Dying to Live Podcast (Joshua Generation Church)

In this episode we discuss how to partner cross-culturally in our country of many languages, races and cultures. With a history of separateness, conflict and diversity we need to find true unity in church communities racially and culturally divided and very different to our own.

In studio we have Manie Lombard a pastor from Zambia and Mike Fast a pastor from Canada both working cross culturally in communities under the banner of Four 12 Global. Discussing this very difficult topic and asking painful questions, we came to an understanding that most of us need to examine hearts and attitudes when beginning a journey of new relationships into what Christ desires for unity in His church.

There is an increasing concern amongst believers across church denominations about the Hebrew Roots Movement which insists on bringing Christians back under the Law of Moses. Paul explicitly states that we are under grace and not the Law. Throughout his letters Paul is consistent with this theology. In this episode we explore the dangers of this heresy and how it impacts the church. Luke Hulley and Mike d'Offay join us for this podcast giving insight as to where this doctrine originates and how we can counter the theology and its implications.

In this edition we look at three important aspects of apologetics, first cause, design and fine tuning. Something must have caused the universe to come into being, there is someone who designed the universe and the fine tuning of the universe is so precise it couldn't have happened by itself. In this podcast Adam Hellyer helps us understand how to apply these principles using apologetics and how to effectively defend the faith. His booklet is available for free download from https://www.four12global.com/resources/booklets/following-jesus/

In this edition we look at three important aspects of apologetics, first cause, design and fine tuning. Something must have caused the universe to come into being, there is someone who designed the universe and the fine tuning of the universe is so precise it couldn't have happened by itself. In this podcast Adam Hellyer helps us understand how to apply these principles using apologetics and how to effectively defend the faith. His booklet is available for free download from https://www.four12global.com/resources/booklets/following-jesus/

Will Marais chats to Wayne about the journey he is on with his cancer diagnosis. After receiving the news that he has between 8 and 10 months to live, Will shares about the hope he has and the challenges he and his family have faced with this diagnosis. He explains how they have approached it with the knowledge that God can heal but whether He does or not they are full of hope and confidence that His purpose will prevail. As Paul says in Thessalonians we fall asleep as we no longer experience death if we have died with Christ.

https://www.spreaker.com/user/17296969/dying-to-live-menopause

In this episode we focus on the topic of evangelism. Craig Bennet and Justin Slade, team members from Jonathan Conrathe's evangelism team, share practical steps for fulfilling the Great Commission. They give us a picture of the essence of New Testament evangelism and what effective sharing of the Gospel should look like. We see what it is and what it isn't and how ordinary believers can effectively learn to share their faith with others as they reflect the light of Christ in our fallen communities. It is going to take the whole Church to reach the whole world with the Gospel with each and every believer having a part to play in the great Great Commission.

In this episode Luke Hulley and Adam Hellyer give us principles on how we should read, study and interpret God's Word. They simplify two big words, hermeneutics and exegesis and explain the basics of reading and interpreting the writings in the Old and New Testaments. Getting to grips with what was written 2000 years ago and learning how to interpret and apply God's Word for us today in a very different world.

In this episode we look at the pervasive rise of egalitarian theology and the push against traditional gender roles and examine what the Bible teaches about these roles and why we hold to a traditional view of male headship. We chat with our guests Dr. Cornelia Van Deventer (PhD NT Studies) and Mike Davies about how men and women flourish best within a complementarian church. We have seen and experienced God's Biblical design which is evidenced in own congregations here at Joshua Generation.

As our church grows we reach across race, creed and culture and the dynamics of doing life together may change. Does this pose a problem to us as we lead people into God’s best for them in multicultural congregations and communities?
Zandi and Luke Hulley who lead the City Bowl congregation say no. They have demonstrated that leading people of different cultures into a new identity in Christ overcomes and replaces cultural differences and biases. Loving people, being devoted to one another, putting on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience while bearing with one another creates a new culture in Christ. We will have differences but these will diminish as we devote ourselves to one another.

Statistics show that more than 90% of women who have experienced menopause were never prepared for it which highlights a huge need for more awareness. Menopause has a phenomenal impact in the daily lives of women, their families, relationships, work and ministry. This critical lack of awareness was clearly demonstrated in a recent JoshGen ladies meeting where more than 600 women attended. As a result of this came requests for more equipping and very importantly a desire to share the impacts of menopause with men in relation to their wives, sisters, mothers, spiritual sisters and co-workers.

