Rooted in Jesus Grace

I am beginning to understand something now that only became clear after I stepped away from a charismatic church and started studying church history and theology more carefully. For a long time, I struggled to explain why certain things felt spiritually unsettling in a church I once attended. On the surface, everything appeared vibrant, passionate, and deeply serious about faith. Yet beneath that energy, I sensed a growing tension between my evangelical foundations and some of the practices being promoted. Only later did I recognize the source of that discomfort: many of those practices closely mirrored historic Catholic spirituality, though they were presented in the language and framework of charismatic Christianity. This isn’t written out of bitterness. It’s written as a warning. Christians need to understand the theological roots of what they practice. When Structure Replaces Conviction One of the clearest examples was a church-wide prayer and fasting month. It was presented ...

Churches can be places of incredible hope, growth, and community. But like any human system, they’re also shaped by our brains—and our brains have shortcuts called cognitive biases. These shortcuts help us make decisions quickly, but in church settings, they can sometimes distort reality, keep people loyal to harmful systems, or make it difficult to question leadership. Here are the 10 most common cognitive biases that show up in churches, along with examples and tips to protect yourself. 1. Authority Bias We tend to overvalue the opinions or commands of people in positions of authority. In church: Members may follow a pastor’s teaching unquestioningly because of their position or perceived “anointing,” even if the teaching doesn’t align with Scripture. Tip: Always cross-check teachings with Scripture and trusted mentors. Questioning leadership is discernment, not rebellion. 2. Confirmation Bias We look for evidence that supports what we already believe and ignore evidence that contra...