Grace Escape

In this Grace Escape LIVE special, we examine what stood out at UPCI General Conference 2026—from multimillion-dollar fundraising appeals to David Bernard’s candid comments about tithing and pastoral compensation, and Aaron Bounds’s expectations for young people concerning marriage, children, and ministry. We look at how giving, church planting, ministerial licensing, and family decisions become c...

In this Grace Escape LIVE special, we examine Josh Herring’s “The Uncomfortable Church” sermon at POA and ask when biblical generosity crosses the line into spiritual coercion. We look at how passages about Barnabas, Ananias and Sapphira, sacrificial giving, revival, family salvation, and “God giving you a number” are used to make an institutional financial decision feel like obedience to God. Alo...

This is an edited repost of our original LIVE examining Nathan Holmes’ “No Quiet Prayers” message from First Pentecostal Church of North Little Rock (FPCNLR).After the original episode aired, FPCNLR filed copyright complaints against the program, including a scheduled YouTube takedown. We removed the original upload before a copyright strike was placed on our channel. That removal was not an admis...

What happens when you still love God’s Word, but years of fear, performance, proof-texting and bad interpretation have made it difficult to open it again? In this episode, we’re talking about how to start over with Scripture, without quotas, guilt, or needing a pastor to tell you what God is saying. We’ll share practical ways to get back into the Bible, then walk through how to read it faithfully...

We were taught that the Bible was the inspired, authoritative Word of God, but were we actually taught how to read and interpret it? In this episode, we examine what happens when pastors and believers bring private revelation, “rhema words,” personal experience, eisegesis, out-of-context teaching, and subjective impressions into Scripture, instead of allowing the text to speak for itself. We’ll pl...

Todd Nichols preached two messages at The Rock Church in Elk Grove, that reveal a troubling view of pastoral authority: from turning Nehemiah’s enemies into a template for modern opposition to warning believers about getting a taste of “preacher blood.” In this LIVE special, we examine Nichols’ claims that only select leaders matter when it comes to hearing from God, that his only answer when his...

In this special LIVE edition, we had you join us as we worked through a stack of clips we collected from Oneness Pentecostal camp meetings and conferences over the summer. Some are funny, some are strange, and others raise much more serious questions about doctrine, pastoral authority, healing, the Holy Spirit, and what people are being told God requires. Rather than dismissing something just beca...

When churches face leadership crises, are congregants taught how to respond with biblical accountability, or simply how to stay loyal to a man. In this episode, we examine recent events surrounding one of the most influential Oneness Pentecostal churches in America and ask what the Bible says about pastoral qualifications, accountability, and discernment. Whether you're processing questions in you...

Who gave the modern church (or the pastor!) a biblical claim on the first 10% of every Christian’s income, along with the authority to attach salvation, blessing, protection, or curses to whether it is paid? In this episode, we examine the unauthorized transfers used to build modern tithing doctrine, from turning pastors into Levites to turning the temple storehouse into a church bank account. We...

Many churches strongly condemn the prosperity gospel, but are they actually teaching something any different? In this episode, we examine the growing idea of "Kingdom prosperity" and compare it with what Scripture says about God's blessings, generosity, and financial provision. We look at several popular Apostolic teachings and ask whether changing the motive from personal luxury to funding the mi...

Have you ever felt like you had to perform for God? Maybe because of what religion has taught you, or how a pastor trained you. Dress holy, worship emotionally, get involved, give, be loyal to one man, repent incessantly? The list is long, but in today’s episode, we help believers to see they can be free from this thinking. God doesn’t need our performance, He wants our hearts. And He wants you to...

A public controversy made headlines, but the church service that followed deserves just as much attention. We walk through the loyalty tests, pastor-centered language, twisted Scripture, and sermon on “manhood” that turned aggression into strength. Then we compare it all to Scripture and ask what biblical manhood actually looks like: self-control, gentleness, humility, and strength submitted to Ch...

