The Christian Optimist

Jan 31 2025 98 ep. 48 mins 8
The Christian Optimist Podcast artwork

Pastor Raef Chenery tackles the real world issues and questions you face every day head on from an eschatologically optimistic perspective. Rooted in the Word of God, we’ll look at worldview, apologetics, politics, news, theology, evangelism encounters, and so much more. The aim is to allow God’s Word to inform and guide you through each and every moment.

  Religion & Spirituality
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The Problem of Evil: A Covenant Theology Primer

Jan 31 2025 57 mins  
This week we were horrified at the news of an American Airlines flight that collided with a blackhawk helicopter outside of Washington DC. How are we as Christians to understand such tragic events? Why do these kinds of things happen in this world? And why do we long for something other, something better? In this episode, Pastor Raef gives a primer on Covenant Theology, and demonst

A Whole Lotta Trump: Interview with Mike Rolfes

Jan 24 2025 92 mins  
In this interview, Pastor Raef sits down and discusses Donald Trump's new presidency, along with some of the most pressing issues that not only drove him back into the White House, but have already become central issues of his presidency. We'll ask how Christians should engage and think about some of these issues.

Interview with Joel Settecase on Apologetics, Demons, and Confessional Theology

Jan 10 2025 83 mins  
In this episode Pastor Raef Chenery interviews Joel Settecase, President of The Think Institute. We cover a range of topics from apologetics, to the history demons, to confessional theology.Visit thethink.institute to learn more about Joel's ministry.

Christianity vs. Being Woke

Dec 13 2024 61 mins  
In this episode Pastor Raef looks at the philosophical underpinnings of wokeism, and explores why Christians must reject this worldview and stand confidently on the Bible.

All Your Abortion Questions Answered

Nov 22 2024 100 mins  
In this episode, Pastor Raef goes through a lengthy list of common questions surrounding abortion in America. Use the Table of Contents below to navigate to the questions you're most interested in.Table of ContentsWhen does life begin (Christianity & Science)? 5:10Isn’t the pro life movement just men’s efforts to control women? 20:44Was Margaret Sanger, the founder of Plann

American or French Revolution: Which Way Forward?

Nov 08 2024 49 mins  
In this episode Pastor Raef compares and contrasts the American and the French Revolution, and explains why he believes much of secular America is in danger of preferring the French revolutionary ideals to the American revolutionary ideals.Sourceshttps://www.heritage.org/american-history/commentary/two-revolutions-freedomhttps://youtu.be/6w-lQjygygs?si=kxUy7wscsXEdLQ9z

The Dangers of Godless Conservatism

Oct 18 2024 58 mins  
In this episode Pastor Raef looks at a trend occurring in American politics, that of godless conservatism. We consider the roots of political conservatism and how it has historically been rooted in God's revelation, and why the sudden removal of that cornerstone truly puts Christians in a precarious situation politically as we look into the future.Resourceshttps://www.ligonier.org/

Interview with Aaron Renn - Life in the Negative World

Sep 26 2024 33 mins  
In this episode Pastor Raef sits down with Aaron Renn, author of Life in the Negative World, and co-founder of https://americanreformer.org/. We got a chance to discuss his new book which considers what Christians need to do to think wisely and live rightly in our new "negative world", a world which is not only post-Christian, but in many ways anti-Christian.

Taste & See that the Lord is Good

Sep 12 2024 41 mins  
In this episode Pastor Raef shares a message he prepared recently on Psalm 34:8 "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good."

Becoming a Man with Godly Zeal

Aug 30 2024 52 mins  
In this episode we consider the zeal of Phinehas from Numbers 25, and we discuss the need for godly men in the Church to once again become bold and zealous men for God, who are willing to stand for God and against all that dares defy him.