It's been a while. Join us as we talk about everything that has happened in the year since we last switched on the mics. We've changed, the church has changed, and maybe you've changed, too. This episode is much more a family reunion than it is a punchy, informative info-dump. We hope that's ok with you. If you've missed us, welcome back. We've missed you too.

Josh and Jesse have had just about enough of the new digital world we're all part of now. Don't get us wrong: we know it's here to stay, and we embrace that fact, but one thing is undeniable: there's a drain that happens when you spend a lot of your time online, doing the things you used to do in-person. So, let's talk about that.

This week, Josh, Laura, Josh, and Jesse look back on 3 years of the podcast. and reminisce on our favourite memories. Despite the multitude of highs and lows, it's been an amazing ride. Seeing as this is our last episode before we go on our long-needed hiatus, we hope you'll join us for this livestreamed episode! From all of us at Burn the Haystack, we hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and an amazing 2021! Hopefully we'll see you soon.

This week, Josh and Jesse talk about Carl Lentz. He's the latest in a line of pastors falling from grace due to moral indiscretions, but this time, it hits a little closer to home. The guys also talk about the impact this controversy has had on the church, and how things simply must change if we're going to reach a skeptical culture with the Gospel.

This week, Josh and Jesse interview Matthew Korpman on his new book, Saying No to God. In this book, he seeks to help us reevaluate our understanding of how we relate to God, and how he relates to us. Is God truly unmoved and sovereign, or does he change his mind based on us, humans?

This week, Josh and Jesse talk to Daniel Cocking about climate change. A somewhat controversial topic in the polarized world of today, it is nonetheless vital that we grapple with this important issue. No matter your stance on climate change, we hope that this episode is interesting and informative! We definitely learned a lot.

This week, Josh and Jesse talk to Nathan Brown about his new book, Advent: Hearing the Good News in the Story of Jesus' Birth. This Advent book takes readers on a journey from the first whisperings of the Messiah to his death and resurrection. Designed to be either read devotionally Dec 1-31, or in church community, this book is a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to recapture the wonder and awe of the Advent season.

This week, Josh and Jesse talk to Kevin Wilson, aka Cross Culture Christian, aka the guy who makes Chai on Tik Tok. He has 144,000 Tik Tok followers, and is reaching hundreds of thousands of people every month through his social media presence. Join us as we talk to Kevin about ministry, life, and why Chai?

This week, Josh and Jesse interview long-time friend and mentor, Andre Afamasaga. After having been a pastor in the Adventist Church for 11 years, Andre, though a Kiwi, came out as gay in a column in the Sydney Morning Herald. He is no longer a pastor, but is still a dedicated follower of Jesus, and in this episode we explore the tricky landscape of sexual identity and the place it has in the Church. WARNING: Whilst this episode is clean, we do talk about some fairly heavy topics, such as sex, gender identity, suicide, among others. If your kids usually listen to the podcast with you, please be aware of the content in this episode. The viewpoints shared in this episode may not necessarily reflect the official views of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, or Josh and Jesse.

This week, Josh Wood and Jesse talk to Emily Weber and Linda Biswas all about the American Election! Emily is a Republican supporter, whereas Linda bleeds blue. We talk to them about why they believe what they believe, and their perspectives on 2020 and the election from their respective sides of the political aisle.

This week, Josh and Jesse revive a classic episode they did 2 years ago: we're doing our Spooktober Special! This year, we decided to feature 6 more heroes of the Christian faith to celebrate and commemorate their contribution to Christianity, as well as much, much more. So, sit back, relax, and listen to this decidedly NOT spooky Spooktober Special!

This week, Josh and Jesse talk about one of the cultural ideas that has been prevalent in Adventism from the very earliest days of our beginnings. We're talking about Sunday Law, of course! What is it, is it coming, and is it the best we can do in our interpretation of prophetic Scripture? Let's find out!

