True Vs. Truth Podcast

We get real about super celebrities and viral social media influencers this week, and dive deep into the kingdom perspective on fame and money. An elevated platform to show your talents and increased wealth to reward hard work can be a gift and blessing from God. However, it’s important that we don’t fall victim to idolatry and covet our Earthly possessions over the gifts God is promising us in Heaven. Instead, consider how the blessings in your life should be used to bless others, and use the privilege of your status to elevate God’s word and Christ’s love above your own worldly wants.   Timecoded Guide: [00:50] Introducing the corrupting concept of fame & explaining Matt’s NFL experience [03:07] Diving into Danielle’s experience in Entertainment PR & feeling sympathy for celebrities suffering from their fame [06:48] Going viral online & our need to overshare to detrimental levels just for attention from others [10:16] Filling the void of dissatisfaction in life & changing our perspective on what it means to “be great” [14:09] Tithing to bless others & pouring out your cup of blessings onto others

Conflict is inevitable, even when we try our hardest to avoid it. It turns out, God doesn’t ask us to avoid conflict. Jesus himself didn’t shy away from conflict when necessary, and preached that conflict resolution requires loving your neighbor and trusting in God. This week, we break down conflict— between spouses, between parents and children, between friends, and between fellow Christians— and discuss what conflict resolution really looks like when we follow God’s word and listen to his will.  Timecoded Guide: [01:09] Conflict from a kingdom perspective & fighting fair for God [09:53] Abusing someone with the truth & the issue with arguing to “win” [16:20] Teachable moments with conflict & growing through conflict resolution [25:29] Partner/spouse conflict & different levels of faith in a relationship [29:41] Learning from past traumas & explaining how that shapes your conflict actions  

Hope Darst, mother, musician, and worship leader, joins Danielle on a girl’s only episode to talk about girlhood, womanhood, and motherhood— all from a kingdom perspective. While parenting today is overwhelming enough, Hope explains how to weather storms and cope with changes in your family and faith through relying on God’s word and focusing on lordship. From challenging perspectives to healing from failures, Hope tells all in this introspective episode on how women do it all by not doing it all. Timecoded Guide: [00:50] Believing in childhood and struggling with faith in high school  and college [06:37] Not stopping at just salvation and actively working towards lordship  [13:04] Parenting through feelings of failure and shame  [19:10] Inspiring confidence in children as they grow up and experience puberty [28:15] Pivoting and changing as a mother in a busy world

We tackle purpose from a kingdom perspective this week, and break down the ways in which people get their purpose wrong. God has a purpose for each and every one of us, and our gifts and talents are given from God to guide us on our journey to discovering that purpose. Instead of “manifesting” our own destiny, we dive deep into the Word to better understand how to seek our purpose and how to remain open to hearing God’s calling in our lives, no matter what.  Timecoded Guide: [00:48] Learning the kingdom perspective of purpose  [06:49] Stewarding your gifts and talents in the ways God intended [12:56] Understanding how the pandemic has changed our ideas around purpose [19:11] Trusting in God’s purpose and knowing the Bible won’t return void [21:55] Waiting on the Lord with an open heart and a willing mind

Jamal Johnson, one of the pastors at Progressive Baptist Church and Biblica partner for Reach4Life, joins us in a conversation about culture. The culture of our country and our community doesn’t often align with God’s word, leading to groups of people, especially Black people in America, to pull away from going to church or being active Christians. Tackling the tough topics of racism, slavery, politics, sexuality, and gentrification, we break down the broad topic of culture using Christ as our guide. Timecoded Guide: [00:00] Introducing Jamal & discussing the Black community’s exodus from church [09:09] Seeing through the myth of the “white man’s religion” to find Black people in the Bible [19:16] Finding a church of sound doctrine and exploring churches online [27:07] Understanding the intersection of culture, church, and sexuality [38:09] Separating church and state in politics, but voting with God’s word in mind [46:00] Knowing and loving the church, even though it is imperfect  [52:33] Helping the next generation through church-community collaboration

This week, we take a step back from our social media and consider Christ’s opinion on the online world we have created. Between Instagram stories, TikTok trends, and Facebook discourse, our experiences online have begun to bleed into our personal lives, relationships, and faith in God. We break down how we find a healthy influence of Christ in our time on social media and how we can encourage our children to make better decisions online through engaging in Christian, child-safe spaces.   Timecoded Guide: [01:59] Seeing how social media has evolved from original intentions to present day culture, especially with how we connect and who we connect with [04:36] Impacting our friendships and relationships negatively through lying or pretending to be someone we’re not on social media [10:55] Understanding that our influence is supposed to be leveraged for God, instead of used corruptly or inappropriately on social media for fame or attention [15:31] Falling victim to online identities and losing touch with our identity as Christ followers and as imperfect humans [19:27] Creating a balance between online presences and in-person connections with our children, friends, and family 

