Church Reset | Jack Wilkie

Suppose, for a moment, that you live in an ancient walled city. Over the horizon you see a band of raiders on the march, headed directly for your gates. It’s a nerve-wracking situation, to be sure.There are only two possible ways to be comforted in the face of such a threat:You can rely on the thought that your defenders are well-drilled and have never lost a battle. Or, if you don’t have that, you can go about your day pretending you didn’t see the enemies, and talking about how great everything is going.Modern Christianity has opted for the latter.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

It's a Wonderful Life... but not for the reason George Bailey taught us. 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

Re-centering our prioritiesjackwilkie.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

Nathan Rasor interviewed me about 'You Are Saved'. We discussed controversies about faith and works, the Holy Spirit's work, and more.He's a great interviewer doing a lot of good work, including a well-produced 'Villains of the Bible' video series that is well worth your time.If you'd prefer to watch the interview, you can see it here - https://youtu.be/-Ah7nVbUKew?si=BipIEHQ-1629c6aWSubscribe to Nathan's YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@RasorsEdge 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

Years ago, in what may have been the church of Christ’s biggest viral video, Rick Atchley set out some chairs and took a swing at some sacred cows in the process.In a visual reenactment of the classic “die, heretic!” joke, each chair represented a theological position within the churches of Christ. And with every succeeding chair, all of the chairs to its left weren’t conservative enough. “Thank goodness you stand against praise teams… but your church has a Bible class?!?”There’s only one glaring issue.Rick never points out which chair he would consider beyond fellowship.His chairs ranged from pro-instrumental music on the left to anti-communion cups, buildings, class, preachers, etc. on the right. But what about the chair to his left?To be fair, despite this problem, the illustration does make a good point. There’s a lack of clarity in our hermeneutic that can lead people to a rightward narrowing of the faith to a rather small box. We’ll look at that in a minute.However, his mockery of the slippery slope doesn’t mean there isn’t one.This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Both sides are goaded onward by dangerous incentives.On the progressive end, the leftward drift is all about who will accept the most, fastest. For example, let’s say a church decides “In the name of loving and including our women, we’ll let them co-teach small groups with their husbands. It’s not like they’re preaching or anything.”That sets you a couple years away from somebody pointing out that, while that move was “loving” toward the women, they still aren’t being loved and included enough. Co-teaching isn’t sufficient. We need women heading up ministries and teaching classes for both men and women. But guess what? We’ve still yet to become inclusive enough. And now the most “loving” faction of the church is ready to throw some weight around and point out the hypocrisy of the rest. Yep—it’s time for a woman preacher.There’s a one-upmanship in progressivism that creates a race to be the “nicest, most loving” in the church by being the most open to tearing down doctrinal walls.But, as Atchley pointed out, the conservative wing is not immune to this same one-upmanship. The only difference is the incentive.Rather than trying to win the blue ribbon for being the most inclusive, the hyper-conservative’s honor is to be the most exclusive.The non-institutionalism he pointed to in the illustration isn’t the only manifestation of this impulse. In fact, it’s often seen in an attempt to eliminate all gray areas and matters of opinion. Romans 14 might as well not exist in this rightward competition. Anybody who says eschatology, alcohol, celebrating holidays, and a number of other topics are up for debate and Christians can allow for disagreement on them? That’s a dangerous heretic. They might not even practice anything different than me, but if they allow somebody to take a different stand they’re “not sound.” Give me a break. In the “give me the list of dos and don’ts” hermeneutic, it makes sense that appeals to wisdom and allowance for disagreement would be a grave threat. The whole system comes toppling down if you realize the Bible gives a fairly short list of essentials and leaves a whole other realm of Christianity to wisdom and maturity.Thus, the rightward drift to be the “holiest,” the guy who has eliminated all need for wisdom.This