Dr Louise Dauth, a general practitioner with a special interest in women’s health, and Kim Delport, a core team member of JoshGen’s women’s ministry Anchored, share valuable insights on how both women and men can navigate the impacts of this life changing experience in a godly way.

https://www.imsociety.org
https://www.menopause.org.au/
https://www.newsonhealth.co.uk/

In this episode we explore what the Bible says about healing and how we should exercise the gift of healing. What happens when some don’t get healed and is it God’s will to heal everyone? We would like to leave you with a clear understanding of God’s character as the One who loves to heal but also uses trials and even illness for our good. He is a good God who works through healing and adversity. Maurice Ras and Dylan Jones share their experiences and give us insight into what God's word says about how we should pray for the sick and exercise faith with the gift of healing.

Moving or relocating can be traumatic and stressful even if it's an answer to the call of God. We live in a very mobile, transient culture where people often move for personal gain, e.g. for work opportunities, a lifestyle change or those who move to be closer to family. While those aren’t necessarily wrong in themselves, we want to look at relocating according to God’s will and see what that looks like.
Adam Hellyer, an elder with JosGen, and Andrew and Cindy Byett share their stories, sometimes very emotional, of how God led them to move across the ocean to another continent.

There is popular phrase in our culture called ‘toxic masculinity’. It was originally coined as as reference to men who were super aggressive, who treated women as objects and were emotionally hardened. What has happened now is that any form of competitiveness, masculinity and male leadership is frowned upon and seen as inherently abusive.
The Bible says men were made in the image of God. Our question this episode is, what does a godly man look like and how does it differ from toxic masculinity?
Luke Watson and Bret Bevan are both elders serving within JoshGen joining us for this episode and helping understand the truth of what God's idea is of a real man.

In this episode we look at one of the fundamental doctrines of the christian faith–repentance. Hebrews 6:1 tells us that repentance from dead works and faith towards God, is a basic truth we all have to grasp and understand. Jesus, Peter and Paul preached about repentance and Jesus even tells churches in Revelation to repent from their ways. But, what is true repentance exactly and how can we live out a lifestyle of repentance as followers of Jesus?
Mike Davies helps us understand the truth of Biblical repentance and explains how this doctrine has been watered down to the point of heresy in the church today.

Lolly and Mike are both back in the studio with us to discuss more around gender roles. In the last last episode we spoke through why we hold to a traditional view from scripture of godly male headship and how God's pattern is male and female roles as complementing each other. We would encourage you to listen to the first part of this to give context (released 19 Sept)
We want to focus more on husband and wife roles in the nitty-gritty of home and how women can be used in public roles in church life. We believe in godly patriarchy and male headship in church and the home. How does this look practically in the partnership of husbands and wives when it comes to decision making?

As Christians, we carry in a sense dual citizenship. We are citizens of heaven but also are citizens here in South Africa. We submit to the Lord God but Scripture is also clear that we need to submit to earthly authorities. Romans 13:1 says “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”
But how does this work out for us today in democratic societies in the 21st Century, especially as our governments are increasingly become anti-Christian. How do we learn to obey God but also honour the government? We have with us Nadene Badenhorst who is an advocate and worked for FORSA and now serving as a full-time deacon in JoshGen. She shares her wide experience and knowledge as to how we should respond to government in various situations.

It’s that time of the year again with the festive season fast approaching! Christmas is spiritually sacred for many people while for others Christmas is viewed as a pagan festival that believers should avoid since we are called to not copy or love the world. In this episode Carel Albertyn and Clarence Rule, elders in JoshGen, look at the origins of the festival and how Christians should approach Christmas and celebrating the birth of Jesus.

TMT or Timothy Ministry Training could be considered one of JoshGen's best kept secrets. In this episode we have five guests in studio, leaders, staff and students who share their personal experiences of how God has in worked their lives throught the ministry of TMT. Mike, who is the dean of TMT, takes the role of guest as well and gives us an overview of what TMT is all about and who can participate in the programme. If you need a gap year, preparation for a variety of ministries or a springboard into university or a career then TMT is a possible option that God may be leading you into.

The world of the arts and social media can be a minefield for Christians in the industry yet this is brought even closer to home as Christians as the entry level to the arts is becoming easier for all. Through social media we can become media influencers and content creators and walk a similar minefield to those in the media and arts industry. How we navigate this and what boundaries we can push without compromising our faith and bibllical foundations is a question we should be asking. Howard Fyvie, media man, filmmaker and regular saint chats with us about some of these big questions and provides solutions through his personal experiences in the industry.

Longevity in leadership is simply staying the course and reaching the goal that God has placed ahead of us through fulfilling His plans and purposes. But simple is not always easy and the challenges of staying the course make it very difficult. Jeff Kidwell shares how he has stayed the course over 40 years of ministry while facing hurdles and challenges and gives us keys to achieving longevity.

Marriage as the institution we know as New Testament believers is under attack like never before. Building a marriage that last needs building blocks to create a stable foundation on which we can build for long term success. Mac and Naudine Adami share some fundamental principles such as love, respect, accountabilty, repentance and forgiveness which are important in building marriages that last.

