20 Questions with Pastor Mike (Episode 51)

[@sarahfaith316]

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 - Introduction 1. 0:17 {Can Megachurches be Effective?} From a biblical and practical standpoint, is there a maximum number of people that can or should make up a local church? Assuming their doctrine is biblical, can a megachurch with multiple satellite sites or campuses be an effective church? 2. 13:52 {Was Mary Surprised about Jesus’ Deity?} If Mary was aware of the immaculate conception (visited by an angel, etc.), why in Mark 3: 21 does it seem she’s surprised about Jesus being the Messiah? Scripture says His "family" that goes to "take charge of Him" for being out of His mind are His mother & brothers. Why would Mary think He is out of His mind if she had been visited by an angel? 3. 19:40 {About the Apostles’ Martyrdom} A big defense for Christianity is that the Apostles died & were tortured, never recanting Jesus. How are the Heavens Gate & Jonestown 1978 incidents any different? They all willingly died for a lie, too. 4. 24:33 {Who are the Called & Chosen in Matt.?} Who are the called & chosen ones in Matthew 22: 14? Is it God who does both the calling & the choosing? 5. 30:32 {Does Jesus Mean “Hail Zeus”?} What do you say to people who claim that the name Jesus really means “hail Zeus”? They say one is unknowingly doing witchcraft by using the name Jesus. Why didn’t His name just continue as Yeshua? 6. 35:17 {Is John 15 Works-Based?} Is John 15 works-based? v.10 says, “IF you keep my commandments, THEN you will abide in my love.” That sounds like obedience earns God's love, contrary to the Gospel. What does a life of "abiding" look like daily? 7. 42:25 {Ways to Grow in Christ} I've recently found a renewed desire to get closer with God and was just wondering if you have any advice about how to do so. 8. 44:05 {Did God Ordain Animal Sacrifices?} Does Jeremiah 7: 22 & Matthew 9: 13 indicate God never ordained animal sacrifices? To me it seems God has gradually moved mankind away from sacrifices & idol worship and into His ideal form of religion. 9. 54:05 {About Angels} I know that we are made in the image and likeness of God and are called God’s children, but what are angels to God? Are they made in the image and likeness of God? Are they God’s children? 10. 57:22 {Is there a Contradiction?} In Matthew 2: 19-22, was Joseph’s second dream (vs. 22) from God? God says all who mean to kill you are dead, but God warns him again. Some translations of vs. 22 leave out “God.” Is this a contradiction? 11. 1:00:40 {How Many People are in Heaven?} It's estimated that 60% of natural conceptions fail to implant in the uterus and that at least 50 billion people lived until now. Does that mean there are around 75 billion people in Heaven? 12. 1:05:32 {How to Recognize the Spirit vs. Enemy} How do we know when we feel the Holy Spirit that it isn't a trick from Satan making us think that it’s God? And how do you know Jesus’s resurrection wasn’t a false miracle/wonder by Satan? 13. 1:09:26 {How to Glorify God as an Artist} I like to draw and write fiction in my spare time, and I want to glorify God as best I can doing this. Is there anything I should do or avoid doing as a Christian artist? 14. 1:11:19 {Does Forgiveness Challenge Responsibility?} My grandma rejects Christianity because she claims relying on the forgiveness of a savior teaches us that we don’t have to be responsible for our own actions. How can I help her untangle that belief? 15. 1:14:35 {About the “Day of the Lord”} What must come first, per 2 Thessalonians 2:3? Does “apostasia” mean a spiritual falling away/rebellion, or a physical departure, as in the rapture? 16. 1:19:03 {What does “Cowardly” Mean in Revelation?} Can you shed some light on what Revelation 21:8 really means by the cowardly or the fearful having a special place in the lake of fire? 17. 1:21:31 {About Liberal & Conservative Christians} It seems like conservative Christians are biblical with respect to personal morality, to the exclusion of societal justice - and liberal ones vice versa. Why? Is one more important? How do we reconcile the extremes? 18. 1:26:36 {Forming a Biblical Self-Image} How do I overcome self hate? Whenever I look at myself, I see a sinner and a failure and it's hard to see God as a loving Father when all I can see Him as is a judge, and I'm afraid of Him at times. 19. 1:30:46 {About the Marks of Stigmata} What do you think about the marks of the stigmata? Is there any way this could be biblical, even if someone isn't Catholic? 20. 1:33:43 {About God Revealing Himself to Mankind} If God wants you to be saved more than you do, why doesn’t He reveal Himself to everyone like He did to Paul? Wouldn't more people be saved if they had the same “Road to Damascus” experience that Paul had?

[@Velor77]

How does one go about asking questions for Pastor Mike?

[@sarahfaith316]

@@Velor77 Questions are taken from the live chat of each new session (Fridays at 1:00 p.m. PT) and they start being taken the moment Pastor Mike turns on his camera to begin the stream.

