Shows
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastUnpacking #11: Cognitive Dissonance and AvoidanceMost people don’t reject God.They renovate Him.In this episode, we’re not doing mystical explanations or churchy blame-games. We’re doing psychology—cognitive dissonance avoidance—and how it quietly reshapes the God of Scripture into something safer, smoother, and easier to sell. We’ll talk about why obedience triggers people, why truth isn’t marketable, how labels like “legalism” and “Jewish” become escape hatches, and why confusing Rabbinic tradition with the root of biblical faith keeps believers stuck in shallow certainty.And then we land on the question Revelation forces onto every honest read...
2026-02-2523 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastUnpacking #10: Lucifer, His Minions, and the Story Scripture Never ToldLucifer. Demon ranks. Territorial spirits. “Minions.”Most of us inherited a full-blown narrative about the dark side — and we assumed it was Scripture. But when you slow down and actually read the text, the Bible is far more restrained than the system built around it.In Unpacking #10, Sergio continues the thread from #8 and #9 by walking through Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, Revelation 12, Hebrews, and the wilderness temptation to separate what the Tanakh actually says from the mythology religion used to scale fear. You’ll hear why “Lucifer” isn’t presented as Satan’s biblical proper name, why the New Testament re...
2026-02-1919 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastUnpacking #9: Satan, Hell, and the Fan Fiction ProblemIn this episode of Unpacking #9, Sergio DeSoto dismantles the mental movie most Christians inherited about Satan and “hell”—and shows, text-first, how much of it comes from fan fiction, mistranslation, Dante’s imagination, and revival-era fear engines rather than Scripture. Walking through Job, Zechariah, Yeshua’s rebuke of Peter (“Get behind Me, Satan”), Gehenna’s prophetic backdrop, and Revelation’s end-of-story judgment, he reframes Satan as the accuser—not a dark king—and judgment as covenant clarity, not terror theater. Then he presses the hard questions: if “belief” magically erases evil, what does that imply about the wicked simply believing? And what about...
2026-02-1217 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastUnpacking #8: The Pastor MatrixIn this episode of Unpacking, Sergio takes a scalpel to the Pastoral Epistles—1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus—and exposes how these “crisis letters” were turned into a modern pastor blueprint. You’ll walk through the household-of-God framework (1 Tim 3:15), the actual biblical qualifications for leadership (1 Tim 3; Titus 1), and the Jewish soil beneath “elder,” “overseer,” and “servant.” Then we trace how church-state incentives, institutional instincts, and modern Christian nationalism can reframe Scripture into a tool for clerical immunity. The goal isn’t rebellion—it’s repentance: letting the text correct the system, recovering servant leadership, and calling the body back to community where shepherds se...
2026-02-0713 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastUnpacking #7 : The Salvation You Were Sold Isn’t the Salvation Jeremiah PromisedIn this episode of Unpacking #7, I go after the version of “salvation” many of us were sold—an altar-call transaction built for speed, seats, and spiritual certainty—then I drag it back to its biblical roots. We walk straight through Jeremiah 31–32 to show salvation as covenant renewal: Torah written within, a rebuilt heart, and God purchasing the future while everything looks like judgment. From there I confront the modern machine: decision-counting, platform incentives, and the way John 3:16 gets flattened into a slogan when it’s actually covenant logic—rebirth from above, light exposing, and emunah as faithful allegiance. I also press the...
2026-02-0527 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastUnpacking #6: Why Your Church Loves “Africa Missions” (and the $50 Ask)Tonight’s Unpacking is about the “$50 ask” and the missions story you’re handed from the stage—and the numbers you’re not. We walk through what a real missions P&L should show, what the IRS actually says about charitable travel deductions, why international work often reduces donor visibility, how incentives quietly shape the kind of “missions” American churches prefer—and the counterintuitive harm: how this posture can quietly devalue African believers by turning their victories into American branding and their churches into perceived dependents. If your church can’t show receipts, you’re not cynical for asking… you’re faithful.
2026-01-2922 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastUnpacking #5: Acts 15, Gentiles and the TorahJesus said He didn’t come to abolish the Law and the Prophets—not even “one dot.” Yet Acts 15 is still used as a Torah ban for Gentiles. In this episode, Sergio anchors the discussion in Matthew 5, then walks through Acts 15 as what it is: a rejection of salvation by circumcision and boundary markers, not a rejection of God’s instruction. We unpack the “yoke” language, the overlooked weight of Acts 15:21, why Paul’s “not under law” can’t be flattened into a slogan, and why the New Covenant doesn’t require a “new God.” Same God. Same holiness. Same mercy. Different access...
2026-01-2717 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastUnpacking #4: “Not So Among You”: The Church Ladder Jesus CondemnedWhat if the most “normal” feature of modern church is the very thing Jesus forbade? In Unpacking #4, Sergio DeSoto takes Yeshua’s line in Mark 10—“not so among you”—and uses it as a measuring rod against church hierarchy, celebrity culture, and protected ladders. We walk through the shepherd model, Hebraic community, the early ekklesia’s open reasoning, and the leadership verses people love to weaponize—then end with a challenge you can’t outsource: prove your ladder from Scripture… or step off it. Get full access to Sergio DeSoto at www.sergiodesoto.com/subscribe
2026-01-2216 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastUnpacking #3: The Tithe Isn’t What You’ve Been SoldWhat if the “tithe” you were taught isn’t what the Bible meant at all?In this episode, we walk straight into the tension: Torah tithes, Malachi 3, Jesus and the widow’s mite, and the modern church habit of turning Scripture into a funding mechanism. We’ll talk about how coercion hides in spiritual language, why Paul’s two-rights framework dismantles both greed and cynicism, and how Hebrews reframes the entire sacrificial economy people keep trying to rebuild with money.This isn’t a call to stinginess. It’s a call to clean giving—open-handed, direct, human, and...