incentivizes young preachers not to be the best personal workers, or the best Bible students, but to be the best rule enforcers and heresy hunters. The way to a cushy lectureship spot is to zero in on doctrinal hot-buttons, and taking a scalp or two from brothers who dare disagree along the way. Does this seem like a good idea to you?Neither side has any brakes, and both cars are heading toward cliffs. The leftward edge will coddle itching ears and accommodate the world to the point of allowing anything, because they sure don’t want to be unloving.The right will draw an ever-tightening circle to the point that nobody but a few buddies are pure enough to be saved, because you can’t possibly be sound if you allow that you might be wrong about something.The left will eventually eliminate the notion of “fellowship issues,” and the right will tag so many things “fellowship issues” that there will be no fellowship left to be had.There has to be a balance here.I’ll float my proposed solution. If you have a better one, I’m genuinely open to hearing it.As I see it, there’s really only one way to balance these incentives, and that’s to make clear what you/we consider to be the essentials. Everybody needs to know the non-negotiables of what constitutes a Christian. Then, figure out the essentials that establish lines of church fellowship. And then… WRITE IT DOWN.Yes, I’m a serious advocate of churches writing down their beliefs of what is non-negotiable and what will be taught in their congregation. Don’t call it a “creed” or a “confession” if those terms make you uncomfortable. I don’t care. But until we write it down the left side can keep pulling requirements away, and the right side can keep piling them on. If we were to write it down, it would cause us to do two things: First, it would cause us to figure out what is non-negotiable.As we’ve seen from the progressives and their leftward swim, their unwritten list gets smaller and smaller. It should be no surprise when we see the pictures of churches with rainbow flags out front. It was merely a matter of time when your #1 rule is keeping the peace and not hurting feelings rather than conforming to the Word.Unless you have the non-negotiables firmly in place, compromise is inevitable. Every time you see one of these progressive churches bend the knee to the culture again, realize it’s because there are no brakes in place. They get to make it up as they go.Second, it would cause us to think through just how much importance we’re placing on one disagreement. If your list of non-negotiables is a mile long and ends up as “everybody has to agree with me on every issue or they might not be saved,” it would probably cause you to rethink some things.In other words, this makes us bring Matthew 7:2 into the equation. If I’m going to base fellowship on a standard of perfection in all primary, secondary, and tertiary issues, I had better not be wrong about a single thing. If I’m going to accuse people of “teaching false doctrine” because they don’t agree with me on alcohol or Christmas, the “false doctrine” measuring stick I’ll be subjected to is going to be awfully daunting. And cutting off fellowship, damaging friendships, uninviting people from church events, and the like, all over the minor 1% you disagree on is a dangerous road to travel. “But creeds are just written by men and don’t have any authority.”I don’t know, the unwritten creed that has been used to hurt me, my friends, and countless others sure seemed to carry some authority. Friendships and brotherly relationships lost at the drop of a hat. Word on the street says another brother is going through his round of cancellation right now for preaching his view to the wrong room of people.When I broke the taboo, I had no way of knowing the issue I touched on was enough for people to withdraw from me. How could I? It’s not written anywhere.And even worse than the damaged relationships, another result of all this is fear of discussion.I don’t know when I’ll cross the unwritten creed, so I learn not to open my mouth for fear of being cast out of the circle, so the holier-than-thou one-upmanship and rule-adding only grows.How about we start writing down which chairs are ok and which ones aren’t? How about, before we decide what is enough to kick somebody out of heaven, we get some wisdom and agreement on the matter and let people know before they cross the line?Agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your solutions for stifling the rightward and leftward incentives.This article was updated from an earlier post, originally written June 2023Big news!My new book, You Are Saved: The Christian’s Assurance is out now!Grab a copy at Amazon today 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

