Heart of the Matter Television Network, hosted by Shawn McCraney in Salt Lake City, strives to bridge the gap between Mormonism and Biblical Christianity by airing teachings from a variety of Christian pastors and producing original Christian programming, including live broadcasts of C.A.M.P.U.S. Gatherings. The network, which promotes the message of Christ while welcoming diverse Christian viewpoints, aims to expand its reach across low-power TV markets nationally, despite facing criticism from some Christian groups.
Shawn emphasizes the importance of unity among Christians and encourages open-mindedness by praising opportunities to reach different audiences, even through unconventional means. He underscores his commitment to the biblical truth that salvation is only through Jesus Christ, while challenging established religious doctrines such as the anthropomorphic views of God in Mormonism and the term "Trinity" in Christianity, aiming to discard non-biblical ideas and seek true understanding.
Shawn discusses the tension in Christian circles, emphasizing that differences in personality and worldview have created divisions among believers. He acknowledges the valuable contributions of traditional theologians to scriptural understanding but suggests that these dominant perspectives often overshadow other ways of interpreting and experiencing Christianity.
In Shawn's teaching, he emphasizes that the original scriptures were not intended to be dissected into chapter and verse as practiced by the Greeks but were meant to be understood as a grand narrative, leading to a more holistic view of biblical texts. He critiques the modern reliance on intellectual scholars and systematic theology that emerged with the introduction of chapter and verse, as it can overshadow the more relational and narrative-driven approach exemplified by early followers of Jesus.
Shawn encourages an understanding of Christianity that embraces artistic, non-linear perspectives alongside traditional, logical approaches, arguing that these diverse views, driven by the Holy Spirit, should be respected and included in the faith community. He advocates for acceptance of differing viewpoints on non-essential doctrines, suggesting that Christian artists and those with alternative interpretations be welcomed into fellowship rather than excluded or deemed heretical.
Shawn emphasizes the importance of understanding religious beliefs critically while maintaining a personal focus on grace and love, encouraging individuals to explore their faith and practices, such as baptism, with careful consideration and informed decision-making. He acknowledges the complexities and potential contradictions in interpreting scripture, suggesting that individuals listen to diverse perspectives and rely on personal conviction rather than strictly adhering to a specific religious institution.
Heart of the Matter Broadcasting
“You may never know that JESUS is all you need, until JESUS is all you have.”
Corrie Ten Boom
“Whatever makes us feel superior to other people, whatever tempts us to convey a sense of superiority, that is the gravity of our sinful nature, not grace.”
Phillip Yancey
Live from the Mecca of Mormonism – Salt Lake City Utah – This is Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology. – Where Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity . . . Face to Face
And I’m your host, Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion.. We thank and praise the true and living God for allowing us to be part of this, His ministry. May He be with you – and us – tonight.
Heart of the Matter Television Network
The Heart of the Matter Television Network is up and running. You can find it on regular broadcast television here in the Salt Lake Valley on KPDR 19.3. Take a look – (RUN NEW NETWORK SPOT). We have some goals in mind with the station. Right now it is not running as we ultimately want it so bear with us.
We ARE working hard to “get it right.” That means all of our technical issues worked out, our programming in place and uploaded, and a full steam ahead representation in place and airing. Part and parcel of this primary goal is to start airing any and all Utah pastors who teach the Word of God. We are currently integrating two local church pastor’s teachings into our line-up and hope for more.
Again, ANY Christian pastor who teaches the Word is welcome – even those who do not like or agree with me. To air with us is FREE of charge. At the same time we are creating and producing some more of our own original programming. One is called, Making The Bible Count – with True Ott, Phd. Another is called “Unscripted,” and yet another is a program that interviews Christian kids at Christian colleges. All on its way – God willing.
Online Church Community
Also (and we are very excited about this) beginning last Sunday, our weekly C.A.M.P.U.S. Gatherings started airing live for those of you at home who would like to join us. In other words people can either go to our website or turn on the TV at 10am and/or 2:30pm and join us for church. We are trying to establish an online-church community for those of you out there who either can’t get out of the house to go to church or who have yet to find a church that suits them.
From here, we are then working to take the HOTM Television Network to other markets and to air them there. When I say “other markets” I am NOT talking about Cable or Dish or Direct but to other low-power markets in the Nation – we are starting in Vegas and Bakersfield CA – and hope to get the Network airing out over most of the low power stations out and around the nation in time AND . . . God willing.
Diversity of Teachings
Finally, and hopefully along the way, we ARE looking to get picked up by Comcast, Dish, and Direct which will give our approach and program legs as we refine the art and science of Christian television broadcasting. You may have noticed that we have some teachers that are Calvinists on the air. We have some pre-trib pastors. We even have some dude who calls himself a Christian Anarchist (for heavens sake)!
