Complimentary Story
April 2026As many of you might be aware, I host a daily podcast at:
CoachDaveLive.com. I don’t say that to brag, but rather, to simply let the reader know that I am actively involved in other fronts in this cultural war. Make no mistake, we are IN a war, but for the most part, we are not AT war.
In other words, the Church, for the most part, is a casual observer in the conflict, doing nothing more than watching as the war rages around us. There is a difference in being IN a war and actually being AT war. Sadly, we are losing many of the battles in this war because we have refused to get engaged in the conflict.
There is a theme at Coach Dave Live that continues to resurface, and that theme comes in the form of a question. It is really very simple and is a cousin to Ronald Reagan’s famous exhortation to “trust but verify.” In a world full of confusion, when it seems harder each day to know what to believe, we ask two very simple questions.
“Who told you that and why do you believe them?”
As George Orwell wrote... “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” Hence, how in the world do you know who to believe?
Permit me to grind it down a bit.
Everyone has an agenda. We see it every day in the news media. Liberal media, conservative media, Left, Right...somewhere along the way, the media decided to take a side. Fox called themselves “fair and balanced,” which I assume means some other media is “unfair and unbalanced.” It is all perspective, as the average American struggles to find out what is really going on.
But unfortunately, it has crept into every aspect of American culture. The most dangerous and confusing of all platforms has become the American Church. I often hear other Christians crow “The Bible says it...I believe it...and that settles it!” But that is nothing but a bunch of malarkey as well. The correct statement would be “my denomination says, I believe my denomination, and that settles it.”
Hence, “who told you that and why should you believe them?”
You might be surprised to find that a quick Google search will bring up information that claims that there are over 42,000 denominations of Christianity. Let me say that again...not 42,000 different CHURCHES...but 42,000 different denominations of Christianity that cannot agree on what the Bible says. So much for “the Bible says it, and that settles it.” (World Christianity, Christianity Studies - Wesleyan University).
Let’s face it. Individual churches disagree with fellow believers on a lot. That’s why it is not uncommon to find a church on every corner of downtown American cities, with each one teaching their version of “what the Bible says.” And although new churches are popping up in storefronts all across America, the truth is, each one is teaching the PASTOR’S version of what the Bible says.
Psalm 133 declares that “where there is UNITY, God commands the blessing.” Unfortunately, the most divided time in American Christianity is Sunday morning in any city near you! Getting pastors to work together is nearly impossible, because they are laden with jealousy, as they compare the number of “sheep” attending their flock — as if drawing a large crowd is a sign of success.
The truth is, churches see other churches as competition, as the pastors struggle to find their place in the spiritual hierarchy within their community. Pride is destructive — especially when it creeps into the House of God. It must grieve the heart of our Savior to see such division in His Body.
Which brings me to politics. The largest voting block in America is those who claim to be Christians. If every Christian in America voted for the same candidate, Christian values would rule in the house of Congress. What was it Jesus warned us? “A house divided AGAINST ITSELF CANNOT STAND.” Look again...the WORD doesn’t say WILL NOT stand...but CANNOT stand.
America crumbles because the pastors and churches cannot agree on what the Bible actually teaches.
I often hear pastors proudly crow that they will not “preach politics from the pulpit.” What fools. In their cowardice to not “mix religion with politics,” the Christian vote splits and the impact of Christianity fades because of a divided house. The truth is that the pulpits are full of cowardly men who are more afraid of losing church attendees than they are in being the salt of the world that Christ has called us to be.
American Christianity is a house divided. There are not multiple versions of the TRUTH.
When you load up your family this Sunday and head to your local entertainment center...er...church, remember Coach Dave’s slogan. “Who told you that, and why should you believe him?” How do you know if your pastor is really the expert he claims to be?
Remember the theme of Coach Dave Live? “Who told you that and why should you believe him?” Or as the Gipper would say... “TRUST BUT VERIFY.”
A house divided against itself cannot stand. No wonder America looks like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
“The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it.” Yeah, right. Divide and Conquer is the oldest trick in the books.
Web: CoachDaveLive.com
E-Mail: Coach@CoachDaveLive.com