2026-01-2020 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastUnpacking #2: The Synagogue of Satan“Synagogue of Satan” might be the most abused phrase in Revelation—and the irony is brutal: the moment Christians weaponize it, they start doing the very work Revelation calls satanic: accusation. In this episode, we slow down and do the unglamorous work most people skip—definitions, context, Jewish frame, and the Bible’s own courtroom language for “the accuser.” We look at how replacement instincts turn “synagogue” into an enemy-word, how history trained those reflexes, and why covenant faithfulness forms witnesses while accusation-culture forms prosecutors. Then we close with a mirror you can’t easily dodge: what is your church actually form...
2026-01-1515 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastUnpacking #1: Reformed TheologyWhat if one of the most celebrated theological assumptions isn’t just a misread… but a moral rebrand?In this episode, Sergio DeSoto puts replacement theology on the table as an honesty test. In real life, a man who abandons his own people isn’t faithful—he’s a sellout. So why do so many systems train believers to imagine God doing exactly that: cutting off Israel and crowning a replacement?This isn’t a niche debate. It’s a psychology-of-belonging issue. You’ll hear how identity-based religious systems protect themselves through narrative control, gaslighting plain-text readi...
2026-01-1322 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Passover Has Been HijackedJohn 6 gets flattened into sacramental mechanics or literalistic confusion, but Torah makes both impossible. In this episode, Sergio DeSoto rebuilds the chapter from Masoretic Hebrew bedrock—Passover, manna, and the Levitical blood laws—showing that Scripture assigns blood to the altar for kapparah and forbids its consumption “in all your dwellings.” That’s why “drink my blood” cannot be cannibalism or Torah violation; it’s covenant shock-language demanding total reception, allegiance, and abiding participation in Messiah’s life given for the people. We also expose how communion gets flattened when the symbol is kept but Passover depth is lost—and we end with a pr...
2026-01-0817 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastNephilim Aren’t Aliens: The Bible Is a Very Real ReadIn this episode, we take a sober walk through Genesis 6 and ask a question most people skip: what if the Nephilim aren’t a sci-fi problem to solve, but a moral warning to receive? We’ll trace the Hebrew narrative’s key verbs—saw, desired, took—and watch how Eden’s private grasping scales into public domination. Along the way, we’ll pressure-test popular interpretations without mocking the supernatural, and we’ll keep the focus where the chapter keeps it: corruption, violence, and the grief of God. If you’ve ever felt the pull to turn Scripture into spectacle, this is an invitat...
2026-01-0614 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastWhy “Sheep” Fits More Than We’d Like to AdmitWhy does “easy belief” spread faster than faithful obedience? In this episode, Sergio explores the biblical metaphor of sheep, the psychology of comfort, and the spiritual danger of drifting toward what feels safe. From the rich young ruler to the narrow way, this conversation exposes how belief without allegiance hollowed out modern faith—and why shepherds and disciples alike must resist the pull of convenience if they want real life. Get full access to Sergio DeSoto at www.sergiodesoto.com/subscribe
2026-01-0113 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Door, the Wound, and the CovenantI still remember a night at a men’s shelter where I was teaching. Afterward, a young man came up to me in tears and said, “I’m gay… I’ll never get into Heaven.” And instead of jumping straight into a theological argument, I leaned back and asked him, “Before we talk about Heaven… can we talk about how you got here?”He told me he’d been in foster care. Sexually abused. Molested. When he aged out and ended up on the streets, a gay man took him in—fed him, sheltered him… and that became the only “love” h...
2026-01-0117 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Long River of “I Will”A spoken-word stream that follows God’s promissory “I will” from Genesis through the prophets and into the New Testament, showing a single unbroken covenant storyline: God swears, God remembers, God fulfills in Messiah—and He does it without canceling the people He first addressed. Get full access to Sergio DeSoto at www.sergiodesoto.com/subscribe
2025-12-3101 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastEden Wasn’t About Fruit Making Humanity EvilGenesis 3 gets preached like a children’s fable—fruit, failure, curse, and a God who can’t stand us. But the Hebrew tells a sharper story: moral autonomy, covenant rupture, targeted curse language, and the psychological collapse of deniability into shame and blame. In this episode, we dismantle the English misconceptions that built doctrinal machines, show why “because of you” doesn’t mean “you are cursed,” and expose how the “cursed humanity” lens trains believers to confuse repentance with self-hatred. Eden wasn’t about fruit making humanity evil—it was about humans grabbing authority they were never meant to own. Get f...
2025-12-2415 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Problem Isn’t Calvinism. It’s Systemized-ReligionWhy are there so many competing theological systems—and why do they so often produce confident men who can explain everything while excusing what Scripture condemns? In this episode, Sergio goes full Pauline: Calvinism is not the only target; it’s an example of a deeper disease—system-religion. From Rabbinic fences to Christian frameworks, we examine the psychology beneath “-isms”: people don’t want to think, they want to be comforted; denominations can become identity pacifiers; and closed systems eventually pressure moral clarity to bow to coherence. This is a Hebraic wake-up call: covenant is relational, God is not your algorit...
