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In this episode of Catechizing Conversations, Cisco Victa and Drew Brackbill examine the formation of the biblical canon and the question: Who determines what counts as God’s Word?

Tracing the history of the Old Testament from early Jewish recognition of the canon to the Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, and the debates of the Reformation, they explain why Roman Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include the Deuterocanonical books while Protestants affirm a 66-book canon. The conversation engages early witnesses such as Josephus and Melito of Sardis, as well as the disagreements between Jerome and Augustine over the Apocrypha.

They discuss why the Reformers returned to the Hebrew and Greek texts, why Protestants regard the Apocrypha as historically useful but not divinely inspired, and how the New Testament’s citation pattern shaped confidence in the Jewish canon. At the heart of the episode is a theological question: does the church authorize Scripture, or does Scripture authorize the church? Grounded in the Westminster Confession, this discussion connects canon formation to sola Scriptura, preaching, and the life of the church.

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What happens when a former atheist returns to the college campus with the Gospel? We sit down with Micah Natal of DiscipleMakers to unpack how clear doctrine and real community take root in a place often defined by slogans, polarization, and noise.

Micah traces his story from hearing a professor call the Bible “half myth,” to Micah's preaching in a house church, to the providential leading that led him into full-time campus work. Along the way, he learned the practices that now shape his work with students: slow, careful Bible study; resisting “what does this mean to me” shortcuts; and letting the Word master you before you teach it. He also spotlights a surprising tension: while many campuses broadcast their ideologies, faithful witness can still win respect. At Lebanon Valley College, Disciplemakers is widely praised for hospitality, proving that conviction and kindness can coexist.

We also talk about the hunger rising among freshmen students for depth—questions about the Lord’s Supper, assurance, and Reformed theology—and why tools like the Westminster Confession and Heidelberg Catechism clarify complex truths without dumbing them down. Then we tackle an emerging challange: Artifical Intelligence. Micah names the real harms—lack of critical thinking, engineered “companions,” and dehumanizing misuse—and explains how embodied community, shared meals, small talk, and confession counter loneliness. The thread running through it all is the local church. Campus nights aren’t a substitute for membership, elders, and the one-anothering of the local church; students who plant roots in the local church now become contributors later.

If you care about evangelism, discipleship, and the next generation’s formation, this conversation offers practical guidance and hopeful stories. Listen, share with a friend who mentors college students, and if it helps you, leave a review and subscribe so others can find it.

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Healthy Churches Grow with Tucker York

Tired of constantly putting out fires while the mission of the church stalls? In this episode, we sit down with pastor and author Tucker York to discuss the core ideas behind his book, Healthy Churches Grow: The Pastor’s Guide to Reducing Chaos, Creating Momentum, and Leading His Church to Health. Drawing directly from the framework of the book, Tucker offers a grounded and practical vision for church health that outlasts trends, respects a congregation’s real context, and frees pastors from the pressure of doing everything themselves.

Throughout our conversation, Tucker walks us through key themes from Healthy Churches Grow, including how Ephesians 4 reframes pastoral leadership around preaching, prayer, study, and equipping the saints. He explains how clear roles, simple structures, and a culture of delegation are not corporate techniques, but biblical tools that help the body flourish without burning out its shepherds.

We also dig into the nuts and bolts many churches avoid, topics Tucker addresses directly in the book, such as safety and crisis readiness, leadership alignment, and strategic planning that actually fits a church’s size and stage. Tucker helps pastors distinguish normal ministry fatigue from deeper structural dysfunction and shares realistic, low-lift “quick wins” from Healthy Churches Grow that can spark momentum now rather than someday.

Leadership development and succession planning take center stage as well. Tucker explains how churches can intentionally identify gifts, create on-ramps for service, and build leadership pipelines that strengthen the church and extend its witness into the community. We also discuss pastoral transitions, one of the most vulnerable moments in a church’s life, and how clarity, humility, and foresight can turn those seasons into opportunities for renewal.

