Shows
One Right ChurchThe Dangers of Charismatic LeadershipCharismatic Leadership can be a gift or a curse to a church. The Biblical requirement is humility and a servant attitude, recognizing that the church belongs to Jesus. It is dangerous when the leader approaches the church as something that serves him. Some of the negative effects have to do with how followers react to them. Followers can be attracted to charismatic leadership because it offers certainty and confidence in an uncertain world.
2025-08-1229 minOne Right ChurchHow Do You Handle the Hard Things?In this episode, we talk about the hard things. What do you do when you are afflicted? Why would God let bad things happen to you? And, to the point, is how you handle the pain in your life really helping you? We hope this episode on affliction is helpful to you. More than that, we hope the fact that your life isn't easy will help you know Jesus. He suffered, too. He chose his hard things for your good.
Isaiah 53:4-7 connects our affliction and the affliction of Jesus!
Surely he has borne our...
2025-07-2927 minOne Right ChurchDo You Have a Counterfeit God?Do you have a counterfeit God? If you did, I'll bet you'd want to know. In this episode, we talk about Tim Keller's book, Counterfeit Gods, which Mark recently read. Our hearts are idol factories. We look for something that will promise a better life, and we place our hope in it beyond what it can deliver. Counterfeit Gods cannot be resisted by sheer willpower. They must be replaced by something better. There is no substitute for the God of the Bible who loves us and sent his Son, Jesus.
2025-07-1523 minOne Right ChurchPrayerPrayer is a mystery and a privilege. Prayer is to being a Christian as conversation is to marriage. In this episode, we discuss what makes prayer effective and why we should pray. Christian prayer is distinguished by having Christ Jesus as a great high priest. It isn't just that Christ makes prayer Christian; he makes it successful. We hope this will help you pray more and better.
2025-07-0131 minOne Right ChurchShame and the Prodigal SonJesus' parable of the Prodigal Son provides valuable insight into the dynamics of shame and honor in our relationship with God. The son dishonors the father, then falls into dishonor of his own. His repentance is rooted in his understanding of his own shame. The father restores the son to a place of honor instead of the shame he deserves.
We hope this conversation about shame and the Prodigal Son helps you understand the way shame works. But more than that, we hope it helps you understand the beauty of God's grace.
2025-06-1728 minOne Right ChurchShame as ControlShame can be the central tool of a group. That tool is used to control or shape the behavior of members. Some entire cultures are known as Shame/Honor cultures. When a group exercises shame, it looks like the threat of being cast out, publicly censured, or humiliated. This becomes a powerful means of control.
In Galatians 5:1, Paul writes: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Healthy faith communities liberate rather than subjugate.
In this episode...
2025-05-2735 minOne Right ChurchWhen You Experience Shame, Part 2 of threeWe all experience shame in some form or another. In this episode, we discuss how shame turns us into people pleasers. We become overly concerned with other people's acceptance and approval. When we fail, we cannot truly recover. Shame haunts us and makes us look over our shoulder, wondering if we'll be rejected again.
Jesus knew shame. He took our shame on the cross that we might be free from shame. We recommend you follow Jesus for freedom from shame!
2025-05-1327 minOne Right ChurchShame on You, Part 1"Shame on you." That's something many of us heard growing up. Unhappily, shame follows us throughout our lives. Shame breeds in family systems and churches. We have been thinking about shame and would like to discuss it here. We believe it will take several episodes to discuss, and we will begin in this episode. We hope this will help you recognize the role shame plays in your own life and motivations.
The good news is that God put our shame on Christ. One of the reasons we need Jesus is to deal with our shame.
2025-04-2927 minOne Right ChurchGod Knows!That God knows your situation can be a wonderful comfort. God knows your situation, and that can be an excuse not to take responsibility. This episode discusses how people use the phrase "God knows" differently. I hope it helps you think about how trusting God makes a difference in your life and in your church.
2025-04-1622 minOne Right ChurchThe Transition is CriticalOur church is looking for a pastor. Like passing a baton in a relay race, the transition is critical. The Followers of Christ did not make the critical transition, and the baton never got passed. Everything about the church has been affected by the lack of leadership. In this episode, we will discuss why a pastor is important and why the transition between them is so important.
