Rethink Faith with Nelson Jackson III

Nelson Jackson III
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Religion & Spirituality

Many of the spiritual tools we inherited are breaking under the pressure of today’s reality. It is not that they were all false—but they may be wrong for you. To be who God called you to be, your faith must be your own—not inherited, but investigated. Rethink Faith with Nelson Jackson III is dedicated to separating what the Bible actually says from what we have been told it says. Faith is often filtered through two lenses:• Cultural Alterations: Changing the text to fit the times.• Traditional Interpretations: Twisting the text to fit the narrative. We are dedicated to the third option: Context. Join us for an honest investigation into history, original language, and authorial intent. We are here to help you trade a borrowed tradition for a biblical reality.

  1. Oct 24

    Why Isn't God Answering Me? When God Seems Silent | John 11

    Have you ever prayed for something, believed God heard you, and still wondered why He didn't answer? Maybe you prayed for healing, restoration, a relationship, or someone you love. You believed God could intervene. You knew He cared. But nothing happened when you needed it to. And sometimes, the hardest part isn't what happened. It's knowing you asked God for help before it happened. In this episode of Rethinking Faith, Nelson Jackson III explores unanswered prayers, God's silence, waiting on God, and the story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in John 11. Mary and Martha knew Jesus loved their family. When Lazarus became sick, they sent word to Jesus, expecting Him to come. But Jesus waited. By the time He arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. And Martha said something many of us have felt but were afraid to say: "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Think about that. She wasn't questioning whether Jesus had the power to help. She was struggling with why He hadn't. And when Mary finally approached Jesus, she expressed the same disappointment. This conversation invites us to reconsider what faith looks like when God doesn't respond the way we expected. We explore why Jesus delayed, how Martha held belief and disappointment together, why Jesus wept with Mary, and what Jesus meant when He declared, "I am the resurrection and the life." We also examine an important distinction: John 11 reveals Jesus' authority over death, but it doesn't promise that every unanswered prayer will eventually end with the miracle we requested. Because sometimes we turn biblical stories into guarantees God never gave us. And when our circumstances don't match those promises, we begin questioning our faith, our prayers, or whether God really loves us. But what if faith has room for disappointment? What if you can believe God is good and still struggle to understand what He allowed? What if honest grief isn't the opposite of faith? You can love God and still ask where He was. You can believe and still grieve. You can trust Jesus and still admit that His timing has been difficult to understand. The question isn't simply, "Why didn't God answer me?" It's also, "What does this passage actually reveal about Jesus when life doesn't turn out the way I prayed?" If you've ever felt abandoned, disappointed, confused, or exhausted from waiting on God, this conversation is for you. Not because every question will be answered. But because your questions deserve more than another religious slogan. And perhaps the story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus has something to teach us about bringing our disappointment to Jesus without pretending everything makes sense. Be Part of the Conversation: Subscribe to the podcastFind weekly episodes on YouTube [LINK]Join our "Weekly Unlearning" newsletter for exclusive insights and reflections [LINK]

  2. Oct 17

    When Someone Else's Testimony Becomes Your Instructions

    What if God really did tell someone to do something, but He never told you to do the same? Someone shares how God restored their marriage, answered their prayers, blessed their giving, or opened a door after a season of fasting. Their testimony may be completely true. But somewhere between hearing what God did for them and deciding what God expects from us, something can get lost. When did someone else's testimony become God's instructions for your life? In this episode of Rethinking Faith, Nelson Jackson III explores Christian testimonies, spiritual discernment, hearing God's voice, biblical interpretation, and the difference between celebrating someone's experience with God and treating that experience as a universal instruction. We begin with two stories that reveal something worth examining. In Genesis 21, Hagar and Ishmael find themselves in the wilderness, where God opens Hagar's eyes to a well of water. In Genesis 22, Abraham and Isaac find themselves on a mountain, where God provides a ram. Two parents. Two sons. Two difficult circumstances. Two different instructions. God provided in both situations, but He did not ask both parents to respond the same way. Hagar's well was not Abraham's ram. That distinction matters more than we sometimes realize. Because in Christian culture, we often take someone's personal experience and turn it into spiritual advice for everyone else. Someone says, "I stayed in my marriage, and God restored it." Someone else hears, "If I leave, I must not have enough faith." Someone says, "I gave everything I had, and God blessed me." Someone else hears, "If I don't give the same way, I'm not trusting God." Someone shares how fasting, prayer, obedience, or sacrifice changed their circumstances. And before long, their testimony becomes a standard by which other people's faith is measured. But a testimony can be true without becoming a command. This conversation challenges us to reconsider how we interpret personal revelations, how we give spiritual advice, and why understanding someone's circumstances matters before telling them what God requires. It also raises an uncomfortable question: Are we helping people discern what God is asking of them, or are we asking them to reproduce what worked for us? There is nothing wrong with celebrating what God has done in someone else's life. There is nothing wrong with learning from their experience. And there is nothing wrong with receiving wise counsel from people whose lives demonstrate faithfulness. But wisdom requires recognizing the difference between a biblical principle, a personal instruction, and someone's interpretation of their experience. You can honor someone's testimony without making it your assignment. You can appreciate their faith without copying their decisions. And you can question their advice without questioning God. Because sometimes the problem isn't that someone misunderstood what God did for them. It's that we misunderstood what their experience was supposed to mean for us. This episode invites us to challenge the narrative, honor the text, and reconsider what it means to exercise spiritual discernment. The next time someone tells you what God did for them, celebrate it. Then ask a different question: What does their testimony teach me about God without assuming He is giving me the same instructions? Because God provided a well for Hagar and a ram for Abraham. And neither person's story needed to become the other's instructions. Be Part of the Conversation: Subscribe to the podcastFind weekly episodes on YouTube [LINK]Join our "Weekly Unlearning" newsletter for exclusive insights and reflections [LINK]

