Context South Africa

21/11/2023

Is Christianity a white man's religion? Andrew's (Lead Pastor Godfirst Benoni) compelling article published in the Gospel Coalition serves as our guide, offering profound insights into this often-debated topic. Join us in this enlightening podcast episode where we not only address the misconception but also shed light on the historical timeline—Christianity predates colonialism. Unravel the complexities of faith, culture, and history in this eye-opening discussion. Don't miss out—tune in now on your preferred podcast platform or watch on YouTube to gain a richer perspective on the universality of Christianity.

Is Christianity a white man's religion? Andrew's (Lead Pastor Godfirst Benoni) compelling article from the Gospel Coalition serves as our guide, offering pro...

13/08/2022

This week we spoke to the very wise Pastor Alexander Venter on human sexuality and zoned in on homosexuality. A hot, and somewhat controversial, topic in today's culture and one that brings Christianity and believers under the spotlight - even going so far as to divide the church on what the Bible says about this topic and how it should be dealt with.

Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/.../context-with.../id1628475612
Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe
Or click here to watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/4kI3nDjGUZA

30/07/2022

Hi Context Fam,

Join us as we discuss all things iLobolo with Pastor Sihle Dlamini. We will look at the distortions around this topic and how to navigate it in a God-honouring, marriage-honouring way

Click on the link below :

Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/.../context-with.../id1628475612
Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe
Or click here to watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/60pdoM9Hxm8

23/07/2022

This week we chat with the inspiring Jennie Tsekwa of the Kopanya Institute. Come join us as we discuss how to process healing from church hurt, particularly in multicultural churches where hurting one another as we heal from racial segregation seems inevitable. This is one of our best conversations yet:

Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/context-with-themba/id1628475612

Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Or click here to watch it on Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC9DMH_RZzPdzI0hDVd_QlwA

17/07/2022

This week we dive deeper into some of the nuances around culture with our incredible guest Greg Tait asking where do we draw the line between cultural triumphalism and Cultural withdrawal? In other words, should Christians dominate culture and leave no room for anything else or should we completely withdraw?

Catch the conversation here:

Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/context-with-themba/id1628475612

Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Or click here to watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/PHQxbSfJa6U

09/07/2022

We continue the conversation with Pastor Sihle Dlamini digging deep into whether Christ and culture can peacefully coexist in the life of a believer.

Catch Part 2 of the conversation here:

Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/context-with-themba/id1628475612

Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Or click here to watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/-RQAtFZ2gVk

02/07/2022

Continuing with our culture series this week we chatted to the inspiring Pastor Sihle Dlamini digging deep into whether Christ and culture can peacefully coexist in the life of a believer.
Listen to the podcast on:
Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/context-with-themba/id1628475612
Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe
Or click here to watch it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_fGwlATZi0

17/06/2022

Join us for part 2 of our culture series where we had an enlightening conversation with Pastor Ryan Saville from GodFirst Fourways on what is Kingdom Culture? Is it the same as multiculturalism? And if there is a difference, what is it? Listen to the podcast on:
Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/context-with-themba/id1628475612
Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe
Or click here to watch summary* of the podcast on Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC9DMH_RZzPdzI0hDVd_QlwA

10/06/2022

This week we launch our new series on Culture. Come join us as we discuss whether culture is something created by God or a consequence of geography and race? Is culture inherently good and God-glorifying or is it inherently evil and something we lay aside as believers in Christ?

Listen to the podcast on:

Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/context-with-themba/id1628475612
Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Or click here to watch the full episode of the podcast on Youtube: https://youtu.be/3CipBr0XCR8

03/05/2022

Hi Context Family!

We are so SORRY 😔 We have been missing in action for a few weeks now, and so many of you have been asking what's been going on? We have been flaky and for that we are sorry 😟

There have been exciting developments like having a new (fourth!!!!) baby and putting down roots in a new church that have left us feeling like we had a bit too much on our plate. But we are back 😊 and feeling much more stable and cant wait to get stuck in again with our new series on Culture and the Gospel. We have some incredible content lined up that we are eager to share!