How do we as Christians navigate our places of work and find our place in this environment without compromise. We spend the majority of our time at work with the average person spending over 90 000 hours in a lifetime. The Bible says that work is fundemental to all of our lives and that we are required to honour God through it. Dylan Jones and Lindsay Fiamingo share their experiences of honouring God in sometimes very difficult workplaces and trying situations.

Link to article mentioned by Mike - https://four12global.com/articles/thank-god-its-monday/

In this episode we bring Mike and Lolly back into studio to look at how we should be reading and studying God's in context and not twisting texts to suit our theology and Biblical understanding. How we read God's Word with understanding is vital for growth and as Paul says to Timothy we need to accurately handle God's Word. Lolly shares with us some amazing resources for reading, listening and studying God's Word.

www.logos.com
www.scribd.com

Is the role of preaching and teaching the function of just the elders? Should ordinary saints be able to exercise these giftings in the local church? In today's episode Mike, Dan and Carel answer these questions and others while giving us perspective on the place of regular saints within these two ministries.

In Philippians 1 v 9 Paul says that "it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment". It's God's desire that we should grow in discernment as believers. But what about the gift of discernment? How does this differ from natural discernment? Luke Hulley and Dylan Jones together with Mike D'Offay drill down deeper into what the differences are and how we should exercise discernment and the gift of discernment.

Eschatology or the doctrine of the last things has raised more questions than answers over generations. Many of us avoid apocalyptic books in the Bible because of the lack of understanding while others study it in such detail in order to attempt to gain all knowledge. But how should we approach the book of Revelation and what benefit is there from reading the book? In this podcast Luke Hulley, Dylan Jones and Mike D'Offay give us some insight into how we should read end times literature in the Bible.

James says in chapter 1 of his epistle that we should..."Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds". He doesn't say if but when. In this episode, Wayne Turner and Michael d'Offay chat with Pamela Marais and Juliet van der Westhuizen as they share their remarkable God journey of trials, grief and suffering. They tell a story of how Jesus carried them through trials that no family should endure with the joy James commands of us. Losing a father, grandfather and husband was a messy, difficult and painful experience but God was in the midst of it carrying them as He has promised.

In this episode, with a live studio audience, we look at a word that impacts charismatic churches following the model of New Testament church and that is, cults. Why are churches often labelled as cults? What are we doing differently that attracts a label like this? So, the main question answered in part one of this episode by our guests Mike Davies and Dr Cornelia van Deventer together with Michael d'Offay is...how do we as New Testament believers recognise a cult and understand biblically why we aren't part of one?
In part two our guests answer questions posed by the live studio audience.

How do we exercise our faith in God is an age old question we all face. With the extremes from both sides in the contemporary church, finding a balance is key to our walk with God. In this episode Luke Hulley and Michael D'Offay answer some of the big questions around exercising our faith.

Whether you have been a follower of Jesus for 6 months or 60 years, the challenge of having a quiet time or daily devotions is a very real challenge for many of us. In this episode Lee Serafin, Karen and Demetri Nikiforus together with Michael D'Offay share personal experiences, spiritual truths and biblical foundations around personal devotions, couples devotions and family devotions. There is not one way, a formula or pattern for daily devotions. As with all relationships our quiet times are diverse as we connect with Jesus daily and it's this connection that is the fundamental common thread we need to experience in our daily devotions. 

We live in a woke generation where dating is for sex, everything goes and nothing is off limits. The question we ask is whether God has a plan for dating? Unfortunately God's Word says nothing about dating...you're either married or not. So, how do young men and women who are believers negotiate the minefield of dating and relationships. Leonard Strydom leads a congregation of mainly young men and women in JoshGen Stellenbosch and regularly deals with these questions as an elder. In this episode he brings in Hannah and Josh who are dating with the intention of pursuing marriage in the future. Together they share wisdom from experience, trials and errors as they reflect on their dating journeys.

Does the the Bible prohibit couples from living together before marriage? Is it possible to live together without sinning and are there circumstances where it is permitted? Dave and Keena James together with Luke Hulley and Mike Davies answer these and other important questions giving a clear understanding as to what God's Word says about living together before marriage.

Jesus taught a fair amount about kingdom finances and Acts 2:42 to 47 speaks about selling possessions to give to those in need. How do we become God's money managers? How much should we give and how do we know when to give? Where does generosity start and what happens if we give when we aren't sure we've heard from God? These and other questions around stewarding God's resources are given practical answers by Phillip and Marli van der Westhuizen together with Mike Davies. 

Is worship just singing? Are we comanded to worship? Is there a place for emotions in worship? What role should worship take in our personal devotions? The Word of God is filled with references to worship and how we should worship. In this episode Maurice Ras and Michael Joubert share their personal journeys in worship and answer some of these questions. 

