Prepared to Answer Podcast

Self-care is seen as a necessary part of life, but how can young Christians learn to reconcile a culture that prizes “self-care” while following a Saviour who calls them to “lose their life” for the sake of his kingdom? What constitutes “good self-care” practices vs. “bad self-care” practices?In this episode, Scott and Shawn use the “think like Jesus framework” to consider how Jesus would think about self-care, and they discover some vital truths that can help you keep your “self-care” from becoming “self-ish care”.

Many see masculinity as hopelessly “toxic”. Others want to double down on historic “real man” stereotypes. Amidst all the noise and confusion, how are both Christian men and women to think about what makes a man a “real man”?In this episode, Scott and Shawn return to the ‘think like Jesus' framework found in Scripture in order to discern how Jesus thought about the essence of true manhood.

In our culture, identify is seen as something that each person creates for themselves. But is that really where your identity comes from? Does determining your own identity really set you free?Scott and Shawn bring the critical subject of identity into their continuing journey to learn to think like Jesus. In this episode, they talk through the inevitable difficulties we face when trying to create our own identity and how we can allow the mind of Jesus to inform and shape where true and lasting identity is found.

Christians often treat singleness as if it is a problem to be solved. But how did Jesus think about singleness? He was, after all, a single man. In this episode, Scott and Shawn work through the four pillars that shaped Jesus' mind, and they uncover some important and perhaps convicting insights about the place, value, and priority the church should give to living out the Christian life in singleness for the glory of God.

Scott and Shawn continue their thought journey of learning to think like Jesus about marriage by discussing the principles that Christians need to take to heart in order to think like Jesus — whether they are anticipating marriage or have been married for some time. Specifically, Scott and Shawn take a hard look at the most important question about marriage: what did God create marriage for?

Scott and Shawn share how Jesus' love for the Father and the enabling of the Holy Spirit should inform how Christians approach marriage today — whether you're a young person anticipating marriage in the future, a single adult waiting or longing to be married, or have been married for years.

When people do everything for their own glory, we often perceive them them as being selfish or insecure. But since God does everything for his own glory, does that mean he is selfish or insecure? Shawn and Scott discuss this question as they learn from Scripture how to think like Jesus about the glory of God.

The word “glory” is often thrown around in Christian circles. But what is God's glory? What does the word “glory” even mean? Since glorifying God was and is Jesus' greatest goal, it is a very important question that we need to answer.

Scott and Shawn confront a critical question in their journey toward thinking like Jesus: “why?” Why did Jesus think the way that he thought? To what end? What was the ultimate goal toward which every thought Jesus had was directed?

Christianity, Judaism, and Islam may share similar beliefs about God, but there is an irreconcilable difference between the God that each religion claims to worship. Tune in to this encore episode from the archives as Scott and Shawn bring clarity to the question, “Do Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship the same God?”

Scott and Shawn dig into the facts about Old Testament slavery laws and share principles for responding to difficult faith challenges in order to answer the question, “does the Bible condone slavery?”

The Prepared to Answer team and our PTA Go Partners get together to reflect on the year past, the glory of Christmas, and what's in store for 2025. You can also play along as we hold our own Prepared to Answer version of Family Feud — Scott, Matt, and Mike take on Becca and Julia to figure out the answers to some challenging Christmas themed surveys.

Scott and Shawn dig into how God's grand story (that the Scriptures tell) shaped not just WHAT Jesus thought, but HOW he thought about everything. Tune in to hear biblical examples of this in Jesus' life and how the Bible's grand story can transform your own thinking as well.

Scott and Shawn consider the role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' life and thinking, and (by extension) they come to some important conclusions about how the Spirit teaches Christians today.

Scott and Shawn continue to discover what it means to think like Jesus, but run up against some objections to how Jesus could be fully human if he was divine at the same time. If he was truly human, how could he perform miracles or know the future? And if he was God, can he really relate to our human weaknesses and the temptations we face?

Since Jesus was fully human, that means he needed to learn just like we do. But how could he learn what he needed to know in order to become God's Messiah and the Saviour of the world? The answer isn't controversial, but it may surprise you. Join Scott and Shawn as they discover Jesus' foundation for thinking and why it affects how Christians should think about everything.

Catch a rare glimpse at some of the exciting things happening in the ministry of Prepared to Answer and hear our vision for what's next in our goal to help the next generation to THINK LIKE JESUS. This is recorded LIVE at our ministry celebration banquet.

