Church Disrupted

Mega churches, money manipulation, and miracle offerings are just a few of the things we talk about in this episode. It's miracle offering season in the church world, and in this episode of the Church Disrupted Podcast, Jeff Cochran, Shawn Reece, and Buck Flemming discuss our Documentary on Miracle Offerings and share their insights and takeaways from the documentary. It's time to bring back transparency into the church, especially around finances! In this episode, we'll share questions you can ask about special offerings to find out if they are legit and what you can do if you encounter an offering or giving campaign that you are unsure about. THANK YOU to our podcast partner, The Forgiveness Link!!! Schedule your free consultation with Rob here and let him know we sent you to get a special Church Disrupted rate! https://theforgivenesslink.com/churchdisruptedcommunity ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU to the East TN Mentorship Association! Find out more information about what they do or connect with them at https://earnyoursanctuary.com/ . TELL THEM WE SENT YOU for a special rate that is ONLY for Church Disrupted Podcast listeners. Find out MORE about our podcast partners here: https://www.disrupted.church/sponsors. Want to support Church Disrupted financially? https://www.disrupted.church/give Find out more about the Church Disrupted Podcast at https://www.disrupted.church/. Please Subscribe and Share! Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/church_disrupted Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeff.a.cochran TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro 03:04 - Partner Spotlight and Testimonial 08:02 - Our Experiences with Miracle Offerings 13:14 - The Cost of Discipleship? 17:40 - Wasting Tithing Dollars 19:35 -Trustworthy and Transparent? 21:59 - Generosity done right 23:24 - Masterful Manipulation 26:36 - What's at Stake if You Buck the System 29:03 - Big Money Pastors? 32:28 - Best Sellers List and Dusty Books 37:15 - It's Affecting Real People 39:26 - Tithing VS the New Testament? 46:05 - Good Questions to Ask

Miracle offering season in the mega-church ramps up every Fall as celebrity pastors and their churches manipulate people into giving millions of dollars in a single weekend. Under the guise of "missions" and "outreach," big churches scam people out of more money to expand their existing ministries, grow their revenue, and get even bigger. All of this is above and beyond the tithes that people are already giving faithfully. Worst of all, there is almost zero transparency and accountability about how churches spend this money when the offering is done. With millions of dollars in assets already, these rich mega-churches just keep getting bigger and richer while people in their communities struggle to make ends meet. All the while, their CEO celebrity pastors continue living luxury lifestyles that few in their communities can. In this documentary video, we expose the common money manipulation tactics of churches and the playbook churches use to pull off miracle offerings every year. We also discuss the selling of miracles and the strategies toxic churches use to get church members to give sacrificially beyond what they can afford. We also arm you with questions to ask to know whether your church can be trusted financially and to help you know whether an offering is legit or a scam. This video is NOT for the faint of heart. It IS for those who want the TRUTH and want to see the church be better. THANK YOU to our podcast partner, The Forgiveness Link!!! Schedule your free consultation with Rob here and let him know we sent you to get a special Church Disrupted rate! https://theforgivenesslink.com/churchdisruptedcommunity ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU to the East TN Mentorship Association! Find out more information about what they do or connect with them at https://earnyoursanctuary.com/ . TELL THEM WE SENT YOU for a special rate that is ONLY for Church Disrupted Podcast listeners. Find out MORE about our podcast partners here: https://www.disrupted.church/sponsors. Want to support Church Disrupted financially? https://www.disrupted.church/give Find out more about the Church Disrupted Podcast at https://www.disrupted.church/. Please Subscribe and Share! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro 02:54 - Two Haunting Questions 04:20 - The C3 Miracle Offering SCAM 11:29 - Partner Spotlight and Thank You's 13:55 - Miracle Offering Audio Clips 36:51 - Evangelicalism Sells Miracles 41:03 - Miracle Offering SEASON 49:55 - Subtle Manipulation Tactics (Steven Furtick) 55:24 - Hidden Manipulation Language (Chris Hodges Sermon) 1:26:56 - Sowing Seed to Reap a Miracle 1:29:44 -The Prosperity Gospel 1:39:19 - Modern-Day Indulgences 1:45:20 - A Twisted Offering Theology 1:54:32 - The Hypocrisy of Church Debt 1:55:48 - The Miracle Offering Playbook 2:00:00 - Where the Money Really Goes 2:15:04 - Piles of Cash and Financial Statements 2:20:36 - Money Manipulation Systems 2:31:17 - Churches Doing it RIGHT!!! 2:32:52 - The Celebrity Preacher SCAM 2:39:30 - Blank Envelopes and Fake Offerings 2:41:22 - Good Questions to Ask

