Episode 214
As any believer who shares their faith will tell you, we will inevitably encounter tough questions about God, the Bible, life, and truth. Why do bad things happen to good people? Where do babies go when they die? Where did Cain get his wife? What happens to people who've died having never heard the gospel in life? On this episode of the Removing Barriers Podcast, we are grateful for recurring guest Pastor Todd's willingness to tackle these tough questions with some simple answers. With wisdom, truth, and grace, Pastor Todd explains not only the answers to these tough questions, but also how they square with what we know about God and his word. We needn't fear tough questions because God's word is clear and true. We can trust it wholly. At the heart of every answer is a desire for lost souls to be saved and saved souls to be discipled in truth. Join us and be equipped with some answers so that whether we are questioned by a seeker or a scoffer, we can be ready to share the truth with love.
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Episode 213
What do you think of when you hear the word "marriage?" Perhaps the words love, sacrifice, or happily-ever-after come to mind. Maybe you think of the fact that marriage is hard work: difficult, but worth it. Still, perhaps others have negative connotations of marriage, like heartbreak, divorce, or abuse. The Bible says that marriage was established in the beginning -- a mystery and metaphor of Christ and his bride, the church. In this episode of the removing barriers podcast we sit down with Mike and Patricia, a couple in whose marriage is the full message of the gospel: a good thing that was marred and broken by sin but gloriously saved and restored by the power of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. They share with us timeless biblical wisdom on marriage and all its ups and downs, and how Christ as the center of the relationship serves as a bulwark against the many attacks sure to come. You won't want to miss this amazing testimony of God's incredible mercy and power to save what appeared to be an all-around hopeless marriage situation. Be encouraged and reminded that with Christ, all things are possible.
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Episode 212
The assassination and martyrdom of Charlie Kirk at a Prove Me Wrong event at Utah Valley University is already going down in history as one of those events where everyone remembers where they were when it happened. Only time will tell how it will reverberate in the future. Charlie Kirk was many wonderful things, especially a husband and father, but the most important thing about him was his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. He was on the front lines at university campuses nationwide, challenging the indoctrination students are subjected to, presenting clear and genuine arguments against the world system and promoting biblical values as solutions to the problems we are facing today. He was cut down by an assassin's bullet very publicly and gruesomely, shocking the world and instantly revealing the depth of the rift in the population: people took to social media immediately to show their true colors. Did he deserve to die? Was he actually a racist? Was he even really a martyr? Recurring guest Sam joins us on this episode as we discuss all this and more today on the Removing Barriers Podcast.
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Episode 211
Bonkers - 14
Did you know that living in Iran is preferable to living in America if you're black? Or that cotton plant decorations are racist? On this episode of the Removing Barriers podcast, we are continuing our Bonkers series, were we pick out news headlines and discuss how they demonstrate that this world has gone bonkers. Some headlines are serious, some frivolous, but they all prove this fact. In this episode, in addition to Whoopi and Serena's shenanigans, we discuss supreme court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's objectively awful dissenting opinion on nationwide injunctions and justice Amy Coney Barrett's "spirited" response, as well as PETA's continued efforts to police speech in the name of worshipping created animals. Terrible things are happening in our world and Bonkers doesn't even begin to cover them, but no matter whether the headlines are silly or serious, we can rest in the fact that our God is still on the throne.
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Episode 210
The gruesome murder of Iryna Zarutska on a public train in Charlotte, North Carolina shocked the world. Completely unprovoked and unexpected, the Ukrainian refugee's death added to the heavy and persistent burden we groan under: the realization that things have gone terribly wrong in our nation and the principalities we wrestle against (and the people submitted to their evil influence) are increasingly belligerent, malicious, and daring. The murderer, an evil serial offender who was a menace even to his own family, walked away unbothered as Iryna died right in her seat where he attacked her. How could this have happened? What could have been done to prevent this? How is it that no one came to her aid until it was too late? And how is it that we did not hear about her murder until two weeks after it happened? On this episode of the Removing Barriers podcast, we will talk about this tragedy, discussing what it means for our nation, who we are as a people, and what the Bible has to say about the evil that we are seeing unfold every day. Iryna Zarutska, a soul for which Christ died.
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Episode 209
To the jubilation of some and the horrified dismay of others, Roe is no longer the law of the land in the United States. What does that look like in our day to day lives? On this episode of the Removing Barriers podcast, we sit down with Becky Sheetz of Life First Pregnancy Center. She is on the front line of the abortion issue, reaching out to men and women in crisis pregnancy situations, providing counseling and resources of all sorts to encourage the parents to choose life, and perhaps even to choose Christ. There is so much work to be done, even in the wake of the Dobbs decision. This is a spiritual battle requiring the armor of God that Ephesians 6 tells us to put in. Becky sheds light on how things have changed and what we should be looking to in the future to keep fighting for the lives (and souls) of all involved.