[@faithuncompromised4804]

Thanks 😁👍

[@NewCreationInChrist896]

18) Amen it’s a form of self righteousness. We’re called to put our trust in Christ not in ourselves, we can’t save ourselves. That’s why we pray without ceasing we’re trusting Christ for strength to overcome sin struggles and self hatred. Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

[@jackiepowell7513]

Heavens gate the followers never flip flopped. What was remarkable was apostles had. Something huge turned those guys around it's called Resurrection. All but one died a martyr s death. Jim Jones speaks for itself. He went off the rails Jesus didn't.

[@berniewilbanks1272]

I had a Damascus Road experience. As an atheist. I'm here to tell you, it's not just Jesus speaking, audibly, There is an inner cleansing that tears you from limb to limb. Your feelings of guilt and Shame are mixed with profuse love and compassion all at the same time. I can't imaging anyone not stopping whatever they are doing and drop to their knees in worship when this happens.

[@floridaman318]

How are you an atheist then lol

[@khaccanhle1930]

Are you an atheist, or WERE you an atheist?

[@taylor6618]

Surely Bernie meant that he was once an atheist.

[@JoelPit]

Same here brother. I studied all religions decided it was all man made. I said miracles are made up. I was fighting for custody of my 3 year old daughter and need a place to live and moved in to my Christian aunts house she invites us to church I think to myself it's good for my case and good morals for my daughter the next thing I started seeing them happen everywhere. Still didn't believe one day God spoke to me in an audible voice not a quiet voice but the thunder voice he called out things no one knew. I spent 4 hours that day repenting. Today I'm a traveling pastor this was 8 years ago.

[@kimberly9585]

same!! the feeling is unexplainable, i was more like a heathen despite the fact i was born into a Christian family, and i had a dream of the Lord and ever since i have left that life behind my life has so much light in it now even during dark times there is a crack of light. honestly! Praise the Lord.

[@grammym8262]

In a mega church you don't have a relationship with your pastor. That's what I missed the most, to have a pastor that knows you and your family personally. It's a very impersonal experience.

[@daraharvey4519]

Exactly. And the pastor becomes a celebrity and that can lead to major problems - are we following Christ, or this guy’s face on the screen? I will never be part of a megachurch again.

[@UnclePhil73]

Honestly I’ve been to good and bad megachurches. I’ve been to those where it was all about the pastor, but also ones that fostered community and personal relationships outside of what the pastor taught or oversaw. So, like Mike said, size doesn’t necessarily mean a church is good or bad, the fruit is what matters.

[@JackSmith-ns1uq]

I can only speak from my personal experience - i grew up in small church, unsaved. Since i surrendered my life to Jesus as an adult I’ve attended, served, and now work at a megachurch. There is certainly some truth to what you are saying. The layout we have is that the lead Pastor does preaching primarily on Sunday (but not exclusively) while the different campuses have their own Pastors and ministers whose primary role is to work with the community. This tends to be a really successful model for going about a church with thousands of people. That being said there are always people who just want to talk with the lead pastor because he has the platform. So, i would say that if the lead pastor seems themselves as a celebrity, if the staff sees them that way, than that is absolutely a red flag. However if several people in the congregation see it that way, then i think that speaks more about hearts and less so someone else’s. When i first came to my church I was super intimidated by the size and was afraid that it would end up being impersonal. I quickly found that it wasn’t the case because i took the initiative to start serving and joining disciple groups. It quickly went from whoa how is an introvert such as myself ever going to get to know people, to this is my family away from family. At the end of the day its simply preference i think. Ive discovered that I like large church because I have to take initiative and choose how i get involved rather than get pressured into something, or going somewhere in which I don’t immediately feel like an outsider because its obvious i dont normally go there. Where the line should be drawn isnt size, but in fruit. Are new people coming in, are there salvations, are people finding a place to serve in the body of Christ, etc.

[@jackiepowell7513]

Pastor Mike with all due respect I wasn't sure your ministry provided booklets so I plugged Bob thieme. Is that ok?

[@jackiepowell7513]

Do u have a time or a day you do answer a plethora of ques? I m new here. I am an apologist perusing you and gene kim. Enjoy much!

[@josedopwell9645]

I was literally eating CHEEZ-ITS as you were discussing the Jesus/"Hail, Zeus!" question!!😆😆 I think you did a great job navigating the small church vs. megachurch question. There will inevitably be problems in either setting because --- wait for it --- fallen sinners are involved. Unfortunately as believers we too often have the mindset of discontented consumers as opposed to rejoicing in God in all circumstances and loving one another. Wherever we are we make it our aim to please Him.

[@jorgemorales1575]

Someone must’ve heard people say ‘Jesus’ in Spanish to come up with this theory. Lol.

