Special Guests

  • The Imperials — Grammy Award Winning Recording Artists, Backup Singers for Elvis
    The Imperials have stayed in the forefront of Christian music for the last five decades! They’ve won four Grammy Awards, seventeen Dove Awards including the inaugural “Male Group of the Year” in 1969 and the first ever “Artist of the Year” in 1981. They backed Elvis Presley on stage, in the studio and in the 1970 feature film Elvis: That’s The Way It Is. They were the first Christian group to ever perform on a Grammy telecast, scored chart topping singles in four consecutive decades and landed a number one single on all three charts (Contemporary, Inspirational and Southern) at the same time for a dozen straight weeks. Out of retirement, Armond Morales, Paul Smith, and Dave Will reunite as “The Classic Imperials”. Together with Rick Evans they will once again step back into the national spotlight with their trademark sound that led the Christian music industry for decades! Armond, who has been an Imperial since the very beginning, across 42 albums and concerts in 21 countries, joins us to talk about their latest release Still Standing.
    www.theimperials.com

  • Father Gary Thomas — Roman Catholic Exorcist Portrayed In Anthony Hopkins’ Movie The Rite
    Father Thomas was working as a parish priest in California when he was asked by his bishop to travel to Rome for training in the rite of exorcism. Though initially surprised, and slightly reluctant, he accepted this call, and enrolled in a new exorcism course at a Vatican-affiliated university, which taught him, among other things, how to distinguish between a genuine possession and mental illness. Eventually he would go on to participate in more than eighty exorcisms as an apprentice to a veteran Italian exorcist. His experiences profoundly changed the way he viewed the spiritual world, and as he moved from rational skeptic to practicing exorcist he came to understand the battle between good and evil in a whole new light. Journalist Matt Baglio had full access to Father Gary over the course of his training, and much of what he learned defies explanation. The book, The Rite, provides fascinating vignettes from the lives of exorcists and people possessed by demons, including firsthand accounts of exorcists at work casting out demons, culminating in Father Gary's own confrontations with the Devil. Baglio also traces the history of exorcism, revealing its rites and rituals, explaining what the Catholic Church really teaches about demonic possession, and delving into such related topics as the hierarchy of angels and demons, satanic cults, black masses, curses, and the various theories used by modern scientists and anthropologists who seek to quantify such phenomena. Written with an investigative eye that will captivate both skeptics and believers alike, The Rite shows that the truth about demonic possession is not only stranger than fiction, but also far more chilling. The movie - The Rite - starring Anthony Hopkins, might just scare the Hell out of you as well.

  • Dr. Tomáš Halik — Philosopher, Author of Patience With God: The Story of Zacchaeus Continuing In Us
    For all the debate about belief and non-belief in today’s world—and how everyone becomes pigeonholed by one or the other — Tomáš Halík teaches that God requires us to persevere with our doubts, carry them in our hearts, and allow them to lead us to maturity. For Halík, patience is the main difference between faith and atheism. Faith, hope, and love are three aspects of patience in the face of God’s silence, which is interpreted as “the death of God” by atheists and is not taken seriously enough by fundamentalists. Using the gospel story of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus, Dr. Halík issues an invitation to all people who stand (like Zacchaeus did) on the sideline—curious but noncommittal. The fact that Jesus gravitated to the poor and the marginalized means that he also has a special place in his heart for diligent seekers on the margins of the community of believers. TOMÁŠ HALÍK worked as a psychotherapist during the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia and at the same time was secretly ordained as a Catholic priest and active in the underground church. Since the fall of the regime, he has served as General Secretary to the Czech Conference of Bishops and was an adviser to Václav Havel. He has lectured at many universities throughout the world and is currently a professor of philosophy and sociology at Charles University. His books, which are bestsellers in his own country, have been translated into many languages and have received several literary prizes.

Talkback, etc.

  • Chad & Sarah Markley
    They grew up in the church, got married, fought everyday, then began to get wasted and party on the weekends just to escape and cope, even while Chad was leading worship in their church. Eventually porn crept into the marriage. Eventually Chad became a workaholic. Eventually Sarah had an affair with Chad’s friend. Eventually one of Sarah’s friends told their pastors. Eventually…

  • The Counsel Of Many!
    Brought to you by family lawyer Dawn Bennett. With a reputation built on Trust, Respect and Integrity, protecting your family's interests is Dawn's primary concern. Visit bennettlaw.ca today.

    Need Help or Advice On An Issue In Your Life?
    Tell us your situation and Drew will ask the listeners of TDMS!

    This week on the Counsel of Many: A young lady wants advice on how to cope with her depression as a result of her parents’ dysfunctional relationship.

    "I feel as if there's a lot of tension in my house and the cause of it has been my parents. I believe that it's been taking a toll on me financially, emotionally and spiritually. They always use my hard earned money to pay specifically for the Internet and cable. There have been times where I've had to give them over half of my pay cheques and babysitting money for it, which leaves me with very little or no money to pay for my own expenses like my cell phone and credit card and stuff. I went through a lot of issues in elementary school and middle school both academically and socially. I was always being bullied at school and I could never get decent grades. The school and school board discovered that I had a hard time in school in these two areas because my parents failed to step in because of their own marital issues, which has led me into a long road of suffering. I've just about lost my faith in God and have stopped going to church. And also it's because my dad was thought to have been having an affair with another woman in the last church we attended as a family. This resulted in a lot of arguing and yelling at home. My dad had also tried to hit her and assault her and was successful on one occasion. I regret not calling the police when I should have. Every time they'd aggressively fight, I'd cry. I almost committed suicide on my mom's 50th birthday but I'm still here. They tried seeking counselling from the church several times but all they were told is to let God handle it. I have tried getting professional counselling with my family and individually, but it never seems to work out for very long. When we were counselled as a family, my parents would actually start arguing in front of me, my siblings and the therapist. They have now separated and I'm not sure what to do, say or feel about it. I'm not even sure if I'm processing it. As a result of my parent’s problems spilling on to me, I am starting to feel alone and hurt by them and the church. My employer has said that it's unlikely to get more hours so I now have to look for a second job. Aside from my family doctor, I don't feel as if I have a strong support network, nor do I feel as if anyone even cares about me. My academics are the only thing I have left to hold on to now. The longer I’m living at home, the more I’ll only continue to break down. Should I move out and live with one of the other girls that's in the same program of study with me? Do I dare get help from the church for now, at least until my family doctor comes back from his vacation and/or until I can get to see a professional counsellor? The only thing that I don't want is for the church to be held responsible if anything happens to me. I don't attend anymore. What do I do? "

  • TDMS Banter
    The beginning and the end of the show is like any good sandwich. The stuff in the middle is what it's all about - The rest is just crust! Sometimes it's worth listening to. Sometimes - not so much.