Church is supposed to be a place where we come to connect with God and other believers. But sometimes, church can be a scary place, especially if you've been through church hurt or spiritual abuse before. In this episode of the Church Disrupted Podcast, we highlight what healthy pastors and healthy churches look like. We also talk about signs of a safe and healthy church that you can look for when re-engaging with the church after church hurt. If you've experienced religious trauma, know you are not alone. But also know that there are really good and healthy churches out there. Our prayer is this episode helps you find one. And for pastors, we hope this video helps you become a healthier leader and build safe churches. Also, happy pastor's appreciation month to the loving shepherds out there! THANK YOU to our podcast partner, The Forgiveness Link!!! Schedule your free consultation with Rob here and let him know we sent you to get a special Church Disrupted rate! https://theforgivenesslink.com/churchdisruptedcommunity ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU to the East TN Mentorship Association! Find out more information about what they do or connect with them at https://earnyoursanctuary.com/ . TELL THEM WE SENT YOU for a special rate that is ONLY for Church Disrupted Podcast listeners. Find out MORE about our podcast partners here: https://www.disrupted.church/sponsors. Want to support Church Disrupted financially? https://www.disrupted.church/give Find out more about the Church Disrupted Podcast at https://www.disrupted.church/. Please Subscribe and Share! Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/church_disrupted Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeff.a.cochran TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro 02:00 - Why we are talking about this topic 03:55 - The GOOD We are seeing in the Church 05:31 - When the Pastor gets to know you 10:50 - Pastoring is About Being with People 13:10 - Authenticity and Vulnerability 14:43 - Highling Podcast Partners 17:12 - Pastors who apologize and call their own fouls 21:54 - When Pastors are REAL 23:06 - Dealing with Church Hurt Triggers 24:21 - True Pastoral Care 33:31 - Encouragements for Pastors who want to lead well 40:11 - When Churches get it right 43:29 - Volunteering and Money Issues 51:02 - The Power of Seeing People 54:19 - Final words for pastors and churches 01:01:33 - Conclusion and Outro

If you've ever struggled to make sense of the bible, understand certain scriptures, or have been confused about how to apply the Bible to modern cultural issues, this episode is for you! In today's episode of the Church Disrupted podcast, we're gonna take a look at a way that you can approach and study the Bible that will always allow you to understand it better, even when you're confused. More importantly, it will always allow you to look, live, and love like Jesus to the world around you. So, anytime you come to something that confuses you about scripture, or you run into something in the world, and you're not sure how to apply scripture, this approach is going to help. In episode 11 of the Church Disrupted podcast, Jeff Cochran, Buck Fleming, and Shawn Reece discuss a new hermeneutic that is powerful and transformative! THANK YOU to our podcast partner, The Forgiveness Link!!! Schedule your free consultation with Rob here and let him know we sent you to get a special Church Disrupted rate! https://theforgivenesslink.com/churchdisruptedcommunity ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU to the East TN Mentorship Association! Find out more information about what they do or connect with them at https://earnyoursanctuary.com/ . TELL THEM WE SENT YOU for a special rate that is ONLY for Church Disrupted Podcast listeners. Find out MORE about our podcast partners here: https://www.disrupted.church/sponsors. Want to support Church Disrupted financially? https://www.disrupted.church/give Find out more about the Church Disrupted Podcast at https://www.disrupted.church/. Please Subscribe and Share! Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/church_disrupted Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeff.a.cochran TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro 02:14 - Recapping Last Episode & Setting the Table 05:42 - What Excites Us About This Episode 08:57 - Partner Spotlight! 11:51 - Hypocrites and Biblical Paradoxes 15:18 - A New Hermeneutic 31:34 - Before we can love others, we have to love ourselves 34:56 - The Log and the Speck Issue 41:03 - How you talk to yourself matters 44:38 -Continuing the New Hermeneutic 57:47 - Truth in love and close enough to correct 01:13:00 - Engaging the Great Commission 01:23:54 - The Fruit of the Spirit 01:32:37 - Final Thoughts 01:36:27 - Outro