2025-12-2214 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastWhen Worship Lyrics Gently Rewrite CovenantModern worship isn’t just emotional—it’s formative. In this Messianic reflection, Sergio explores how subtle language in today’s most-sung worship lyrics can quietly detach “chosen,” “loved,” and “identity” from Israel’s covenant story and reattach them to the modern therapeutic self. Not with cynicism or critique, but with covenant loyalty—brit loyalty—he shows how forgetting the roots invites supersessionism by erosion, and how restoring Israel’s storyline deepens worship rather than diminishing it. A gentle but piercing invitation to sing the whole Bible again. Get full access to Sergio DeSoto at www.sergiodesoto.com/subscribe
2025-12-2110 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Jews. The Law.In this episode, we confront two of the most intellectually lazy phrases in modern religious and political speech: “the Jews” and “the law.” We trace how these blanket terms flatten covenant reality, distort Yeshua’s words about “fulfilling” Torah, and train audiences to swap exegesis for slogans. We separate people from leaders, Torah from misused legalism, and covenant instruction from condemnation narratives—calling believers back to mature, precise, beyond-reproach reading that can no longer hide behind undefined words Get full access to Sergio DeSoto at www.sergiodesoto.com/subscribe
2025-12-1912 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Psychology of Hiding From GodWhy do intelligent, sincere people cling to denominations, traditions, and charismatic leaders instead of reading Scripture plainly? In this episode, we go beneath theology into psychology—attachment, fear, identity, and the human need for safety. Anchored in Isaiah’s call to reason, this hard-hitting reflection exposes why institutions thrive, why direct relationship with God feels threatening, and why Scripture itself insists we don’t need human mediators. Then comes the war warning: the danger of “Bible men” who use Scripture to control access to God. This isn’t about rebellion. It’s about courage. Get full access to Serg...
2025-12-1711 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastBaptism Didn’t Save You. It Drafted You.What if baptism was never meant to save you—but to record a repentance that’s already real?In this extended episode, we recover immersion as Scripture presents it: a humble act of washing that embodied repentance, readiness, and covenant allegiance. We take a deep look at the thief on the cross—not as a loophole, but as a model of genuine turning—and then trace how post-Nicene institutional Christianity layered men’s doctrines and systems over a simple covenant sign. If baptism has ever felt like a gate instead of a declaration, this episode will reset the frame...
2025-12-1514 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastIf You’re a Pastor and You Truly Want a Real ChurchMost churches are secretly built like theaters, then wonder why their people live like spectators.In this episode, Sergio tells the story of the night he refused the pulpit, sat in a chair instead, and watched the whole room shift. From there he unpacks why the modern stage-and-pastor system is psychologically co-dependent, biblically weak, and spiritually exhausting for both leaders and people.You will hear:Why COVID accidentally exposed the deep hunger for courage and truth in the body.How the pulpit can become an idol, training believers into dependence and...
2025-12-1214 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Gospel Manifesto: The Gospel You’ve Been Sold Doesn’t Save YouMost believers have never heard the real Gospel — only the comfortable Western version that excuses sin, avoids obedience, and leaves hearts unchanged.In this episode, Sergio delivers The Gospel Manifesto, a covenant-rooted, Torah-honoring, Kingdom-centered proclamation of the Gospel Yeshua actually preached.This message will confront you, free you, and call you into wholeness.Your eternity depends on hearing this. Get full access to Sergio DeSoto at www.sergiodesoto.com/subscribe
2025-12-1013 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastWhen Jesus Walked in WinterIn this episode we walk into the Temple courts with Yeshua—not at Passover, but at Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication. We dig into the real Maccabean story behind John 10: the outlawing of Torah, the desecration of the Temple, and the courage of a village priest who refused to bow to empire. Then we ask the uncomfortable questions: what does it mean that the Light of the world and true Temple stood in that rededicated house and was rejected by its guardians? What does Hanukkah expose about our own religious systems, our loyalties to government, and the idols hidden in...
2025-12-0923 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastWhen Man Made Theology Makes God Colder Than the CrossHow Matthew 5 Exposes the Lie That “God Doesn’t Really Love You”In this episode, we confront a quiet, corrosive belief that haunts many believers: “Yes, God is loving — but not really toward me.” We walk slowly through Matthew 5:43–48 and let Yeshua define the Father’s heart in His own words: a God who loves enemies, does real good to the unjust, and calls us to imitate what He already is.We trace this back into the Tanakh — Exodus 34, Psalm 145, Ezekiel, Jonah — and make it explicit that the so-called “Old Testament God” and the God revealed at the cross ar...
2025-12-0729 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastWhen John’s Gospel Was Turned Against His Own PeopleIn this episode, we take on a hard question most believers quietly avoid: Why does John’s Gospel sound so anti-Jewish in English—and is that really what John is? We trace how theological agendas, imperial politics, and liturgical habits turned a deeply Jewish Gospel into a weapon against the very people it came from. Along the way, we stop at the woman at the well and let John 4 do its work: a Jewish Messiah crossing a hostile boundary between Jews and Samaritans, refusing to honor the lines His own people keep, and offering living water on the wrong moun...