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Episode 208
A recent Ligonier survey of evangelicalism finds nearly 50% of processing Christians do not deem it important to share their faith with the lost. Nearly 50%! That is a topic for another day, but for the slight majority that do see the need to witness to others, many thousands feel they are hindered. The reasons may include a lack of equipping, a fear of not knowing what to say, or maybe even the fear of man. In this episode of the Removing Barriers podcast, we sit down with recurring guest Edward Thal, whose fascinating life is a testament to God's love and mercy, to discuss how we as believers can become effective soulwinners. Brother Thal reminds us, among other things, that a well-rehearsed script is not the effective way to win souls, but a wholehearted surrender to God is. Join us on this episode as he discusses these and more. May the Lord ignite in our hearts the same desire for the salvation of lost souls that the Bible clearly declares He has (1 Tim 2:4-6).
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Episode 207
Series: On the Mission Field - 23
Shane and Emily Tasker are a sweet couple called to minister to the souls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The DRC is a fascinating country not just for its history, but also because of the staggering number of youth that make up its population. Forty-two percent of the population is under the age of fourteen! This provides a phenomenal opportunity to reach young hearts for Christ! The Tasker family joins us in studio for a great conversation about the spiritual work they are setting out to do in that country, their calling from the Lord, and the work that's cut out for them in this endeavor. You won't want to miss this episode of the Removing Barriers podcast!
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Episode 206
Series: On the Mission Field - 22
We've interviewed many missionaries in the Removing Barriers podcast, but today, we have the opportunity to interview a different kind. This missionary is not called to a specific country or to a specific group of people, but instead is called to minister to missionaries themselves. Dr. Bud Steadman joins us to discuss his missions board and his work as a missionary discipler. What does that mean? Well, listen in as we discover what he and his wife do, how they do it, and how their roles help shape the efforts of missionaries throughout the world.
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Episode 205
This episode is a continuation of the reaction to Piers Morgan's conversation with a panel about Shiloh Hendrix calling a 5-year old autistic boy the N-word. Piers interviews Jason Wells, CFO and cofounder of GiveSendGo, the crowdfunding platform that found success as an alternative to GoFundMe. GoFundMe had previously showed its true and ugly colors when it deplatformed people it found socially unacceptable. Both Shiloh Hendrix and Karmelo Anthony are requesting funds through GiveSendGo, but are they the same thing? Piers Morgan presses Wells on the issue, arguing that Christians should not enable racists and the godly thing to do would be to shut down Hendrix's efforts. Is Piers right? Does he even have the correct understanding of the Christian position? Join us as we continue the reaction to this bizarre interview!
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Episode 204
On this episode of the Removing Barriers podcast, we react to the Piers Morgan Uncensored coverage of the Shiloh Hendrix situation and the ongoing racial tensions it exposes in our country today. Shiloh Hendrix was the white woman who called an autistic 5 year old boy a racial slur and unapologetically doubled down on her actions when confronted, then proceeded to raise nearly a million dollars on GiveSendGo to cover costs associated with the fallout of her decision. The panel was diverse in thought: centrist, leftist, conservative, and far right, but incredibly, none seemed to have a biblical perspective. Was Shiloh Hendrix wrong, and what does the influx of support say about the state of race relations in the U.S.? What does the Bible have to say about it? Join us and share this episode with your friends!
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Episode 203
Jordan Peterson collaborated with Jubilee and agreed to debate 20 atheists. He made four claims:
While some of the atheists engaged in good faith, some were only there for the viral video moment. As a result, many attempts to get to the substance of the arguments fell short. In this episode of Removing Barriers podcast, we go through various moments in the video and discuss them, seeking to understand what biblical claims are being made and whether they are true, especially since Peterson, who is not a Christian, is trying to engage in apologetics for the Christian faith. Was he successful? Can he actually do it? We'd love to hear your opinion on the matter.
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Episode 202
Bonkers - 13
In today's episode of the Removing Barriers Podcast, we continue the Bonkers series in which we discuss a range of topics: the battle of the flags, known corruption in the Democratic Party, Bill SB292, and a frivolous murderous NY dad. You'll hear of radicalized, deeply misguided women, people who knowingly ignore obvious corruption in order to achieve a particular end, and murder for no reason. While there's never a shortage of crazy stories to pick from when it comes to the Bonkers series, the goal is not to discourage the people of God or lament the lost condition of our world. Instead, let's be emboldened to inconvenience our family, friends, and neighbors with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Episode 201
Bonkers - 12
This is the twelfth installation in the series titled "This World Has Gone Bonkers." You will enjoy this series if you've ever read a news article and thought, "man, that is just crazy!" We know and see it increasingly everyday: happenings that show the powers and principalities at play behind the craziness, and we can't help but wonder just what is this world coming to. At the same time, we know the scriptures tell us these times are both here and coming, so we trust God, suit up for spiritual battle, and engage lost souls for Christ. In today's episode, we cover articles about high courts having to spell out the definition of gender, climate activists tearing down huge swaths of the Amazon rain-forest to build roads for an upcoming climate change conference, clergy reducing Christ from Savior of the world to a mere guide, and women aborting their children in response to faulty and shady testing. If you have ever thought that you shouldn't annoy the stranger with your gospel presentation or that you shouldn't inconvenience your neighbor with witnessing efforts, throw timidity out the window, take one listen to this podcast, and realize that everywhere all around us, people are absolutely lost in spiritual darkness, desperately in need of the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Whom you know! Take heart, be bold, and reach out and engage them for Christ, because this world has gone Bonkers.
