With the passing of the Apostles, those left behind were left wondering where to go from there. Where they went was in different directions! Some advocated for following appointed humans, but that is not what Jesus said to do. Please join me as we check in with the Church of the end of the first century. Did they pay pastors? Who was in charge? Did…

The earliest years of the Ekklesia was a unique time. Many Christians lived in isolation without apostles visiting them, and without a New Testament. This went on for several years. Believers relied on what they had been told by others about the gospel and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Yet, they had everything they needed to accomplish God's wil…

Christianity grew out of Judaism, but it should have never outgrown it! We have lost so much rich background that is important to understanding the entire context of both Jesus' first and second coming to this earth. The earliest Christians were and continued to be Jews. They simply accepted Jesus as their Messiah which their scriptures and religio…

You may glaze over when someone starts talking about History. Maybe even more so when you think about Church History. Thats OK. Think about what the next episodes in this series will be about as a commentary on how we got from what the Ekklesia was during Jesus' day, to what the Church has become 2000 years later in our day. The two are clearly not…

This time we will take a look at what Jesus had to say directly to the Ekklesias, in the book of Revelation, regarding the purpose of gathering together, what their focus should be, and how they should function. 60 years after His ascension He certainly did not appear to be concerned with how the "Great Commision" was coming. He didn't bring up how…

In this episode of the Called-Out Cafe, we will look at what all of the other Apostles, besides Paul, had to say about "how to do church." As you will hear, not much. However, they all taught the three foundational principles of anything should be done in the Ekklesia: Faith in Jesus, Hope in what He said, and Love for others in the Ekklesia. Beyon…

In this episode we finish up with what the Apostle Paul had to say to the Ekklesias about how to conduct themselves when they get together. We will be looking at the letters from Philippians to Hebrews where Paul addresses topics such as Elders and Deacons, how he was down on religion, and the importance of getting together with other Called-Out On…

In this episode we look at what Paul had to say to the Ekklesia in Ephesus regarding how they should function when they gathered. Paul covers the topics of "good works," how God is making "the mystery" known to the leaders of the unseen spirit realm through the Ekklesia, and how Jesus is the only "head" of the Ekklesia.…

In this episode our survey of the New Testament again finds us in the book of 1 Corinthians. The topics of spiritual gifts within the Ekklesia, the role of the Holy Spirit, and whether or not gatherings of the Ekklesia are appropriate for unbelievers to attend are discussed.By doughooley

As we continue to see what the New Testament has to say about the gathering together of those who are Called-Out of the world to follow Jesus, in this episode we are looking at Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. At least the first letter that was preserved and made a part of the Bible. We will see what Paul had to say about how to maintain the…

The Apostle Paul is the guy that churches all go to, to get church done right. The church loves using Paul's letters like they are a sort of a formulaic check list for making sure that church leaders color within the lines. But Paul's letters to the different Ekklesias (churches) were most often in response to some problem or issue those churches w…

Many today attempt to use what happened in the early New Testament Church, as seen in the book of Acts, as a model for how to do church. In this episode of the Called-Out Cafe we will take a look at why that might not be the best use of the information contained in Acts. What God accomplished at Pentecost and the days following was fantastic and un…

Moving on from the Gospels into the book of Acts, we will talk a little bit about the difference between parts of the Bible being descriptive about the history of the Ekklesia, rather than prescriptive about what the Ekklesia should do. We will look at a couple specific issues such as the basis, or lack thereof, of meeting on Sundays, and what it m…

Moving on from the book of Matthew in this latest episode of the Called-Out Cafe we talk about more extremely important components of the Biblical Ekklesia: like if it is not all about spreading the gospel, or service and works in the Church, what is it God expects us to be doing? Among other things, we will also talk about how the church's popular…

Many in the Evangelical Church today believe that the primary mission of the Church is to “make disciples,” and spread the gospel to the entire earth. Those things are found in the “mission statements” of countless churches. Yet, you will never find the words “great commission” in the New Testament. Nor will you find Jesus saying anywhere in the or…

Warning: If you love church traditions and have high blood pressure, please consult your physician before listening to this episode of the Called-Out Cafe. The Apostle Matthew, writer of the gospel by the same name, would have a large problem with what is taking place in most modern churches today. Among other things, in this episode we will talk a…