Scott and Shawn sit down to consider Jesus as our perfect model for how to think and how it could be that learning to think like Jesus is a key to living a transformed life — no matter what questions or uncertainties our changing world may bring our way.

Scott and Shawn discuss the distinctions, merits, and hidden worldview assumptions behind democracy and socialism in order to ask and answer which way Jesus would vote were he living among us in the world today.

Have we in the church allowed tradition and culture to inform us about singleness and marriage rather than Scripture? In this episode, we welcome Dr. Dani Treweek, a post-doctoral theological researcher, author, and speaker with a focus on biblical singleness, sexuality, theological retrieval, and worldview formation. By discussing her application of biblical theology in her research on the biblical meaning of singleness, Dani not only challenges us to re-think our understanding of singleness, but also supplies a real-life illustration of how to think biblically about any topic by viewing it through the lens of the Bible's grand story.

Did you know it is possible for you to follow biblical principles about money (tithing, paying off debt, etc.) while still idolizing money in your heart? In this episode, Shawn shares how, in order to honour God with our money, we need to think like Jesus by looking deeper into our heart's motivations behind how we manage our finances.

Christians can fall into error when thinking about happiness — either adopting a worldly view of happiness that is self-centered or falling into the belief that God doesn't care about our happiness at all. So, which is it? Does God want you to be happy, or not?In this episode, join Scott and Shawn as they discover the answer to this question by uncovering:what happiness even iswhether or not people need God in order to be happywhy God cares about your happinesswhy God also cares about what your happiness is rooted inhow to pursue a happiness that ultimately glorifies God in your daily living

Do you ever wonder how to hear from God? And if you think you're hearing from him, how do you really know? Scott and Matt meet up to talk about the ways we can know God is speaking to us, and how we can train ourselves to hear him better. 

Special guest, Matt Bellefeuille from Doubters Welcome, joins us to talk about the four types of doubts Christians can experience and how identifying the root cause of those doubts is a critical step in finding faith-satisfying answers.

Our special guest, Mike McGarry of Youth Pastor Theologian, shares what he thinks today's Christian teens need most — sound, theological teaching. Mike explains how knowing theology helps teens grow into a faith that will endure the struggles they will face and also responds to common objections to teaching theology in youth ministry.

In this episode from the archives, Scott and Shawn examine our culture's prevailing ideas about justice and uncover what lies at the root of true justice, according to God and the Bible.

Why should God get to decide what's just? And how can God be just if he simply forgives people for their sin when they place their faith in Jesus? How is that fair? Scott and Shawn dig into the challenging subject of God's justice and discover that the key to understanding God's justice is to begin with the question, “What does God deserve?”

If God is completely sovereign over all of his creation, can human beings be free to make real choices? Or, if God does sovereignly determine our choices as well, how can we be held responsible for those choices? Scott and Shawn dive into these difficult questions in an attempt to hold together the tension of these two apparently irreconcilable truths: God's sovereignty and man's free choice.

Scott and Shawn tackle the question of why God allowed evil from three important angles. First, what's a good ‘elevator' response when someone confronts you with such a challenge but really aren't giving you the time for a fully developed response? Second, what's a quick response that's often given that you should probably avoid? And third, what is the best biblical response to this question that, while maybe not resolving the tension, leaves the questioner to consider the truth about God's ultimate purpose and destiny for his creation.

The first commandment God gave Israel was this: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). And the rest of God's commands and revelations throughout the Bible are consistent with this. God, and only God, is to be worshipped. Only God can get the glory.But the skeptic looks at this and asks: “If anyone else acted the way God acts, we'd call them a narcissist and accuse them of outright selfishness. Isn't his demand for worship just a sign of selfish egotism?”In this episode, Scott and Shawn sit down to talk through this objection, looking to God and his word to answer this challenge against God's character. Tune in and discover that far from an act of selfishness, God's command that we worship him only is born from his selfless love.

