The Deep Thoughts Podcast with Matt Shantz

Matt had Joshua Ryan Butler back on the podcast to talk about his latest book, Beautiful Union. About 48 hours after Matt’s interview with Josh in early March, a social media firestorm erupted when an excerpt of Beautiful Union was released on The Gospel Coalition website (that has since been removed). Pushback about Josh’s unpacking of the biblical analogy between Christ and the Church came swift...

Conversations around human sexuality are some of the most sensitive and complex in our culture today and around the church more specifically. Sam Allberry is a celibate, same-sex-attracted pastor/theologian who has written extensively and spoken all over the world on these topics. In this conversation, Matt chats with Sam Allberry about the tenth anniversary edition of  Is God-Anti Gay? &nbsp...

Here we go! We’re fascinated by the supernatural. Ghost stories, shows like Stranger Things, super hero movies with villains of cosmic proportions all intrigue us. But when it comes to the spiritual realm that the Bible describes we tend to either ignore that reality completely or have an unhealthy obsession with it. While we need not spend much time thinking about Satan and the demonic (far bette...

In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental illness. By the time Canadians reach 40 years of age, 1 in 2 have – or have had – a mental illness (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2022). What does God and the Bible say about mental illness and how can we make churches places where those who struggle with mental health conditions are welcomed, understood, nurtured, and supported: a...

A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This one's on Faith & Politics and is a sermon Matt did at Central Community Church in the summer of 2021, entitled “Shaped By The Gospel: Politics". It serves as a helpful follow up and compliment to episode 72 and is something of "a theology of politics". It is...

In this episode Matt sits down with former Member of Parliament Chuck Strahl to talk about Faith & Politics. ABOUT Chuck Strahl was elected to the House of Commons in 1993 and was re-elected in 6 consecutive elections before retiring from Parliament. He filled a number of Parliamentary roles while in Opposition from 1993 to 2006, including House Leader and Deputy Speaker. Upon Stephen Harper’s Con...

Matt gets Russ Ramsey on the line to talk about art and faith. What is the role of art in the world? In other words, what’s the point of being creative and why is beauty itself important? Russ’s new book,  Rembrandt Is In The Wind : Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith, helps us explore all of this while focusing on some of the most famous artists and pieces of art throughout history. No...

Matt gets Australia’s sweetheart—John Dickson—on the line to talk primarily about his book, Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History. Host of the Undeceptions podcast and professor of ancient history, John does not shy away from the blemishes in Christian history, nor the beauty in it. Matt also asks what we can learn from church history in our modern moment. AB...

Recent Barna research reveals that 38% of Protestant Pastors (51% of Mainline Pastors) thought about quitting full-time ministry this past year. Tensions over politics, race, and covid have caused enormous divisions in society and have seemed to ramp up the discouragement of pastors in the process. That’s why Jonathan Dodson’s new book—and this conversation—are such a timely word and breath of fre...

A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on Christianity and the ‘isms — you know — like universalism, polytheism, and deism. This episode focuses on comparing and contrasting Christianity with materialism, secularism, individualism, and pluralism.

A Deep Thought is a “concise” episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on  Israelite Conquest of Canaan. More specifically, Matt aims to help our listeners to make sense of the passages of Scripture where God instructs the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites dwelling in the land. You know, some light summer listen...

In this episode Matt chats with Heather Thompson Day, a passionate advocate for women and young adults. She believes her calling is to stand in the gaps of our churches for young people. This conversation was a ton of fun and really insightful. If you’re a young adult I hope you feel seen and loved in this episode and if you’re desiring to make an impact in young peoples’ lives, you’ll find this e...

Matt answers listener submitted questions on all sorts of topics: 1. Can Christians play the lottery? 2. Has the Church been built or is it being built? 3. How do we know what God’s will is when making decisions? 4. How can Christians help fellow believers turn from sin to truth? 5. How can I trust God’s plan for me and live in the waiting of singleness? 6. What are we to make of “weird takes” peo...

Whether he likes it or not, Mark Vroegop has become known as “The Lament Guy.” Matt chats with Mark primarily about the place of prayers of lament in the Christian life and how utilizing this biblical prayer language is a gracious gift. Mark is the author of “Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy” and “Weep With Me.” ABOUT Mark Vroegop is the Lead Pastor of College Park Church in Indianapolis and is the author...

Matt chats with tweed aficionado and Oklahoma’s finest, O. Alan Noble about his two books, Disruptive Witness and You Are Not Your Own. How can we be a disruptive witness to a distracted, secular culture? In a society that tells us that you are your own and belong to your self, how is the Christian paradigm that you are not your own but belong to Christ actually incredibly freeing and comforting?...

Dr. Raphael Samuel’s story begins with his upbringing during Apartheid in South Africa. For his day job he works as an anesthesiologist but he’s also passionate about explaining the coherence of the Christian faith and does itinerant work as an Apologetics Canada speaker. In this episode Matt and Raphael get into Christianity’s scientific, moral, logical, and historical coherence. ABOUT Raphael Sa...

Everybody dies and everybody loses people they love dearly. How does the gospel affect and inform the way we grieve as Christians?

Matt sits down with two members of Central Community Church  for a roundtable conversation about the intersection of reading, writing, and the Christian faith. Sheri and Cecily both happen to be book-writing, home-schooling moms. ABOUT Sheri Hiebert co-wrote THINKING?: Answering Life’s Five Biggest Questions and RECLAIMED: How Jesus Restores Our Humanity In A Dehumanized World with Andy Steiger. S...

It’s a new year and we already need a fresh dose of hope! So Matt called up some pastor and ministry leader friends and asked them two questions: "What’s a word of caution you would give the church for 2022?" and "What’s an opportunity before the church in 2022?”. Guests: Chris Ross, Family Pastor, Central Community Church (1:07-mark) | Shaila Visser, National Director, Alpha Canada (15:40-mark) |...

A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on Christmas.

In this episode Matt interviews Jared C. Wilson, who has been a pastor and church planter and now trains them at Midwestern Seminary. He’s also authored over 20 books including The Imperfect Disciple ; Your Jesus Is Too Safe ; and his personal favourite,  Gospel Deeps . They focus primarily on a couple of his latest books, The Gospel-Driven Church and Gospel-Driven Ministry  but before g...

Matt gets Australian-born, NYC pastor and author Jon Tyson on the line to talk about a proven plan to raise sons of integrity, faith and consequence from his latest book, The Intentional Father. They also talk about what Jon refers to as the three key pillars of discipleship: Tangible Presence, Counter-Formation, and Sacrificial Mission; The three modes of communication (prophetic, pastoral, persu...

In this brief episode Matt explains how Christian marriage serves as a picture of the gospel.

The release of this episode coincides with National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Canada’s new statutory holiday on September 30. Matt sat down for interviews with Chief Andrew Victor and John Johnstone about their stories of faith, the 60’s Scoop, Residential Schools, the Indian Act, and how Christians and churches can be a part of meaningful truth and reconciliation.  Andrew Victor has been...

A Deep Thought is a concise episode on a particular aspect of the Christian faith that we sprinkle in between full-length episodes. This deep thought is on making sense of Old Testament Law. What do we do with all the Old Testament Laws? Isn’t it picking and choosing and inconsistent to continue to keep some to this day and then seemingly ignore others altogether? In this brief episode Matt descri...