The Christian Faith Podcast

How I Became a Christian

In this episode I share how I found the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, way back in 1983 out in Washington, D.C. If you are already a Christian, I hope you’ll find it encouraging; if not, or if you're not sure whether you're a Christian yet, I hope you’ll find it helpful in understanding what it really means to become a believer in Jesus Christ and have a relationship with Him. At the end I have also add a brief prayer of salvation, so you can pray to the Lord, just as I did. And after you ask the Lord into your heart, please reach out and let us know about your salvation! You can reach us via the links below. In Him, David Canfield Chicago, Illinois ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~~-~-~-~ LINKS Watch the Video Edition of this Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/P0bMf_DTJBU [https://youtu.be/P0bMf_DTJBU] The Website I Use for Outreach: https://godseternalpurpose.org/ [https://godseternalpurpose.org/] My Main Website: https://www.TheChristianFaith.org [https://www.TheChristianFaith.org] I've also written up my salvation testimony as a pamphlet. You can see that here: My Faith, then His https://thechristianfaith.org/gospel-1/ [https://thechristianfaith.org/gospel-1/] And this is an excellent book on the results of the new birth in Christ, by a very dear brother whose ministry has helped me personally, and many others as well, in our walk with the Lord: Born Again: Our New Life in Christ, by Titus Chu https://www.amazon.com/Born-Again-Our-Life-Christ/dp/1932020330/ [https://www.amazon.com/Born-Again-Our-Life-Christ/dp/1932020330/] Subscribe to Our Mailing List: https://thechristianfaith.org/subscribe/ [https://thechristianfaith.org/subscribe/] Contact Us: https://thechristianfaith.org/contact/ [https://thechristianfaith.org/contact/]

Why the Standard Version? Two Examples

When there are already so many English-language versions of the New Testament, is there really a need for still another one? I would strongly say, Yes, because I just don’t feel there is a truly first-rate translation of the Scriptures available in English today. That is why I produced the Standard Version. And so, in this episode, in order to illustrate the need for the SV, I give examples of two verses in the New Testament where I feel the Standard Version improves over other translations. This is the first in a series of episodes I plan to produce in the coming days along these lines, entitled “Why the Standard Version?” These will cover a good deal of additional verses where I feel other translations miss what is actually being said.May the Lord bless the Standard Version for His sake! To be notified when new episodes become available, please subscribe to my channel, or add yourself to my mailing list at TheStandardVersion.org/subscribe [https://www.TheStandardVersion.org/subscribe] =================== THE STANDARD VERSION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, 2025 EDITION ...aims to be a highly accurate and very literal translation, while at the same time maintaining a high standard for how the text is phrased in the English language. WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THIS EPISODE “Why the Standard Version? Two Examples” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB07_7zbKP0] LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STANDARD VERSION Visit TheStandardVersion.org/ [https://TheStandardVersion.org/] PURCHASE A PRINTED COPY The SV New Testament is on Amazon.com [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542917115?ref_=ast_author_dp] DOWNLOAD THE PDF VERSION Download the full Standard Version of the New Testament in PDF format. [https://thestandardversion.org/download-sv25/] =========== OUR WEBSITE TheChristianFaith.org [https://thechristianfaith.org/] SUBSCRIBE TheChristianFaith.org/subscribe [https://thechristianfaith.org/subscribe/] SEND US A NOTE notes@thechristianfaith.org [notes@thechristianfaith.org] FOLLOW US ON… Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianFaith.org] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK-uLEjehQdL2TyLpwdT36g] Twitter / X [https://x.com/ChristInChicago] =========== OTHER EPISODE SERIES OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH PODCAST Pursuing Christ in Philippians 3 [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-philippians-3/] The End of Amillenialism [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-the-end-of-amillenialism/] The Letters to the Seven Churches [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-the-letters-to-the-seven-churches/] “Spirit and Soul and Body” [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-spirit-and-soul-and-body/] “The Eternal Gospel” [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-the-eternal-gospel/] What Is the Church? [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-what-is-the-church/] The Way of the Church [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-the-way-of-the-church/] The Judgment Seat of Christ [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-the-judgment-seat/] =========== Recorded… in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday, 23 December 2025

