The Deep Thoughts Podcast with Matt Shantz

Over the last few decades a phenomenon has been taking place on Tuesday nights at Texas A&M University; thousands of students fill the basketball arena to worship Jesus and receive Bible teaching. Brian McCormack serves as the Executive Director and together with his wife Emilie they steward this incredible ministry with faith, vision, and humility.  Breakaway's purpose is any and every studen...

We all long for a life worth living. So when we receive news of a frightening diagnosis, suffer heartbreaking loss in our family life, or get trapped in a cycle of our own sin, we might wonder about God. Where is He when we need Him most? In this episode Ray explains that Jesus can be hard to find in the comfortable lives we prefer. Instead, He meets us at rock bottom―where He is waiting for us wi...

To celebrate 100 episodes worth of deep thoughts, Matt is joined by original producer of the podcast, Jordan Esau, for a trip down memory lane as they talk about the humble beginnings of the podcast, some favourite episodes and guests, and more. Then Matt tackles some of the deepest listener-submitted questions to close things out. A trip down memory lane (1:00)Where did Old Testament believers go...

For many of us, despite having the best intentions, we struggle to reach out effectively with the gospel. Jeff Medders joins Matt to talk about fostering a genuine evangelistic culture in our lives and churches. ABOUT Jeff Medders is the Director of Theology and Content for  Send Network  and the General Editor for  New Churches . He is also pursuing his Ph. D. at Southern Seminary in biblical spi...

In August of 2011, Cameron Horner had a diving accident that resulted in a spinal injury and immediate paralysis. His story is one of faith and perseverance.   In this episode, we talk about  a theology of suffering  and the topics of  disability and the church  and  disability and eschatology . Resources referenced in the episode: Ten Dimensions of Belonging  (Erik Carter) My Body Is Not A Prayer...

Today in the west, many consider the church to be dead or dying. Christianity is seen as outdated, bigoted and responsible for many of society’s problems. This leaves many believers embarrassed about their faith and many outsiders wary of Christians and their movement. But what if the Christian message is not the enemy of our modern Western values, but the very thing that makes sense of them? Matt...

Matt Chandler is convinced that you were made for this exact moment in human history. Things may look gloomy, and you may feel discouraged, but because of the promise and hope found in Scripture, you can be brave, confident, and victorious today. We’re built to overcome, to find joy not tied to our circumstances but rooted in our relationship with Jesus. The Matts sit down to talk about preaching...

Many Christians are deconstructing their faith because of unvoiced questions—questions that, when not voiced, can feel like they’re too much for God. In this episode — and her new book  Can I Say That?   — Brenna Blain addresses questions about her own wrestlings with what felt like “unsafe questions” on the issues she’s faced in her life like mental health challenges, suicidality, same-sex attrac...

The promise of technological advancement seemed to be that work and life would be simplified. The promise of social media was limitless possibilities of connection and deep friendship. In reality, the technologies of our day seem determined to keep us scrolling and swiping at all costs, plugged into a feedback loop of impatience, comparison, outrage, contempt, and algorithm-built echo chambers. Bl...

This is the fourth Q+A episode where Matt attempts to answer some of your deepest listener-submitted questions. Why don’t we all get the same thing out of God’s Word? [2:05] What if I’m not actually saved? [9:55] Does God love Satan? And if Satan changed his mind and wanted to go to heaven would God let him? [15:30] How should I make school choices for my family? [22:30] If only Sheol existed in t...

Scott Thomas talks about the beauty and brokenness of the local church by speaking transparently about his own challenging experiences with the church and why he still loves it so much. Topics include planting and replanting churches (5:30); the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill and our own susceptibility to fall (10:00); church hurt (19:00); embodying the welcome and warmth of Christ (26:00); gospel cul...

We are experiencing the largest and fastest religious shift in North American history. It is faster than the First and Second Great Awakenings and revivals combined, but in the opposite direction. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that everyone listening to this episode either has people in their lives who have left the church in recent years or you've left the church yourself. Jim Davis, co-...