In the meantime, we would love for you to join us if you are looking for a new church (or know of someone who is looking) or if you just want to come say hi 🙂 Come check us out at Godfirst Church in Braamfontein.

Hope you have had a chance to catch up on episodes that you may have missed while we have been away - don't forget to like, subscribe and recommend us to your people🤓

19/03/2022

We continue with episode 2 our series Affirmed – we were in beautiful Franshoek, Cape Town talking to a panel that consisted of pastors, a psychologist and a doctor to help shine the biblical spotlight on su***de and mental health. We hope you are blessed and empowered by this weeks’ discussion.

Listen to the podcast on:

Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Or click here to watch the summary of the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9DMH_RZzPdzI0hDVd_QlwA

05/03/2022

Hi Context Family!

This week we continue our conversation with Ted Talk speaker Thobile Chittenden. We were intrigued by Thobile's assertion that we can, when trying to do good to others, there is a danger that we can do it in such a way that it ironically ends up harming the very people we are trying to help. Interested to hear more? Let us know your thoughts!

Listen to the podcast on:
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Qihem7iLSKe5pqRZMQ4iE?si=8bd3354de0264eb8
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Or click here to watch the full episode of the podcast on Youtube: https://youtu.be/0bfRdmYrnJg

26/02/2022

We continue with our theme of loving our neighbour as ourselves in the South African polarized racial and socio-economic environment.

In our podcast this week, we chatted to Thobile Chittenden. Thobile is a driven change agent passionate about lifting the poor from the clutches of poverty – she got this drive because her life is one of a white family linking arms with hers to help lift her and her family out of poverty through adoption.

Our discussion with Thobile was profound – we were caught up in her story of adoption in post apartheid South Africa and how this has impacted her life.

Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Click here to watch the summary on YouTube: https://youtu.be/aPB5Z5LPQCs

19/02/2022

Are you a good South African? Do you love your neighbour?

Tensions ran high in our country this week in response to the racial incidents that occurred at High School. We continue our discussion this week on Empathy, taking a biblical perspective on racism in South Africa as we focus the limelight on Jan Viljoen High School. It’s a sad week for our country and lamentable that our nation's children are being brought to hate. Come join the conversation:



Listen to the podcast on:

Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

You can also watch it on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy3XUMWZ-gk

12/02/2022

Jesus teaches us to LOVE God with all our hearts and to LOVE our neighbours as ourselves. Easier said than done, right? This week on Context we discuss what this means and how we can put it into action: *hint* it begins with EMPATHY😊
Listen to the podcast on:

Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Or click here to watch the full episode of the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ozAVevI6QE

04/02/2022

How are those New Year’s resolutions going? If you have found yourself asking if it is still too early to quit or too late to commit to new ones, come join us as we discuss how to have a productive year and achieve your 2022 goals in a way that glorifies God. There are only a couple of steps to follow and it's completely guilt-free and EASY📷 Sounds good? Well then, let's Walk on Water in 2022! Don’t forget to LIKE and SHARE and RECOMMEND our page and help Context GROW!



Listen to the podcast on:

Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Or click here to watch the full episode of the podcast on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/6q09ByJutzo

31/01/2022

Happy New Year Context Family! We hope that you have had a wonderful start to the New Year. If you haven’t, we pray that it will get better and that you will end 2022 on a high note. This week, we are back at it again and we are kick of the Context year talking about New Years resolutions and living a life that glorifies God. See you all Saturday on our podcast and YouTube channel releasing @ 6am. Until then, may the Lord bless you and keep you!

04/12/2021

This week in our final episode of the Inequalooty series, we delve deep into the parable of the 10 talents found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. This is our most challenging episode of the series as it tested our conventional thinking on what this parable actually means (Thanks to our discussion with Rene!) and we realised that we may have got it wrong! Wow! What a week it's been trying navigate through this parable. We are keen to share what we found and keen to hear your thoughts! Could it be that the Master referred to the parable is not God nor is it reflective of the Kingdom of Heaven?

