PODCASTS
Challenging the Culture with Truth
with Larry Kutzler and Esteemed Guests
CitySites Urban Media presents a new Podcast every Friday. We want you to hear from people who are making a difference, and we hope our Podcasts bring you a perspective that isn't taught in today's Christianity. Be sure to listen to our latest Podcast every Friday!
The Spirit of Moab with Larry Kutzler
Why would God raise up a spirit like Moab in the last days? What purpose does it serve to have another evil-Influencing spirit in the world? This is why our Churches must start teaching from a foundation of discernment. Truth has been tainted by falsehood, and most of us are not aware of how it is affecting our faith and practice of Christianity. Discernment is a gift that distinguishes between what is from God and what is not. The spirit of Moab is one of influence, and if that influence is not discernable from the perspective of good and evil, it will go undetected and be absorbed into the fabric of the faithful.
Urban Ministry 2.0 with Walt McFadden
Cities have been with us since the beginning of time. In the early days, cities were where all the commerce and military strength resided. Ultimately, these cities collectively turned into states and then nations. Cities continue to grow and in the next decade 70% of the world’s population will leave in cities. How will that impact how we live? What will be the challenges we face? For the church, we already face some of these challenges, and the need to do ministry differently and more effectively will only increase. It’s been a joy discussing the urban ministry thinking, theology, and practicality of urban ministry with an urban pastor, Walt McFadden. He is my guest in this episode, and he explains how the church needs to prepare as cities change and grow. Visit Walt McFadden
The Unseen Enemy with Walt McFadden
Since becoming a Christian, it has been my belief that Christianity is a spiritual force that pushes back the darkness of evil. Many in our world today do not think there is any evil … just human beings acting out their passions and desires. Yet, the Bible teaches there is a dark force here on earth … the Unseen Enemy, Satan. Satan would love you to think he doesn’t exist, that way he operates in the shadows. The Apostle Paul taught us that it is this force that we fight against and not flesh and blood, and the modern church often overlooks this. In this episode, my guest, Pastor Walt McFadden, unpacks the idea of this unseen enemy in the context of urban ministry. Visit Walt McFadden
Studying the Bible with Tom Parrish
How do you study the Bible? In this episode, I talk with Pastor Tom Parrish about his innovative Bible study that asks three questions. These three questions will help you to extract the meaning from the Biblical text, help you apply it to your life, and then ask, “what’s next?” Pastor Tom also looks at some of the reasons why discernment is not developed within the church today. He also addresses why so many Christians fall for the wrong spiritual emphasis today. Join us and learn how to study the Bible. Visit Tom Parrish
The Holy and the Common with Larry Kutzler
Many times, in our understanding about God, we overlook some of the basic teachings of the Bible. For example, in Ancient Israel the priest’s main responsibility was to teach people about God. The teaching needed to give people God’s standards … it starts with the concept of what is Holy and what is common. The Holy has to do with God, His commandments, and His values. The common has to do with what is earthly and every day. The common could also be evil, the wicked things that we often face every day. In this episode, we look at the Holy and the common.
Perspective with Larry Kutzler
Having the right perspective is critical for understanding life. Everyone has a perspective, but having the right perspective is what is important. God’s perspective on living life is the only perspective that will matter in the end. What perspective do you have? Are you thinking about life only from your experiences and knowledge, or are you surrendered to God’s perspective?
Does God Have Preferences? with Shawn Morrison
Here’s my problem. People who believe in God may do so without the help of what the Bible says about God. The problem lies in believing in a God that may not exist but is made up in the imagination of the person believing. The Bible gives us clear teaching on the nature of God … who He is and who He is not. For example, people will say God is love, which is true, but what is left out of that statement is that God also hates. Hard to grasp, right? Yet, that is what the Bible says. Another question that is often overlooked or not addressed is, “Does God Have Preferences?” Most people would say no … God is no respecter of persons, so He is neutral on showing any kind of preference to people. Well, that’s our topic today on the podcast, “Does God Have Preferences?” My guest is Shawn Morrison, a familiar voice, and we have a challenging conversation about this theme. Visit Shawn Morrison
Unseen Influences with Walt McFadden
Too often, we focus on the wrong things when it comes to influence. We think it’s the political process that’s to blame, or other institutions, including the church as the culprits for our problems. In this episode, I talk with a pastor about the unseen influences the Apostle Paul mentions in Ephesians 6. Pastor Walt McFadden is my guest and we talk about the unseen influences in our lives. Visit Walt McFadden
Character with Larry Kutzler
Integrity is an important part of any relationship. You need integrity to foster honesty, trust, and respect. Yet, integrity is often lost when it comes to our relationships. In this episode, I talk about integrity in terms of honesty, clarity, and respect. For me, this is the definition of character, in which integrity is the cornerstone.