No one can escape the reality of pain and suffering, but, as Christians, Jesus actually promised we'd suffer (John 16:33) and face persecutions for his sake (Mark 10:30). Whether it's experiencing pain because of the brokenness of sin upon the world or hardships due to our loyalty to Jesus, we will all face suffering in this world to one degree or another. So, how do we ensure our faith endures through them?In this episode, Scott and Shawn tackle this difficult subject of pain and suffering, but from the standpoint of Jesus' own experience. Specifically, they probe the Scriptures to see what guided Jesus' own mind as he journeyed through suffering. What they discover is both inspiring and hopeful.⭐ Get access to “So Much More Than Sex” — a video-based Bible Study Series for young adults that is focused on rediscovering God's eternal purpose for human sexuality.Support the show

Out of necessity during the global COVID pandemic, most churches in countries with mandated restrictions needed to learn how to “do church” online. But even after COVID, this widespread experience of online church has caused many to ask if doing church online presents Christians with a viable alternative to in-person gathering. Could it be that technology presents us with a new way of doing church in which we gather as the church online?In our final episode of our Dechurching Series, Scott and Shawn see if Scripture can shed some light on an answer, and what that answer might be.

In this episode, Scott and Shawn dive into the question of whether or not Christians need to belong to a local church. People feel the need to leave church for many reasons. Most often it is because the church, as they've experienced it, has not measured up to what they expect it to be. Sometimes this is due to churches not being what the church should be, and sometimes this is due to churches not being what we feel they should be. In either case, this is due to the church not measuring up to an ideal. But maybe part of the problem isn't the church failing to meet the ideal, but our own vision of what that ideal is. In an era where Christian teaching, worship music, and resources are available to us through so many channels, Scott and Shawn look to the Bible to see if living a Christian life without belonging to an actual church is biblical—or possible! ⭐ Get access to “So Much More Than Sex” — a video-based Bible Study Series for young adults that is focused on rediscovering God's eternal purpose for human sexuality.Support the show

The data over the past several years confirms a steady decline in church attendance and participation, even among committed Christians. In this episode in our Dechurching series, Scott and Shawn raise awareness about some of the cultural assumptions that may be skewing our perspective about church. For those wondering if being part of a church is necessary, rather than giving reasons for or against, Scott and Shawn take a dive into Scripture to answer a necessary first question: “What is the church?” If you're thinking of leaving church behind, tune into this episode to learn about the nature of the church and what it really means. This may help you think more clearly about the role church has, and your place in it. Support the show

Is the church in Canada disappearing? Data collected by StatsCan  over the past thirty years shows a steady decline in church attendance among Canadians. And the years over COVID accelerated that trend even further. But what is driving this trend? Who are the people foregoing church? And what does this indicate for the future of Christianity in Canada?In this episode, Scott and Shawn begin looking at this de-churching phenomenon that is transforming the religious landscape of the west. They look at who are de-churching, and what reasons are being given by those who used to regularly attend and participate in church life, but no longer do.This is the first episode in our series on “De-Churching”. Our goal is to help you understand what is happening in the church, how Christians should respond, and what we should expect to see happen for this trend to be reversed.

For decades now, church attendance has been in decline. And after COVID, many people are not returning to church.But let's face it. Most churches now do a great job of delivering Sunday service online. And through the internet we have easy access to a super-abundance of worship, teaching, and discipleship resources that we used to only get from church.There is also the reality for many who, for one reason or another, have had negative or even hurtful church experiences. For these, church has become a very negative thing.This raises the question: Do we really even need churches to be a Christian?In this encore episode, Scott and Shawn tackle this very relevant question by discussing:The distinction between our experience of church and what the church is.Understanding the relationship between Christians “doing” church and “being” the church.The New Testament vision of the church as a “family”.How Jesus relates to his church, and the implications this has for us.

In 2015, The Pew Research Center reported that for every individual who becomes a Christian four leave (source).More recently a chain of very public and prominent Christians has emerged, declaring that they too have decided to leave Christianity. What are we to make of such phenomena, and how should we react to them?In this encore episode pulled from our podcast archives, Scott and Shawn discuss the seemingly growing trend of “deconversion” stories, asking some pointed and important questions:What are the causes behind decisions to deconvert from Christianity?What sorts of things contribute toward the likelihood that someone might deconvert?Are deconversion stories necessarily all bad? Are there some positive lessons that we can take away?And, how should we react? Are deconversions final, or is there still hope?

We invite you to our annual Christmas Wrap-up. Meet our team and listen in as we talk about the highlights of 2023, share our favourite parts of the Christmas story, and challenge each other with some Christmas Story Trivia.As Christmas approaches, we remember that Jesus is the hope of the world. Forgiveness of sin and peace with God is for everyone who puts their trust in him. This is why we do what we do to help Christians stand firm in their faith and witness for Jesus!From our PTA family to yours, we wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas filled with love, joy, and cherished memories!

