Shows
Christianity Without Compromise: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture WarsCreating A Healthy Church - Ft. David Ruybalid, Traci Rhoades, Scot Loyd, and Christy Lynne WoodBig budgets, charismatic leaders, and polished worship can hide deep dysfunction. In this roundtable episode, four past guests return to Christianity Without Compromise to ask what’s gone so wrong in today’s churches—and what true spiritual health might look like. Christy Lynne Wood, author and ex-Gothardite, shares how toxic religion led her to find a real Jesus outside legalism. Oral historian and former pastor Scot Loyd breaks down how American entrepreneurialism and church growth strategies helped cultivate a narcissistic leadership class. Traci Rhoades, writer and Christian unity advocate, reflects on the noisy demands of evangelicalism and her journe...
2025-09-301h 04Christianity Without Compromise: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture WarsCreating A Healthy Church - Ft. David Ruybalid, Traci Rhoades, Scot Loyd, and Christy Lynne WoodBig budgets, charismatic leaders, and polished worship can hide deep dysfunction. In this roundtable episode, four past guests return to Christianity Without Compromise to ask what’s gone so wrong in today’s churches—and what true spiritual health might look like. Christy Lynne Wood, author and ex-Gothardite, shares how toxic religion led her to find a real Jesus outside legalism. Oral historian and former pastor Scot Loyd breaks down how American entrepreneurialism and church growth strategies helped cultivate a narcissistic leadership class. Traci Rhoades, writer and Christian unity advocate, reflects on the noisy demands of evangelicalism and her journe...
2025-09-301h 04
Christianity Without Compromise: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture WarsWhat Church Practices Are REALLY Teaching - Jake DoberenzJake Doberenz, host of Christianity Without Compromise, explains how every element of church life—from stage lighting to service structure—communicates theology, often more powerfully than sermons do. Drawing on insights from communication studies and the work of Christian philosopher James K.A. Smith, Jake challenges listeners to audit their own church environments for the messages they unintentionally send. Key takeaways from this episode:Everything is liturgy: Every repeated action or structure in a church service—from seating arrangement to event schedules—communicates a theological message.Unintentional formation is still formation: Many churches unknowin...
2025-08-2632 minChristianity Without Compromise: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture WarsWhat Church Practices Are REALLY Teaching - Jake DoberenzJake Doberenz, host of Christianity Without Compromise, explains how every element of church life—from stage lighting to service structure—communicates theology, often more powerfully than sermons do. Drawing on insights from communication studies and the work of Christian philosopher James K.A. Smith, Jake challenges listeners to audit their own church environments for the messages they unintentionally send. Key takeaways from this episode:Everything is liturgy: Every repeated action or structure in a church service—from seating arrangement to event schedules—communicates a theological message.Unintentional formation is still formation: Many churches...
2025-08-2632 minChristianity Without Compromise: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture WarsReligious Certainty and Being the Only Ones Saved - Scot LoydWhat if we’re not the only true Christians?Scot Loyd, pastor, evangelist, and college professor turned oral historian, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss the idol of religious certainty. Scot recounts growing up in the United Pentecostal Church, where strict behavioral codes and exclusivity shaped his understanding of God and community. He explains how certainty, especially the conviction of being the sole “true” group, fosters pride, insecurity, and transactional relationships—both with people and with God. Drawing from his journey away from high-control religion, Scot unpacks the historical and cultural forces that mak...
2025-08-1248 minChristianity Without Compromise: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture WarsReligious Certainty and Being the Only Ones Saved - Scot LoydWhat if we’re not the only true Christians? Scot Loyd, pastor, evangelist, and college professor turned oral historian, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss the idol of religious certainty. Scot recounts growing up in the United Pentecostal Church, where strict behavioral codes and exclusivity shaped his understanding of God and community. He explains how certainty, especially the conviction of being the sole “true” group, fosters pride, insecurity, and transactional relationships—both with people and with God. Drawing from his journey away from high-control religion, Scot unpacks the historical and cultural forces that make certaint...
2025-08-1248 minChristianity Without Compromise: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture WarsHow Church Culture Can Turn Leaders Into Idols - David RuybalidDavid Ruybalid, trauma-informed pastor, writer, and co-founder of the Religious Trauma Network, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how American churches elevate leaders and impact to unhealthy levels. Ruybalid unpacks the historical roots of this mindset, describing the term “institutional Messiah” to note how churches often protect their platforms and leaders at the expense of the vulnerable. He explains how leadership principles imported from the corporate world have shaped toxic church cultures, why efficiency and measurable success are poor Christian metrics, and how trauma-informed practices can help create safer, more Jesus-centered communities. Key...
2025-06-1040 minChristianity Without Compromise: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture WarsHow Church Culture Can Turn Leaders Into Idols - David RuybalidDavid Ruybalid, trauma-informed pastor, writer, and co-founder of the Religious Trauma Network, is on Christianity Without Compromise with host Jake Doberenz to discuss how American churches elevate leaders and impact to unhealthy levels. Ruybalid unpacks the historical roots of this mindset, describing the term “institutional Messiah” to note how churches often protect their platforms and leaders at the expense of the vulnerable. He explains how leadership principles imported from the corporate world have shaped toxic church cultures, why efficiency and measurable success are poor Christian metrics, and how trauma-informed practices can help create safer, more Jesus-centered communities. Ke...
2025-06-1040 min