Here is part 2 of our series on the marks of the true church. In this episode, we're looking at the sacraments. Joining Tyler for this chat is Rev. James Zekveld, a missionary and pastor in Niverville, MB. We start with a general outline of what the sacraments are and then go into the baptism discussion. We cover arguments for both paedobaptism and credobaptism and why the covenant matters! 0:00 - Intro 06:10 - What is a sacrament? 10:00 - Roman Catholic sacraments 14:00 - Why do we only do it o...
Apr 24, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 70
Time for a Real Talk RoundUp! RP's chairman on the board, Bruce DeBoer and fellow board member, Pastor Jim Witteveen are joining us for this conversation. We catch up on the last three episodes as well as touch on a recent article Pastor Jim wrote for Reformed Perspective covering the topics of Residential Schools & Truth and Reconciliation. Check it out here on page 29 of the magazine: Truth & Reconciliation is possible, but not as it is being popularized We also have a special update f...
Apr 10, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 69
We have an interesting yet difficult episode for you today. We know this is a sensitive topic but we hope it will be helpful for you in understanding more about this complex topic. Justina Van Manen from CCBR joins us for this conversation where we discuss the history of IVF, it's regulation and the risks and dangers associated with it. On the other side, we also discuss snowflake adoption and the opportunity it presents for Christians. Be sure to let us know what you think of this episode! 0:00...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 68
Hopefully, this will be part one of a new series examining the Marks of a True Church. For this episode, we dive into what is the pure preaching of the Gospel. To help us with this we brought on Dr. Van Dam, emeritus professor of Canadian Reformed Seminary. We discuss what is preaching, how it differs from lectures and speeches, who can preach, and who is preaching for. We also hone in on what about preaching in a missional context - is the preaching for the lost or the found?? Be sure to let us...
Mar 25, 2023•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 67
We got a good episode for you today! Dr. Mark Kelderman joins us today to chat about mental health, especially in light of the last few years. Dr. Keldmerman is a certified biblical counsellor with the ACBC (Association of Certified Biblical Counsellors) and IRBC (The Institute for Reformed Biblical Counselling). He served as the pastor of Heritage Reformed Church in Burgessville, Ontario for 13 years and continues to preach locally. In this episode we also get into, what mental health is biblic...
Feb 27, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 66
We back at it with another Real Talk Round Up. Reformed Perspective's editor, Jon Dykstra join us for this one to recap and discuss the last few episodes. We also discuss the cultural moment we find ourselves in and how to evangelize to those around us. Jon also shares some great book/biography recommendations and we've listed them here: "A reason to read biographies is to see, and be encouraged by what God has done in other people’s lives. And then be challenged to consider, if He could use the...
Feb 13, 2023•53 min•Ep. 65
We're grateful to have ARPA's, Director of Advocacy, Mike Schouten join us for this episode to share about MAiD (medical assistance in suicide), its dangers and the work that ARPA is doing to fight against it. Mike also shares the personal advocacy work him and his wife did, after the parliamentary committee on MAiD asked them to share their testimony. This past May after a battle with cancer, their son Markus at the age of 18, passed on to be with Jesus. Markus' journey showed that there is a b...
Jan 30, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 64
We are beyond thrilled to have Dr. Eric Watkins on the podcast to chat about church planting and evangelism. Dr. Watkins has an incredible story of coming to faith in the Lord and is using his life solely for the advance of the Gospel and God's glory - this is evident in his experience of church planting and his heart for seeing church's be faithful in all aspects, especially evangelism. In this episode we discuss, what evangelism is versus outreach, the tension of supporting the household of fa...
Jan 16, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 63
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Starting off 2023 with this episode featuring the coordinator of the League of Canadian Reformed School Societies, John Wynia. We chat about the history of the league, what they actually do, the hallmarks of reformed education and the our school's relationship with the government. We hope this episode gives you a bit more insight into the League's important work. Be sure to let us know your thoughts. 0:00 - Intro 5:20 - History of the League? 15:00 - Why do we have reformed educa...
Jan 02, 2023•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 62
Joining Lucas and Tyler on this Real Talk Round Up is Reformed Perspective's Marty VanDriel and Jon Dykstra. We cover the last three episodes and discuss the newest trend of Canadians heading south of the border. Let us know if you have any thoughts or if there are any guest you'd like to see on the show in 2023. A BIG THANKS TO OUR OFFICIAL SPONSOR, TRIVAN! WE APPRECIATE YOU HELPING US MAKE THIS CONVERSATION POSSIBLE. BE SURE TO CHECK THEM OUT AT WWW.TRIVAN.COM To keep up with the podcast, chec...