Whether you are leading a young church plant or stewarding an established congregation, this conversation highlights why Healthy Churches Grow is a valuable guide for reducing chaos, creating momentum, and pursuing lasting church health.

📘 Healthy Churches Grow by Tucker York

Learn more about the book and get a copy here:
 https://a.co/d/03cdTnyL

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a pastor or elder, subscribe for future episodes, and leave a review to help others find the show.
 What’s one “quick win” you’ll tackle this month?

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What would it take for every child entering foster care in our county to land in a safe, loving, gospel-shaped home? That question drives our conversation with Matt Stohrer of Keystone Family Alliance. Matt’s family has fostered 23 children and adopted nine, and he now helps churches turn conviction into action in caring for vulnerable children in Lebanon county. We trace his journey from military service to foster care and explore how structure, teamwork, and faith create sustainable ministry for vulnerable kids.

Matt outlines three practical pathways any church can begin right away: Gateway requests that meet urgent needs like cribs, beds, and clothing; care communities of six to eight volunteers who provide meals, rides, and consistent support to foster families; and a clear pipeline to recruit and equip new foster and adoptive homes. We also face the sobering realities—over 15,000 children in Pennsylvania foster care, and many foster parents leaving within two years without support.

Grounded in the doctrine of adoption and the call to care for orphans and widows, we discuss hospitality as mission, trauma-informed care, and how Keystone Family Alliance equips churches with training, coaching, and ready-to-use frameworks that multiply impact while lifting the administrative burden from pastors.

Learn more at keyfam.org or email [email protected]
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Start the year by aiming at what matters most. We explore the opening line of the Westminster Shorter Catechism—“to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever”—and turn it from a memorized phrase into a lived way of seeing time, work, and desire. With 1 Corinthians 10:31 as our grounding, we unpack how ordinary moments like eating, resting, and doing our jobs can be offered as worship, and we push back on the myth that joy depends on comfort or prosperity.

I share four simple practices for shaping a God-centered year: set your intention to glorify God in every place, acknowledge His gifts rather than hoard credit, trade inferior ends for the ultimate end, and learn to enjoy God even when life hurts. Along the way we revisit the often-misread Puritans, draw on J. I. Packer and Edward T. Welch to reframe worry, and consider why salvation is first about the display of God’s glory before it is about our escape from guilt. Psalm 73 helps us see that when flesh and heart fail, God remains our portion; Psalm 84 steadies us with the promise that He is both sun and shield.

 Listen to reorient your goals and recover the  freedom of living for God’s honor and your joy in Him. If this encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help others find the conversation.

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In this episode of Catechizing Conversations, we sit down with Max Myers, Director of the Lebanon Men's Rescue Mission, to discuss gospel ministry among some of the most vulnerable men in our community.

Max shares the mission and vision of the Lebanon Men’s Rescue Mission, offering insight into how Christ-centered mercy ministry addresses not only physical needs like shelter and food, but also the deeper spiritual needs of the heart. We explore how the gospel shapes their approach to addiction recovery, homelessness, discipleship, and long-term restoration.

This conversation highlights the vital role of local ministries in embodying the love of Christ, the importance of faithfulness in ordinary means, and how the church can come alongside organizations that seek lasting transformation through the gospel.

Whether you’re interested in mercy ministry, community outreach, or understanding how doctrine and compassion meet on the ground, this episode offers a thoughtful and encouraging look at Christ’s work in Lebanon County.

For more information, visit: Men’s Programs | Lebanon Rescue Mission

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Why does the Westminster Catechism exist?

In this episode of Catechizing Conversations, Pastor Cisco Victa offers a brief and intentionally elementary overview of the historical and pastoral context that gave rise to the Westminster Assembly and its catechisms.

Set against the backdrop of the English Reformation, persecution under Mary Tudor, the rise of the Puritans, civil war, and the calling of the Westminster Assembly, this episode explains why the church needed clear confessions and catechisms—not to replace Scripture, but to confess what Scripture teaches.

