Elim Church

Privilege has become a negative word in the conversation about race. But what if acknowledging one's privilege and using it for the betterment of others could actually be something positive? What if by considering others, putting them first and finding ways to offers others equity is an opportunity for the church? In this episode Pastor Josh & the panel talk about generational wealth, the hurdles that people of colour face in the race of life and the opportunity the church has to show the world a better way.

"I don't see color" is a statement that people make because they want others to know that they value a whole person, not just their race, ethnicity, or background. The intention can be good, but what someone who is a visible minority might hear is something completely different than what is intended. In this episode, Pastor Josh along with the panel explore what someone from a minority group might hear when "I don't see color" is said. They will also look at the beauty of diversity within the family of God and why it is a reflection of God himself. **** We apologize in advance for the technical issue that we experience with one of the participant's microphones. We believe that the content of her words is more important than the perfection of the production, thus we have left it in.****

For many black, indigenous, and people of color, racism isn't just a series of comments, looks, or overt actions. It's also the realization that perhaps there are engrained societal factors that either knowingly or unknowingly may not be in their favor. This is a conversation about perspectives that are worth listening to. In this episode Pastor Josh asks the panel the question: "How does racism affect you personally? **** We apologize in advance for the technical issue that we experience with one of the participant's microphones. We believe that the content of her words is more important than the perfection of the production, thus we have left it in.****

This past week has been filled with pain, confusion & conversations in the news & social media that have left many people divided, scared, and offended. Without a doubt, the murder of George Floyd has put a spotlight on the issue of Racism in society. It has also become a catalyst for the church to evaluate itself and ask the question: "Where do we find ourselves in all of this?" In the first part of a multi-episode series, Pastor Josh has a conversation with other followers of Jesus from diverse cultural & ethnic backgrounds about multiculturalism, race & the church. We hope you're encouraged. **** We apologize in advance for the technical issue that we experience with one of the participant's microphones. We believe that the content of her words is more important than the perfection of the production, thus we have left it in.****

Depending on your background and your experience with the Holy Spirit, you can see Him as a joy, a confusing character or a mysterious force. The truth is though that He is the person of the God head that connects us to God the Father & God the Son. He's also the one that helps us, comforts us, advocates for us and guides us. So why then is the Holy Spirit so misunderstood, misrepresented & sometimes seemingly forgotten? In this episode, Josh and Carl start the deep dive into this new series on the Holy Spirit.

Every Christian knows that God forgives, but are there failures in a person's life they can never come back from? We all fall and fail at times. God might forgive us, others might forgive us, but if we're honest, our bad decisions, our poor choices have a way of haunting us. When someone we trusted or looked up to falls, it oftentimes shakes us and changes the way we see that person. In this episode, Carl and Josh talk about the failure of Peter. They look at his shame, his struggle, and how Jesus not only forgives Peter but also restores him. We hope you're encouraged.

If God is sovereign, do you have a say? If you fail to follow God's plan for your life, do you get put into a purposeless "no man's land"? Questions about calling/destiny and how God's will plays onto it are at the forefront of a Christian's mind. In this episode, Josh and Carl explore the tension of believing that God is in control/in charge & that our response to him matters for our lives. 

Doubting is not a sin. Let's just get that out of the way. Many Christians equate doubt with disbelief and unfortunately treat those who have questions or curiosities as people who are trying to disprove faith altogether. In this episode, Josh and Carl explore Pastor Marvin's sermon about Jesus' conversation with Thomas after the resurrection. How should we approach our doubts? How should we treat other Christians who have doubts? What is the difference between doubting and disbelief? This and so much more got covered this week. 

Fear can drive you insane. The fear of losing your job, the fear of being trapped in your house for months, or the fear that you or that someone you love will get sick can drive the way people live. In this episode, Josh and Carl explore the conversation that Jesus has with his disciples after his resurrection. Jesus calms their fear with reassuring them of his presence with them, by giving them His Spirit and by refocussing the thoughts in their minds. 

Have you ever doubted that God is with you? Have you ever thought "Does He even know who I am? Does He even care that I exist?" Well, the truth is that we all have had those moments. Maybe even right now, in the middle of this pandemic, you're wondering if God even cares that you can't see loved ones, that your business is suffering, or that your kids are going insane at home?  In this episode, Josh and Carl explore Jesus' conversation with Mary Magdalene that happens right after the resurrection. As you listen, we hope you're encouraged and that in the middle of this cultural moment that you are reminded that God knows who you are & is with you. 