  3. Oct 10

    Church Hurt: Why It's Hard to Heal and Where to Start

    Church hurt can be difficult to heal from, especially when the people who hurt you were the same people who taught you about God. You can love Jesus, believe in Scripture, and value Christian community while struggling to trust the church again. And sometimes, the hardest part of healing isn't what happened. It's how people respond when you finally talk about it. "Nobody's perfect." "You need to forgive." "You need to come back to church." But what if healing requires something different from what we've been taught? In this episode of Rethinking Faith, Nelson Jackson III explores healing from church hurt, spiritual abuse, religious trauma, rebuilding trust, and how to support someone you love who is struggling with church. We revisit Hebrews 10:25, a passage often used to encourage people to return to church, and examine what Scripture actually teaches about Christian community. We also explore Acts 2, John 9, Romans 8, and 1 Corinthians 12 to understand what it means to belong to a community that cares for people rather than simply expecting their attendance. Because leaving a church does not automatically mean leaving God. And returning to a building does not automatically mean someone has healed. This conversation looks at why church hurt can be so painful, what makes rebuilding trust difficult, and where healing can begin. We also talk about how to support someone who has experienced church hurt without pressuring them to return before they're ready. Sometimes the most helpful question isn't: "When are you coming back?" It's: "What happened to you?" "How are you doing?" "What do you need?" "How can I support you?" If you've experienced church hurt, you don't have to minimize what happened or rush your healing to make other people comfortable. And if someone you love has stepped away from church, this conversation may help you understand what they're carrying. The goal isn't simply to get people back into church. It's to become the kind of community where people can experience the love, care, accountability, and belonging that Scripture calls us to embody. Because healing doesn't always begin with returning. Sometimes it begins with finally being heard. Be Part of the Conversation: Subscribe to the podcastFind weekly episodes on YouTube [LINK]Join our "Weekly Unlearning" newsletter for exclusive insights and reflections [LINK]

  4. Sep 26

    The Sinner’s Prayer Isn’t the Problem. The Formula Is.

    The sinner’s prayer can be sincere, meaningful, and deeply personal. The problem begins when we turn it into a formula. In this episode of Rethinking Faith, Nelson Jackson III looks at the sinner’s prayer, Romans 10:9, repentance, confession, assurance of salvation, and what Scripture actually shows us about responding to Jesus. The Bible gives us sinners who pray, repent, believe, confess Jesus as Lord, ask for mercy, and turn toward God. What it does not give us is one universal script that every person has to repeat perfectly in order to be saved. That matters, because some Christians have spent years wondering: Did I say it right? Did I mean it enough? Did the first prayer count? Do I need to pray it again? Romans 10:9 is often used to support the sinner’s prayer, but Paul’s point is deeper than repeating a sentence. Belief is in the heart, and confession gives that belief a voice. The tax collector asked for mercy. The thief on the cross asked Jesus to remember him. The crowd in Acts 2 asked what they should do. The Thessalonians turned from idols to serve the living God. Different words. Same movement toward Christ. A prayer can begin the relationship. But the prayer is not the relationship. And salvation is not a religious password you have to say correctly. The better question is not only, “Did I say the right words?” It is: Where is my trust now? Be Part of the Conversation: Subscribe to the podcastFind weekly episodes on YouTube [LINK]Join our "Weekly Unlearning" newsletter for exclusive insights and reflections [LINK]

  5. Sep 19

    Forgiveness Doesn’t Mean Letting Them Back In | Forgiveness, Trust & Boundaries

    Forgiveness does not automatically mean reconciliation, restored trust, or giving someone the same access they had before. In this episode of Rethinking Faith, Nelson Jackson III discusses forgiveness, Christian boundaries, reconciliation, repentance, trust, and what it means to forgive someone who hurt you without pretending that nothing happened. The church often treats four different things like they are the same: Forgiveness. Reconciliation. Trust. Access. They are not. Forgiveness can change what you carry toward someone. Reconciliation requires two people. Trust needs evidence. Access requires wisdom. We look at Luke 17, Romans 12:18, John 2:24, and the story of Joseph and his brothers to ask what Scripture actually requires when someone has hurt you. Can you forgive and still keep a boundary? Can you release revenge without restoring the relationship? Can you love someone and still decide they no longer get the same access to your life? Yes. Forgiveness does not mean returning everything to the way it was. Sometimes the healthiest, most faithful thing you can say is: I forgive you. And the boundary is still staying. If you’ve ever felt guilty for protecting your peace after forgiving someone, this conversation is for you. Be Part of the Conversation: Subscribe to the podcastFind weekly episodes on YouTube [LINK]Join our "Weekly Unlearning" newsletter for exclusive insights and reflections [LINK]

  6. Sep 5

    A Bible verse can be true and still be used in a way that misrepresents the heart of God.

