The AC Podcast

Are we headed towards a totalitarian dystopia? George Orwell’s work, 1984, has been gaining more attention in recent days. Some think we are getting dangerously close to Orwell’s dystopia. Others think this is an overreaction. In preparation for the upcoming AC Literary Expedition, Steve and Wes invited Dr. Scott Masson on this week’s edition of the AC Podcast to discuss how Orwell’s insights appl...

How do we love well, when we disagree? Can we honour people while maintaining difference of opinion? Join Troy and Miss MacKenzie in the classroom of Regent Christian Academy to hear from some bright Grade 3 students explore these questions and more.

We have watched from afar as the Russian military invaded Ukraine. It can be difficult to know what's actually going on and how to respond. On this episode of the AC podcast we invited two Ukrainian friends, with family caught in the fighting, to provide a much needed Christian perspective.  

I’m sure you’ve heard of deconstruction but what about decolonization? Regardless of your opinion, these concepts are becoming more prevalent within the Christian context. So, let’s talk about it. Join Troy as he interviews Clare Williams of Get Real (UK) as they take a brief look at decolonization and how the church can respond.

In recent years, organizations, businesses and churches have sought to better diversify their teams and leadership. While the thought behind it has been genuine for some, others have fallen to the level of cultural exploitation through the act of Tokenism. This leads many to think that this “diversification" is really nothing more than a PR stunt. As part of AC's recognition of Black History Month...

The table turned. Stephen Colbert voluntarily sat in the hot seat as he got his guest, Dua Lipa, to interview him instead. She asked a profound question: “How does your faith overlap with your comedy?” The response given by Colbert, a professed Catholic, drew mixed responses. That much one can see from the responses to Tim Keller’s tweet endorsing the manner in which Colbert gave his response. Wha...

It's often said that perception is everything; but what happens when the "powers that be" seemingly misuse their abilities for the sake of hijacking a narrative? Who do we trust? This past month Canada has seen a nationwide convoy of a so-called "fringe minority" lead by many of the nations truckers. Uniting in protest, their actions would see them travel right to the doorstep of Canadian democrac...

The last few years have been challenging to everyone. From lockdowns, bills being passed and vaccine mandates. Much of what people thought was freedom of thought and choice have either been outright dismissed or consistently challenged by what appears to be any means necessary. It's gone so far as to even draw a large convoy of truckers to the doorstep of Canadian Parliament. The growing understan...

It's a question asked by many who have either walked away from the Christian faith, or those who have never claimed it. There's no denying that much of what people desire in this life is to live comfortably, have fun and potentially leave a mark after they are gone. When someone claims to be happy, do they mean it? If so, by what scale do they determine as to when they are happy enough? On this ep...

Jesus Buddha? Jesus the Greek-speaking Jew? This week, Wes and Steve seek to put Jesus in his proper historical context. Did Jesus travel to Nepal in his teen years to receive Buddhist teachings, later to bring it back home? Did Jesus speak exclusively in Aramaic? And what do the answers to these questions have to say about God’s character? Find out on this week’s edition of the AC Podcast.

It’s well enough known that we live in a hyper-sexualized culture. Sex is taken casually and this has made its way into the church, too. “I’m shocked that so many young Christian men expect sex before marriage,” one listener complains. What’s going on here? Andy, Steve, and Troy sat down this week to kick off year 2022 by reflecting on dating, marriage, and sex.

From across the pond, AC adjunct speaker Andy Bannister (Director at Solas Centre for Public Christianity) joins us digitally from his home in Scotland. Andy and Andy, as they’re known, discuss Bannister’s new book,  Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?  Are Christianity and Islam the same? Join us for this week's episode of the AC podcast where Bannister brings his British accent and w...

This week the AC Podcast heads to the classroom for a Christmas Eve special. With Christmas commonly known for its traditions, one can't ignore the folklore and commercialism that comes with it. But what are the kids saying about it and how much do they know? Join Troy and new AC Adjunct Speaker Rachel Mackenzie, as they chat with her grade 3 class from Regent Christian Academy.