Are all doctrinal truths equal and for that matter essential? What is the mark of the beast? What Greek and commentary resources should we be using? Can I curse my unfair manager like David did in the Psalms? What is a healthy discipleship relationship? What about tribes who have never heard the gospel...will they go to hell? Mike d'Offay and Luke Hulley answer some of these questions posed by our listeners. This Q and A podcast will be a regular feature and we encourage listeners to send in their questions. 

Social media can either control you or serve you. So, we ask...what place should social media take in a believer's life? Are there guidelines for Christians on these social platforms? What does the Bible have to say about social media and how should we conduct ourselves on these social networks. Dr. Cornelia van Deventer, Dylan Jones and Mike D'Offay answer these and other important questions encompassing walking in the light with our communication and relationships as we navigate the minefields and quicksands of social media networks.  

Is Christian counseling just secular psychology repackaged? Do we need counselors in the church? What is the role of discipleship and does it replace counseling? Do Christian counselors replace the need for professional psychologists? Isn't the Holy Spirit, our great Counselor, all we need and not human counsel? Grant Baker, an elder in JoshGen, and his wife Lorna, a counseling psychologist, give us answers to these and other questions. 

I've won the lottery so how much should I tithe? Is there moderation in gambling? Is playing the stockmarket playing with God's money? Where does God expect us to invest and should we invest? And, if it's God's money should we be taking risks? Derek Engelbrecht, an elder in Josh Gen Wellington, and Mike D'Offay answer the big question of who's money is it and what are our responsibilities as the steward's of God's money.

The big questions around South Africa's national and provincial elections taking place on the 29th May 2024 include...

Should Christians vote?
Who should we vote for?
How do I vote with so many different parties?
Do I have to vote as a believer?
Is it better not to vote?

Fortunately, it is not the role of the church to tell us who to vote for. But there are biblical, ethical and moral questions that need to be dealt with sensitively. These and other important questions are answered by Dan Matthews, an elder in JoshGen George and a former Christian political activist, and Nadene Badehorst, an advocate by profession and active in FORSA while serving God in several areas within JoshGen.

THe FORSA Score Card can be found at
https://www.forsa.org.za/freedom-of-religion-voting-scorecard [COPY and PASTE to your browser]

Does grace mean that I can do anything and I am forgiven? As a Christian do I need to confess my sins? Is the conviction of the Holy Spirit still relevant to us today? Are all my sins forgiven...past, present and future?
Mike D'Offay, Dylan Jones and Luke Hulley, all elders in the life of JoshGen, answer these questions and others to give us a true Biblical perspective on what grace is. 

We live in a fatherless generation impacting not only the lives of young men but also young women. The questions Brett Bevan, an elder at JoshGen Edgemead, and Gerald Elliott, a deacon in the life of JoshGen, answer are...
What is the role of a spiritual father to men and women?
How do we disciple those without a father figure?
What are the challenges faced by those who take on these roles?
What does God's Word say about fathers in the faith?

Can we truly have assurance of salvation?
How do we as a church respond to homelessness and the poor?
Is the use of anointing oil still relevant?
What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
Should we pray to the Holy Spirit?

Mike D'Offay and Luke Hulley elders in the life of JoshGen answer these and other difficult questions.

What does Biblical devotion look like? How do we make devoted people? Where does devotion come from? And, how do we help believers to walk in devotion?
Devotion starts from within and comes from experiencing salvation resulting in a deep love for Jesus and His church. Mike d'Offay, Dylan Jones and Dan & Sam Barnard offer help from life experience to answer these questions and provide a Biblical perspective of commitment to Christ by being devoted.

What translation should I read for devotions? Which translation is most helpful as a study Bible? Can I read the Message and why is the Passion translation dangerous? Is the King James Version the only one we should read? The translation debate has raged for centuries creating confusion for many. Mike Davies, Luke Hulley and Mike d'Offay, elders in the life of JoshGen Church, give us insight into what we should look for in a good translation, why we need updated translations and why some are dangerous.

How do we experience the heart of Father God? What does the Bible says about God's love? In this podcast we chat with Mervis van der Merwe about his personal journey of discovering God's heart and love for him when he was desperate for love. He shares an intimate journey of experiencing the Father's love through his relationship with Jesus.

In our liberal world marriage is no longer valued and has become a disposable commodity. You start and end when you feel like it. It's not forever. Living in a fallen world, how do we deal with serious marriage issues as believers? Can broken marriages be restored? How or where do we start when the problems seem insurmountable?
In this episode we hear the testimony of Enrico and Lizette Abrahams, elders in the life of JoshGen Church Edgemead, where God completely restored their marriage after divorce. They share the principles of how God rebuilt their marriage and how important it was that their relationship with God was restored first. It takes two whole people to complete a godly and healthy marriage.

How do you identify your spiritual gifts? How do you exercise your gifts within the body of believers? Stepping out in your gifting involves risk and faith so when and where do you start? The Bible has a lot to say about spiritual gifts in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 but the practical outworking is often the big question. These and other questions are answered by Luke Hulley, Calla Albertyn and Dylan Jones, elders in the life of JoshGen. 

The New Testament writings of Paul, Peter, James and others are full of analogies on running the race, running with perseverance and fighting the good fight. We must persevere, endure and count it all joy when faced with trials. But how do we do this? How do we fight the good fight? When sickness, pain and suffering arrive at our door how do we endure to the end? Luke Hulley and Dylan Jones, elders in the life of JoshGen Church, take a deeper look into the theology and practical application of endurance and peseverance. Mike Fast shares his physical journey of endurance and trials in his battle with leukaemia and how God carried him through his darkest hours.     

Every day we face a barrage of advertising, billboards showing the latest in tech and the media telling us why we should be aspiring to a more successful lifestyle. Is it wrong to want more? Should we upgrade to the latest version? Where does covetousness start and how do we practically deal with what the world thinks we should have. Dylan Jones, Mike Davies and Dan Barnard, all elders in the life of JoshGen, give us more understanding about true Biblical contentment, how to face the challenges of a material world and how Paul understood true contentment even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Andrew and Liz East have walked a journey of doing life together the New Testament way in churches across the world. They share some of their life lessons and experiences of hearing God's voice, stepping out in faith, with the challenges of marriage in ministry and dreaming with God. How do we practically hear what God wants us do when making big decisions like changing continents? What are they keys to partnering in ministry as a couple? These and other questions are answered by Liz and Andrew from a wealth experience as the minister across JoshGen and the Four 12 partnership of churches. 

How does the new Hate Speech Act impact believers and churches? Does it remove existing freedoms? Are there provisions made to exercise our faith freely? Does it make people criminals for expressing their views and faith?
These and other questions are expertly answered by Nadene Badenhorst, an advocate by profession now serving on the JoshGen team, Gerhard Claassen, a lawyer by profession and elder with JoshGen and Mike d'Offay an elder in the life of JoshGen. 

Do you have a heart for hospitality and hosting? How does one host people? Is hospitality for all saints? Where do we start? These are some of the questions answered by Brett and Abby Bevan, elders on team at JoshGen Edgemead. This couple are power hosts having had many people experiencing hospitality in their small home. Brett has been on the receiving end across the world and in many cultures and shares together with Abby on how to be a great guest or host.
If you'd like to host there are many opportunities especially with the Four12 Conference coming up. Here's an email link for potential hosts. hosting@joshgen.org.za

What is the Gospel? What Gospel should we be preaching? Where do we find it in Scripture? There are many gospels that have been preached. Some overtly false but others are just that, "other gospels". They have a lot of truth but aren't the Biblical Gospel and have been corrupted or addded to. Dr Cornelia van Deventer, academic dean with SA Theologial Seminary and wife of Johan who leads JoshGen Worcester, Dan Barnard who leads JoshGen Milnerton congregation and Mike D'Offay an elder in the life of Josh Gen, dig deeper into what the true Gospel is. They explore the differences with false and other gospels and the Biblical Gospel we should be preaching.

What is modesty? Who should be modest? Is modesty for women or does it include men? The principle of modesty extends far beyond the stereotypical view of 1 Peter 3 in that it applies only to women. We live in a liberal world where flaunting, exibitionism and self-promotion is the norm and a person's right. We see this across social media like Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook where people exhibit and flaunt themselves in the most extreme ways. Dr Lollie van Deventer, Mike D'Offay and Dan Barnard, leaders in the life of JoshGen, answer these and other questions from a Biblical perspective concluding that modesty is rooted in Christlike-like humilty and strong identity which is rooted in Christ.

Parenting in a digital world is a minefield. How much screentime you allow a child can detrimetally affect brain development, social skills and create mental health issues for their future. Children under the age of three years should not have any screen time and up to the age of five years minimal screentime. No child should have a smartphone before the age of fourteen and exposure to social media not before sixteen. Maurice and Juliette Ras, elders in the life of JoshGen Church share keys and tools to digital parenting. Juliette is a play therapist and gives shocking statistics around the dangers of screentime for young children. But, there is hope and they encourage parents to educate themselves and disciple their children.

How do we resolve conflict? When does love cover a multitude of sins? What does the Bible say about exercise? How far is go in the Great Commission? What does honour look like in the Bible and how do we apply Matthew 18 when resolving conflict? Mike D'Offay and Luke Hulley, elders in the life of JoshGen Church, together with Dr Lolly Van Deventer give us answers and a Biblical perspective to these questions.