Structure with Larry Kutzler
Structure is important in everything. Your body has a structure that keeps it alive, the building you live in has a structure that keeps it from falling down, and the church should have a structure that creates a healthy spiritual environment that benefits both the believer and the ministry. In this episode, I open the podcast with a clip from Dr. John McArthur who sets the stage for my comments on structure. You will find this helpful and meaningful as you work to bring the best practices into your work for the Lord.
Urban Ministry with Walt McFadden
Our cities are changing. There is more density in cities due to all the new apartment complexes being built and new innovations in building multi-use centers. With more people working from home, and the move to get more people into apartment living, how does that affect ministries in the urban core? What must the church think about as cities continues to change? In this episode, I talk with Walt McFadden, an urban pastor, about Urban Ministry and he shares some insights about how the church needs to adjust to our changing cities. Visit Walt McFadden
Is Christianity Dangerous? with Chris Heeb
Is Christianity Dangerous? If you answer that question in terms of what Jesus taught, of course it is. ‘Deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Me’ is counter cultural to what we hear in the world around us today. The world is afraid of people who live according to what Jesus taught … it is a threat to them in exposing their darkness. When you expose the darkness of sin you become public enemy number one to evil. Dangerous, you bet … truth is always dangerous. In this episode, we unpack the idea that Christianity is dangerous. Visit Chris Heeb Ministry
Appetites with Shawn Morrison
Everyone knows about appetites, we usually have them about food, but appetites can be defined by what we desire to make us happy. Americans especially like to pursue happiness, and they often try to achieve that happiness by satisfying appetites of pleasure, conquest, or pursuit. Today, Shawn Morrison from Good in the ‘Hood, joins me to talk about appetites and how appetites will never satisfy the pursuit of happiness. Visit Shawn Morrison
Men and Insecurity with Walt McFadden
I share another conversation with Pastor Walt McFadden about men and insecurity. Pastor Walt has been going through a series on his podcast called ‘Thinking Out Loud’ on men and their wounded hearts. This episode focuses on the torment of insecurity that most men face in their lives. Visit Thinking Out Loud
John 3:16 with Shawn Parks and Chris Heeb
In our previous episode, we talked with Randy Zembel about John 3:16, and how to use this Verse as a witnessing tool to help people understand God’s love for us. In this episode, we are joined by Randy’s colleague, Shawn Parks, who furthers this conversion. Shawn shares some stories about how effective it is to use this Verse in bringing people to Christ. Once again, my co-host for this podcast is Chris Heeb.
John 3:16 with Randy Zembel and Chris Heeb
John 3:16 is by far the most familiar verse in the Bible, and most people have heard of it. However, in this episode we talk with Randy Zembel who will tell us how to use this Verse in a way to tell people how to know they have eternal life with Jesus. You will find our conversation insightful, and my co-host for this podcast is the familiar voice of Chris Heeb.
