Welcome to another “What Would You Do?” episode! Recently, we asked you listeners to send in scenarios for the show, and you sent in some great ones! What would you do if you were at an ecumenical event and unbiblical things started happening? What would you do if your puppy’s barking made your neighbor mad? We’ll tell what we would do, but what would YOU do? Listen in and play along!
Every once in a while Amy and Michelle share a much-needed discernment conversation we think would edify you in your walk with Christ. Amy recently sat down with our good friend Dave Jenkins on his podcast called Contending for the Word to talk about 5 reasons why your church should not be bringing in worship music from what we call the top 3: Bethel Church, Hillsong, and Elevation. We hope you enjoy it!
What You’ll Hear on This Episode
Statistics on much money Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation Music make.
The influence of Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation Music.
How the music of Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation Music emotionally manipulate people.
Five reasons why Christians and local churches should stop singing Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation Music.
Examples of the false teaching of Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation.
Biblical reasons why the source of our worship music matters.
Why Christians should be concerned about listening to the music of Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation Music.
How Christians should speak to their pastor about their concerns with Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation Music.
It’s just a few weeks away! No matter where you live, these upcoming winter months remind us that preparing for whatever comes our way in the freezing months ahead is a good thing. Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in preparedness that it can become an idol. We have a God whose plans, whose providence, whose will is not going to be thwarted. Enjoy this throwback episode from a winter past…
In this episode we are covering a very important discernment discussion on a popular couple who is deceiving so many people around the world. Their names are John and Lisa Bevere, and Michelle Lesley recently sat down with our good friend Dave Jenkins on his podcast called Contending for the Word to talk about why you shouldn’t be following these false teachers. Dave has graciously allowed us to bring this episode to our audience because many women follow the Beveres.
What You’ll Hear on This Episode
Concerns about John’s understanding of biblical repentance
What biblical repentance entails and means for the non-Christian and the Christian.
The dangers of deliverance ministry and why this teaching is so concerning.
The dangers of “legal rights” and the security the Christian has because of Christ.
If you thought we were going to be talking about the Doctrines of Grace, we’re sorry to disappoint you, but that’s not the kind of election and choosing we’re going to be discussing today. With the 2024 Presidential election just days away, we’re going to talk about the freedom we have in America to choose our President and other governmental leaders. We’ll talk about voting, the election, the candidates, and a Christian response no matter who wins on November 5.
If you’re a faithful listener to A Word Fitly Spoken, you’ve probably heard us say that churches shouldn’t use music from Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation for their worship services. But do you understand why? Today, we’d like to give you some information that will help you – and hopefully, your pastors – understand.
Resources:
(Click each link for even more resources)
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
Thank you, bless you and Walk Worthy!
A Word Fitly Spoken
Discord: Why Your Church Should Reject Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation Music
Recently, Michelle was a guest on The Plumb Line radio show with Jay Rudolph, where they talked about prayer, false doctrine about prayer, and what the Bible really teaches. Listen in!
Welcome to the final episode of our 3 part series on Dying, Death, and Funerals. Death is a subject most people usually try to avoid, but, as Christians, we want to be sure we’re thinking biblically about it, and that we keep our focus on our hope in Christ. Today, our final episode is a Glad You Asked episode answering your questions about dying, death, and funerals.
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
Today, we’re pausing from our 3 episode series, “Dying, Death, and Funerals” to address another sad topic: What happens when a pastor falls into sin? What does it mean? What is the biblical way to respond? Let’s go to Scripture and find out.
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
Welcome to part 2 of our 3 part series on Dying, Death, and Funerals. Death can be a scary, painful thing, but it’s our desire that this series will remind you of the hope we have in Christ. Today, we’re going to talk about how to handle some of the practicalities of death and funerals, plus some thoughts on ministering to the bereaved. And, of course, as Christians, the Bible will also inform how we handle those practical details.
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
Today, we’re embarking on a 3 episode series talking about a subject a lot of people don’t like to talk about: death. It’s sad, it can be scary and physically painful, and it’s permanent, but it’s important for Christians to have a biblical perspective on death. In part 1, we’re going to look at what the Bible says about death, what we should believe about death, and how to biblically navigate some issues surrounding death that the Bible doesn’t talk about.
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
It’s been a half decade since we aired our very first podcast episode, and today, more than 200 episodes later, we’re reflecting on what we’ve learned and which episodes have meant the most to us. We’ve narrowed those favorite episodes down to five apiece, and we’re going to share a little bit about each one and why they’re our favorites. You can listen to all of our episodes by clicking on the Recent Episodes tab and then clicking “Play from the Beginning.” Thanks for being a part of our ministry!