[@RUT812]

@@jorgemorales1575 lol

[@davidbell2547]

It's a little bit like the gym analogy. It's nornal to see unhealthy people at the gym trying to better themselves

[@a7c777]

Please pray for me and my health. Lately ive been feeling weak and tired and my blood pressure has been extremely low and its been making me jittery which sends me into panic attacks. Ive been having panic attacks daily because of the jitteryness and chills and hotflashes i feel with my low blood pressure. Please pray that my heart is healed and that i have no more anxiousness. Thank you so much and God bless you all!❤️

[@walterromanoff2953]

Try a doctor and some exercise Counseling may help Prayers meditation or Zanex Help yourself before you ask god for help

[@tam4givin]

Praying for you. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@baronreed8131]

@@walterromanoff2953 To suggest that we help ourselves before asking God for help is EXTREMELY poor advice! How about asking God to show us the best path to take in order to receive help. Even what we see as common sense approaches might be dangerous.

[@Shellyspurr]

In these days ask to get closer to God, I too suffer from chronic pain and instead of asking for relief, I do everything to be close to Jesus. 90% of my life is in bed and I suffer greatly, but Paul asked Jesus to take away his thorn in his side three times and God said no. Jesus asked "is not my grace sufficient for you?" I'm sorry you're struggling, but it's only for a short time, eternity with ko pain and be with the Lord is eternity.

[@Shellyspurr]

​@@baronreed8131 I don't think the person is suggesting help themselves, but God does make things available for us to get help through science. Remember that God doesn't always give us relief, but ways to be closer to Him.

[@kaiwilliams141]

I have no inherent problems with big or small churches. I have problems with unbiblical churches and those can have 10,000 people or 50. Size isn't the problem.

[@Nov_Net]

Well said

[@lkae4]

A lot of house gatherings have an anti-church vibe too. Weird given the real definition of church.

[@jackiepowell7513]

The dumbing down is the problem. But if you get pablum uwant ears tickled.

[@walterromanoff2953]

Size can be a problem Ever been to churches in Texas with 20,000 attending.

[@rdubyatjr]

What’s an unbiblical church?

[@jeremiahlewis9288]

I went from a small hometown church of 60-90 people. I played drums on worship, led men’s groups of over 150 men, gave sermons at times. Jesus moved me to a “megachurch” of about 5,000 in our location who have 4 satellite churches. God reworked my theology, he opened my eyes to who Jesus really is, he softened my heart, he made a place for my children at this new place. Now this church is in every prison in California. God will use who he will use, they thrive for Jesus they breathe for Jesus, they exist for Jesus. I enjoy our “mega-church” and I’m growing in Christ weekly.

[@user1342-p3i]

That's beautiful.

[@LivingFaith2]

So God reworked your theology once you began attending a megachurch? Suuure he did. Are you sure it wasn't money/compromise that did that?

[@jeremiahlewis9288]

@@LivingFaith2 what are you inferring? Make your point clear.

[@LivingFaith2]

Billy Graham, likely the most popular pastor the modern world, preached the first lie Satan had ever offered to mankind: "Ye shall not surely die" by saying "God doesn't see my sins; all he sees is Jesus". New Ager/megaheretic Robert Schuler was glad to hear Graham say that he believed the way to the Father and heaven is "wide". Graham knelt before his own star on the Hollywood strip with the other Masonic actors (hypocrites) of darkness. Graham represents the wide way of destruction, yet most churches are blind to that fact, and seek to mirror his doctrine. Graham was an Image of the beast.

[@LivingFaith2]

Graham and all the megachurch pastors have helped facilitate the falling away (2Thes 2:3), and the ushering in of the antichrist. They exalt the lowest of the people to be priests of the high places where the golden calves are worshiped.

[@lemoki2]

I like to follow you! You seem balanced and well rooted in the Bible. You can act in the world without being a part of it. Keep up the good work and I’ll spread your clips in Sweden. 🇸🇪🙏🏻

[@Ssarahsadler]

The reason I don’t like bigger, youth oriented churches as much, is because (from my experience,) they tend to water down the message of the Gospel into a feel good, “Jesus loves you” type of message. They don’t want to offend people or push them away, and tend to focus on saving more people then discipling them after. There isn’t much follow up, especially with the sheer numbers of students involved. They become massive social gatherings with food and fun, drawing youth, and trying to get them saved, when mostly they don’t understand what that means. It is deeply frustrating. There are some amazing people in these churches, but the size complicates it and discipleship becomes much harder. Social hierarchy’s form, some people feel unwelcome and judged, ect. Becomes highschool away from highschool. I am much happier with me medium sized church:)

[@Switzer1234]

They tend to focus more on saving people THAN (not THEN) discipling them.

[@Ssarahsadler]

@@andsoitgoes1142 no! I’ll have to give it a watch!

[@Ssarahsadler]

@@Switzer1234 thanks haha

[@stephenblackwell5533]

@@Switzer1234 I've been a part of smaller churches that do the same so size doesn't matter. Any size church can do the right thing or be about the wrong stuff as well.

