you who have been here for the whole series knows that the book of Habakkuk is essentially a prayer conversation between God and one of his priests. Habakkuk’s country is going through some difficult times and as he’s bringing his concerns to God, the Lord inclines to answer him – in surprising…
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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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Habakkuk’s Lament: How to Keep From Drowning in the Deep End of Life
Lifeguard Training My kids have been in swimming lessons for quite a while. I took them when I was a child, as most people do, but I’m nowhere near as good at swimming as my kids are. Even my littlest, Eowyn, knows more strokes and techniques than I do. To be totally honest,…
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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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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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Why Should Believers Today Care About the Psalms? (Feat. Special Guest Wyatt Graham!) (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 31)
The 31tst episode of “Carnivore Theology”. Reading & Praying the Psalms Today What can a bunch of weird, old poems from ancient Israel do to help us with our prayer life? A lot, as it turns out. Our special guest Wyatt Graham helps us understand the amazing relevance of the psalms to our daily walk of…
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Passion Week Series: Wednesday & Thursday (Last Supper, Judas’ Betrayal, Jesus Prays)
We’re continuing a series on the final week of Jesus’ life. We’ve already covered the events of Palm Sunday, and Monday where He cursed the fig tree, cleansed the temple. Last week we talked about Tuesday, a day where Jesus was attacked on all sides by every group in Jerusalem who wanted to trap…
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Passion Week Series: Tuesday (Attacked on All Sides)
A couple weeks ago we started a series going through the final week of Jesus life His resurrection on Easter Sunday. We’ve already covered the events of Palm Sunday and Monday where we saw the Triumphal Entry, the Cursing of the Fig Tree and The Cleansing of the Temple. Today we will talk about…
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Spiritual Journaling Using Scripture as your Guide
Podcast Audio: Last week I gave you a brief introduction to Spiritual Journaling using Scripture as your Guide. (If you haven’t read that yet, I suggest you start there.) I said that the system I’m teaching isn’t the only way to meet with God, but it is one way that has worked for me…
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Special Request: How Do You Devo?
Podcast Audio: How Do You Devo? Devos, Daily Devotionals, Quiet Time, Private Meditation, Time with God, 1-on-1 with Jesus, Daily Prayers — there are lots of names for it and likely as many ways to do it. And I want to know yours! I recently filled my very first prayer journal and got a shiny new…
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Pastoral Prayer: Inspire Us to Worship
You are the life-giving God. Inspire us and give us the energy to call upon Your name, for our minds are not enough to understand, our thoughts are wayward and we are easily distracted. We love the world too much and within our heart is still the struggle with unbelief and doubt. It is…
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Pastoral Prayer: We Depend on You, God
O Lord of Grace, this is the beginning of a new week and the whole world is before us this day. As we look into it we realize that we are weak, and fearful and ill-equipped to handle all that we will face – but we look to you for strength.
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Pastoral Prayer: God’s Anger at Sin
“Lord, you have been out dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.” (Psalm 90:1-2) Life and death are in your hands, Lord. Thank you for your long-suffering patience, because we know that when you become…
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Pastoral Prayer: About Evil People Who Seem Blessed
Invocation God, you are good to Your people and to those who are pure in heart. We praise you for your goodness. Confession We must acknowledge that despite your goodness, we have sinned. Our feet have slipped and we have almost lost our foot hold. We looked at the arrogant and we have…
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Pastoral Prayer: Love
Invocation “Lord God, with confidence we draw near to Your throne of Grace, that we might receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) “We are yours, as you have said, O Lord of Hosts, and you have made us your treasured possession and have spared us.” (Malachi 3:17)…
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Pastoral Prayer: On the Beauty of the Word of God
Invocation “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2) We are in awe of your creation Lord, and we thank you so very much for the blessing of knowing you through it.…
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Power Through Prayer (Mark 1:35-39)
What we are going to study today is a deeply convicting passage of scripture for me. Though this passage is short, the concepts, teachings and applications found in this little section is both overwhelming and humbling. That makes it very tough to preach because there is no way I can feel like I’ve ever done…
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Pastoral Prayer: Our Need for God’s Presence
Invocation Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise! Out of the depths we cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear our voice and let your ears be attentive to our cry. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, who could stand. But with you there is forgiveness. Therefore you are feared.
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A Prayer to Exalt the Lord at All Times
We will exalt the Lord at all times. Your praise will always be on our lips. Our souls will boast in You.