On this week's episode, Andy, Troy, Wes and Steve have a conversation about Christmas. The team looks at how their perspectives on this year may differ from the previous. Hope and Expectation are two common themes that come up. Given the times, there is something to be said about the foreshadowing of the promised son to Abraham, and the prophecy fulfilled by the birth of Jesus that calls us to rem...

It finally happened. A new iteration of the Conversion Therapy Ban bill has now received Royal Assent and become law. This amends the Criminal Code of Canada to criminalize conversation therapy. Those who are charged and convicted can face up to 5 years of jail time. Steve sat down with André Schutten to discuss the implications of this new law.

Throughout history we have seen a consistent pattern of fear being used as a motivator. From warlords and politicians to the advertisement industry. Regardless of the narrative, a culture driven by fear is contrary to God's ultimate design for us. Through right relationship with him we are able to acknowledge boundaries and parameters that are necessary to our flourishing. This fear that we are ca...

Every year leading up to Christmas, protestants and catholics celebrate Advent. Historically it has been met with the lighting of candles with each representing a different theme. Hope, Joy, Peace, Love and Christ. However, few if any truly know of its origins. What's to say that it's not just another "pagan" holiday to be done away with? Join Andy, Troy and Wes as they talk about the history and...

At Facebooks latest launch event, Co-Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Meta. According to their website "The metaverse is the next evolution of social connection." Their company’s vision is to "help bring the metaverse to life," so they are changing their name to reflect their "commitment to the future." This leads to the glaring question, what does that mean for real world implications and...

On Friday November 5th, Rapper Travis Scott took the stage at his annual festival Astroworld. The festival was put on by Scotts label, "Cactus Jack" in partnership with renowned Live Entertainment company, Live Nation. Due to what many are calling negligence at the highest level, mixed with Travis' historical incitement of unstructured moshing or "raging", the festival scenes lead to the death of...

What does investment banking have to do with Jesus? As odd a question as this might seem, how we answer this question has a close connection to our understanding of vocation and ministry. Does Jesus come to work with you? Does he have anything to say about your profession? Join us on this week’s edition of the AC Podcast as Andy sits down for a conversation with Garth Jestley, an accomplished busi...

Everyone knows that the Medieval era was a time of scientific stagnation brought on by the Church deliberately suppressing any knowledge outside of divine revelation. But is this true? Dr. Seb Falk, a historian of science at the University of Cambridge, has recently written a book entitled  The Light Ages  to address the gap between what scholars know of this period and what an average person on t...

Most of us don’t think about death all that much, at least until we experience it near us. And yet, when we examine our behaviour, we will find that almost everything we do is driven by our fear of death at some level. How does the gospel change the framework on this? Andy and Steve invited a friend and teacher, Dr. Clay Jones, to discuss his newest book, Immortal: How the Fear of Death Drives Us...

In 1799, a fascinating discovery was made by one Pierre-François Bouchard. This large and dark chunk of rock, discovered in the Egyptian port city of Rosetta, was the key to reviving a dead language. How might a dead language be revived? And how might that illuminate how to decipher our personhood? Andy, Steve, and Troy came together to discuss the significance of the Rosetta Stone that goes far b...

What would happen if all copies of the New Testament were destroyed? Would we still be able to know anything about Jesus of Nazareth from history alone outside what the New Testament tells us? What can a cold-case homicide detective featured in Dateline tell us about such a scenario? In this week’s edition of the AC Podcast, Andy reunites virtually with a good friend, J. Warner Wallace, to discuss...

Last week, we heard from Jennifer what her journey was like being in New Age spirituality. We continue that conversation this week as we hear more about the aftermath of that lifestyle. How did she come to be rescued by Jesus? What happens to a woman who was brainwashed for 20 years? How does one heal from something like that? Are there spiritual doors that Christians may be opening unwittingly? H...