2025-12-0518 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Branch and the WatchmanIn this episode, we peel back the layers behind Matthew’s phrase, “He shall be called a Nazarene” (Matt. 2:23), and discover that it was never about geography. We follow the Hebrew root n–tz–r as it ties together the Netzer (Branch) of Isaiah 11, the Notzrim (Watchmen) of Jeremiah 31, and the divine Watchman who guards Israel’s covenant in the Psalms and Prophets. From there, we explore how the Mishnah and Talmud — not as Scripture, but as linguistic witnesses — confirm Matthew’s deeply Hebrew framework through idioms like “Kingdom of Heaven,” “bind and loose,” “good eye,” “Gehenna,” and “fulfill the Torah.” The episode closes with...
2025-12-0408 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe System That Cannot Make DisciplesIn a world where churches mass-produce information but rarely cultivate understanding, this episode dismantles the modern pastoral system and exposes why discipleship has collapsed into passivity. We explore how early Jewish dialogue shaped the first-century ekklesia, why modern Christians remain spiritually malnourished, and how tradition, denominational bias, and platform culture hijacked Scripture in plain sight. The challenge is simple: stop consuming other people’s conclusions — and return to the God who still speaks through His Word to any who will search it. Get full access to Sergio DeSoto at www.sergiodesoto.com/subscribe
2025-12-0209 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastTHE MIND THAT BOWS TO GOD: Why Taking Every Thought Captive Is the Real Battlefield of FaithMost believers fear spiritual attack but ignore the battlefield inside their own mind. This episode uncovers the Hebraic and Messianic depth of Paul’s command to “take every thought captive,” showing how the inner life shapes your discipline, your marriage, your Torah obedience, and the psychological rest your soul craves. We explore the Tanakh’s teaching on guarding the heart, Yeshua’s intensification of inner obedience, and the practical reality that every choice — eating, buying, reacting, leading — begins as a single thought you either master or obey. If you’re ready for real transformation, not clichés, this conversation will confront you...
2025-11-2911 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastTo Every “Christian” Who Despises Israel — Listen CarefullyMany believers claim to love Jesus while despising the people He was born from. This episode cuts straight through that contradiction. We expose the inherited ignorance that stripped Yeshua of His Jewish identity, the supersessionist theology that turned His own family into the villain, and the lazy conspiracies masquerading as “discernment.” If you worship the Lion of Judah, you cannot hate Judah. If you love the Messiah, you cannot reject the covenant that shaped Him. This is a sober, unfiltered call to return to the root—Israel, covenant, context, and the real Yeshua whom Christianity has too often...
2025-11-2612 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastWhen Heaven’s Ladder Refused a MiddlemanThis episode explores Matthew 4, Matthew 23, Hebrews, and 1 Timothy 2 through a Hebraic lens — contrasting the role of ha-satan as “the adversary” with the human urge to create spiritual middlemen. We unpack how Yeshua refuses every attempt to insert a mediator between God and His people, challenge the modern pastor to stop functioning as the hinge, and end with a direct call to go back to the Scriptures and wrestle with the text first-hand. Get full access to Sergio DeSoto at www.sergiodesoto.com/subscribe
2025-11-2409 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastSeeing with Hebrew Eyes: How Translation Changed John 3Episode: Seeing with Hebrew Eyes — How Translation Changed John 3We’ve turned John 3 : 16 into a slogan, but in Hebrew, it’s a covenant.This deep Messianic dive uncovers how mistranslation reshaped the gospel — turning cosmic love into selective theology and rebirth into a slogan.From milmaʿlah (“born from above”) to ḥayye ʿolam (“life of the Age”) and haʿolam / kosmos (“world”), discover how Yeshua’s words reveal transformation, not escape.Step out of the slogans and into the Light that still remakes creation. Get full access to Sergio DeSoto at www.sergio
2025-11-2311 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastWhy Paul Shaved His HeadWhy did Paul shave his head?Why did the apostles demand that he publicly demonstrate his Torah faithfulness?And how did the King James Version — followed by modern translations — rewrite the story so Gentiles believe obedience is optional?In this episode, we walk through:The Nazirite vow Paul actually tookWhy Acts 21 destroys the “Paul rejected Torah” mythHow English translations muted the Torah languageWhy the four-laws-only doctrine in Acts 15 is mistranslatedHow the Greek text expects Gentiles to learn Moses every Sabbath
2025-11-2010 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Mark of the Beast Is Already Here, and We Don’t Realize ItThe Church doesn’t need a microchip to bear the mark—it already carries it in its bank accounts, boardrooms, and bulletins.In this piercing episode, Sergio DeSoto exposes how modern Christianity has quietly entered into covenant with Caesar. Drawing from Revelation, Hebraic thought, and U.S. tax policy, he reveals how dependence on 501(c)(3) status, inflated budgets, and institutional self-preservation have become the modern mark of the beast—a rival covenant disguised as wisdom.This is not an argument about prophecy; it’s a confrontation with reality. Ninety-seven percent of church w...
2025-11-1813 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastWhen Words Rewrite Theology: Rethinking “Old” and “New”Episode Summary:What if the divide between the “Old Testament” and “New Testament” was never God’s idea, but a human one? In this episode, we dismantle the vocabulary Christianity inherited from Rome — and rediscover the Hebraic language that actually shaped Scripture. Explore how mistranslated terms like “Jew,” “Law,” and “end of the law” reshaped Christian theology, and how returning to Torah, Tanakh, and New Covenant reframes the entire story of God. This is a reflective, uncompromising journey into the words that built Western Christianity — and how recovering the right language restores continuity, covenant, and clarity. Tune in with an open mind and a...
