Catfish Ministries

Drop us a line!We examine the latest iteration (and some parts of previous iterations) of the church growth movement.  Where does it come from?  What does it do?  Are we even all on the same page as to what it means to have a growing church?!Thank you for listening!  To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!We take a look at the first 100 days of President Trump Part Deux.  What's been done, what's not been done, and we check it against scripture.  A moment in time snapshot of American politics.  A Chad & Dave episode, and we pray that Greg gets well soon.  We need you brother - this episode probably proves it.  Thank you for listening!To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!Get in losers, we're going on a grand tour of the insults of Jesus!  We take an in depth look at some of the harder to hear things that Jesus rebuked people with (calling people a brood of vipers, dogs, pigs, etc).  Why did Jesus do this?  What does it all mean?!  Is it possible that an image of the Jesus that only affirms and never corrects is... wrong?  Find out!Inspired by - https://www.christbible.net/escape-from-reason/when-jesus-insulted-people-a-comprehensive-listThank you for listening!  To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!We finally get an Easter episode.  One where we answer the deep questions this amazing holiday brings, like where did the Easter Bunny come from?  How does he lay eggs?  Why so much candy?  Are Peeps edible? (Maybe not that last one).  We have a serious discussion on the true nature and importance of Resurrection Sunday.  We hope you'll join us.Thank you for listening!  We will have more episodes soon.To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!We've had a run on illness and scheduling conflicts, but new episodes start again next week!  For this week, we revisit the an oldie but a goodie.We look over the parable of the sower, looking at what it means to us as believers, evangelists, and servants.  Thank you for listening!  We will have more episodes soon.To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!Spring break got us this week, so we have a re-run of our Season 2 opener.  An examination of how to avoid legalism.  We define it, get into the word, and spend quite a bit of time on application.  Also, preview of the rest of Season 2 at the end.  If you have ideas, drop us a line - maybe we'll bite!Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected]. Find us on the web at www.catfishministries.comSupport the show

Drop us a line!We wrap up our series on Jonah with the conclusion of the tale - surely a satisfying ending with a complete and resolute closure.  Enjoy!Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!Jonah finally relents and goes to Ninevah to preach the message he was told to preach.  It's a simple message warning the Ninevites that the end is near for them.  We look at Jonah, the message, the response, and what it all means.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!We continue our study of Jonah and find him in the belly of the fish for chapter 2.  The entire chapter is Jonah's prayer, and we take some time to analyze and discuss the parts of the prayer and how it reflects Jonah's journey from rebellion to repentence. Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!Gather 'round for a whale of a tale, as we start our series on Jonah!  Not just a kid's story, we explore the layered depths of what is said in the book of Jonah for today.  God's calling, running from God, how it impacts those around us, and much more is examined.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!We take some time to start a look at the Parable of the Good Samaritan as found in Luke 10:25-37.  We take some time to understand the context of the parable, who the Samaritan was, who the story was told to, and why.  This was originally published as two episodes in July 2024.  It's been trimmed down and combined into one combined episode.Thank you for listening!To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!This time out we take on artficial intelligence in the life of a believer.  As we explore a brave new world of content generation, automation, and potential job loss, we see what the Bible has to say about AI and the labor of our hands.  Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!It's the morning after the big game and we take a look at one of the most widely spread efforts to share the Christian faith in the modern west - He Gets Us.  We take some time to examine the message, the messenger, and the potential effectiveness of this outreach campaign.  Who is 'He'?  What is there to get?  Who are we?Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!At long last, the episode that some of you have been waiting for - Genesis 38.  We take a deep dive into this odd story sitting in the middle of the "Story of Joseph" and we help listeners understand why it's there, and where it fits in the greater context of scripture.  We hope it was worth the wait.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!Sorry - not a lot of jokes in this one.  We take on the issue of medically assisted suicide, including end of life decision making, the church's place in the issue, and what scripture has to say about issues of life and death.  What does the Bible say about suffering?  Do modern churches and popular pastore spend enough time on the issue?  How can you prepare yourself?Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!We tackle our duty to care for the elderly. Join us as we share personal stories, biblical insights, and practical advice on honoring and supporting our seniors. This episode will challenge you to reflect on your actions, your church and its senior ministry, and inspire you to embrace the wisdom and grace of aging in a way that glorifies God. Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!We stop short of predicting the apocalypse, last day of time, or the second coming, but have a good time throwing around our predictions for the year that is to come.  Feel free to bookmark and check back on it in 2026.  We'll make sure to do an accuracy check when the year ends.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!It's Christmas time, and we spend some time thinking about some of our favorite Christmas time memories, gifts, movies, and traditions.  Catfish Ministries wishes you and yours a truly joyous Christmas.  We'll see you again in 2025.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!In something of a meandering change of pace episode, we take a look at Thanksgiving as a holiday and a concept.  We look at Thanksgiving through the ages, obscure facts about the holiday, share Thanksgiving memories, and eventually discuss the Biblical mandate to be thankful.Thank you for listening!To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!We take one more look at Election 2024, including the outcome, reaction, and what's next for America.  We continue our discussion on how to handle and understand the larger questions of the election and policy based on a Biblical worldview.Thank you for listening!To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!HEY!  When it's go time it's go time.We remaster our episode on social media in the life of believers, including impact on adults and children.  So many questions - How much is too much?  What to say?  How to handle social media conflict?  Will Dave find his mobile outhouse?  When do you know if it's go time?  Find out all this and more!Thank you for listening!Support the show

