Church Reset | Jack Wilkie

In this debate recap video, I look at the verse that those who deny baptism’s essentiality for salvation can’t get around.And, I break down the problem with Jeremiah’s favorite defense: calling everything a “Word-concept fallacy!”Watch below, or listen on the Church Reset podcast (Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app).Subscribing is free—but if you’d like to support my work, you can become a premium subscriber and get an e-copy of my latest book! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

In my first debate recap video, I look back on a bizarre claim made by Jeremiah Nortier in our debate on baptism, regarding Naaman and his ability to boast in his works.Watch below, or listen on the Church Reset podcast (Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app).And, if you’re going to Lads 2 Leaders Nashville this weekend, stop by and say hello!For the full debate, you can view it on the Focus Press YouTube channel, or listen on the Church Reset podcast!This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

This is the fourth in an ongoing series of posts about masculinity, femininity, and our differing roles. See previous entries here, here, and here.A Dave Ramsey caller shared her story of her husband’s apparent misconceptions. Dave’s response gives us a perfect example of so much of what is wrong with the modern Christian view of marriage, headship, and gender. Watch below, or listen on the go with the Church Reset podcast (Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app).This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

Today’s audio is actually from a video I did with Marco Arroyo back in December 2024, but I’m resharing the video here and posting the audio to the Church Reset podcast because suddenly it’s become highly relevant again.In this episode:* Marco and I discussed the church of Christ’s “Deep State” that controls allowable opinion and lines of fellowship.* We talked about the cancel culture that makes so many afraid to have open discussions about the Scriptures lest they lose their job or even their friend and family relationships.* And, we talked about where this kind of influence comes from and how it hinders our unity.Watch below, or listen on the Church Reset podcast (Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app)! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

Last week, the brotherhood police in the churches of Christ were at it again as Terrance Brownlow-Dindy of the Texas School of Preaching took aim at Todd Clippard over the issue of alcohol. This time, he was joined by Don Blackwell of GBN in a joint public confrontation.Todd wrote a well done piece laying out his position, but the damage has already been done. More fractures have been caused, more reputational damage has been done. Why? Because that’s what they do.I commented on it on my Facebook account to say:It’s time the rest of us band together and tell the dividers and the slanderers, “Enough.”The responses to that have given me a few angles that I believe need a little bit more examination.jackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

As promised, the debate is finally here for on-demand audio or video streaming!Thanks to everyone who has asked for viewing info and shown support! I’d love to hear what you think, and what follow-up questions you might ask me or Jeremiah if you got the chance.You can watch the YouTube video of the debate below, listen via the Substack app or the audio link above, or on the Church Reset podcast feed (Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app).It would help me a lot if you subscribe to the Church Reset podcast and to the free email list here!Host: You can check out Chris Arnzen’s radio show at ironsharpensironradio.comOpponent: Jeremiah Nortier is “The Apologetic Dog” on YouTube This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.If you’d like to support my work, consider becoming a premium subscriber today and get a digital copy of my new book, You Are Saved, along with 8 other eBooks! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