[@JackSmith-ns1uq]

Id encourage you to challenge that belief - i have that same belief about small churches because I grew up in a small methodist church and have seen them bow down to culture rather than submit to Gods word. Now I go to a megachurch that is continuing to grow (with no signs of stopping just yet), that is uncompromising in putting scripture above culture expectations, politics, etc. The mission statement is that we would help people discover AND deepen a relationship with Jesus. So there is a focus both on new and long term believers alike. While my personal experience tells me one thing about small church - i know the reality is there are gospel-centered churches of all sizes. Saying as much is limiting how God can move. Everyone can stray from the gospel regardless of size. But the same is true that God can and will still move regardless of size. You cannot systematize the spirit of God, you can only chase after it and do your best to be obedient to it.

[@troofistroof9532]

Hail cheeze-itz! 😂 That was funny. God bless you, Pastor Mike. Thank you for your teaching. You are the reason I bought a Bible and am now a Christian, so I owe ya!🙏✝️

[@Foreknown_]

My local megachurch (which I use to attend) has swallowed up so much of the community that there just aren't very many biblical churches around here. It grieves me because in the 4yrs I attended, there was no Gospel presented in the +200 sermons, scripture was often out of context, and the sermons were topical because they were meant to address felt needs. Controversial topics were avoided and offensive terms like sin, Hell, wrath etc were absent or euphemised. I didn't know better because it was my 1st church, but I wasn't being fed the word of God. Moreover, I recognize I was as much to blame because I wasn't committed to repentance, reading my bible, or praying. Eventually, all it took for me was hearing the Gospel once on KZbin to completely change me and open my eyes to how off my megachurch was on many things especially the Gospel. Repentance, Bible reading and prayer confirmed it. I'm sure not all megachurches are like this but anyone else have a similar experience?

[@vicktoria4864]

My experience is not the same but I do relate to the fact that the megachurches in my city are kinda off. They do preach gospel, but they only preach the surface of the Bible. There's no depth when preaching about scripture, and that makes me sad because I don't want to listen to motivational preaching all the time, I also want to listen to detailed studies of the Bible.

[@johnbest1262]

@@vicktoria4864 i feel the same!

[@JerryJones1914]

I can tell you, you don't want to join Jehovah's witnesses I left this fake lying religion. They are a dangerous cult pretending to be the only true religion.

[@FalconOfStorms]

Unless I missed it, one thing Mike doesn't address here is that there's a high likelihood that if you're reaching a lot of itching ears, you're watering something down to make it palatable. I generally agree with Mike, but we probably disagree on the specific ratios of bad megachurches to good megachurches. I suspect that it's harder for a congregation to have 10,000 members and be teaching the truth about sin and hell than it is for a rich man to enter heaven.

[@mistahoward9772]

@@FalconOfStorms Exactly. What good mega places is he talking about? I don't know any.

[@Flowerpower124-u2b]

I never thought I would end in a mega church! Calvary Chapel Chino Hills! One of their 4 services is as big a 4,000 people. But my husband I are meeting with people in small groups and we have some great friends. So it doesn’t feel so big. Pastor Jack is fearlessly speaking into the culture teaching verse by verse from the book of Romans. Recently tackled homosexuality and didn’t hold back. And we have a pro life conference coming up. But yes the community ad small groups are just as important as the great teaching. And my husband and I have been very diligent to make community happen for our family!

[@trevormoffat4054]

I regularly watch Pastor Jack’s services on KZbin. He’s a gifted teacher and provides a level of scriptural depth and instruction in his sermons that is rare to come across. You are very blessed to attend such a great megachurch in person.

[@DP-fg3dv]

What a blessing to learn from Pastor Hibbs. I follow him through podcasts. And yes, he is fearless.

[@metalheadisme8389]

I and my family go to a Calvary Chapel across the country in Florida and my story and feelings are so similar to yours. I love how we study as a big church group but the church embraces, enables, and encourages small group activity, study, and discipleship. I don't understand why people want to argue about size- if they want to criticize the teachings and actions of the church, that's fine, but what does size have to do with merit of the church? We believe in and teach the Bible as written and go through it line by line- teaching doesn't get any better or more biblical than that. Like you said we don't let the sinful world dictate our beliefs, but instead we preach to the world what the Bible teaches. The church is also extremely active in the community as our faith and salvation bears the fruit of good works. They can complain that I go to church in shorts and a t shirt or that we have amazing music to help us raise our voices in praise, but then we'll just have to disagree as a matter of taste. 😁

[@red.362]

Thank you Pastor Mike for your ministry, and gracing us with the cutest, fluffiest kitty on the internet 😆🙏🏻❤️

[@ChristianMotivationMedia]

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

[@Phill0old]

And your point is?

[@mahoneychris17]

Timothy was taught proper doctrine and also traveled with paul for years and studied under him, yet was still considered young physically. He was physically young, but not young in teaching and doctrine as he was taught by paul for years. Paul is not endorsing a young Christian, but a young man who has been a Christian for years and followed the teachings he was taught by Paul.

