Pastor Worship & Power-Trippin’ Elders

Moore's Corner Church

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Hello, and thank you for listening to the testing the spirits podcast the title of this episode is

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Pastor worship not a worship pastor That's the young guy who plays guitar and sings in those churches that have the contemporary

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Service no not worship pastor. We're talking about pastor worship So what is this?

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This is a real thing and it's a real problem I've encountered it many times and in many ways

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None of which are in regards to me. I mean nobody worships me thankfully. I'm not rich.

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I'm not famous I'm not on TV. So nobody's gonna worship me most likely right, but let's give you a quick definition and then

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I'll give some Examples, although I do want to say this does happen on a local level

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But let's talk about a pastor worship is defined this way It is the act of elevating a pastor or other spiritual leaders to an unhealthy degree

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So let's give some examples. I did a video where I Express this was recently with the

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Daystar Controversy, I did a video where I expressed Disagreement with a few famous pastors.

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I never said anything disparaging about them. This was the Ray Comfort Jack Hibbs David Jeremiah Charles Stanley video, right?

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So I never said anything disparaging about those men I just said that I disagree with their decision to be on Daystar and A few people more than a few freaked out.

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Now. This was the small minority, but still several people just yeah, they they freaked out the very idea that I could have the audacity to Disagree with this famous pastor on TV.

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How dare you? He's famous. How dare you disagree with him? This is a form of pastor worship

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So yeah, it's the idea that this famous pastor. He's on a pedestal. So whatever he says whatever he does

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It's right Because simply because he said it or did it another example would be

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Alistair Begg write the controversy earlier this year with Alistair Begg giving that advice to the grandmother

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Alistair Begg is a leader in the Reformed wing of conservative evangelicalism

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I think it's safe to say that five or ten years ago people in that tradition would have never

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Given the advice certainly not publicly Telling Christians to attend so -called, you know

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Transgender weddings They would never say that. Yes, you should go and buy the couple a gift

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Nobody thought that was the right thing to do until this famous pastor on Radio and TV Alistair Begg he gave that Horrendous advice and then all of a sudden now a sizable

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Percentage of the Reformed world, you know, they think this way they are now giving the advice.

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They're defending No Christians should attend so -called gay weddings Well, what changed the did the

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Bible change? Did Jesus speak from heaven and change his mind about all of that?

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No people changed because of Alistair Begg and then if you disagreed with Alistair Begg same thing

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How dare you disagree with him? Or why I'm a pastor other people are pastors other people know the

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Bible. Why can't we disagree? well, because he's on the pedestal and no one's allowed to Say anything different.

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So I think this proves that People that situation definitely proves that there are people who follow the pastor more than they follow the

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Word of God because here's the thing if the Bible says One thing and a pastor says something different if you go with the pastor over the

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Bible Yeah, that's a form of pastor worship Well, whatever the pastor said whatever pastor says

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Whatever pastor says that's just what we're gonna. Yep. Just turn off your brain. No, we're told to be

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Bereans Now, I don't think it's right to question Somebody just like, you know, you're just questioning everything.

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They say just to be You know just to be difficult There are some people who do that.

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That's not what we're talking about. But to be a good Berean the Bereans were called noble Just because they tested what the

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Apostle Paul says, so we we always need to I think respect your pastor absolutely, but don't turn your brain off you need to have your

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Bible open and You know if you're a mature believer, yeah, you can test everything

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He says over and against the Word of God, but when a famous pastor says something and no one's allowed to question him

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That's a form of pastor Worship, so obviously a pastor should be rightly handling the

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Word of God. So a congregation again, I'll say it again They should respect their pastor You should be able to follow your pastor's advice, but when a pastor says or does something that's unbiblical

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You know what? It's okay to say something matter of fact There are times where I think you'd be obligated to say something now do it respectfully

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Sure, but here's what I've noticed there are a lot of ministries this is becoming a

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Problem. I was gonna do a whole podcast just on this specific thing, but there are a lot of ministries

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Where sin is overlooked people are into all sorts of different things. They shouldn't be and for the most part leadership, well, you know either turn a blind eye or Deal with things very very gently and softly but the one sin that will not be tolerated is when someone

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Disagrees with the pastor or the elder or the leadership. So when the people act this way, okay

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When the when the congregation acts this way, it's pastor worship

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Nobody is allowed to disagree with the man of God, you know touch not the Lord's anointed It's like Jimmy Evan said about Joni Lamb.