2025-11-1512 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Rapture ReconsideredEpisode Title: The Rapture Reconsidered: When “Caught Up” Never Meant Taken AwayEpisode Notes:For generations, Christians have debated the “rapture” — who goes, who’s left, and when it all happens. But what if the entire conversation has been built on a linguistic misunderstanding?In this episode, we strip away the layers of tradition and read Paul’s words through Hebrew eyes. We explore what “caught up” (harpazō) actually means, why the “meeting in the air” mirrors a royal welcome — not an escape — and how the story of Noah flips the modern “left behi...
2025-11-1314 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastIslam, Compliance, and the Conscience of a NationIn this episode, Islam, Compliance, and the Conscience of a Nation, we dive deep beneath the headlines and demographics to confront the uncomfortable intersections of faith, politics, and control.Through a Hebrew lens, this conversation exposes how Islam’s comprehensive worldview, the West’s bureaucratic religion of compliance, and the American church’s dependence on the 501(c)(3) system have created a prophetic collision point.This isn’t fear—it’s discernment. We trace the lines between population growth, policy, and prophecy; between submission to God and subjection to government; between Babylon’s comfort and...
2025-11-1211 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Psychology of ObedienceIn this episode, we trace how the ancient Greek hypokritēs — the masked actor — became the unspoken template for modern church leadership. We expose how charisma, applause, and control replaced humility, obedience, and presence, and how the stage culture of religion feeds the very disorders Yeshua came to heal. We contrast the Hellenistic ruler with the Hebraic shepherd — scepter versus staff, performance versus presence — and explore how Shabbat, Shema, and servanthood dismantle the mask of modern ministry.Finally, we look ahead to the return of Yeshua on the Mount of Olives — where the story that began in a...
2025-11-0914 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Olive Tree on an Arizona Back RoadSummaryA hard look at how modern Christianity has learned to love Jesus but despise Israel.Sergio exposes the blindness of replacement theology and calls believers back to the covenant root.“Did you ever know Me?” — YeshuaKey PointsIsrael was chosen for purpose, not privilege.The Church’s arrogance against her root.How conspiracies became counterfeit discernment.Yeshua’s return as the High Priest and Sukkot...
2025-11-0613 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastDoes Your Preacher Even Know What Salvation Is?🎙️ Episode Title: Does Your Preacher Even Know What Salvation Is?📖 Episode Summary:Most believers have been taught that “being saved” is a transaction — a deal between heaven and hell. But what if salvation was never about a ticket to eternity, and instead about being made whole right now?In this episode, Sergio explores the Hebraic meaning of salvation — yasha — and uncovers how Yeshua’s mission was not about escape, but restoration. Together we’ll walk through the story of the woman who touched the tzitziyot of His garment, the power of daily covenan...
2025-11-0310 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastWhen Calvinists Build Islam’s ThroneIn this sobering episode, Sergio delivers a prophetic open letter to the modern Church — especially to those who hide behind the cold logic of Calvin’s system while claiming to defend grace.He draws a startling line between Calvinist determinism and Islamic fatalism, showing how both stem from the same distortion: a god of control, not covenant.Through the lens of Alfred Adler’s psychology, Sergio exposes how Supersessionism — the belief that the Church has replaced Israel — doesn’t just corrupt theology; it reshapes the soul. It trains believers to prize superiority over humility, power over belongi...
2025-10-3012 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Real Mark of the BeastPo hi ha-ḥokhmah! Ha-noten lev yavin lispor et mispar ha-ḥayah… “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast…”— Hitgalut (Revelation) 13:18The Meaning Behind the NumberIn Greek, John writes: “arithmos tou therion” — the number of the beast — and reveals it as ἑξακόσιοι ἑξήκοντα ἕξ, hexakosioi hexēkonta hex, or six hundred sixty-six.In Hebraic thought, numbers are not mere mathematics; they are symbols that carry moral and spiritual weight. They tell stories. They reveal character.This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becom...
2025-10-2613 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastWhen Names Rewrite the StoryWhen Names Rewrite the Story: Recovering the New Covenant Inside the “Old Testament”Episode Summary:In this deeply challenging episode, Sergio De Soto confronts one of the most overlooked theological errors in modern Christianity — the division of God’s Word into “Old” and “New.” With his signature blend of Hebraic insight and fearless conviction, Sergio unpacks the original meaning of the Brit Ḥadashah — the “Renewed Covenant” — and exposes how man-made labels, translations, and traditions have subtly distorted the continuity of Scripture.Through stories, Scripture, and unapologetic truth, he reveals how centuries of “replacement theology” have created a chu...
2025-10-2317 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastSeeing Yeshua Clearly: The Incarnation and the Shape of ObedienceThe PrefaceThis post isn’t for the surface reader.It asks for slow attention — and humility.We’re not just discussing who Yeshua is; we’re asking why He lived as He did.And that question pierces deeper than creed or confession.It touches how we understand faith, worship, and obedience — three words that in modern Christianity have been diluted into abstraction.But in Hebraic thought, those words breathe with movement.So I’m inviting you to wrestle with this:What if the...