[@jackiepowell7513]

@@mahoneychris17 I was in reversionism as a teen

[@chrissonofpear1384]

Also, possibly deploy Psalm 14:1 at your own risk - given both Matthew 5:22, and remembering that one third of all angels were 'fools' in heaven itself, somewhat inexplicably? And someday, Mike might be asked if two humans knew they could 'give away' a world, or 'separate humanity from god' too, whilst before knowing good from evil, it seemed...? As for if all women who want to preach want to 'be over' men, rather than 'for' men and women...

[@brittbritt1306]

You are such a blessing to me pastor Mike!! Thank you for leading me more to Christ

[@yayothakid8132]

Whole lot of respect for plugging in Ray Comfort, it’s good to see warriors helping each other

[@williamavitt8264]

Ray Comfort isn't a warrior, he's a fraudster

[@yayothakid8132]

@@williamavitt8264 what do you mean?

[@williamavitt8264]

@@yayothakid8132 my comment was in English. Ray Comfort had bad theology and he makes Christians look bad. Ray Comfort has made more atheists than he has saved souls. He's intellectually dishonest and he doesn't understand evolution OR the Bible. He's a charlatan

[@Sandra123-y3j]

Appreciate you’re faithfulness 🙏🏽✝️❤️

[@Mr.Riojas]

The idea of dying for a lie is knowing you are dying for a lie versus sincerely believing in something and dying for it. Totally agree with you Mike.

[@kmajors333]

That last question 🤌🏽 *chefs kiss* 🤌🏽wonderful answer, Pastor Mike!

[@stephencornell6972]

Wow Mike, I am grateful for the wisdom that comes down from above and manifests in this session! I especially like your balance.

[@dgb56bgd]

Blessings and PRAISE THE LORD. Thanks for continuing to serve GOD and teach HIS children, and hopefully introducing many more to THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. Amen. Blessings

[@yeshualofi]

God bless you Mike. Glory to God for your ministry! Jesus is Lord.

[@rogermansour6085]

Excellent teaching Pastor Mike. I'm Armenian and am glad you're not completely decided on this issue. I'm a missionary to Haiti and have just discovered you June 2023. I'm telling many about you Messianic Jew evangelist Roger Mansour

[@ryanprosper88]

I had been considering leaving my church because of feeling a lack of fellowship. I'm glad you touched on that. You handled it in a way that I expected, but hadn't been focusing on

[@theencouragingwordministry]

Thanks for your channel Mike! Love it! I came out of New Age beliefs and occult 12 years ago and I think it is so important to study the word of God! That's why I made my channel too so that I can teach people the true gospel of Christ. I do in depth verse by verse Bible studies, scripture proofs for topics and explanations, prayers, and personal testimonials. It's such a blessing to be born again and doing the work of the Lord! Love your teaching style and your an inspiration of mine😀

[@JonathanEngblom]

Thanks for these QandAs, a real blessing! On question 3 I would add that in those two cult examples the "sincerity" led to suicide or murder, within the group. In the case of the apostles, and many other christians probably at the time and later, is that they suffered persecution and martyrdom without neither recanting nor armed resistance. God bless brethren!

[@dorothysittler8120]

44:08 2Timothy 1:6, 7 Stir up the flame of the power within you so that you will have love power and a sound mind

[@andre0baskin]

Large churches which have existed for hundreds of years, think the great cathedrals of Europe. The difference I see in the megachurch movement today is that megachurches very often created by a strong leader who operates as a law unto themselves with no real oversight. This contributes to the strong cult of personality one so often finds in such institutions. Add to this the vast sums of money the megachurches are able to generate and it should come as no surprise that things so often go off the rails.

[@Disciple-ofChrist]

Also, from what I've seen & heard (of), they (most of them, anyway) MOSTLY teach "feel good" messages. They are more popular, because they teach what itching ears want to hear!

[@sivad1025]

Exactly. I don't think "megachurch" is the same thing as a big church. The megachurches resort to gross theatrics to get wide appeal

[@jackiepowell7513]

Music too obstreperous.

[@SG-tf1fx]

So absolute power corrupts absolutely seem to be the theme of mega churches..Then they give their spirit over to money and power seems to take them over..Will support my small town church with my donations..They need it more..

[@jackiepowell7513]

@@SG-tf1fx generalities often Don t work? All or never for example. Prove it??

[@littleboots9800]

Moxie, winning souls to Christ one Friday at a time.😆 But seriously Mike, I remember when you made these Q and A's a regular thing and here we are at 51?! I look forward all week to these, you're doing a great job.

[@_Becca_loves_Jesus_]

Thank you so much for another thought provoking video!! I pray God blesses you Pastor Mike, and your mentors, as you have blessed us!!!

[@efficientfuture]

Glad to hear you are conservative. I see conservative views as generally trying to hold true to the Bible and keeping The Faith without changing it to fit our own desires. Thank you for your videos. I often watch them while practicing my archery and shooting

[@christiansoldier1547]

Go forth and preach freely what has been give you freely. Take no purses and ask for no money. You will be sustained by the faithful.

[@williamjacobsellers928]

I really appreciate what you do. God bless you and all here.