Everyone has an opinion, every news outlet has its perspective and people are struggling to make sense of what is real and what is not. It's easy to move to an extreme on either side of the COVID conversation. In this episode, Carl and Josh take time to discuss the tension point of being a person of faith and why we should not allow panic and fear to influence our decisions during this season. We hope you're encouraged. 

In this episode, Steph helps us with some very practical strategies for copping during this pandemic. She goes after these areas on the podcast... General mental health tips Single Individuals Couples without kids Parents with children at home Being laid off/ potentially laid off We hope you're encouraged and strengthened by this episode. Stay safe and stay healthy out there!  

Today we have Stephanie Danger with us on the podcast. Steph is a registered counsellor with Christian Counselling Services Saskatoon. In Part 1 of this episode, Josh & Carl ask Steph about how a person can manage their mental health while being isolated at home or while practicing social distancing during this pandemic. The reality is that we're all struggling and we need some advice on how to keep our mental health.. healthy.

Things got crazy this past week! In this episode, Josh and Carl interview Pastor Marvin about the turn of events with Covid-19. Pastor Marvin takes time to encourage and to give us some great perspective on the situation we all find ourselves in. 

In this episode, Carl and Josh explore the resurrection of Lazarus. In all the miracles we have seen through this series, what does this one actually mean for us? Did Jesus just bring Lazarus back from the dead because he was sad that he died? Does he do it out of emotional distress because he loves his friend? When God does a miracle... Does it do it for our good or His glory? 

There is a lot of cultural conversations happening right now about what being "woke" or  being an enlightened person looks like. The truth is though, no matter how progressive/culturally astute you think you are, does it mean that you are "woke" spiritually? In this episode, Carl and Josh explore John 9 and the story of a man who was blind from birth and who Jesus healed. Jesus uses the man's blindness to point the people watching to their spiritual blindness and their need of God to make them "Woke."   

In this episode Josh and Carl explore John 6 where Jesus walks on water and saves the disciples from death. At one point to the disciples, it seemed as though Jesus was taking his sweet time and did not care about their imminent demise. The truth was that they made a lot of wrong assumptions about Jesus' motivations and his care for them. Why does it seem like Jesus doesn't even care that we about to drown in our lives? Why is his sense of urgency not as great as ours? All things that will be talked about. Enjoy!

In this episode, Carl and Josh explore a question that was asked after Pastor Marvin's sermon on the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. We have a good sense that this man never became a Christian after Jesus performed the miracle for him. Why would God perform a miracle for someone if he knows that they won't accept/love/follow him? 

If you're a Christian you should believe that God can do anything. He can split seas, move mountains, restore relationships and even heal peoples bodies. What happens though when it doesn't seem like he's answering your prayers/requests for a miracle? How do you trust God when you don't see him acting on what you've asked him to do? In this episode, Carl and Josh explore the healing of the royal official's son and look at what this miracle shows us about Jesus' power, character and ability to answer our miraculous requests. 

This past weekend Pastor Marvin started us off in a new series called "Seven." In this episode, Carl and Josh look at the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine. What does the miracle tell us about Jesus? How does that story and the very next one about Jesus whipping people in the temple reveal aspect of his character and kingdom?

In this episode Josh and Carl explore why it is so hard to reconcile with people you have offended or those who have offended you. How do you have past pain and rebuild trust with others, especially those who are Christians? Get ready for some straight talk. 

In this episode Carl and Josh go after what it actually takes to experience deep connections in relationship. It's something we all desire and want but many have a difficult time ever achieving. Why does it seem like we can only go so far with certain people? Why is the sitcom friendship so hard to get in real life? In our new series called: "Long Story Short," we'll take a peak into the relationship that Paul and Philemon have together and how it's more than just a surface acquaintance.

In this episode, Josh interviews Carmen. In the fall she joined one of Elim’s Alpha groups. She went in with lots of questions about faith, the role of religion in a person’s life and how spirituality was even relevant. Well... God did something pretty amazing. We hope you’re encouraged as you listen.

In this episode Josh interviews Graeme Swinnerton. Graeme shares his story of becoming a Christian at 40 years old and how that experience Changed his perspective on Christmas. Not only is he an amazing person, but we hope his story inspires you this holiday season. Merry Christmas and a happy new year from all of us here at Elim's MDWK Podcast. 

