Monique and Krista spill the tea about their unpopular opinions that they don't really talk about in public....until now.
Monique has a lot of unpopular opinions! For this show, we have narrowed it down to four, plus a bonus from Krista!
In no particular order:
#1. Worship:
How do we think about worship? What does the church do well with worship and what does it do poorly?
Discussion related to this tweet:
“One consequence of the Praise Movement from the 20th Century was that people began to seek God’s presence, not in the church’s sacraments, but her music. Song became the primary avenue of experiencing God in church, which meant you needed a new priestly professional: the worship leader.”
Mo’s unpopular opinion:
Christians have elevated the music minister or music ministry to the highest place in the worship order…so much so, that people don’t have a good church experience, if they don’t like the worship music. We have trained people to see singing and music as the central focus and not the truth of the scripture or the sacraments.
Historically, the Lord’s presence has been found in the sacraments and exposited in the Scripture; however, in the modern day, the focus is more on seeking an emotional experience through music.
#2. Seeker-Sensitive Model:
Discussion based on this post/video:
To The Church of My Youth:
What did you expect me to do?
You told me to love my neighbors and to model the life of Jesus. To be kind and considerate, and to stand up for the bullied.
You told me to love people and consider others as more important than myself.
You taught me to sing “Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.”
We sang it together, pressing the volume pedal and leaning our hearts into the chorus. You said that “He loved all the children of the world”.
You told me to love my enemies, to even do good to those who wish for bad things. You told me to never “hate” anyone and to always find ways to encourage people.
You told me it’s better to give than receive, to be last instead of first. To help the poor, the widow, and the stranger at the gate.
You told me that Jesus looks at what I do for the least of as the true depth of my faith. You told me to focus on my own sin and not to judge. You told me to be accepting and forgiving.
So I paid attention.
I took in every lesson.
And I did what you told me.
But now, you call me a libtard. A queer-lover. You call me “woke.” A backslider.
You call me a heretic. You make fun of my heart. You mock the people I’m trying to help.
You say I’m a child of the devil.
You call me soft. A snowflake. A socialist. You shun the very people you told me to help.
What did you expect me to do?
I thought you were serious, but apparently not.
You hate nearly all the people I love. You stand against nearly all the things I stand for. I’m trying to see a way forward, but it’s hard when I survey all the hurt, harm, and darkness that comes in the wake of your beliefs and presence.
What did you expect me to do?
I believed it all the way.
I’m still believing it all the way.
Which leaves me wondering, what happened to you?
(Original author unknown)
Mo’s unpopular opinion:
Due to the “Seeker Sensitive” church model of the 90s and early 2000s, we have created a generation of people who are confused about why the church is now offended by homosexuality. We taught love without obedience or repentance; we focused on messages of love and not offending anyone in order to get people to come to church. But, because of this, we have a lot of people who feel like they didn’t move, the church moved.
This is a powerful post! While some of the points mentioned are true, when they are detached from sin, the atonement, and repentance, then what we have is basically the Christian version of humanism. This person’s observations are valid, but, unfortunately, they were taught a counterfeit of the faith.
Sidebar–New Converts as Influencers:
Krista’s unpopular opinion:
Please stop platforming new converts on YouTube! These people need time to grow and be discipled and they need privacy!
#3. Porn:
Based on statistics from American Addiction Centers, surveys show that more males than females view porn, yet a relatively high percentage are female. For example, one study found that 76% of females between the ages of 18-30 years old watch pornographic material.
Mo’s unpopular opinion:
Within many churches, the topic of porn is always related to men, but never women and there is a growing amount of women who struggle with porn and they have nowhere to go. There is secrecy and shame surrounding this addiction for women. We need to have more conversations around this issue (within the church!), in order to give women an opportunity to repent and confess and receive prayer and healing.
#4. Holy Spirit vs Cessation:
Mo’s unpopular opinion:
A stream of Christians are speaking out against the New Apostolic Reformation movement (NAR) and are speaking up for cessationism, either believing that all miracles have ceased or that miracles only occur on a very rare and limited basis or it is so rare that you should never expect to see a miracle.
This view of cessationism appears to be an over-correction and harmful. If people do hear from the Lord (not necessarily audibly, but a strong impression in their spirit), they need to bring it to the Scriptures and test the spirits.
Resources:
Our friends at MAVEN are putting on a Student Conference at the end of April. Monique will be speaking!
Register at the link: https://www.mavenconferences.com/florida
Our friend Caleb from Engage Truth Ministries has developed a Worldview Summer Camp for kids ages 9-18, taking place the week of June 23rd thru 28th! Krista and Monique will be speaking this summer! Check out the link for more info and to register: https://www.engageapologetics.com/post/engage-truth-summer-camp-2024
Connect with the Guest:
Be sure to like, subscribe, and share the show!
To stay up-to-date on all the latest info, make sure you are signed up for the weekly newsletter. Go to the website, wait 2 seconds, and the pop-up will appear where you can add your contact info:
Sponsor:
Tonight's show is brought to you by the Center for Biblical Unity, Theology Mom podcast, Family 210 Clothing, and Impact 360!
Be sure to like, subscribe, buy some merch, and support the family!
We have some great merch that helps support the ministries of CFBU and Theology Mom. For every shirt purchased, approximately $10 goes to support the ministry of CFBU or the family business.
Tonight's featured shirt was designed by Krista, "Created to Reign":