piritual manipulation is a hidden but dangerous issue in many churches and ministries. What happens when obedience is no longer about God, but about control?

A newly released audio recording from Daystar exposes how church leaders use submission as a weapon to silence, coerce, and manipulate. In the clip, a male leader tells an employee:

🗣️ “You said your job was to talk about God. But that’s not your job; your job is to do what she (Joni Lamb) says.”

When the employee asks, “Even if it goes against my convictions?” the leader responds, “If your convictions are so strong, you must quit.”

This is spiritual coercion—not biblical leadership. If you’ve ever been told that questioning leadership is rebellious or that leaving a toxic church is disobedient, this post is for you.

🚩 What are the red flags of spiritual manipulation?
🚩 How do church leaders misuse Scripture to control people?
🚩 What does the Bible actually say about submission and authority?

Read more to uncover the truth about spiritual abuse—and how to recognize manipulation before it happens.

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How Misunderstanding Grace Stole My Peace

Are you struggling to find peace in your faith? For years, I thought I understood God’s grace, but instead of feeling His love, I carried the heavy burden of fear and striving. A misunderstanding of grace kept me from breathing easily and robbed me of the peace I longed for.

In my latest Substack post, I uncover how the truth about grace can transform your faith and help you rediscover the peace you were always meant to have.

👉 Read more on Substack

Does God Care About the Little Things?

I still remember sitting in church, hearing the pastor say, “God does not care about your little things.” Something deep inside me cried out, Yes, He does! But those words stuck with me, leaving a wound I didn’t fully understand at the time.

When spiritual abuse has taken place, rest is taken. Stolen. In its place is work to remain who they want you to be, work to do what they want you to do, and work to continue to push down your own feelings and desires.

During the holiday season, we need rest. It is a time of waiting for God just as they waited for the birth of Christ many years ago. This season, find ways to rest.

Healing from spiritual abuse is a journey—a complex process that takes time and patience. If you’ve been hurt by a spiritually abusive environment, there are two foundational truths that must take root in your heart for healing to truly begin:

1. God Is Grace and Love

2. God Loves You Dearly

For years, I struggled with the fear of an angry, punishing God. But slowly, I came to understand the truth about His nature: God is full of grace and love. He delights in you—even in your brokenness.

In my latest blog post, I share my personal journey of leaving a spiritually abusive environment and the transformational truths that set me free. I’ve also included practical steps to help you embrace the truth of God’s unwavering love for you.

If you’re longing to break free from the fear of an angry God and rediscover His grace, I invite you to read the full post. You are not alone in this journey.

Discover how to recognize the red flags of spiritual abuse and overcome fear-based manipulation in faith settings. Learn how scripture can be misused as a weapon and how to protect yourself with God’s truth from 2 Timothy 1:7. Read more on our Substack.

Leaders in IFB churches want women to think that quiet and gentle means that they must do whatever they are told to do, especially if a man says it. Indoctrination by keeping women silent has been shown to play a large role in getting women to become part of fundamental churches, which reach into the totality of the members life. Calling for this to stop, Melodi reveals the truth about what God meant by being "gentle and quiet".

Each individual is unique in how they will heal. Research shows that counseling is more effective when the counselor and client share the same faith. Discover more about Christian Counseling.

What to do if your child tells you about sexual abuse. This nightmare can end better, if parents know how to be supportive and care for their children who have been victimized.

Childhood sexual abuse is a horror that no parent ever wants to deal with. Have child abuse awareness so that you can help your child to the best of your ability.

#shinyhappypeople, #metoo, me too, #churchtoo, church too, fundamental, Gothard, Fundie,

When a traumatic event occurs, such as childhood sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, or spiritual abuse, it is common for individuals to have difficulty coming up with words to tell what happened. This can continue for years, even decades, when someone has experienced something terrifying. But there is help through trauma-informed counselors and coaches.

Giving ourselves permission to rest can be one of the most difficult things, but God calls us to rest. In this article you hear God’s heart towards rest, learn ways to rest, and find an empirically based method for fighting depression and anxiety.

Grieving the loss of a dream can be far more painful that grieving the loss of a person. Disappointment, sadness and heartbreak can all be emotions that threaten to overwhelm. Keep reading to understand how to grieve these losses well.

Parenting is a tough job. It becomes even more complex when the home that you grew up in was not healthy. Growing up in a less than healthy home does NOT doom you to parent poorly. Read to learn more about the way parents and children attach to each other.

Do you know a victim of sexual assault? Find out how to be support for them.

Psalm 51:6 says that God wants us to understand truth at our core. Many issues are created by false narratives from our past, which tell us that others should only love us if we work for it, that others are trustworthy, and/or that we are incapable of receiving love. But these statements are simply not true.

Returning to an abusive partner can be a decision fraught with frustration and confusion. Here are 12 things that should be present if the abuser has truly changed.

This article has the symptoms of depression. If you are wondering if you my be depressed, see how many symptoms that you have.

Walking with God can be the most refreshing thing in this world, yet when He calls us to wait, it can be excruciating. Be encouraged in the waiting.

Dealing with loss requires you to run a marathon. Rebuilding your life after loss takes patience, time and energy. But you can do it. Discover how in this article.