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All (131) Mike Winger (131)
Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Teresa Dedmon / Bethel: selling art as a vehicle for "spiritual impartation" and prophetic clothing that enhances God's presence is false teaching and commercial exploitation.

Second specific example from Bethel: the creative arts director's website claims her paintings and clothing impart heaven's presence.

Bethel Church false prophecy discernment
Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

The cure for hyper-charismatic abuse is not cessationism but the biblical regulative norms already given in 1 Cor 12-14 for how gifts function in the church.

Winger resists the reactionary move of becoming cessationist in response to charismatic excess.

1 Corinthians 12-14 1 Corinthians 12-14 cessationism continuationism
Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Warning against seeking comfort in progressive or unorthodox theology as a false catharsis; such teachers typically demonize biblical Christianity to wedge in their reinterpretations.

Q&A response about walking with a friend questioning traditional beliefs, specifically mentioning Greg Boyd.

biblical authority apologetics discernment
Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Upcoming content: critique of The Physics of Heaven (Bethel/Bill Johnson-connected book)

Winger previews his next Tuesday topic: a critique of The Physics of Heaven, a book promoted by Bethel Church, Bill Johnson, and Jesus Culture. He has read it without advance reviews and found the content disturbing.

Bill Johnson Bethel Church Jesus Culture
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Gospel-level error requires breaking fellowship; lesser errors require wisdom and church leadership

Q&A: pastoral guidance on when doctrinal disagreement becomes a fellowship-breaking issue

1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians church discipline fellowship
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-28

Strong feeling is not the same as God speaking — this applies to believers and non-believers alike

Closing comment on the false prophecy / healing question.

discernment charismatic gifts prophecy
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-28

When at a liberal university with false Bible teaching, prepare to refute — don't fight every battle prematurely

Question from Nathaniel at a liberal Christian university where Scripture and the gospel are consistently undermined.

discernment wisdom Christian education
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-04

God gives wisdom primarily through Scripture, secondarily through the word of wisdom gift and through other believers

Q from Will Kozab about how God replies when you ask him for wisdom—does he send thoughts?

Proverbs 1 Corinthians 12 word of wisdom wisdom prayer
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-04

Feeling vs. conviction: feelings are emotions; convictions are firm stances on issues, though they overlap

Q from Faith Brooks about the difference between a feeling and a conviction.

discernment emotions conviction
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

The Enneagram lacks true ancient origins and was developed by a modern mystic with dangerous theology

Response to Katrina asking about the Enneagram and its origins (desert fathers vs. Catholic origins).

discernment Enneagram mysticism
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

Assessing modern prophecy claims: consistency in future fulfillment is the test

Response to Jody Wainwright asking about pastor Dana Coverstone and his prophetic dreams.

Deuteronomy 18:21-22 testing prophecy discernment prophecy
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

The Passion Translation is irresponsible and problematic; a pastor using it is a warning sign but not automatically disqualifying

Response to Chantal asking whether to reconsider joining a church whose pastor quotes the Passion Translation more and more.

discernment church selection Bible translation
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

Strategy for confronting prosperity gospel error in friends and family: affirm first, then use bridge-building resources they cannot interrupt

Response to Robert Butcher asking how to lovingly reveal errors of the prosperity gospel to friends and family.

discernment prosperity gospel false teaching
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Apparitions of Mary at Fatima — three interpretive options; not sufficient to validate Catholic Marian dogmas

Question from Cody Skinner about Catholic apparitions at Fatima and messages to the shepherd children.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 apologetics miracles Catholicism
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Avoiding heresy-tracking burnout — know your realm of responsibility in the body of Christ

Question from Judah Matthews about discernment without anxiety over every false teaching.

false teaching heresy discernment
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Addressing a church drifting from Scripture — approach thoughtfully, privately first, then through proper channels

Question from Nala about a church where the Bible is not preached and the lead pastor bulldozes people.