Dec 19, 2022•50 min•Ep. 61
Joining us today is Matt Morrison. Matt has spent an extensive amount of time researching the topic of six day creation vs. evolution. We cover the different aspects of evolution/atheistic beliefs and why we as Christians believe in creation and how we can defend it. We hope this is episode is helpful for you. Let us know your thoughts! 0:00 - Intro 7:25 - Why do Christians need to see Genesis as literal? 1 8:20 - How has evolution developed into religion 23:00 - Microevolution and genetic mutat...
Dec 05, 2022•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 60
Joining Lucas on today's episode is Ray Pennings the Executive Vice President at Cardus - a Canadian non-partisan think tank that seeks a healthy society through independent research, policy analysis, and advocacy. We chat about the history of Cardus, what they actually do and the impact they have. We also cover topics such why think tanks matter, MAID (medical assistance in dying) and of course we briefly analyze the covid response. Be sure to check out Cardus and the work their doing by going ...
Nov 21, 2022•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 59
Today, we have a really exciting topic at hand, Joining Lucas in this episode is Dr. Calvin Beisner, the founder and national spokesman of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. Dr. Beisner and Lucas discuss what the Cornwall Alliance is, the history and worldviews surrounding climate change and how we as Christians should think about this topic. Be sure to check out the Cornwall Alliance ( cornwallalliance.org/ ) and all the resources they have there, especially their podcast: C...
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 58
Happy Monday, friends! Today, we're testing out a new type of feedback episode, calling it the Real Talk Round Up. Joining us for this is Reformed Perspective's Executive Director, Mark Penninga and editor, Jon Dysktra. We're grateful for their thoughtful perspectives on these last number of episodes. Also included in this new format is the brief coverage of a certain topic (this weeks being teacher shortages) and a book review/recommendation. Be sure to let us know what you think of this style ...
Oct 24, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 57
Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian listeners. Today, we have a really exciting episode that has been a long time coming. For this conversation we're joined by Pastors, Steve Swets and Dick Wynia who are well versed in this topic as they both have been heavily involved in unity discussions. We cover the history of these denominations, especially how it relates the CRC churches. We also discuss what conversations are happening currently and how we can move forward. 00:00 - Intro 04:50 - Dividi...
Oct 10, 2022•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 56
We got a great episode for you. All the way from California, we chatted with Rev. Christopher Gordon, pastor of Escondido United Reformed Church and author of the New Reformation Catechism on Human Sexuality. This piece was featured in the latest issue of Reformed Perspective. We cover why Gordon wrote this new catechism, how it differs from others and also the importance of sharing the positive message of God's good design. If in Canada be sure to get your copy at Reformed Book Services and if ...
Sep 26, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 55
WE'RE BACK! After a lengthy summer break we're back with all new episode. Pastor Bill DeJong joins us to talk about the exciting topic of youth culture. We cover the sociological trends that are current in the younger generations and how things like social media and 'authenticity' play into that. We also discuss how the church should respond to these issues and treat the youth. Be sure to check out more content from Pastor Bill on his podcast, Tyrannus Hall . We can't wait to hear your thoughts ...
Sep 12, 2022•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 54
Time for a feedback episode! Joining us on this one is our editor, Mariah Tamminga. We thought it would be fun to have her on this episode as we cover the last number of episodes, give some personal updates and share about the future of Real Talk. With Tyler's big move to Alberta on the horizon, we need to pivot the format of the podcast. Listen in as we share some ideas of what could look like and please be sure to let us know your thoughts! As mentioned in this episode, this will be our last p...
Aug 01, 2022•47 min•Ep. 53
We got a special episode for you today! We sat down with Hildy Sloots, the director of Hamilton/Halton Safe Families. This amazing organizations exists to build a network of support for families in need in a variety of ways. We're so grateful Hildy was willing to come on to share about the important work Safe Families does and how we can and why each of us should consider getting involved! We hope this episode impacts you the way it did us. If you're interested in volunteering with Safe Families...
Jul 11, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 52
We sat down with Chris deBoer, an elder from the Canadian Reformed Church (CanRef) of Carman East. He recently attended the CanRef General Synod as a delegate, so we thought it would be good to get a summary of the hot-button topics that were discussed. He also gives a bit of background on the workings of Synod and how it is made up. We know this might be more of 'niche' episode of but even if you’re not part of the CanRef church, it might be helpful to get an idea of the topics being discussed ...