During the Christmas season many within the evangelical world use cute sayings like: "Jesus is the reason for the season." But, what does the coming of Jesus, him becoming human really mean for us and the world. In this episode, Susan Wendel (Associate Professor of New Testament from Horizon College and Seminary) helps us to understand why the incarnation (Jesus becoming human) is so important and why it should move us to worship Christmas season. 

In this episode, Josh interviews decorated Psychiatrist Dr. Mansfield Mela about how to manage anxiety. Anxiety disorders seem to be on the rise, and while there are many causes for this phenomenon, many of us struggle to figure out how to cope. With the increasing demands on people's finances, time and resources; anxiety and stress seem to be a regular way of life. Dr. Mela takes time to teach us how to manage our anxiety in ways that will benefit us both medically, as well as spiritually. 

In part 2 of Carl's interview with Terry and Victory, they continue with their story of being part of a cult and how their thinking, as well as faith was affected in the journey. We hope that you are challenged and encouraged by their bravery and honesty. 

In this 2 part series, Carl interviews Terry Brown and Victory Stephan. On one of our episodes last year Terry shared his story of leaving a cult and how studying the Bible for himself helped him to reimagine what real faith looked like. Victory Stephan was also part of the same group and eventually left after years of spiritual abuse. Victory shares her story and both of them explain how important it is to renew your mind daily so that you can clearly follow Jesus with confidence. This is going to be great!

Loving God with your mind is genuinely a really hard thing to do. Most of us have a lot of ambition to captures the negative thoughts in our minds and turn them into godly positivity, but so often we feel like we're losing more of the fight than we are winning. In this episode Jerai Detillieux shares her story about how she went from seeing her world from in a negative light to loving God with her mind. You'll enjoy hearing from her perspective as a woman, wife and mom. You'll also really enjoy her honesty and candor. 

We're in a new series! In this episode Carl and Josh take time to discuss how difficult it is to win the war in your mind. Mental health and cognitive issues have been a topic of so much discussion in our culture. How do we as followers of Jesus stay strong in the battle for our minds? The next 5 weeks will be full of guests and very honest discussions. You don't want to miss it. 

In this episode Carl picks Pastor Marvin's brain about debt and what the Bible says about it. Let's be honest... With the average Canadian having $1.74 of debt for every $1 of income, we're all in the same struggle. Are we sinning if we have debt? How do you get out of debt if you're in it? It's complicated, it's nuanced, but it's possible. We hope you're encouraged and helped as you listen. 

In this episode, Pastor Josh and Carl explore the question that was asked on our Instagram survey "If Jesus talked about money so much, why are Christians so afraid to talk about it?" Get ready for an honest, straight, yet hopeful conversation. You don't want to miss this. 

In this episode Josh and Carl tackle the question "Is It Wrong for a Christian to Have An Ambition to Make Money?" The Christian subculture has always had extremes around money. Either you have to be extremely poor and have nothing to be considered spiritual OR you're BLESSED by God if you have a lot of material stuff.  What if a follower of Jesus has an ambition to make money? Is that wrong? You'll have to listen to find out. 

In this episode Pastor Josh and Carl (He's back!!) explore why it is so hard for us to be thankful when we go through hard seasons of life or when we are exausted from being so busy. The talk gets REAL! small group/ indiviual reflection questions can be found at the end of the podcast. 

In this episode, Pastor Marvin looks at the "HOWs" of being equipped for your life in Jesus. We so often want to be ready to take on temptation, hard situations or even sharing our faith. The truth is however, many of us end up feeling like we still fall short. We hope this episode encourages you to dig deeper. 

In this episode, Pastor Marvin walks us through what experiencing God's fullness in our everyday lives should look like. There is an attractiveness to searching for the next "Big" spiritual experience, but what does experiencing God in every moment (Good, bad and ugly) look like? Small group/reflection questions at the end of the episode. 

We're Back!  Season 2 of Elim's Mid Week Podcast starts off by getting right into the current preaching series: "This is Elim" In this week's episode, Pastor Josh and Pastor Marvin look at our first missional value: "Embrace All People."  Small group questions can be heard at the end of the podcast. 

It's easier to keep your heart and head right with God when things are difficult because you need him. But what about when you're winning at life? When relationships, money, work, and health are good, why is it that we often forget about God? This week Josh and Carl explore 3 ways we can keep our hearts and heads right with God when we seem to be winning at life. Small group/follow up questions can be heard at the end of this episode.

