The Spirit of Religion Part 1The Spirit of Religion Part 1
Lance Johnson Ministries
The Bible says that the world will know us by our fruit. And, make no mistake, the world is looking. It may not seem like it, but all around us, the culture is seeking answers and truth and life. But they don’t see it in the Church, so they turn to othe
29:30•1 Dec 2024
The Spirit of Religion: Drama, Bitterness and a Real Walk With God
Episode Overview
- Thinking you "don’t need ministry" is presented as a spiritually dangerous mindset, as everyone is still being shaped like clay in the potter’s hands.
- Constant conflict, gossip and drama are said to block holiness and intimacy with God, hindering spiritual growth.
- Grace is defined as God’s influence on the heart and its reflection in a person’s life, which can fail when resentment and offence are allowed to remain.
- Bitterness is described as a hidden root that troubles a person and can contaminate many others, especially when drama is repeatedly entertained.
- Refusing emotional healing and choosing to stay a victim is compared to rejecting what Jesus paid for, with strong encouragement to seek genuine healing in Christ.
“Christianity is not us living for God, but it's God living through you by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? Bishop Lance Johnson tackles that question head-on by challenging religious comfort and spiritual complacency in "The Spirit of Religion Part 1". Drawing from his own past in alcohol and drug addiction, he talks passionately about what real Christian living looks like when Christ is "living through" a person, rather than them simply trying to live for God.
You’ll hear him stress that the world is searching for truth and life, but often doesn’t see it in the Church because too many believers think they’re "good" and need nothing. Lance warns that saying "I don’t need ministry" is a dangerous place to be, arguing that everyone needs ongoing change, healing and growth: "The fact is you and I are clay in the potter's hands." A big focus is spiritual warfare and the "spirit of religion".
He explains that warfare usually shows up through people’s flesh and drama, not a cartoon devil with a pitchfork. Constant conflict, church drama and family chaos, he says, choke intimacy with God and stall spiritual maturity. His language is blunt and funny at times – calling gossip and offence "crap", "doo-doo" and "dung" – but always aimed at shaking people out of victimhood and bitterness.
Grace is described as God’s influence on the heart and its reflection in a person’s life, which gets blocked when resentment and offence are allowed to take root.
Lance even compares staying wounded and refusing emotional healing to rejecting what Jesus paid for on the cross: "For you to stay emotionally scarred and wounded is a sin." If you’re wrestling with addiction, church hurt, family drama or just feel "stuck" spiritually, this message pushes you to ask hard questions about bitterness, offence and your daily walk with God. So, is there any drama or resentment you’re finally ready to lay at Jesus’ feet?
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