Archbishop Elpidophoros of America joins Steve to explore why service is at the heart of our lives as Christians. But he also reminds us that, if we truly want to emphasize service, then we must also emphasize the services of the Church.

Who decides what is "bad" vs what is "good?" Is being "good" simply about following the right rules? Dr Timothy Patitsas, author of "The Ethics of Beauty" and Professor at Hellenic College Holy Cross, joins Steve this week!

If we are faithful, does God reward us? Does He promise wealth and blessings? Or is true happiness so much more... Hank Hanegraaff, the Bible Answer Man, joins Steve at the start of Holy Week.

As an Orthodox Christian, you're often the only one in the room. How do you share your faith in Christ with others? Why are you an Orthodox Christian (rather than part of some other tradition)? Father Andrew Stephen Damick joins Steve again as they share 4 basics reasons they're Orthodox Christians.

Have you ever felt pressure about getting into the right school? Getting the right job? "Vocation" is about a lot more than a job. It's about how we respond to God's call. To learn how, Steve is joined by Anna Karos: a graduate of the CrossRoad Summer Institute. crossroadinstitute.org

“Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) Adults fear that young people will grow up and stop being Christians. But no one ever fears that a kid will stop rooting for their favorite sports team. Why? We'll look at how the life of a sports fan can challenge the way we share the Faith with others. Because our goal isn't simply to make people loyal to our religion: it's to give them a taste of holiness and inspire them to be saints. If we're going to raise people to be faithful Orthodox Christians, we need to start here. As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn: mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee154

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) Orthodox Christianity is perhaps the best-kept secret in America. Why? And how can we help share the Good News? We'll change the way we think about evangelism and learn two principles that should shape the way we introduce other people to Jesus Christ. Because there’s a close connection between being the Lord’s witnesses and being close to the Lord. As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn: https://mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee155

“For Christians, [the Twofold Annointing] means that when a person is genuinely anointed by God’s Holy Spirit, he or she becomes both a king and a sacrificial offering: the two states are inseparable.” (Fr Timothy Patitsas, "The Ethics of Beauty") 2020 has been a rough year. Why does God allow bad things to happen? Why do bad things happen even to good people? People have struggled with theodicy (the problem of evil and suffering) for centuries. To answer that, we'll build on last week's episode and explore what it means to live sacrificially. As Christians, we're anointed by God for eternal life with Him. But that anointing comes with a call to sacrifice for the life of the world. Just like Christ voluntarily laid down His life for us, we can take up this call with joy and thanksgiving. To help you apply what you learn, we'll share a simple formula which we learned from Andy Root that can help you live sacrificially in your everyday life. As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn: https://mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee160

"On this day, the first Sunday of Lent, we commemorate the restoration of the holy and venerable icons…” (Synaxarion for the Sunday of Orthodoxy) After weeks of learning about forgiveness and pride and judgment, we begin Great Lent with a Sunday dedicated to icons. Why? On one level, this is the anniversary of the triumph over Iconoclasm in 843 AD. But there's more to this triumph than meets the eye. So we'll take a deep dive into the theology of icons to learn that God made a promise to His saints. That He would unite heaven and earth. That we could look upon the face of the Lord and live. And this promise is fulfilled in us. We hold up icons as proof of this promise, the treasures we display in the Triumph of Orthodoxy. As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn: https://mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee169

"O Gregory the Miracle Worker, light of Orthodoxy, support and teacher of the Church, comeliness of Monastics, invincible defender of theologians, the pride of Thessalonica, and preacher of grace, intercede forever that our souls may be saved." (Apolytikion for the Sunday of Saint Gregory Palamas) Is it possible to know God? How could a perfect God have anything to do with His imperfection creation? These are some of the questions Saint Gregory Palamas faced in the 14th century. And they're questions the Church faces today. We dedicate the Second Sunday of Great Lent to this important saint because he taught an important theological truth that's at the core of the Christian life: That God is both knowable in His Energies and unknowable in His Essence. And this mystery is shown to us when Jesus heals the paralytic in Mark 2. As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn: https://mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee170

Dr Jeannie Constantinou, Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow, Theology, and Religious Studies, University of San Diego and AFR podcaster (Search The Scriptures), speaks with Kevin about all things biblical, and how the Orthodox Tradition relates to and interprets the Holy Scriptures.

Fr Laurent Cleenewerck, author of His Broken Body: Understanding and Healing the Schism between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches and the editor of the Eastern Orthodox Bible (EOB), discusses with host Kevin Allen papacy, primacy, and church as they are differently understood in both Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

On the most recent "Ancient Faith Today," The V. Rev. Fr Thomas Hopko, Dean Emeritus of St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, helped us understand how Orthodox Holy Tradition interprets and applies the prophetic texts of Scripture in light of the many modern-day "end times" interpretations, including the rapture (pre-Tribulation), the antichrist (the beast), millennialism, and much, much more.

