The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

What’s the difference between divorce and annulment? And what does it mean for marriage to be a sacrament? Adam and David answer these questions and more as they discuss how the Catholic Church handles marriage and separation. 

If you want to understand the Catholic perspective of marriage, you have to understand sacraments. As Adam and David explain, a sacrament is “an incarnational moment” where God acts on a supernatural level at the same that man acts on a material level. As two people are joined together in a marriage ceremony, God joins them together spiritually, giving weight to Jesus’ words, “What God has joined together, let no one separate.” Although physical separation is sometimes necessary and encouraged (for example, in the instance of spousal abuse), the Catholic Church does not recognize divorce. An annulment, which is the process of declaring a marriage “unlawful,” is the only option for a Catholic to have their marriage dissolved. 

Listen in to this episode to hear David’s grace-filled advice for Catholics who are separated or divorced, and, of course, Adam and David engage in more wordplay.


About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.


Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:31] Thoughts on unity and “catholicity”
• [3:27] Opening thoughts on marriage and morality
• [4:21] God’s creation of marriage
• [6:59] Explanation of the sacraments
  • Example of baptism
  • Protestant view of the sacraments
  • Matter and form
• [11:59] Sacrament vs covenant
• [14:26] Why separation is accepted but divorce isn’t
• [16:32] Conditions for annulments
• [19:39] Matthew 5:32 and “sexual immorality”
  • Translation issues
  • Premarital intent to be unfaithful
  • Jesus’ amplification of Mosaic divorce
• [25:34] Divorced Catholics
  • [25:53] How to live as someone who has been abandoned by a spouse
  • [27:40] Options for living as someone who has divorced and remarried 

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• David Carter’s ministry
• The Gift of Self by Maria Pia Campanella 

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

Not everyone is called to celibacy, and not everyone is called to marriage, but these lifestyles don’t receive equal attention in many Christian circles. In this episode, Adam and David examine celibacy, how it’s handled in Christian culture, and why it’s an important part of the Catholic witness to the world. 

Celibacy among Catholic clergy isn’t just a legalistic requirement, or a way to sidestep sexual temptation, or a convenience for those who aren’t particularly interested in marriage (in fact, David was told, “if you wouldn’t have made a good husband and father, you shouldn’t be ordained as a priest”). It’s a radical declaration that what is eternal is more precious than “the goods of this world” and a sacrifice to serve the church in lieu of a spouse. But celibacy is not as celebrated or supported as it should be, particularly within the Protestant church where marriage is idolized. “The world needs celibacy now more than ever,” especially in response to the effects of the sexual revolution. 

Listen in to this conversation as Adam and David talk about the priestly life, types of celibates, and the difference between asexuality and celibacy.


About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.


Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:45] The life of a Catholic priest
• [4:08] The “radical witness” of celibacy
• [6:14] Why celibacy is needed in the 21st century
• [8:40] How celibates are viewed in Protestantism and Catholicism
• [10:50] Sexual morality and same-sex attraction
• [12:29] Lack of attention in churches towards celibates and singles
• [14:07] Life for married priests
  • What clergy can be married
  • Reformation issues with unmarried clergy
• [17:18] The effective witness of dissimilarities among Christians 
• [19:21] Sexuality in modern culture
  • Difference between asexual and celibate
  • Correlation between the sexual revolution and pedophilia among clergy
• [22:45] Sexual issues in marriage and mutual witness
• [24:54] Different types of celibates
• [28:21] About those who are celibate/single for a time
• [30:07] Closing thoughts

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• David Carter’s ministry

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

One of the hallmarks of Catholicism is the intercession of the saints. Although this practice is not shared by Protestants, Christians can at least agree on most of the theology about why this may even be possible. With sufficient Greek and Latin tangents, Adam and David explore what Catholics say about those who have passed on and how this is practically applied. 

Undergirding this type of prayer is the belief that Christians who have died are now alive in Christ, living with Him, and capable of affecting what happens in our world through their connection with God. Catholics may pray to the saints directly and remember them with icons and relics, but this isn’t the same as worshipping them. The communion of saints represents, among other things, the community of the church (both the living and the dead) and the ancestry of Christians.

Listen in to this episode to hear Adam and David address common objections to praying to the saints, superstition, and the importance of death and tradition.


About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.