[@joyceelmer131]

Thank for this video Mike, and for your your answer to #18.

[@Im4GOD100]

I attended a mega church, and we connected with small groups, and through serving. We served our community, and tried to meet the needs of many. The church focused on Biblical teaching. I feel the reason the church grew was because of the foundational Biblical teaching.

[@lepidoptera9337]

Sounds more like the church focused on making more money. You know... economies of scale and such. That private jet needs a lot of fuel. ;-)

[@cindiloowhoo1166]

@@lepidoptera9337 Pull in the claws, kitteh… Joel is an international speaker, and has written several NYT best seller books. He is a savvy real estate investor. I’m not sure if he draws a salary from the church. He is talented and does a good job in his chosen profession. You sound like a preacher should have a salary cap ~ In your mercenary mind, how much would that be?

[@lepidoptera9337]

@@cindiloowhoo1166 I simply call the world's oldest Nigerian Prince scam the world's oldest Nigerian Prince scam. It's not my problem that a sucker is born every minute. :-)

[@fieroboom]

@Kween - I don't know if you're still struggling, but during one of the lowest points in my life the band Casting Crowns really helped pull me up and recognize and believe the unshakable love God has for me. I listened to their songs repeatedly, and I started reading the books of Samuel because it was the most entertaining story. From there my love and belief continue to grow. The song "The Voice of Truth" is very powerful, and continues to be one of my favorites, along with "East to West" and "Praise You in this Storm." I still get very emotional when I hear them or play & sing them

[@lorettaharris4377]

Thank you for answering the question about church size, and how christians met in the book of Acts. I have wondered how they got together in big groups.

[@maryrobbins2723]

I believe with my whole heart

[@LouisaWatt]

I go to one of the largest churches in my city, but I like them because they have good theology and aren’t afraid of difficult topics. They also have a lot of capacity to fund charities so they’re providing a special needs kid with a scholarship to get the right education + missions and other stuff. They really emphasise the small groups for discipleship. It won’t happen without that. The great part about such a large community is that you can avoid some of the “extra” personalities if they become difficult to love up close.

[@jamesreed5678]

Tell me I'm wrong, but those large churches that "aren't afraid of difficult topics" all happen to be in doctrinal agreement with what you already believe. In reality, these megachurches teach the most popular doctrines, which is both why you agree with what's said and why so many people approve of what they're teaching. They are afraid of teaching the biblically-correct doctrines, because they're about numbers, not truth.

[@collegepennsylvania837]

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12 God loves you so much! If you ever need to be reminded of that than look to the cross where Jesus gave His life for you. And as you have been loved we are to love each other. Caring for another and sharing helpful truths when needed. Hopefully this helped and inspired you today. God bless you!!

[@thebadtwin000]

This one is particularly edifying, thank you

[@sloanzone]

I attend a multi-site mega church and have recently been listening to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast. All that is to say, the question about church numbers came at a perfect time for me and I couldn't agree more with the reply. God bless.

[@hephep7426]

😢You are so on point with small churches!

[@graftedtheband]

Thanks for clearing up the gummy bear mystery, Mike.

[@Perktube1]

Mike, you need to do an introductory video for your channel that stays at the top of your front page, and describes yourself and your past, your conversion, your denomination, vocation, and beliefs. I believe that would answer a lot of questions in many people's minds. 😁

[@DooDooMuffins]

I've been to a lot of really messed up home churches. It's not about the church, it's about the message being taught at the church.

[@victormiller1334]

I listened to elevation, itown, other Mega church preaching and I've been listening to Paul washer and it's just a night and day difference of preaching the gospel!

[@walterromanoff2953]

Try Charles Stanley and Steven Furtick

[@SereneSoakingSounds]

God bless you all thank you for the stream 😊 really enjoy your input. All glory to God 🙏🏼

[@NewCreationInChrist896]

1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord.c Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect,”

[@judigilbert5397]

Moxie is so precious..thanks for your ministry 🥰

[@dgrayman379]

Love these streams!

[@marvincastro4175]

Good morning everyone god bless everyone !!!! Peace ✌️ and love ❤️

[@tobynobel5671]

One of the best churches I've attended was a "mega church." This church with the same pastor started in a house... they literally could not afford anything else but to rent a house to meet in. Then they got a bigger facility, then a bigger facility to that, now they have a "campus" as well as satellite churches... still with the same pastor, with the same Biblical accuracy and quality as when it started. However I did notice a change in fellowship, rather than meeting after service for coffee and visit, there were coffee shops and bookstores. So most people would just flock to the doors and leave. So size has it's benefits as well as downfalls, but churches like Joel Osteen's I think deceive more people and cause more harm being such a big church.

[@DesertEagle093]

I go to CCV in Arizona (one of the biggest churches in America), and its fantastic

[@sheilasmith7779]

Toby, true. However when Joel Olstein was preaching to a smaller congregation, his teaching was just as false as it is today.

[@cindiloowhoo1166]

How, precisely, does Joel Osteen deceive people, please?