Here’s the deal – Christ is preached, and hailed, and promoted as the Way, truth and the Life. So while I will personally question certain approaches to Christianity you would never find this ministry ostracizing brothers and sisters who believe differently. Nobody has it all right. As a result, everyone who loves the Lord, teaches His Word, believes He is the I am, the author and finisher of our faith, is welcome on the Heart of the Matter Television Network.
You will NOT see a Latter-Day Saint presenting Mormonism on the Network, nor a Buddhist or Muslim or Jehovah’s Witness. But you will see all within the Body welcome and able to freely present the Bible from a heart of faith and love.
This being said the venom from Christian attackers continues to mount against the ministry – and now this station! It has gotten so bad that people are contacting the presenters we are showcasing on the network presently and telling them to pull their DVD presentations from off the air! Where does this “conform to us or
Christian Media Engagement
Where does this “be cast out” mentality come from? Let me tell you, if we learned that an atheist homosexual-run television station out of San Francisco was playing Heart of the Matter I would praise God for the opportunity to reach its viewers. But for some reason there are Christians today who work hard at killing others who are believers. We’ll talk more about this in a minute.
But now, how about a moment, “From the Word?”
The Living Word
I want you to all know I love the Word of God – the Bible. It is His living Word and speaks to all who will hear. There is no book like it and no other scripture. I teach and trust in its contents.
In John 14:2 Jesus says to the Twelve:
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, “Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus saith unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
I want all who are watching this show tonight (or who will later) to know that I openly teach and embrace these words of my God and King Jesus completely. He is the way, the Truth, and the Life and NO man comes to the Father but by Him. King Jesus, by and through His shed blood, not only saved me from hell, from the lake of fire, and from myself, but saved me to His righteousness, His Kingdom, His way, His Truth, and His Life.
Not from anything I have done. Not due to anything I will do. But by and through Him and Him alone am I reconciled to the Father. It is our ambition to help any and all who seek to know Him in the same way.
And with that, let’s have a word of prayer.
Examining Religious Concepts
We are still talking about “God” but I want to break stride here a minute and remind ourselves of something.
A number of weeks ago I drew an illustration on the white board behind me. I was an illustration to show what we were going to do on the show this year. Remember?
In it I used a female figure and a male figure representing Mormonism and Biblical Christianity respectively, and said we were going to address a bunch of topics between the two, THROW OUT the garbage, keep what is biblical, and try to bring the two together in a biblical marriage so the couple could create a little baby called Truth.
Remember that?
Well, the first topic we decided to examine between the Mormon gal and the Biblical Christian guy was the concept of God. We said it was important in this discussion to level the playing field and remove all the man-made garbage from it.
FIRST we tossed out the LDS anthropomorphic views that said God the Father has a body of flesh and bones. And we tossed out any and all non-biblical ideas the LDS maintain about God – calling them garbage.
These included His once being a man, having a father, who had a father, etc. etc.
Then we looked to the other stick figure (representing Christianity) and I openly (and in the context of this leveling of the playing field) tossed out the non-biblical man-made term “Trinity” and the creeds that attempted to describe it.
Holy reaction from hell, Batman – the brothers went stark raving mad. I’m talking about a fallout and foment and attack have been nothing short of astounding. Since that show (and the ensuing fallout that continues even to this day) I’ve really had to sit back and try to assess what went wrong.
I mean, obviously, I struck a nerve and am at fault for not realizing what a sacred cow Trinity is to historic and present-day Christiandom. To me, a man-made term – no matter how sacred – is disposable. And not a big deal. Not so to others I’ve painfully discovered. But to me since God Himself did not describe Himself by this term.
Personality and Worldview in Christianity
(and I think He would have if the terms and descriptions were “spot on)” I didn’t think it was that big a deal. Stupid Shawn, sticking his foot in it yet again.
And listen, if you like love or really need that term Trinity, and the creeds, have at them. Feel free. You are welcome in my life and this ministry. But in the context of this discussion with the LDS, I am putting it in the receptacle. Please don’t view this as my not having the utmost love and acceptance for God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Anyway, I’ve been really wracking my brain to try and understand why certain Christians – true believing brothers – solid brothers in the faith – have turned SO strongly not only against my views but my person, my Christianity, and this ministry. Many of you have watched Inquisition 2014 but that was merely representative of an overwhelming hatred for my person and views as a believer.
The Roots of Division
A few days ago I came to understand – really, for the first time what the problem is. I hope what I try to both explain AND illustrate tonight will go a long way in bridging some (or all) of the animus that exists between me and those who so ardently oppose me and the ministry. All of this division boils down, in the end, to a combination of personality and world view. This is nothing new.