2025-04-0829 minOne Right ChurchA Better WayYou can bet on being a good person and going to the right church, or you can bet on Jesus. In this episode, we maintain that Jesus is a better way. Jesus makes promises that are better than what you can hope for from your own effort. Jesus offers a better way to salvation.
2025-04-0126 minOne Right ChurchDecisions Have ConsequencesWisdom is, among other things, the ability to predict consequences. Wise people know decisions have consequences. Choose first where you want to end up, then make your decision.
In this episode, we encourage listeners to choose the consequences and then choose the decision that leads there.
2025-03-1832 minOne Right ChurchInterview with William HughesIn this episode, we interview William Hughes. Bill, as he asked us to call him, is a retired pastor in England. His call to the ministry and the gentleness of his character will be evident as you listen to this interview.
We were introduced to Pastor Hughes through SermonAudio, which has an archive of over 600 of his sermons. One of our favorite messages, "Blessed are the Meek," is a good place to start.
We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.
2025-03-1145 minOne Right ChurchWhy You Can Listen to PreachingPreaching has been around since the beginning of the church; one could even say the prophets did it before that. Yet, it is viewed with suspicion. In this episode, we encourage you to listen to preaching.
We recorded this episode because we are having a special guest next week. He is a preacher who is so warm-hearted and truthful that he was influential in leading many to Jesus. Stay tuned...
2025-03-0426 minOne Right ChurchSuperstitious"I'm not superstitious...I'm just regular-stitious."
It is easy for your beliefs or religion to cross over into superstition if you are not careful. In this episode, we discuss the difference between faith and superstition.
One of my key takeaways is that God loves you, and you don't have to do certain things to ensure you stay in his favor. I hope this is an encouragement to you.
2025-02-2532 minOne Right ChurchThey Left the FaithIs leaving the church the same as leaving the faith? Have you left the faith if you've left Followers? Is there only one church that can get you to heaven?
In this episode, we talk about the relationship between the church and the faith. Are they necessarily the same thing? We hope this helps you find freedom in Christ.
2025-02-1831 minOne Right ChurchIs Grace Too Easy?We hear the same question about grace over and over. It may be worded differently. Is grace too easy? Will grace let you off the hook? Does grace mean you can do anything you want? In other words, can you abuse grace?
This is a great question because it recognizes God's generosity and kindness, but misses the effects of grace. Grace itself works in someone's life and will change the person who receives it.
We hope this helps you live by faith in God's grace. We hope this helps you give up on working for...
2025-02-1129 minOne Right ChurchCan You Trust Your Feelings?Call it a hunch. Call it a bad feeling. Can you, should you trust it? Can you trust something more reliable than your intuition? Can you trust your feelings? Does God work through our feelings? That is our topic in this episode. I hope this helps you make good decisions.
2025-01-2732 minOne Right ChurchWhy not One Right Church?We've talked about the characteristics of the One Right Church before. This episode addresses why you might want to reexamine continuing in a church with those characteristics. What might be the problem with continuing in the One Right Church? After all, why not One Right Church?
2025-01-2031 minOne Right ChurchBible StudyBible study ended up being a big part of Mark's story. Several people are afraid of studying the Bible. They fear that studying the Bible might lead you away from the One Right Church. In this episode, we talk about why Bible study is a good thing. When other people join you in Bible study, you end up hearing from God in ways you wouldn't have by yourself. We do hope you will find people to study the Bible with.
2025-01-1331 minOne Right ChurchGrieve with HopeIn this episode, we discuss the difference between grieving with hope and without hope. Mark recently lost his nephew, Jake, in a tragic motorcycle accident. He and many others are grieving the loss. Jake had a strong faith in Jesus. As we reflect on it, his faith makes a huge difference in how we process our grief. We grieve with hope and find this to be another reason to commend genuine faith in Jesus.
2025-01-0631 minOne Right ChurchListener QuestionsIn this episode, we answer two listener questions. One question is about parenting; the other is about what it means that a believer might make another family member holy.
2024-12-3028 minOne Right ChurchPropitiation: The Heart of the Good NewsA listener asked us to talk about propitiation. It's Christmas party conversation material, but propitiation is a very important word. In short, it means the satisfaction of wrath. Propitiation means Jesus has satisfied God's wrath and you don't need to. We hope this helps you trust Jesus.