[@gregrobertson9957]

I get so much out of these Q&A's - to your AND your audience's credit.

[@refugeguy777]

Speaking to the first question from a pastoral standpoint: the teaching or head pastor is also woefully cut off from the flock by virtue of the sheer size of the church in a megachurch. Other pastors take on those responsibilities, and you don't get to be that for them. I had a friend who did it for about five years, and he left because he felt like he was running a company, not a church.

[@asenazov4814]

I went from an in-my-home church to a church of 300 people to 5 thousand. Small church and 300 had less bible ground covered and met less frequently. All of bible covered in the 5000 church and meets more frequently over the Word.

[@janetdavis160]

Thank you again, Mike. I am always impatient for your next video, regardless of its content. God bless from Canada 🇨🇦

[@blacknad]

Loved this. I thank God for you. You bolster my faith so much.

[@hacc220able]

Your answer to Q17 hits at the heart of the problem with the tribal mentality pushed by so many people today.

[@hey_its_me_932]

Loved the gummie bear explanation. Love your ministry.

[@carlwood7682]

Mike thanks for you videos--I continue to learn a lot. Concerning the preborn and souls I find the answer in Ps139 This tells me that God knew me personally even before the foundations of creation were laid. It follows for me then that there are a finite number of souls created (as creation was finished on day 6). I think then the soul comes first and then it is joined to the body at conception.

[@kennywesley]

We shouldn't forget another huge difference between the apostles and those who died in cults: the apostles were murdered by their persecutors.

[@jennysims1910]

Brilliant answer to question 19

[@propellerhead428]

Question 20, In the parable of Lazarus And The Rich Man, the rich man ask Father Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his Brothers about hell, Abraham said they have Moses and the Prophet's, and not even a man that has risen from the dead will convince them, There was a man that has risen from the dead and gave us the warning and the way to everlasting life, and still some people do not believe.

[@caharris3121]

Regarding Q-11. Might this help: “As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything" (Ecclesiastes 11:5 ESV).

[@taylorb5405]

This is beautiful. Thank you for sharing. You’ve blessed me

[@walterromanoff2953]

What about Jesus dying on the cross to save you from your sins

[@luket6405]

@@walterromanoff2953 what about it?

[@walterromanoff2953]

@@luket6405 What about it Christianity is based on god sending his son to die for your sins Do you praise and worship him for that You say what about it? One of the most disgusting answers someone could say So what gods son Jesus died for you Pass the mustard I would rather talk about popes mother goddesses and Catholic Church doctrines Jesus was not a Catholic Either was the early church Why are you on u tube religion channel Go back to your video games and porn

[@luket6405]

@@walterromanoff2953 huh? You were replying to someone and your comment made no sense to what they said. I was asking that to have you explain what you meant when you said that. I wasn’t disputing Christ or his importance, more I was asking to clarify your response to the other person.

[@khaccanhle1930]

Thank you for the reference to the Vine being Christ instead of Israel. That passage always was confusing to me, because I thought it was directly applied to believers. Although it has a General application to Believers, it was specifically given to the Jewish people to help them realize that they need to be connected to Christ as the true source of life and not so much their religious Traditions or culture.

[@johnernest1207]

Hebrew Roots and Messianics want to have it both ways.

[@JES5181]

Moxy is such a cute and sweet fur ball, cats are so fun.💞😺

[@JonathanRojas1993]

How do we know what what we are supposed to pray for? Are we having a good conversation with the Lord? Do we have an idea that what we are asking is the right thing? Is there a good or bad way of praying? Another question what are we supposed to do as Christians? Am I who I am right now in the right place with God? What does the Bible say about taking the Lord’s name in vain? Or lying? Or temptation gluttony

[@winniecash1654]

Moxie is not interested. Thanks Mark. I appreciate these q & a shows

[@hephep7426]

Life begins at conception, if God created us in his image we have a soul from the moment life begins.

[@jacksolomon1379]

No way.. thanks for the push back. Calvary Chapel Chino Hills w/ Jack Hibbs! Amazing !

[@martarico186]

I agree with you about little churches but there is more accountable treatment.

[@samuelbarns118]

Thanks so much to Mike and the team for all the work they put into these! Where can we submit the longer form questions that start the show? It's not always easy to fit a complex question into 200 characters...

[@marvincastro4175]

And Jesus said Ma family are around me

[@midimusicforever]

Algo, come on, serve this more!

[@marthathompson2012]

#20: Scripture clearly and plainly states that if people will not believe the available evidence (specifically “Moses and the Prophets”) then they would not believe even with extraordinary signs and wonders (specifically “if a man was raised from the dead”). I refer, of course, to the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Sometimes we think people would, but actually God is the only one who actually does know.

[@lauraalbertson7821]

Wow HAPPY ANNIVERSARY 💕😇💕

[@jennysims1910]

Great answer to question 12

[@marymasthe1st324]

What really matters is whether the church is making quality disciples and serving the community. Some small churches do it well and some large churches do it well. It’s not about size. It’s about our spiritual formation for the sake of our neighbors/communities.