Have you ever run into what seemed like a contradiction in the Bible? You know where you got one verse that feels like it says one thing and another verse that feels like it says something completely different? Or have you encountered anything in our current culture and had difficulty figuring out what the Bible had to say about it? If you've ever had either of those experiences, then this podcast is for you. On this episode of the Church Disrupted Podcast, we start a two-part conversation about how to live out a black-and-white Bible in a gray world. THANK YOU to our podcast partner, The Forgiveness Link!!! Schedule your free consultation with Rob here and let him know we sent you to get a special Church Disrupted rate! https://theforgivenesslink.com/churchdisruptedcommunity ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU to the East TN Mentorship Association! Find out more information about what they do or connect with them at https://earnyoursanctuary.com/ . TELL THEM WE SENT YOU for a special rate that is ONLY for Church Disrupted Podcast listeners. Find out MORE about our podcast partners here: https://www.disrupted.church/sponsors. Want to support Church Disrupted financially? https://www.disrupted.church/give Find out more about the Church Disrupted Podcast at https://www.disrupted.church/. Please Subscribe and Share! Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/church_disrupted Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeff.a.cochran

Talk about the multisite Mega Church and you will get A LOT of STRONG opinions. Some think the multisite mega church is a scam. Others think it is great. Some think the mega church is evil, while others love it and believe it's the answer to growing the church in North America. A bevy of recent mega church scandals have only added to the confusion and frustration. In this episode of the Church Disrupted Podcast, Jeff Cochran and Vicki May take a deep dive look into the good, bad, and ugly of the multi-site megachurch and discuss what they see happening with this movement in the future. THANK YOU to our podcast partner, The Forgiveness Link!!! Schedule your free consultation with Rob here and let him know we sent you to get a special Church Disrupted rate! https://theforgivenesslink.com/churchdisruptedcommunity ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU to the East TN Mentorship Association! Find out more information about what they do or connect with them at https://earnyoursanctuary.com/ . TELL THEM WE SENT YOU for a special rate that is ONLY for Church Disrupted Podcast listeners. Find out MORE about our podcast partners here: https://www.disrupted.church/sponsors. Want to support Church Disrupted financially? https://www.disrupted.church/give Find out more about the Church Disrupted Podcast at https://www.disrupted.church/. Please Subscribe and Share! Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/church_disrupted Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeff.a.cochran TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro 01:56 - Thank You's! 03:10 - What is the Multisite Mega Church? 05:45 - How the Multisite Mega Church took root in North America 10:58 - Common Ways People think about the Mega Church 12:11 - Thanking Our Podcast Partners! 15:01 - Common Ways People think about the Mega Church (Continued) 20:25 - Pastoral Care and Volunteer Burnout Concerns 25:11 - The unintended consequence of the multisite mega church 36:44 - How MEGA is the Multisite Mega Church (discipleship concerns in big churches) 52:32 - A cookie cutter approach, performing over preaching, and ghostwritten sermons 01:04:57 - Good things we see in the Multisite Mega Church 01:10:04 - Our Big Concerns About the Multisite Mega Church Today 01:29:14 - Mean and Arrogant Christian Responses To church hurt, spiritual abuse, and sin in the church. 01:37:21 - Financial Concerns in the Multisite Mega Church 01:41:51 - Our BIGGEST CONCERN with the MultiSite Mega Church! 01:48:30 - The Political Entanglement Problem 01:50:24 - Diversity issues in the mega church 01:52:37 - Celebrity culture in the multisite mega church 01:56:18 - Thinking about the Future of the Church 02:02:44 - Leaving with both Hope an Trepidation... 02:05:02 - Is the Multisite Mega Church a Failed Experiment? (Our Answer)

