Do we prioritize the Psalms in worship, or do we prefer hymns? Does this mean anything when it comes to theological drift? Joining Lucas for this father-son conversation is Pastor Peter Holtvlüwer, the editor of the Christ Psalms, Our Psalms resources. We address some common objections to the primacy of Psalm singing and even delve into some of the decisions made at the last CanRef synod regarding music in worship. Let us know what you think! Be sure to check out the Christ’s Psalms, Our Psalms ...
Aug 11, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 130
Why is marriage so hard? If you're single, does marriage scare you? We are grateful to have our friend, Pastor Matt King, join us to discuss the real struggles in marriage, but also the real hope we find in God’s beautiful design, which points us to the glory and grace found in Christ. We hope this episode encourages you to see the goodness and beauty of marriage in whatever season you’re in. Check out Insight Biblical Counselling and Broomtree Care . They are willing and able to help. Be sure t...
Jul 31, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 129
Is it possible to make abortion unthinkable? Joining Tyler to answer this question are Nick and Maaike Rosendal from the Canadian Centre for Bioethical Relief. We discuss what CCBR is, their strategies and why they believe graphic abortion images and apologetical arguments are the most effective tools in changing people’s minds. We also explore reasons to be hopeful in the pro-life fight. We hope this episode inspires and encourages you to think about how you can be a voice for the voiceless. To...
Jul 14, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 128
Does the Bible have anything to say about economics? How should Christians think about the current trade wars? Join Lucas and Economics Professor, Dr. Caleb Fuller, for a discussion on his book, Mere Economics. We address many of these hot-button issues, as well as how to think critically about the economic decisions we make every day, whether we realize it or not. Want to learn more? Let us know if you want a part 2 of this conversation, and be sure to pick up a copy of Mere Economics . BIG THA...
Jun 30, 2025•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 127
Joining us for a two-part series on the office bearers of the Church is returning guest, Dr. Van Dam. We discuss his book, The Deacon , examining the biblical foundations for the ministry of mercy, the arguments for and against deaconesses, and how we can effectively support the work of deacons in our own churches. We hope this episode gives you a revived appreciation for the deaconry as they carry out the work of Christ amongst the needy. Be sure to check out the list of related resources below...
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 126
It’s one thing to have "real talk", but it’s another to actually apply it to life. It has been a while since we last got together so we thought it was time to do a special round-up recapping how these last six months of episodes have impacted our lives. Using the theme from the well-known book Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung we chat about how we are all called to do something and how Real Talk has been helping us do this. We hope the same is true for you! If you haven’t yet, be sure to read J...
Jun 02, 2025•47 min•Ep. 125
An episode for all ages! Joining us all the way from Colorado is Bruce Bruinsma from Retirement Reformation. We chat about how retirement is different when you’re a Christian, why young people should prepare now and how there is purpose in every stage of life. Let us know what you think! Be sure to check out Retirement Reformation for more resources! And be sure to check out these RP articles on Retirement here: "Christians Don't Retire" "Seniors - Florida Does Not Exist" 0:00 - Introduction 9:2...
May 19, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 124
Joining us for this important conversation is Word & Deed’s, Rick Postma. We chat about what poverty is, Word & Deed’s approach, and how the West's approach is not the fix it seems to be. We also discuss global persecution and the power of prayer. Be sure to listen all the way through to hear some amazing stories of how God is working around the world. Check out Word & Deed here! 0:00 - Rick’s Story 8:00 - What is Poverty? 18:00 - View of Self 30:00 - How Word & Deed Helps 36:30 ...
May 05, 2025•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 123
This one has been a long time coming! Honoured to be joined by returning guest Pastor Al Bezuyen and our new friend, Tyler Witthoeft. In the context of their stories, we chat about young men’s struggles and the importance of discipleship in developing godly men who lead well. Gospel-centred and saturated, we hope this episode inspires you to think more deeply on what it means to be a godly man. If you want to hear more about Pastor Al’s story, check out Episode 9 of Real Talk. 0:00 - Intro 3:14 ...