[@chriszablocki2460]

Promises of prosperity seemed bunk to me from the beginning. I have to work on Sundays, anyway.

[@terryricketts5872]

The other thing about the disciples vs. Jonestown or Heavens Gate is that the disciples didn't commit suicide or kill others in Jesus name. The disciples also died after Jesus some long after Jesus left. These others all had everyone killed during one event. The disciples were targeted by others outside of the faith for continued belief and dedication to Jesus. HUGE difference

[@dawnrisingmusic]

This is the point I was going to bring up. The disciples were willing to suffer at the hands of others; they didn't commit suicide.

[@wendydomkoski140]

Jeremiah 1:5 Question 11

[@shaker7804]

There was a lot of wisdom in what you said.

[@jinhashirama1138]

Thank you Pastor!

[@Derek_Baumgartner]

Thanks for this!

[@scottbrodie8788]

I like that there's no adverts.

[@Yard_Sale]

Great content as usual Mike!

[@anthonygelbert3818]

In regard to the person having self hate issues in question 18: Self hate can often be the result of worldly grief. Godly grief is indispensable for victory against sin, as the Scripture makes clear (see below). II Corinthians 7:9-10 (English Standard Version) As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

[@highdesertfarm5067]

I really commend and admire your stance on pulling doctrine from the bible, and believing it! Too many nowadays make scripture fit their theology, and not make their theology fit scripture. Truly good to see. You are using a corrupt Bible however. You should watch David Daniel's ( chick publications) videos on analyzing the sinniaticus manuscript, its an eye opener!

[@joymahiko]

"Woe unto you if they shall speak well of you for so did they to the false prophets" - Jesus. The Word of God has never been popular even when spoken and taught in truth by the Source.

[@DamonNomad82]

Having attended many churches, varying in size from a dozen people to over 2,000, I would say that each size of church has its own pluses and minuses. The big problems with larger churches are that individual people tend to disappear into the crowd, limiting the ability of the church to meet their individual spiritual needs, having a "one size fits all" approach that actually fits most only in the most superficial sense, and an emphasis on a few individuals (Pastor, worship team, and so on) performing for a crowd, rather than participation by the congregation. The strengths of larger churches are that they tend to have a large base of talent to draw from, and can afford more of the material needs of the church. The main weaknesses I've observed in smaller churches are that they tend to be a lot more clannish and less accepting of outsiders. Smaller churches are often better at meeting the needs of individual members, though, as one member out of 30 is proportionally much more significant than one member out of a thousand.

[@larrylafferty3836]

You got to be careful in larger church’s that you get lost in the crowd and not grow and just go thru the motions

[@ashb2404]

The first church I became a member of on my own as an adult was a small church compared to the bigger churches.... They started trying to follow the mega church blueprint such as Elevations methods and it seemed to go down hill from there... There were some other factors that contributed as well I think, but when that shift happened it changed for the worse...

[@draugami]

Question 20. Some people have had such an experience. But it doesn't always end well. On the other hand, others have done research in books etc and come to faith. IE. Lee Strobel, J W Wallace, Josh McDowell. On Quora, I learned that a Ph.D. in Christian Theology called it quits and left the faith.

[@wesb211]

Fabulous

[@llllllllllllllIIlIllIIllIIIIll]

wow mike you are blowing up with subs, congrats glory to God

[@peters6345]

Regarding that last question. I think with greater Revelation comes a greater expectation.. as in to whom much is given, much is required. Look at Paul's life it wasn't easy.. stoned, imprisoned, whipped, ultimately killed for the Lord. At least that's what comes to my mind

[@bella-bee]

Q6 brilliant question

[@Vashed555]

My grandfather was a pastor for 50 years, and formed the opinion over the decades that these churches were like fast food franchises - they’ll feed you the word, but sometimes it’s not a healthy version of it. You’ve got to do your work and make sure the ingredients and nutrition information are right for you.

[@lepidoptera9337]

Sounds good... but how many people are actually reading the menu? I have yet to find one Christian who can tell me where god served up "sin". ;-)

[@jackiefout9302]

@@lepidoptera9337 that is because God doesn't/didn't serve "up sin." James 1:13 ... for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself temps no one. Psalm 5:4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness, evil may not dewell with you. God didn't create evil, it happens when we turn away from Him. When man created electric light he did not create darkness when he turned off the flow of electricity to the light. God gave us free will and the ability to be creative, it is in the absence of God and His holiness that evil grows. Don't blame God for our sin, He loved us enough to redeem us from ourselves to a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.

[@lepidoptera9337]

@@jackiefout9302 Yeah, that's not it, kid. You have simply never read the bible. It's that simple. ;-)

[@robinette64]

One of the problems of a large church is that a lot of people get put into teaching positions without being properly vetted. If you grow quickly, many times they are just desperate for “warm bodies” to assign small groups and teachers to.

[@HalLeath]

Psalm 91:1-4 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge