Are Christians "picking and choosing" which Old Testament laws we should keep and which ones no longer apply? In this episode Pastor Zac and Pastor Mark shed light on how believers have understood the civil, ceremonial, and moral laws of the Old Testament. Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA. Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission....
Aug 12, 2025•37 min•Ep. 206
"Is cremation permissible for a Christian?" That's one of the more common questions a pastor will hear when facing end-of-life decisions for believers. In this episode Pastor Zac and Pastor Mark provide biblical and theological guidance for those seeking answers for this important issue. Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA. Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission....
Aug 07, 2025•38 min•Ep. 205
One of the distinctive features of the Reformed tradition is its commitment to what we call covenant theology , which is a framework of reading and understanding the Scriptures in a way that is especially attuned to the way our God relates covenantally to His people throughout the Scriptures. As this is an important aspect of the Reformed faith, in this week's episode we try to explore the ways in which this framework is found in the Scriptures and how it informs our doctrines of Scripture, salv...
Jul 11, 2025•39 min•Ep. 204
If you've been a Reformed Christian for any amount of time, odds are you've probably heard some half truths about our theological tradition. The truth is, there are a lot of caricatures and misconceptions out there. Often times, these come from outside the Reformed camp, but even sometimes from within. And sometimes, they are rooted in reality, albeit not entirely. So for this week's episode, join us as we work through what Reformed theology is by examining what it isn't. Visit www.almondvalley....
Jul 02, 2025•58 min•Ep. 203
With the CRCNA's 2025 synod just around the corner, we take some time this week to reflect on the agenda and three of the big items on the docket: the virtual" church report, the assisted suicide report, and the overtures coming in regarding matters relating to gravamina, confessional subscription, and the Covenant of Officebearers. For a great snapshot of this year's agenda, check out the new Guide to Synod 2025 ----more---- Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christi...
Jun 05, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 202
A perennial question in the Christian life is whether we can truly trust the Bible. With all the years that have come and gone between the original writings and now, can we really be sure the Bible hasn't just been corrupted like a long game of telephone, or twisted by this or that whim of ancient scribes? And what about those few passages or verses in the Gospels that are put in brackets and have strange footnotes about how the "earliest manuscripts" either do or don't contain them? In this wee...
May 22, 2025•37 min•Ep. 201
By the Lord's grace, we've reached yet another milestone here at Reformed Podmatics: episode 200! To help us celebrate we invited back an old friend of the show, Simon Veenstra, to join in for a lively convivial conversation about what it is that continues to thrill and captivate us about the Reformed faith, and how we hope this beautiful inheritance will continue to guide our denomination in the years to come. Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Chu...
May 15, 2025•51 min•Ep. 200
This week's episode comes from a listener question! He wrote in, wondering if many ordinary Christians may doubt whether it's really all that important to pursue progressing from spiritual milk to the solid food, thinking that maybe it's just for pastors and theology nerds to pursue deeper theological and biblical wisdom. So we take some time to think, why should lay Christians move beyond spiritual milk to solid food? We hope you're encouraged and motivated as you listen in! Visit www.almondval...
May 02, 2025•41 min•Ep. 199
With all that's going on in our world around us today, it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming. But for the believer, there is still hope available to us at all times. In this week's episode, Mark and Zac dig into three passages of Scripture that perennially remind us where true hope can be found. As you celebrate this Easter season, perhaps this may be the perfect place to start! Mentioned by Zac: Impossible Christianity: Why Following Jesus Does Not Mean You Have to Change the World, Be an Ex...
Apr 25, 2025•40 min•Ep. 198
Over the last few months, many have argued that Christianity is experiencing something of a "vibe shift" . Just last year, Aaron Renn published a book called Life in the Negative World , arguing that the Church was living in increasingly oppositional times in the Western world. So could it be possible that, perhaps, there is something more going on here too? And if so, what should we do about it? ***Episode note: please forgive our audio imbalance issues. We'll make sure to clear them up going f...