This week, Josh and Jesse have the distinct honour of welcoming Sam Leonor and Tim Gillespie onto the podcast. Tim and Sam are both pastors and educators who host a podcast called... Tim & Sam. The guys talk all about ministry, the craziness that is 2020, and a lot in between.

This week, the guys talk all about algorithms, The Rabbit Hole podcast, and The Social Dilemma. The rise of the internet and the 'Wild West' of social media has definitely affected the way we interact with each other and our politics. But one question remains for us: is it affecting our theology and faith practices?

This week, the guys interview Catalina Arevalo. Catalina is the host of the CONNECTED Adventist podcast. She also is the creator of SDA Insider on Youtube and Living with J on Tik Tok! In this episode we talk all about digital Injustice, Privilege, & Digital Entrepreneurship, as well as the sociology degree she's currently studying. Josh and Jesse come face-to-face with their own privilege, and their own oppression!

This week, Josh and Jesse talk all about preaching: preaching that sucks, preaching that inspires, and every brand in-between. The vital question we want to answer this week is: should we retire the sermon? Is it still fulfilling the goal it originally was trying to achieve? How should followers of Jesus relate to the sermon?

This week, Josh and Jesse talk to Dr John Skrzypaszek. Dr Skrzypaszek is a newly-retired senior lecturer at Avondale University College, and for the last 15 years has been the director for the Ellen White Research Center at Avondale. In this episode, we talk to John about Ellen White's life and ministry, and what we often get wrong when we talk about her and the Prophetic Voice. Whether you're an ardent student of Ellen White, or you're skeptical of her methods and ministry, this episode has something for you!

This week, Josh and Jesse finish with their final thoughts on Reading Scripture Responsibly, and answer the questions you had in regards to this series! Thank you all for participating alongside us in this series! We hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did.

This week, Josh and Jesse welcome Pr Kirsten Oster-Lundqvist on to the podcast. Pr Kirsten is a Danish pastor currently working and living in Wellington, NZ, and comes with a wealth of knowledge and ministry experience. In this episode, we talk all about inspiration and interpretation. One thing we all need to grapple with is the fact that we all bring cultural, gender, and racial presuppositions to the table when reading the Bible, and Pr Kirsten helps us grapple with this in this episode.

This week, Josh and Jesse tackle one of the most tricky parts of Biblical reading: forming a Hermeneutic. If you've never heard the word before, essentially it's the process of interpretation. Once I know what the text meant to its original author and audience, how do I translate that intent into something I can apply to my life? Though it's not a word we use in our everyday vernacular, it's something we do every time we engage with Scripture. To read the Bible is to form a Hermeneutic. So, let's find out how we can form a faithful and honest Hermeneutic by using all the tools and principles we've learned so far.

This week, Josh and Jesse use the tools they talked about last week to exegete a passage of Scripture. Follow along at home!

This week, Josh and Jesse talk all about context, exegesis, and eisegesis! In order to truly understand the story of the Bible, we first need to understand the original context that produced the Bible. So today, we touch on the process by which we discover that original context, as well as giving you a few tools to help you discover it for yourself.

Welcome to Season 4 of Burn the Haystack! To kick off the season, we're starting a brand-new season called 'Reading Scripture Responsibly.' This week, we tackle some of the misconceptions and half-truths many of us have come to accept as Gospel. Hopefully we'll also discover some of what the Bible IS along the way.

This week, Josh Hacko steps into the co-host chair for our final episode of Season 3. Josh is a luxury watchmaker from Sydney, Australia, and his fiance, Maryellen Fairfax, joins us for a conversation about COVID-19, their experience with it, and their hopes for the future. We hope you've enjoyed this trilogy of Joshes and can't wait to see you again once we start Season 4 on August 4!

This week, Josh Stadnik steps into the co-host chair (along with his fluffy son Sampson), to talk about all the leadership shifts we're experiencing post-COVID. Will the church continue to innovate and change as a result of this worldwide pandemic, or will we go back to the way things used to be?