In this powerful episode of Not in Church, host Darrell Puckett tackles the heavy and often overlooked topic of spiritual abuse. Sharing from a place of vulnerability and personal experience, Darrell challenges the way some religious leaders use scripture to manipulate, judge, and alienate believers rather than leading with the love of Christ.

Using Mark 12, Matthew 5, and Matthew 7 as a foundation, we explore what it truly means to "love your neighbor as yourself" and why many long-standing church traditions have driven people away from the body of Christ. Darrell also reveals a recent personal encounter with spiritual immaturity from a former leader, illustrating the difference between constructive challenge and toxic judgment—specifically through social media DMs.

Whether you've felt the weight of religious guilt or you're questioning your place in a traditional congregation, this episode is a call to return to the Red Letters—the actual teachings of Jesus—and to find confidence in your salvation.

Timestamps

• 0:00 - Intro: A different perspective on "Loving your neighbor."
• 1:21 - Defining Spiritual Abuse: When leaders exemplify religion over Jesus.
• 3:13 - The Power of Relationships in Ministry vs. Legalism.
• 4:15 - Why decades of leadership don't always equal spiritual maturity.
• 6:10 - The "DM" Incident: When spiritual correction becomes an attack.
• 8:45 - Mark 12: The Greatest Commandment and the Heart of Jesus.
• 10:48 - Challenging the "Hit Rate" of modern spiritual confrontation.
• 11:58 - Matthew 5: The Beatitudes and facing religious persecution.
• 14:10 - Matthew 7: The Log in your eye and the danger of hypocrisy.
• 16:15 - Identifying False Prophets by their fruit (actions).
• 18:30 - "Lord, Lord": Why religious works don't replace knowing Jesus.
• 20:45 - Personal Reflection: Coffee with Elders vs. Spiritual Dictatorship.
• 23:30 - Shining Light on the Shadows: How abuse thrives in secrecy.
• 26:00 - Confidence in Salvation: Why you shouldn't let leaders shake your faith.
• 28:15 - The DM Breakdown: Dissecting a message from a former leader.
• 30:30 - Final Thoughts: Choosing the positive "Feel-Goodism" of Christ.

Why is the modern church struggling to make a real impact? In this episode of the Not In Church podcast, Dalton Darnell (3:10 Ranch Life) joins the show to discuss the disconnect between religious "performance" and true identity in Christ.

Dalton shares his personal journey from a "lukewarm" faith to a radical transformation while in the military. We dive deep into the "Problem with Church"—discussing how many modern institutions have become scalability propositions focused on production rather than the Great Commission.

In this video, we discuss:

• The difference between having knowledge of the Word and actually living it.
• The biblical metaphor of the Sheep and the Goats and how it applies to modern congregations.
• The "cowboy world" vs. the "church world" and the need for authentic, sacrificial love.
• Why many pastors struggle to lead because they haven't solidified their own identity.

If you've ever felt like there was more to faith than just a 30-minute Sunday sermon, this conversation is for you.

• 00:00 – Introduction: Welcome to the Not In Church podcast.
• 01:05 – Dalton Darnell’s Background: Best friends for 15 years.
• 01:50 – The Moment of Transformation: Finding Jesus in the military.
• 03:10 – The Danger of "Lukewarm" Faith: Knowledge vs. Application.
• 04:15 – What is the "Problem with Church" today?.
• 05:00 – The Mega-Church Experience: From Church of Christ to the Highlands.
• 06:20 – The Scalability Proposition: Are churches focused on the wrong metrics?.
• 07:45 – Modern Worship as a "Ted Talk" with strobe lights.
• 08:50 – The Identity Crisis: Why the goats are outnumbering the sheep.
• 09:30 – The "Goats" of Matthew 25: Proclaiming faith without knowing the Word.
• 11:00 – The "Walmart" Test: Where are all the believers in the real world?.
• 12:15 – What is True Church? Sacrificial love over brick and mortar.
• 13:50 – The Example of a Godly Leader: Dalton’s grandfather.
• 15:00 – Cowboys vs. Christians: The struggle to love those who are different.
• 16:30 – Correcting in Love: Respect and Relationship.
• 18:15 – Avoiding the Pharisee Trap: Arguing the rules vs. living the Gospel.
• 20:00 – Dealing with Internal Hate: A personal story of repentance.
• 22:15 – Final Thoughts: Simplifying the Gospel and the power of conviction.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by constant challenges and setbacks? It might not just be a bad day—it could be a spiritual attack. In this final episode of 2025, we dive deep into the reality of spiritual warfare and how to navigate the "fiery ordeals" mentioned in scripture.

We explore why the enemy attacks most when you are having a kingdom impact and why "good times" can sometimes be a danger zone for your spiritual growth. Learn how to submit to God, resist the devil, and use divine weapons to demolish strongholds in your life.

As we transition from 2025 into 2026, we challenge you to take a "time-allotment inventory" and commit to making the difficult choices that lead to character, perseverance, and hope.

Key Topics Covered:

• Understanding the source of spiritual attacks
• Why the enemy wants you to focus on yourself rather than God
• Practical steps to respond to spiritual warfare using Scripture
• The purpose behind your trials: Building perseverance and character
• A 30-day challenge to transform your life by choosing the harder path

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#SpiritualWarfare #ChristianMotivation #FaithGrowth #OvercomingTrials #BibleStudy #NewYearResolution2026 #KingdomImpact

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Introduction: When things are going too "good"
• 01:00 – Common struggles: Anxiety, depression, and spirituality
• 02:25 – Recap of 2025 topics: Marriage, wealth, and spiritual attacks
• 04:00 – Taking a "Time-Allotment Inventory" for the New Year
• 05:30 – Personal Story: A day where everything went wrong
• 07:45 – The Lie: Why the enemy attacks when you exemplify Jesus
• 09:40 – The Danger Point: Being prideful when things are easy
• 11:00 – Facing Opposition: What the Bible says about persecution
• 12:50 – Knowing Your Opponent: The spiritual source of our struggles
• 14:30 – How to Respond: Submitting to God and resisting the enemy
• 16:00 – The Purpose of Trials: Building character and hope
• 18:20 – The Focus Trap: Why the enemy wants you to focus on yourself
• 20:15 – The 2026 Challenge: Choosing the harder decision every day
• 22:30 – Closing Thoughts: Using your gifts for Kingdom Impact