Archpriest Ivan Shandra

10/02/2026

Why Trusting God is the Ultimate Rebellion? Orthodox Answer

How do you trust God when life feels out of control? When anxiety, illness, or an uncertain future weighs on you, surrender can sound like giving up. But Christian trust calls us to act faithfully while placing the outcome in God’s hands.

In this video, we explore why constant self-reliance leaves us exhausted and what Scripture teaches about trusting the Lord.

Trusting God does not mean ignoring problems, avoiding treatment, or abandoning responsibility. It means doing what is ours to do, praying for wisdom and courage, and entrusting to God what we cannot control. Even in suffering, our hope reaches beyond the outcome of one crisis to resurrection and life with Christ.

Watch the video and leave your comments.

In a world where anxiety and uncertainty often dominate our lives, ...

09/27/2026

What Does It Mean to Carry Your Cross? | An Orthodox Christian Answer

What does Jesus Christ really mean when He says, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23)?

In Orthodox Christianity, bearing our cross does not mean simply accepting suffering passively or believing that every painful experience is automatically holy. The Cross is about remaining faithful to Christ in the midst of suffering, temptation, illness, disappointment, and the difficulties of daily life.

What does bearing your cross actually require of a believer today? ...

09/25/2026

Who decided which books belong in the Bible?
After my video *The Orthodox Bible vs. Everyone Else’s*, many of you asked thoughtful questions: What about the Hebrew canon and the Septuagint? Did Martin Luther remove books? Why does the Ethiopian Bible have more books? And how do we know Hebrews and Revelation belong in Scripture?

My new video takes up those questions and asks the deeper one behind them: Where did the Bible’s table of contents come from?

We’ll look at how the early Church received Scripture, what councils did and did not do, and why counting books alone cannot settle the question. The history includes real disagreements and local differences. It also shows how Christians preserved and recognized the Scriptures they had received.

Watch the follow-up: https://youtu.be/uhYxaOLNGBk

What gives you confidence that a book belongs in the Bible? I welcome thoughtful disagreement and questions in the comments.

09/04/2026

The Christian You Pretend To Be Is A Lie. Hypocrisy Within the Church
Are you really living as a Christian, or only pretending to be one?
Jesus Christ gave some of His strongest warnings not to atheists, but to hypocrites: people who appeared righteous on the outside while their hearts were far from God. In this video, Fr. Ivan Shandra examines the serious problem of hypocrisy within the Christian life and asks a difficult question: Are you failing in your struggle with sin, or are you living a double life?
The Christian life is not about pretending to be perfect. It is about repentance, humility, faith, and allowing Christ to transform us from the inside out.
We will look at Christ's warning about the "whitewashed tombs," what Scripture teaches about deception and hypocrisy, and what genuine Christian faith actually looks like.
Most importantly, this is not simply a message about "other Christians." It is an invitation for each of us to examine our own hearts.

Fr Ivan Shandra examines hypocrisy in Christianity. Learn to identi...

08/07/2026

Why is the Orthodox Church so cautious about Marian apparitions?
Millions of Christians are familiar with Fatima, Lourdes, and other reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Yet the Orthodox Church, despite its profound love and veneration for the Theotokos, approaches such claims with remarkable caution.
Why?
Is it because Orthodoxy doesn't believe in miracles?
Or is there a deeper spiritual wisdom behind this caution?
In this new video, I explore the Orthodox teaching on prelest (spiritual deception), the wisdom of the Church Fathers, and why humility and discernment are considered more important than extraordinary spiritual experiences.
You'll also discover how the Orthodox Church distinguishes genuine miracles from spiritual deception and why the Feast of the Protection of the Theotokos beautifully illustrates this approach.
🎥 Watch the full video and let me know your thoughts in the comments: https://youtu.be/mt46RiDVexc
Do you think caution toward private revelations is a strength of the Orthodox tradition, or should Christians be more open to modern apparitions?

08/01/2026

Why does following Christ sometimes feel harder the closer we grow to Him?
Many Christians experience seasons of discouragement, spiritual dryness, anxiety, or unexpected temptation. The Orthodox Church has spoken about this reality for centuries, not to frighten us, but to prepare us.
In this new video, I explain:
- Why spiritual attacks often accompany spiritual growth.
- Five signs that may indicate spiritual warfare.
- The difference between the Holy Spirit's conviction and the enemy's condemnation.
- How prayer, Scripture, repentance, fasting, and life in the Church help us stand firm.
The good news is that Christ has already won the victory. Our task is to remain faithful, vigilant, and united with Him.
Watch the video, and let me know in the comments what has helped you remain steadfast during difficult spiritual seasons.
May God bless you!
https://youtu.be/tJ5dDRCQTOE

07/28/2026

I was interviewed by the host of the Ancient Church channel. Here is the result.

In this episode of The Ancient Church, host Polina Leiser speaks wi...

07/24/2026

Have you ever heard someone say that the Orthodox Church "added books" to the Bible?
Watch the video and let me know your thoughts.
▶️ https://youtu.be/0ZPyeNFj6z8

The historical evidence tells a very different story.

In this video, I explain:
📖 Why the Septuagint was the Bible of the early Church
📖 Why books like Tobit, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, and Maccabees are part of the Orthodox canon
📖 What changed during the Protestant Reformation
📖 What the Church Fathers and early councils actually taught about the biblical canon

Many Christians are surprised to discover that the question isn't "Who added books to the Bible?" but rather, "Who removed them?"

Have you ever wondered why different Christian traditions have different Old Testaments? I'd love to hear your perspective in the comments.

07/17/2026

Why do Orthodox Christians pray to the saints? Why not simply pray to God alone?

This is one of the most common and most misunderstood questions about Orthodox Christianity. Some people believe that asking the saints for their prayers is a form of idolatry or that it places someone between Jesus Christ and us.

But is that what the Orthodox Church actually teaches?

In this video, I discuss:

- the difference between worship and veneration
- why Christians ask one another to pray for them
- whether death separates the saints from the Body of Christ
- how the saints intercede without replacing Christ
- why all help, grace, and salvation ultimately come from God alone

The saints are not alternatives to Christ. They are members of His Body who continually point us toward Him.

Watch the full video here:
https://youtu.be/Lpz_XLpKM68

I welcome your questions and thoughtful comments. Even when we disagree, these conversations should be approached with sincerity, humility, and respect.

Are you curious about praying to saints? Learn why Orthodox Christi...

07/11/2026

What Actually Happens at Orthodox Confession? A Priest Reveals
Have you ever wondered what actually happens inside an Orthodox confession? Many people, including Orthodox Christians, have questions about this sacred sacrament. Fr. Ivan Shandra, a priest of the Orthodox Church in America, opens the door and explains everything.
Link to the video is in the comments