On this Scriptural Focus, I examine questions about the two trees in the Garden of Eden and discuss theories about how they factored into God’s plans.You can watch the video below, or listen on the Church Reset Podcast (Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app).And keep a close eye on your inbox… I have a big announcement coming any day now! 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

Do we lose the Holy Spirit’s presence when we sin?In part 3 of our Calvinism series, we look at the other side of the pendulum from “Once saved, always saved” and how easily we can overcorrect into a fear-filled, graceless faith. You can watch the video 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

Subscribe at 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 terms we in the churches of Christ like to use for ourselves is “New Testament Christians.”While the reasoning behind this is sound—the church was founded in the pages of the New Testament and we become Christians and operate within the bounds of its doctrines—it can also be a hindrance to the full-orbed discipleship God intended for us to have.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

Millennials found the old ways corrupted, so they abandoned them. Gen Z can get it right by restoring them.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

Following last week’s episode on predestination, I keep the Calvinism study going by:* discussing whether Christians can fall from grace* exploring the difference between “once saved, always saved” and “perseverance of the saints,” and* examining a huge problem of assurance for the Calvinist viewpoint.You can watch the video below, or listen on 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

I was scrolling Facebook the other day, when they put one of those annoyingly noticeable algorithm-selected reels in my feed entitled “What I eat in a day as a personal trainer.”As I try to be nutrition-aware, I gave it a click. The “influencer” went on to describe how she eats all kinds of junk and finishes every day with dessert, totaling what I would estimate to be 2500 to 3000 calories.Unsurprisingly, she would be classified as overweight to borderline obese.Now, there are three kinds of people who make up the audience for such a video.First, there are those who aren’t really health-conscious anyway. They might not click, and even if they do the information won’t move the needle much for them.Second, there are those who are serious about their health. This group will know immediately that this particular personal trainer cannot help them.And, finally, there is her target audience, and the only kind of person on which her pitch will work. It is the type who knows they should be health-conscious but also doesn’t want to change in any conceivable way or put forth any effort.She affords these people the opportunity to comfort themselves in their inaction. “See, I can eat Lucky charms and pizza every day and be healthy. This lady on TikTok does and she’s a personal trainer.”The advice may kill them, but at least they’ll be comforted.Those who are truly seeking to be healthy know there is little sense in paying for a trainer who is in the same shape they themselves are already in. If you are looking for someone to show you the way to fitness, it naturally follows that you would want somebody who has clearly been that way himself.To the person truly seeking better health, an overweight personal trainer is utterly useless.And that’s exactly why the modern church is so feckless.This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We want the lost to feel perfectly comforted when they come to us.“We’re all broken sinners! We’re just like you!”As with the personal trainer’s pitch, this messaging will also have three audiences:It will be totally ignored by those who weren’t interested in religion anyway.It will be utterly useless—off-putting, even—to those truly seeking Christ.And it will be lapped up by the carnally-minded.Like a person trainer who tells you you don’t have to give up your daily donut, this will have a great appeal to those who want to remain exactly as they are and be comforted that that’s just fine.“We’re all broken sinners” is religion’s version of “Healthy at any size.”And, in similar fashion, it’s literally killing people.It’s time we get back to holiness. We were called to be holy, set apart, different. Our message is not “We are just like you.” Our message is “We were just like you, and now by the grace of God we are something entirely different and entirely better” (1 Corinthians 6:11).This is not arrogance. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. We are better than we were because He made us better when we were incapable of ever doing it ourselves.For someone to walk with God for decades only to tell the lost, “I’m just like you” is a slap in the proverbial face of the Holy Spirit. And rather than being encouraging to the lost, it would be the most depressing thing they could ever hear.Why?Imagine how crushing it would be to spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in the gym only to have before and after pictures that can’t be distinguished from each other.Likewise, it would be just as crushing to walk into church and discover that after decades in the faith people still consider themselves broken sinners. What a hopeless message and a powerless religion.Instead, our message is that you will be accepted as you are, and if you continue on in faith you’re going to be changed into someone who is truly holy.Now, here’s the kicker.You may be picturing a smiling Joel Osteen or a rhyming Steven Furtick on stage offering these words of false comfort. But the rot reaches into even our most conservative churches.Even if a congregation never utters the word “broken” and doesn’t have a boilerplate “Love God, Love Others” website, if they aren’t showing people how a holy lifestyle would require change, they’re telling them the members they are healthy at any size. They’re preaching comfort to people in their unhealthiness.This is exactly why I’m fed up with “Love God, Love Others.” Yes, it’s an abbreviated version of the two greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-31). Oddly enough, Jesus told the scribe who accepted this teaching He was “not far from the kingdom” (12:34).Translation? It’s a great start. You’re getting warmer.But when we stop there, we end up with the official slogan of theological minimalism. What does God want me to do with my home? My body? My career? My money? My words? My relationships?Many churches are shrugging their shoulders and saying, “Uh, well… Love God, love others.”This is why we can tell the world “We’re just like you” - because we aren’t interested in being who God commands us to be in these areas. We stick with the generic and the minimal in order to have broad appeal and keep our numbers up.But Jesus said “If you love me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Somebody has to tell us how, and that somebody had better be able to show us how, too.Preachers, elders, teachers - that’s OUR job. If you’re going to be followed, you had better do what the unfit personal trainer couldn’t:* Rouse people from their unhealthy comfort* Set the example that there’s a better wayWe have to be the “personal trainers” whose lives show that there is a path to holiness, and we can help them walk it.We’re not trying to be “just like” anybody here on earth. We’re trying to be just like Jesus. And we’re trying to show people they can be just like Him, too, thanks to the cross, the open tomb, and the Spirit poured forth.Notes* As the release of my new bookYou Are Saved: The Christian’s Assurance draws near, you can check out some previews here. And, if you become a supporting subscriber you’ll receive an eBook on release day! 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

jackwilkie.co/subscribe 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

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

Did God pick everybody who would be saved and condemned beforehand? I break it down in this week’s Scriptural Focus.You can watch the video below, or listen on 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

Subscribe for free to join the email list at 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

To read the article, go to the link belowhttps://jackwilkie.co/p/reminder-were-the-good-guys 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

Shared people, shared valuesjackwilkie.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

October 7, 2025To support my work, go to jackwilkie.co/subscribeAnd, to help me out for free, please consider leaving a 5 star rating on your 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

Some believe there is evidence in the New Testament Scriptures that women were indeed part of church leadership in the days of the apostles.In this Scriptural Focus, I examine those claims, including:- Phoebe, the deaconess?- Priscilla, the teacher?- Junia, the apostle? 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