This week, we dive into the hot topic of mental health. With the pandemic bringing more awareness to mental illness and our need for human connection, discussions around mental health skyrocketed in popularity and led to a lot of opinions that didn’t take faith into account. Keeping in mind that we can’t pick “one or the other” when healing ourselves mentally, we have an insightful discussion about generational trauma, mental health at church, and putting our worries with God for a healthier mental state.   Timecoded Guide: In this episode, Matt and Danielle cover: [01:18] Mental health as a prominent conversation in culture and how people have chosen “one or the other” with mental health services and going to church   [04:52] Understanding mental health as it relates to trauma, especially in the Black community in America, where racism still deeply affects lives and families   [09:37] Struggling with mental illness and bullying in childhood and how trauma can teach our children hatred towards others or themselves   [14:04] Finding a place for mental health in the Christian church and encouraging the church to reach out into the community to help struggling Christians   [19:33] God’s perfect will and the transformation God is willing to show each one of us when we put our faith and trust in Him as our savior

We continue our discussion of the kingdom perspective as the topic of marriage shifts into the topic of parenting. Parenthood requires discipling your children and teaching them how to have a relationship with God. As social media, books, movies, television shows, and even podcasts expose our children to so many different difficult topics, it’s important that we remember to communicate, to discipline, and to give our children the answers to their questions through God’s word.   Timecoded Guide:   [2:18] Conveying expectations and disciplining clearly and effectively  [7:03] Giving guidance and ensuring success through discipline   [10:10] Being an approachable and communicative parent   [13:25] Discipling your children and the role of a father  [17:44] Understanding that both kids and adults change as we grow up 

This week, we celebrate Juneteenth and explain the importance of a holiday centered around Black Americans. With an emphasis on freedom and allyship, we encourage our non-black friends and neighbors, especially our fellow Christians, to delve into our history, educate with important well-rounded resources, and understand the black experience in the United States beyond the context of slavery.   Timecoded Guide:  [02:07] Understanding the colors & culture of Juneteenth  [08:48] Including Juneteenth in tangible ways   [11:22] Celebrating our history personally in our family   [12:25] Learning black history as American history   [14:03] Acknowledging racist systems and being a good ally   

We’re joined by Lisa Fields, Founder and CEO of Jude 3, for a discussion about community and context. Apologetics often get lost within the Black community, and many of the most prevalent religious spaces are filled only with white male voices. As a black woman, Lisa founded Jude 3 to equip the African American community in the area of apologetics. Today, she shares her current and upcoming projects with us, along with giving us some insight on being Black apologetics ourselves.   Timecoded Guide:  [03:03] Lisa’s personal journey in faith & the Black experience in religion  [07:35] Starting the conversation about Black Apologetics   [09:05] Creating curriculum & answering the community in Jude 3   [16:41] Teaching children about God beyond their school education  [25:43] Jude 3 & the power of context in Christianity 

Season 5 kicks off with a discussion about marriage from a kingdom perspective. Instead of allowing ourselves to be fed false narratives about selfish and transactional love, we dive deep into God’s word to uncover the truth about why marriage exists, what men and women can do to support each other in these partnerships, and how strong communication between spouses and with God can create a strong marital union that can survive and thrive long term.   Timecoded Guide:   [4:50] Looking beyond expectations in a marriage and seeing the reality  [12:09] Submission and the role of a wife  [13:17] Responsibility, guidance, and the role of a husband  [19:08] Showing respect for your partner and not giving into pride  [25:05] Understanding true intimacy with your partner and with Christ 