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She is the voice of God No one is allowed to disagree or say anything against the anointed leader.

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How dare you right? So that's one thing when the congregation when the people do it, it's pastor worship

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But when the leaders act this way that no one is allowed to disagree with me

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It's a form of spiritual abuse So you have to discern is it going one way or the other if it's from the top down It's spiritual abuse if it's from the bottom up if the people are just treating the pastor that way it's pastor worship

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But this is becoming a common thing in Baptist churches usually it would be the pastor in Reformed churches, you know, the elders might go on some sort of power trip

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And again, this is the one thing that will not be tolerated That is when someone disagrees with the leadership

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This is almost like I've noticed this is almost like the new version of the unpardonable sin.

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They'll forgive Anything and everything but if you speak against the pastor if you speak against the leader in public

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You'll be written off. You'll be blacklisted Now I get it if a person

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Was making you know Railing accusations that were demonstrably false or using

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Intentionally vile insults. Okay, but no a simple difference of Opinion you can have a different opinion than your pastor now if it's about the

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Trinity that's gonna be that's gonna be a problem But there's there's a process to handle stuff like that But people are allowed to disagree with the pastor, especially when it comes to You know

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Tertiary issues are just matters of opinion But yeah, I've noticed this if someone dares vocalize some disagreement with the pastor or with the leadership

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That is the one thing that will not be tolerated. I know of situations where church leaders

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You know when the leaders faced a blasphemy or heresy They seem to respond with apathy almost right someone's blaspheming

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Christ and they're just like, you know They just don't want to lift a finger but then when someone disagrees with them in public then they then they're ready to fight and they're gonna yell and shout and It's just totally backwards.

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So what's the title of the podcast? Pastor worship. Let me give you two more quick examples.

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But first I just want to read this paragraph I got from the website got questions dot org.

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They have a good article on the subject They say pastor worship can be overt, but most often it is subtle It is good and right for a congregation to appreciate their pastor and show that appreciation in a myriad of ways but when in the heart of a believer appreciation for the pastor crosses over into preoccupation or veneration

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Pastor worship is the result Okay. So while we are mainly talking about Baptist and Reformed circles,

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I think most of my listeners are probably either, you know Non -denominational

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Baptist or maybe reformed but based on what I just read about the veneration, right?

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The most this we have to say this the most clear and obvious example of pastor worship

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Has to be found within the Roman Catholic Church the way Catholics treat the

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Pope Okay, they treat him as though he's God or Jesus They actually do

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Venerate him if not worship him. For example, they call the Pope Holy Father, which according to the

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Bible That's a title that only applies to God the Father Catholics will bow down to the

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Pope they think he is Infallible and when a Pope dies if he is canonized as a saint people actually pray

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To dead Popes. I mean that's pastor worship on steroids, right?

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Also in some countries this was common more, you know in the US and previous generations

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But even the local parish priest within the Catholic Church was, you know, almost seen as a godlike figure

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So all of that to say this the Catholic Church, you know, they really take the cake when it comes to Pastor worship that's on a whole other level and you know speaking of the

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Pope One last example in the 20th century a lot of people refer to Billy Graham as the

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Protestant Pope Maybe you've heard that term. Maybe you haven't I've heard it

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Therefore because Billy Graham, I mean no one was put on a pedestal among Protestants and Baptists more than Billy Graham Therefore and I've experienced this firsthand.

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I'll tell you about it But if you disagreed with Billy Graham and still this is true today

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Not as much as when he was alive, but if you disagree with Billy Graham, oh man, you better watch out

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Billy Graham really was and is like An idol to some people he's like their golden calf.

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So here's what I have personally experienced I grew up with this idea that Billy Graham was the greatest

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Christian since the Apostle Paul but then so that was the Mindset that I had that's how everybody seemed to treat him and talk about him

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But then I heard his interview with Robert Shuler on the hour of power broadcast

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Where Billy Graham basically said that you could be saved without ever hearing about Jesus and he strongly implied if not flat -out said that people from other religions if they did the best they could and turn to the only light that they had even if they've never

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Seen a Bible or heard about Jesus Billy Graham said I believe that they are saved and that he's talking about Muslims and Buddhists and unbelievers.