2025-10-2014 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastWhen “Cult” Becomes a Shield Against ScriptureWhen “Cult” Becomes a Shield Against ScriptureDescription:Many believers use the word “cult” as a shield — not to guard truth, but to deflect conviction. In this episode, Sergio explores how that label has become a way to silence anyone calling the Church back to biblical obedience, covenant, and Torah.We’ll discuss why truth seekers are often branded as rebels, how Scripture—not tradition—must remain the final authority, and why returning to obedience is not legalism but love.Key Scriptures: Isaiah 8:20, Matthew 15:9, Acts 24:14, John 14:15.Reflection: Are we rejecting truth...
2025-10-1613 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastBachar — The Forgotten Weight of Being ChosenModern Christianity has turned the word “chosen” into a badge of spiritual status — but in Scripture, it meant something far different.In this episode, Sergio De Soto, The Counterintuitive Messianic Jew, takes you deep into the Hebraic roots of the word bachar — revealing that to be chosen was never about privilege, but purpose.From Israel’s covenant calling to Yeshua’s servanthood, this message exposes how centuries of translation, theology, and cultural pride have twisted the meaning of chosenness into personal identity instead of sacred responsibility.You’ll discover why being chos...
2025-10-1212 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Truth About Why Your Pastor Really Doesn’t Know His BibleA journey back to the roots of faith — before denominations, before systems, before religion.Join Sergio DeSoto, a man of both intellect and conviction, as he explores the Hebrew foundations of Scripture and reveals how every promise, prophecy, and command finds its fulfillment in Yeshua. Each episode invites listeners to think deeply, question boldly, and return to the covenant truth written on the heart.Through honest conversations, biblical exposition, and thought-provoking commentary, Sergio challenges the modern church to move beyond tradition and rediscover the living Word in its original context. This is not about rebellion — it’s...
2025-10-0710 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025The Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025 - A Biblical PerspectiveSergio DeSoto presents a bold, Scripture-driven exploration of California’s Assembly Bill 495, the Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025. Hosted by a scholar rooted in Jewish tradition and fervent in faith in Yeshua, this episode examines the bill’s intent to protect families during immigration-related separations against its potential to undermine God-given parental authority. With unwavering conviction, it applies rigorous biblical hermeneutics to warn against prioritizing human laws over divine mandates, urging listeners to obey God above all. Accessible yet profound, it invites seasoned believers and curious newcomers to r...
2025-08-2608 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastA Covenant Call to Faithfulness, Not a Predestined Ticket...Join us as we explore the biblical concept of election through a Jewish lens, revealing its covenantal, communal call to faithfulness in Yeshua, the Messiah. Moving beyond Calvinism’s view of unconditional individual salvation, we delve into the Hebrew Scriptures, Yeshua’s teachings, and Paul’s letters, using reverse transliteration to uncover the rich Semitic roots of terms like "elect" and "salvation." Discover how election is not a predestined ticket but a dynamic invitation to endure in faith, fulfilling God’s redemptive purpose. Perfect for seekers, students of Scripture, and those curious about the harmony between Old and New Testamen...
2025-08-2115 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe True Meaning of Life!Episode Title: A Timeless Quest: Unveiling the Meaning of LifeIn this thought-provoking episode, we dive into the timeless question: What is the meaning of life? The answer lies in contributing to humanity’s betterment with a sincere heart, a truth perfectly embodied by Yeshua (Jesus). Join us as we explore how Yeshua’s life, rooted in Torah obedience, reflects God’s love and fulfills the Hebrew Scriptures, offering a model for us all. We’ll also confront the church’s failure to live out this vision and challenge listeners to reclaim it.Key Points Discussed...
2025-06-2714 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastReconciling Individualism and Community in God’s Redemptive DesignIn the 21st Century: A Pervasive Sense of IsolationIn the 21st century, a pervasive sense of isolation haunts modern society. Studies indicate that loneliness has reached epidemic proportions, with over 20% of adults in Western nations reporting chronic feelings of disconnection.[^1] Social media, intended to connect us, often amplifies this alienation, reducing relationships to superficial metrics—likes, shares, and follows—while leaving deeper human needs unmet. This crisis is not merely a product of technology but reflects a centuries-long shift in thought and practice, rooted in the rise of individualism and the erosion of communal bonds. ...
2025-06-2522 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Collapse of Community: Freud and Jung’s Individualism vs. Adler’s Vision, and Yeshua’s FulfillmentIn an age where loneliness gnaws at the soul of society, where hollow digital “likes” stand in for heartfelt embraces, and where the once-sturdy tapestry of community frays into threads of despair, we must ask: Why are we so alone? The answer lies not solely in technology or fate, but in the psychological frameworks we’ve embraced—and, more deeply, in a spiritual truth that spans the ages. Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, with their focus on the individual psyche, have shaped a culture of isolation, while Alfred Adler’s call for community offers a counterpoint. Yet, the Hebrew Scriptures...
2025-06-2014 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastRejecting the Cheap Gospel: Yeshua’s Call to Costly Discipleship and Torah-Grounded TransformationThe Cost of Following Yeshua: A Call to True Discipleship and TransformationIn a world obsessed with instant gratification, it’s easy to fall for the notion that following Yeshua (Jesus) is a simple transaction: a raised hand, a quick prayer, and eternal life is secured with no further effort. Athletes bleed for glory, entrepreneurs grind for empires, and scientists wrestle through failure for truth, yet some portray Christianity as a free pass to golden streets and an eternal crown with no sweat required. This is a distortion of the gospel, a filthy lie that misrepresents Scripture an...
