The Deep Thoughts Podcast with Matt Shantz

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]

We are experiencing the largest and fastest religious shift in North American history. It is faster than the First and Second Great Awakenings and revivals combined, but in the opposite direction. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that everyone listening to this episode either has people in their lives who have left the church in recent years or you've left the church yourself. Jim Davis, co-author of The Great Dechurching, chats with Matt about the findings of their major research project that spawned the book, who’s leaving, why they’re going, and what it will take to bring them back. The findings and opportunities are more hopeful than you’d think!

ABOUT

The issue of gender has roared onto the scene so quickly, the concept has evolved so rapidly, the level of importance deemed so integral, that you would be hard-pressed to find a more pressing, confusing and divisive subject. Enter Dr. Abigail Favale. Her book, The Genesis of Gender is insightful, wise and timely. Abigail is an expert in areas of post-modernity, gender studies, and feminism and her radical re-conversion to Christianity has led her to take everything she has learned about gender and apply it through the lens of the Bible. 

ABOUT

Abigail is a writer and professor whose work lies at the intersection of Catholic theology, literature, and women’s studies. Her abiding interest as a writer and scholar is the meaning and dignity of woman, and her work explores sexual difference and embodiment in the Catholic imagination. She holds a concurrent appointment in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, where she teaches on topics like Edith Stein’s Theology of Woman and Religion & Literature. Abigail has a bachelor's degree in philosophy from George Fox University, as well as a master's degree in Women, Writing and Gender and a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. She is the author of multiple books including, Into the Deep: An Unlikely Catholic Conversion (Cascade 2018) and The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory, which was published in 2022 and has already been translated into multiple languages. She lives with her husband, Michael, and their four children in South Bend, Indiana.

Andrew Wilson joins the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about special needs, the case for eucharistic and charismatic worship in the life of the church, and why the year 1776 was such a big deal and how the West is now post-Christian because of it.

ABOUT

Andrew Wilson (PhD, King’s College London) is the teaching pastor at King’s Church London and a columnist for Christianity Today. He’s the author of several books, including the three they talk about in this episode: Remaking the World, Spirit and Sacrament, and The Life We Never Expected. He’s a part of the Mere Fidelity podcast, co-hosts the “Post-Christianity?” podcast with Glen Scrivener, and regularly writes on the Think Theology website. Andrew is married to Rachel and they have three children: Zeke, Anna and Samuel. He is also a great follow on X/Twitter.

Statistically, only about 9% of those who make New Years Resolutions actually complete them, with the vast majority of people failing within the first week and month. David Mathis refers to the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, and commitment to a local church as habits of grace and asserts that they are paramount for relationship with and enjoyment of Jesus. As we embark on a new year, resolve to know and enjoy Jesus through these habits of grace. In this episode Matt sits down with David Mathis to talk about leadership in the church (6:30 mark) and habits of grace (31:00 mark).

ABOUT

David Mathis serves as senior teacher and executive editor at desiringGod.org, a pastor at Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and an adjunct professor at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis. He and his wife, Megan, have four children. He is the author of several books, including the two talked about in this episode: Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines and Workers For Your Joy: The Call of Christ on Christian Leaders.