Listen to the podcast on:
Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Or click here to watch the full episode of the podcast on Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC9DMH_RZzPdzI0hDVd_QlwA

26/11/2021

Following on from our thought provoking discussion last week on law and justice, we continue our conversation with Rene and Thandi in an episode titled “God created inequality?” Did He really? Join us as we tackle these questions and more:

What is man-made inequality?
Did God really curse black people in the Bible?
God has given everyone different abilities and gifts. Isn’t that inequality?

Listen to the podcast on:
Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Or click here to watch a summary of the discussion on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Yds47-WL0pc

19/11/2021

This week we were in scenic Cape Town and had a fascinating conversation with Poet Thandi Gamedze and Reverend René August.

The discussion centers around Thandi’s thought provoking poem “Let Justice Roll” based on the book of Amos, where we explored the following questions:

What is the difference between law and justice?
Is God neutral in the face of injustice?
If not, what does it mean for us as followers of Christ to live in a country riddled with socio-economic injustice?
You DO NOT want to miss episode 6 of our Inequalooty series:

Listen to the podcast on:
Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Or click here to watch a summary of the discussion on Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC9DMH_RZzPdzI0hDVd_QlwA

17/11/2021

COVID-19: To vaccinate or not to vaccinate. Few topics threaten to tear the body of Christ apart more than this. To add fuel to fire, over time there has been all manner of theories that have proven to be less anchored in facts and unfortunately sometimes more convincing to those who have a challenging time trusting modern medicine. With opinions see-sawing between the loudest extremes, people with honest questions often feel, judged, dismissed, misunderstood, or even ridiculed. To help us answer the question of whether believers should vaccinate or not we speak to GodFirst lead pastor Greg Tait and Dr. Spencer, an expert on communicable diseases, currently the Head of Infectious Diseases at Helen Joseph Hospital.

Listen to the podcast on:
Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

12/11/2021

Is there such a thing as Western Theology, and if there is, does it romanticize and spiritualize poverty, especially in the African context?

This week we continue our discussion with John Scheepers, diving deep into the questions above.

Listen to the podcast on:
Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Or click here to watch a summary of the discussion on Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC9DMH_RZzPdzI0hDVd_QlwA

05/11/2021

In our podcast this week, we chatted to John Scheepers, founder of Isiphambano Centre for Biblical Justice, where we tackled the question of why the church has struggled to submit to the call for Biblical Justice. John dismantles the false choice between Jesus and justice providing context into why historically the SA church had a vested interest in stripping the Gospel of its justice elements. This is broadly addressed by answering two questions:

1.What is the Gospel?
2. Does the Bible make us choose between
Jesus and Justice?

Listen to the podcast on:

Spotify https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5
Anchor FM https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Google https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

Or click here to watch a summary of the podcast on Youtube https://bit.ly/3D11yk5

29/10/2021

This week's discussion took place in PMB, one of the epicenters of the looting in July, where we had an amazing Christ-centered thought-provoking discussion with Mosala Balasteng – Lead Pastor of Grace Generation Church.

It was an eye-opening experience discussing the Kairos document (if you don't know what it is, all the more reason to join us 😉) and the principles still applicable to us today. This included:

- Zoning in on how language can be used to mask evil depending on who’s doing the evil condemning the poor whilst exonerating those in power

- The passivity of the church rooted in the worship of comfort

- The role of the Christian today when dealing with social ills like looting

Watch the summary of the podcast on Youtube available from Saturday 30th October @ 6am sharp. ⏳
Click the link to access our Youtube page:
https://bit.ly/3D11yk5
Listen to the podcast on Spotify / anchor fm - https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5 / https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Listen on Google - https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe
As always, remember to like👍, comment, and share this post.