Apr 12, 2025•52 min•Ep. 197
This week we're joined by our friend and special guest, Rev. Todd Zuidema, who serves as the Director of Church Relations at Dordt University. In this episode, we take some time to talk with Todd about Dordt University, its vision and philosophy, as well as its approach to what's been going on within the CRCNA over the past few years of major synodical decisions. Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA. Music by Jonathan Ogden used wi...
Apr 04, 2025•59 min•Ep. 196
Sometimes people may wonder what we're reading and thinking about over here at Reformed Podmatics, so this week decided to share a little bit about some recent things we've been reading, watching, and listening to. If you're looking for good books, devotionals, YouTube channels, or music to help you grow in your daily walk this is the episode for you! Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA. Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permissio...
Mar 28, 2025•43 min•Ep. 195
In 1 Peter 2:9 we read that the church is "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession." But what does this mean, in practice? For some, it means all believers are on the same playing field, able to preach, lead, and administer sacraments. For others, it means something less radical. Where does the Reformed tradition stand? And how does it compare, for example, to an Anabaptist or Pentecostal view? What about the Roman Catholic view? These are questions we d...
Mar 20, 2025•39 min•Ep. 194
For many Christians today, sharing the faith proves to be a challenge. In a divided world with deep convictions on all sides of the political and cultural spectrum, it can be hard to speak up and tell the truth. And the difficulty only increases when we consider sharing our faith with unbelieving family members--siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, grandparents, you name it. So in this week's episode we dive right in and offer our perspective, thoughts, and experiences to help our listener...
Mar 14, 2025•49 min•Ep. 193
While there is a lot that we get into here at Reformed Podmatics that gets us into controversial waters, one of the least controversial things in the Christian life is our duty to the poor and vulnerable in our midst. In recent decades, this has unfortunately become a political issue, like much else, yet for all believing followers of Christ it is a non-negotiable. So what does the Bible teach us about caring for the poor, the hurting, the hungry, the prisoner, and the stranger? And why does it ...
Mar 07, 2025•49 min•Ep. 192
In both the Christian Reformed Church and the broader church today, there is a shortage of faithful pastors. For a multitude of reasons, many pastors have been leaving the ministry in recent years and less young people have heeded the call. So in this week's episode we want to dig into what's going on and, more importantly, we want to help listeners consider what it means for them - or someone they know - to be called by God to be a minister of the gospel. Regardless of whether you sense a call ...
Feb 28, 2025•57 min•Ep. 191
Over the past several years one common accusation levied against those in favor of the classical Christian view on sexuality is that there has not been enough listening, open inquiry, and dialogue. The feeling among many is that by settling the debate within the CRCNA through synod, conservatives have effectively silenced dissent by circumventing honest deliberation. So in this week's episode, we try to tackle this argument head on in order to help everyone think through what James means - and d...
Feb 21, 2025•49 min•Ep. 190
One of the perennial needs in the Church is a strong dose of theological humility, where believers develop strong, confident convictions but without the pitfalls of hubris and pride. But the question is, in our quest for knowledge how are we to avoid becoming puffed up? This is what we aim to tackle in this week's episode. Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, CA. Music by Jonathan Ogden used with permission....
Feb 14, 2025•51 min•Ep. 189
In a recent article in the New York Post entitled "Young men leaving traditional churches for ‘masculine’ Orthodox Christianity in droves" , journalist Ricki Schlott analyzes the growing trend among young men in Gen Z leaving Evangelicalism for the Eastern Orthodox Church. In this week's episode we discuss why we believe this is happening, what it teaches us about the needs of young people, and what we as Reformed Christians can do about it. Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almon...
Jan 31, 2025•50 min•Ep. 188
One of the great questions in life that many of us have is whether or not we can really change, and if we can, how it happens and how we can do it. In this week's episode, we dive into this subject and explore it biblically, addressing along the way how Christians believe God can (and does) change us but how some of the changes we would like to see in ourselves can be painfully long in the making as we grow and learn and strive by God's grace. Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Alm...
Jan 24, 2025•42 min•Ep. 187
This week's topic comes from a listener in Blyth, ON who is curious to hear an explanation for and defense of the Reformed articulation of predestination and irresistible grace. In particular, she's interested to see how we would respond to the oft-repeated claim that "God wouldn’t force people to love Him because He’s a gentleman.” So by using the Scriptures and the Canons of Dort, we aim to do just that, laying out a case for how the Reformed view is deeply biblical, catholic, and pastoral, as...