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He said I believe that they are saved and they will be with us in heaven Now listen if Billy Graham misspoke or was misunderstood

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That's one thing but he lived another 18 to 20 years and he never once Recanted or clarified his position.

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In fact when he went on CNN See CNN's Larry King asked

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Billy Graham about this. Well, what about the Jews? What about people who don't believe in Jesus? What about the Muslims if they don't believe in Jesus?

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They're going to hell right Billy Graham just would not acknowledge that anyone was going to hell and on top of that Billy Graham Kind of doubled down and said that he had fellowship not only with the

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Pope He said that he had wonderful fellowship even with the Mormons. Okay, my friends that sounds like Universalism now only

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God knows Billy Graham's heart, but I do know what he said And I'm just saying that's not that's not right.

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That's not biblical What if I what if I went to some of these guys who love

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Billy Graham and they heard him say? Oh, I have wonderful fellowship with the Mormons and they're willing to defend

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Billy Graham. What if I said that what if I did a video? Right now, you know for those people watching who?

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You know, I've met these people and I know some of them watch and I'm glad you're watching I'm just trying to reason with you here

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You know these people that defend Billy Graham. Oh, well, okay. Yes. He said he he had wonderful fellowship with the

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Mormons What if I did a video? where in my next video I said, you know what

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I Went down to the Mormon Church and I'm having wonderful fellowship with the

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Mormons You would probably unsubscribe and write me off, but see when

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Billy Graham does it that's different So this has been my experience And by the way, I have all the video evidence on my channel

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If you some people say that never how you never said that well search it on my channel I have him

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I have the video of him saying it. So when I heard those clips, I was shocked Remember, I thought Billy Graham was the most sound

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Preacher in the world, you know He's the bet he's the best Christian most sound teacher since the

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Apostle Paul and then I heard those clips and I was shocked And here's what I did.

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I knew several pastors and church leaders who loved Billy Graham So I I was trying to make sense out of it all this was years ago

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And I went to these people and I asked them about it And you know the response that I got

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Yeah, they they defended Billy Graham And then I asked one of them

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Yeah, what if I did this? What if I came in next month and I just repeated verbatim what

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Billy Graham said? What if I said that? They said well, you know, you'd lose your job.

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You'd be run out of town. You'd be disfellowshipped I said well, what about Billy? How come he can if I do it then

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I'm you know, I'm out. I'm Disfellowshipped. I can't be a pastor. I'm this or I'm that but if Billy Graham does it

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What about him and then I Kid you not they doubled down and defended

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Billy Graham. So long story short, you know If I said something

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I'd be held Accountable to what the Bible says that's the way it should be but when these big names celebrity usually

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TV preachers But again, it can happen on a local level. But usually it's the famous guys when they

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Say something people are just willing to defend them because again

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They're sort of like the their golden calf. So I was really blown away by that Experience to me that sort of represents the epitome of Pastor worship and then

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I did a couple YouTube videos Where I talked about that stuff with Billy Graham and I got the same responses, you know

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It's the minority but still there was a fair amount of people who are like, how dare you? How dare you disagree with Billy Graham?

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Who do you think you are? So in conclusion, I'm here to tell you pastor worship is real.

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There are people who put pastors on A pedestal and it's just not right.

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The only one who deserves to be on a pedestal Okay, the only man who deserves to be worshipped is the

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Lord Jesus Christ Now the words the teachings that are in the Bible from the

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Apostles and Prophets That's the Word of God But the only person we really should worship is

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Jesus himself and I know that people you know Pope aside most people are not actually worshipping the pastors, but I think you get the idea.

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This is a real problem some people just I don't know I don't know what it is that causes people to do this, but I Just think it's a worthy subject to address and then there's

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These are my last comments. Okay. I think there are some Yes, there are some people who put pastors on a pedestal and then there are some pastors who put themselves on a pedestal

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And they fancy themselves as a pastor to other pastors You know, they think

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I'm a pastor of other pastors and that's a whole, you know other podcast for another day

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