Connected Families with Jim Jackson
In all of my radio/podcast career I haven’t found a more engaging person as Jim Jackson. He, and his wife Lynn, co-founded a ministry known as ‘Connected Families’ where they help parents deal with parenting issues. In this episode, I talk with Jim about one of the major aspects of their ministry which asks the question, “What’s going on in you.?” This self-awareness technique is a fundamental question that needs to be asked when conflict or misunderstanding is being experienced. Before we can get to the root of conflict issues, we need to examine our hearts before going into battle with another adult or child. Jim explains how it works in parenting, but it can be applied to leaders everywhere as they lead people. Visit Connected Families
The Soul of America with Shawn Morrison
With the midterm elections coming up at the end of the year, it is important for Christians to vote. Christians have one of the largest voting blocks in America. Christians need realize they have to exercise their right to vote. Many believers do not think it is important whether they vote or not since God will have His way no matter what. Ultimately, God will have His way, but our job is to protect the right in America for Christians to preach the Gospel. We have seen our religious rights slowly erode, and often it’s because we are asleep in the church. This episode is about the importance of voting to protect our religious rights in America. Visit Shawn Morrison
I Never Knew You with the Truth Barista
One of my day jobs includes producing podcasts for other ministries. One of my long-standing clients is Dr. Jay Christianson who is the imaginary Truth Barista. The Truth Barista is a podcast that deals with the truth of the Gospel as it relates to modern life. It is staged in an imaginary coffeehouse where the Truth Barista and the dishwasher by the name of Larry get into Bible discussions that are relevant to everyday living. So, I decided to share this Truth Barista podcast with you in this episode, hoping you will become a fan of The Truth Barista. Visit The Truth Barista
Toxic Masculinity with Walt McFadden
It’s no secret that men are struggling today to find their role and their place in society. Even men who have a good job and quality of life wonder what kind of role do I now play in society. Men have been tagged with all kinds of terms, one of which has stuck more than others and that is, “Toxic Masculinity.” There is some truth to men who do not follow God, or live by how He designed men to live … this can and will become toxic because it becomes a self-centered life. In this episode, I talk with Pastor Walt McFadden about men and what the Bible says on how men are to relate to females in their lives. Visit Walt McFadden
Spiritual Narcissism with Larry Kutzler
In this episode, Larry deals with Spiritual Narcissism, a condition that is rampant among Christian leaders who are leading Churches and ministries. As you can guess, most narcissistic leaders are gifted, and Larry explains to us that it takes discernment to figure out if the leader is a servant of God or a narcissist in disguise.
Our Freedom is Eroding with Glenn Beck
Everyone knows our world is out of control. We hear commentaries about it every day, especially from conservative radio, that our government is going in the wrong direction. Glenn Beck from The Blaze Radio had a broadcast recently where he talked about a speech delivered by a Holocaust survivor who equated what she experienced in Germany in WW II to what she is seeing in America today. The recent raid on a former President’s home was a wakeup call to Americans about the erosion of their personal liberties and freedoms. In this episode, I play a segment of Glen’s radio show and make commentary based on what is heard. You will find this insightful.
The Wounds of Men with Walt McFadden
Periodically, I join my friend, Pastor Walt McFadden, on the theme of ‘the wounds in a man’s life.’ Pastor Walt has been teaching and discipling young men in his church trying to get the heart of what is hurting men today. What he has discovered is that men have wounds in their hearts from their fathers, from culture, and from relationships that have injured them in some way. In this episode, we talk about some of those wounds and how bring those wounds before Jesus for healing. Visit Walt McFadden
The Cult of Western Christianity with Chris Heeb
I’m sure this episode will stir up some controversary. Why? Because, for some time, I have thought that the western church has some serious flaws in terms of practice and theology. Now, it is true, no church will be perfect … that is not what I am addressing in this podcast. What I want to do is to create some self-awareness that our structures or systems in the church could be the reason we are seeing more moral failure in the church. The open testimony of a young girl who tells how she was spiritually abused at the hands of family and leaders of her church. The abuse was all about control. When I first listened to her, I thought she was a disgruntled person who had an ax to grind, but after listening to her several times, I realized that I had experienced some of the same conditions in my life. I hope this podcast will make you think through what is being said in the church, and pray for God’s mercy to bring changes to needed areas of the church. I remember the message of the ‘Reformation’ that brought some needed changes to the church at that time, and I think it is needed again to return to the integrity of the Gospel. Visit Chris Heeb Ministry
Love God ... Hate Evil with Shawn Morrison
Tolerance is the modern battle cry of the culture. There are no restrictions when it comes to being you. No more moral restrictions of past generations … we are now the generation of free exploration without societal restriction. Evil is at the heart of much of our freedom, and society is being primed to accept it. Psalm 97:10 speaks to us about our love for God and our hatred for evil. God cannot co-exist with evil, and there is no middle ground between the two. God wants us to abandon all aspects of evil if we want to follow Him. Today Shawn Morrison, the founder and Executive Director of Good in the ‘Hood, joins me to process this theme. Visit Good in the ‘Hood
The Woundedness of Men with Walt McFadden
Men are struggling today. Many of them don’t know what role they play, and some have even become more effeminate in their dress and appearance just to appear more gender neutral. It seems that females are more prominent in almost every industry these days, and men are feeling more isolated than ever before. Generally, men have few friends and have a hard time relating to other men. This CitySites Podcast talks with Pastor Walt McFadden about the woundedness that many men feel today throughout society. Visit Walt McFadden
The Coffin with Neil Saltzman
What motivates a man to build his own coffin? That’s the question I asked a man who told me that he has built his coffin for his funeral. Neil Saltzman has been a carpenter, entrepreneur, and former business owner who decided it could be a great conversation piece with a practical purpose. Neil tells his nine grandkids the story of how one day he will be in the coffin that he built. However, the story he tells is not morbid or sad … it is a reminder of how death will come to everyone, but in Jesus, our life continues into eternity with God. The coffin is just a reminder that if Jesus is our Messiah, we will be raised to live with God in eternity. In this episode, I talk with Neil about his faith and his coffin.
