Rooted in Jesus Grace

Every generation of believers must guard the gospel against distortions that promise something “better,” “deeper,” or “more effective” than the means God has already provided. In recent decades, one such distortion has appeared under the name Theophostics . Created by Dr. Edward M. Smith, Theophostic Ministry claims to free people from emotional pain completely and permanently. Once freed from pain, its followers supposedly find release from sinful habits and live effortlessly in peace and victory. It sounds appealing. Who wouldn’t want to be free from emotional pain forever? But beneath the appealing language of healing lies a system that replaces the gospel with psychological mysticism. What Theophostics Teaches Dr. Smith teaches that most sin and emotional suffering comes from what he calls “lie-based thinking.” This supposedly begins when a person experiences an early, painful event—often in childhood—and interprets it wrongly. For example, if a child suffers abuse and believes “I...

There are no extraordinary Christians. But being an ordinary Christian is an extraordinary thing. How I wish I had understood that when I first came to faith. In those early days, my heart burned with zeal. I wanted to be the best possible Christian—to rise above mediocrity, to experience something deeper and higher than “ordinary” believers. Without realizing it, I began chasing a mirage. I fell into the trap of believing that there existed a superior version of the Christian life, a secret to holiness that only the most devout could attain. What I didn’t know was that I had embraced pietism . Pietism, at first glance, seems noble. Who wouldn’t want to be more spiritual, more devoted, more like Christ? But hidden beneath that pursuit was a theology built on human effort rather than divine grace. My focus shifted from trusting what Christ had done for me to striving for what I could do for Him. I thought I was chasing holiness, but I was actually chasing a form of self-righteousnes...

The Permission to Be Human It is a rare and beautiful thing in Scripture that it gives us permission to be human. The Psalms—many penned by David—are the honest heartbeat of that permission. You find in them both the jagged edges of sorrow and the loud exultation of praise. David does not hide his pain; he names it, wrestles with it, and brings it to God. He also celebrates deliverance and restores thanksgiving. That arc—from lament to praise—is not a denial of suffering; it is its faithful companion. Lament as Sacred Practice Lament is a sacred practice. To lament is to speak truth: “This hurts. I am confused. I am angry. I feel abandoned.” The Psalms model how to give these raw emotions words and how to aim them toward God. Psalm 42 asks, “Why, my soul, are you downcast?” and yet the psalmist answers, “Put your hope in God.” That movement—honest questioning followed by an anchor of hope—is crucial. Lament refuses the false spirituality that insists Christians always sound chipper. It...

There’s a dangerous trend quietly spreading through the modern church: pastors who preach sound doctrine in one breath and contradict it in the next. They affirm biblical authority, then appeal to personal revelation. They talk about the holiness of God, then downplay sin. They sound orthodox — but their theology doesn’t hold together. If your pastor seems “confused,” don’t shrug it off as harmless. When a shepherd’s theology is inconsistent, the flock will live in confusion. A cracked foundation eventually collapses. Below are ten common areas where pastors teach contradictory or incompatible doctrines — and why each one is a serious red flag. 1. Confusion About God’s Nature A pastor may preach that God is sovereign and unchanging, yet describe Him as reacting emotionally to human decisions or “changing His mind” when we pray hard enough. Why it matters: If God changes, He’s not truly sovereign or trustworthy. This turns the Creator into a sentimental projection of ourselves — a god w...