    A Bible verse can be true and still be used in a way that misrepresents the heart of God. In this episode of Rethinking Faith, Nelson Jackson III talks about Bible verses taken out of context, spiritual abuse, Christian discernment, and what it means to rightly handle Scripture. Matthew 4 gives us one of the clearest examples: even the devil quoted Scripture to Jesus. The words were real. The application was wrong. That distinction matters. This conversation looks at how verses like “do not judge,” “wives, submit,” “honor your father and mother,” “rebellion is as witchcraft,” and “all things work together for good” can be used in ways that shame, silence, rush, control, or manipulate people when the larger context is ignored. We also walk through five questions that can help you test an interpretation: What is the whole thought, not just the sentence? What problem was the passage addressing? What kind of writing is this? What had to be left out for this application to work? And can this interpretation live inside the larger story of Scripture? If a verse has ever been used against you, the answer may not be to throw away the Bible. It may be to separate the verse from the misuse and learn to hear the text again without surrendering your discernment. A real verse can still be used wrong. And sometimes asking for context is exactly how you honor Scripture. Be Part of the Conversation: Subscribe to the podcastFind weekly episodes on YouTube [LINK]Join our "Weekly Unlearning" newsletter for exclusive insights and reflections [LINK]

  7. Aug 29

    What If That Word From God Wasn’t From God? | Testing the Spirits

    “God told me” can be beautiful. It can also become dangerous when someone uses God’s name to pressure you, control you, silence your questions, or make their agenda sound like obedience. In this episode of Rethinking Faith, Nelson Jackson III looks at spiritual manipulation, Christian discernment, prophetic words, testing the spirits, and what Scripture actually says to do when someone claims, “God told me.” Because if God really said it, we should treat it with reverence. But if God did not say it, somebody put their words in God’s mouth. And attaching God’s name to a sentence does not remove your responsibility to test it. Paul tells the church in 1 Corinthians 14:29 to let prophets speak and then tells everyone else to weigh what was said. First John 4:1 says not to believe every spirit, but to test the spirits to see whether they are from God. Testing is not rebellion. Testing can be worship. This episode is not an argument that God does not speak. It is about taking God’s voice seriously enough to question whether every person who says “God told me” is actually representing Him. We walk through five biblical tests: Does it sound like Jesus? Can it be weighed? Does it build people up or break them down? What fruit does it produce? And is it confirming what God has already been forming, or conveniently appearing when someone needs leverage? We also talk about what happens when phrases like “God told me you should stay,” “God told me you should give,” “God told me you should submit,” or “God told me your questions are rebellion” become tools of spiritual pressure. You are allowed to slow down. You are allowed to test what was said. You are allowed to use Scripture, wisdom, community, discernment, and the character of Jesus. God does not need manipulation to produce obedience. And God does not need anyone to lie for Him. Be Part of the Conversation: Subscribe to the podcastFind weekly episodes on YouTube [LINK]Join our "Weekly Unlearning" newsletter for exclusive insights and reflections [LINK]

  8. Aug 22

    Did Christianity Make God Too Small?

    What if Christianity was never the box, but somewhere along the way, we turned our version of Christianity into one? In this episode of Rethink Faith, Nelson Jackson III explores how people in Scripture encountered God personally: Hagar as the God who sees, Abraham as the God who provides, Gideon as the God who brings peace, Moses as the God who sends and delivers, and David as the shepherd who cares for the overlooked. This is not an argument against truth, Scripture, theology, or tradition. It is a challenge to stop confusing someone else’s encounter with God for the entirety of who God is. If you have ever wondered whether the God you inherited is smaller than the God who actually exists, this conversation is for you. Still unlearning. Be Part of the Conversation: Subscribe to the podcastFind weekly episodes on YouTube [LINK]Join our "Weekly Unlearning" newsletter for exclusive insights and reflections [LINK]

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Many of the spiritual tools we inherited are breaking under the pressure of today’s reality. It is not that they were all false—but they may be wrong for you. To be who God called you to be, your faith must be your own—not inherited, but investigated. Rethink Faith with Nelson Jackson III is dedicated to separating what the Bible actually says from what we have been told it says. Faith is often filtered through two lenses:• Cultural Alterations: Changing the text to fit the times.• Traditional Interpretations: Twisting the text to fit the narrative. We are dedicated to the third option: Context. Join us for an honest investigation into history, original language, and authorial intent. We are here to help you trade a borrowed tradition for a biblical reality.

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