Jun 27, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 51
We've made it to episode 50 and this may just be our most important episode yet. Two documentary filmmakers, Jake Valk and John-Michael Bout were kind enough to come on the podcast to share their stories and about the amazing teaching documentary they're working on. Into The Light is a teaching documentary that walks through the fundamentals of change from bondage to sexual sin to freedom in Christ. This is a hard topic and yet may be one of the most relevant struggles facing our communities. We...
Jun 13, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 50
We have an interesting episode for you today! We are so grateful to have sat down of sitting down with Paul Vanden Brink, the pastor of Grace Valley Church in Dundas. Pastor Paul has his own podcast called Clearer Thinking. He recently did a series on Deconstruction and we wanted to get him to share with us about this complex topic. This idea might be new for some of you, so we hope it gives you a helpful summary of what deconstruction actually is, the dangers, and how we can combat it in our ow...
Jun 06, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 49
One more politics episode for you and then we're done on this topic for a while! With the election around the corner, the Ontario Party reached out to us to sit down and have a conversation regarding the state of the province, where there needs to be change and how they hope to facilitate this change. We discuss all the hot button issues Ontario is facing, such as housing, immigration, inflation, education and also how Christians should engage in politics. Please note the guests hosted on the po...
May 23, 2022•47 min•Ep. 48
We had the privilege of sitting down with Dr. David Zietsma, the President of Redeemer University, located in Hamilton, ON. We found this to be an encouraging discussion on the topic of Reformed Education at all levels and how that plays out in the lives of believers. We chat about the history of Redeemer, the idea of missional drift, how Redeemer is fighting that and how they are dealing with secular ideologies and teachings. We also cover why post-secondary Christian education is important and...
May 09, 2022•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 47
In response to our previous episode, we brought on Professor Ed Bosveld to bring some context to this feedback episode. Over the past two years, Ed has researched and analysed pandemic-related public policy as well as data and statistics relating to pandemic policy-making. We cover modelling, public trust, vaccines, statistics and the Texas/Florida debate taking listener feedback into account as well as responses from MPP Sam Oosterhoff. Be sure to let us know if you like this new form of feedba...
Apr 18, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 46
This is a big one that you don't want to miss. Ontario MPPs (Members of Provincial Parliament), Will Bouma and Sam Oosterhoff sat down with us to discuss what has been on everyone's mind these last two years - Covid, government, the church and freedom. Both Will and Sam share their perspectives oN what has transpired while we add in some thoughts and questions that many have. There are other bills and issues we hoped to get in to but time did not allow. We hope that this episode can be an exampl...
Mar 28, 2022•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 45
Inflation? Soaring gas prices? Seemingly impossible to invest? What can seem like a complex topic or one that Christian shouldn't necessarily talk about, money affects us all. We sat down with Brent Vanderwoude, the founder of Good Stewards, a real estate investment company, to talk about all things money related. Getting down to what money really is, it's history, Bitcoin and how we as Christians should think about and interact with it. Be sure to check out goodstewards.ca to learn more about i...
Mar 14, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 44
We're back with an all new exciting episode! We had the privilege of sitting down with avid blogger Samuel Sey. We discussed some controversial issues of our day, including the Canadian political scene, Critical Race Theory and the Pro-Life movement. We hope Sam's wisdom helps you think through these important topics. Be sure to check out and follow Sam's work at and on Instagram and Twitter @slowtowrite. 00:00 - Intro 03:00 - Sam and the Dutch Reformed Community 07:40 - Why Sam is in the US 10:...
Feb 28, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 43
We thought it was a time for a feedback episode! Lucas and Tyler sit down to chat about the last number of episodes by reviewing the highlights, sharing their thoughts and as well as some upcoming future episodes. Be sure to let us know if there is anyone you'd like to hear on the podcast! 00:00 - Introduction 01:00 - The Clarion 02:00 - Church vs. State 03:00 - Trucker Convoy 06:00 - Male Leadership 08:00 - Propaganda 14:50 - Upcoming Episodes To keep up with the podcast, check out our website:...
Feb 14, 2022•36 min•Ep. 42
A long episode packed with a lot of insight! We had the privilege of sitting down with Rev. Jim Witteveen, a missionary currently located in Abbotsford, BC. Jim has his own podcast called Dan 11:32. We chat about many topics including the history and prominence of propaganda, consuming media and news, and we touch on how this relates to the covid issue. We also cover Jim's thoughts on masks and how that relates to symbolism and we discuss how we should have these hard conversations with those ar...
Jan 31, 2022•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 41
