Welcome to the Narthex

Why does God deserve our worship? What was going on with the Ancient Egyptians and their suspiciously selective historical records? And perhaps most importantly: did the verb “to hound” exist before the dog breed, or did the dogs earn the reputation first?Join Josh, Chris, and Kevin in this penultimate episode of the season as they unpack Sunday’s sermon on Psalm 66, wander into a few unexpected rabbit trails, and somehow still manage to keep the conversation centered on faith, worship, and the goodness of God. As always, keep the conversations about life and faith going with the people around you.

Join the conversation with Kevin, Joshua, and Chris as they discuss Kevin's sermon from Sunday on Psalm 31. How can we accept God's sovereign rule and pray for things to change? How do we trust in God's plan while asking for the way that plan is working out in our lives to be different? These are the sorts of questions we are asking in the Narthex this week.As always, keep the conversations about life and faith going wherever you are.

Join Kevin and Josh and they discuss Chris' "GEMS Sunday" Sermon on Matthew 14:22-33. As always, keep these conversations of faith and life going with the people in your life.

Join Chris, Josh, and Kevin as they celebrate both the 40th Birthday of Langley Immanuel CRC and the 100th Episode of Welcome to the Narthex! With conversations focused on 1st John, Bachelor Parties, and Anti-Christs, this is must listen content!As always, please continue to keep these conversations of faith going with the people around you.

This week Kevin has been abducted by denominational agents to Burlington, Ontario - leaving Chris and Josh to figure it out for themselves. Listen into the conversation on Sunday's sermon from Colossians 4:7-18, the last in our Living Raised series, and keep it going in your small groups and friend groups.

Join Joshua, Kevin, and Chris as they discuss the sermons from our Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday services. On Friday, Chris preached on Mark 14:32-36, looking at how Jesus willingly offered himself as a sacrifice for sin. On Sunday, Kevin preached on Mark 16:1-8, looking at how Jesus' resurrection confronts us, unsettles us, defines us, and demands a response from us.As always, keep the conversations going with your friends and coworkers.

We're Back! Spring Break is over, and Josh, Chris and Kevin discuss the sermon from Sunday on the Vice of Envy. As we enter Holy Week, we finish this sermon series and look ahead to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday together. As we are always encouraged, keep these conversations going with the people around you.

Everyone is back! All three of the guys are together again to discuss the sermon from Sunday on the Vice of Vainglory preached by Chris. Bless the Lord for his work among us!As we are always encouraged, keep these conversations going with the people around you.

Join Chris and Kevin as they discuss Steve Berkenpas' sermon on the vice of Acedia - sometimes reduced to Sloth. How do we distract ourselves from what God is calling us to do?Also, Josh wasn't here, so we did our best. As always, continue these conversations with your friends, families, and care groups.

This week Chris, Kevin, and Joshua discuss the sermon from Sunday in our combined Lent Series with Fleetwood CRC and Living Hope CRC. This past Sunday, Pastor Justin from Fleetwood preached on the vice of wrath. Listen in as the boys discuss and engage the material from Pastor Justin and this series.

Join Chris, Josh, Kevin, and Kaitlyn (!) as they discuss this past Sunday's Sermon on 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 preach at Immanuel on Cadet Sunday. Join us for this fun discussion on what it means to stand firm in the faith.And as always, keep these conversations going with the loved ones around you.

Welcome back to the Narthex! This week Kevin, Chris, and Joshua pick up the sermon from Sunday on Colossians 3:18 through 4:6. Join the conversation and keep it going wherever you are.

Pastors Kevin and Chris discuss Chris' sermon from this past Sunday on Colossians 3:1-17. Josh stayed home with a tummy ache. As always, we encourage you all to continue these conversations with the people in your lives!

Once again, Joshua, Kevin, and Chris are discussing the sermon from Sunday. We are in a series through the book of Colossians. This past weekend, Kevin preached on Colossians 2:6-23.Join the conversation!

Join the conversation with Kevin, Joshua, and Chris as they discuss the sermon from Sunday on Colossians 1:24-2:5.As always, keep the conversations going in your families, Care Groups, workplaces, etc.

Josh is back, and we are rolling as a full team again! Welcome to the Narthex where, this week, Chris, Josh, and Kevin discuss the Christ hymn found Paul's letter to the church in Colossae, otherwise known as Colossians 15-23. Join us as we chat about Christ. We invite you to continue these discussions with your families, friends, and communities as well.

