Power Over vs. Power Under: Rethinking Christian Influence and Resistance in a Divided World - LIVE From Monkey Business Café

Mar 12, 2017

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How power dynamics shape the church, politics, and our personal witness sits at the heart of this thought-provoking live podcast episode in our Way of Resistance series. Recorded at the Monkey Business Café in Fullerton, California, Mike and Andy take a deep dive into the teachings of Jesus on power—contrasting “power over” (coercion, control, and dominance) versus “power under” (self-sacrificial love, service, and nonviolent resistance). Through Scripture, cultural analysis, audience interaction, and a healthy dose of humor, they confront how the American church has often lost its way by pursuing the wrong kind of power—political, institutional, and authoritative—at the expense of the cross.

Listeners will walk away challenged and inspired to reclaim a Jesus-like influence rooted not in dominance but in subversive servanthood, prophetic humility, and a commitment to love even the enemy, including how this shapes voting, protesting, and everyday personal relationships.

Key Takeaways: • The Danger of Power Over – A deep dive into how the church often mimics the world’s structures of control and coercion, from celebrity pastors to political endorsements. • Power Under, the Way of Jesus – Why self-sacrifice, service, empathy, and love are the defining marks of kingdom power, and how Jesus modeled this in his life and death. • Keeping Two Questions Distinct – Understanding the crucial difference between “What do I believe the state should do?” and “What advances the Kingdom of God?” • Cross-Centered Protest – Tips for protesting without perpetuating division, by staying rooted in love, humility, and solidarity with the marginalized. • Confronting Spiritual Abuse with Grace and Truth – A raw discussion on how to process church leadership failures and confront power-abusing institutions with integrity. • How to Love Our Enemies (like ISIS) – Wrestling with the radical call of Jesus to bless those who persecute you, even in the face of systemic evil.

Guest Highlights: Live Q&A with an engaged audience tackled questions on military service, spiritual abuse, evangelical politics, interfaith solidarity, and more—offering raw, heartfelt insights from people navigating faith on the ground.

Resources Mentioned: • Matthew 20:25-28 – Jesus’s teaching on greatness and servanthood. • Matthew 26:47–56 – Jesus’s rebuke of Peter and commentary on violence. • John 18 – Jesus before Pilate and “My kingdom is not of this world.” • Constantine and the shift of the church to power over culture. • Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement as examples of power under. • The practice of lament and blessing in spiritual life & trauma recovery.

Get Involved: Help us push back against toxic power structures by embodying power under through compassion, service, and self-sacrificial love. Share this episode with someone struggling with faith and politics. Subscribe, leave a review, and connect with us on social media to continue these vital conversations about what it means to follow Jesus in the chaos of modern culture.

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As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com and engage in the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

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Learn more about the Voxology Podcast

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Support the Podcast on Patreon

Follow Mike on Twitter: twitter.com/mikeerre

Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV.

Our Merch Store! ETSY

Learn more about the Voxology Podcast

Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify

Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon

The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio

Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre

Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy