Reformed Podmatics

This past week marked the annual observance of America's most important religious, er, national holiday: the NFL Super Bowl. As per usual, there was no shortage of controversy surrounding the halftime show, this year hosted by an artist named Bad Bunny. But this year there was not one but two halftime shows, with the other pitched the "All-American Halftime Show", which aimed at being a celebration of "American culture, freedom, an...

This week we're traveling back in time to examine the so-called Young, Restless, and Reformed movement, analyzing its roots, its rise to prominence in the evangelical world in the 2000s, and its subsequent decline in the mid-2010s. Through it all we explore the real strengths of the movement, alongside a sober analysis of the genuine weaknesses and valid criticisms. For anyone who lived through it, this may be an intriguing walk do...

This week we dive into a fascinating discussion and exploration of what the Bible has to teach us about Satan, demons, sin, and temptation. A listener recently asked us whether it's true that Satan is to blame for our temptation, or whether this removes too much of the responsibility off our shoulders. So this episode is one part response to the question, one part a theology of Satan and demons, and one part exploration of what we ...

In the Christian life there are often sins that are overlooked, dismissed, and neglected. These exist in contrast to the ones that are far more obvious and therefore far more commonly addressed. So in an effort to discern the whole counsel of God and allow its light to pervade into every nook and cranny of our hearts, this week we turn to the sins of greed, gluttony, and grumbling in an effort to address how Christ's Lordship affec...

A few weeks ago, a pastor friend reached out to Pastor Zac asking what his go-to book recommendations were for new Christians, and this question got him thinking. Books are an important part of discipleship for many Christians, and so in this week's episode we take some time to reflect on what books we'd recommend for getting to grips with Christianity depending on various considerations (age, maturity level, spiritual needs, etc.)...

In this first episode of 2026, we take some time to reflect on 2025 and some of the major events that transpired. We pay special attention on the recent developments within the conservative right and the fractures that have become clear in the wake of Charlie Kirk's death as a result of conspiracy theories and the appeal of sensational explanatory narratives. Following the guidance of Scripture & our Reformed confessions, in th...

Do you know the REAL Christmas story, as opposed to the popular versions of the story we hear every year around this time? In this week's episode, we spend some time, like Mary herself, marveling at the goodness of God in the Matthew and Luke's accounts of the nativity of Christ our Lord. We get into the date of Christ's birth, the timeline leading up to and after His birth, the story of the shepherds, the wise men, and the slaught...

While it may sound strange to many, the Reformed tradition has had a long and complicated history with regard to the use of the Church Calendar. In some corners it's been outright rejected, whereas in others it's been strongly encouraged. So given that we are currently in the season of Advent and approaching Christmas, we thought it would be fun to sit down and discuss how Reformed Christians can and should use the Church Calendar ...

It's the most wonderful time of the year! As another Christmas season has now descended upon us, we thought it would we'd get a little festive and spend this week's episode ranking our favorite (and least favorite) Christmas carols and songs. Perhaps we'll step on some toes, but more importantly we hope to deepen your appreciation for some of the true gems of this wonderful season where we celebrate the arrival of the Son of God in...

In this week's episode we take a step back to ask the question, What is ministry like in Ripon, California, USA? Part of the goal of every Christian is to understand the mission field in which God has placed them, and so as pastors called to serve Almond Valley CRC in Ripon, CA, we often find ourselves thinking how ministry in Ripon both excites us and is a challenge to us. We hope that even those who live across the world will fin...

Over the past few decades it has become increasingly common throughout the church to relegate the congregational prayer to being merely a segue between other more favored elements of the modern worship service. So in this week's episode, we call for a recovery of the congregational prayer, or as some people have called it, "the long prayer" in the church's gathered worship. We also give some reflections on why this kind of prayer i...

Given recent headlines about the crackdown on illegal gambling in the NBA, we're betting some of you will be interested in this week's topic of discussion: is gambling permissible for the Christian? To answer this question we turn to Scripture and our Catechism for help, as we consider how Christians ought to approach gambling, betting, the lottery, and even stock market investing. 

Visit www.almondvalley.org for information abou...

Prompted by the recent peace agreement between Israel and Gaza—and the wide range of reactions it has sparked—this week we ask: how should Christians respond when their political “opponents” accomplish something that’s objectively good? In our polarized age, it can feel almost disloyal to celebrate the other side’s victories. But followers of Jesus serve a King whose kingdom transcends every earthly party and platform. In this epis...

As we grow and mature in our faith we can often find ourselves becoming more and more cynical of everything around us, even beginning to think of cynicism as a sign of maturity. And for those of us who have grown in our theological understanding and awareness, this can be especially true in how we begin to look down on expressions of Christianity we think are less evolved, less enlightened, and less robust. But is this really how t...

One of the perennially challenging questions we face in the Christian life is what we are supposed to do when our heroes in the faith fail theologically or ethically. As Reformed Christians, it's not uncommon to hear accusations against John Calvin for his involvement in the execution of the anti-Trinitarian Michael Servetus or of Jonathan Edwards' defense of slavery on theological grounds. So how are we to think through these thin...

This week's episode comes from a listener question regarding whether or not doubt is allowed in the Christian walk. As we get into the particulars and try to make helpful distinctions for consideration, we hope this is a thought-provoking and pastoral conversation about the very real struggles many Christians face as they to honor and glorify the Lord, even in their intellectual lives. 

Visit www.almondvalley.org for information ...

In the Reformed tradition, the Psalms have always played a central role in our worship, piety, and formation. And the reason for this is simple: the Psalms are the hymnbook of Jesus Himself. Joining us week to discuss how this is the case and why this matters is Rev. Peter Holtvluwer, pastor at Ancaster Canadian Reformed Church and editor of a recent 4-volume pastoral commentary on the Psalms entitled Christ's Psalms, Our Psalms. 

...

In a spirit of semper reformanda and self-examination, this week we take some time to consider the modern church practice of thinking in terms of the "ministry year", where a congregation's programs and ministries follow the general schedule of the school year. Is this a wise or even a biblically defensible practice? What are the strengths and weaknesses of such an approach? Does ministry ever stop for the Christian or for the chur...

As Reformed Christians, salvation is at the very heart of our tradition. But how does salvation work, and how do all the concepts (e.g., election, regeneration, justification, adoption, etc.) fit together in a coherent whole? In Reformed theology, the answer has always been the framework of "union with Christ" whereby believers individually and the Church corporately are understood to be "one" with Christ. It is through this union ...