There's a reason you should not trust your pastor, and it's Biblical! Unfortunately, most Christians are unaware of this and believe they are supposed to trust their pastor implicitly. Many Christians today falsely believe it's dishonoring to ask your pastor questions. Unfortunately, that viewpoint couldn't be farther from Biblical truth! The truth is you can question on your pastor and show more honor by doing so! In this episode of the Church Disrupted Podcast, Jeff Cochran, Shawn Reece, and Buck Flemming dive into this topic and show you why not trusting your pastor is actually a good and godly thing! When we learn this, church hurt, and spiritual abuse will decrease sharply in the church! So, if you're tired of church hurt, spiritual abuse, manipulative leaders, narcissism in the church, and moral scandals in the news from prominent Christian leaders, then this episode is for you. Give it a listen, and you will leave better and better equipped. THANK YOU to our podcast partner, The Forgiveness Link!!! Schedule your free consultation with Rob here and let him know we sent you to get a special Church Disrupted rate! https://theforgivenesslink.com/churchdisruptedcommunity ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU to the East TN Mentorship Association! Find out more information about what they do or connect with them at https://earnyoursanctuary.com/ . TELL THEM WE SENT YOU for a special rate that is ONLY for Church Disrupted Podcast listeners. Find out MORE about our podcast partners here: https://www.disrupted.church/sponsors. Want to support Church Disrupted financially? https://www.disrupted.church/give Find out more about the Church Disrupted Podcast at https://www.disrupted.church/. Please Subscribe and Share! Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/church_disrupted Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeff.a.cochran

People today have A LOT of opinions of the Church; unfortunately, most are not very good. WHY?! Culture has a negative view of the church because we are missing something vital! And what we are missing might surprise you. The good news is that what the church is missing is easy to find and put into practice. It just takes intentionality and commitment. Sadly, without it, we are in trouble. In this episode of the Church Disrupted podcast, Jeff Cochran and the crew discuss the one thing that the American Church needs most if we are going to reach this generation. You will laugh, you will be surprised, and you will be challenged to think differently. If that sounds good to you, then join us for episode 007 of the Church Disrupted Podcast! THANK YOU to our podcast partner The Forgiveness Link!!! Schedule your free consultation with Rob here and let him know we sent you to get a special Church Disrupted rate! https://theforgivenesslink.com/churchdisruptedcommunity ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU to the East TN Mentorship Association! Find out more information about what they do or connect with them at https://earnyoursanctuary.com/ . TELL THEM WE SENT YOU for a special rate that is ONLY for Church Disrupted Podcast listeners. Find out MORE about our podcast partners here: https://www.disrupted.church/sponsors. Want to support Church Disrupted financially? https://www.disrupted.church/give Find out more about the Church Disrupted Podcast at https://www.disrupted.church/. Please Subscribe and Share! Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/church_disrupted Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeff.a.cochran TIMESTAMPS: 00:00- Intro 02:44 - Thank You's and Shout Outs 09:10 - Introducing the HOT Church Concept! 10:41 - Why HOT Matters 24:00 - Why Pastors and Church leaders struggle to stay HOT 41:09 - Where Pastors and Church leaders struggle with honesty, openness, and transparency 1:21:54 - Weaponizing Scripture 1:29:17 - Why the Church needs more HOT people in the the pews 1:37:27 - A HOT pastor example and Thanking Church leaders who fight for honesty 1:39:40 - A message to those out of church right now 1:40:22 - Modeling HOT Church leadership 1:42:44 - When Fear of being Cancelled keeps us from being HOT 1:47:43 - The Only Opinions that Matter 1:48:54 - Landing the plane and closing thoughts from the hosts