God has created a world full of right brained people . . . and left. Full of liberals . . . and conservatives, Republicans, Democrats, Socialists, Imperialists, Fascists, Communists, and Libertarians. He has given the world color – black and white and red and yellow. We have the North, and the South, the free and the chained, males, females, straights, gays, and unfortunately, in between all of this people are inclined to point to the “other side” and shout: Right or Wrong! Good or Evil! Christian or NOT.
You see, well established in the Christian church are all sorts of personality types that have learned to assimilate and mesh in and find acceptance. At the top of the heap we have an echelon of personality types that have pretty much governed and ruled since the end of the apostolic days scholars, apologists, theologians, Calvinists, Arminianists, preterists, and pre tribbers.
Traditional Structure and Thinking
From their ivory towers biblical interpretations have poured down upon the unlearned masses and theology and accepted doctrine has for the most part been teased apart, sorted, and fitted together to make sense. For the most part we are quite accepting of the place and thoughts of such thinkers – so long as they hold fast to and echo in some sense the established theological lines. I get this. We do have hills to die on that matter – it is these very hills that we have for years taken the LDS to task – assessing what is biblical (and what is not). I do not – even with my personality type – I do not want anything (any teaching or idea or theology) that does not fit within sound biblical representations.
Since the deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. of the twelve, and perched at the top of Christianity's diverse make-up of personalities, the material church has long marched to the orders of the theologians . . . to those who think linearly, those who appeal to logic and reason, who see and read the word according to this world view and personality type. Such people have long employed and promoted a line by line, ordered, methodology on how they believe Christianity should be studied, and seen, and taught and believed. They give their type of thinking names, like “systematic theology,” and from their collective point of view they believe there is an established correctness on how EVERYONE ought to read and see God and Christianity.
Appreciation of Diverse Thought
I am for one grateful for such men and women. Their linear thinking, and logic, and reason goes a long, long way in helping other believers understand scripture. And I will compare their points of view as I come upon passages that are difficult. Because for them Christianity is processional their type “of thinking and seeing the world” is generally embraced and promoted as many influential people have similar personalities, minds, and world views. In other words to the legally minded, or the scientifically or mathematically minded, or the business minded, a Christian apologists or theologians ideas make sense. And because such men are typically successful and listened to, these views take center stage and are deemed correct. This results in a theology (and even
The Systemization of Scripture
Doing church in an extremely ordered, linear, and logical way often appeals to men and women adept at apologetics, who become great polemicists, using chapter and verse to support their worldview. This method echoes the Greeks, who valued logical reasoning but found the cross foolish. Interestingly, three to four hundred years before Christ, the Greeks introduced the practice of numbering their writings, allowing for efficient referencing and argumentative discourse.
The Practice of Numbering Verses
Unlike the Greeks, the Old and New Testaments, primarily written by Jews, were not originally presented in a numbered fashion but as a grand narrative, intended to be read from beginning to end. This narrative approach has largely been lost today, as scripture is often used to prove theology, establish doctrine, argue, and win debates. Archbishop Steven Langdon introduced chapter and verse to the New Testament in the 13th century. While systemization was beneficial in some ways, it has been detrimental in others.
I believe numbering inadvertently introduced a new way of reading the Bible, particularly for linear thinkers who found a domain for their logical and systematic approaches. They could create systems of thought, sometimes leading to division or even death for dissenters. Yet, God uses all things, and many advances in understanding have resulted from this approach.
Intellectualization Versus the Simple Message
Unfortunately, in the 21st century, scholars and intellectuals often determine what the Bible says, overshadowing uneducated fishermen and tax collectors who once spread the Word. This contrasts with Jews witnessing Jesus, as expressed in John 7:15: "How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" and the sentiments in 1 Corinthians 1:18-23.
Remember how Greek philosophers perceived Paul's message, as described in Acts 17:18. Similarly, Paul aptly expresses in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 that knowledge can lead to pride, whereas charity edifies. Therefore, while I accept these scholars as brothers and sisters in Christ and have benefited from their knowledge, I'm intrigued by the treatment of other Christians by these so-called scholars.
Christian Artist's Perspective
Is it possible that “the Gospel” today has become, (or is becoming) too logical, too knowledge based, too linear . . . could it be I have not been able to relate to many of my brothers and sisters because I have never been linear, or mathematic but have instead, always been (gulp) an artist?
Go back with me to 2003. It’s when I wrote and self-published Born-Again Mormon. If you open one of the original copies what do you discover? Things that drive linear, mathematical, business-oriented believers absolutely mad.