Orthodox Military Chaplains Fr. David Alexander and Fr. Sean Levine discuss important questions about war, serving under combat conditions, whether war is justified and under what conditions, and counseling soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Kevin's guests are Scripps-Howard columnist and Orthodox Christian Terry Mattingly and Fr. Hans Jacobse of the American Orthodox Institute. They discuss the complex issues surrounding religious freedom as well as the prospects of losing it.

Kevin's guest is Fr. John Parker, the Chair of the Department of Evangelization in the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). How does the Orthodox Church "do" evangelism and what do we need to do better to introduce people to Christ and His Church?

Kevin's guest is Dn. Michael Hyatt, former Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers and the host of the AFR podcast "At the Intersection of East and West."

Kevin interviews Fr. Evan Armatas who will host a brand new call in program starting November 18 and then be heard the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month. This program will offer an "open line" to any question about Orthodoxy and the Bible and then a podcast will be available to download shortly after each program. A few calls came in even on this program to give us a taste of the format.

Fr. Josiah Trenham, member of the Secretariat of the Canonical Assembly of Orthodox Bishops of North and South America and podcaster on Ancient Faith Radio ("The Arena") talks with Kevin and the listeners about the Church today, its standing in the culture, and the recent work of the Canonical Assembly of Orthodox Bishops in America, which just met for the third time in September.

Fr. Theodore Paraskevopoulos, Ancient Faith Radio podcaster and the parish priest of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Winnipeg, Canada, and Matthew Namee, a Founding Director of The Society for Orthodox Christian History in the Americas, speak about this vexing and all-too-pervasive reality—and obstacle to evangelism—in the Orthodox Church.

Chris Ionna Holland, an ex-Evangelical who was drawn to Mormonism as a teenager and (later) returned to her traditional Christian roots before becoming an Orthodox Christian (and taught how to evangelize Mormons), and Andrew Gusty (M.D.), a cradle Mormon, Temple worthy, an LDS High Priest, and Second Counselor to the Bishop, discuss their unique perspectives with Kevin Allen about Mormon theology, doctrines, and practices, as well as why they left the Mormon faith and became Eastern Orthodox Christians.

Buddhists in the US are double the number of Orthodox Christians, and most American Buddhists are Western, not raised in Buddhist traditions. Kevin and his guests Fr. Brendan Pelphrey (GOA), an ex-missionary in Asia who has had dialogue with the Dalai Lama, and R. Todd Godwin, ex-Buddhist and Orthodox Christian, discuss the attractions of Buddhism, as well as its key teachings and practices, in comparison with and in contrast to those of Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

Kevin Allen talks with guest Father Michael Butler about how we might address the environmental issues that confront us today by appealing to the authentic Orthodox Tradition. Fr. Michael is the co-author of Creation and the Heart of Man.

Fr. Wilbur Ellsworth discusses with host Kevin Allen the challenges and opportunities of presenting Orthodoxy as plausible to non-Orthodox visitors and inquirers. Fr. Wilbur is a former Baptist pastor of a large influential church in Wheaton, IL, but now a priest in the Orthodox Church.

Father Barnabas Powell talks about why he left Pentecostalism, why he was drawn to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and how he and the Orthodox tradition view this contemporary Christian movement.

Guest: The V. Rev. Jon Braun, ex-Campus Crusade for Christ Regional Director and former leader of the Evangelical Orthodox Church.

Most Christians are not aware that in the latter part of the 16th century, early Lutheran Reformers - close colleagues and followers of Martin Luther - set in motion an eight year contact and correspondence with the (then) Ecumenical Patriarch, Jeremias II of Constantinople. The outcome might have changed the course of Christian history. Kevin Allen speaks with scholar Dr Paraskeve (Eve) Tibbs about this fascinating and largely unknown chapter in post-Reformation history.

Fr. George Aquaro, author of the blog "Orthodoxy and Recovery," and Dr. Albert Rossi, a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of New York, discuss addiction and ways to overcome it.

We welcome back Kevin Allen to AFR with his inaugural come back podcast which is part 1 of an interview with Fr. Josiah Trenham. They discuss his new book Rock and Sand - An Orthodox Appraisal of the Protestant Reformers and their Teaching, published by New Rome Press. This interview is also available in video format from Patristic Nectar Films.

In part 2 of his interview with Fr. Josiah Trenham, Kevin Allen gets specific on some of the modern day expressions of Reformed teaching and how it differs from the Orthodox Church. Fr. Josiah authored the book Rock and Sand: An Orthodox Appraisal of the Protestant Reformers and Their Theology. Click here to view the video version of this interview.

Alarming statistics are reported on the decline of Christianity (-8% in seven years) across all denominations in the U.S.; as well as significant data on the Orthodox Church in the U.S. Be the Bee's Steven Christoforou, Director of the GOA Youth and Adult Ministries Department, and the Office of Camping Ministries; also Fr. Jonathan Ivanoff, the director of the Orthodox Natural Church Development program, join Kevin Allen to discuss.