We are excited to start a whole new season of our podcast! After taking a few months off over the summer to rest and refocus, Michelle and Amy share what they’ve been up to since we last gathered. As for what’s ahead, we’re rolling up our sleeves to create new episodes featuring Bible-based views of this world, topics that affect our lives, and ways that we can reflect Christ and grow in holiness and discernment.
Thoughts on this episode? Leave us your comments below.
Ready for a new season of A Word Fitly Spoken? We’ve got a little “appetizer” for you as we work hard behind the scenes to “cook up” some brand new episodes. Over the summer, Michelle was a guest on the Contending for the Word podcast with Dave Jenkins. Listen in as they discuss some issues with The Gospel Coalition, Lifeway Women, and more!
Amy and Michelle wrap up this season of a Word Fitly Spoken by sharing some personal thoughts we hope will edify you in your walk with Jesus. We’ve both been navigating some seasons in our life that we thought we’d share, and how we’ve been going to God’s Word to share what Scripture has to say about the joys and the trials of walking worthy.
Note: We are once again taking a break from podcasting for this summer to rest in the Lord and focus on family priorities. We hope you enjoy some of our many older podcasts here. We will also post on our social media if you would like to keep in touch. We are planning to return to producing new episodes for you in late August.
Love in Christ,
Amy and Michelle
(No transcript today – except on our YouTube channel which generates transcripts of all of our podcasts)
Here’s part 2 of our discussion with Pastor Gabe Hughes on our Glad You Asked episode on The Chosen. (Did you miss Part 1 of our interview? LISTEN HERE.)
In 2021, we ran a three episode series reviewing seasons 1 and 2 of The Chosen, and we thought it was time for a little update. We’ve answered lots of questions about The Chosen on our show in the last few years, and so has Pastor Gabe, on Q&A episodes of his podcast, When We Understand the Text. So we thought he would be the perfect guest to help us answer all your questions about The Chosen.
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
Thank you, bless you and Walk Worthy!
A Word Fitly Spoken
Glad You Asked: "The Chosen" with Pastor Gabe Hughes- part 2
The topic of today’s Glad You Asked episode is The Chosen. In 2021, we ran a three episode series reviewing seasons 1 and 2 of The Chosen, and we thought it was time for a little update. We’ve answered lots of questions about The Chosen on our show in the last few years, and so has Pastor Gabe Hughes, on Q&A episodes of his podcast, When We Understand the Text. So we thought he would be the perfect guest to help us answer all your questions about The Chosen. Here’s part 1 of our discussion with Pastor Gabe.
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
Thank you, bless you and Walk Worthy!
A Word Fitly Spoken
Glad You Asked: "The Chosen" with Pastor Gabe Hughes- part 1
What is holiness, and what can the Bible teach us about how to walk out holiness in our day to day lives? In this episode, we’ll be taking a look at several “sisters from Scripture” who have set a good example of various aspects of holiness for us. We want to be sure that we’re learning from their example, and setting a good example of holiness for one another today.
Resources
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
We see these pseudo-Christian events and movements all the time: Asbury, Bethel, the Enneagram, IF:Gathering, ReVoice… and on and on it goes. And many of the same Scriptures are trotted out and twisted mercilessly to defend them.
These Scriptures and principles could be applied to a number of things past and present, and they will surely be pulled out and dusted off the next time a so called “Christian” event, idea, or fad pops up, so let’s take a look at them and untangle them so we’ll all be ready to explain what Scripture really says. Because the next “Asbury” – or something like it – is right around the corner.
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
On this throwback episode of A Word Fitly Spoken, Amy and Michelle are covering a topic that’s a little sensitive – pornography – and even though we’re not going to be graphic in any way, this episode might be one you’d rather listen to without the kids around.
Pornography is such a plague on society in general, and, unfortunately, even Christian men and women have been tempted into using it. What can you do if your spouse is addicted to these images, or is having an emotional affair? What if you’re the one who is caught in the snare of sexual immorality?
As always, we’ll be looking first and foremost at what the Bible has to say, since the Bible is our authority as Christians.
It’s time for another great episode of hearing from our listeners and answering your insightful questions in part 2 of this two part Glad You Asked addressing questions of discernment.
Help! The speaker for our women’s conference works for TGC.
Bringing The Chosen into the church?
My friend says her favorite false teacher “loves Jesus” as much as we do. What do I say?
Should I stop following Daily Grace Co.?
Thoughts on Greg Laurie?
Should I attend a funeral at a cultic “church”?
How do I approach a loved one about the false teacher/doctrine she’s following without offending her?
How do I approach my church leaders about the false teacher/doctrine they’re allowing in our church?
How can I vet a teacher to see if she’s a false teacher?
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
It’s time for another great episode of hearing from our listeners and answering your insightful questions in this two part Glad You Asked addressing questions of discernment. In Part 1, we kick things off by looking at some of the Scriptures that deal with discernment, then it’s on to your questions!