Maintaining Our Faith with Larry Kutzler
As we all know, our world has changed forever since COVID 19. We are only now discovering how this pandemic has influenced our lives forever. Other changes such as the transgender movement and the abortion legislation have all made inroads into our lives. Yet, with all these changes the one change that should never change is our faith in God. Faith has always been the target of evil, and it is a never-ending process to get us to give up on God for the pleasures of this life. In this episode, you’ll find my commentary helpful in maintaining our faith.
The Jewishness of the Gospel with Trevor Rubinstein
The Jewishness of the Gospel is often overlooked in our modern church. We seem to forget that as Gentiles we were grafted into the Olive Tree of God. The Jews had all the covenants God made with humankind, including the New Covenant. We call the New Covenant the New Testament which tells the story of Jesus, who is the New Covenant. Yet, in spite of all the evidence that the Jews who gave us the Messiah, the Jews who gave us all the Scripture that we read, and the Jews who were the first believers in Jesus after His resurrection, we still do not recognize the Jews for their contribution to our faith. Why? Well, it may be a complicated answer to that question. In this episode, my friend and Jewish believer, Trevor Rubinstein, who works with Chosen People Ministries, helps us process this theme. Visit Chosen People Ministries
Beware of Christians with Thom Berkowitz
In this episode, my guest is a Jewish man who believes in Jesus. Following his father’s unexpectant death, he found himself without answers to life and was mad at God for taking his dad. Being raised as a secular Jew, Thom did not care about religion and he had no interest in God. When his wife started to attend a Bible study, he decided he would find out what she was studying. In the process of reading about Jesus, he fell in love with Him and gave his life to following Him as His Messiah. Thom talks about his love for Jesus, and how being Jewish is not a stumbling block to believing in Him.
The Immorality of Abortion with Brian Walker
For me, abortion for me is a moral judgment. This issue must be a moral one because we are talking about taking a life. In this episode, my guest is Brian Walker who has been a long-time pro-life advocate. Brian and I have a frank discussion about today’s climate in American on the topic of abortion. As Brian points out, science is our friend on this one because it does identify a pregnancy as a human being. I find it amazing when we talk about moral human tragedies like the Holocaust or the recent killing of 19 children and 2 adults at a Texas elementary school, we know that is morally wrong, but the same application is never placed on abortion. Brian is the Program Director of Pro-Life Action ministries in St Paul Minnesota. Brian, along with his wife, Denise, have been active doing side-walk counseling at Planned Parenthood locations, teaching, and helping the church to become active in pushing back the demands of the abortion advocates. Brian and Denise started a ministry called ‘Rich in Mercy’ which is a post abortive and miscarriage counseling service. Visit Rich in Mercy
Leadership Structure with David Diers
In most organizations, we focus upon leadership principles and values as we try to strengthen the core of the company or ministry. The problem with only focusing on the leadership is that we forget about the other half of the equation, and that is structure. No leader can properly lead without the expectations and the accountability of structure. In recent years, we have seen many outstanding leaders fail in leading because there was little to no structure to support their gift of leadership. Structure also helps to protect the integrity of the organization by keeping the talent of the leaders in check to the character of the organization based upon the principles of the structure. In this episode, my guest is David Diers who is an Executive with a telecommunications company in Las Vegas. David talks about the need to look at structure to help leaders fulfill their role in leading people.
