Prepared to Answer Podcast

Why should God get to decide what’s just? And how can God be just if he simply forgives people for their sin when they place their faith in Jesus? How is that fair?  Scott and Shawn dig into the challenging subject of God’s justice and discover that the key to understanding God’s justice is to begin with the question, “What does God deserve?” 📖 Resources mentioned in this episode: Confronting Inj...

If God is completely sovereign over all of his creation, can human beings be free to make real choices? Or, if God does sovereignly determine our choices as well, how can we be held responsible for those choices? Scott and Shawn dive into these difficult questions in an attempt to hold together the tension of these two apparently irreconcilable truths: God’s sovereignty and man’s free choice. 📖 R...

Scott and Shawn tackle the question of why God allowed evil from three important angles. First, what’s a good ‘elevator’ response when someone confronts you with such a challenge but really aren’t giving you the time for a fully developed response? Second, what’s a quick response that’s often given that you should probably avoid? And third, what is the best biblical response to this question that,...

The first commandment God gave Israel was this: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). And the rest of God’s commands and revelations throughout the Bible are consistent with this. God, and only God, is to be worshipped. Only God can get the glory. But the skeptic looks at this and asks: “If anyone else acted the way God acts, we’d call them a narcissist and accuse them of outrigh...

No one can escape the reality of pain and suffering, but, as Christians, Jesus actually promised we’d suffer (John 16:33) and face persecutions for his sake (Mark 10:30). Whether it’s experiencing pain because of the brokenness of sin upon the world or hardships due to our loyalty to Jesus, we will all face suffering in this world to one degree or another. So, how do we ensure our faith endures th...

Out of necessity during the global COVID pandemic, most churches in countries with mandated restrictions needed to learn how to “do church” online. But even after COVID, this widespread experience of online church has caused many to ask if doing church online presents Christians with a viable alternative to in-person gathering. Could it be that technology presents us with a new way of doing church...

In this episode, Scott and Shawn dive into the question of whether or not Christians need to belong to a local church.  People feel the need to leave church for many reasons. Most often it is because the church, as they’ve experienced it, has not measured up to what they expect it to be. Sometimes this is due to churches not being what the church should be, and sometimes this is due to churches no...

The data over the past several years confirms a steady decline in church attendance and participation, even among committed Christians.  In this episode in our Dechurching series, Scott and Shawn raise awareness about some of the cultural assumptions that may be skewing our perspective about church. For those wondering if being part of a church is necessary, rather than giving reasons for or again...

Is the church in Canada disappearing? Data collected by StatsCan  over the past thirty years shows a steady decline in church attendance among Canadians. And the years over COVID accelerated that trend even further. But what is driving this trend? Who are the people foregoing church? And what does this indicate for the future of Christianity in Canada? In this episode, Scott and Shawn begin lookin...

For decades now, church attendance has been in decline. And after COVID, many people are not returning to church. But let’s face it. Most churches now do a great job of delivering Sunday service online. And through the internet we have easy access to a super-abundance of worship, teaching, and discipleship resources that we used to only get from church. There is also the reality for many who, for...

In 2015, The Pew Research Center reported that for every individual who becomes a Christian four leave ( source ). More recently a chain of very public and prominent Christians has emerged, declaring that they too have decided to leave Christianity.  What are we to make of such phenomena, and how should we react to them? In this encore episode pulled from our podcast archives, Scott and Shawn disc...

We invite you to our annual Christmas Wrap-up. Meet our team and listen in as we talk about the highlights of 2023, share our favourite parts of the Christmas story, and challenge each other with some Christmas Story Trivia. As Christmas approaches, we remember that Jesus is the hope of the world. Forgiveness of sin and peace with God is for everyone who puts their trust in him. This is why we do...

Why does the Bible give us so many warnings about sexual immorality? Does God truly care? Scott welcomes Dr. Kirk Durston to delve into this critical topic. Dr. Kirk's expertise in biophysics, education, and Christian ministry provides profound insights into the biblical discussion surrounding sexuality. This captivating discussion explores the intertwined relationship between the body and th...