If you are a part of a church, what is it exactly that you think you are a part of? In this episode of the Called-Out Café, we will look at a passage of scripture in which Jesus gives us His idea of what His Ekklesia is built on. Then in our survey of the Gospel of Matthew and what it says about gathering in the name of Jesus we will look at Jesus’…

This is the final episode of a three-part special edition min-series of the Called-Out Cafe podcast. This series disputes the specific claims made in the "World Upside Down (Biblical Earth Documentary 2022)" video, which claims the Flat Earth theory is true, and ties it to one's faith in God. The World Upside Down video is very similar to the many …

This is part Two of a special edition min-series of the Called-Out Cafe podcast. This series disputes the specific claims made in the "World Upside Down (Biblical Earth Documentary 2022)" video, which claims the Flat Earth theory is true, and ties it to one's faith in God. The World Upside Down video is very similar to the many other videos you can…

This is part one of a special edition min-series of the Called-Out Cafe podcast. This series disputes the specific claims made in the "World Upside Down (Biblical Earth Documentary 2022)" video, which claims the Flat Earth theory is true, and ties it to one's faith in God.By doughooley

This time on the Called-Out Café Podcast we continue with the series titled “Leaving the Church to follow Jesus.” We will be looking at what the Gospel of Matthew and related scriptures have to say about the purpose and function of the authentic Called-Out ones of Jesus when they gather. We will talk about things such as how there is no scriptural …

In the days of the Old Testament, we are told that the people of God so far off track to the point that they had set up idols and places for prostitution in the Temple in Jerusalem. This was under the direct supervision of the religious authorities. The solution for getting back on track came in the form of the rediscovery of the Holy Scriptures wh…

In this episode we will discuss the drastic difference between the word "church" and the meaning of the word Jesus used to refer to His called-out followers: the Ekklesia. The Ekklesia, is a state of being, not a place you can go. Please join Doug for this important, eye-opening topic.By doughooley

In this episode, we begin to explore how the Church is thought of. Has Jesus failed to lead the organization which claims to represent Him on this earth?By doughooley

Join Doug as he describes an existential crisis that led to the writing of his book, Leaving the Church to Follow Jesus. Don't worry, he's got it worked out and is OK now...By doughooley

The new series is based on Doug's new book, Leaving the Church to Follow Jesus. Holy Cow, what's that about!? Is it as controversial as it sounds? Yes, but please notice it is not about leaving Jesus, or even challenging our belief in Him. It is about challenging the veracity of the organization we call the Church. Please join Doug in kicking off t…

This is the last in the series titled, Choose Your Jesus Wisely. Todays episode is an allegory based on all the previous episodes. It tells A Tale of Two Gods who are very similar, and the people who follow them. This is the final episode of the season. Lord willing, I will start back up in the fall with a series based on my new book, “Leaving the …

In this episode of the Called-Out Café we start to wrap up this series titled, “Choose Your Jesus Wisely” with some thoughts on what the authentic follower of Jesus might do in response to so many counterfeit Jesuses being followed today.By doughooley

In this episode we look at if false Christian gods, or counterfeit Jesuses do exist in the Church today as I have been saying in this series, who’s problem is that to fix? Do we have any responsibility, or is it up to Jesus to fix His Church?By doughooley

A third of the world's population today claim to be Christian. Yet, Jesus said many will call Him Lord, to which He will respond, “depart from me, I never knew you.” Since the title of “Christian” can mean so many different things, it is almost meaningless. But, there are many reasons for us to know who is an authentic follower of Jesus and who is …

Lets talk about how God views how serious it is to allow false gods to infiltrate our minds and lives...By doughooley

This is a continuation of the last episode's look at a popular false Christian God: The God of Service And Works. A God being worshipped at a Church near you this Sunday!By doughooley

There are many classic Christian false gods we could discuss. Any false god is a bad false god. However, in this and the next episode, we will do a case study on one particular false god, I am calling, “the god of Service And Works,” or “SAW,” for short. I am doing so to illustrate how some false gods have boldly infiltrated mainstream and evangeli…

Since the “priests” of false Christian gods don’t have the Holy Spirit on their side, they utilize what I call “Christian-Jedi mind tricks” to manipulate their followers. This includes the use of guilt, peer pressure, loyalty, nostalgia, tradition, and fear. These feelings can motivate people to follow the agenda of humans while saying they are act…