Do you have what it takes to make it through a difficult season in life? Would others describe you as someone who has GRIT or has PERSEVERANCE? In this episode, Pastor Josh and Carl take a look at the first part of Joseph's life and how he refused to bow down to being defined as a victim. Joseph was dealt a hand that would have finished the average person. Where did he find his will to endure and persevere? Small group/ follow up questions can be heard at the end of this episode. 

The gospel is this amazing story of God's gift of free grace to humanity through Jesus. But, there has to be a catch... Right?!? Is His grace really free? Surely there has to be more to it than that. In this episode, Pastor Josh and Carl explore the story of Jacob and Esau's reconciliation. Why did Jacob avoid his brother's kindness? How does their relationship reflect all too often our relationship with Christ? Small group/follow up questions can be heard at the end of the podcast. 

Have you ever wrestle with God? The idea of actually spending a night wrestling God seems ridiculous. Who would ever put themselves in that situation? The truth is, however, at some point in our relationship with God, a particular circumstance, problem or situation will cause us/ has caused us to get into a cosmic tossel with our creator. In this episode, Pastor Josh and Carl explore the cause and effects of wrestling with God and the how's of surviving the fight. Small group/ follow up questions can be heard at the end of the podcast. 

We are called to be a blessing to people in our lives. But how do you commit to blessing people who have deceived you and caused you pain? In this episode, Pastor Josh and Carl explore the call of Jesus to his followers to be a blessing, even to those who hurt them. It's not only a hard thing to understand, but it's also even tougher to live this one out. Small Group/ follow up questions can be heard at the end of this episode. 

Keeping our focus on the eternal is so hard when your physical life seems to be falling apart. How do followers of Jesus keep focused on what really matters when our attention is so divided by things like rent. In this episode, Pastor Josh and Pastor Nick Almeida from Rocanville SK explore the story of Esau, Jacob, and the birthright and how we can, as followers of Jesus keep our heart and minds on what matters. Small group/ follow up questions can be found at the end of the podcast.

Many times, as we look forward to the future we can be gripped by anxiety about everything that could happen or not happen. It leaves us paralyzed and unable to effectively make decisions. In this weeks' episode Pastor Josh and Carl explore the need for us to remember where God has brought us from so that we can have confidence in where he is taking us.

Liar, Lunatic or Lord. These are the three options for how a person can experience a relationship with Christ. In this episode, Carl and Pastor Josh explore the beauty of the resurrection and how nuanced and complicated it can be for those who follow Jesus. 

In this episode, Pastor Josh and Carl Sheldon talk about the idea of "blessing." The word itself is more nuanced than we think. For many, it's a reference to material and opportunistic increases. But is that really the only way we should see blessing? Is there a deeper more fulfilling reality of "blessing" that sees us through the hard and dark moments of our lives. Small Group/ follow up questions can be found HERE. 

In this episode, pastor Josh and Terry Brown discuss the reality of what happens when fear leads our lives. So often when followers of Jesus respond out of fear to the situations in our lives, the results are normally quite destructive. How do we avoid responding out of fear? How do we find our way back when we do? Small group/ follow up questions can be found HERE.

Waiting is one of the hardest things anyone can do, especially when you’re waiting for someone to follow through on a promise or a commitment they’ve made to you. But what happens when the person you’re waiting on is God? Small group/ follow up questions can be found HERE.

Is it enough to just believe the right things? In our culture, faith is sold as a theory that people need to have, but that doesn't affect certain aspects of your life. The Bible, however, teaches something entirely different. In this episode, we'll be looking at Abram's decision to pack up and move his family to a new unknown place all because he trusted a promise from God. What was the catalyst that inspired him to do this? Small group/follow up questions can be found HERE. 

This week we took a break from our Genesis series and Pastor Luke encouraged to understand how much our own stories of experiencing Jesus matter, how powerful they are and how they actually prepare the way for Jesus to work in the lives of those who do not yet know him. Your story matters... How are you using it to make Jesus famous? Small group/follow up questions can be found HERE. 

In this episode, Josh and Carl talk about what living on mission really looks like. Many people think that the only way you can impact the world with the joy of Jesus is if you are a pastor or missionary. The reality is that Jesus can use anything in your hand (job, marriage, friendship etc) to make an impact. Small Group/ Follow up questions can be found HERE.