In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins begins our February focus on testing the spirits, exposing counterfeits, and standing firmly on the truth of God's Word. Many Christians who drift into false teaching do not do so because they reject Scripture, but because they lack a framework for understanding how the Bible fits together as one unified story centered on Christ. This episode explains why biblical theology is essential for true discernment and how it protects believers from fragmented Bible reading, counterfeit spirituality, and subtle gospel distortion. In this episode, you'll learn: • What biblical theology is and why it is not merely academic. • How fragmented Scripture reading weakens discernment. • Why false teaching often sounds biblical while redefining biblical terms. • How biblical theology safeguards the gospel. • Why discernment is about trajectory, not isolated mistakes. • How biblical theology stabilizes the church and produces maturity. Key passages include Luke 24, Nehemiah 8, Galatians 1, Ephesians 4, Colossians 2, and John 17. This episode is not about naming names or generating outrage. It is about helping ordinary Christians see truth clearly, recognize counterfeits, and remain anchored in the Word of God. "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." (John 17:17) For more from Contending for the Word, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

Discernment is not a niche concern. It is not reserved for pastors, theologians, or discernment ministries. According to Scripture, discernment is a biblical responsibility for every Christian. In this episode of The Weekly Watch, part of the Contending for the Word podcast, Dave Jenkins concludes January's focus on Discerning Truth in a Deceptive Age by stepping back to explain why discernment matters, why it is often resisted, and why Scripture insists on it. This episode addresses: • Why Scripture repeatedly commands believers to test what they hear. • Why discernment is often labeled "unloving" in today's church culture. • How experience, emotion, and popularity can replace biblical evaluation. • How the digital age has made discernment more difficult. • Why online content must never replace the local church. • What biblical discernment actually is—and what it is not. • The spiritual cost of neglecting discernment. • Why discernment protects the gospel, the church, and God's people. Discernment is not about fear. It is about faithfulness to God and obedience to His Word. Contending for the Word exists to serve and strengthen the local church, not replace it. Our aim is to help believers grow in biblical clarity so they can contend for the truth with humility, courage, and grace. Key Scriptures: 1 John 4:1 Acts 17:11 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Philippians 1:9–10 Ephesians 4:15 John 14–17 For more from Contending for the Word, visit Servants of Grace: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

Scripture commands believers not to believe every spirit, but to test the spirits to see whether they are from God (1 John 4:1). In an age saturated with sermons, podcasts, social media clips, conferences, and Christian content, biblical discernment is not optional—it is a spiritual responsibility. In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins explains why testing teaching is a command, not a preference. He lays out a clear, Scripture-centered framework for evaluating teaching, examines why discernment has become more difficult in the digital age, and warns of the serious consequences when Christians fail to test what they hear. This episode is not about cynicism, controversy, or naming names. It is about submission to the authority of God's Word, faithfulness to Christ, and love for the church. Discernment is not suspicion—it is obedience shaped by Scripture and humility. Key Scriptures: 1 John 4:1; Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:15; Matthew 7:15–20; Ephesians 4:14; Galatians 1:6–9; Hebrews 5:14; John 17:17. For more from Contending for the Word, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

In this Weekly Watch episode, Dave Jenkins explains why biblical literacy is not optional for the Christian life. Deception thrives where Scripture is unfamiliar, experience replaces truth, and personalities replace discernment. This episode calls believers to be anchored in God's Word as their final authority, source of truth, and protection in a deceptive age. For more from Contending for the Word, visit Servants of Grace: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins is joined by Doreen Virtue to expose a sobering truth: the New Age is not new at all. It is ancient rebellion against God, repeatedly repackaged with modern language, spiritual branding, and even borrowed Christian vocabulary. Drawing from Scripture and Doreen's personal testimony, this conversation shows how old spiritual errors—from Genesis 3 onward—continue to reappear today through practices such as manifestation, crystals, Reiki, channeling, "Jesus consciousness," and self-authority spirituality. What is often marketed as enlightenment is, in reality, spirituality without repentance and deception without submission to Christ. This episode calls Christians back to the sufficiency of Scripture, the authority of God's revealed Word, and the necessity of testing all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Discernment is not unloving—it is an act of love for God, His truth, and His people. Key themes include: • Why the New Age is ancient deception in modern packaging. • How Christian language is used to make spiritual counterfeits feel safe. • Truth revealed by Scripture versus truth "discovered" within the self. • The danger of syncretism and spiritual compromise. • Why believers must remain rooted in Christ, His Word, and the local church. This episode is part of the ongoing series Discerning Truth in a Deceptive Age. 📘 New Age Is Old Age by Doreen Virtue: https://amzn.to/3LDN9UX 🎧 More from Contending for the Word: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word/