2025-06-1017 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastAnchoring in Divine WisdomIn a world where human opinion often drowns out the voice of divine wisdom, the modern church stands at a crossroads. Will we continue to bow before the altar of popular thought, or will we heed the clarion call of Scripture to anchor our souls in the unshakable wisdom of God? The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, issues a stark warning: "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ." This admonition, penned nearly...
2025-05-3113 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Paradox of Choice and Satan’s StrategyPicture a world overflowing with spiritual choices. You’re faced with countless denominations, theologies, and paths to God. It’s dizzying. Barry Schwartz, in his book The Paradox of Choice, published in 2004, argues that too many options create anxiety and dissatisfaction. Let’s apply that to faith. Scripture offers one clear path: the Torah, given by God to Israel, fulfilled in Yeshua, the Messiah. Yet, we see a flood of alternatives. Think of Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodoxy, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Calvinism. Each claims truth. I believe this isn’t just human confusion. It’s a deliberate strategy by Satan, the e...
2025-05-2809 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastUnmasking Antisemitism, Embracing Truth:The Power of a ScreenshotIn an era where a single screenshot can ignite fury or fracture understanding, the stakes of truth have never been higher. Recently, an Instagram post (has since been removed) wielded this power, sharing a screenshot that claimed to unveil the Talmud’s darkest secrets. It accused Sanhedrin 54b of endorsing pedophilia and littered its narrative with fabricated quotes—such as “All children of Goyim are animals” and “Gentiles are not humans”—allegedly drawn from Jewish texts. These are not mere errors; they are calculated distortions, reviving the specter of antisemitic lies that have haunted h...
2025-05-2510 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastRediscovering the Depth of FaithIntroduction: A Faith and Life in Need of RenewalIn a fast-paced world obsessed with instant gratification—where one-click purchases, swipe-right connections, and viral fame dominate—both faith and the pursuit of success have suffered a similar fate: a drift toward shallow convenience over meaningful depth. Modern Christianity, for many, has lost the transformative power that once defined it, reduced to a passive belief that asks little and delivers less. Likewise, society often celebrates quick wins and effortless gains, leaving us unfulfilled and craving something more substantial. True fulfillment, whether in spirituality or worldly endeavors, lies not in w...
2025-05-1515 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastPauline Soteriology vs. Nazarene SoteriologySetting the Stage for TruthTo the Gentile church, I write with a heart both firm and tender, urging you to see the Scriptures through eyes unclouded by centuries of distortion. The story of our salvation—soteriology—is not a fractured tale of rival doctrines but a unified tapestry woven from the Jewish roots of our faith. Too often, you have been told that Paul’s gospel of grace stands in opposition to the Nazarene call to covenantal fidelity. This is a lie, born of misunderstanding and perpetuated by a tragic drift from our origins. I plead with y...
2025-05-0613 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastRomans 11: A Deep and Expansive Article on God’s Redemptive Plan for Israel and the Gentile ChurchEpisode DescriptionIn this episode, we dive deep into Romans Chapter 11, exploring God's unchanging faithfulness to Israel and His gracious inclusion of the Gentiles. We’ll unpack Paul’s powerful message to the Gentile church, especially in the USA, confronting theological errors like replacement theology and the dilution of the faith’s Jewish roots. This is a wake-up call—scripturally backed and unapologetic. If you’ve ever wondered about the church’s role in God’s redemptive plan or why Israel still matters, this episode is for you.Key Topics:The remnant of Israel and God...
2025-05-0325 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Dunning-Kruger Effect in Ministry: A Wake-Up Call for PastorsThe Hidden Cost of Neglecting Jewish Roots: How Overconfidence and Historical Drift Have Weakened ChristianityChristianity, at its core, is deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and Scripture. Jesus Himself was a Jew, and His teachings were grounded in the Hebrew Bible. However, over the centuries, Christianity has often neglected these Jewish roots, leading to a variety of theological misappropriations and flawed doctrines. One factor contributing to this neglect is the Dunning-Kruger effect—a cognitive bias where individuals with limited knowledge overestimate their competence. In the context of Christianity, this manifests as church leaders who lack a deep un...
2025-04-2126 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Hidden Threat to Your Faith: Unmasking Satan’s Subtle DeceptionsIntroduction: A Call to VigilanceWake up! The real danger to your faith isn’t the glaring sins you can spot from a distance—greed, lust, pride. Those are mere diversions, reckless pursuits you can name and confront. Think harder. Ha-Satan’s (הַשָּׂטָן) true genius lies not in the loud and obvious but in the shadows, in the quiet distortions he’s already threading into the fabric of your beliefs. You think you’re secure because you’re not chasing the blatant vices? You’re mistaken. The deadliest threat is already present, woven subtly into your faith, so insidious that if you d...
2025-04-1517 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Gentile Church and IsraelThe biblical narrative unfolds as a majestic tapestry, intricately woven with threads of divine promise, human frailty, and the relentless pursuit of restoration. At its core stands God’s covenant with Israel—a chosen people summoned not merely for their own sake but as a beacon of divine light to all nations. This covenant, initiated with Abraham, affirmed through Moses, and echoed by the prophets, forms the enduring backbone of God’s redemptive design for humanity. Within this grand story, the Gentile church emerges—not as a usurper or replacement, but as a participant grafted into the same covenantal roots th...
