If you're not familiar with the comedian, Druski, he just dropped a skit called "Mega Church Pastors LOVE Money" that kinda broke the Christian internet and the verdict is split. Some calling it disrespectful, others saying he didn't tell a single lie, others think it's hilarious. Lecrae responded on Instagram saying his first reaction wasn't offense, but recognition: "There's wolves in the pulpits, there's theatrics for attention and money and influence, and leaders manipulating God's name for gain."

That's exactly what we've been talking about.

This is our second installment of what might become a series around the "Industry of Church" as we try and speak to what happens when our gathering together becomes more about production, money, and influence than about Jesus. Have we turned the house of God into a den of thieves? If you're being invited to church, is it actually one being built up as a true form of the body Jesus created us to be?

From scandals like that happening around Robert Morris/Gateway Church to the legal drama between major worship music artists and their former groups, have we let things get out of hand when money is brought to the center of our gathering instead of those at the margins?

The major question we have to answer is this: Are we inviting people to Jesus, full stop? Or are we using his name to fill our business funnels.

If you're interested in reading Bikonzi's biography, you can pick it up here.

https://a.co/d/09X2Mze

You can't make this stuff up. The stories that Bikonzi can tell with vivid detail demonstrate not only the need for Christians to raise their compassion for the foreigner and immigrant; it also highlights the unrelenting faithfulness of God to those whom he foreknew and predestined to be conformed into the image of His Son.

One of the best way to understand the experience of another and therefore have compassion for another is by hearing their story directly. Increasingly, the nature of our politics has driven us towards a kind of apathy that desensitizes our soul to the pain and hardship so many people carry. That applies to those in our country, yes; but for those who seek refuge from some of the hardest realities in foreign countries, it's an entirely different level. Bikonzi Moise knows this first hand from his own experience as a refugee who survived a genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo (well known as the DRC).

Increasingly a small number of churches, leaders, platforms (and even algorithms) are shaping much of the content, language, expression, and theology of the modern church. An academic study on worship songs from 2010-2020 found that almost all of the top songs were linked to these churches, either through direct production or collaborations, with 37 out of 38 popular songs having a connection. This might explain why so much of worship music feels so similar. In this episode, we explore what that means for our theology around music and worship, the impact of this influence, and how the Church can broaden the scope of our inspiration for Sunday mornings.

VISIT US IN PERSON

Roosevelt Community Church

924 N 1st St, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Sunday Service: 10:00 AM

rooseveltchurch.org

CONNECT WITH US:

📧 Newsletter: Text "newsletter" to 855-834-2593

📝 Want to connect with us? Start here: roosevelt.church/connect

💚 Support the work at RCC: roosevelt.church/give

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: instagram.com/rooseveltchurch

Facebook: facebook.com/rooseveltchurch

TikTok: tiktok.com/@rooseveltchurch

ABOUT ROOSEVELT COMMUNITY CHURCH:

We exist to engage all people with all of Jesus. Located at the intersection of Roosevelt and 1st Street in the Roosevelt Arts District in Downtown Phoenix. RCC is a multiethnic congregation gathering every Sunday, with a unique voice crossing theology, street, and family. We make content to help extend the message of the gospel everywhere people are, far beyond Sunday morning. We share theological social commentary on a number of issues and current events, so that as much as it depends on us, we do not fail to speak on matters that have gone unspoken from churches historically. We believe the gospel of Jesus and his kingdom, and all its righteousness is thorough and complete as the authority to help us navigate our world, so we want to be faithful in providing everyone who listens a clear path to follow the way of Jesus.

In this episode, we explore AI not as a replacement for human connection, but as a powerful multiplier for reach and impact. We'll discuss how AI can tackle our biggest challenges in education, healthcare, and beyond, while also asking a fundamental question: What does it mean to be human in the age of AI, and can it help us be more human, not less?

VISIT US IN PERSON

Roosevelt Community Church

924 N 1st St, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Sunday Service: 10:00 AM

rooseveltchurch.org

CONNECT WITH US:

📧 Newsletter: Text "newsletter" to 855-834-2593

📝 Want to connect with us? Start here: roosevelt.church/connect

💚 Support the work at RCC: roosevelt.church/give

FOLLOW US:

Instagram: instagram.com/rooseveltchurch

Facebook: facebook.com/rooseveltchurch

TikTok: tiktok.com/@rooseveltchurch

ABOUT ROOSEVELT COMMUNITY CHURCH:

We exist to engage all people with all of Jesus. Located at the intersection of Roosevelt and 1st Street in the Roosevelt Arts District in Downtown Phoenix. RCC is a multiethnic congregation gathering every Sunday, with a unique voice crossing theology, street, and family. We make content to help extend the message of the gospel everywhere people are, far beyond Sunday morning. We share theological social commentary on a number of issues and current events, so that as much as it depends on us, we do not fail to speak on matters that have gone unspoken from churches historically. We believe the gospel of Jesus and his kingdom, and all its righteousness is thorough and complete as the authority to help us navigate our world, so we want to be faithful in providing everyone who listens a clear path to follow the way of Jesus.

This episode dives into conversations around the new NFL season and tackles deeper cultural questions on youth sports, professionalism and community.

In this special live episode of Unsilent Church, we celebrate RCC’s 20th Anniversary with guest Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile — author, justice advocate, and pastor of Anacostia River Church. Together, we explore what it truly takes to build something that lasts — in ministry, in justice work, and in community.

In a society driven by GDP, consumption, and productivity, what do we really value — and who gets left behind? This episode explores how our systems measure worth by output and profit rather than the dignity we all have from being made in the image of God. We focus on how women—particularly women of color—are treated in our culture and healthcare system, through the lens of Jesus, we ask: what would it look like to realign our value system around presence, compassion, and real care—especially for women? We talk about this and more in this episode of the Unsilent Church. Enjoy!