Jan 17, 2025•54 min•Ep. 186
With all that's going on around us, it can be easy to despair and forget that God is still at work bringing His flock to Himself by the power of the gospel. In this week's episode we take a look at some of the encouraging trends going on in our world today that help us see and find joy in all that God is doing among us today. From the decline of New Atheism to the rise of Christian YouTube, from the increase of Bible sales in 2024 to conversion of high-profile intellectuals there is much going o...
Jan 08, 2025•49 min•Ep. 185
In the modern world today there is such a dizzying array of different Christian denominations and traditions that it's easy to get lost and confused. In order to exhibit the spirit of mere Christianity where we can appreciate and benefit from other Christians, we need to better understand the Christian family tree and the different branches. In doing so, we need to develop joyful discernment, not so we can look down on other Christians, but so we can know what to look out for as we learn from th...
Jan 06, 2025•56 min•Ep. 184
'Tis the season for a Reformed Podmatics discussion about Christmas movies! This week, as good Neo-Calvinists, we take a little time to reflect on some of the most beloved Christmas films like A Christmas Carol , It's A Wonderful Life , A Charlie Brown Christmas , How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Home Alone and examine what they get right, what they get wrong, and what they suggest to us about how our culture sees the Christian faith. As this will be the last episode of the year, we'd like to...
Dec 19, 2024•52 min•Ep. 183
With Advent now well and truly upon us, 'tis the season for some prophecy! This week, sparked by a radio preacher Mark heard who taught that Isaiah 19's prophecies about the conversion of Egypt are being fulfilled as we speak, we decided that for this week's episode we'd dig in a little bit to how Reformed Christians have and ought to think about the predictive prophecies given to us in Scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments. Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley ...
Dec 12, 2024•39 min•Ep. 182
In every age, the Church faces new obstacles and trials and is tasked with faithful living, thinking, believing, praying, and witnessing. It's all too easy, given the circumstances, to lose perspective and think either too much of the current generation or too little. What we need, then, is the perspective of the aged and the spiritual ballast and balance that they bring. In this week's episode, we aim to convince both the old and the young of the important place that the elderly serve within th...
Dec 07, 2024•41 min•Ep. 181
As a podcast which gets its name from Herman Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics , Neo-Calvinism is obviously a theological tradition and project near and dear to our hearts. But it's one that so often gets a bad rap, or is misconstrued. In this week's episode, spurred on by our conversations with recent guests over the past few months, we seek to take stock not only of what it is, but to explore some of its native tensions as well as the ways in which it is often viewed by others in the broader Reform...
Nov 23, 2024•51 min•Ep. 179
After a week away and several weeks since our last episode in this series, we've returned once again to explore the Reformed faith this time with special guest, Dr. Gerald Bray, research professor at Beeson Divinity School (Birmingham, AL) and an evangelical church historian and theologian from the Church of England. His seminal works include God Is Love: A Biblical and Systematic Theology, A History of Christian Theology: A Trinitarian Approach, Augustine On the Christian Life, and Anglicanism:...
Nov 14, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 178
What better way to celebrate Reformation Day than with an old friend from the Lutheran Church? Join with Pastor Mark as he interviews his old friend, Jonathon Bolt, who now teaches at a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod day school in New Haven, Indiana. In this week's conversation, we get into the commonalities and distinctions of Reformed and Lutheran theology as well as our two traditions' approaches to Christian education. We hope this is a fruitful dialogue for this special day! Visit www.almon...
Oct 31, 2024•36 min•Ep. 177
In contemporary worship music today, there is an increasingly popular trend toward using unconventional styles of music such as rap or EDM in corporate worship settings. So in this week's episode we dive into the legitimacy of this trend and whether or not it has a place in the Church's worship. More importantly, the conversation aims to lay out a positive vision for what kind of music ought to be sung so as to best honor the Lord. Visit www.almondvalley.org for information about Almond Valley C...
Oct 25, 2024•40 min•Ep. 176