Apr 21, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 122
Jojo Ruba joins us for this important conversation on love, identity and sexuality. We discuss his upcoming book that responds to the world’s assumptions about these issues. We also discuss the importance of understanding identity and why saying “gay Christian” is unbiblical. And we even delve into how the LGBTQ movement is creating issues with in our own local community. You don’t want to miss this one! Be sure to let us know if you have any feedback, We’d love to hear it. If you want to learn ...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 121
With everything going on north and south of the border, we thought it was time for a political update! Joining us is returning guest and ARPA’s Executive Director, Mike Schouten. Along with an ARPA update, we chat about Mark Carney, a possible election and how we should consider our Christian responsibility in Canada. Be sure to let us know what you think! If you want to learn more about Mark’s personal story and how that has impacted his work, check out Episode 64 of Real Talk . 0:00 - Intro 5:...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 120
Such an important conversation for you today! NYC Pastor Paul Murphy joined us to share his story and to talk about the importance of evangelism as a way of life. We primarily discuss why and how our (Dutch) Reformed Churches struggle to evangelize and do it well. We also get into what truly should motivate evangelism: love for God and love for the lost. We hope this episode encourages and inspires you to really think about your love for the lost and the importance of sharing the Gospel, for it ...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 119
Happy Monday! We got a big one for you this week. Joining Tyler for this conversation is avid BC hunter Jerry Pol. We wanted to sit down to chat about hunting, its ethics and what it actually means to hunt as a Christian. If you’re an avid hunter or have never hunted before, we hope this episode inspires you to GET OUTSIDE and think about hunting as more than a hobby but as a way to better appreciate and steward God’s creation. 0:00 - Intro 6:09 - Jerry’s Story 23:00 - Stillness 36:00 - Field to...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 118
Is AI all bad? Is it actually taking over? How should we engage with it? Join Lucas AND Tyler as they chat with the good guys at Faith to Film all about AI. We cover what it is, the ethical dilemmas it presents and what this ever changing technology means for the Church. Let us know what you think! 0:00 - Intro 2:40 - What is AI? 6:00 - AI In Media 13:00 - AI Possibilites 29:00 - The Arms Race For AI 33:00 - AI and Education 51:00 - Ethical Dilemmas 1:18:00 - What does this mean for the Church? ...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 117
A new episode for you this Monday! Joining us for this conversation on Christian politics is former MLA (MPP equivalent) James Teitsma. He has had quite an interesting journey in entrepreneurship and politics and much wisdom to share from his experience. We chat about getting more Christians into politics and how Christian politicians navigate controversy. 0:00 - Introduction 2:30 - Career Path 6:00 - Road to Politics 18:00 - Life as an MLA 29:00 - Being Christian in Politics 36:00 - Navigating ...
Jan 27, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 116
A BIG THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR, REDEEMER UNIVERSITY! WE APPRECIATE YOU HELPING US MAKE THIS CONVERSATION POSSIBLE. BE SURE TO CHECK THEM OUT AT WWW.REDEEMER.CA Happy New Year, friends! The start of the year usually means university application season for a lot of high schoolers! Building off the Nov/Dec issue of Reformed Perspective, we thought it might be helpful to have a conversation thinking through all the post-secondary options. Is formal education still worth it? Is the work force better? Sh...
Jan 13, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 115
Happy last Monday of 2024! Join us for this conversation on how to align your faith and finances when it comes to investing. We hope this episode provides a good introduction to value-based investing and helps you think through what this means for you and your impact on the world. Be sure to let us know your thoughts as we hope to do a feedback episode for this topic. On behalf of us here at Real Talk, thanks for your support and listenership in 2024. Stay tuned for another exciting year of podc...
Dec 30, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 114
We have a really encouraging episode for you today. Joining us for this conversation are some of the fine folks at Reformed Book Services: the manager, Jennifer deBlieck and Jed & Trudy Schuit. We chatted about their history, the explosion of growth they experienced, and recent developments. We also discuss the revival taking place across Canada through the distribution of solid resources. Be sure to check out their website, and if you’re in Ontario, definitely make the trip to see their sto...
Dec 16, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 113
A BIG THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR, REDEEMER UNIVERSITY! WE APPRECIATE YOU HELPING US MAKE THIS CONVERSATION POSSIBLE. BE SURE TO CHECK THEM OUT AT WWW.REDEEMER.CA 2025 is drawing near! A new year often brings new resolutions and new goals. One of those goals for Christians is often having a better and more consistent devotional life. Joining for this important conversation is returning guest Dr. Mark Kelderman and his wife Donna, the compilers/authors of multiple devotionals. We chat about the purpose...
Dec 02, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 112
If you love BBC’s Planet Earth but dislike how God the Creator is never mentioned, this episode is for you! Joining Tyler and Jon for this conversation on creation and evolution is Dr. Gordon Wilson, the Senior Fellow of Natural History at New Saint Andrews College. He has created the nature documentary The Riot and The Dance and has done extensive work in defending creationism by dismantling the claims of both evolutionary theory and theistic evolution. Using his book, Darwin’s Sandcastle we ta...
