GoodLion – Calvary Chapel

Don’t Try To Build The House While It’s Burning – with Justin Thomas

Aaron Salvato — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 12:15:00 +0000

2020 seemed to tear everything apart. The normal structures of our lives, our work, and our relationships seems to have fallen completely apart.

For many of us, this has created a sense of loss. The things we trusted in let us down and now we don’t fully know where to turn. We’re not sure what we can or should trust in anymore.

For others, this has led to a strong desire to rebuild. Rather than wallow in the sadness of loss, we want to simply put our heads down and remake the world we feel we’ve lost.

In this episode, Justin Thomas, Pastor at Calvary: The Hill, lays out a different option. Rather than just trying to rebuild what we had, we need to let the chaos of the last 18 months teach us important lessons. Were we approaching church and faith and discipleship the way we should have? Are we sure our old structures were the right structures? What if God is giving us an opportunity to rebuild so we can do better this time?

Aaron and Brian talk with Justin about all this and much more as they try to think through what a church would need to look like to be 2020-proof, able to withstand the division and hostility our cultural moment thrives on.

We’re so glad you could join us for this conversation.

You’re listening to the GoodLion Podcast!

Aaron Salvato and Brian Higgins are here to talk about Jesus, faith, and the Christian Life. A show filled with powerful interviews, fascinating theological deep-dives, and a never ending stream of questions, there’s always something to discover on The Good Lion Podcast. Check out the other great shows on the GoodLion network at www.goodlion.io

Engaging with Real Deconstruction: A look at Exvangelical memes – With Dominic Done!

Brian Higgins — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 09:30:00 +0000

Deconstruction is a growing trend in religious and philosophical circles. While many Christians have begun to address deconstruction, we don’t often engage with deconstructionist ideas directly.

In this episode, Aaron and Brian are joined by Dominic Done, author of When Faith Fails: Finding God In the Shadow of Doubt and founder of a ministry to skeptics and doubters called Pursuing Faith. Aaron, Brian, and Dominic respond directly to deconstructionists memes to answer questions coming directly from people wrestling with deconstruction.

Throughout this conversation, Aaron, Brian, and Dominic seek to find the valuable elements of deconstruction without it leading to abandoning the fundamentals of Christianity. We hope this episode encourages you to think critically and respond lovingly to deconstructionist concepts.

Young People, Postmodernism, and How It Closes Their Eyes to Truth

Aaron Salvato — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 21:52:00 +0000

In this episode, Aaron and Brian explore the way that postmodern thinking is currently effecting young people.

As two former youth pastors, we have a huge heart for young people. They aren’t just the future of the church, they are the present. If you’re a young person between the middle school and college age listening to this, we appreciate you, and we are glad you are here.

One of the biggest problems we’ve been seeing about postmodern philosophy is its assault on the concept of objective truth. The assertion that everyone can have their own truth, no matter what it is, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone. But that’s the problem. Lies do harm people. If you’re handed a glass of poison and told it’s water, that is a lie that will hurt you.

As people who believe in both the concept of God-given morality and the problem of sin, we understand that it’s important to discuss how the concept of truth is deteriorating in our postmodern society.

Today on the show we are going to watch some clips from a video from 2017 where a guy is on college campuses trying to see how far young people have slipped into postmodern thinking. Then we are going to talk about what it means for the church.

We hope this conversation challenges you in your thinking and helps you consider other points of view. As always we are open to any feedback, wherever that be encouragement or pushback. You can email us at goodlionnetwork@gmail.com or send a dm on Instagram to @goodlionpodcast

Thanks for listening everyone. Enjoy the show.

The Dangers of Postmodernism

Aaron Salvato — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 16:30:00 +0000

Postmodernism may be today’s common thinking, but is that a good thing? In this episode, Brian and Aaron push past the facade of freedom postmodernism offers to explore some of its dangers.

The second episode of this new miniseries begins with a quick recap on what postmodern thinking actually is, something that is not always easy to define. With that definition in mind, Aaron and Brian highlight the fact that some of postmodernism’s conclusions lead to scary places for Jesus followers and non-believers alike.

We hope this episode puts words to things you may have felt before about postmodernism and helps you talk about it in a compassionate, helpful, Jesus-loving way!

––
Aaron Salvato and Brian Higgins are here to talk about Jesus, faith, and the Christian Life. A show filled with powerful interviews, fascinating theological deep-dives, and a never ending stream of questions, there’s always something to discover on The Good Lion Podcast. Check out the other great shows on the GoodLion network.

What is Postmodernism, and Why Should we care?

Aaron Salvato — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 17:30:00 +0000

In this episode, Brian & Aaron begin to scratch the surface of a notoriously hard to define topic: postmodernism, specifically postmodern philosophy. While western culture has been in the grip of a postmodern movement and mood since the 1960s, many Christians struggle to identify what exactly postmodernism is, and why it presents a problem for the Church.

In part one of a new miniseries, the guys jump headfirst into the discussion, doing their best to research, learn, and share their findings. They take a look at Modernism, and how it led to Postmodernism and discuss one of the core reasons this trajectory has created an obstacle for the Christian worldview, namely, the abandonment of the concept of objective truth.

We hope this episode helps you think deeply as you follow Jesus in this current cultural moment!

Evan Wickham: Hope for Doubters & Deconstructionists

Aaron Salvato — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Why are Millennials and GenZ kids who grew up in the Church leaving in droves? How can we reach people struggling with doubt and deconstruction? Evan Wickham, pastor of Park Hill Church in San Diego, has a lot of perspective to offer on this topic. Between his time as a youth pastor, traveling worship leader, and spending years pastoring in Portland (a culture hostile to the Christian faith), Evan has seen his fair share of doubt & deconstruction… as well as experiencing some himself.

Evan shares his insight into how we can come out the other side of doubt and deconstruction with a positive attitude aiming to build the Church up, rather than tear it down, and how we can reach people who are currently struggling with their faith. He introduces a concept called “Spiritual Consent” that he has found helpful in ministering to people burned out and wounded by things they’ve experienced.

We hope this conversation helps you in your walk with Christ and is a helpful resource to you as you make every effort to help others discover the Way of Jesus.

–––

GoodLion began as a dream of Christian Podcasters Aaron Salvato, Brian Higgins, Mike Neglia & Lindsay Kennedy. The idea was simple: what if Jesus-loving content creators joined forces to partner together for Kingdom Work? In 2018 they began to work together towards the goal, and soon after, the team at the Calvary Global Network decided to come alongside them to support the vision.

We work together as a team to produce free, high-quality content that points people to Jesus, encourages the church and equips creatives to reach people through podcasting!

The Power of Online Ministry – Mike Winger

Aaron Salvato — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 14:11:00 +0000

We’ve got a special treat for you guys: Aaron has asked his old friend Mike Winger to come on and chat about the power and potential of doing ministry work online. Mike started out as a youth and assistant pastor at a local church, before God started leading him to a new mission field: the internet.

Mike runs the theology and apologetics youtube ministry, Bible Thinker. For anyone looking to find ways to reach people for the Kingdom online, we know this episode will help encourage you as you work towards that goal!

––

GoodLion began as a dream of Christian Podcasters Aaron Salvato, Brian Higgins, Mike Neglia & Lindsay Kennedy. The idea was simple: what if Jesus-loving content creators joined forces to partner together for Kingdom Work? In 2018 they began to work together toward the goal, and soon after, the team at the Calvary Global Network decided to come alongside them to support the vision.

We work together as a team to produce free, high-quality content that points people to Jesus, encourages the church and equips creatives to reach people through podcasting!

Abortion, Christians, & The Value of a Life (with Ryan Lynn)

Aaron Salvato — Thu, 20 May 2021 16:28:00 +0000

Abortion is a hot button topic that is often debated by both Christians and non Christians. Ryan Lynn (Founder of the Speak Life Collective) is here to challenge us on how we can think through this divisive topic as followers of Christ.

In this discussion, Aaron and Brian dialogue with Ryan about the value of an unborn life, how to respond to those who hold pro-choice views, what it means to be pro-life, the ethics of abortion, how to get involved with this ideological battle as a peacemaker, how to show grace and compassion to women who’ve struggled through this issue, and how to hold boldly to your convictions while carrying those convictions with compassion. It’s a great talk and we really hope it encourages and equips you to walk closely with Jesus as you engage the culture around you for the Kingdom of God.

For great apologetical resources on this topic, visit the Q&A page on the Speak Life Collective website.
–––––

The GoodLion podcast is a show by Aaron Salvato and Brian Higgins, the founders of CGN’s GoodLion Podcast Network. Each episode, their goal is to ask hard questions, push past easy answers and always look to Jesus, the God who is not safe but is very good.

Is God Allowing Suffering Just as Bad as Him Causing It?

Aaron Salvato — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 10:24:00 +0000

When God made the world, he called it good… and yet when we look at the world today, a lot of times it doesn’t really seem very good. It’s filled with pandemics and violence and racism and division. And that’s just this year, when we look back at human history, it is filled with all kinds of terrible things. We’ve talked to on this podcast about whether or not God causes evil, and while we recommend you go back and listen to those past episodes, our short answer was no, God doesn’t cause evil, but he does allow it. Like with most areas of theology, when one question gets answered a thousand more troubling questions seem to rise up behind it.

So if God doesn’t allow evil, Isn’t that really just as bad as him causing it? How can a good God allow evil to happen? If He allows it, is that really any better than him causing the evil in the first place?

Aaron and Brian dive deep into this question on the GoodLion Podcast.

Warnings About Progressive Christianity (Repost from Can I Say That?)

Aaron Salvato — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 12:20:00 +0000

Aaron gets invited to come onto Brenna Blain’s podcast “Can I Say That?”, a podcast that tackles tough topics around Christianity and faith. In the episode, Aaron speaks with Brenna about the topic of Progressive Christianity. What is progressive Christianity? What are some common held beliefs of those who would consider themselves to be progressive Christians? Why is this an important topic to study?