This is the third in an ongoing series of posts about masculinity, femininity, and our differing roles. See previous entries here and here.One of the biggest issues in our teaching about this topic is that we have a ton of teaching on what headship is NOT and precious little on what it IS.Of the two main examples we are given regarding what headship looks like, neither is particularly helpful.A Simplistic ExampleOccasionally you’ll see the example of things like choosing movies, restaurants, and inconsequential matters of preference. In these, we’re told the man is not to run his wife over and demand his way, but to defer.Funny enough, those are the kinds of things that don’t need headship. These are the kinds of decisions they should make together, each one deferring to the other at times. As we looked at in the previous entry on the headship false dichotomy, his role is not a choice between forcing her to eat Mexican every time they go out, or being forced to take her to eat Italian every time they go out. It’s an easy example to pick on, though, because the stakes are so low. It’s also an easy target because almost everybody can agree that a guy who never gets his wife her favorite food is immature and selfish.It’s the important stuff that requires a clear hierarchy—how the children will be disciplined and educated, the family’s religious beliefs, career and financial decisions, what kind of content will be allowed in the home, and so forth.A better example that still misses the pointThe other major example is the concept of the Tie Breaker Vote on big decisions. The idea is that every decision should be worked out as a team, unless a genuine gridlock happens. As the old, unfunny joke goes, “We agreed that she’d make all the minor decisions, and I’d make all the major ones. Fortunately, in all these years we’ve never had to make a major decision!” Well, buddy, what if you actually have to make one someday?In those exceedingly rare cases where it does happen, theoretically it will fall to the man to make the final decision.However, in the “servant leader” system, the thinking goes that if he doesn’t concede and use his vote to appease her, he’s still being selfish. Saying “I see your point, honey, but for the good of the family we’re not doing that” can easily be cast as being controlling. Interestingly, in Tim and Kathy Keller’s wildly popular book, The Meaning of Marriage, they discuss one such decision they had to make.Would they move to New York City for Tim to take what ended up becoming his career-defining ministry work? Or would they stay put, as Kathy and the children wished?Tim, being the “servant leader,” conceded to their wishes. But then, going against basically everything they taught previously in that section of the book, Kathy took a courageous—and correct—stand:“Oh, no, you don’t! You aren’t putting this decision on me. That’s abdication. If you think this is the right thing to do, then exercise your leadership and make the choice.”She was exactly right. But what she said undermined the entire concept of the Tie Breaker Vote. That idea is just an illusion. It was always going to be his choice to make and his responsibility to bear, whether he made the decision or not. That’s the case with every decision, including the ones where he doesn’t have a preference and lets her pick.In this case, and in many cases, she had a preference, which she is completely entitled to. And he would be a fool if he did not listen to her reasoning. But, as she reminded him, the buck was always going to stop with him. The man doesn’t take the lead in rare instances. In God’s eyes, he’s always in the lead, whether they acknowledge it or not. In other words, marital hierarchy isn’t a “Break glass in case of emergency” tool God gave us, but the default operating system.Thus, the Tie Breaker Vote is also an easy, but unprofitable, example of actual headship.An Actual ExampleSometimes it’s hard to find actual examples, because our culture has done everything in its power to avoid ever dealing with real headship. Thankfully, one produced itself just in time for this article.In a recent tweet, a man mentioned how he had told his wife he didn’t want her reading books by a certain Christian author anymore due to theological concerns. This created quite a stir, with many suggesting he wildly overstepped his bounds. Critics argued he was being controlling, taking her rights away, treating her like a child, and so forth.Those accusations don’t help answer the actual question at hand, though. The question at hand is, does the man have authority over the content that comes into his house? Or, can he just make suggestions?Let’s reframe that question: if a man identifies a threat, seeks to remove it from his home, and is ultimately vetoed, is he actually the head? Is she submitting? Obviously, the answer to both questions is, “no.”Turns out he’s not supposed to use his authority to lead his wife away from the serpent that is enticing her to sin. He’s only supposed to use his authority to take her to her favorite Italian restaurant.See, this is the kind of issue that reveals how much modern gender and marriage discourse has avoided the tough conversations. We use simplistic hypotheticals like the restaurant question, which allow us to skirt around questions like these. Then, we teach the doormat model of headship, which gives us our answer to such situations without having to actually engage with them.Remember, headship is not a tool to break out in the rare circumstance that it’s needed. Headship means the husband decides the direction of the house and takes the responsibility on himself every day to make sure the house continues to move in that direction. He is to be continually sanctifying his wife with the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:25-27) and raising his children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (6:4). This isn’t some “it’s good to be the king” doctrine. This is “you had better take this seriously, because souls are on the line” doctrine. A good man will take that duty seriously and execute it well, and countless Christian families have been blessedTo be clear, he absolutely should confer with her and factor her preferences and advice into his calculation. And if he’s using this authority often, there’s probably a deeper issue on one or both sides. But ultimately, the decisions are his, because he will be the one to give an account for how he led his family. And her job is to submit to the decision, whether he’s going about it in the way she believes he should or not.“For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.” (1 Peter 3:5-6)What about the flip side?Here’s where it gets tough: what about when she has concerns with the content he’s consuming?On the one hand, if it’s something clearly sinful, like pornography, she has every right to confront him. If he won’t handle it, she has every right to talk to their elders about the problem. But, that’s less a matter of marital roles and more a matter of Christian duty when you see anyone in sin.But what if the material is not exactly sinful? What if the roles were reversed and she was worried about the books or podcasts he’s listening to, and what they teach about Christianity, or politics, and such? Scripturally, she does not have the same authority to draw a line. She has every right to appeal to him and make a case if she believes he’s on a bad trajectory, but ultimately, that’s where it ends. She will not give account for the way she led him like the way that he will give an account for how he led her. It doesn’t work that way.If he is wise, he will listen to her view. Many a wise Christian woman has helped her husband avoid disaster.Sometimes he might concede that she’s right, and other times he might not. Once again, if he’s wise, he’ll give her an explanation of where he stands and why he’s sticking by his decision. However, even if he doesn’t, she is still not in a place of authority to overrule him.The rubber is meeting the roadThese are difficult discussions to have, especially since we are so entrenched in a culture that revolts against headship of all kinds.As I noted in the previous entry, some will certainly see this as a call to have husbands run roughshod over their wives. To reiterate, that is not what I’m calling for. Consider for a moment, you’ve likely seen so much content on what headship does not mean, that discussions about what it does mean might feel foreign and uncomfortable.There’s a delicate balance between making the tough decisions a leader should make while still showing the love and care that helps those that follow. But for too long we’ve defaulted to love and care without leadership—which isn’t truly love at all—and any correction back in that direction is going to look like an overcorrection. Being the head of the household has to mean something, and this example is just one way we can recover that kind of meaning.Notes* DEBATE STARTS THIS THURSDAY! You can listen live at ironsharpensironradio.com. I will be sending out a link just before the debate starts, so if you want to get notified…* Click below to subscribe! Subscriptions are free, unless you want to support my work by chipping in a few bucks a month. Both options are available at the link. Please pray for a successful debate, and keep an eye out for that email! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

