Scripture Untangled

When you interview people and you do surveys the vast majority say the times I grew most, especially grew most in my faith, those were hard times, difficult times. And if we hang in there with trust and faith, independence and help of others around us later, we can often look back on those, "Oh, that was a time of redeemed pain. I wouldn't wish it on anybody. I wouldn't wish it on myself." But those things that were most difficult for me, become pillars of faith for most people. So, I would say there's some people on radio and television who will promise you that bad things won't happen to you and they're just wrong. You know, bad things do happen. But I call God the great recycler. He takes things that we wish didn't happen and turns them into things that are useful for us.
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Listen to best-selling author Philip Yancey being interviewed by seasoned journalist Lorna Dueck as they discuss Philip's journey through life and faith. Philip experienced many troubles during his childhood which led him to probe the most basic questions and deepest mysteries of the Christian faith. Philip has been guiding millions of readers with his books such as, "Disappointment with God", and, "Where Is God When It Hurts?"  His books have garnered 13 Gold Medallion Awards from Christian publishers and booksellers. Philip currently has more than 17 million books in print, published in over 50 languages worldwide. 

For Philip Yancey, reading offered a window to a different world. So, he devoured books that opened his mind, challenged his upbringing and went against what he had been taught. In doing so, a sense of betrayal began to engulf him. In his words, “I felt I had been lied to. I realized that God had been misrepresented to me. Then cautiously, warily, I returned, circling around the faith to see if it might be true.” Those discoveries about God and more are contained in Philips recent memoir, "Where the Light Fell", where he takes us on a journey from strict fundamentalism to a search for grace and meaning.

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

In this episode, listen as Ben Heppner (Canadian tenor and broadcaster) shares with Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling (Ambassador, Canadian Bible Society) about the role of Scripture in his life. Recorded as part of a series entitled The Word for Life: When Scripture Comes Alive, Ben talks about discovering in his early years a view of the Bible as bread, not stone, that gives life, and points you to Jesus. Referring to Joshua 4:9 and 1 Samuel 7, he shares how, in retrospect, he realized that over the years, God helped him to add different elements to his toolkit, including opera. He explains how the church has been foundational in his life and acknowledges that it was in the church that he learned the ropes of being a public singer.

Ben Heppner is a celebrated Canadian tenor whose career highlights include roles in some of the world's most prestigious opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House, and La Scala. Ben Heppner's contributions to the world of classical music extend to concert performances, recordings, and collaborations with renowned orchestras and conductors. He is a 1988 winner of the Metropolitan Opera auditions and received Grammy® Awards in 1998 for his recording of Die Meistersinger on London/Decca records and in 2001 for his recording of Les Troyens with the London Symphony Orchestra on LSO Live. Heppner hosted CBC Radio’s SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT THE OPERA, featuring the finest opera productions and recordings from around the world from 2013 to 2021, and now hosts CBS Radio's BACKSTAGE, where he shares stories from behind the scenes. Ben Heppner lives in Toronto with his wife. He has three grown children and five grandchildren. Heppner loves drinking coffee on the deck and touring the countryside on his motorcycle.

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Learn more about the Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca

Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety

Whether you’re well-versed in Scripture or just starting out on your journey, The Bible Course offers a superb overview of the world’s best-selling book.  This eight-session course will help you grow in your understanding of the Bible. Watch the first session of The Bible Course and learn more at biblecourse.ca. 

Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate

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Learn more about Ben Heppner thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ben-heppner 

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

Listen to best-selling author Philip Yancey being interviewed by seasoned journalist Lorna Dueck as they discuss Philip's journey through life and faith. Philip experienced many troubles during his childhood which led him to probe the most basic questions and deepest mysteries of the Christian faith. Philip has been guiding millions of readers with his books including, "Disappointment with God", and, "Where Is God When It Hurts?" His books have garnered 13 Gold Medallion Awards from Christian publishers and booksellers. Philip currently has more than 17 million books in print, published in over 50 languages worldwide. 

For Philip Yancey, reading offered a window to a different world. So, he devoured books that opened his mind, challenged his upbringing and went against what he had been taught. In doing so, a sense of betrayal began to engulf him. In his words, “I felt I had been lied to. I realized that God had been misrepresented to me. Then cautiously, warily, I returned, circling around the faith to see if it might be true.” Those discoveries about God and more are contained in Philips recent memoir, "Where the Light Fell", where he takes us on a journey from strict fundamentalism to a search for grace and meaning.

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Learn more about the Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca

Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety

Whether you’re well-versed in Scripture or just starting out on your journey, The Bible Course offers a superb overview of the world’s best-selling book.  This eight-session course will help you grow in your understanding of the Bible. Watch the first session of The Bible Course and learn more at biblecourse.ca. 

