Advertise on podcast: In Light of the Gospel with Dan Blatz

During COVID, Jake was hospitalized and spent several days in a coma. When he woke up, he found himself recovering in the hospital completely alone. That experience became a turning point in his life. In this conversation, Jake opens up about those experiences. We also talk about how he was raised, the troubled young boy he was, his journey to faith in Jesus Christ, and the ways God has continued to work in his life.Over the past three years, Jake says he has come to understand something more deeply than ever before: who he is in Christ—and the freedom that comes from knowing it.

I've known of Abe for many years but never had the opportunity to sit down and really get to know him until now. I'm sure that if we kept digging we'd find things to disagree on, but we certainly share a deep appreciation for the cross of Christ!Abe was raised in a Mennonite household, but in his teen years he had no use for God. Then, at 18, a friend gave him a beautiful Bible, and it flipped a switch. He became committed to obeying God. It wasn't until several years later that he came to understand the grace of God, and that set him free from both sin and religion!Abe and I both love the fact that God sees us as perfect and complete in Christ—not because we don't want to grow or improve, but because we know that apart from Christ's work for us, we could never be complete enough.

The first 4 chapters of 1st Corinthians covers one basic topic. The church was dividing over Paul, Apollos, and Cephas... or Christ. They were misunderstanding the beauty and diversity of body of Christ! The church is not like one person. God is not using one man to build his body or temple. He wants to use all of us!

Paul is continuing to expose the Corinthians for their division in the church. They were choosing favourite ministers and putting themselves into different camps. Paul clears up this controversy by showing that all ministers are simply building on the same foundation! All are servants, "Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's

Your faith should rest in the power of God not in the wisdom of men! This is seen most clearly at the cross and resurrection of Jesus!

Peter Heide was born and raised in Mexico, and like many of the guests featured on this show, his early years were marked by alcohol, parties, and a lifestyle that led him into serious trouble. While many of his friends settled down and got married, Peter spent several years feeling alone and empty.Eventually, he met his wife, hoping that marriage—and even baptism--would fix the struggles he was facing. But those outward steps didn’t bring the change he was looking for. Even after getting married, he continued in sin, battling alcoholism and falling into pornography—things he now speaks about with shame and humility.Then, a couple of years ago, everything changed. Peter came to true faith in Jesus Christ and experienced a radical transformation. He was set free from the sins that had held him captive for so long, and his life took a completely new direction.

Lucian Janzen is the kind of young man a lot of parents hope to raise—hardworking, respectful, stayed out of trouble, and kept from a lot of the mess this world pulls people into. He came to Christ at a young age, so on the surface, his testimony might not seem all that dramatic.But what makes his story so meaningful is this: God still had to show him that he was a sinner in need of a Savior. Through a real moment of conflict in his life, the Lord opened his eyes—not to outward rebellion, but to the condition of his own heart.I love this testimony because it reminds us that salvation isn’t about how far someone has fallen outwardly. It’s about seeing our true need for Christ. And honestly, this is the kind of testimony many of us would desire for our children—kept from a lot of sin, yet still brought to a genuine, personal faith in Jesus.Lucian and I also discuss his aspiration to get involved with CCBR with hopes that he help bring light to the realities of abortion.

Pancho is a longtime friend of mine, and although I’ve known him for years, hearing his full story gave me a much deeper appreciation for what God has done in his life. From being raised in Durango, Mexico, to the tragic loss of his father, to coming to faith in Christ, and later walking through a season of intense heaviness—his journey was very encouraging.While he was in Mexico, Pancho experienced a very clear and unexpected calling from God into ministry—something he never would have chosen for himself. In this episode, he shares that journey and what it’s looked like to step forward in obedience, even without knowing exactly what lies ahead.If you’ve ever wrestled with your calling, your qualifications, or how God leads, I think this conversation will be a real encouragement to you.

