Over the last few decades a phenomenon has been taking place on Tuesday nights at Texas A&M University; thousands of students fill the basketball arena to worship Jesus and receive Bible teaching. Brian McCormack serves as the Executive Director and together with his wife Emilie they steward this incredible ministry with faith, vision, and humility. 

Breakaway's purpose is any and every student taking their first or next step with Jesus.

In this episode they discuss: What an Aggie is (and how to pronounce it) (7:00); how redemptive it is that Brian preaches on the Reed Arena basketball court every Tuesday night (10:00); the movement that is Breakaway (11:15); how the faith questions of young people have changed over the years (14:30); how to reach the rising generation (20:00); what we’ve been praying for is happening (26:00); what it means for those of us in the church to embrace the moment with faith (31:00); sympathizing with those who find church hard (39:00); and the McCormack’s best stuff on raising kids in our moment (45:00).

 Also, Matt and Brian new best friends? TBD.

ABOUT

Brian McCormack is the Executive Director of Breakaway. He is a speaker, writer, and Bible teacher who uses words to tell people about Jesus. He’s also the unofficial president of the Emilie McCormack fan club. Together they have 5 kids and lead the movement that is Breakaway on the college campus of Texas A&M. Both are worth a follow on Instagram so you can catch a glimpse on the ground floor of what the Lord is doing in and through this rising generation in our moment.

We all long for a life worth living. So when we receive news of a frightening diagnosis, suffer heartbreaking loss in our family life, or get trapped in a cycle of our own sin, we might wonder about God. Where is He when we need Him most?

In this episode Ray explains that Jesus can be hard to find in the comfortable lives we prefer. Instead, He meets us at rock bottom―where He is waiting for us with open arms. If you’re facing hardship or heartbreak, here is some good news — the Man of Sorrows is there to meet you where you need Him most.

Matt and Ray talk about “Good News at Rock Bottom” as well as Ray's “Jesus Revolution” days in California in the 70’s and their sense that renewal is coming again; his book The Death of Porn and why porn is a justice issue; and how gospel culture is the necessary and beautiful expression of gospel doctrine in our lives and churches.

ABOUT

Ray Ortlund is the president of Renewal Ministries, the pastor to pastors at Immanuel Church in Nashville, and a canon theologian with the Anglican Church in North America.

He is a contributor to the ESV Study Bible (the study Bible Matt recommends most!) and the author of several books, including:

Good News at Rock Bottom: Finding God When the Pain Goes Deep and Hope Seems Lost

The Death of Porn: Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility

You’re Not Crazy: Gospel Sanity for Weary Christians (co-authored with fellow Deep Thoughts guest Sam Allberry)

To The Tenth Generation: God’s Heart for Your Family, Far into the Future (co-authored with his wife Jani)

The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Christ 

Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel

To celebrate 100 episodes worth of deep thoughts, Matt is joined by original producer of the podcast, Jordan Esau, for a trip down memory lane as they talk about the humble beginnings of the podcast, some favourite episodes and guests, and more.Then Matt tackles some of the deepest listener-submitted questions to close things out.A trip down memory lane (1:00)Where did Old Testament believers go when they died? (20:40)What are your views on the old earth and young earth creationist perspectives? (24:00)Since Samson killed himself and was favoured by God, is suicide a pardonable sin? (36:10)How important and healthy do you think it is for a church’s small groups to be intergenerational? (44:05)

A big thank you to Jordan Esau for joining Matt for this episode and for his instrumental help in starting the podcast, to Andy Boldt and Landon Johnston for their fantastic work on the episodes since, Heath Robertson for the graphic design, Emily Shantz for the cult following you amassed, and all the fantastic guests over the years who are the reason that the podcast hits such gospel depths. Most of all, thank you to everyone who listens, engages with the podcast, and passes episodes along to others in your life. I truly hope it helps you in fostering deep faith.

Disclaimer: This podcast addresses a question about suicidal ideation, which may be distressing for some listeners. The information communicated is about the Bible and pastoral in nature and is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek support from a qualified medical or mental health professional or contact Talk Suicide Canada: 1.833.456.4566

For many of us, despite having the best intentions, we struggle to reach out effectively with the gospel. Jeff Medders joins Matt to talk about fostering a genuine evangelistic culture in our lives and churches.

ABOUT

Jeff Medders is the Director of Theology and Content for Send Network and the General Editor for New Churches. He is also pursuing his Ph.D. at Southern Seminary in biblical spirituality under the supervision of Dr. Donald S. Whitney. Jeff is a writer, a preacher, a podcaster, and an unashamed coffee snob. He is a native Houstonian and the author of several books including Rooted: Theology for Growing Christians; Gospel Formed: Living a Grace-Addicted, Truth-Filled, Jesus-Exalting Life; Humble Calvinism: And If I Know the Five Points, But Have Not Love; Risen King: 40 Devotions for Easter; and the main topic of the podcast conversation, The Soul-Winning Church: Six Keys to Fostering a Genuine Evangelistic Culture.

In August of 2011, Cameron Horner had a diving accident that resulted in a spinal injury and immediate paralysis. His story is one of faith and perseverance.  

In this episode, we talk about a theology of suffering and the topics of disability and the church and disability and eschatology.