One Dimensional God with Shawn Morrison
When I travel and attend churches in various cities or I watch church services online, I find a dangerous precedent being set by the church. It seems there is a one-sided God being presented that makes God into just a fraction of how He is described in the Bible. I won’t say what is said about God is wrong from the pulpits of the church I watch or visit, it just seems there are many themes about God that are being left out. In other words, we are getting a cliff notes version of God, and some important characteristics of God are being missed. In this episode, we talk about the one-sided God that we hear about in church today, and my good friend Pastor Shawn Morrison joins me for this conversation. Visit Shawn Morrison
Greek vs Hebraic with Jay Christianson
Larry’s guest in this episode is Dr. Jay Christianson who unpacks the Greek and Hebraic interpretation of Scripture. The teachings of Jesus were based upon many Hebraic idioms common in His day. The audience of Jesus knew exactly what He referred to as He taught, yet through Greek translations some of those idioms were misunderstood. Reading these idioms through the lens of Greek of translation can take on different meanings than their original intent. Dr. Christianson shares how this can affect the meaning of some Scriptures. Visit Jay Christianson at HighBeam Ministry
Discipleship with Walt McFadden
In this episode, Pastor Walt McFadden is Larry’s guest. He is the Senior Pastor at Cityview Church in South Minneapolis. His emphasis as a pastor is on discipleship and why the church has been slowly deteriorating in the West. His bottom line to his ministry is summed up with one phrase, “All the problems in the church are directly related to discipleship.” Listen in as Pastor Walt unpacks the meaning of discipleship. Visit Walt McFadden at Cityview Church
Transformational Discipleship with Shawn Morrison
One of my personal interests is to study the Bible to find the key Verses or thoughts where God lays out how our lives should be lived. One of the key changes in preaching in the American church over the last decade or so has been an appeal for more of a knowledge base ministry than God. Now, at first that doesn’t sound bad, but if knowledge only puffs us up and doesn’t bring about a transformation in our lives, perhaps we are on the wrong protectory in the church. In this episode, I have a conversation with Shawn Morrison about “Transformational Discipleship” where we see not only a knowledge base in our relationship with God, but we also see a supernatural return to our faith.
Habits with Nathan Unruh
I love to watch people and see how they interact, how they treat others, and what kind of person they display in public. Most of the time, you can observe someone and know what kind of habits they have simply by watching their behavior. In this episode, I talk with a successful businessman, chiropractor, speaker, and family man, Dr. Nathan Unruh, about the habits he has put into place that guide him to living a successful life. His answers will surprise you. Visit Nathan Unruh
The Reel Hope Project with Kaycee Stanley
Once in a while, I am privileged to interview unique ministries that are making a difference in the lives of kids. In this episode, my guest is Kaycee Stanley, the Executive Director of The Reel Hope Project . We talk about how this organization is helping kids get adopted by producing a video bio on their lives. Kaycee and her husband started The Reel Hope Project in 2016 with one mission … a forever family for every child. Their vision is to mobilize the faith community to bring foster kids into forever families. They strive to be a bridge between church and state, partnering on both sides to see an end to kids waiting for families. They work to equip social workers with an invaluable tool to share their kids’ stories, and empower families to meet these kids. You will love her story. Visit The Reel Hope Project
Satan’s Evil with Shawn Morrison
Today, there is a tendency to make Christianity a cognitive religion of having your best life now, complete with tips and ideas on how to make it so. Christianity is not a religion of education, knowledge, or otherwise … it is a supernatural event where God sent His Son to rescue the world from sin. That’s right … Christianity is a rescue mission by God. During His great rescue effort, He encounters a tumultuous push back by a fallen angel named Satan. In our world of making Christianity play nice with soft and chewable bites of truth, we have overlooked the real battles in life with Satan and his kingdom on earth. We might give Satan a mention from time to time, but he is never blamed for the evil that is in the world. So, I asked Pastor Shawn Morrison to come in and talk about evil, Satan, and our response. Visit Shawn Morrison at Good in the ‘Hood
What is Preached? with Jay Christianson
There has always been a tension between what is preached in church and what is not. As any church that grows in size and in organization, there comes a financial burden to be met by the demands of the ministry. It is those demands that can dictate how prophetic the ministerial staff can become before it might affect the bottom line of that church. I know this might sound like sacrilege, but it is the truth. As a pastor, I was told not to preach on issues that drive people away. I was told just to keep to the simple Gospel … and that’s it. No hot topics, no divisive themes where people disagree … this way we can keep peace, and keep them writing the checks. That may sound cynical, but it is true. In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Jay Christianson of HighBeam Ministry, and we unpack what the whole Gospel should look like and sound like.