Matthew 18 church leadership Matthew 18 ecclesiology
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Discovering gifts requires doing everything first and then observing where you excel

Practical application of gift discernment

spiritual gifts vocation body of Christ
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Knowing the Holy Spirit: the Spirit's leading will always be consistent with Scripture

Q&A from Tia Jane about having a relationship with the Holy Spirit beyond gifts

discernment Holy Spirit leading of the Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Track record in discerning Spirit leading is a practical check

Additional criteria for discerning Holy Spirit leading

discernment Holy Spirit leading of the Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Two problematic extremes: hyper-strict rules and almost no rules about entertainment — both are spiritually dangerous

Summation of the video game and entertainment ethics discussion

discernment Christian liberty Christian ethics
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Balance principle: being armed and ready for self-defense is healthy; preemptive strikes from anger or against God's will for martyrdom are not

Synthesizing the sword/Gethsemane discussion into a practical principle

violence discernment self-defense
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Vague YouTube prophecy channels are the perfect environment for false prophets; real prophecy requires verifiable fulfillment

Question from Crystal about many people prophesying and whether the Spirit is being poured out

Acts 2 Acts 2 prophecy discernment
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Skepticism toward prophetic dreams predicting the rapture — pattern of failed predictions

Question from Brian Harper about online prophetic rapture dreams

discernment eschatology false prophecy
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Kenneth Copeland and 2020 false prophets — April 15 COVID prophecy debunked

Detailed case study of false prophecy in 2020

discernment Kenneth Copeland Word of Faith
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Root cause of New Age adoption: absence of Holy Spirit necessitates manufactured methods

Theological diagnosis of why Christians turn to New Age practices

spiritual gifts Holy Spirit discernment
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Christian adoption of New Age practices is "a forgery of a forgery"

Conclusion of New Age syncretism argument

spiritual discernment New Age syncretism
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

The Chosen series — artistic interpretation, not Scripture; worth watching with discernment

Question from Dilly Guy about Mike's view on The Chosen

discernment biblical accuracy The Chosen
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Leaving Word of Faith — approach departing member's sister with invitation, not condemnation

Question from Mimi about leaving a Word of Faith church and its effect on her sister

discernment Word of Faith pastoral care
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Empathy as a tool for helping others leave false teaching — remembering your own exit

Additional counsel for Mimi on reaching her sister in Word of Faith

discernment Word of Faith pastoral care
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Feel-good phrases like "you are enough" and "Jesus came to bring a piece of heaven to earth" — ambiguous theology

Question from Ben Johnston about a pastor using feel-good slogans

Bethel Church discernment Bill Johnson
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Approaching a pastor using feel-good theology — gracious challenge, define the terms

Practical advice for Ben on speaking to a feel-good theology pastor

Bethel Church discernment false doctrine
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Using a book or resource as a proxy for delivering correction to a defensive pastor

Alternative strategy for Ben Johnston

discernment false doctrine pastoral correction
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

The Mirror Bible by Francois du Toit — described as the worst Bible translation Mike has encountered; announces a dedicated video

Mike previews Monday's upcoming content at the close of the episode.

The Passion Translation discernment false teaching
Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

Matthew 18 is widely misused on the internet to silence discernment of public teachers

Mike introduces the recurring question about whether he has the right to critique public teachers like Bill Johnson, Todd White, Brian Zond, and Brian Simmons

Matthew 18 Brian Simmons Matthew 18 Bill Johnson
Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

"Touch not the Lord's anointed" means do not murder -- not do not critique

Mike addresses the second common objection to his discernment work

David Saul Old Testament
Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

Proverbs' paradoxical advice on rebuking a fool applies to confronting Word of Faith in-laws -- danger exists either way

Responding to Jackie Rock about whether to have a doctrinal confrontation with Word of Faith in-laws

Proverbs Word of Faith Proverbs discernment
Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Catholic Church has the right Jesus but a distorted gospel — Mike recommends his Catholicism series

A viewer asks for discernment on the Catholic Church and how to know Jesus through it.

salvation gospel Catholicism
Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Worship music evaluation — two questions: is the song sound? Do I want to partner with the movement?