Finding your child at the bottom of a swimming pool while you are building a safety fence would result in asking many why questions. Johann and Lolly van Deventer, serving as an eldership couple in JoshGen Worcester, experienced the painful loss of a child in this situation. They share their journey of grief, loss and the trauma of losing a little boy while experiencing the incredible comfort and mercy of a sovereign God through their church community. They answer the questions of ...how do I process grief? Why did this happen? Whose fault was it? And, how do we work throught this?

Can believers be depressed? Shouldn't we be walking with faith and overcoming depression? What is depression? Do we get help from medical professionals or elders and pastors? Can I be depressed, on medication and still walk in freedom? Morne van der Walt, an elder in the life of JoshGen, Lorna Baker, a counselling psychologist, and, Brigitte Melly who suffered from severe depression for many years answer these and other questions around navigating depression as believers.

This is the Questions and Answers session of the podcast Navigating Depression as Believers. In order to have a full benefit from this Q and A session you'd need to listen to the previous podcast about Navigating Depression as Believers.
Morne van der Walt and Michael D'Offay, elders in the life of JoshGen, together with Lorna Baker, a counselling psychologist, and Brigitte Melly answer questions from the studio audience.

What does it mean to be a part of a team? What are the kingdom values of a leadership team? The church is made up of teams from saints to elders and apostles so where do we all fit in and how do kingdom teams function under the headship of Christ? These and other questions form the basis of this podcast discussion and are answered by Kevin Samuels, Neil Greig and Patti Barnard who are all part of eldership teams across JoshGen.

What is rest and how should we be resting? What are the challenges to rest and how do we overcome them? This is a big challenge for those in full time ministry as well as those who are double timers, that is, who work during the day and minister in the evenings and on weekends. These and other questions are answered through testimonies and experience by Barry and Lienkie van der Westhuizen, an eldership couple serving in JoshGen Durbanville, and Dylan Jones who leads the Muizenberg congregation. 

Is it just trick or treat with some ghostly costumes, skeletons witches and pumpkins or is there a deeper spiritual connotaion to Halloween? Should Christians celebrate Halloween? These and other questions are answered by Mike D'Offay together Demitri and Karen Nikiforus.

Articles on Halloween can be found on the Four 12 Global website or you can copy these links to read the articles. 

https://four12global.com/articles/tricked-or-sweet/

https://four12global.com/articles/tricks-treats-compromise/

https://four12global.com/articles/candy-costumes-evil/

How can you be addicted to ministry? Can devotion to Christ and His church be too much? There is a cost to discipleship and we are called to die in order to live. But how is this outworked in a balanced way? These are some of the questions answered by our team in this podcast as they share testimonies of how God brought them through very real journeys of taking on too much. Sharing some of their journeys are Kim Muller, an elder and apostolic voice in the life of Joshgen and Brett and Abby Bevan who serve as an eldership couple in JoshGen Edgemead.

As believers we are moulded by what we listen to, view or read. What should we be watching, listening to or reading online or offline? Which authors, teachers or preachers are kosher? How do we discern which have solid theology or are self-help or motivational cloaked with Christian cliches. In this episode Mike D'Offay, Morne van der Walt and Dan Barnard, elders in the life of JoshGen, give us keys for learning to discern what is safe to consume and what should be wary of.

Our current generation of young people faces challenges like never before and the big question is how do we reach them and make Jesus relevant for them? Bridging the generation gap has never been so important. Young people are crying out for family and to be a part of something. How can the church be the church to "youthies"? Luke Watson, an elder in the life of JoshGen, leads the youth across the church and together with youth leaders Tristan, Rosie and Kevin answer these questions. 

Navigating the minefield of friendships in our congregations, communities, jobs and with those who in the world is always a challenge. Is a spouse sufficient as a friend? What is the basis for godly friendships? How do have friendships with those who are unsaved without compromising? What does God's word have to say about friendship? These questions are answered by Deon and Kim Delport, an eldership couple serving in JoshGen Sea Point, and Phil van der Westhuizen from the Melkbos congregation eldership team.

Addiction to screens impacts the brain in the same way as cocaine. The effect of screens is impacting the lives of believers in a very subtle way and it appears like nobody is doing much about it. In this episode we look at the destructiveness of screens to personal health, family life and even devotions. What is too much? How do we get free from the addictive nature of screens? Are we even aware that we are addicted? In this episode Maurice and Juliette Ras, an eldership couple from JoshGen Worcester together with Dan Barnard an elder in the life of JohGen, share some of the statistics that reveal how destructive screens are in the lives of people. They look at keys to freedom from this subtle addiction.

The festive season is upon us and people are getting ready to celebrate Christmas. But not all who celebrate the birth of Jesus are believers. Many use this occasion to pay their annual visit to church. How do we use these opportunities of openness to share the Gospel? Is it any different to the rest of the year? When unsaved family members visit over the holidays how do we share the real meaning of Christmas with them? These and other questions are answered by Dan Barnard and Martin Jansen, elders in the life of JoshGen Church.