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Episode 200
On this 200th episode, we sit down with recurring guest Sam to discuss Trump, DOGE, and Elon Musk. Trump has executed a relentless flurry of initiatives, maneuvers, and executive orders to aggressively tackle government fraud, waste, and abuse. Americans the world over have been shocked to learn of the excessive spending of taxpayer dollars on frivolous and shady endeavors, all labeled as sweetly as possible in order to evade suspicion. Elon Musk has put his considerable intellect to work setting up a team to get this done, but can they do it? Is it enough? What more must be done? Join us as we discuss this topic more!
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Episode 199
When Daniel Penny's intervention on a New York subway unintentionally resulted in the death of Jordan Neely, the country was up in arms and he was public enemy #1. When Luigi Mangione (allegedly, as of this post) deliberately took the life of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, millions rose to his defense and hailed him a hero. Why is that the case? The situations couldn't be more clear and diverse, yet evil is called good and good, evil. On this episode of the Removing Barriers podcast, we explore the circumstances that would bring about such a twisted response. Could it be there is something in these cases that we missed? Or are we a country that has lost its fear of the Lord and so the average person can no longer accurately discern good and evil?
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Episode 198
Series: On the Mission Field - 21
In this installment of the On the Mission Field series, we interview the O'Briens to Ukraine. John and his wife Cathy have dedicated their lives to reaching the lost souls of eastern Ukraine. Despite the horrors following the 2022 invasion and at great personal cost, they refused to leave, continuing to provide help, comfort, supplies, and the gospel to the people of the region. Understandably, most missionaries have fled. With so many lives lost, so many homes destroyed, and so many families bereft of hope and security, people are now more open to spiritual truth. John and Cathy stand in the gap, serving the Lord and being the vessels through whom God continues to shower grace on the Ukrainians. Additionally, their ministries to the deaf and to military servicemembers are thriving amidst the chaos. Though they did not initially set out to minister to these people groups, God equipped and commissioned them for it. You won't want to miss their incredible testimony of God's work in their lives, and in the lives of the souls God wants to save through their ministries.
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Episode 197
Can the bible be trusted? After all, who has ever seen a donkey talk, or a sea split down the middle, or or a curse-induced drought? Our scientific knowledge has multiplied to the point that the story of the sun standing still in the sky is just fantastic, right? Or could it be that these things really did happen, and the bible is completely trustworthy and its author's claims should be taken to heart? On this episode of the Removing Barrier podcast, we sit down with Dr. Phil Stringer, vice president of the King James Bible Research Council, speaker, and author of several books, including The History of the English Bible, Majestic Legacy, and The Real Story of King James. What are the reasons that the bible can be trusted? What are the arguments that bible critics have against is veracity? How can we as Christians strengthen our faith in God's word and effectively explain to the world why the bible can be trusted? Dr. Stringer answers these questions and much more, so join us on this episode to hear more about the book of all books: The Bible.
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Episode 196
Series: On the Mission Field - 20
In this installation of the Removing Barriers podcast, we head back to the mission field and talk to David Gates, missionary to Dearborn, MI. Dearborn is in southern Michigan and is a suburb of Detroit. It is famous as the hometown of Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company, as well as for its status as the city with the largest Muslim population in the country. It also has the largest mosque in the nation. With these stats, we may be tempted to engage through fleshly predispositions. David Gates, however, explains in this interview how Dearborn is no different from any other U.S. city, and how a love for Christ and for souls will help us override those predispositions and see the lost souls behind the mosques, the hijabs, or the calls to prayer. Who are the people of Dearborn and how can we best witness to them? Join us on this episode to hear of the work God is doing on this mission field!
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Episode 195
What do you think about para-church ministries? This is one of those subjects where if you ask a hundred Christians, you may get a hundred different answers. In this episode of the Removing Barriers podcast we talk with recurring guest Shawn Henly about the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF), a worldwide college campus organization that claims it seeks to establish and advance witnessing opportunities of students and faculty. If that sounds a bit like Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ), you would be right. But what many of us do not realize is that these organizations, though established with good intentions, are completely infiltrated with unbiblical ideologies like feminism, woke-ism, and racism. We must expose these things to encourage reform and repentance. Shawn Henly of Cross Crusaders has been actively trying to warn and inform Christians of IVCF's departure from the scriptures for a long time now, and he joins us to peel back the rot underneath the veneer of christian evangelism. Don't miss this conversation--it will be a wake-up call for us to be vigilant against the works of darkness and take nothing for granted.
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