Nov 18, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 111
A BIG THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR, REDEEMER UNIVERSITY! WE APPRECIATE YOU HELPING US MAKE THIS CONVERSATION POSSIBLE. BE SURE TO CHECK THEM OUT AT WWW.REDEEMER.CA We got a great episode for you! Joining us is Pastor Keith and Laura Davis from Bethel URC in Calgary the founders of Summit Conferences. We talk about the impact Summit has had on youth and young adults in the Canadian West. The West is quite different than Ontario just given the physical space between Churches. Listen in as we chat about h...
Nov 04, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 110
Back with an all-new, exciting episode for you. Joining us is returning guest, Rev. William Boekestein. He recently released a book called Finding Your Vocation: A Guide for Young People Seeking a Calling . Using this book as a guide, we get into it all. We discuss what vocation is, how calling feeds into that, and what skills we all need to cultivate no matter what kind of work we do. We also discuss that in order to work well, we need to understand the importance of true and meaningful rest. W...
Oct 21, 2024•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 109
A BIG THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR, REDEEMER UNIVERSITY! WE APPRECIATE YOU HELPING US MAKE THIS CONVERSATION POSSIBLE. BE SURE TO CHECK THEM OUT AT WWW.REDEEMER.CA Joining us for this important conversation on critical theory is Dr. Neil Shevi. Neil has done a lot of thought work in trying to understand this ideology that is antithetical to Christianity. We talk about trigger words like intersectionality, CRT and marxism. We hope this episode informs your thinking and inspires you to seek first the Kin...
Oct 07, 2024•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 108
The anticipated feedback episode on homeschooling is here! We asked and you provided. Thank you to all who sent in their thoughts. We tried to summarize the themes and touch on as many points as possible. We hope this episode helps you think through this topic a bit more, seeing covenant schools and homeschooling as both valid options. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out with your thoughts. 0:00 - Intro 3:59: Baptismal Vows 10:00 - “Blood, Sweat and Tears” 19:56 - Finances 34:04 - Individuali...
Sep 23, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 107
A BIG THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR, REDEEMER UNIVERSITY! WE APPRECIATE YOU HELPING US MAKE THIS CONVERSATION POSSIBLE. BE SURE TO CHECK THEM OUT AT WWW.REDEEMER.CA Tyler is back with a new episode for you! Joining him is Dr. Ewan Goligher, Christian clinician in the ICU. He is someone who is faced with the reality of death on a daily basis. Dr. Goligher along with his pastor, Kyle Hackman recently wrote a Catechism on dying well. We use this as the basis for this conversation, so we encourage you to fo...
Sep 09, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 106
Two years ago we had Jake and John-Michael on the podcast to share all about the documentary they were working on. Well since then the documentary was released, and Into The Light Ministries was formed. We are so grateful to have these wonderful gentlemen back on to share all that has happened and what is next for Into the Light, specifically their new series on Parenting and Pornography. Be sure to give this one a listen. Be sure to prayerfully consider supporting Into the Light Ministries and ...
Aug 26, 2024•57 min•Ep. 105
We have an exciting episode for you this week! Joining us for this discussion about generosity and stewardship are two successful local entrepreneurs, Al Schutten and Peter Kranendonk, along with Ray Pennings, the founder of Cardus, a non-profit think tank. We discuss lessons learned in business, principles in giving and responsibility in stewardship. Be sure to let us know your thoughts on this conversation! 0:00 - Intro 6:00 - Lessons Learned 25:00 - The Pressure of Time 27:00 - Strings Attach...
Aug 12, 2024•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 104
We’ve got a fun episode for you today. Based on a recent Reformed Perspective article all about advice to young women, we thought it would be helpful to put the content into podcast format. Joined by three of the many article's contributors we chat all about how young women can best serve God where they're at. And of course, these principles apply to young men and really all people in all stages of life. Give it a listen and let us know what you think! Check out the full article on pages 14-19 o...
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 103
We got a great episode for you. Maybe one of the more controversial topics in our Reformed circles here in Canada is homeschooling. We have covered education a lot on Real Talk and we thought it only fair to cover the topic of homeschooling as well. Andrea Veldkamp, a homeschooling Mom and previous member of the Alberta Home Education Association joins us to talk about her experiences, the different resources available and yes, we even discuss homeschooling versus Christian Schools. We hope this...
Jul 15, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 102
We are so excited and grateful to be able to celebrate the 100th Real Talk podcast. In the spirit of celebration, the whole team got together to talk past, present and future. Join us as we share some life updates, chat about some of our favourite podcast moments, and even hear from some of our dedicated listeners. A big thanks to you all for listening and supporting the show - we couldn't do it without you! TO GOD BE THE GLORY! If you ever have any ideas for episodes or potential guests, please...
Jul 01, 2024•54 min•Ep. 101
