Bedard on Discipleship

Have you considered attending seminary? But what if you are not sure if you want to be a pastor? In this video I chat about why it is good to consider seminary and how it can be part of the discernment process.

One of the issues that I have with Evangelicalism is the attitudes toward LGBTQ people. It is far more than an assertion that sex is limited to a marriage between a man and a woman. In many corners of Evangelicalism is there is actual hate toward gay people. I address that in this video.

I recently encountered a very well known transgender person. Some people did not appreciate my reaction. How should Christians respond to transgender people? This is only my position.

What exactly happened between David and Bathsheba as described in 2 Samuel 11? Was it adultery between two consenting adults or an assault accompanied by an abuse of power? And how does this affect the controversies about pastoral sexual misconduct in the Church today?

Two of the most influential leaders in the early church were Paul and James, the brother of Jesus. These two men were very different in their styles but were they enemies? Some people think so and that is why we look at this question in this video.

I sometimes struggle with Evangelicalism. One of the issues is that some evangelicals hold tightly to the culture war, the battle between conservatives and liberals, and wed that to the identity of the church. I share my thoughts on that.

One of the most controversial issues within some denominations is the role of women. Should women be pastors? But what about 1 Timothy 2? In this video, I reflect on this issue.

The report regarding the sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention has been released. The extent of the coverup and abuse is heartbreaking. One of the "excuses" that has been offered is that Baptist polity, specifically autonomy of the local church limited what SBC leadership could do. Does this aspect of Baptist polity diminish responsibility in any way? That is what we look at in this video. The Christianity Today article I reference is https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/may/southern-baptist-abuse-investigation-sbc-ec-legal-survivors.html?visit_source=twitter

In this series, I wrestle with some of my concerns about evangelicalism. One is the way evangelicals look at the Bible. In some corners of evangelicalism, it seems as if the Bible is lifted above Jesus.

As I reflect upon my experience as an evangelical, I look at some of the things I have struggled with. One of those is how evangelicals look at the role of men and women.

There has been a huge renaissance in Christian apologetics, ranging from the scholar to the pastor to the layperson. But what is the role of the Christian apologist? What should be their goal? I discuss this in this episode based on a video I recorded.

In the past number of months, we have heard some terrible stories by such prominent pastors as Bruxy Cavey, John MacArthur, and Brian Houston. What is going on? Is there even a way to stop such abuse? In this episode, I vent my frustration.

After allegations against Bruxy Cavey, the investigation has been completed. But was this "just an affair"? When a pastor (any pastor) gets involved with a person they are ministering to, it is more than adultery. We look at this difficult topic in this episode.

Worldwide pandemics. Russia invading another European nation. Does all of this mean that we are now in the end times? That's what we look at in this episode.

When we talk about disabilities, should we use person-first or identity-first language? That is, should we refer to "people with disabilities" or "disabled people"? In this episode, we look at this topic.

There is a lot of talk within the church about deconstruction. Some see this as one of the greatest threats to the church. But is it? What is deconstruction and is it always bad? That is what we look at in this episode of the podcast.

Mark Driscoll, James MacDonald, Bill Hybels, Ravi Zacharias, Bruxy Cavey. There is no lack of examples of once respected Christian leaders who have now been discredited based on their behaviour. Should we be talking about what happened? Or should we ignore these examples to avoid tarnishing the Church's reputation? That is what we will look at in this episode.

This episode is from a video I recorded right when the reports of Bruxy Cavey's sexual abuse first came out. More details have been released since I first recorded this. It is heartbreaking to see such abuse taking place in the Church and to see the fall of such a respected pastor.

Do you use the R-word? Do you describe something as "retarded" or insult someone by calling them a "retard"? Is this harmless or is there a problem? I address this is this episode.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Archangel Michael. Why do they believe that and is there any biblical support? That's what we look at in this episode.

In the books by J.R.R. Tolkien set in Middle-earth, there seem to be "good" races such as elves and hobbits and "bad" races" such as orcs and trolls. Does this reflect racism on Tolkien's part? That's what we look at in this episode of the podcast.

We often use the terms mental health and mental illness interchangeably but they are not exactly the same thing. So what is the difference? That's what we look at in this episode.

People have different views of the COVID-19 vaccines. One of those views is that it is the mark of the beast from Revelation. Is there any support for that? That's what we look at in this episode.

Is a sermon just a speech about religion or is there a difference? In this episode we look at the difference between a speech and a sermon.

Where do we start for disability ministry? One of most important areas is developing a theology of worship. How we see worship shapes how we treat disabled people. 

When I started attending church again regularly in my early 20s, the church I attended was very concerned about one particular thing: rock music. Poverty and mental illness were not on their radar but rock music was. I even attended an old fashion record burning event. What should Christians think about rock music? That's what I talk about in this episode.

Does the Bible contain any errors? What would an error even look like? We discuss this divisive issue in this episode.

You want to get a theological education but traditional seminaries are expensive or won't fit with your schedule. There are some online schools that are affordable but may lack accreditation. What do you do? We look at this question in this episode.

Many of us may not identify as having a disability but a temporary disability can come our way at any time. In this episode, Amanda Bedard shares her story of a temporary disability and how that has been affecting her life.

Is the government actively seeking to close churches as part of a persecution of Christians? I look at that question in this episode.

Easter is an important time for Christians but the word 'Easter" isn't found in the Bible? Why do English-speaking Christians call it Easter?

The feeding of the 5000 is one of the most amazing miracles in the Gospels. In fact, it is the only miracle story (other than the resurrection) found in in all four Gospels. What can we learn from this story that applies for us today?

Many people have been affected by the fall of Ravi Zacharias. This includes many aspiring Christian apologists who looked up to Zacharias and have lost a hero. But who are the real victims of Ravi Zacharias. That si what we will look at in this episode.

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Duane A. Miller, author of the book, I Will Give Them an Everlasting Name. 

Some biblical figures, such as King David, committed serious sins and yet we still learn from their writings. Is this a comparable situation to recent examples of Christian leaders who have had moral failings?

A number of major Christian figures such as Ravi Zacharias, Jean Vanier, Bill Hybels and others have fallen. Some of these were prolific authors that were influential in their area of expertise. Should we still read their books or should we purge our personal libraries? This episode looks at these questions.

The revelations of the sexual misconduct of Ravi Zacharias have been devastating to the Christian community. Should we even talk about this? He is dead, shouldn't we just let it rest? In this episode, I argue why it is important for us to talk about what happened to Ravi Zacharias.

In this episode, I talk to Randal Rauser, author of Conversations With My Inner Atheist.

The church has not always done a good job of supporting people with mental illness. For some, mental health is still an uncomfortable topic. In this episode, I talk to Rev. Deane Proctor, a mental health advocate, who can help us to further the conversation.

Please note that this episode was originally recorded and published in 2016.