We began with a title, “Born-Again Mormon.” (The scribes went nuts). On the inside cover, I placed a quote by Walt Whitman that says: “The Words of this book nothing, the sway of them everything.” (What does this mean? The online apologists cried). No page numbers – on purpose . . . WHAT THE HECK! Screamed Christian perfectionists. And inside advice to the LDS like – “go ahead and stay LDS – who cares – (knowing all along that once a Mormon comes to know the living God he will lead them out) led to some of the greatest LDS attackers to first say, “heretic.”
I have never really thought about all of this until our recent fall out . . . that I am a Christian artist. Not a Christian that produces works of art but a Christian who sees Christianity artistically, who reads the Bible through a lens that linear-minded men cannot understand. I believe both the linear thinkers and Christian artists are all moved by the Holy Spirit to arrive at their conclusions, but the linear thinkers do NOT agree.
Lately, I started to introduce myself of late to some Christian scholars and theologians as “A Christian who truly sees everything “Christian” artistically – and the response is always the same and hilarious – blank, vacant stares followed by an immediate continuation of their linear agenda.
The Role of the Christian Artist
Is there a place in the body for the Christian artist – or will we all be tossed to the curb as being too “out there,” “too liberal,” “too heretical?” Or not educated enough to understand the things of God? I think it’s a really important question. In fact, I think its high time that the apologists and the scholarly and the intellectuals make some room for those of us who walk to the beat of a different drummer. I’m not suggesting any belief or doctrine that is extra-Biblical, but I am suggesting that it’s high time for those who see and think and believe in God through Christ differently to be given the right hand of fellowship instead of the left boot.
In fact, let me put it another way – I REFUSE to be excluded from my place in the Body. You have no right. And I will not – in the name of all who have been kicked to the curb because they have a different worldview than the theologians – allow myself or my family to be relegated to the ranks of “not a real Christian” because I question the eternality of hell, or the man-made term Trinity, or embrace something called ChristiAnarchy.
We embrace you, and your thoughts, and your justification for refusing love and fellowship its time you receive us, and how we see, and love, and worship the true and living God. I’m not promoting extra-Biblical teachings. I’m not suggesting false doctrine be embraced. But differing views on non-essentials must be allowed, even entertained, even taught or too many more people who love the Lord as much as you do (and maybe even more) will be ignored, cut off, and put to spiritual death. That is wrong.
Upcoming Topics
Tune in next week to see a Christian Artist's view of God and the redemption of Man. Test it by the word. Look at it from the Biblical perspective, then ask yourself: “What has stopped all the scholars from presenting God’s plan of redemption this way?”
GRAPHIC
GRAPHIC of John 7:15
GRAPHIC of 1st Corinthians
GRAPHIC of ACTS
Let’s open up the phone lines:
Emails
From: Carole Johnson
Subject: pentecostalism
Do you discuss Pentecostalism in any of your episodes? If so, which one? Can you recommend a website to help me understand two things:
- speaking in tongues
- slain by the spirit
My "born again" husband (former TBM) has been attending a Pentecostal Church and is engaging in the above-mentioned practices. These seem every bit as cultish as Mormonisn. I would certainly like to know Shawn's opinion re. these
Understanding Baptism and Beliefs
From: Landon
Hi Shawn,
I am not an active Mormon. I am a Christian, and I believe that I am saved by Grace. I also try and live my life by the Lord's 2 greatest commandments of loving God and loving others. My question for you is not in disagreement, but merely inquisitive. I am wondering why you spend so much of your time tearing down the faith of another. Again, I am wondering what your motives are.
I enjoy your show.
Thank you,
Landon
Questions About Baptism
Hi Shawn,
Could you please give me your knowledge of…Is Baptism required by God or not? So my brain is doing somersaults over this because I am debating on getting my family's names off the records of the Mormon church because 4 of us are Baptized but my 2 younger kids are not, but one of my younger kids turns 8 pretty soon…I am struggling on what to do because I thought I will just get all our names off record then we will all be the same in heaven or hell for not being baptized?
Seeking Guidance
But if we are supposed to be baptized, then I want us all to be the same so then it creates the question how is the right way to be baptized if it's a commandment from God? Jesus was emerged by water so if that's the way I don't know what church to do it in? I don't want to join another religion because I am so confused right now! I have tried to understand the Bible but it is really hard for me to understand what God is really saying sometimes and if I listen to smart people that know the Bible like you then there is a lot of contradiction between you all because it seems it's interpreted differently but each Christian faith or pastor?! I know you are extremely busy but I will really appreciate your thoughts to my confusions!
Thanks a ton!
Sandy