Matt and Danielle explore the concept of your calling in Christ and the purpose that God has given you in your life. No matter our age or stage in our lives, we all have to seek the life our Lord wants us to lead to bring him glory and solidify our place as his loyal followers.   This week, Matt and Danielle cover:  Seeking validation in the wrong places  Finding your calling at any point in your life  Understanding that the impact happens outside ourselves  Being refined through the waiting process  Trusting God even in contradictions     The purpose is something that grows and develops   You may not have found your purpose in life, and we understand the hunger you may be feeling to find your calling and follow your purpose that God has set out for you. As Christians, we have to accept that God has laid out a plan for our lives, and that our purpose can be revealed to us at any time in our lives. When we do find our purpose, we have to remember too we need to be ready for God to call us to do something more at any time.    “I’ve seen what he has for me, and I’m planting the seed….Whenever he is ready for it to bloom, I need to be ready too.”   Persisting for God’s glory   Our purpose as disciples is not to do something for ourselves, it is solely to do something for God. As true disciples of God, we aim to bring God further glory through the work we do as Christians and further encourage our fellow Christians to embrace God’s plan for each of us. The impact is always outside of ourselves, and so much larger than we can ever think to imagine.   “When God seeks to use you, the main goal is that he will get more glory out of it.”  Protection from God in your purpose   What do you receive when you find your calling and uncover your purpose? A stronger sense of faith and an unwavering dedication to Christ. Each person has their own unique needs, passions, and desires, all of which can be better guided and solidified through our dedication to God and his dedication to us. Even when left in waiting, we have to remind ourselves that there is fruitful joy and incredible peace on the other side.  “Through discovering the calling and purpose of your life, that will actually allow you to be protected from stumbling.” 

Matt and Danielle break down the concept of kingdom stewardship and why God has entrusted us with this responsibility. Instead of believing what each of us has is “mine”, we have to consider why God granted each of us our talents and gifts as opportunities for stewardship.   This week, Matt and Danielle cover:  Overcoming the challenges of life-long stewardships   Comparing what you have to what others have  Being entrusted with certain talents and abilities  Finding compassion for your own journey and for others   Making yourself a useful tool   

Stephanie Rousselle, the host of the Gospel Spice Podcast, joins Matt and Danielle to discuss her journey from France to the US, her discovery of God in her life, and the difference between cultural Christianity and truly believing in Christ.     This week, Matt, Danielle, and Stephanie cover:    Growing up as an Atheist in France and her early perspective on Christians   Discovering Christianity on her journey to the US and how that changed her life  Believing in the resurrection vs learning to trust God’s plan  Embracing her flaws as a Christian and celebrating her growth  Understanding God’s infiniteness and admitting how finite people are 

This week, Matt, Danielle, and Afshin cover:  -Growing up as a Muslim in Iran   -Moving to the US during a time of anti-Iranian prejudice   -Having numerous encounters with Christianity growing up  -Being disowned by his family when he changed his faith  -Encouraging new Christians to remain loyal to God no matter the cost 

As Matt and Danielle embark on Season 4, they talk about authentic discipleship, shepherding new Christians, and understanding how to better represent Christ.   This week, Matt and Danielle cover:  Defining authentic discipleship   Showing compassion like Christ   Missing out on the fruit through inauthentic discipleship  Understanding the word as your weapon  Balancing yourself as a Christian  Serving   When we strive to be as authentic as possible in our discipleship and our following of Christ, we will feel called to serve and appreciate all who serve us. The world we live in can be an extremely tumultuous and trying place, and it is up to each of us to represent Christ through his compassion for all people and his willingness to be appreciative and humble. Selflessness is our goal as followers of Christ, making ourselves as close to God’s image as possible and showing us the path to righteousness.    “It's very naive of Christians to believe that just because Jesus suffered, we shouldn't have to suffer.”  Salvation   Our salvation in Christ, as Matt and Danielle have emphasized before, is free for those who choose to follow God and to become authentic Christians, but there is a cost to achieving the inheritance that the Bible promises us in heaven. The inheritance is God’s ultimate gift, and suffering has to be endured to be rewarded. No individual Christian is perfect, we all have made missteps in faith, but those who are willing to pay the cost of becoming a seed for God will get to enjoy the fruits of inheritance and celebrate eternal life with Christ.   “Don't you think God is burying you? You’re a seed, and this is your growth.”  Sin  Authentic discipleship does not mean that you live a flawless life without trials or sin. Instead, it is about the balance of your faith and the role you play in representing God in all his glory and salvation. Sin is a temptation brought upon us by Satan, but Christ continues to be our key to endless love and eternal life. A focus for this upcoming season is understanding that sin and suffering will always be around us, but it is up to us to learn the word, to embrace the teachings, and to strive to be more like Christ every single day.   “The more seriously you take sin, the less you want to do it because you know the consequences of it.”  --   Connect with Danielle on Instagram and Twitter.     Connect with Matt on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.   Keep up with True Vs Truth on our website, Instagram, and Facebook.   Learn more about the What’s Your Forte Foundation here.   Discover more on Biblica’s website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.  