What is the gift of “discerning spirits” and how can we exercise it objectively?
Help! My church uses music from heretical sources!
The women’s ministry at the church I’m attending uses materials by false teachers. What should I do?
I lead a women’s Bible study at my church. What do I do when I’m told that I can only use studies from LifeWay?
My church hired a women’s ministry director who was previously the Women’s Ministry Specialist at Lifeway. What should I be on the lookout for?
Is flag dancing/waving in worship biblical?
How do you discern between the voice of the Holy Spirit and the voice of your own ego?
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
Easter, or Resurrection Sunday, if you prefer, is upon us. It’s all about the resurrection of Christ from the dead. But, as you know, there’s no resurrection without a crucifixion. Jesus had to lay down His life before He could take it up again. And that’s what we’re talking about in this episode as we approach Easter – Jesus’ suffering, or “passion” as it’s sometimes called, and His death, burial, and resurrection.
Welcome to part 3 of our 3-part series on growing older. We asked you to send us your comments and feedback on parts 1 and 2, and you graciously took the time to share your thoughts with us so we could share your wisdom and insight with all of our listeners tonight in part 3. We certainly don’t have all the answers, so we appreciate your chiming in and offering your wisdom.
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
Welcome to part 2 of our 3-part series on growing older. There’s all kinds of advice out there for how to be a godly wife and how to raise your children. But rarely do you hear anything about how becoming a widow changes your life and your identity, or how much it will change your life when your children grow up and leave home, or what it’s like to grow older as a single woman. Aging really is a huge adjustment to a new season of life. In this episode we’ll be talking about some of the practical aspects of growing older.
What did you think of parts 1 & 2? In part 3, we’ll be reading your responses and thoughts, so please be sure to comment on this episode or our social media pages!
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
Tonight begins a three part series on a topic that, unfortunately, isn’t talked about very much in the church: aging. What it’s like to grow older as a godly woman. Tonight, in part 1, we’re going to take a look at what Scripture says about aging. What does Scripture tell us to think about aging and to do as we age? Grab your Bible and let’s study these passages together.
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
This week, we’ve got a new feature for you that we hope you’ll love as much as our other features. We’re calling this one Potluck. And on these episodes, we’re going to cover biblical mini-topics that aren’t really long enough for their own, individual episodes, and don’t fit into any of our other features. Join us as we discuss discernment, accountability, discipleship materials for teens, Ecclesiastes, and more!
Bible Studies– Michelle Lesley- Discipleship for Christian Women
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
What happens when speakers add their own opinions and worldly cultural influences to the Word of God? The examples we are sharing are not from Word of Faith or New Apostolic Reformation services, but from the other end of the spectrum – the Progressive Christianity movement. Join us as we “talk back” to the Progressives with what the Bible really says.
Andy Stanley– Michelle Lesley- Discipleship for Christian Women
(Tran)Script (For a more accurate transcript, locate this episode on our YouTube channel and click the “show transcript” button in the info. box under the video.)
Hollywood marriages last about as long as peanut butter cups in a bowl full of raisins. Not much of a shelf life, and not based on Christ.
The Bible has a lot to say about what “real” marriages look like. With more than 60 years of marriage experience between them, Michelle and Amy discuss biblical love and godly marriages, and what they’ve learned, in this sweet throwback episode.
Last October, LifeWay Research released a study called The State of Ministry to Women. They surveyed 1,000 female churchgoers and 842 women’s ministry leaders “aiming to assess the state of women’s ministry, with a focus on acknowledging progress and identifying areas for further development.”
In part 1 of this episode of The Pew, we discussed the results of the survey of the women’s ministry leaders. Tonight, in part 2, we’re going to take a look at the results of the survey that was administered to the women churchgoers.
In this episode of Talk Back, we discuss the brouhaha over Alistair Begg’s counsel to a grandmother about attending her grandchild’s “wedding”. What does the Bible have to say about sexual immorality and a pastor’s responsibility to teach and counsel according to sound doctrine?
Last October, LifeWay Research released a study called The State of Ministry to Women. They surveyed 1,000 female churchgoers and 842 women’s ministry leaders “aiming to assess the state of women’s ministry, with a focus on acknowledging progress and identifying areas for further development.”
Tonight, we’re going to take a look at the results of the survey that was administered to the women’s ministry leaders. In part 2 of this episode of The Pew, we’ll discuss the results of the survey of the women churchgoers.
Lots of people make New Year’s resolutions that tend to fizzle out within a few weeks or months. Instead, we want to introduce to you some holy habits you can integrate into your walk with the Lord. Last year’s holy habits were more about private sanctification in our own one on one relationship with Christ. This year’s habits are more outwardly focused on ministering to others. And one of the holy habits we want to encourage you to consider “doing” this year is abortion abolition.