Jump Through the Conversation:

• [2:03] What it means to pray to the saints
• [4:08] Brief aside, Adam’s “cultural question”
• [4:51] What it means for the saints to be “alive in Christ”
• [5:55] Scriptural references of talking to those who have passed on
• [8:43] How the saints represent community and heritage
• [11:41] Lack of rootedness/continuity in Protestantism
• [12:23] Secular vs Christian views of death
  • Meaning of “the communion of saints”
  • Saints are alive in Christ
• [14:10] Flippancy and superstition vs sacramentality
• [16:19] Protestant and Catholic responses to issue of superstition
• [17:42] The intercessory role of the saint
• [20:40] Why pray to a saint instead of Christ?
• [22:57] Scriptural basis of saints’ authority
• [24:45] The liturgical significance of praying to the saints
• [27:12] Issue of tradition in Protestant churches
• [29:10] Quote from the Catholic catechism on intercession of the saints
• [29:51] The mystery of the method and remembering heroes of the faith

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• David Carter’s ministry

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

By now, you know that Father David serves at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. And even if you haven’t seen it in downtown Chattanooga, you probably have a picture in your mind of what a Catholic church looks like – beautifully designed, highly decorated, even awe-inspiring. In this episode, Adam and David explore the purpose behind Catholic architecture, criticisms, and alternatives.

From ancient temples to medieval cathedrals, there’s a precedent for beautifully constructed places of worship both inside and outside of Christendom. But specifically for Catholics, churches have a very symbolic quality; they represent what Catholics believe about God and reflect who they are as Christians. The permanence and visibility of such buildings embody what the Church should be in a way that house churches and church plants just can’t, according to David. 

Listen to this episode to hear more about the theology of architecture as Adam and David discuss basilicas, monuments, and doctrine.


About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.


Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:41] What is a basilica?
• [2:45] Episode preface
• [3:16] The liturgical importance of Catholic churches
• [5:49] The Basilica of Saint John Lateran
• [9:36] Dedication of a new altar at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul
• [10:22] When the ideal building isn’t feasible
• [11:56] Why beautiful church buildings are worth the money
• [15:45] What about house churches?
• [21:43] The importance of things that create a permanent physical memory
• [25:28] Criticism of the church planting movement
• [26:53] Reasonable criticism of focus on architecture
• [27:50] Summary and thoughts from Adam
• [29:51] Extending thoughts on rootedness to doctrinal issues

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• David Carter’s ministry

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

Confession is prescribed in the Bible, but how well do Christians practice it? Although their system may be disputed by others, Catholics excel at this spiritual discipline. In this episode, Adam and David explore how the Catholic Church does confession and why every Christian should have a confessor in their life. 

Although it looks similar to accountability, confession is not quite the same thing; Adam describes it as “giving an account” and “admitting you are not who you want to be.” For a Protestant, this looks like finding someone who can provide a safe space for this level of vulnerability. For a Catholic, this process is built into the life of the church through designated times, spaces, and confessors. But the dispute is typically about whether or not the church has the authority to offer forgiveness – and you may be surprised at what Scripture has to say.

Join David and Adam to hear more about the power to forgive sins, the difference between mortal and venial sins, and to find out just how reverend David really is.


About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.


Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:15] Reverend vs. very reverend
• [3:58] Appeal to Protestants concerning confession
• [5:09] Confession vs. accountability
• [5:48] Who to confess to
• [7:06] Effects of confession
  • Sins are forgiven
  •  Help to be holier
• [10:08] Legal protection for confessors
• [14:00] Can the church forgive sins?
  • [14:51] Story of paralytic healed by Jesus
    • Jesus had the power to forgive sins
    • Jesus gave the power to forgive and retain sins to the apostles 
  • [17:59] Point of agreement: Jesus gave humans the power to forgive sins
• [22:51] Protestants should practice confession
  • Adam’s experience
• [24:27] Issues with authority
  • Confession got discarded by Protestants when the church split
  • Why confession should happen with a mediator 
• [28:42] Mortal vs. venial sin

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• David Carter’s ministry

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

If you’re Catholic, you’re familiar with the deuterocanonical texts. If you’re Protestant, you probably know these books as the Apocrypha. And if you’re a Christian, regardless of tradition, these books may be worth reading. In this episode, Adam and David discuss what Scripture is and what makes up the different canons.

After discussing the New Testament, David and Adam briefly explain the historical context of and requirements for canonization. This topic generates both agreement and disagreement: although both parties concur that there are that must be excluded, the Catholics accept the deuterocanonical texts and include them in their Bible while Protestants do not and often view them critically. However, Adam offers several reasons why Protestants should at least read this collection of books, especially if the goal is a unified Church. 

There’s much more to this episode than debating what texts are Scriptural. Listen to this conversation to hear Adam and David talk about the formation of the New Testament (which is accepted by both traditions), the connection between Jesus and the deuterocanonical books, and what it means for Scripture to be inspired and inerrant.


About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.