We're back!After a month of advent rest, the Narthex is back up for a new year. This week, Chris and Kevin discuss the introduction to Paul's letter to the church in Colossae, while Josh gallivants around in Tijuana, Mexico. We invite you to engage in these discussions with your families, friends, and communities as well.

Something strange is in the air... It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... In this short episode Josh, Kevin, and Chris invite you into an experience of Advent that prioritizes rest in a season of busyness. Enjoy the conversation, but then find ways to practice rest, sabbath, and meaningful boundaries during the hectic season of Advent, Christmas, and New Years.See you again in January 2026!

This week, Josh, Chris and Kevin discuss Transporting Furniture, Grizzley Bears vs. Cougars, and the latest sermon on Ecclesiastes 12:1-12. We invite you to engage in these discussions with your families, friends, and communities as well.

This week Chris, Kevin, and Josh are back to discuss the sermon from Sunday on Ecclesiastes 9:1-12. Listen in and join the conversation by bringing it to your workplaces or third places.

Today we hear from Jesus (and Chris and Kevin) about a new worship initiative happening at Immanuel! As we discuss the new midweek worship services happening in our community, we invite you to consider how you can be a part of this, and join us as we worship our Lord together!The regular Narthex episodes will continue the week of November 16th. As always, we invite you to keep those conversations about faith going with you loved ones and surrounding community.

Join Chris, Josh, and the freshly ordained Kevin as they discuss the sermon from Sunday on Ecclesiastes 5:10-20. As always, keep the conversations going in your own places and with your own people.Can you tell me where watermelons appear in the Bible?

This week Kevin, Chris, and Josh once again discuss this past Sunday's sermon on Ecclesiastes 3:1-14. As always, remember to keep the conversation going with your small groups, care groups, friends, and family.

This week Kevin, Chris, and Josh are joined by a special guest in the Narthex. Join the discussion coming out of Sunday's sermon on Ecclesiastes 2:1-16. As always, remember to keep the conversation going with your small groups, care groups, friends, and family.

Welcome to the Narthex! This week, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving, with an unorthodox text from Jeremiah 29:1-7. We’ll discuss the difference between Big God Theology and Bigger God Theology, consider how exile shapes our lives today, and reflect on whether rejecting our culture aligns with Scripture.Josh, Chris, and Kevin discuss these points and more, so tune in, join the conversation, and, as always, keep the conversation going with the people in your life.

Welcome to the Narthex! This week, we’re diving into the first 11 verses of Ecclesiastes 1. Is everything really meaningless under the sun? What are the things we look to for purpose? And, who actually wrote this book of the Bible!?!Josh, Chris, and Kevin dig into these questions and more - so tune in, join the conversation, and, as always, we encourage you to keep the conversation going where you find yourself and wherever you have questions.

Welcome to the Narthex! This week Josh, Kevin, and Chris discuss the first sermon in our new series on the book of Ecclesiastes, "Meaning in an Age of Meaninglessness" This first sermon is actually on the last part of the book, Ecclesiastes 12:8-14. To find out more about that, make sure you've listened to the sermon already! If you have, jump into this episode!As always, we encourage you to keep the conversation going where you find yourself and wherever you have questions.

Welcome back to the Narthex! As we kick off another ministry year - and another season to our weekly podcast - Josh, Chris, and Kevin take a look at what it means to contend for the gospel as Paul lays out for us in Philippians 1:27-29. Please join us as we discuss things like Monsters Inc., your Internet Algorithms, and Unity in the Church. And as always, we encourage you to keep these conversations going with the people God has placed in your life!