Pausing the Podcast for Now

I just wanted to send out a brief announcement to listeners as to why I have, for the time being, paused the release of new episodes of the Christian Faith Podcast. The reason is, at this point all of my time and effort needs to be focused on publishing the 2025 edition of the Standard Version of the New Testament, so right now I just don’t have the opportunity to post any new episodes of the podcast. So, if I do add anything in the coming weeks, it will most likely be related to the Standard Version; in particular, I hope to record some videos for YouTube in which I go through the translation of various New Testament verses to show why I felt a new edition of the New Testament is needed, and I may also post those via the podcast. As for when I’ll resume posting new episodes of the podcast itself, I am just not sure now, but am seeking the Lord regarding that. Of course, there are already over 150 episodes online that you can still listen to. And also, a number of these have been arranged into podcast series, such as “The Judgment Seat of Christ,” “The Letters to the Seven Churches,” and “Pursuing Christ in Philippians Three,” to make it easier for you to go through them in sequence. You can see all of the series titles on this page of our website: The Christian Faith Podcast: List of Series [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series/] In the meantime, may the Lord keep you in His way, and pursuing Him! In Christ, your brother, David Canfield ===========    OUR WEBSITE TheChristianFaith.org [https://thechristianfaith.org/] SUBSCRIBE TheChristianFaith.org/subscribe [https://thechristianfaith.org/subscribe/] SEND US A NOTE notes@thechristianfaith.org [notes@thechristianfaith.org] FOLLOW US ON… Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianFaith.org] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK-uLEjehQdL2TyLpwdT36g] Twitter / X [https://x.com/ChristInChicago] ===========    PODCAST SERIES  Pursuing Christ in Philippians 3 [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-philippians-3/] The End of Amillenialism [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-the-end-of-amillenialism/] The Letters to the Seven Churches [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-the-letters-to-the-seven-churches/] “Spirit and Soul and Body” [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-spirit-and-soul-and-body/] “The Eternal Gospel” [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-the-eternal-gospel/] What Is the Church? [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-what-is-the-church/] The Way of the Church [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-the-way-of-the-church/] The Judgment Seat of Christ [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-the-judgment-seat/]  =========== Recorded… in Chicago, Illinois on Wednesday, 12 November 2025

Just What Is the “Outer Darkness?”

Many believers, even many Bible teachers, assume that being cast into the “outer darkness,” as mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew (e.g., 25:30), must be the same thing as being cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:15). And it is true that both refer to coming judgments that will take place at the end of this age. However, if we look carefully at what the New Testament shows us regarding this matter, allowing it to speak for itself, it becomes clear that these are actually two very different things. The former refers to a temporary discipline for some of the saved, while the latter is the eternal destiny of all the lost. So, we as the believers in Christ must be much more sober in our seeking after the Lord! May we be encouraged to run the Christian race (1 Cor. 9:24-27), and thus win the prize of reigning with Christ for the 1,000 years of His kingdom on the earth. Otherwise, if we are careless in our Christian life, we may be disciplined by the Lord when He returns, possibly even being cast into the outer darkness for a period of time, according to the warnings in the Gospel of Matthew. And that is what we consider in this episode, which is the final episode of our series on “The Judgment Seat of Christ” (2 Cor. 5:10). =========== OUR WEBSITE TheChristianFaith.org [https://thechristianfaith.org/] SUBSCRIBE TheChristianFaith.org/subscribe [https://thechristianfaith.org/subscribe/] SEND US A NOTE notes@thechristianfaith.org [notes@thechristianfaith.org] FOLLOW US ON… Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianFaith.org] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK-uLEjehQdL2TyLpwdT36g] Twitter / X [https://x.com/ChristInChicago] =========== Bible Verses for this Episode See Episode #151: “Just What Is the ‘Outer Darkness?’” [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-151/] =========== RESOURCES This Podcast Series: “The Judgment Seat of Christ” [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-the-judgment-seat/] Previous Episode: #150: “The Talents, the Minas, & the Outer Darkness” [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-150/] Brief Note: Watchman Nee: “The Gift & the Reward” [https://thechristianfaith.org/ff-42/] Brief Note:  “Seeking, or Struggling?” [https://thechristianfaith.org/note-5/] Books D.M. Panton, purchase The Judgment Seat of Christ [https://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Seat-Christ-D-Panton/dp/B000K78GYK/] D.M. Panton, download The Judgment Seat of Christ [https://www.brethrenarchive.org/bookshelf/leftovers/non-brethren/the-judgment-seat-of-christ/] Witness Lee, A Brief Definition of the Kingdom of the Heavens [https://www.ebay.com/p/120000836] Watchman Nee, The Salvation of the Soul [https://www.amazon.com/Salvation-Soul-Watchman-Nee/dp/0935008314/] =========== Recorded… in Chicago, Illinois on Wednesday, 22 October 2025

