Latest / Jo Watson: Unfiltered Faith / Following God or Following Church
Transcript
- Jo Watson: Welcome back to Unfiltered Faith. I'm Joe Watson, and it's time to breathe. Time to slow down. Time to let your shoulders drop and time to step into the sanctuary. Not the sanctuary we're all so familiar with, but the one that God is building inside you. Family, this is the space where we strip away performance, peel back expectations, and sit with the raw Honest questions that shape our walk with God. Today's conversation is one many believers feel but rarely voice. The tension between following God and following church culture. Not because church is bad, not because God is confusing, but because sometimes the lines blur and our hearts get Caught up in the middle. This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered, Am I following God or just following what people expect of me? To guide us into this conversation, I want to read a letter from one of our listeners. A letter that carries a question many believers whisper but fear asking out loud. Here's what our listener Wrote Dear Unfiltered Faith, I've been thinking about something that honestly makes me uncomfortable. How do I know if I'm following God or just doing what church has taught me to do? Sometimes I wonder if I go along with things because I truly believe them or because I'm afraid of being judged, talked about, or called wrong. What if God is leading me in a direction that people at church don't understand? What if doing what I believe God is telling me means disappointing people? And honestly, can you be in church, show up, serve, pray, and still not really know God? I don't have the answers. I just know I don't want to spend my life following people's expectations and And realize I never stopped to ask God what he wanted from me. How do we tell the difference between following God and simply following church? Signed Am I following God or just following church? To the one who wrote this, your question is brave, your honesty is holy, and your discomfort is actually a sign of spiritual awakening. Let me say this clearly. Church can guide you, church can teach you, church can support you, but only God can lead you. And yes, You can be active in church and still not truly know God. Scripture shows us this in Matthew 15:8, where it says, These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Jesus wasn't condemning church involvement. He was revealing that activity is not intimacy. You ask, How do I know if I'm following God or just following church? Here's the truth. Church teaches you about God. The Holy Spirit leads you with God. Church gives you structure. God gives you direction. Church gives you community. God gives you calling. Church gives you doctrine. But God gives you relationship. And sometimes, yes, God will lead you in ways that people around you don't understand. This happened all throughout scripture. We see it with Abraham. Abraham left everything familiar because God told him to. Moses, Moses followed God into a wilderness the people didn't want. David. David worshiped in ways that made others uncomfortable, and Jesus constantly challenged religious expectations. I want to say this and pray that you will remember it. Following God has never been about pleasing people. Let me say that again. Following God has never been about pleasing people. Let's pause right here for a moment. Family, this letter is not just for one person, it is for every believer who has ever felt torn between God's voice and people's opinions. So let's talk about the difference. Following church often looks like routine. Following church feels predictable. Following church often centers on expectations. Following church can be done without intimacy, and following church can be motivated by fear of judgment. Now let's look at what following God looks like. Following God requires listening for God's lead. Following God requires obedience. Following God often disrupts comfort. Following God will sometimes disappoint people. And following God always, always leads to transformation. John 10 27 says, My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. It does not say they follow the crowd, not they follow tradition, not they follow expectations, but they follow me. If you want to know whether you're following God, here are some questions you can ask yourself. Does what you're doing draw you closer to God? Does it align with Scripture? Does it produce fruit in your life? Does it require faith? And does it reflect the character of God? Church is a gift, but church is not the shepherd. Jesus is. I want to pray right now for you. And every listener who has struggled with this question, or who has been active in the church but has not felt that intimacy with God. Father in heaven, today we ask for clarity. Clarity to hear your voice above every other voice. Clarity to follow your leading even when it challenges tradition. Clarity to walk with you in authenticity and truth. Remove fear of judgment. Remove pressure to perform. Remove Confusion between religion and relationship. Teach us, Lord, to follow you, not out of habit, not out of fear, but out of love. Make our hearts sensitive to your spirit. Make our steps aligned with your will. Make our lives reflect your voice. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for joining me today on Unfiltered Faith. If you are struggling with the weight of something that feels too heavy for you to bear, this episode is not a substitution for professional therapy or pastoral care. Please seek the help that you need. And remember this: church is beautiful, community is necessary. But only God is the one you follow. So may your ears be tuned to his voice, may your heart be anchored in his presence, and may your life reflect the one who calls you by name. And until next time, walk with God, not with fear, not with pressure, but with confidence. Because we are family. This is unfiltered faith. God is moving. So stay ready. And to God be the glory.