The end is not the end. For the Christian, the doctrine of the last things is not a story of fear, but of hope. The Spirit who regenerates us will also raise us, renew creation, and bring all things to consummation. In this final episode of The Deep Magic, we look at the Christian hope that death is not the last word — Christ is.We begin with the intermediate state, where Scripture assures us that to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:1–8; Phil. 1:23). We then consider the return of Christ, not as symbol or metaphor, but as the visible and glorious consummation of God’s redemptive plan — the great hope of the church. From there, we turn to the resurrection and judgment, exploring some contemporary challenges to the doctrine. Finally, we explore the promise of a new heaven and new earth, a creation renewed and glorified, where “the status gloriae is more excellent than the status integratis.” In Christ, what is coming is even better than what was.Eschatology is not speculation; it is discipleship. To believe in Christ’s return and the renewal of all things is to live with hope, courage, and perseverance today.Use this episode as a platform for discussion in your care groups, small groups, friend groups, and families. Use the questions below to go even deeper into the deep things of God.Discussion Questions: What hope does the Christian have in death? How should the return of Christ shape our lives now? What does it mean that creation will be renewed, not discarded? How is glorification richer than a return to Eden? How does eschatology impact your discipleship?

In this episode, we explore the doctrine of the Church. Rooted in the conviction that the Holy Spirit forms a new community and nourishes it through Word and sacrament, we unpack what it means to belong to Christ’s Body.We begin by discussing the nature of the Church, drawing from 1 Peter 2 and Ephesians 2 to show how God gathers a holy people, and we explore the visible/invisible, militant/triumphant, organism/institutional dimensions of the Church, emphasizing unity as Jesus prayed in John 17.Next, we consider the Word as a means of grace. The proclamation of the gospel isn’t just informative—it’s formative. Quoting Calvin, the Church is both the means by which God invites us into Christ’s fellowship and a part of the good news itself.We then explore the sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Comparing Reformed, Catholic, and Baptist views, we contrast sacraments as means of grace with ordinances as symbolic acts of obedience.Finally, we address church discipline as a mark of the true church, highlighting Matthew 18 and Acts 5 to show how Christ calls the Church to live in holiness and accountability.Discussion Questions:What makes the church a spiritual reality?What does it mean that something is a “means of grace”?What role do sacraments play in Christian life?Why is church discipline a grace?How should Word and sacrament shape our community?

No one knows the heart of God like the Spirit of God. In 1 Corinthians 2:10, Paul writes that it is the Holy Spirit who searches even the deep things of God, and reveals them to those who believe. In this episode of The Deep Things of God, we turn to the mystery of the Spirit — not as an abstract force, but as the divine person who applies Christ’s redemptive work with order, power, and precision.We trace the Spirit’s work through what theologians have called the Ordo Salutis, the ordered way in which the Spirit brings dead sinners to new life: calling, regeneration, faith, conversion, justification, sanctification, and perseverance. But we don’t stop there. We also consider the gifts of the Spirit — both extraordinary and ordinary — and the rich, sometimes controversial, legacy of how the Spirit builds up the body of Christ through supernatural and practical means.In a time when confusion and individualism cloud the doctrine of salvation, this episode calls the church back to clarity: salvation is not random, nor is the Spirit chaotic — it is the Spirit’s sovereign, wise work that brings life and keeps us to the end.Use this episode as a springboard for deeper discussion and theological reflection in your small group, care group, or family study. Each episode includes a set of discussion questions to help you dig deeper into the deep things of God.Discussion Questions: How does the Holy Spirit relate to Christ’s work? What does it mean to be called and regenerated? Why must faith be seen as both gift and response? What does “salvation” mean to you? Why is assurance essential to Christian life?

There is no deeper mystery at the heart of the Christian faith than this: the eternal Son of God became flesh, humbled himself to death on a cross, and was raised in glory. This is not a metaphor or myth — it is history. In this episode of The Deep Things of God, we explore the doctrine of Christ’s incarnation, humiliation, death, resurrection, and exaltation – the center point of redemption and the turning point of the cosmos.Why did the Son of God suffer? How could the immortal die? And what does it mean that he was raised and enthroned? We confront modern attempts to explain away the incarnation — whether through kenotic theories that empty Christ of divinity, or moralizing views that reduce him to an ethical hero. Against these, we confess the full mystery: Christ is one person in two natures, fully God and fully man, the suffering servant and risen Lord.This is not abstract theology. The doctrine of Christ stands at the center of hope and salvation. To know Christ rightly is to worship rightly, live wisely, and endure faithfully. In a world confused about who Jesus is — and why he matters — a clear grasp of his person and work is non-negotiable.Use this episode as a springboard for deeper discussion and theological reflection in your small group, care group, or family study. Each episode includes a set of discussion questions to help you dig deeper into the deep things of God.Discussion Questions: Why is Christ’s obedience essential to our salvation? What is the significance of Christ’s humiliation? Describe the unity of Christ’s person and work? Why does the resurrection matter in redemption? What does it mean to confess Christ as Lord?