The Parables of the Talents & the Minas (2)

Officers are required for the administration of a kingdom, and so God has deliberately interposed a prolonged period between His two advents, that our Lord might be enabled to so test his servants, in His absence, as to discover which are fitted for positions of responsibility and trust at His return. — D. M. Panton, The Judgment Seat of Christ [https://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Seat-Christ-D-Panton/dp/B000K78GYK/], page 35, re. the Parable of the Minas The Lord gives us two parables in the New Testament regarding how He has gifted His believers for their service to Him, and how He will call us to account, when He returns, for the use we made of our gift. To fully understand what the Lord is showing us in these two parables, we really need to consider them together. The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25 deals with the especially gifted believers, while the Parable of the Minas in Luke 19 shows how all the believers have received at least some gift from the Lord by which He desires us to “do business” for Him until He comes. (Luke 19:13; see Episode #149: “The Parables of the Talents & of the Minas” [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-149/].) If we are faithful to the Lord in our service on behalf of Christ and His kingdom until He returns, we will receive a tremendous reward from Him then (Matt. 25:19-23, Luke 19:15-12), whether our gift for service is great or small. But considered together, these parables also show us another important lesson: we should not be discouraged in our service to the Lord if we feel we have only received a small gift for that service. The Lord does not expect us to make a profit according to what He has not given us, but only according to what He has given us. So, we must not “despise the day of small things” (Zech. 4:10), but rather, be “faithful in the least” (Luke 16:10); in this way our service to the Lord will grow and develop, and we will indeed be rewarded by Him at His return. =========== OUR WEBSITE TheChristianFaith.org [https://thechristianfaith.org/] SUBSCRIBE TheChristianFaith.org/subscribe [https://thechristianfaith.org/subscribe/] SEND US A NOTE notes@thechristianfaith.org [notes@thechristianfaith.org] FOLLOW US ON… Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianFaith.org] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK-uLEjehQdL2TyLpwdT36g] Twitter / X [https://x.com/ChristInChicago] =========== Bible Verses for this Episode See Episode #150: “The Talents, the Minas, & the Outer Darkness” [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-150/] =========== RESOURCES This Podcast Series: “The Judgment Seat of Christ” [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-series-the-judgment-seat/] Episode #149: “The Parables of the Talents & the Minas” (1) [https://thechristianfaith.org/podcast-149/] Books James McKendrick, Seen and Heard [https://www.amazon.com/Seen-Heard-James-MKendrick/dp/B097CPVP9B] D.M. Panton, purchase The Judgment Seat of Christ [https://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Seat-Christ-D-Panton/dp/B000K78GYK/] D.M. Panton, download The Judgment Seat of Christ [https://www.brethrenarchive.org/bookshelf/leftovers/non-brethren/the-judgment-seat-of-christ/] Witness Lee, A Brief Definition of the Kingdom of the Heavens [https://www.ebay.com/p/120000836] Watchman Nee, The Salvation of the Soul [https://www.amazon.com/Salvation-Soul-Watchman-Nee/dp/0935008314/] =========== Recorded… in Chicago, Illinois on Wednesday, 8 October 2025