In Episode 006 of the Church Disrupted Podcast, we expose the common lies that people believe about church hurt and spiritual abuse. These lies keep us stuck in the cycle of abuse and unable to heal or move forward. The truth is we need to recognize these lies before we can begin moving toward healing. We also highlight the difference between church hurt and spiritual abuse, and how both can have a significant impact on individuals. We show you how to get support and also mention a couple of organizations that can provide assistance in your healing process. The episode aims to provide validation and support for those who have experienced church hurt and spiritual abuse, and we do our best to create awareness about the importance of addressing these often overlooked issues within the church community. THANK YOU to our podcast partner The Forgiveness Link!!! Schedule your free consultation with Rob here and let him know we sent you to get a special Church Disrupted rate! https://theforgivenesslink.com/churchdisruptedcommunity ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU to the East TN Mentorship Association! Find out more information about what they do or connect with them at https://earnyoursanctuary.com/ . TELL THEM WE SENT YOU for a special rate that is ONLY for Church Disrupted Podcast listeners. Find out MORE about our podcast partners here: https://www.disrupted.church/sponsors. Want to support Church Disrupted financially? https://www.disrupted.church/give Find out more about the Church Disrupted Podcast at https://www.disrupted.church/. Please Subscribe and Share! Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/church_disrupted Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeff.a.cochran #church #bethechurch #lovelikejesus #godschurch #thebrideofjesus #churchhurt #SpiritualAbuse #HidingHurts #SpeakUp #BreakTheSilence #ProtectTheInnocent #HealingJourney #AuthenticConversations #CommunitySupport #FindYourVoice #ChurchDisrupted #Podcast #christian #christianity #religioustrauma #honestyheals #thebrideofchrist #brideofchrist #jesus #whenchurchworks

The Church is NOT a building. It's NOT an event. And it's DEFINITELY NOT an organization or business. The Church IS the people of God! And when the real Church shows up, there's no greater force for good in the world. Sadly, though, most people think of things like politics, judgment, big organizations, manipulation, and abuse when they think of the church. These bad actors are giving a bad name to Christians everywhere and harming the reputation of God's church and Christianity in culture. In episode 005 of the Church Disrupted Podcast, we share stories about the Real Church stepping up and loving like Jesus. We celebrate God's people and the difference the Church can make when we walk in love. The only question is, will you be part of the Real Church going forward? Our prayer is that you say YES! THANK YOU to our podcast partner The Forgiveness Link!!! Schedule your free consultation with Rob here and let him know we sent you to get a special Church Disrupted rate! https://theforgivenesslink.com/churchdisruptedcommunity ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU to the East TN Mentorship Association! Find out more information about what they do or connect with them at https://earnyoursanctuary.com/ . TELL THEM WE SENT YOU for a special rate that is ONLY for Church Disrupted Podcast listeners. Find out MORE about our podcast partners here: https://www.disrupted.church/sponsors. Want to support Church Disrupted financially? https://www.disrupted.church/give Find out more about the Church Disrupted Podcast at https://www.disrupted.church/. Please Subscribe and Share! Follow us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/church_disrupted Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeff.a.cochran #church #bethechurch #lovelikejesus #godschurch #thebrideofjesus #churchhurt #SpiritualAbuse #HidingHurts #SpeakUp #BreakTheSilence #ProtectTheInnocent #HealingJourney #AuthenticConversations #CommunitySupport #FindYourVoice #ChurchDisrupted #Podcast #christian #christianity #religioustrauma #honestyheals #thebrideofchrist #brideofchrist #jesus #whenchurchworks