Counterfeit spirituality is one of the greatest dangers facing the church today—not open rejection of Christ, but spirituality that sounds Christian while quietly redefining how we know God, hear God, and obey God. In this Weekly Watch episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins examines the rise of experience-driven spirituality and explains why Scripture commands believers not to celebrate every spiritual movement, but to test the spirits (1 John 4:1). This episode addresses: • What counterfeit spirituality is. • Why it is so appealing in our cultural moment. • How Christians must respond biblically. Drawing from Scripture, church history, and contemporary examples, this episode shows that emotional intensity is not the same as spiritual authenticity. True spirituality submits to God's Word, centers on Christ, and produces repentance, holiness, and obedience. Key texts include 1 John 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, John 14:15, and Luke 24:27. God is not silent. Scripture is sufficient. Christ is always enough. For more from Contending for the Word please visit our page at Servants of Grace: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-wordpage/

The Seven Mountain Mandate has become increasingly influential in certain Christian circles, shaping how some believers understand culture, authority, and the mission of the Church. In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins and Amy Spreeman examine the Seven Mountain Mandate carefully and biblically. Rather than reacting emotionally or politically, this episode evaluates the core claims of the Seven Mountain Mandate and asks whether they align with the gospel, the teaching of Scripture, and Christ's mission for His Church. This episode also explores what the Seven Mountain Mandate teaches, how it reframes the mission of the Church, why biblical discernment is essential, and how Scripture defines faithfulness, authority, and gospel mission. Christ has called His Church to proclaim the gospel, make disciples, and remain faithful to His Word. This episode seeks to help believers test modern movements by Scripture and remain anchored in biblical truth. "Test everything; hold fast what is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21) For more from Contending for the Word, visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

The word revival is used constantly today—to describe emotional gatherings, cultural movements, and spiritual excitement. But Scripture never calls believers to accept every spiritual surge without testing it. In this episode of Weekly Watch, part of the Contending for the Word podcast, Dave Jenkins examines the biblical difference between true revival and false revival. Drawing from Scripture and church history, this episode addresses: • What the Bible actually means by revival • Why true revival is always produced by the Word of God • Common marks of false revival that elevate experience over Scripture • How repentance, obedience, and Christ-centered worship mark genuine revival • How Christians should respond with discernment rather than cynicism True revival does not revolve around personalities, platforms, or emotional intensity. It restores reverence for God's Word, produces repentance, strengthens the local church, and magnifies the glory of Christ. Believers are called not to panic or follow hype, but to test the spirits, remain anchored in Scripture, and walk faithfully in the ordinary means of God's grace. For more from Contending for the Word please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

Is centering prayer a biblical form of prayer, or does it subtly replace God's Word with experience? In this episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins is joined by Marcia Montenegro to examine centering prayer and contemplative mysticism in light of Scripture. While often presented as ancient, quiet, and spiritually enriching, these practices raise serious concerns about prayer, revelation, and the authority of God's Word. This episode carefully addresses: • What centering prayer actually teaches. • How contemplative mysticism differs from biblical prayer. • Why silence and technique are treated as pathways to God. • How experience can quietly replace Scripture as authority. • The theological roots of these practices and how they entered evangelical churches. • Why sincerity does not determine truth. • What Scripture teaches about prayer, meditation, and communion with God. This is not a personal attack or alarmist critique. It is a biblical examination calling Christians to discernment, faithfulness to Scripture, and confidence in the sufficiency of Christ. Prayer is not a technique. Silence is not a means of revelation. God has spoken, and Christ is enough. For more from Contending for the Word please visit us at Servants of Grace: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/

Deception in the Church rarely begins with outright denial of Christ. More often, it enters subtly through shifts in authority, emotional appeals, selective use of Scripture, and the quiet redefinition of biblical truth. In this episode of The Weekly Watch, part of the Contending for the Word podcast, Dave Jenkins launches a new monthly theme: Discerning Truth in a Deceptive Age, Clarity for the Church Today. This episode lays the foundation by examining: • How deception typically begins and spreads within the Church. • Why false teaching often goes unchallenged. • The danger of elevating experience over Scripture. • Why discernment is not unloving but an act of obedience. • How believers can guard themselves by remaining anchored in the Word of God. Scripture repeatedly warns that deception will increase and that false teachers often arise from within the church. Because of this, biblical discernment is not optional for Christians today; it is essential for faithfulness to Christ and the health of His Church. As Jude 3 exhorts, believers are called to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints—not with fear or pride, but with clarity, conviction, and confidence in God's Word. For more from the Contending for the Word podcast, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-podcast/