Ep 3 in The Deep Things of God“What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” - Psalm 8:4In this episode of The Deep Things of God, we turn to the doctrine of humanity. Who are we? Scripture tells us we are created in the image of God — made with dignity, purpose, and a calling to reflect his glory. We are not just advanced animals or random accidents. We are image bearers.But sin has entered the story. Though created in righteousness, humanity has fallen. Sin now touches every part of our being — our thoughts, desires, and actions. This is what theologians call total depravity — not that we are as bad as we could be, but that every part of us is affected by the fall.To understand what it means to be human, we must hold both truths together: the beauty of being made in God’s image, and the reality of our brokenness. And in doing so, we begin to see our deep need — and the hope that only God can provide.“To be human is to be an image bearer of God…” — Herman Bavinck___Use this episode as a platform for further study and conversation in your care groups, small groups, or family devotions. Each episode includes thoughtfully crafted discussion questions to help you go deeper together.1. What does it mean to be made in God’s image?2. How does a right view of sin preserve human dignity?3. In what ways does sin affect every part of our being?4. Why is it important that sin is both inherited and personal?5. How does original sin prepare the way for grace?

Ep 2 in The Deep Things of GodGreat is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. — Psalm 145:3In this episode of The Deep Things of God, we turn our attention to the source of all things — the Triune God. All of reality flows from him and returns to him. He is not just the starting point of theology — He is the subject, the center, and the end.We begin with what it means to know God — not exhaustively, but truly, because God has revealed himself. We explore his attributes, the incommunicable and the communicable — what sets him apart and what he shares with us as image-bearers. Then we move to the heart of Christian confession: the Trinity, one God in three persons, the eternal fellowship from which love, life, and meaning originate.Finally, we consider God’s work in creation and providence — the world he made, sustains, and governs with wisdom and power.In a world anxious for control, this doctrine invites us to awe, trust, and worship. Theology begins and ends with God — infinite, eternal, and gloriously near.“God is not what you imagine or what you think you understand. If you understand, you have failed.” — Augustine___Use this episode as a platform for further study and conversation in your care groups, small groups, or family devotions. Each episode includes thoughtfully crafted discussion questions to help you go deeper together.1. Why does the doctrine of the Trinity matter for understanding God?2. What comfort is found in divine providence?3. How should God's attributes shape our worship?4. What are the consequences of denying God's self-revelation?5. What does it mean that creation is an act of divine freedom?

Ep 1 in The Deep Things of God“The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” — 1 Corinthians 2:10“Do not cite the Deep Magic to me, Witch. I was there when it was written.” — Aslan, The Lion, the Witch, and the WardrobeWhat lies behind the curtain of our existence? What voice speaks before all others? In this opening episode of The Deep Things of God, we return to the foundations — the deep things of God revealed not by intuition or opinion, but by divine speech. We begin with prolegomena, the starting point of all theology: God has spoken.Everyone is a theologian. The only question is whether our theology is true and rooted in revelation or shallow and shaped by culture. In this episode we ask: Why do we do theology? The answer is both doxological and urgent — because God is knowable, and because the church cannot live faithfully without knowing him deeply.The days of watering down Scripture in the name of relevance or attraction are behind us. What the church needs now is depth. In a time of spiritual drift and cultural confusion, theological literacy is not an academic luxury — it is essential discipleship. Theology, when rightly pursued, is an act of worship and a pathway to renewal.Join us as we pull back the curtain on divine revelation, explore why theology matters for everyday life, and set the course for a journey through the great truths of the Christian faith.___Use this episode as a platform for further study and conversation in your care groups, small groups, or family devotions. Each episode includes thoughtfully crafted discussion questions to help you go deeper together.1) Why must theology be both scientific and doxological?2) What does it mean to say “God has spoken”?3) Why is the distinction between general and special revelation significant?4) In what ways do you see Scripture shaping your understanding of God?5) What is the danger of separating faith and theology?