Traditions with Chris Heeb
Traditions can be wonderful and meaningful observances, yet some traditions may not follow the Biblical narrative. For example, take Easter, some of the traditions we follow about this holiday can be traced back to pagan origins. Rabbits and eggs can all distract us from the real meaning of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. In this episode, Chris Heeb joins me to look back in time to examine some of the origins of the Easter celebration. Visit Chris Heeb Ministry
The Bible Study with Zach Windahl
We all know it’s hard to get young people to read the Bible. Zach Windahl knew this, so he designed one of the fastest growing studies for young people in both body and mind. It’s simply called ‘The Bible Study.’ Zach joins me in this episode to tell his story of how God brought this project about, and the outstanding success it has been. Visit Zach Windahl
Cancel Culture and the Church with Walt McFadden
The cancel culture has been one of those evils that goes after people with a vengeance. It’s a self-righteous act of people who think they have a right to destroy other people by calling for a boycott of who they are or what they do. This same spirit has been around for some time in the church, and in some ways has intensified in our culture today. In this episode, Pastor Walt McFadden from Cityview Church in Minneapolis, is my guest. Join us as we talk about this problem creeping into the church. Visit Walt McFadden
Faith Crisis with Jeremiah Rice
What happens when faith goes into crisis? In the church, this happens more often than we want to admit. Sometimes, crisis is brought about by the experiences we encounter with fellow believers. I know, first-hand, that my most difficult times in ministry came because of the behavior of people who had an agenda, and I was in their way. Pastors can tell you horror stories of how badly they have been treated by church leaders. In this episode, I talk with a young pastor who tells you his story about his crisis and how God brought about a new chapter in his life.
The Community of Christ with Tom Parrish
Community is a term that is used to identify a group of people who live in a neighborhood together or come together for some cause or purpose. It is also a term used to identify a church. For me, the term goes beyond just a local church … it means the community of Christ which is everyone who believes in Jesus as Lord and Savior. The Community of Christ is belonging to Jesus. In this episode, I talk with a veteran pastor who helps unpack that term for us. Visit Tom Parrish
Roots of Change with Craig Sulentic
I have often wondered, when a Christian leaves the faith or is caught is some kind of un-Christian like behavior, what happens to that person in their discipling process? Now, no one is beyond temptation and often many of us slip and fall, but we remember how to return to God through Jesus Christ. I think some of the problem lies with how we were trained, or as we like to say in the church ‘discipled.’ I know in business when an employee is lacking in performance, it can usually be traced to how they were on-board or trained when they started. Discipleship is our training period … it never stops. But with time and experience, discipleship molds who we are and what we do. In this episode, I talk with the Chairman of the CitySites Board of Directors, Craig Sulentic. He is a wealth of wisdom and insight, and our theme will focus on the root changes that have to transpire in our discipleship process.
Reset with Neal Rich and Shawn Morrison
It seems we live in an era of resets … everything around us is changing. Sometimes these resets help us to make changes that are necessary. Some have called these changes ‘course corrections’ … needed changes in the direction we are heading. In this episode, Larry talks with two pastors about the resets and course corrections that are happening in the church today. Pastors Neal Rich and Shawn Morrison are Larry’s guests. Pastor Neal is the Senior Pastor of Cedar Valley Church in Bloomington, Minnesota and Shawn Morrison is the Executive Director of Good in the ‘Hood in the Twin Cities. Visit Cedar Valley Church Visit Good in the ‘Hood