The Mennonite Katechismus has a lot to teach us... I'm going to start a series going through some of these questions and answers. Let's see what we can learn. This book ought to be read with the Bible open and in charge. May God bless our understanding of His will towards us.

The Corinthian church was a mess in a lot of ways—which is probably exactly why it’s so helpful for us to study. We’ve got our own issues too. Chapter 1 gets into one of my favourite things to talk about: the wisdom and foolishness of God. Sounds backwards, doesn’t it? But as you work through these opening chapters, my hope is that you’ll start to see it—and even rejoice in what the Bible calls the “foolishness” of God.

Isaak is only 21 years old, but the Lord has done a powerful work in his life and he's excited to share it.Isaak was born and raised in Durango, Mexico, in a good and happy Mennonite home. Like many Mennonite young people, he spent time going back and forth between Mexico and Canada while growing up. But when he was around 12 or 13 years old, he started hanging around with other young people on the 'guaz' in Mexico. In that environment there was almost always alcohol, sometimes drugs, and plenty of carousing, and before long that’s what he got mixed up in.By the time he was a young man Isaac had begun getting involved with cocaine. Even then he knew he really wanted to be free, but he couldn’t seem to break away from that lifestyle.A couple years later he moved to Canada more permanently. He found himself a girlfriend and got serious about change. He did manage to leave cocaine and some other things behind. But he still wasn’t truly free.That freedom only came when he found salvation in Christ. The Lord set him free from drinking, smoking, vaping, drugs, and the whole lifestyle that had held him.True freedom is found in Christ alone!

In this video, I speak with Corny Klassen. The entire conversation is in Low German (Plautdietsch), and by now you know—I struggled with it at times. Still, I believe there’s more than enough here for this conversation to be a real blessing to you.Years ago, Corny was banned (Utschluss) from the Old Colony Mennonite Church while living in Durango. The reason may sound small to some, but it was serious in that system: he put rubber tires on his tractor and began visiting other churches. Those choices put him outside the rules, and he paid a heavy price for it.Corny came to faith in Christ in a very simple way—beside his tractor in a field back in Mexico. His understanding is simple. His faith is simple. And it feels real. I’m thankful that God saves all who put their trust in Him.This isn’t a polished conversation. It’s real. It’s raw. And it gives a glimpse into Old Colony life in Mexico—church discipline, suffering, and what it looks like to simply trust in Christ.

In this conversation, I sit down with Aaron Rock, Pastor of Harvest Bible Church in Windsor. We talk about his journey into ministry and his deep appreciation for the Mennonite culture, something we connected over right away. His wife Susie was born and raised in a Mennonite home so we had a lot to connect over.Many of you likely became aware of Aaron during the COVID years, when he emerged as a courageous and reasonable voice in the middle of fear, confusion, and government overreach. He stood firmly for the freedom of the church and the importance of remaining faithful to Christ, even when the pressure to compromise was intense.We also spend time discussing the difference between confidence and arrogance, especially in leadership, ministry, and everyday Christian living. This was a very encouraging conversation to me and I believe it will be to you as well!https://harvestbiblechurch.ca

George was born and raised in Durango, Mexico, and moved to Canada at age 12 — only a few years ago! I didn’t realize just how young he is until we were well into our conversation.He came to faith in Christ just 8 months ago and has been married for 6 months. It’s exciting to see how God is already at work in his life, and I look forward to seeing where the Lord leads him.Much of this conversation is in Low German. Many of George’s family members don’t understand English, so I did my best to communicate in Plautdietsch. I’m praying my efforts are understandable and that God might use this conversation to bring someone to faith.

Peter Dyck shares his testimony of deliverance and radical life change. After years of resisting God’s conviction, everything changed when God met him while driving his truck. He pulled over, spent three intense hours in prayer, and walked away forever changed — free from guilt, shame, and bondage to sin. Peter met Jesus in the bunk of his truck!We also talk about the deep trials his family has faced with their sons battle with cancer, and how God has remained faithful through it all.