2025-04-0826 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Torah Endures: A Call to Love God with All We AreBeloved, wherever you stand—whether steeped in theology or new to the Word—hear this with your whole being: the Torah, God’s sacred instructions through Moses, is not gone. For too long, we’ve been lulled by a half-truth: that Yeshua’s coming erased the law, leaving us with a gospel of ease. I write this with a heart that burns like His—a love that weeps over a church adrift, yet rejoices in the unshakable truth of Scripture. As a scholar, I’ve wrestled with these texts; as a follower of Yeshua, I’ve seen their life. The Torah isn’t...
2025-04-0118 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastWho Are You Worshipping?Imagine you’re married to someone who loves steak. You know this about them—it’s part of who they are. But one day, you decide to ignore that and start serving them vegetarian meals exclusively, pretending they’re someone they’re not. How long do you think that relationship would last? Not very long, right? Because love and respect in any relationship depend on knowing and honoring the true identity of the other person.The same principle applies to our relationship with God. If we misunderstand or misrepresent who He is, our connection with Him suffers. And when w...
2025-03-2424 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastBeyond Milk: Unveiling the Depth of Salvation in Isaiah 53Imagine stepping into a room filled with treasures—golden artifacts from an ancient past, each piece whispering stories of sacrifice, redemption, and hope. For many, the journey of faith begins with a simple prayer: "I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior." This prayer, often called the sinner’s prayer, is a beautiful starting point, a doorway into a relationship with God. But what if we were invited to explore furt...
2025-03-2314 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastDust and Grit: The Potter’s Real HandsPicture this: a potter at his wheel, hands steady, shaping a lump of clay. It’s an image that shows up in Scripture, especially in Romans 9:20-21, where Paul writes, “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?” If you’ve hung around Calvinist circles, you’ve probably heard this spun into a case for God’s total control—...
2025-03-2010 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Full Story: Missing the Jewish HeartImagine a relationship so profound that it spans centuries—a bond forged through joy and sorrow, rescue and discipline, miracles and correction, love and forgiveness. Picture a partner who walks through every trial, revealing their heart through sacred words, promising to one day return in person, unveiling the fullness of their presence. This is no mere human tale; it is the story of God and His people—the Jewish people—a narrative of intimacy stretching from the Hebrew Scriptures to the dusty roads of Galilee, culminating in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah.As a simple Jew who loves the Bi...
2025-03-1818 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastWhy Does Evil Thrive Under a Good God?The Paradox of a Good God and a Broken World: Finding Fulfillment in YeshuaThe question strikes at the heart of one of Christianity’s most persistent challenges: If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving, as followers of Yeshua proclaim, why does evil ravage the world—floods swallowing homes, diseases stealing lives, and human cruelty scarring history? It’s a tension that has haunted believers since Job wrestled with his anguish (Job 3:11-19) and still stirs debate today, from quiet prayers to impassioned posts on X. As a student of the Hebrew Scriptures, shaped by cherished tradition and se...
2025-03-1415 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastReexamining the Modern Church: A Call for Accountability and Authenticity in FaithAudible SynopsisReexamining the Modern Church: A Call for Accountability and Authenticity in FaithIn an era marked by monumental shifts in how we engage with every facet of life—from education to community interaction—the church finds itself at a crossroads. The traditional church model many of us have grown accustomed to has strayed far from the dynamic, Spirit-led assemblies that characterized the early ekklesia. As believers, we face the pressing need to question, understand, and reconsider our roles within these structures, assessing whether they align with the biblical call and vision for the chur...
2025-02-0410 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastBeyond Easy Believism: Challenging the Shallow Understanding of JustificationThe Interplay of Faith and Sound Logic: A Reflection on JustificationAudible IntroductionYesterday, amid the vibrant backdrop of Calvary Community Church in Phoenix, Arizona, I found myself drawn into a contemplative service that, while brimming with enthusiasm, left me grappling with the disconnect between the message delivered and the depth of scriptural truth. Accompanying a young Marine, a guest on his way to Camp Pendleton, I was struck by how our shared confusion during the sermon underscored a larger issue within certain interpretations of faith—namely, those that stem from Reformed theology. Ir...
2025-02-0108 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe King’s Conundrum: Navigating the Tension Between Faith, Power, and InterpretationAudio OverviewIn a world increasingly shaped by the interplay of ideas, it becomes ever more essential to examine the undercurrents that influence our perspectives—those threads of human nature that weave together logic and faith, history and ideology. Recently, this realization struck me with profound clarity during a visit to the historic landmark, The Indian School in Central Phoenix, where I stood transfixed by artifacts that laid bare a dark chapter of American history. The stark juxtaposition of memorabilia elicits a contemplative inquiry into the forces that shape our understanding and interpretations of the wo...
2025-01-2506 min
Sergio DeSoto The Counterintuitive PodcastThe Paradox of Depravity: Rethinking Faith and LogicIn the tapestry of human understanding, the threads of logic and faith weave intricate patterns that define our moral landscape. We often grapple with fundamental questions of existence, purpose, and justice. As we embark on this exploration, let us consider a poignant assertion: if man is born evil, totally depraved, then he must possess an innate and clear understanding of moral law paired with a purposeful intent to violate it. This audacious proposition invites us to ponder a chilling reality: what kind of world would we inhabit if every individual were imbued with a willful inclination toward...
2025-01-1708 min