Many questions are being asked this festive season around celebrating Christmas, so, we are running this repeat of last year's podcast that answers these questions.

It’s that time of the year again with the festive season fast approaching! Christmas is spiritually sacred for many people while for others Christmas is viewed as a pagan festival that believers should avoid since we are called to not copy or love the world. In this episode Mike D'Offay, Carel Albertyn and Clarence Rule, elders in JoshGen, look at the origins of the festival and how Christians should approach Christmas and celebrating the birth of Jesus.

The word accountability often conjures up the thought of control and telling people what to do or how to behave. But, the heart of true accountability is not based in control. It's a partnership between believers of allowing people and leaders to speak into your life and help you grow into what is God's best for you. Accountability can be tough when those who love you speak into your life and highlight blindspots that hinder you on your journey to fullness in Christ. In this episode Dan and Sam Barnard, eldership couple from Sunningdale am and Maurice Ras an elder in the life of JoshGen Wellington share some of their journeys to fullness in God through a path of accountability.

In this episode we dig deeper and look at some of the challenges faced by singles. Doing life together as singles and families can be a challenge? How do we overcome any obstacles? How do singles integrate into families? How should families be inclusive during the festive season? We see in God's Word that He places the lonely into families, but, how is this walked out in practice. Jacques and Janette du Toit, an eldership couple who lead JoshGen Sunningdale PM, Tanya Brandis and Brent Eichstadt, both singles, share perspectives from both sides.

Jesus prayed His final prayer in the garden and asked the Father that his followers would be united. The biggest challenge to unity is conflict. How do we resolve conflict amongst believers? What does the Bible say about resolving conflict? What do we do when we reach a stalemate? As broken people we often are the barriers to resolution. These questions and others are answered by our panel, Phil van der Westhuizen, Kim Delport and Luke Hulley, who serve the body within the life of JoshGen. 

Finding God's will and hearing His voice is very personal yet at the same time it is not? We are a part of a community of believers and everything we do has a knock-on effect within the local church. So, do we seek God's will alone or do our leaders find God's will for us? When do we go to leaders and ask for guidance? Whose responsibility is it for the final decision? These and other questions are answered by Dan Barnard, an elder in the life of JoshGen, and Morne and Erina van der Walt, an eldership couple who lead the work of JoshGen in South Africa.

The Bible doesn't give us clear commands on how to fast, how often or when to fast. But Jesus clearly implies it by saying "When you fast.." Perhaps the lack of clear guidelines is a reason why fasting isn't regarded by many as an important spiritual discipline. In this episode our team gives evidence with remarkable testimonies about fasting and how it has made an deep impact in the lives of many. It's not about giving up, sacrificing or twisting God's arm to do something for us, but rather, taking time to focus on God and drawing closer to Him that has the impact. Through fasting God changes us and impacts those around us for His purposes and the kingdom.

The words, spiritual authority, can bring security or ring warning bells of control and abuse. How do we understand true spiritual authority? What does the Bible have to say about authority? Do people within the body of Christ have authority over others? Authority has been used for control, abuse and personal gain yet it is one of the most amazing gifts God has given the church. With so much to unpack Russell Fraser and Dylan Jones, both elders in the life of JoshGen, share keys to understand real Biblical authority and how we are held accountable to God through His delegated authority. 

At first glance you might answer...everyone knows who Andrew Selley is. But, with the growth of our congregations, a new JoshGen leader in South Africa and Andrew leading JoshGen internationally from the USA, not everyone knows him or his story. We chat with him about his personal testimony, how JoshGen started and how he views the future with JoshGen and the Four12 partnership of churches.

In this episode we ask the question, is supernatural healing still relevant and if so how do we exercise the gift of healing? Should everyone be healed? What if you are not healed, has God let you down? Does it depend on our faith or the faith of the one praying for healing? There are many theologies around healing so how do we know what to believe? These and other questions are answered, together testimonies of God's healing in the lives of believers, by our panel, Dan Barnard, Sonja van der Merwe and Martin Janssen. 

***PODCAST CONTAINS TESTIMONY THAT MAY IMPACT SENSITIVE LISTENERS***

This is the riveting testimony and dramatic journey of a talented young man who experienced mental illness at school which developed into full schizophrenia at university and took his life in a downward spiral on a very dark journey. Culminating in a tragic event and resulting in his arrest and committal to Valkenburg Psychiatric Hospital, Julian Goldswain's life appeared to be over, facing a future as a state mental patient. He was told by doctors that he would never be healed, get married, have children or work again. But God had other ideas and a journey of restoration changed him radically leading to the complete healing of his mental illness and coming off all medication. This transformation was likened by doctors to the mental equivalent of a paraplegic rising from a wheelchair and walking again. Julian and his wife Chantelle are on eldership with the JoshGen Muizenberg congregation and do life together with their two teenage boys Thorin and Gabe. 

When it comes to new year resolutions, planning or goalsetting everyone has an opinion on what is right and what isn't. What should our response be to the pressures of planning or new year resolutions? What is the godly response? How do we achieve a balance between the two? In this episode our team answers these questions and others, BUT, the consensus is that the key response should be pressing in and drawing closer to the One who holds the future and knows where we should ultimately be.

Luke Hulley Blogpost

With the recent fire devastation in California and the world coverage of the disaster coupled with social media reporting many Christians are asking the question, "Does God judge the world through natural disasters?" Are Christians protected from disasters? What does the Bible say about God and His judgement? Does God use natural disasters for His own purposes? These and other questions are answered with a Biblical perspective by our team of Mike D'Offay, Luke Hulley and Dan Barnard, who serve as elders in the life of JoshGen.

In a world where there is no morality, ethical standards are flexible and society does what the latest fad demands, is the Bible still relevant? Can we trust the Bible? Can we trust the whole Bible? These are some of the questions that bring doubt to the minds of especially our younger generation of believers. Our team of elders, Mike D'Offay, Dan Barnard and Luke Hulley dig deeper and explore some of the reasons why the Bible is God's word and still is very relevant to our generation. 

At what age should a parent or Kids Church team introduce a child to Jesus? Is there a minimum age at which we should do this? What about baptism? Is there a minimum age? Should parents give their consent? Is leading a child to salvation the responsibiity of the parents or the church? These are some of the tough questions our two guest eldership couples who lead JoshGen's kids ministry, Deon and Kim Delport and Ian and Kate Jonker answer for us. 

There are times in our lives when God feels far away and life feels like a wilderness. Where is God when this happens? Is He there with us or has He removed Himself? Can an omnipresent God be distant? How do faith and the emotional sense of God's presence play out in situations like this? Melanie du Toit, a prophetic voice in JoshGen and Michael D'Offay with Brett Bevan, both elders within the life of JoshGen, share perspectives from God's Word together with personal experience.

Jesus came to reconcile us to God through His death on the cross. The is the most powerful miracle He ever performed, yet, we see Christian marriages destroyed or crippled by Satan. Many people see and believe in healings and miracles as the ultimate power of God but when it comes to marriages in trouble often will head down the divorce route. But, God is primarily in the reconciliation business and after salvation the miracle of marriage restoration rising out of destroyed relationships is the greatest. In this episode Demitri and Karen Nikiforus, an eldership couple from JoshGen Wynberg, share their wonderful miracle of reconcialition in their marriage.

Before we answer how to get the most out of our Bibles, we should ask the question of why we need to read our Bibles regularly. How much should we read daily? Should we spend much time in the Old Testament as New Testament believers? After reading the whole Bible how do we dig deeper? These and other questions are answered by our team, Mike D'Offay, Luke Hulley, elders in the life of JoshGen, together with Dan and Sam Barnard who serve as an eldership couple in Sunningdale.

In this episode we hear the amazing adoption stories of two couples as they share their remarkable journeys to adoption. How did they hear God's voice? When did they know it was right for them? Where did their journeys start and how did they overcome the many challenges? Two eldership couples, Kate and Ian Jonker and Abby and Brett Bevan share their very personal adoption stories of how God led them.

Walking in the Spirit is essential to our walk with Jesus as believers. What does it mean to walk in step with the Holy Spirit? How do this on a daily basis? Where do our renewed minds fit into this? Some call themselves people of the Word while others people of the Spirit. What is the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Word of God? Melanie du Toit, who is a prophetic voice in the life of JoshGen, together with elders Dan Barnard and Brett Bevan share some of the principles and practical steps they have learned about walking in step with the Spirit.

Why should we celebrate Easter? Are there any reasons why we shouldn't? How should we celebrate Easter? Has Easter not been corrupted by the easter bunny and easter eggs? In this episode we see how Jesus and His resurrection are central to Easter. And, no matter how paganism and commercialism has influenced it traditionally, we need to keep the real reason for Easter "the real reason" which is the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our guests, Mike Davies, an elder in the life of JoshGen, Ashley Gabriel, who leads a Four12 partnering church in the UK, and Dr Lolly van Deventer who is the academic dean at the South African Theological Seminary share some of their insights about Easter.

The question of whether there is a real place called hell has been contested over generations. But, what does the Bible say about hell? Is it a real place? Do people go there for eternity or is temporary? Does the denial of the doctrine of hell negate the whole Gospel? If there is a real place called hell then why aren't believers energized to preach the Gospel more? Our team for today, Mike Davies, Dan Barnard and Luke Hulley, all part of the JoshGen eldership team, share there insights based on what God's Word clearly says about hell.