Kevin speaks with Fr. Chad Hatfield and Bishop Keith Ackerman shortly after their return from Moscow where bishops from the Anglican Church in North America were invited by Patriarch Kirill and Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) for a summit.

Earlier in the year one of Kevin's guests, Dr. George E. Demacopoulos, wrote on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese blog that through the increasing expansion of 'Orthodox fundamentalism' in ordinary parishes, "the entire Orthodox Church is at risk of being hijacked by extremists." Father John Whiteford, ROCOR priest and blogger wrote a robust rebuttal to this article. On this episode of Ancient Faith Today, Kevin discusses with his guests their views of 'Orthodox fundamentalism': what it is, whether it truly exists, and what impact it is having on the Orthodox Church today.

In this two-part interview Kevin's guest is "George," who became a Sunni Muslim at age 14 and studied to become an Imam at a madrasa, studying Quran, Arabic language, Islamic theology, hadith, and jurisprudence. He left Islam and became an Orthodox Christian 20 years later. Among other things, Kevin and his guest discuss Islamic theology, common misunderstandings of Christianity by Muslims, differences between "orthodox" Islam and the Nation of Islam, the true understanding and practice in Islam of slavery and jihad, and the extraordinary journey that led "George" to Orthodox Christianity.

For most people in our society the Christmas season is a time of celebration, with holiday parties, and unleashed consumerism. For Orthodox Christians however the Advent Season is a time of fasting, prayer and ascetic struggle. Why? In this edition of Ancient Faith Today, host Kevin Allen discusses with Father Gregory Jensen, author of the book The Cure for Consumerism, the reason for the ascetic struggle for Orthodox Christians.

In this two-part interview Kevin's guest is "George," who became a Sunni Muslim at age 14 and studied to become an Imam at a madrasa, studying Quran, Arabic language, Islamic theology, hadith, and jurisprudence. He left Islam and became an Orthodox Christian 20 years later. Among other things, Kevin and his guest discuss Islamic theology, common misunderstandings of Christianity by Muslims, differences between "orthodox" Islam and the Nation of Islam, the true understanding and practice in Islam of slavery and jihad, and the extraordinary journey that led "George" to Orthodox Christianity.

One of the great evils of all times is slavery and in this time human trafficking. Unknown to many an Antiochian Orthodox Christian has dedicated his life to educating the public and ending this evil practice. In this episode host Kevin Allen speaks about human trafficking with Tony Nassif Jr, the President of the Cedars Cultural and Educational Foundation. He also produces national Preventing Abuse Conferences which focuses on preventing human trafficking and child abduction.

In America Christianity is losing its youth, especially when they enter college and university. This is the case across all Christian faith traditions. Two recent studies conducted by both the Barna Group and USA Today found that nearly 75 percent of Christian young people fall away from the faith between the ages of 18 and 22. In this program, host Kevin Allen discusses with his guest Emma Solak, an Orthodox Christian university student and active member of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship—a pan-Orthodox Christian campus ministry—he challenges today’s Christian students face in college and our increasingly secular culture, and ways to stay strong in the faith.

As we enter the election cycle in 2016 what biblical principles or Church canons should be priorities in selecting candidates and supporting party platforms? Should Christian teachings, moral and bio-ethical teaching and Orthodox canons be disregarded in a contemporary secular society? Kevin’s guest is George E. Demacopolous, a Professor of Theology and the Fr. John Meyendorff and Patterson Family Chair of Orthodox Christian Studies, as well as the Co-Director of the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University in New York.

We are seeing eastern meditation and mind-body practices like hatha yoga, tai chi, qi gong; and mindfulness-based therapy gaining wide credibility and attracting more and more adherents. Whether we as Orthodox should adopt eastern spiritual mind-body practices is a matter of great debate in the Orthodox Church. In this edition of Ancient Faith Today, Kevin discusses with his guest Christopher Kies what “Mindfulness” meditation is in its secular and Buddhist spiritual contexts; the Orthodox Christian correlative approach of Nipsis or Watchfulness; how they differ in goals and approaches; and whether formal Mindfulness meditation practices are appropriate for Orthodox Christians.

St. Paul teaches us that Christians are God the Father's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.

The Lord invites us to come to and be healed, forgiven and made perfect as on the first Sabbath.

We can be enslaved by a multitude of things, expectations and the evil one himself. Alternatively we can be slaves of Christ and receive the freedom that comes with that. "I call you my friends" He said.

The Roman Centurion was quite right to be hesitant about asking the Lord to visit his house.

Please notice how positive this message is (not like so many so called "Evangelists" of the modern era). Repent and then get on and do some good works in Christ Jesus.

Humility, obedience, listening, hearing and keeping.