You’re Not Covered… You’re Consuming
Still unaccountable, unknown, and still uncorrected.
And I'm sorry, that’s not some small thing.
That’s actually a dangerous place to be!
God never designed you to grow without a shepherd.
Not loosely connected or hopping around from church to church and definitely not
sitting behind a screen where nobody knows your name.
A shepherd......
Hebrews 13:17
“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls…”
This verse alone settles something most people don’t want to deal with. It's actually sad how many times this one scripture calls forth bad attitudes.
Hebrews 13:17 is pretty clear. Someone is supposed to be watching for your soul!
A real, present, accountable leader.
And let’s go a step deeper…
Contrary to a lot of arguments...submission isn’t about control… it’s about protection.
People hear “submit to a pastor” and immediately recoil.
But biblical submission isn’t blind loyalty or manipulation. It’s alignment under someone who is ALSO submitted to God.
1 Peter 5:2–3
“Feed the flock of God which is among you… being ensamples to the flock.”
Do you see that wording?
Among you.
And not just teaching… but living as an example.
What does this mean though?
You should be able to see their life!
Not perfection….consistency.
Not performance…..fruit.
Matthew 7:16
“Ye shall know them by their fruits.”
If you can’t see their fruit… you can’t verify their teaching.
Because it is entirely possible to preach truth… and not live it. You should be able to fact check THAT just by looking at the headlines of any news source!
And, guess what? If you’re only consuming content without ever seeing the life behind it, you’re building on something you haven’t tested.
Now....this is another topic people like to argue with me...
Running from church to church.....
If we’re being honest…it’s because they are avoiding accountability.
The moment correction comes…
The moment you’re seen too clearly…
You leave.
And start over somewhere new.
Fresh start. No one asking questions and if they do, everyone else is to blame.
But Scripture actually has language for that kind of movement.
Ephesians 4:14
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine…”
Most people read that and think of being quick to believe every new teaching that comes along… and that’s true.
But it also shows what happens when you’re not planted.
You end up tossed… carried… constantly moving.
And sometimes, if we’re being honest, it’s not JUST deception doing the moving…
it’s our own unwillingness to stay, be corrected, and grow.
And c'mon, that’s not stability.
You can’t grow roots if you keep uprooting yourself.
There’s also something else that happens when you live disconnected like that…
YOU start becoming your own authority.
YOU decide what you receive.
YOU decide what you reject.
YOU filter everything through your own understanding…
And that's not a good place to stand in!
Proverbs 11:14
“Where no counsel is, the people fall…”
Not might fall.
Will.
Because we ALL have blind spots. Every single one of us.
And without someone in your life who can see what you can't, you will eventually drift into something you didn’t intend.
Now let’s bring it back to the online church piece for a second....
Online ministry is not the problem. I use it quite frequently throughout the day while I'm cleaning, driving, or just want to sit back with my eyes closed and relax.
It can be encouragement and it sometimes stirs people up to get their boots on the ground and get fired up for the work of the Kingdom!
But it was never meant to replace being planted!
Because you can sit behind a screen for years…
And never be corrected.
Never be discipled.
Never be truly known.
You can feel full… and still be spiritually malnourished.
Because information is not the same as transformation.
And listening is not the same as being led.
Jeremiah 3:15
“And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
God gives pastors.
People who carry responsibility for souls.
People whose lives you can see.
People who can see you.
And this is where it all comes together…
If no one knows you…
If no one can correct you…
If no one is accountable for you…
If you can leave anytime things get uncomfortable…
Then you’re not actually under covering.
You’re just consuming.
And that might feel easier.
But hear me with this.... IT IS NOT SAFE.
This is about alignment and protection! You NEED growth that actually TAKES ROOT.
Because there is a difference between being inspired and being shepherded.
Only one of those will actually carry you through when life hits.
If this stirred something in you… sit with it....honestly.
Because I didn't write this to call people out, my heart hurts and my stomach turns when I find out the only church people go to is a big online megachurch of a man they have never met. And it hurts when I find out church attendance is all over the place, wherever (and IFever) they feel like going that day.
I'm praying that you see this as a call INTO something that actually protects you!
And I’m not speaking from a theory here…
I’m speaking from LIVING IT.
For the last 12 years, I’ve had the gift of being submitted to a man of God and his wife who actually know me. Not just my name… but my life, my patterns, my seasons, my strengths… and the areas where I need sharpening.
And I DON'T take that lightly.
Because when I need counsel, I don’t have to guess where to go and I don’t have to filter through a hundred voices. I can go to them… and I know they will seek God WITH me.
Not from opinion, but from a place of genuine care for my soul.
And there’s something else that matters more than people realize…
I know they war for our family.
Not casually or occasionally.
They war INTENTIONALLY.
And when life hits… or things feel heavy or unclear… I’m not standing alone trying to figure it all out.
I’m covered. And that kind of covering doesn’t restrict you… it strengthens you.
It anchors you in ways you don’t fully understand until you’ve lived both sides of it.
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