I review Joe Rigney's book, 'Leadership and the Sin of Empathy' and tell you why you MUST pick up this book, especially if you're a church leader.Grab a copy at https://amzn.to/4lwFA06(Affil link)jackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

There’s a long-standing, widespread belief that progressive Christianity is the far nicer and more loving wing of the religion.Because of this, there’s a sense that the two sides of the coin are balanced in their errors. One side is loving, but less truthful, and the other is truthful, but less loving.I want to challenge the progressive churches’ reputation, though.jackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

In last week’s post I said that I’m going to be looking at men’s and women’s roles in the coming weeks.Unfortunately, I’m almost certain I already know how this series will be misconstrued by those who disagree.“So, men just get to do whatever they want?”“Wow, he must run right over his wife.”“Sounds like you just want men to dominate women.”That’s not what I’m saying, but that’s what it will look like and be taken as by some. Why?Most gender discourse in Christianity sets up a false dichotomy—one we should strongly reject.jackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

Over the last few days, this post from some congregation called “Mt. Washington Church” went viral, and as this touches on one of my pet subjects—church, and how we view outsiders—I have thoughts.jackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

Every time I finish a book I’m reminded how difficult it is to pick what to work on next. I’ve been so focused on assurance for so long that changing gears and picking another topic to throw myself into has been a challenge.However, looking back at the last couple of years’ worth of writing and podcasting, a clear picture has emerged regarding the most pressing need of our day.jackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

Interacting with Forest Antemesaris's piece entitled ‘In Defense of Inviting People to Church.’jackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

I haven’t exactly hidden my concern for the future of the churches of Christ.Having been in numerous half-empty church buildings where members lament their former glory days, and knowing that many congregations have closed or will in the coming years, I believe it would be irresponsible to not be alarmed.At the same time, I hate pessimism and any implication that ours is a lost cause, and that we might as well just give up. I don’t want to be unrealistically optimistic, but I will take real glimmers of hope where I see them.Two recent possible positive signs have caught my eyejackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

I’ve written for years on how Christianity has come to treat church like a business instead of a family, or a restaurant instead of a pot luck (as detailed in my book).But recently, I’ve started to see another unfortunate parallel:Modern Christianity treats the church like a gymHow so?jackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

One of the biggest stories of the second Trump administration has been the much-contested release of the FBI’s files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.For years, rumors and allegations have swirled about just how far-reaching and deeply evil his operation was, who he was working for, and who all was involved. Now, files have begun to be released, adding barrels of fuel to the fire.Obviously, this has created a significant amount of discussion.I put an informal poll out to friends on a couple of social media platforms, and in each case the majority said they were, at minimum, aware of the story, with many “keeping tabs” and plenty of others “deep diving” into the details.As a Christian, does a story like this matter?jackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

In a world of so much busyness, when choosing to do one thing inevitably means choosing not to do multiple other things, we all want to pick the most worthwhile uses of our time.“Bang for your buck” is one of the single biggest factors in any decision we make.jackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

The entire first month of 2026 has been dominated by headlines out of Minnesota, where ICE’s immigration enforcement has been met with great resistance. Numerous protests have occurred, some resulting in protestor fatalities.It’s hard to look away. Many Christians have stepped up with their usual “love your neighbor” moral high ground claim. But issues like these take more than drive-by analysis.Just claiming you’re the loving one doesn’t make it so. Neither does it untangle the web of issues that have to be considered. It’s important we look at the situation piece-by-piece and figure out what is and is not right from a Biblical point of view.Here are some high points to keep in mind as we think through immigration...jackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

Here’s what you have to understand about the “articles” and “sermons” ChatGPT and Grok write...jackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe

I give an overview of the different views of Revelation and why it's so important to understand them properly. Topics:- When was the book written?- Did the events already take place? If so, when?- How does our interpretation of Revelation affect our understanding of the world today?jackwilkie.co This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jackwilkie.co/subscribe