Drop us a line!Recorded just two days after election 2024 in the United Stated, we take a look at Presidential politics, mass media, and how Christian world view can impact a believer's decisions in the voting booth.Thank you for listening!To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!We look over the parable of the sower, looking at what it means to us as believers, evangelists, and servants.  Thank you for listening!  We will have more episodes soon.To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!The Catfish Boys take on Presidential politics, inflation, price controls, and the great Pager Offensive of 2024 against a Biblical worldview.Thank you for listening!To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!WELCOME TO SEASON 2!We kick off the season with a poorly planned but well executed examination of how to avoid legalism.  We define it, get into the word, and spend quite a bit of time on application.  Also, preview of the rest of Season 2 at the end.  If you have ideas, drop us a line - maybe we'll bite!Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected]. Find us on the web at www.catfishministries.comSupport the show

Drop us a line!In part 6 of our 6-part series on The Five Solas, we examine the theological zeitgeist that preceded the Reformation.   (If you missed the first 5 parts, don't worry, this will still track - but you should listen to them).  There was a movement in western civilization to rediscover its origin - to go 'back to the sources' (Ad Fontes).  It was against this backdrop that Luther and other Reformers looked at the Bible with fresh eyesThank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected]. Find us on the web at www.catfishministries.comSupport the show

Drop us a line!This episode is a two for one special as we mash up our two part series on  pastoral stress into one monster remaster. We look at a host of issues that influence pastoral stress in the west, including local church leadership, denominational issues, education, and most of all a general lack of Biblical mentorship.   The article that started our conversation can be found here - Departure: Why I Left the Church (restorativefaith.org).  Please reach out to us if you want to help steer the conversation or point us to other news items or writings we should consider.  You can find us at [email protected] you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!No new episode this week, but we have a best of episode that we're dusting off for this week.  Choosing a Bible Version, with some additional remastering / editing done.In the last 50 years the typical North American believer has gone from having 3 or 4 translations to pick from to now having over a hundred.  We take a deep dive into what goes into a translation, where they come from, why they're different, and what to consider when buying or gifting a Bible.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] for the episode - - The original NIV was 1974, not 1984- RSV is based on the ASV (1901), not the KJV- 1 Peter 1:13 states, “Gird up the loins of your mind.”- Romans 15:7 (ESV) states, “Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you…”- 1 John 5:7 states, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”Support the show

Drop us a line!In an episode recorded just 30 days after our last current events episode, we take a look at hurricanes, assassination attempts, Presidental politics, IT outages, wars, rumors of wars, foreign election strife, the Olympics and... information overload.  The struggle is real.  We also invent a new term - "News Fat".  Find out some helpful tips on how to process an increasingly chaotic world through the lens of a Biblical worldview.Thank you for listening!To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!We finish up our look at the Parable of the Good Samaritan as found in Luke 10:25-37.  We take some time to understand the how to apply this in our lives and be a good neighbor.Thank you for listening!To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!We take some time to start a look at the Parable of the Good Samaritan as found in Luke 10:25-37.  We take some time to understand the context of the parable, who the Samaritan was, who the story was told to, and why.Thank you for listening!To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!The Catfish Boys take some time in the current events / political arena to examine the fallout of the June 28 Biden/Trump debate.  It was very apparent during that debate that many of the theories of Biden's cognitive decline were more factual than many media outlets let on.  We put the whole thing into a Biblical perspective.  Has America been catfished?  Has America been catfished before?  What's a believer to do in the modern political climate?Thank you for listening!To inquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] Support the show

Drop us a line!In part 6 of our 6-part series on The Five Solas, we examine the theological zeitgeist that preceded the Reformation.   There was a movement in western civilization to rediscover its origin - to go 'back to the sources' (Ad Fontes).  It was against this backdrop that Luther and other Reformers looked at the Bible with fresh eyesThank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected]. Find us on the web at www.catfishministries.comSupport the show

Drop us a line!In part 5 of our 6-part series on The Five Solas, we take time to understand the idea of "Glory to God Alone".   What are the theological roots of this idea, and we spend some time trying our best to find some Bible verses about the glory of God.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected]. Find us on the web at www.catfishministries.comSupport the show

Drop us a line!We take a week away from the 6 part series on the 5 Solas to recognize Father's Day.  We break the usual format and take some time to reflect on fatherhood, fatherhood in culture, and of course we take a look at what the Bible has to say about fatherhood.  Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected]. Find us on the web at www.catfishministries.comSupport the show