This episode is designed to orient listeners before beginning a sustained study of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. It is not a comprehensive or technical treatment, but a wide-angle introduction to the history, purpose, and enduring significance of Westminster.

In the next episode, we will begin where the catechism itself begins:
 What is the chief end of man?

Recommended Resources for Further Study

For listeners who wish to explore the history, theology, and enduring significance of the Westminster Standards in greater depth, the following works are especially recommended:

• Contending for the Faith — Joel R. Beeke & William Boekestein
  An accessible, church-focused introduction to the history and theology of the Westminster Standards, especially helpful for families, students, and those new to confessional Reformed theology.
• Truths We Confess — R.C. Sproul
  A clear, pastoral exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith, written for the church rather than the academy, and especially useful for teaching and discipleship.
• Exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith — Robert Shaw
  A classic nineteenth-century exposition that carefully explains the structure and doctrine of the Confession chapter by chapter.
• Confessing the Faith — Chad Van Dixhoorn
  A modern, historically informed guide to the Westminster Confession that combines theological clarity with deep engagement with the Assembly’s original context.
• The Westminster Assembly — Robert Letham
  A thorough historical study of the Assembly, its members, debates, and the political and ecclesiastical context surrounding the Westminster Standards.
• The Theology of the Westminster Standards — J. V. Fesko
  A careful theological analysis of the Westminster Standards, tracing their doctrinal unity, biblical foundations, and place within the Reformed tradition.
• The Minutes and Papers of the Westminster Assembly — Chad Van Dixhoorn
  The definitive primary-source collection of the Assembly’s debates, drafts, and proceedings, essential for understanding how the Westminster Standards were actually formed.

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In Part Two of our series on confessional Christianity, host Cisco Victa explores why merely identifying as a "Calvinist" falls short in today's evangelical landscape. Drawing on insights from historical Reformed theology, the episode critiques the rise of popular Calvinism as a "brand" detached from robust confessional orthodoxy. Through discussions on doctrinal consumerism, the myth of "unimportant" doctrines, and the protective role of confessions like the Westminster Standards, Cisco argues for a return to confessional fidelity. Addressing common objections to "sola Scriptura" and highlighting the dangers of individualism and private interpretations, the episode emphasizes confessions as guardians of the whole counsel of God. Join us for a call to faithfulness, with a preview of our upcoming walk through the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Learn more at victaleadership.com and lebanonvalleypca.com.

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In Part 1 of this two-episode exploration on Catechizing Conversations, host Cisco Victa delves into the challenging question: If confessional Christianity draws boundaries, is it inherently exclusionary—and is that a bad thing? We examine our culture's deep-seated aversion to exclusion, rooted in historical atrocities, and contrast it with Scripture's call to clarity and conviction. Drawing from biblical examples like John 14:6 and Galatians 1:8–9, Cisco shows how even Jesus and the apostles set firm lines. The discussion uncovers the universal truth that every belief system excludes, using real-world illustrations like Unitarian churches versus the Athanasian Creed. Finally, we confront evangelicalism's tendency to minimize doctrine for unity's sake, quoting key insights on "essentials vs. non-essentials" and using baptism as a case study for how confessions prevent theological erosion. This episode lays the groundwork for understanding boundaries as acts of faithful love, with Part 2 promising deeper insights into protection and application. 

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Why do we confess the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed in worship? Doesn’t that make us Roman Catholic?

In this episode of Catechizing Conversations, we dismantle the common misconception that creeds and confessions belong to Rome. By walking through the Reformation debate on Scripture and tradition—especially Luther’s critiques—we show why Protestants have always been a creedal people.

We explore the Didache and early church catechesis, Carl Trueman’s three foundational assumptions for confessional Christianity, and the rich world of biblical creeds found in both the Old and New Testaments.

Creeds didn’t begin with Rome. They began with Moses, Jesus, and the apostles.

This episode will help you begin to understand why creeds are not optional—but essential—for the life, unity, and faithfulness of the church.

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