The issue of gender has roared onto the scene so quickly, the concept has evolved so rapidly, the level of importance deemed so integral, that you would be hard-pressed to find a more pressing, confusing and divisive subject. Enter Dr. Abigail Favale. Her book,  The Genesis of Gender  is insightful, wise and timely. Abigail is an expert in areas of post-modernity, gender studies, and feminism and...

Andrew Wilson joins the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about special needs, the case for eucharistic and charismatic worship in the life of the church, and why the year 1776 was such a big deal and how the West is now post-Christian because of it. ABOUT Andrew Wilson (PhD, King’s College London) is the teaching pastor at King’s Church London and a columnist for Christianity Today. He’s th...

Statistically, only about 9% of those who make New Years Resolutions actually complete them, with the vast majority of people failing within the first week and month. David Mathis refers to the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, and commitment to a local church as habits of grace and asserts that they are paramount for relationship with and enjoyment of Jesus. As we embark on a new ye...

The nativity stories from the gospels of Matthew and Luke are familiar to everyone. Baby Jesus in a manger, Mary and Joseph, the little town of Bethlehem, the shepherds, and wise men. We’re less familiar with Revelation’s nativity story found in chapter 12 that includes a seven-headed dragon. But it is one of the Bible’s telling of the Christmas story nonetheless. In this brief episode Matt explai...

Today we’re told to be true to ourselves, look within for answers, and follow our hearts. But when we put our own happiness first, we experience record-breaking levels of aimlessness, loneliness, depression, and anxiety. In  Don’t Follow Your Heart , Thaddeus Williams debunks the “ten commandments of self-worship” and points to a life beyond the self-defeating dogmas of self-worship to a more mean...

Let’s face it: When people complain that masculinity is toxic, they often point to evangelical men as their prime example. But findings from the social sciences debunk those charges. Research shows that committed Christian men who attend church regularly test out as the most loving and engaged husbands and fathers. These facts show that Christianity has the power to overcome toxic behaviour in men...

Evangelicals are known today for culture-wars, politics, conspiracy theories, and moral failures as much or more as the historic pillars of evangelical identity. In this brief episode Matt defines evangelicalism and explores how we might get that clear and compelling evangelical vision back. ABOUT Matt Shantz is the Lead Pastor of Central Community Church, a vibrant multi-generational church that...

Unclear on God’s purpose for the family? This episode is for you! In 2012 Jefferson Bethke released a spoken word video to YouTube called, “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus” that went viral and changed his life forever. Viewed over 35 million times and followed up with New York Times bestseller,  Jesus > Religion , now Jeff and his wife Alyssa have written a number of books and lead a number...

What do we do with passages in the Bible that are strange or even troubling? Matt talks a bit about that while unpacking one of the weirdest stories in the Bible: A couple bears mauling a bunch of boys. This brief ‘A Deep Thought’ episode is a summary of a sermon he preached entitled, A Grizzly Scene, from 2 Kings 2.

Matt unpacks the parables of the treasure and pearl of great price and the astounding reality that Jesus treasures us. This brief ‘A Deep Thought’ episode is a summary of a sermon he preached entitled, Treasure Jesus, from Matthew 13:44-46.

You asked some seriously deep questions and Matt has tried his best to answer them in this Q&A episode. Do you think Abraham and Isaac had a conversation before he tied him up as an offering? [2:45] What is the stance on marijuana use as Christians? Many conversations about this lately. [7:05] What should we make of the Gift of Tongues in the church today? [10:00] What will the church look like in...

Matt shares 6 common excuses that he thinks keep many of us from participating in the Mission of Jesus — and shows how the commission Jesus has given us nullifies every last one of those excuses. This brief A Deep Thought episode is a summary of a sermon he preached entitled, Christians Make Disciples, Not Excuses. The 6 excuses that keep us from participating in the mission of Jesus: 1. The task...

More than 360 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith in Jesus. Jared Vander Meulen from Open Doors Canada joins Matt to talk about what severe persecution looks like in the most difficult countries in the world to be a Christian and what Christians in the West can do to support them. This conversation is humbling, inspiring, heavy, and will equip you...