Drop us a line!We continue our series on the Five Solas with Sola Christus (Christ Alone).  We look at Jesus Christ and how the doctrine of Christ Alone has ebbed and flowed over the years.  Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected]. Find us on the web at www.catfishministries.comSupport the show

Drop us a line!We continue our series on the Five Solas with Sola Fide (Faith Alone).  We look at faith, how various traditions have impacted our view of faith, and how we define faith.  Why are people so tempted to add to the simplest of doctrines?Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected]. Find us on the web at www.catfishministries.comSupport the show

Drop us a line!It's the trimmed down and improved episode where we look at climate change and put it into a Biblical context, including stewardship of creation, man's role in the world according to God's design, and the impact of climate change policy of people everywhere, including the church.Climate Change: No, It’s Not a 97 Percent Consensus | [site:name] | National Reviewhttps://youtu.be/M8iEEO2UIbA?si=VMgnj-4hilZ5i0y9Other notes - Malthusian Catastrophe.  Thomas Malthus first claimed in 1798 that the population was growing too large for the earth to support.https://fee.org/articles/there-s-no-need-to-curb-population-growth-here-s-why/Paul Ehrlich repeated Malthus’ claim in 1968 in his book, “The Population Bomb.”Simon-Ehrlich Wager:Julian Simon bet Paul Ehrlich that resources would be cheaper in 1990 than in 1980.https://fee.org/articles/how-julian-simon-won-1-000-bet-with-population-bomb-author-paul-ehrlich/Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!We continue our series on the Five Solas and this time it's Sola Gratia (Grace Alone).  We look at grace, what it is, what it isn't, and how the understanding of grace has changed over time and between denominations.  What role did this radical realization play in Martin Luther's act of nailing the 95 Theses?  What should an understanding of "Grace Alone" lead to in your life?Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!We start looking at the Five Solas and first up in no particular order is Sola Scriptura (scripture alone).  We dive deep into church history, theology, and the Bible to find out where the idea of Sola Scriptura came from, what it means, and what it should mean for your life.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!We're off to take a look at one of the more mysterious healing miracles of Jesus's ministry, the two-part healing of a blind man in Mark chapter 8.  Why did the man see 'men walking as trees' before seeing clearly?  We take a deep dive into scripture and examine it in the context of Jesus's earthly ministry, the Old Testament, and the inspiration of the Gospels.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!We take a look at the pseudepigraphal work of Enoch.  How does it relate to actual scripture?  Why is it not in the Bible?  Who should read it?  What does it have to say about angels?  We answer those questions and much more as we explore this ancient work.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!The Bible has much to say about church roles and offices.  Teachers, preachers, elders, deacons, and evangelists.  Most people at most churches today can name those offices in churches that have them.  But where are the evangelists, and why is this role in particular left out of explicit recognition in so many churches?Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!In the last 50 years the typical North American believer has gone from having 3 or 4 translations to pick from to now having over a hundred.  We take a deep dive into what goes into a translation, where they come from, why they're different, and what to consider when buying or gifting a Bible.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] for the episode - @9:30 The original NIV was 1974, not 1984@10:45 RSV is based on the ASV (1901), not the KJV@15:48 1 Peter 1:13 states, “Gird up the loins of your mind.”@24:30  Romans 15:7 (ESV) states, “Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you…”@104:40  1 John 5:7 states, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”Support the show

Drop us a line!We conclude our series on biggest challenges are for the church in 2024 and beyond.  In this episode we discuss shifting economic conditions and challenges in reaching the 'deconstructed' and 'de-churched'.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!Due to travel, holidays, etc, we don't have a full episode for this week.  We hope you and yours had a great Easter.  Here's a look at what's ahead for the next few episodes of Catfish Ministries.  It's only about a minute.  So listen in as Chad discovers the difference between studio recording and recording with your phone in a car.  Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!We discuss what we think the biggest challenges are for the church in 2024 and beyond.  It's a big topic, so this kicks off a three-part series.  In this episode we discuss the rise of the Millennials and Generation Z into church leadership.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!We discuss what we think the biggest challenges are for the church in 2024 and beyond.  It's a big topic, so this kicks off a three part series.  In this episode we discuss the authority of scripture and theological compromise.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!We do a study on the oft overlooked little book of the Bible Philemon.  We look into the personal letter of Paul to Philemon and the church he hosted in his home to ask what the text has to say for us today.  Bafflingly, we also manage to work in dubstep and discover a new weapon of mass destruction - the bass cannon.Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show

Drop us a line!We talk about ordinances and sacraments - what's the difference.  We come at it from a Reform Calvanist / Baptist-ish standpoint as we examine what the difference is when it comes to baptism and church tradition.  We understand that some of our listeners won't agree with all of it, but now you know where we're coming from.  Thank you for listening!To enquire about advertising with Catfish Ministries, LLC send an email to [email protected] the show