Find your faith, or rediscover it. Listen to the "Church on the Reel Real" podcast. It is "R-E-E-L" as in multiplatform broadcasting.
"R-E-A-L", as in having a genuine conversation about faith-based issues. The discussion topics are bound to challenge, inspire, and
enlighten. Reignite your passion for God by learning more about him and yourself in the process. Join the conversation as we discuss
modern-day challenges, their pitfalls, and how to avoid them from a Biblical perspective!
Contact: [email protected]
Donate: https://anchor.fm/churhonthereelreal/support
Podcast Title: False Teachers, False Teaching, and False Prophets.”
Season: 1, Episode: 4
Hosted by: Donna Means
Social Media: Facebook, TikTok, YouTube: @churchonethereelreal/
I want to briefly summarize the previous episode before moving forward to today’s topic. We talked about discipleship, prerequisites for becoming a true disciple, requirements for discipleship, and the contrast between true disciples and other types of followers (namely: spectators, opportunists, parasites, and traitors). We were able to see the continuity in Jesus’ teachings relating to discipleship. At the end of the episode, we conducted an introspective to answer the question, “Are we the disciples that God is seeking?”
After conducting the introspective, we could come to three possible conclusions. First, we may realize that we have fallen short, we are convicted, and we are now striving to be the true disciple that God desires. Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit working in us. We should be thankful that Holy Spirit allows us insight into ourselves because we have an opportunity to adjust our behavior. There is no shame in this because Romans 3:23 NIV says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
The second response could be condemnation. We may feel discouraged by the requirements and feel that it is impossible to meet the expectation. Let me encourage anyone who feels this way. Please remember Romans 8:1-2 NIV says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” This scripture reminds us that we have been justified because of what Jesus has done and what the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives. Under the umbrella of salvation and the desire to truly serve God, we continue to seek God through prayer, Bible Study, and other spiritual disciplines. Discipleship is a process that occurs in our daily walk. Any condemnation now comes from our adversary who wants us to turn away from God. Instead, tell the enemy, “No!” We should turn to God in prayer and ask that he would reveal to us the areas for improvement.
Lastly, if after completing the introspective we concluded that there is nothing we need to alter about our connection with God, we should seek God in prayer. As we prayer, we should ask God to remove any spiritual blinders and reveal to us any area in our spiritual walk that his not pleasing to him. Our inability to identify where we are falling short is a symptom of being spiritually stagnate. Spiritual stagnation occurs when a child of God stays in the same place in their spiritual growth for an extended period. As disciples, we should be constantly growing and evolving. Disciples are simply students. We must actively pursue studying the teachings of Christ, routinely engage in spiritual disciplines, and pray without ceasing. Spiritual stagnation is dangerous as it can make us susceptible to false teachers and false teachings.
This leads us to today’s topic, “False Teachers, False Teaching, and False Prophets.” Recent headlines spotlighting the questionable behavior of high-profile spiritual leaders, presented the opportunity to discuss this topic. Outraged individuals took to social media to vent their righteous indignation relating to the recent headlines. Before labeling a leader as being a false
