Horizons Church Podcast

In our final episode (for awhile, at least), Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss Ethan's next adventure in life as he prepares for relocation and marriage. Thank you Ethan for all the excellent work you have done for Horizons Church. We're incredibly excited for you, and we will miss you.This is the final episode of this podcast for the immediate future. Thank you, listeners, for all of your support over the last 6 years.Final Secret Link (For Now)

In this rerun of our 26th episode, Pastor Josiah and guest Justin Seybert discuss the differences between presuppositional apologetics, classical apologetics, and evidential apologetics, and explore the strengths and weaknesses of each.

In this rerun of Episode 25, Pastor Josiah is joined by special guest Justin Seybert for the first part of an engaging discussion on why Christians should study apologetics, and how a strong knowledge of apologetics shapes our faith and worldview.

In this rerun of Episode 110, Pastor Josiah and Ethan examine a potentially controversial lyric in the song “Gone” by Elevation Worship, and appeal to scripture for clarity of the lyrics's meaning.Original air date: January 20, 2020Secret Link

Is the fear of hell a good enough reason to seek a relationship with God? If so, would we still desire Him should the threat of hell and the need for repentance be removed? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss.Book: On the Catechising of the Uninstructed (Augustine)Secret Link

We often tend to view the concept of "self-discipline" in a negative, oppressive light. Comparing & contrasting examples from both history and scripture, Pastor Josiah and Ethan make the case that proper self-regulation can produce an uncanny joy for the Christian.Secret Link 1Secret Link 2

Of all the ways God could have communicated His word & will to man, why did He choose the written word to communicate with most of us? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss.Secret Link

What did Jesus mean when He said we would be "sifted" for our faith? Why must we suffer trials for our faith? How should the Christian respond to such sifting? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss.Secret Link

Occasionally, the Christian will face a situation where the seemingly "wise" decision may not necessarily be the "correct" decision. How should one navigate such a situation? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss.Book: The Temple (Herbert/Piper) [Amazon]

Why are Christians forbidden from contacting the dead? Wouldn't it be beneficial to us if we could speak to those who have crossed into eternity ahead of us? It seems like God is being kind of petty here, right? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss.

Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss what can happen when, when faced with opposition and hardship, instead of lamenting and stumbling in faith, the Christian instead turns to God to pray for opportunities to share the Gospel.Secret Link

We've all come across passages in scripture that we range from questioning why it's in the Bible to wishing that it wasn't. How should we handle these "problematic" passages? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss.Secret Link

As Christians, we understand that we live in a fallen world, and therefore we will experience suffering to varying degrees. Is it wrong to ask that God would spare us from such suffering? Will He if we ask? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss.Secret Link

Drawing from the life of the Apostle Paul, Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss the theme of rejoicing in hardship and capitalizing on unique opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others in difficult situations.Secret Link

Pastor Josiah & Ethan continue our discussion of the gift of "reason" from our previous episode.

A unique ability to image-bearing human beings is the use of reason in our interaction with reality. Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss the function of reason to the Christian.Secret Link

Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss their favorite books in scripture and how they feel God has used them to shape their faith.

Drawing from an example between Philippians 3:8-11 and 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss the dilemma of seeming "contradictions" found in scripture, and what the Christian ought to do when faced with such instances.

Throughout church history, believers have struggled with a dichotomy between what we expect Christ's work in the world should look like vs. the reality of how Christ moves. Pastor Josiah & Ethan unpack some more modern practical examples of this disconnect.Secret Link

Is it possible to truly know the will of God for our lives? How can we know if God is speaking to us? Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss.Secret Link

In a continuation of our discussion from Episode 307, Pastor Josiah discuss the importance of Christians being united in the message, even when we struggle to find common ground regarding the method by which the message is delivered.Secret Link

Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss the importance of unity among believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, drawing from the account of the Judaizers in Galatians 2:1-5.Secret Link

As Christians, we know that 1 Peter 3:15 commands us to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." But have we forgotten the contextual implications of the rest of the verse? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss the proper application of this truth.Secret Link

How humble are you? (Trick question, don't answer that). Humility seems to be one of the most difficult struggles for the Christian, yet also one of our most cherished virtues. Pastor Josiah & Ethan present a handful of “acid tests” for us to use in order to keep our “modern humility” in check.Secret Link

In this rerun of episode 214, Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss how scripture can be difficult to understand at first glance (you're not crazy or a bad Christian! Sometimes it's hard!), and the value of solid teachers/pastors within the Church.Caffe Vita Bistro BlendOriginal air date: February 7, 2022

Is prayer "just talking to God"? Are we missing something deeper and more meaningful by viewing prayer as a simple conversation? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss the concept of a much deeper understanding of prayer than surface-level "authentic" prayer.Book: The Book of Common Prayer (Amazon)Book: Be Thou My Vision–A Liturgy for Daily Worship (Amazon)Secret Link

2023 is drawing to an end in a few weeks, so as usual, new year's resolutions are on our mind. For the Christian, one of the most common resolutions is to build better Bible reading habits. Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss a few tips & disciplines to help us keep our resolution past our "Fraught Leviticus February."

Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss a listener-submitted question regarding the Sabbath. Is the Sabbath required for Christians? How should it be observed? What does scripture say?Have a question you'd like answered on the podcast? E-mail us at podcast@horizonschurch.net!Secret Link

It's our 300th episode!!! Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss the Christ-centered nature of scripture, exploring how all parts of scripture lead to Jesus, but also the dangers of viewing scripture as being "only" about Jesus.

Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss the implications of the final words spoken by Jesus before His death on the cross. What exactly did He mean by that? What was "finished?"Have a question you'd like answered on the podcast? E-mail it to podcast@horizonschurch.netSecret Link

Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss the importance of living out scripture through the obedience of God's commands found in scripture.

Pastor Josiah and Ethan explore promises that God has made to the faithful in scripture, and the importance of the Christian to trust that God is faithful to His promises and to live accordingly.Secret Link

One of the most fundamental, yet terrifying, aspects of spiritual growth is the confession of sin. Why is it so scary, important and powerful to the Christian? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss.Have a question you'd like answered on the podcast? E-mail it to podcast@horizonschurch.net!Secret Link

We know that as Christians, our sins are forgiven. But does that mean we are no longer sinners? If so, why do we still struggle with sin? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss.Have a question you'd like answered on the podcast? Email it to podcast@horizonschurch.net.Secret Link

In 2023, most of us have access to the entire canon of scripture at our fingertips. But is it enough to purely have instant access? What is the benefit of carrying scripture in our minds and hearts? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss.Have a question you'd like answered on the podcast? E-mail it to podcast@horizonschurch.netREAD: 11 Steps to Memorizing an Entire Book of the Bible (TGC)Secret Link

Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss a more subtle form of the deadly sin of sloth. Is sloth as simple as pure laziness, or can it take other less obvious yet equally sinister forms? Secret Link

With the proliferation of "personality tests" in today's world, we find that we're living in an era of self-awareness, with an apparent desire for self-improvement. But is constant self-reflection more helpful or harmful? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss.Secret LinkHave a question you'd like answered on the podcast? Email us at podcast@horizonschurch.net!

We've all heard of miracles. What constitutes a "miracle"? How do we know when one has occurred? Do we truly recognize miracles when we see them? What is God's purpose for them? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss.Have a question you'd like answered on the podcast? E-mail us at podcast@horizonschurch.net

Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss what it means to wield transformed hearts that are fertile for the bearing of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit.

We know that God is a creative being, and we credit Him with the creation of the universe and all that we've come to know as real. Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss how God's creative nature is ongoing instead of just “one and done,” especially when it comes to making people into “new creatures” at the point of salvation.Secret Link

Pastor Josiah and Ethan conclude our podcast series on Christological heresies with an examination of Arianism, which denies the divinity of Jesus by asserting that He is a created being and not eternal.Secret Link

The practice of singing during corporate worship goes back thousands of years throughout church history. Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss some of their favorite songs to sing in a public worship setting.Secret Link

Pastor Josiah & Ethan take a look into how the Apostle Paul handles an encounter with nonbelievers in Acts 17, and discuss the importance of interfacing positively with people we disagree with.Secret Link

Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss the pitfalls and destructiveness of envy in the Christian heart, and the importance of practicing gratitude as a counterbalance.

Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss an often misguided expectation that the Christian life should come without difficulty.

Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss the challenges presented to Christendom as a result of a modern world where more and more of our reality seems to be experienced through devices and assumed online personas.Secret Link

Will we carry our memories from our life on earth into heaven with us? What does scripture say about our heavenly mindsets? Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss.Do you have a question you'd like answered on the podcast? Email your questions to podcast@horizonschurch.net.

Keeping in line with our sermon series "Choices," Pastor Josiah & Ethan discuss the Dreamworks classic animated film "The Prince of Egypt."The Prince of Egypt: 10 PlaguesThe Prince of Egypt: All I've Ever WantedSecret Link

Pastor Josiah and Ethan continue our podcast series on Christological heresies with an examination of Nestorianism, which asserts that Jesus is comprised of two distinct persons, as opposed to the Trinitarian view of God.Secret Link

Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss their favorite verses of scripture, with explanations of why they resonate with them. Secret Link

Did you read that title right? How can "sleep" be considered a spiritual discipline? Pastor Josiah and Ethan discuss the connection between faith and a consistent sleep habit.YT: Pints With AquinasSecret Link