Give to the Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca/donate

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Learn more about Philip Yancey: philipyancey.com 

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

If we just understood that we can sit with people and talk about it and say: What does the Scripture mean? Rather than informing everybody all the time as to what it means and recognize that's colonizing people. It's saying, "You believe like me, and then you're acceptable", rather than saying, "Here's the man who told me everything I ever did. Come and see." You know, there's the woman at the well she's calling them forward and saying, "Come and see for yourself." She didn't come and say, "Here, now I'm gonna tell you what you have to do." No, she just said to come and see, come and see. And so I think I think there's, a huge opportunity for us still at it. I am optimistic for the church if we could just get a hold of that piece. I think that the opportunity for people to be reintroduced to the God who loves them, is just as powerful as it's ever been at any time in history.
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Listen to this conversation between Rev. Dr. Anna M. Robbins and Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling. Anna Robbins is the President of Acadia Divinity College and Dean of Theology of Acadia University. Anna is a leader committed to serve the mission of Christ’s church locally and globally, with faithful integrity that applies the gospel to real-life issues and relationships with justice, innovation, academic rigour, and joyful expectation. She has an international profile in theology and apologetics, ethics, and contemporary culture, and is sought after as a speaker and teacher.

Anna has served several churches as an ordained minister of the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada. Near the end of her doctoral studies in Wales (PhD 2001), she was appointed to the faculty of the London School of Theology in the UK where she served for 12 years as a teacher and academic leader.

In London, Anna was theological consultant to organizations including Theos, Christians in Politics, Tearfund, and the Evangelical Alliance. She served on the council of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and was a British delegate to the Baptist World Alliance. Her research graduates serve in diverse teaching and leadership positions around the world.

In 2012, she returned to Nova Scotia with her family, to join the faculty at Acadia Divinity College. 

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

Listen to this conversation between Rev. Dr. Anna M. Robbins and Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling. Anna Robbins is the President of Acadia Divinity College and Dean of Theology of Acadia University. Anna is a leader committed to serve the mission of Christ’s church locally and globally, with faithful integrity that applies the gospel to real-life issues and relationships with justice, innovation, academic rigour, and joyful expectation. She has an international profile in theology and apologetics, ethics, and contemporary culture, and is sought after as a speaker and teacher.

Anna has served several churches as an ordained minister of the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada. Near the end of her doctoral studies in Wales (PhD 2001), she was appointed to the faculty of the London School of Theology in the UK where she served for 12 years as a teacher and academic leader.

In London, Anna was theological consultant to organizations including Theos, Christians in Politics, Tearfund, and the Evangelical Alliance. She served on the council of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and was a British delegate to the Baptist World Alliance. Her research graduates serve in diverse teaching and leadership positions around the world.

In 2012, she returned to Nova Scotia with her family, to join the faculty at Acadia Divinity College. 

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Watch this episode on YouTube: @canadian_biblesociety

Learn more about the Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca

Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety

Whether you’re well-versed in Scripture or just starting out on your journey, The Bible Course offers a superb overview of the world’s best-selling book. This eight-session course will help you grow in your understanding of the Bible. Watch the first session of The Bible Course and learn more at biblecourse.ca. 

Give to the Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca/donate

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Learn more about Anna Robbins

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/anna-robbins-5a3630106 

Website: acadiadiv.ca/staff/anna-robbins/ 

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

There is a possibility for redemption and for forgiveness and recovery. And that all of us have been chosen to be here, that we were created, that we were birthed, that we are God's children. And that we all fit within this society one way or another. And that I always say to people, "Please never give up hope." I understand your frustration. I understand your anger. I understand your disappointment. I understand all that. My parents went through that. My sister, my brothers went through it. You know, it took my parents three years till they really believe that I was clean, sober, and I was a different man. And if I wasn't equipped properly, I would have come out of recovery and said, "Well, I'm all clean, like everything's forgiven. Let's move on." Well, it takes a long time to deal with the hurt, the shame and all of the things that you have to make amends with.
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Please note: the full episode covers topics such as addiction, mental health, sexual abuse, and suicide, so it may not be suitable for all audiences.

Elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, Mayor Dan Carter is serving his second term as Mayor of Oshawa. 

However, you wouldn’t expect this based on the way his story started out - from the death of his mother when he was an infant to a series of painful childhood events that led to a life of addiction and living on the streets, he was near death before he got clean and sober, finding faith in God along the way. 

Mayor Carter takes his role as Mayor of Oshawa to heart and feels blessed that he has been given a second term to serve and help people in his community. He is committed to leading in a way that will bring out the best in all of us and be the light that brings hope, optimism, and pride to this great city. 

In this episode, Mayor Dan Carter shares his amazing personal story, his favourite passages of Scripture, his love for serving the community, and how God has helped him throughout his life. 

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

Elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, Mayor Dan Carter is serving his second term as Mayor of Oshawa. 

However, you wouldn’t expect this based on the way his story started out - from the death of his mother when he was an infant to a series of painful childhood events that led to a life of addiction and living on the streets, he was near death before he got clean and sober, finding faith in God along the way. 

Mayor Carter takes his role as Mayor of Oshawa to heart and feels blessed that he has been given a second term to serve and help people in his community. He is committed to leading in a way that will bring out the best in all of us and be the light that brings hope, optimism, and pride to this great city. 