Why does death feel so terrifying for so many people coming out of performance-driven church systems? In this episode, we unpack how works-based theology creates anxiety, uncertainty, and a constant fear of “not doing enough.” We contrast that with the clear message of Scripture: salvation is secured by Christ, not our performance. We also walk through God’s sovereignty in life and death, and how...

In this episode, we are looking at another round of wild, strange, and deeply questionable things Pentecostal preachers say and do. From a prayer log being treated like a spiritual relic, to creepy “spiritual daughter” language, to money pressure, and pulpit chaos, we are asking whether these things are actually biblical or just something we were trained to call “anointed” and “Pentecostal”. We al...

In this episode, we continue last week’s conversation about why modern church buildings are not the “house of God”, by looking at what happens when sacred-building theology gets tied to millions of dollars in debt. We examine how pastors frame expansion projects as vision, prophecy, revival, and obedience, while the saints are left carrying the financial burden through pressure, maxed-out credit c...

In Oneness Pentecostalism, the church building is often treated as far more than a place to gather. It becomes the “House of God,” the place where God supposedly moves, restores, pours out His Spirit, calls people, and meets with His people in a special way. In this episode, we look at the language, clips, and Scripture surrounding sacred church buildings, altar dependence, “don’t miss the move” f...

This Mother’s Day, we’re having a complicated conversation on Grace Escape: the role and culture  surrounding the modern “First Lady.” In many Pentecostal churches, these pastor wives carry enormous pressure, influence, responsibility, and emotional weight behind the scenes, often while quietly suffering themselves. But we also take an honest look at the very real spiritual, emotional, and relatio...

Holiness is one of the most talked about, and most misunderstood, concepts in high-control church systems. For many, it became a visible checklist of rules rather than a work of the Holy Spirit. In this episode, we walk through how holiness is taught in Oneness Pentecostalism, how it was defined under the Old Covenant, and what actually changed under the New. We unpack key Scriptures often used to...

What is fundamentalism?  And does it describe Apostolic Pentecostalism?  In this episode, we define the term clearly, as we walk through how it has shifted from protecting core doctrine to building systems that draw hard lines around who is “in” and who is “out.” We connect the dots between fundamentalism and legalism, showing how one creates the environment for the other to thrive. Along the way,...

In this episode, we’re exposing how legalism is often redefined from the pulpit, typically so it can be rejected in name, while still being practiced in reality. We break down real sermon clips and examine how language around grace, holiness, and obedience can subtly shift from freedom into pressure. Using Scripture from Galatians and Colossians, we show how legalism isn’t just about earning salva...

We keep hearing this phrase in Pentecostal services: “let’s entertain the presence of the Lord”… but what does that actually mean? In this LIVE episode, we break down portions of the IBC Music Fest 2026, and expose the theology behind this kind of language. Is God’s presence something we have to create, sustain, or “not lose”… or is that an Old Covenant idea creeping into New Covenant worship? We’...

Grace is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented topics in Oneness Pentecostalism, and we’re all over it this week. We unpack how many churches turn God’s free gift into a process, adding steps and requirements that Scripture never actually teaches. From “grace-only” strawman arguments, to the redefinition of the gospel itself, we walk through what the Bible really says about salvation an...

Over the past couple episodes, we’ve exposed how music can manipulate emotions and how unbiblical lyrics can quietly shape what we believe. In this final episode of our music series, we’re bringing it all together by focusing on something deeply personal. How YOU can develop biblical discernment when it comes to music. We tackle the “secular music” question without fear, walk through practical way...

This week we’re taking a closer look at the lyrics being sung in many modern Pentecostal worship sets. Are these songs actually grounded in Scripture… or are they quietly teaching theology that the Bible never promised? We examine several popular worship songs and compare the lyrics directly to what God’s Word says about the gospel, the Holy Spirit, and who worship is really supposed to point to....

In many Pentecostal church services, music isn’t just background. It’s the emotional engine driving the entire experience. In this episode, we walk through a modern Pentecostal service step by step to show how music is often used to set the atmosphere, escalate emotions, and shape how people respond to preaching and altar calls. After serving as church musicians for 25 years, we share insider insi...