Why does the Bible give us so many warnings about sexual immorality? Does God truly care? Scott welcomes Dr. Kirk Durston to delve into this critical topic. Dr. Kirk's expertise in biophysics, education, and Christian ministry provides profound insights into the biblical discussion surrounding sexuality.This captivating discussion explores the intertwined relationship between the body and the soul. Dr. Kirk unveils how lust and passion have the power to turn the body against the soul, leading to spiritual warfare within ourselves.Dr. Kirk suggests that what we witness in our culture today may be the prolonged scream of humanity losing its soul. This eye-opening revelation highlights the urgency of understanding why God warns us so clearly and frequently against sexual immorality.Join us in this transformative conversation about sexual immorality, spiritual warfare, and the battle for the soul. Gain a deeper understanding of the battle against sexual sin and the importance of nurturing a strong Christian identity.— ⭐ Get notified when the new Bible Study Series “So Much More Than Sex” is available in early 2024 — a video-based Bible Study Series for young adults that is focused on rediscovering God's eternal purpose for human sexuality.

How can we place our sexual attractions into a biblical context?Listen in as Scott and Shawn challenge the modern trend to use sexual orientation as the framework that defines us. They tackle the problem that our modern, secular notion of sexual orientation is a virtual catch-all for who and what we are.They go on to encourage Christians to stop using aspects of our fallen nature for describing our identity in Christ. Rather, to “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)Sexual orientation does not define us. Join Scott and Shawn as they focus on claiming our identity in Christ.—⭐ Get notified when the new Bible Study Series “So Much More Than Sex” is available in early 2024 — a video-based Bible Study Series for young adults that is focused on rediscovering God's eternal purpose for human sexuality.

What's the Deal with Sexual Orientation? Is there really such a thing as a heterosexual, homosexual, or even a bisexual person?Have you ever questioned the seemingly obvious answers?In this episode, we delve into the perplexing world of sexual orientation. Scott and Shawn challenge us to stop and ask: Why does it feel so natural to label people as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual? When and how did sexual orientation become such a clear and fixed category in our minds such that the question itself just makes sense to us? Is sexual orientation really a core, fixed, and essential aspect of human nature?Join Scott and Shawn as they dive into these really important questions, you might find some unexpected conclusions. Listen now! —⭐ Get notified when the new Bible Study Series “So Much More Than Sex” is available in early 2024 — a video-based Bible Study Series for young adults that is focused on rediscovering God's eternal purpose for human sexuality.

Our culture is obsessed with sex, and Christians are not immune from its impact. Records show that internet porn sites receive more online traffic than ‘X' (Twitter), Instagram, Netflix, Pinterest, and LinkedIn combined. Living in such a culture means that Christian young people especially are feeling pressure and asking questions never imagined by previous generations. So, we can't be squeamish. For Millennials and Gen ‘Z' believers, questions about sexuality saturate their everyday reality. We need to talk about sex! In this first of a series of episodes about sexuality, Scott and Shawn begin by looking at some of the foundational ideas behind our culture's sex obsession. They talk about the difference that a biblical view of sexuality makes and warn about some impacts we can expect which highlight the church's need to address the subject of sex thoughtfully, graciously, and above all biblically. Join Scott and Shawn for this important conversation to help Christians begin thinking biblically about sex. —⭐ Get notified when the new Bible Study Series “So Much More Than Sex” is available in early 2024 — a video-based Bible Study Series for young adults that is focused on rediscovering God's eternal purpose for human sexuality.

Christians can sometimes be accused of cherry picking the Bible, especially from among Old Testament laws and commands. For example, quoting commands that prohibit homosexual behaviour (Leviticus 18:22), but then completely ignoring commands that prohibit weaving two different fabrics together. (Leviticus 19:19).In truth, Christians can be guilty of selective Bible reading. We dismiss some commands as no longer applicable while affirming others as still binding without really knowing or explaining why. When we do, it does tend to look like we're just picking the commands that reflect the values we already hold.The solution is to allow the Bible to speak for itself.In this throw-back episode, Scott and Shawn discuss three principles to use to determine from the Bible when to consider laws or commandments as particular to Israel, and only for a time in the past, and when to take them as universal for all people in all places and for all times.Support the show

“The church is too judgmental… I'm done with it.”Starting with the exit of young people from the church, Scott and Shawn take a close look at the criticism. It's pretty common to hear young people express disdain for the judgments the church brings down on their generation. Is the church really too judgmental? Does the church even have a role in judging?Scott and Shawn launch into the discussion by taking us through a better understanding of shifts happening in our culture; from belief to skepticism. Then they unravel some of the theological drift happening in churches. The Greek word we translate to mean “judge” had a different meaning in the original.To sum it all up, they go back to Jesus, looking at what he tells his disciples to do. To judge or not to judge… that is the question. You might be caught in the judgment cycle or feel the tension of judgment and critique. Watch now… and let us know what you think.

Are we living in the end times? The Bible tells us that wars, rumours of war, earthquakes and abnormal weather events will be the signs of the coming of the end.Scott and Shawn take a closer look at what Jesus said about the last days before his return. He told his disciples to be on their guard, for no one knows the exact time of Jesus return.Today, we see wars, growing international conflict, persecution, social and political unrest, and natural disasters. Are these signs of Jesus soon return? And if so, what should we do about it?Listen in with Scott and Shawn to learn how we can live with the end so near.

Jesus challenged the norm by saying to love as God loves is to love our enemies and those who hate us.Scott and Shawn work through Jesus' teaching in the context of real-life examples and the Scripture. Corrie ten Boom, who lived an extraordinary life of forgiveness and love, was dumbfounded when her sister forgave the man who put the entire family in prison. Loving as Jesus loved is impossible—we can't do it on our own.How can we love our enemies?Scott and Shawn give practical examples of loving your enemy and living out the hard teachings of Jesus.Support the show

In Matthew, Jesus says He did not come to abolish the Old Testament Law, but to fulfill them.Some popular pastors like Andy Stanley think Christians should distance themselves from the Old Testament, as if its commandments are no longer applicable for Christians. Scott and Shawn discuss the place of the Old Testament and Moses' Law in understanding the full truth of Jesus. Should we continue to keep the 613 laws set out in Leviticus?The truth is that Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount goes far beyond Old Testament laws. Join Scott and Shawn as they work through the Scriptures and the place of the Old Testament law in our lives.

Jesus claims “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” In a world of pluralism, where even Christians often believe there are many ways to God, Jesus offers a clear understanding of knowing God in profound ways. It can be confusing to understand Jesus within a culture that believes there are many paths to heaven.Whether you're looking for answers or deepening your own faith, be prepared to answer how to find the path to eternal life.Don't forget to comment and share this video. Join the discussion.Support the show

Jesus said: “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 7:21) Is it really possible to go through your entire life believing you're a Christian, only to find out when it's too late that you were wrong? Jesus seems to be warning exactly that. As critical theory continues to march through Western culture, Christians must face hard choices between conformity to the world and conformity to Christ. But to what extent? How much does Jesus ask of us to follow him? With cultural conflicts all around us, how can we tell if we're really and truly on the side of Jesus? Do you know what it truly means to be a Christian? Are you certain that you really are Jesus' disciple? The stakes are too high to ignore such a critical question! Join Scott and Shawn as they examine the life and teaching of Jesus to understand the true cost and marks of being a disciple. Learn from Jesus himself what it means to call him “Lord”, and truly belong to him.

Is Hell real? Or a myth? Judgement, punishment and hell are concepts that seem wrong in the context of a loving God and compassionate Jesus. Scott and Shawn open the Bible and study Jesus' teachings about life after death and the reality of eternal punishment. You might think about Hell with imagery: a lake of fire; heavy darkness; unending suffering. The Bible talks about the narrow road to heaven and the wide road to Hell. Is any of this true? Scott and Shawn work through the words of Jesus to help us understand the concept of eternal punishment in the context of the glory of God. Listen today to discover what Jesus had to say about hell.Resources to help you study about God's holiness:John Piper, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist Kevin DeYoung: The Hole in our Holiness J. I. Packer, Knowing God R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness Support the show

The Bible has a lot to say about sin, the nature of sin, and the impact of sin. Taking a deep dive into the doctrine of original sin and atonement, Scott and Shawn explore the hard teachings of Jesus and the Biblical perspective of sin and atonement. Gain insights to the complex doctrines of sin and atonement in language and illustrations you can understand—and explain to others.Sin matters. Original sin impacts each of us. Join Scott and Shawn as they take you through one of the hardest teachings of Jesus.Listen to our Deconstructing Faith Series hereSupport the show