How can we place our sexual attractions into a biblical context? Listen in as Scott and Shawn challenge the modern trend to use sexual orientation as the framework that defines us. They tackle the problem that our modern, secular notion of sexual orientation is a virtual catch-all for who and what we are. They go on to encourage Christians to stop using aspects of our fallen nature for describing...

What's the Deal with Sexual Orientation? Is there really such a thing as a heterosexual, homosexual, or even a bisexual person? Have you ever questioned the seemingly obvious answers? In this episode, we delve into the perplexing world of sexual orientation. Scott and Shawn challenge us to stop and ask: Why does it feel so natural to label people as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual? When...

Our culture is obsessed with sex, and Christians are not immune from its impact. Records show that internet porn sites receive more online traffic than ‘X’ (Twitter), Instagram, Netflix, Pinterest, and LinkedIn combined.  Living in such a culture means that Christian young people especially are feeling pressure and asking questions never imagined by previous generations. So, we can’t be squeamish....

Christians can sometimes be accused of cherry picking the Bible, especially from among Old Testament laws and commands. For example, quoting commands that prohibit homosexual behaviour (Leviticus 18:22), but then completely ignoring commands that prohibit weaving two different fabrics together. (Leviticus 19:19). In truth, Christians can be guilty of selective Bible reading. We dismiss some comman...

“The church is too judgmental… I’m done with it.” Starting with the exit of young people from the church, Scott and Shawn take a close look at the criticism. It’s pretty common to hear young people express disdain for the judgments the church brings down on their generation. Is the church really too judgmental? Does the church even have a role in judging? Scott and Shawn launch into the discussion...

Are we living in the end times? The Bible tells us that wars, rumours of war, earthquakes and abnormal weather events will be the signs of the coming of the end. Scott and Shawn take a closer look at what Jesus said about the last days before his return. He told his disciples to be on their guard, for no one knows the exact time of Jesus return. Today, we see wars, growing international conflict,...

Jesus challenged the norm by saying to love as God loves is to love our enemies and those who hate us. Scott and Shawn work through Jesus’ teaching in the context of real-life examples and the Scripture. Corrie ten Boom, who lived an extraordinary life of forgiveness and love, was dumbfounded when her sister forgave the man who put the entire family in prison. Loving as Jesus loved is impossible—w...

In Matthew, Jesus says He did not come to abolish the Old Testament Law, but to fulfill them. Some popular pastors like Andy Stanley think Christians should distance themselves from the Old Testament, as if its commandments are no longer applicable for Christians.  Scott and Shawn discuss the place of the Old Testament and Moses’ Law in understanding the full truth of Jesus. Should we continue to...

Jesus claims “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” In a world of pluralism, where even Christians often believe there are many ways to God, Jesus offers a clear understanding of knowing God in profound ways. It can be confusing to understand Jesus within a culture that believes there are many paths to heaven. Whether you’re looking for answers or deepening your own faith, be prepared to answer h...

Jesus said: “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 7:21) Is it really possible to go through your entire life believing you’re a Christian, only to find out when it’s too late that you were wrong? Jesus seems to be warning exactly that. As critical theory continues to march through Western culture, Christians must face hard choices between conformity...

Is Hell real? Or a myth? Judgement, punishment and hell are concepts that seem wrong in the context of a loving God and compassionate Jesus. Scott and Shawn open the Bible and study Jesus’ teachings about life after death and the reality of eternal punishment.  You might think about Hell with imagery: a lake of fire; heavy darkness; unending suffering. The Bible talks about the narrow road to heav...

The Bible has a lot to say about sin, the nature of sin, and the impact of sin. Taking a deep dive into the doctrine of original sin and atonement, Scott and Shawn explore the hard teachings of Jesus and the Biblical perspective of sin and atonement. Gain insights to the complex doctrines of sin and atonement in language and illustrations you can understand—and explain to others. Sin matters. Orig...