In this episode, Mayor Dan Carter shares his amazing personal story, his favourite passages of Scripture, his love for serving the community, and how God has helped him throughout his life. 

Please note: this episode covers topics such as addiction, mental health, sexual abuse, and suicide, so it may not be suitable for all audiences. 

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The Message Bible: bit.ly/msg-su-s4-ep8

Watch this episode on YouTube: @canadian_biblesociety

Learn more about the Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca

Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety

Whether you’re well-versed in Scripture or just starting out on your journey, The Bible Course offers a superb overview of the world’s best-selling book. This eight-session course will help you grow in your understanding of the Bible. Watch the first session of The Bible Course and learn more at biblecourse.ca. 

Give to the Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca/donate

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Learn more about Mayor Dan Carter

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dancarter4

Website: oshawa.ca/en/city-hall/office-of-the-mayor.aspx

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCIQymPyyVPnqELCKUvjptGw

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

The Word of God and Christianity is foremost and above all, a relationship, an experience of a relationship with someone. It's an encounter. It's not a book of history, although there's a lot of history. It's not a book of stories, although there are a lot of stories. It's the revelation of a God who so loved the world, that He created it for us. And when it was broken, and when it was going to the...not in a good situation, He so loved the world that He sent His only Son to reveal that love, that mercy so that we could have life and have it abundantly. So that's the love. That's the love of God that we encounter. When you encounter that or are encountered by that love it changes you. 
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Watch this fascinating conversation between His Eminence Gérald C. Cardinal Lacroix and Canadian Bible Society Ambassador, Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling. Cardinal Lacroix talks about how the Bible has shaped his life and how the Bible strengthens our relationship with Jesus and brings people, families, and communities together. 

His Eminence Cardinal Lacroix was born in the Province of Quebec, but his studies and missionary service to the church has taken him into the United States, Columbia and beyond with various honourable appointments and titles in the Church. He is the Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 22 February 2011. He has been a cardinal since 22 February 2014 and was previously the Auxiliary Bishop of Quebec. 

His Eminence Cardinal Lacroix is a member of the Board of Directors of the Quebec Assembly of Catholic Bishops (AECQ). In the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), he is a member of the Permanent Council, and Liaison Bishop for Secular Institutes in Canada. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Fondation Québec Philanthrope.

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

Listen to this fascinating conversation between His Eminence Gérald C. Cardinal Lacroix and Canadian Bible Society Ambassador, Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling. Cardinal Lacroix talks about how the Bible has shaped his life and how the Bible strengthens our relationship with Jesus and brings people, families, and communities together. 

His Eminence Cardinal Lacroix was born in the Province of Quebec, but his studies and missionary service to the church has taken him into the United States, Columbia and beyond with various honourable appointments and titles in the Church. He is the Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 22 February 2011. He has been a cardinal since 22 February 2014 and was previously the Auxiliary Bishop of Quebec. 

His Eminence Cardinal Lacroix is a member of the Board of Directors of the Quebec Assembly of Catholic Bishops (AECQ). In the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), he is a member of the Permanent Council, and Liaison Bishop for Secular Institutes in Canada. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Fondation Québec Philanthrope.

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Watch this episode on YouTube: @canadian_biblesociety

Learn more about the Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca

Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety

Whether you’re well-versed in Scripture or just starting out on your journey, The Bible Course offers a superb overview of the world’s best-selling book. This eight-session course will help you grow in your understanding of the Bible. Watch the first session of The Bible Course and learn more at biblecourse.ca. 

Give to the Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca/donate

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Learn more about His Eminence Gérald C. Cardinal Lacroix: ecdq.org/diocese-de-quebec/eveques/gerald-cyprien-lacroix

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

I think life is messy and it will always be messy, and it'll always be broken. I don't think we'll be able to usher in a utopia on Earth and I think the Bible is quite clear about that. Ultimately, we need Jesus, and our hope isn't found here. It's found in a different kingdom, His kingdom and so that's always important to me. But what we do at AC (Apologetics Canada) that I think is really unique and needed, particularly here in Canada, is to meet people where they're at, and to point them to Jesus. And oftentimes when where we're at is where we're in these ethical challenges, we want to engage with where culture is at, and the questions people are wrestling with. Again, in gentleness and respect, and we want to get at those primary issues that ultimately lead people to Jesus that we are encouraging and arguing provides a solid foundation for those things that we do believe in, such as humanity, such as human value.
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Dr. Andy Steiger is the founder and president of Apologetics Canada (AC), dedicated to helping Christian communities grow in their faith and share their hope. Listen as Andy and Lorna discuss this generation of young people - both Christians and non-Christians alike - who have questions and are seeking truth. The challenge in Western culture is communicating the message of Jesus in a way that people can understand and appreciate. Sharing the gospel requires us all to understand and speak the language of culture and address the questions being asked with intellectual honesty, gentleness and respect.

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca