All posts filed under: Podcasts

37 | The other Christmas story

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A few days before Christmas, and my wife and I were out doing my most favorite past-time at Christmas, returning an item we had bought a few days earlier when we saw a brightly decorated yard that not only included an inflatable Santa and reindeer but also a six-foot inflatable red and green dragon. When did dragons become a Christmas decoration? Well believe it or not there is a dragon in one of the Christmas stories recorded in the Bible. It is just not a story we often recite a Christmas.

78 | What the Septuagint Bible tells us about fallen angels and spiritual warfare

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We are living in perilous times as governments of all political stripes seem intent on restricting people’s liberties and freedoms, either under the guise of protecting us from COVID or banning speech that some consider offensive, because it disagrees with their beliefs. In this podcast, I discuss the Septuagint’s odd translation of a Bible verse in Deuteronomy that may help explain why this is happening.

77 | What to do with a strange memory

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FOLLOW OUR PODCAST ON (search opentheword): Itunes Stitcher Spotify Google Play IHeartRadio TuneIn Podchaser PODCAST NOTES: Hi, my name is Dean Smith and in this podcast, I wonder: am the only person in the world who suddenly has flashbacks of things that happened to them decades ago. Well it happened to me recently and involved an incident of something that took place probably 45 years ago. It was the 1970s. I was in my twenties and driving an old Rambler station wagon. It was a dusty grey colour, probably 15 years old when I bought it. But along with my Toyota Previa, was the most reliable vehicles I have ever owned. I was just saved and attending a young people’s Hippy church, a Jesus People church, where everyone had long hair, including the girls. Back then, I had hair past my shoulders and one of my friends had hair down to his waist. And today, I have sadly resorted to shaving my head, because I am basically bald. It’s very sad. Anyway, I had put …

60 | The day God needed ‘super grace’

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Hi my name is Dean Smith and in this podcast, I want to talk about the day in 1995, when God needed to use super-grace. On Sept. 2, 2020, I was surprised to hear about the passing of Duch, pronounced Dook. He was one of the most brutal mass murders of the past century. And I guess by definition that makes him one of the most notorious Christians of that era as well.

55 | Crossing over to the other side of faith

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Hi my name is Dean Smith, and in this podcast I am asking: Are you ready to cross over to the other side of faith? But first let me tell you an interesting story involving the dramatic healing of Tony Yahle in West Carrollton, Ohio. It was so dramatic that the story was featured in several secular news sites including the New York Daily News, ABC News and WHIO TV.

54 | Are you an injustice collector?

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FOLLOW OUR PODCAST ON (search opentheword): Itunes Stitcher Spotify Google Play IHeartRadio TuneIn Podchaser PODCAST NOTES: Hi my name is Dean Smith and in this podcast I am asking are you an injustice collector? Several years ago, my wife and I invited a newly married Christian couple over to our home. I have no idea what we are talking about. I vaguely remember it was about church — but this is important — it wasn’t anything serious. It was just a casual conversation. It wasn’t about anyone or anything. Suddenly, the husband exploded in absolute rage. Anger poured out of him like hot lava. We were shocked. His wife looked at him with her mouth wide open. After things subsided a bit, I asked him why he was so upset by what we were talking about. He sheepishly looked at me, shrugged his shoulders, and said “I don’t know.” Something in what we said triggered him. It could have been a single word or phrase. But whatever it was it unleashed a torrent of rage. …

49 | Thinking old?

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FOLLOW OUR PODCASTS ON: Itunes Stitcher Spotify Google Play IHeartRadio TuneIn Podchaser PODCAST NOTES: Hi my name is Dean Smith and in this podcast, I want to discuss the question: Does how we think, affect how we age? But first let me ask you a question: At what age does a person officially become old? So what age did you pick? A recent survey of 2,000 Americans commissioned by LetsGetChecked asked that very question. This survey concluded that you are officially old when you turn 57. When I read the number I was absolutely shocked and also concerned because if we think we are old at just 57, could this potentially impact our aging process? As well, they provided some top indicators that you have officially reached old age. 39% listed an increased concern about health. 36% said more wrinkles. 35% listed grey hair And perhaps what was most disturbing is that 34% said hair loss. Good grief I was losing hair by the time I was 30. But in England, a similar survey of …

47 | How many crosses did Jesus actually die on?

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Follow our podcasts on: Itunes Stitcher Spotify Google Play IHeartRadio TuneIn Podchaser PODCAST NOTES: Hi my name is Dean Smith and in this Easter podcast I want to answer the top theological question of the day, namely how many crosses did Jesus die on? Now here is the strange thing, most Christians, and I even include myself in this, at times believe Jesus actually died on two crosses. The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus was crucified along with two other men, and that Jesus was on the middle cross with the two criminals on either side of him. But most Christians believe that sometime in the middle of one of those nights that Jesus hung on the cross for our sins, God switched the Lord to one of the other crosses.  And what is even more incredible, the disciples, who had been absolutely traumatized by the Lord’s crucifixion, didn’t even notice and never recorded this switch in the Bible.  I know this sounds strange, but this is what most Christians believe.  Of course, …