2024-12-2325 minOne Right ChurchFifth Anniversary Special EpisodeThis episode is a special one because Cindy joins us to reflect on what the past five years have held. They have been out of The One Right Church for five years. Mark and Cindy found several things to be thankful for and sad about as they reflected on the five years since they left the Followers of Christ church.
2024-12-1643 minOne Right ChurchSave Your LifeIn this episode, we talk about an important verse that was misused in Mark's past. More than that, we talk about how to tell if a verse is being used correctly. The verse in question is Jesus' teaching that if you want to save your life, you must lose it (Matthew 10:25). We really do hope you save your life...by surrendering it to Jesus.
To properly understand a verse in the Bible you have to figure out what it meant to its first audience. You do that with an ancient book the same way you do in...
2024-12-1038 minOne Right ChurchGood Traditions or Bad TraditionsWe take a page from Fiddler on the Roof and ask about traditions! Mark grew up with all kinds of traditions, some good, some bad. How do you discern whether you should keep your tradition? What makes a tradition a good tradition? These are important questions, especially if your traditions are religious ones.
P.S. We are sorry not to send an episode last week. We had a tragedy in the family. Thank you for your patience and prayers.
2024-12-0226 minOne Right ChurchFinding Joy!Is joy different than happiness? How do you know which you have? How can you have true joy even in you are suffering? These and other questions are ones we explore in the episode.
Some of the Bible verses that are central to this episode come from Romans 5:1-5:
[1] Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. [2] Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. [3] Not only...
2024-11-1824 minOne Right ChurchWhat is Sin?We have attempted to define some important terms in the Christian faith. One of those terms we need to get clear on is sin. What is sin? Should we distinguish between sin and sins, between the principle or nature of sin and the acts that spring from it. This is especially important if you are keeping track of sins in order to balance out your sins with good works. These are some of the things we try to clear up in this episode.
2024-11-1133 minOne Right ChurchWhy Would I Need to Repent?In this episode, we discuss the difference between repentance and merely saying sorry. We all grew up being told to apologize and say we're sorry. If we didn't do it right, our parents would tell us to be even sorrier. Is that repentance? Repentance is an important piece in our relationship with God. I hope this points you in the direction of heartfelt repentance.
2024-11-0432 minOne Right ChurchThe Dream and the End of the World (E)Many people have suggested times and dates for the end of the world. Walter White was one of those people. In this episode, we talk about the dream that was the basis of his prophecy as well as some of the downstream effects of that prophecy. We hope you will be prepared for the coming of the Lord, even though it didn't happen as Walter predicted.
2024-10-2933 minOne Right ChurchChristian HopeIn this episode, we attempt to define hope. How is Christian hope different from other hope? Does the resurrection of Jesus give you hope, as if you might have the hope of a raise at work? Or is the hope of a different kind? If you would like to be more hopeful, please listen in!
2024-10-2229 minOne Right ChurchWhat is Salvation?Salvation sounds like a religious word, if any word does. What does Salvation mean? In this episode, we discuss why we need salvation and how we get it. The simplest and most important thing about salvation is that you can't do it for yourself. That's why you need a savior, someone must save you. I hope you meet him. His name is Jesus.
2024-10-1436 minOne Right ChurchWhat is the One Right Church?The name of our podcast is The One Right Church. But what is it? What makes a church the one right church? We discuss a list of characteristics that, I hope, will help you know if you are in a situation that might fall into the category of the "One Right Church."
2024-10-0736 minOne Right ChurchJust Have Faith?It is easy to say," "Just have faith." It is hard to do. If you are saved by grace through faith, it is pretty essential to know what faith is. So, in today's episode, we work to define what we mean when we say "Faith." It doesn't help to use synonyms like trust or believe. I hope this episode builds your faith.
2024-09-3035 minOne Right ChurchWhat is So Amazing about Grace.New episodes are back! We will restart with a series of definitions. The first topic we'll define is "Grace." It has been debated throughout history. What makes Grace amazing? What is grace? How do you get it? What does it do for you?
We've learned that we can't have a meaningful conversation if the speaker and the hearer are using the same word in different ways. So, we will spend some time defining words. I hope the conversation about grace makes you long for God to treat you with grace.
