Cult warning signs, part three: PR fronts, exclusivism, fear, and no accountability
The hosts work through the remaining warning signs: a slick PR front hiding what the group is really like (prompting a joke that the city of Portland is a cult), exclusivism that punishes leaving, fear and intimidation leadership, and zero accountability for leadership. The accountability sign triggers real stories: an elder-nepotism network one host ran into through his in-laws that collapsed when the head pastor was caught with a younger worship leader, and a corrupt leader in a church setting one host worked in. The segment closes on submitting to godly responsibility versus humans acting like they own your time, actions, and dating life.
More on Accountability
-
Do accountability partners actually work?
- Do accountability partners actually do anything?
Mike raises his accountability-partners question: the standard dude-circle advice to get a buddy to hold you accountable for Bible reading, porn, church attendance, and drinking.
From No. 598 · Emphasis | Accountability, Worship and Praying with Strangers
-
Telling your spouse about past sin: pornography, the granola bar, and the Holy Spirit
- If you have repented of a sin your spouse never knew about, do you have to tell them?
The hosts work through whether a repented-of sin a spouse never knew about must be confessed: a pornography habit versus a stolen granola bar from fifteen years ago.
From No. 579 · Wanted: Paul and Hope | Paul’s Persecution of Christians and Radical Redemption
-
Feeling spiritually meh: causes, experiences, and ways through
- Have you ever felt spiritually meh, what does it feel like, and how do you get out of it?
The main discussion: what it means to feel "spiritually meh" — not rebelling against God, but not wanting to do the prayer, Bible reading, and other connecting practices you know are good.
-
What does it mean to make disciples
- What does it mean to make disciples — is it just giving information, or does it involve accountability and structure?
The hosts take up the third topic: two extremes of disciple-making. On one side, being only an information provider and leaving everything to the Spirit; on the other, running…
From No. 545 · By Invitation Only