Like most things we talk about on the show, we tried to cover it with a ton of grace and compassion, but that doesn’t stop Aaron from issuing some warnings to those who feel they are drifting towards a more “progressive Christianity.” He communicates reasons for why he truly believes it is not the right path to be on for those seeking faithfulness to Jesus. At the same time he tries to critique some of the extremes on the other side that often drive people to progressive Christianity.

Afterwards, Aaron and Brian Higgins get together to close the episode by diving further into the topic.

You may not agree with everything in this episode, but we truly hope you can sense the love we feel towards anyone struggling with their faith, and the heart we have to see people walking with Jesus despite challenges and difficulties. Wherever you fall on the Christian spectrum, take a listen to the episode and let us know if it helped you, or even if you have some pushback!

You can contact us at our email, goodlionnetwork@gmail.com

––

Does God Cause Evil and Suffering? – ft Gerry Breshears and John Piper

Aaron Salvato — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 21:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we dive into some dangerous territory: questions about God’s sovereignty.

The sovereignty of God can be an extremely challenging topic for Christians. A lot of the debate centers on the phrase “God is in control.” What do we mean when we say God is in control? For many, this question leads to an even bigger one: if God is in control, does that mean he causes evil and suffering?

Brian and Aaron contrast two theological views of the issue, one framed by renowned reformed pastor John Piper and the other by seminary professor Dr. Gerry Breshears. They discuss why they prefer one view over the other.

The guys also get into the Biblical story of Joseph, the phrase “what you meant for evil God meant for good,” and what this passage implies (and does not imply) about God’s sovereignty.

Then we take some hard looks at what extreme positions have to be adopted if we embrace Piper’s view of God being the author behind human sins.

Finally, we end with a look at prof. Gerry Breshears’s framework for what it means to be “Calminian”, or rather, a Christian who holds the sovereignty of God and the free will God affords to man in a healthy tension.

To read more about his views, you can check out this document.

––

Why Wait For Marriage? (With Jon Keith and Jordan Aly) – A Discussion on dating and sexuality.

Aaron Salvato — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Aaron sits down with his old friend Jordan and her boyfriend (now fiancé since the time of this recording!) Hip-Hop and R&B artist Jon Keith to discuss dating, sex, and waiting for marriage to engage in sexuality. In this culture it’s harder than ever for couples to wait, and many don’t even really have a theology for “why” they should wait or what the purpose is.

Many people who have struggled and made mistakes in this area are constantly battling guilt and shame and finding it difficult to feel right with God. In this episode, Jordan and Jon Keith have a candid and open discussion about the reality of the struggle of sexual sin, temptation, porn, guilt, shame, hope, redemption, and repentance. They describe what it looks like to follow Jesus in today’s sexually saturated culture, and what it looks like to walk through this struggle as a couple. It’s a great discussion and we hope it points you to Jesus and helps you follow him closer in your romantic relationships!

–––
The GoodLion podcast is a show by Aaron Salvato and Brian Higgins, the founders of CGN’s GoodLion Podcast Network. Each episode, their goal is to ask hard questions, push past easy answers and always look to Jesus, the God who is not safe but is very good.

The What and Why of Discipleship

Aaron Salvato — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 19:59:00 +0000

Brian and Aaron discuss discipleship. What is discipleship? Why do we do it? Why is it important? What are ways we misunderstand it? All these questions and more on today’s GoodLion podcast!

––

Questions About Systemic Racism, With Benjamin Morrison

Aaron Salvato — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 19:49:00 +0000

On this week’s episode, Aaron sits down with Pastor Benjamin Morrison to discuss two articles he wrote for CalvaryChapel.com about the issue of systemic racism. The articles received some pushback due to the tense feelings many people have in this moment around the topic, and so Aaron and Ben take time to flesh out a lot of the common concerns and issues that revolve around the term. It’s a lengthy yet interesting discussion that gets to the heart of the issue and how Christians can think critically about it.

––––
Benjamin Morrison is the planter and lead pastor of Calvary Chapel Svitlovodsk, Ukraine. He is also the Coordinator for City to City Ukraine and serves as Training Coordinator for City to City Europe.

You can read Ben’s article’s here:

PELAGIAN RACISM: A LESSON FROM CHURCH HISTORY

PELAGIAN RACISM PART 2: WILL PREACHING THE GOSPEL FIX SYSTEMIC RACISM?

––––

Cross-Cultural Christianity with Phil Metzger

Aaron Salvato — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Aaron sits down with Phil Metzger (lead pastor at Calvary San Diego) to talk about the art of “Crossing Cultures.” Phil and his family have spent meant years overseas as missionaries and in that time he has learned all about how to communicate and relate to those who see the world differently. The first season of Phil’s show is all about racial relations, and so Aaron and Phil discuss the problem of racial blindspots, the need for openness to different points of view, the necessity of reconciliation and forgiveness, and the debate around the “hot button” issue of the phrase “white privilege.”

Check out Phil’s show here!

––––