Jump Through the Conversation:

• [1:23] Preview of current and future topics
• [2:16] Vatican II document Die Verbum
• [3:07] Catholic view Scripture as a “mirror to the lived faith of the Church”
  • Example: New Testament
• [7:53] Issue of canonization and defending the Church against heretical texts
  • Agreement on being “Jesus-based Christians”
  • Examples of Gnostic gospels
  • Process of canonization
  • “Almost” canonical books
• [13:45] The Septuagint
  • Explanation of protocanonical and deuterocanonical
  • The Apocrypha
  • The relative importance of different books of different canons 
• [18:06] Addressing Protestant sentiments on the deuterocanonical books
  • Unfair accusations leveled at Catholics
  • Jesus’ relationship to these books
  • Protestant arguments
  • Paul’s quotations from Septuagint
  • The issue of fear
• [22:11] Scripture as inspired and inerrant
  • What inerrancy means
  • Dead Sea Scrolls and old arguments against the validity of Scripture
• [29:00] Adam’s summary and outro

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• David Carter’s ministry
• Dei Verbum (document from Vatican II)

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

Latin enthusiast, Canon lawyer, and – pilot? These are some descriptions of Reverend Father David Carter, but his most important role is as priest and rector. Educated during the reign of Pope John Paul II, David entered seminary at a time when the tenor of Catholicism was shifting, particularly in academia.  

In this episode, you’ll not only get to hear about David’s hobbies and his time in Rome, but you’ll also get a preview of some of this season’s topics as Adam and David discuss the “why” of this season, touching on the Reformation, Vatican II, and more.


About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.


Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:35] History of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul
• [1:49] David’s love for Latin
• [3:17] Goals for podcast
• [4:15] Addressing potential reactions from Catholics and Protestants/disclaimers
• [7:24] David’s education and why it matters
• [11:04] The influence of Pope John Paul II
• [14:51] What it means to be a conservative priest
• [16:40] Unity and the effects of the Reformation
  • [17:12] Magisterial Reformers
  • [18:03] Reformers never intended to split
  • [19:30] Could the split have been prevented?
• [21:25] Problems that arise when Christians fight each other
• [23:07] More fun facts about David

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• David Carter’s ministry

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

It’s no secret that the Church is full of division – in the local church, amongst denominations, and between different Christian traditions. This division creates hostility in the Church and thwarts its witness to the world; unity is needed for the Church to be as effective as possible.

Season 2 is one step in that direction. Adam is joined by Reverend Father David Carter, rector of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Through their conversations each week, Adam (a Protestant) and David (a Catholic) will elucidate some misunderstandings about the Catholic church and highlight the connections between these two traditions.


About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.


Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• David Carter’s ministry
• Catechism of the Catholic Church

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

Even with working a full-time job and pastoring a church, there’s one thing Zach makes room for on his schedule every week: praying with other ministry leaders. In this episode, Zach shares his transformative experiences (and ordinary experiences) from his pastoral prayer group.

Before Zach joined this prayer group, the success and survival of his church plant bore heavily on him. By sharing his burdens, being prayed for, and praying for other pastors, Zach’s spiritual and emotional health improved, and he’s seen God work in his church and personal life. But this doesn’t mean that every meeting produces miracles; as Zach and Adam both point out, it’s the constancy in community, prayer, and confession that makes the difference.

Listen in to this episode to hear more about the efficacy of pastors bearing each other’s burdens and working on their character in community. 

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:13] Adam’s intro about pastors
• [1:56] Disclaimers
• [2:43] How a pastors’ prayer group helped Zach become healthy
• [4:57] Why consistent attendance matters
• [7:56] The “cord of three strands” principle 
• [8:53] The importance of sharing with other pastors vs spouse
• [9:40] The power of praying and sharing
• [11:54] The spiritual discipline of attendance
• [14:17] Confession and refining character in community

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Orchard Church website

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

What Orchard Church may lack in size is made up for by the blend of families and individuals in the congregation. In this episode, Zach and Adam discuss how to attract different types of people to your church and how sometimes, all it takes is one person.

There’s three things Zach has done to cultivate a diverse church. First, he’s led by example in loving others well, encouraging his congregants to do the same. Second, Zach has intentionally put pastors on staff who aren’t the same ethnicity as himself, encouraging other non-white individuals and families to attend. Last, Orchard Church deliberately pursues low-income families, not just for the sake of outreach, but to let them know they’re welcome and valued in the church.

Listen in to this episode to hear about the strengths and weaknesses of Orchard’s generational diversity, and find out why “anchor” families and individuals are so important when it comes to attracting different kinds of people.

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:12] Adam’s intro comparing Zach and other pastors to Paul
• [4:19] How Zach has led and influenced the congregation
• [6:40] How diversity in leadership leads to diversity in the church
• [7:46] Outreach to lower-income families
• [9:20] Preaching vs practicing diversity
• [10:30] Getting over the awkwardness
• [11:27] Generational diversity 
• [13:51] Being “anchor” people
• [17:26] Adam’s closing exhortation 

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Orchard Church website

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.