Resources referenced in the episode:

Ten Dimensions of Belonging (Erik Carter)

My Body Is Not A Prayer Request: Disability Justice In The Church (Amy Kenny)

ABOUTBecause of the work that God did before, during, and after Cameron's injury, a ministry began as churches, schools, and other groups began asking him to come share his journey of faith and perseverance. Cameron has a unique take on suffering and desires for the church to grow in their understanding of how to relate to the pain that we all experience in life.Cameron also has a heart for helping churches with the topic of disability. He has experienced the good and the not so good when it comes to church tolerance, accessibility, messaging, etc., and is a resource for churches and other organizations as they desire to better understand how to minister to the disabled community.Cameron was recently married to Annie, who “sort of” met at the Exiles in Babylon Conference Matt was attending as well in 2023.You can watch Cameron’s appearance at the Exiles In Babylon Conference and on The 700 Club. You can find him at cameronhornerministries.org and on Instagram.

Today in the west, many consider the church to be dead or dying. Christianity is seen as outdated, bigoted and responsible for many of society’s problems. This leaves many believers embarrassed about their faith and many outsiders wary of Christians and their movement. But what if the Christian message is not the enemy of our modern Western values, but the very thing that makes sense of them?

Matt talks with Glen Scrivener, author of The Air We Breathe: How We All Came To Believe In Freedom, Kindness, Progress, & Equality.

Those are distinctively Christian ideas. Christianity didn’t just turn the ancient world upside down, but continues to underpin the way our society thinks about life, worth, and meaning

In other words, Christianity has impacted our culture so profoundly that we don’t notice it’s in the very air we breathe. 

ABOUT

Glen Scrivener is an evangelist who is passionate about people meeting Christ and equipping Christians to share their faith. He’s often found speaking at Churches and Universities, in the studio producing online media or in his office, writing books and other evangelistic material. He is an ordained Church Of England minister, author, speaker and filmmaker, and director of the charity Speak Life. In addition to The Air We Breathe, Glen has also written How To See Life; How To Speak Life; and Long Story Short: The Bible in 12 Phrases

Matt Chandler is convinced that you were made for this exact moment in human history. Things may look gloomy, and you may feel discouraged, but because of the promise and hope found in Scripture, you can be brave, confident, and victorious today. We’re built to overcome, to find joy not tied to our circumstances but rooted in our relationship with Jesus. The Matts sit down to talk about preaching (3:15); Multi-site churches (23:15); and the wildly encouraging Book of Revelation (33:45) that is the premise of his new book The Overcomers: God’s Vision For You To Thrive In An Age Of Anxiety And Outrage.

ABOUT

Matt Chandler has served over 20 years as the Lead Pastor at The Village Church in Flower Mound, TX which recently transitioned its 5 campuses into their own autonomous churches. He is also the Executive Chairman of the Acts 29 Network, a large church planting community that trains and equips church planters across the globe. Matt is known around the world for proclaiming the gospel in a powerful and down-to-earth way and enjoys traveling to share the message of Jesus whenever he can.His latest book draws on the Book of Revelation to remind us that in Christ, we are Overcomers.

Many Christians are deconstructing their faith because of unvoiced questions—questions that, when not voiced, can feel like they’re too much for God. In this episode — and her new book Can I Say That? — Brenna Blain addresses questions about her own wrestlings with what felt like “unsafe questions” on the issues she’s faced in her life like mental health challenges, suicidality, same-sex attraction, church hurt, miscarriage, and more.

ABOUTBrenna Blain is a contemporary theologian from the Pacific Northwest and is most passionate about God’s involvement in our pain and personal struggles, including mental illness, same-sex attraction, and abuse. In her book, Can I Say That? she brings her fresh voice to those who feel unsafe or unwelcome in the church, acknowledging the incongruity between the church's actions and believers' lived experiences. As a Bible teacher and an advocate for those who have experienced abuse, molestation, and mental health crises, she creates space for readers to be radically honest and ask tough questions—Am I safe here? Why does your presence feel so lonely, God?—while pointing them to biblical, foundational truth.

The promise of technological advancement seemed to be that work and life would be simplified. The promise of social media was limitless possibilities of connection and deep friendship. In reality, the technologies of our day seem determined to keep us scrolling and swiping at all costs, plugged into a feedback loop of impatience, comparison, outrage, contempt, and algorithm-built echo chambers. Blind to the dangers, we enjoy its temporary pleasures, unaware of the damage to our minds, bodies, and souls. 

In this episode, Matt talks with Jay Kim about the ways the digital age and its values affect the Christian life and church life. And as you can guess from the title, Jay advocates for analog faith in the midst of our digital world.

ABOUT

Jay Kim lives with his family in Silicon Valley, California and is Lead Pastor of WestGate Church.

He’s the host of IVP’s Digital Examen Podcast and Barna’s Making Space Podcast.He’s the author of Analog Church; Analog Christian, and his most recent book, Listen, Listen, Speak — all of which we explore in this episode.

This is the fourth Q+A episode where Matt attempts to answer some of your deepest listener-submitted questions.

Why don’t we all get the same thing out of God’s Word? [2:05]

What if I’m not actually saved? [9:55]

Does God love Satan? And if Satan changed his mind and wanted to go to heaven would God let him? [15:30]

How should I make school choices for my family? [22:30]

If only Sheol existed in the Old Testament, how does hell suddenly appear in the New Testament? [29:30]

As modern Christians do we believe that angels and demons constantly surround us? [32:00]

How do we know if something is random chance, circumstances, or answered prayer in keeping with God’s will? [39:25]