Family isn’t just your immediate relatives, it should also include your church. In this episode of True Vs. Truth, Matt and Danielle Forte explain what it means to be a part of a church family and what your church should provide for you as a Christian.  

As a pastor, father, and person of color, Dr. Loritts weighs in on the important role that Christianity and God’s word plays in family, government, and the church. What is our responsibility as Christians living in a democracy? As an avid advocate for democracy and systemic change, Dr. Loritts understands that the word of God does not fit perfectly into the political parties that America is divided into. Instead, Dr. Loritts encourages Christians to care for people of all ages and races and to vote in a way that supports human life and paves the way for an equal, peaceful world. “We need to be voting and voting in such a way that brings human flourishing.” How do we show love and acceptance for all people in our churches? Dr. Bryan Loritts experienced significant racial trauma as a black man in theology school, despite the messages that his Christian classmates and professors were teaching and preaching. To combat the racism he’s personally experienced and the systematic racism that all people of color experience in America, Dr. Loritts preaches strong messages of love, acceptance, forgiveness, and justice. “When God blesses me to get into a position of authority, I want to give back.” Are there ways to make disciples of our family? As a family man with a wife and 3 kids, Dr. Loritts believes strongly in bringing the message of God into both his marriage and his parenting. Through preparing his sons for the lives they have ahead of them and supporting his wife as his primary relationship, Dr. Loritts encourages discipleship among his family and builds a strong foundation of love and respect at home. “My kids are getting an education of what it’s like to love a woman based on watching how I treat my wife.” An excerpt from this week’s prayer: “Heavenly father, I recognize that I am a sinner and that I am in need of a savior. And I believe that your son, Jesus Christ, came down here to die for our sins. I believe that he died on the cross and that, on the third day. Lord, you are the Lord over my life, and I submit my own will and I now look to your will for my life.”

When we talk about faith and family, we also have to talk about the youngest members of our families: children. As parents themselves of 3 children, Matt and Danielle spend this episode of True Vs Truth talking about raising their kids to be faithful followers of God and teaching them to be genuine believers in his word.   When should parents start introducing faith into their children’s lives?   Faithfulness starts at a young age and the Forte’s are living proof of how God can and should be introduced to children when they’re still learning about the world. With children at the ages of 10, 7, and 5, the Forte’s practice teaching their children bible verses to make sure that their kids grow up with a deep knowledge of the bible and of all the lessons within it.     “Our children are the first disciples, besides each other, within the home and we have to take that seriously and intentionally.”  What are children gaining from studying and learning God’s word?   As children grow and experience the world around them, they will need the grace and wisdom to make good decisions and to honor God in their actions. It’s up to parents to show their children how to be loyal followers of God so that they can live their lives according to God’s plan and can show up as good Christians in everything they do.   “God's word is so deep that we can never touch the bottom but shallow enough for babies to swim in.”  How do blended families practice faith together?   Matt and Danielle know the struggle of parenting from a distance with one of their children living partially with another parent. For many families, this is their reality and it can feel impossible to teach faith from afar and to feel connected as a family. However, nothing is impossible with help from God and from his guiding word, especially when we dedicate ourselves as Christians to make disciples of all of God’s children.  “Unfortunately, you have to do it over the phone, but that’s better than not doing it at all.” 

How can we heal from our past traumas? With a past full of abuse and tragedy, Nona knows exactly how hard it can be to acknowledge, accept, and address trauma. On her journey as a young woman, Nona was lucky enough to discover Christ, who has shown her the way to healing through forgiveness and love, both for herself and for those who have hurt her the most. It has not been an easy journey, but health and happiness have found Nona because she is willing to work through what happened to her. “When God heals you, he removes the mile markers of past pain.” Where does family fit into faith? As a preacher who is married to a pastor, Nona finds that boundaries still need to be set between church and family, especially when it comes to raising and spending valuable time with her two sons. Embracing family as her first priority has created a balance in Nona’s life because faith really does start at home within our own families. “For my husband and I, we see our family as our first ministry.” What can we do to promote Christ on social media? Engaging with social media can seem endlessly fun, but Nona has learned over the years that her usage of social media apps and sites has to focus more on God than just on herself. When we spend too much time involving ourselves with the latest trends and influencers, we forget God’s true plan and vision for us as his children. If we spend our time promoting Christ instead of our yourselves, we can transform our social media followers in followers of God. “My hope is that we’ll use social media to shine the light on Jesus.”