We’re taking you way back into our archives today while Amy and Michelle attend to family matters. We think you’ll really like this episode from October 2019, as it’s one of our most popular episodes of all time:
Over the last few episodes, we’ve been talking about the topic of discernment – how to handle things when we encounter false teachers and false doctrine.
In our “Doing Discernment” episode, we took a look at how to determine if a teacher is trustworthy and whether or not you should be following him or her. In our “Words with Friends: How to contend with loved ones” episode, we talked about how to approach and gently warn a friend who’s following a false teacher.
But what about when false teachers or false doctrine impacts your church? What’s the right and biblical way to address it? Michelle and Amy discuss how to talk to your church leaders about false teachers.
Lots of people make New Year’s resolutions that tend to fizzle out within a few weeks or months. Instead, we want to introduce to you some holy habits you can integrate into your walk with the Lord. Last year’s holy habits were more about private sanctification in our own one on one relationship with Christ. This year’s habits are more outwardly focused on ministering to others. And one of the holy habits we want to encourage you to consider “doing” this year is biblical counseling.
Enjoy this throwback episode about New Year’s Resolutions! We usually don’t make resolutions, BUT, just for fun, we thought we’d share some resolutions we wish some of the celebrity teachers would make for 2024! As Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” We hope you enjoy the humor in these in-jest resolutions.
When it comes to Christmas music, there are some songs we absolutely love … and others …eh… not so much. So this week, we thought we would share with you a few of our favorite Christmas carols and songs, and some we’d really rather do without. Merry Christmas!
The biblical story of Jesus’ birth would look and sound – and be – very different without the important role godly women played in welcoming our incarnate Savior to earth. Tonight, we’re going to open up our Bibles and take a look at the women of the very first Christmas story – Elizabeth, Anna, and Mary – and their example to us as Christian women.
It’s time for another great episode of What Would You Do, with scenarios sent in by you, our listeners! Listen in, play along, and let us know what you would do in each of these situations.
We recently aired an interview about extra-biblical revelation: “God Doesn’t Whisper, with Jim Osman”. Many of you commented and shared how the teaching that we must hear God’s voice did a great deal of harm to your understanding of His nature. In this episode, we want to share those testimonies from our listeners, and why we need to have a scriptural understanding of how God does – and does not – speak to His children.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to weep, and a time to laugh. Ecclesiastes 3:1,4a
Today, we’re talking about joy, laughter, cheerfulness, and humor in the church and in the Christian life with our friend, Keith Foskey. Listen and smile!
Today, we’re talking about the very important topic of extra-biblical revelation – the idea of God talking to us outside the pages of Scripture. And we’ve got a friend with us who literally wrote the book on it, Pastor Jim Osman. Jim’s excellent book on extra-biblical revelation is called God Doesn’t Whisper, and he’s going to help us understand why this teaching that God speaks to us outside of Scripture is not just extra-biblical, but unbiblical. Listen all the way to the end- we have a giveaway for you!
We all get angry from time to time, and for most of us, our anger is usually sinful. But some Christians don’t realize that not all anger is sinful. This can be especially challenging for Christian women. Let’s take a look at anger, and what the Bible has to say about it.
BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) is a parachurch Bible study ministry with local study groups all over the world. BSF has long been considered by many to be solid and biblical, but over the last several years a number of red flags have been raised. Lara Swanson saw many of those red flags, which led to her leaving her position with BSF. Tonight, she’s here to share her story with you.
It is so great to be back with all of you! Thank you for your patience while we took a much needed break over the summer. We have been hard at work recording a lot of great episodes that are coming your way this fall, including some fantastic interviews with special guests that we can’t wait for you to hear. But first, we wanted to catch you up on what we’ve been doing all summer. Here’s part 2 of How We Spent Our Summer Vacation!
It is so great to be back with all of you! Thank you for your patience while we took a much needed break over the summer. We have been hard at work recording a lot of great episodes that are coming your way this fall, including some fantastic interviews with special guests that we can’t wait for you to hear. But first, we wanted to catch you up on what we’ve been doing all summer. Here’s part 1 of How We Spent Our Summer Vacation!
Normally when we’re preparing for a Glad You Asked episode, we’ll take to social media and ask you to send us your questions. And, normally, we receive far more excellent questions than we’re able to answer in one episode. So this episode of Glad You Asked is from the leftover questions file!
Women giving the children’s sermon
Friendships with lost people
Responding to false doctrine in a parachurch ministry
Women pastors. Sexual abuse. Homosexuality in the church. The SBC annual meeting is right around the corner, and with these and other serious issues looming, biblical, convictional leadership is more important than ever. In this bonus episode of A Word Fitly Spoken, Michelle sits down with SBC presidential candidate, Pastor Mike Stone, to discuss the issues and his vision for a biblical path forward.