Thank you for your patience...
2024-09-2344 minOne Right ChurchKing James Only (E)In this encore episode, we talk about the use of the King James Bible in Mark's past. His reasons for using it were different than what Scott had expected. It did result in some practices in the church that were very distinctive.
2024-09-1636 minOne Right ChurchThe Power and Pain of Rejection (E)In this encore episode, we discuss the doctrine of rejection. Followers of Christ, like other groups, practice shunning or rejection because it was taught from the beginning. We look at the teaching and biblical ideas behind that practice.
2024-09-0949 minOne Right ChurchWhat is a Call to Ministry? (E)In this encore episode, we explore what is a call to ministry. How important is it to be "called?" Does a called man have more authority than another Christian? Does the claim to be called give someone more authority? We hope you find this discussion helpful.
2024-09-0347 minOne Right ChurchThe Prodigal Son and His Older Brother (E)The story of the prodigal son is one of the best stories Jesus ever told. In this encore episode, we discuss not only the plight of the prodigal but the problems his older brother faced. One thing is for sure, though, you don't want to see yourself in the older brother. Everyone ends up happy in the story except the older brother.
2024-08-2625 minOne Right ChurchHow You Read the Bible Matters! (E)In this encore episode, we discuss understanding the Bible. What are you looking for? How do you know if you are getting the correct interpretation? You can figure out what the Bible means by what it says. You can read the Bible and understand it.
2024-08-1940 minOne Right ChurchWhat is the Real Problem? (E)In this encore episode, we discuss the real problem that we all face. It is not a problem with the church he was part of. Once Mark realized what the real problem was, he knew he had to find the answer. His discovery may surprise you.
2024-08-1223 minOne Right ChurchFaith Healing (E)The most controversial belief of the Followers of Christ is their belief in faith healing. In this episode, we talk about the Follower’s view on faith healing, where it comes from, and what might be some of the consequences.
2024-08-0537 minOne Right ChurchThe Love of God Makes All the Difference! (E)In this encore episode, we discuss God's love. Our behavior often reminds us of our sins. We must also remember that God loves you and stands ready to welcome you back.
2024-07-2932 minOne Right ChurchWhat about Baptism? (E)In this encore episode, we discuss baptism. Our church had a baptism this past week, so we've been thinking more about it. Over the years, the view of baptism for the Followers of Christ has changed out of necessity. We hope this helps you think about baptism.
2024-07-2236 minOne Right ChurchNot a Fan! (E)In this encore episode, we discuss a book that helped Mark realize that he was acting like he was merely a fan of Jesus rather than a disciple. Hear how changing his outlook changed his life! Are you a fan of Jesus, or does your life revolve around him?
2024-07-1534 minOne Right ChurchQuestion Authority! (E)In this encore episode, we talk about authority. Where do church leaders get their authority? This question is central to One Right Church. Can someone question that authority? Does the position of a church leader deserve blind obedience? We hope this is helpful and challenging.
2024-07-0835 minOne Right ChurchDon’t Add Jesus (E)Mark initially thought it would be great to simply add Jesus to his life and not change anything else. However, you can't just add Jesus and expect nothing to change.
In this encore episode, we discuss the difference between adding Jesus to your life and surrendering your life to Him.
2024-07-0131 minOne Right ChurchIs Grace Too Easy? (E)In this encore episode, we discuss whether being saved by grace sounds too good to be true. If you don't think it is too good to be true, you underestimate grace! Grace is amazing. On the other hand, if you have to do good works to earn our salvation, how do we know if we’ve done enough? If it depends on you, how good must you be to have hope of salvation? These are important questions.
2024-06-2437 minOne Right ChurchNot the Church I Grew Up In (E)In this encore episode, Mark observes that the one right church he grew up in has changed. This creates a dilemma. If it was the one right church when it began, can it change? If it was right before, can it change and still be right? “Was it right then, or is it right now?” Both can’t be true. This question is more important than it appears at first.
2024-06-1715 minOne Right ChurchDon’t Be Worldly! (E)What does it mean to be a “worldly person”? The prospect of being labeled "worldly" was very real. It happened for reasons that would surprise you. In this encore episode, we discuss how the word "worldly" was used and how that definition changed over time.
2024-06-1024 min