No Chris, No Josh ... No Problem!! Join Kevin today as he monologues a little, and is then joined by two special guests as they look and react to Pastor Chris' sermon this past Sunday on 2 Thes. 3:6-18. As always, keep the conversations about faith and Christ going with the loved ones in your life.Episode Breakdown:0:00 - Introduction2:25 - Kevin's Sermon Overview/Monologue11:19 - Special Guest Appearances and Conversation about the Sermon39:04 - Moments in Mission46:35 - Thank-yous and Final Thoughts

Welcome back to the Narthex! This week Chris, Kevin, and Josh - Yes! Joshua is back, let the regular listener rejoice... join the discussion coming out of the message from Sunday, June 15 on 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5.Join in and keep the conversation going with the people around you.

This week Kevin and Chris discuss the message from Pentecost Sunday on Luke 1:1-4 & Acts 2:16-18. Once again, Josh has gone radio silent because he is busy doing the Lord's work in the Philippines with a group from our church.As always, keep these conversations going with your care groups, families, and friends

This week Kevin and Chris discuss the message from Sunday on 2 Thessalonians 2:12-17, titled "Stand Firm and Live Boldly".Sadly, Josh isn't in this episode; happily, it is because he is doing the Lord's work in the Philippines with a group from our church.Enjoy the conversation and participate by keeping it going in your families, small groups, and third spaces.

This week Chris, Josh, and Kevin, discuss the sermon from Sunday on 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. Any message on the Antichrist, Apostates, and full-fledged rebellion is enough to get the conversations flowing. As always, keep the conversations going wherever you are.

This week Chris, Josh, and Kevin, discuss the sermon from Sunday on 2 Thessalonians 1:7-12 - a banger of a message preached by Joshua on the Apocalypse and the relief for today and hope for eternity this biblical truth brings.As always, keep the conversations going wherever you are.

Welcome to the Narthex! This week Kevin, Josh, and Chris discuss the message from Sunday on the start of the second letter to the Thessalonians. Join the conversation and continue it with your friends, coworkers, small groups, and family.

Welcome to the Narthex! This week Kevin, Josh, and Chris discuss the message from Sunday on 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28. Join the conversation and continue it with your friends, coworkers, small groups, and family.

Welcome to the Narthex! This week, Josh, Chris, and Kevin recap GEMS Sunday and the theme of this ministry for the year on Romans 12:1-2. How are we to be living sacrifices, not be shaped by the world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds? Listen and continue these conversations with the people in your life!

Welcome to the Narthex! This week Chris, Kevin, and Josh discuss the worship services from Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday on the accounts from Luke in chapter 23 and 24.Thanks for joining in the conversation! Keep it going with your friends, small groups, and other places.

Welcome to the Narthex! This week Joshua, Kevin, and Chris discuss the sermon - and service - from Palm Sunday. Join us as we look at the Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem found in Luke 19:37-40.As always, keep the conversations about faith going in your family, care groups, and other life spaces by asking good questions and thinking deeply about this life God has given us.Here are some links referenced in today's podcast for further investigation: https://www.cardus.ca/research/faith-communities/reports/the-shifting-landscape-of-faith-in-canada/ https://youtu.be/gYBD7vnRDXA?si=wAGdKnsHuiCqoKDDhttps://www.biblesociety.org.uk/research/quiet-revivalhttps://youtu.be/gYBD7vnRDXA?si=wAGdKnsHuiCqoKDD

Welcome to the Narthex! This week Joshua, Kevin, and Chris discuss our worship service from April 6, 2025 and the message coming out of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22.As always, keep the conversation going in your family, care groups, and other life spaces by asking good questions and thinking deeply about life and faith.

Welcome to the Narthex! This week, Josh recaps his missions trip to Tijuana, Mexico, and the 3 guys dig a little deeper into Curtis' Sermon this past Sunday on Colossians 1:1-14. Here's a breakdown of the episode:3:27 - Spring Break Fun8:30 - Mexico Missions Trip Breakdown28:46 - Deeper Dive into Colossians56:15 - Moments in Mission

Welcome to the Narthex! This week Kevin, Joshua, and Chris discuss the message from Sunday on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Listen in and keep the conversation going with whomever you share life with.

Welcome back to the Narthex! This week Josh, Kevin, and Chris discuss the message from Sunday on 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12. Conversations on Math, Merch, and Families all take centre stage in our conversation today. Keep these conversations about life and faith going in your care groups, families and communities.