The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Called-Out in the region of Galatia was a cohesive focused message and not a series of mini disjointed teachings. Paul’s main message was that of relying on the good news that the grace which comes through authentic belief in Jesus is not only sufficient for one’s salvation, but that to add anything to it, is to nul…

In this episode we will talk about how the words “belief,” faith,” and “hope” have evolved over the centuries. Many Christian false gods rely upon the modern, unbiblical understanding of these words. The modern usage of the word “faith,” has taken on somewhat of a mystical meaning that is used in support of many incorrect teachings. It means to con…

Many pastors and Bible teachers view Bible characters as what can be compared to "Christian Jedi Masters." They are examples for us to imitate to bring about a desired outcome which would be either beneficial to ourselves or the body of Christ. However, due to the uniqueness of the story God is telling us in the Bible, most often what happened to t…

Within Christianity there are many views on the Bible: what it is, and how to read or study it. If one is an authentic Child of God, they understand that the Bible, in its original form, contains the inspired word of God: God’s message and plan that He has revealed to mankind. The job of the truth seeker is to understand the original meaning of the…

There are many reasons people choose to believe lies. Even lies about God. In this episode I talk about "cognitive dissonance" and some of the reasons people choose to believe things, even relating to God, that are not true.By doughooley

In this episode of the Called-Out Cafe: Billions of people think they are correct in their beliefs regarding God as they follow their own version of the “truth.” There is only one authentic Truth: God’s Truth. It is the authentic Truth that informs us about the one and only, real, authentic Jesus. The authentic Child of God, as opposed to the imita…

The modern religion of Postmodern Secular Progressivism and the relative truth it promotes, has provided us with the perfect culture to raise our own custom-made gods in. Christians may start with some non-negotiables, like the Nicene Creed, but they quickly divide according to their own version of the truth. That version of the truth is heavily in…

It is easy to believe in a God that lines up with who we think He should be according to our reasoning. However, it is much more difficult to believe in the entire God of the Bible. Can I believe in the God of the Bible, or do I need to just tweak Him a bit to be able to believe in Him? How we sometimes custom make God to order is the topic of toda…

False Christian God's come in many forms. In this episode, Doug Talks about a personal minor false god of his past: The god who hates dancing... Just one of countless examples of how cultural practices and religious beliefs are superimposed over who we view God as.By doughooley

What constitutes a false god? Many things may qualify depending on how you want to define it. But perhaps the most dangerous false god comes into being when we change the character and nature of the God of the Bible to better suit our own reason and liking. And then, we make this new version of god, the object of our worship. In this episode of the…

Jesus warned that when He returns in judgement, "many" will call him Lord, to which He will reply that, He "never knew" them. What other Jesus is it then that these "many" false Christians are following and calling "lord" if not the authentic Jesus of the Bible? When the character and nature of the God of the Bible is changed in any way, a new fals…

In this conclusion of the series on the Biblical Worldview of the Spirit Realm, we look at what happens when we die according to the Bible. We all have some kind of foggy hybrid image of what happens based on what our parents and Hollywood have told us. Maybe some of us can recall a passage of scripture or two on the subject or maybe what a pastor …

What is the current state of Jesus? Where is He at? What are His abilities? Is He omnipresent? Or is He secretly hiding on the earth right now? Would He know my name if I were to bump into Him on the street? All of this and more is discussed in this episode.By doughooley

How is it that the Spirit Realm routinely and rarely interacts with the Physical Realm? In this second part of this two-part topic, using the Bible as a guide we will take a look at how Satan still may influence this world that he is said to be the “god” of. We will talk about how those who belong to Jesus can actively defend against the schemes of…

How is it that the Spirit Realm routinely and rarely interacts with the Physical Realm? In part one of this two-part topic, using the Bible as a guide we will take a look at how Satan still may influence this world that he is said to be the “god” of. We will touch on "spiritual warfare" and talk about how those who belong to Jesus can actively defe…

According to the often-ignored spirit realm story line in the New Testament, there was a great deal going on behind what could be seen in the physical realm when Jesus walked the earth 2000 years ago. It was in the other realm, which is unobservable by humans, that Jesus was acting as the courageous, enemy-dominating Messiah that His people had bee…