28/10/2021

The word meek does not mean "weak," though that's how many misinterpret it. The word is best understood as "gentleness," or a refusal to take control by brute force or manipulation. This is exactly backwards from the world's common understanding. Most believe the world to be controlled by those strong and ambitious enough to take what they want. The world belongs to the rich, the dominant, and the bold. Jesus flips that around. He declares that the true inheritors of the earth are the meek. Read the full interpretation here: https://bit.ly/2XSYtUp

22/10/2021

This week's podcast is a continuation of our discussion on Looting and inequality with Ryan Saville.
This thought-provoking discussion is a must listen to where Themba and Ryan deal with these 3 questions:

1. Why are Christians polarized around the issue of looting?🤔

2. Is looting an outright sin or is it a bit more nuanced than that?😕

3. What about the guys who were looting in their Jeeps and BMWs?😳

Watch the summary of the podcast on Youtube available from Saturday 23rd October @ 6am sharp. ⏳

Click the link to access our Youtube page:
https://bit.ly/3D11yk5

Listen to the podcast on Spotify / anchor fm - https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5 / https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Listen on Google - https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

As always, remember to like👍, comment, and share this post, and subscribe to our YouTube channel, so you don't miss our content!

21/10/2021

The Lord is not only faithful to one person but to their children’s children after them. Does this give you hope for the future of your precious children? The Lord established the earth, and it is still here, He still governs it, and we should not be uncertain or anxious about anything, especially in the time of covid.

15/10/2021

Join us in our thought-provoking discussion with Ryan Saville, lead pastor at God First Fourways, where we tackle the following questions in Part 1 of our Inequalooty series:

1. Shouldn't Christians just preach the gospel and not worry about social issues like looting, poverty, and inequality?

2. Is it possible to have theology free from the context, cultural influence, and personal worldview of theologians?

3. What is the solution to the one-sided, incomplete interpretation of scripture that only focuses on individual salvation and not the restoration of all creation.

Watch the summary of the podcast on Youtube available from Saturday 16th October.
Click the link to access our Youtube page:
https://bit.ly/3D11yk5

Listen to the podcast on Spotify / anchor fm - https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5 / https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Listen on Google - https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

15/10/2021

Happy Friday Guys!!!
Chapter 9 of Proverbs shows Wisdom as building a house and preparing a feast! Doesn't that sound inviting? Not everyone sees wisdom that way. Those who are committed to their own desires will hatefully attack those who question them. In contrast, a wise person will appreciate the correction.

08/10/2021

Don't miss our first episode podcast titled - "There is no God" airing this Saturday at 6 am Where we will discuss how to apply biblical contextual thinking to the issues plaguing our country. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and tap the notification bell so you don't miss it.

Watch on Youtube - https://youtu.be/K-JEwr-9HxI
Listen on Spotify / anchor fm - https://spoti.fi/3Fwvln5 / https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O
Listen on Google - https://bit.ly/3DlgWbe

07/10/2021

What an amazing verse of comfort and strength. Let's put it into context! Trials are varied, where sometimes we face waters, sometimes rivers, sometimes fire. The mention of the Lord's protection in the fire reminds us of the three sons of Judah, cast into the furnace because they would not bow down to idols. Trials are varied, and you might not be cast into a fire, but the Lord will walk with you in any and all of your obstacles. Stand firm!

04/10/2021

04/10/2021

02/10/2021

What does the bible say about Race, Inequality, Gender, Abortion, and Culture? We are so excited to be launching Context where we answer these questions and so much more. , , , ,

Save the link to the podcast channel for future episodes:
https://bit.ly/3AVEe6O

Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube page
https://bit.ly/3D11yk5

01/10/2021

Happy Friday everyone!

Context is everything! In this scripture, wisdom is personified as a woman who says “I love those who love me”. In ancient times the concept of love meant more than mere emotion; the primary meaning of “love” was in terms of preference in action. It is easy to see how wisdom can “love” those that “love” wisdom. Understanding the context around scripture helps us understand its true meaning!

27/09/2021

Happy Monday! We pray your week ahead is blessed :)

27/09/2021

Coming Soon: Context: A Biblical Perspective on South African social issues. If you are interested to learn more about what it means to have a biblical contextual perspective on issues that plague our country, come join our podcast and Youtube channel for indepth discussions and interviews. You can also like and follow our page so you always know when a new episode is released.