A viewer asks whether worship music should contain Scripture and doctrine, and whether Chris Tomlin and Jesus Culture are fine.

discernment worship music Bethel
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-11

For new Christians evaluating commentaries: trust your Bible more than commentators; blueletterbible.org is recommended as a generally reliable free resource.

Question from a new Christian about evaluating Bible teachers and commentaries

hermeneutics discernment commentaries
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Brian Simmons (Passion Translation author) has uttered false prophecy on record — Mike found hours of footage while researching for his Passion Translation project and plans to release a video exposing this.

Announcement during Q&A transition.

Brian Simmons Passion Translation False Prophecy
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Refusing to sing Bethel/Hillsong/Elevation music is not legalism, but binding that refusal on others crosses into judgmentalism — this is a conscience matter analogous to Paul's 'meat sold in the marketplace' principle.

Q: Is it too legalistic to refuse to sing Bethel/Hillsong/Elevation music due to the doctrines of those churches?

1 Corinthians 8-10 — Meat Offered to Idols Bethel Music Hillsong Elevation Worship
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Bethel's primary export is false revival — fake gifts, prophecy, healings — mixed with genuine-sounding worship music that ranges from theologically neutral to theologically dangerous.

Mike's own view on Bethel, offered after establishing the meat-in-marketplace frame.

Bill Johnson Discernment / Heresy Worship Music and Discernment
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Worship leaders bear collective responsibility to their congregations: presenting music in corporate worship is like preparing a meal for everyone — songs known to cause stumbling should be avoided.

Application of the meat-in-marketplace analogy to congregational worship leading.

1 Corinthians 8-10 — Meat Offered to Idols 1 Corinthians 8-10 — Meat Offered to Idols Christian Liberty / Conscience Worship Music and Discernment
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Netflix cancellation is not a universal Christian obligation — Mike and his wife cancelled over the trend of increasingly immoral programming, but binding that choice on others is divisive infighting over a disputable matter.

Q: Should Christians cancel their Netflix subscription?

Christian Liberty / Conscience Media Discernment Disputable Matters / Romans 14
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Mike's own primary gift is teaching, not worship leading — he did worship leading for years out of necessity but recognized it was not his strongest gift; leaning into actual gifts maximizes ministry impact.

Personal illustration of the spiritual-gifts-discernment principle.

Spiritual Gifts Calling and Gifting Teaching Gift
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

For the felony question: Mike refuses to give definitive advice without knowing full details and directs the questioner to a local mature pastor or wise Christian leader for personal counsel.

Q: I got away with felonies years ago, no one got hurt, confessed to God and repented — is the godly thing to do to turn myself in? I have OCD and can't tell if it's OCD or conviction.

Conscience and OCD Legal Confession / Turning Yourself In Pastoral Counsel
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q10: Dangers of treating positivity/negativity as moral categories — New Age/New Thought origins

Response to question about "happy church" culture where positivity = moral good

Philippians 4:8 Brian Simmons prosperity gospel Philippians 4:8
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Blanket positivity thinking leads to rejection of God's judgment and Jesus' exclusivity

Continuing Q10 on positivity as moral category

exclusivity of Christ New Age positive thinking
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

A rearview mirror test for Spirit-led claims: look back at past "God told me" moments and evaluate their accuracy

Practical tool for evaluating claims of Spirit guidance

Holy Spirit discernment false prophecy
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-15

Hillsong assessed as a mixed-bag ministry — not progressive, but tilted toward intense positivity over theological substance

Question from Christian Galindo about whether Hillsong is a progressive church with sound theology.

Bethel Church Hillsong Brian Houston
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