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Jumpstarter 6 of 10

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Historical Kingdom Christian Movements  /  Finding Fellowship in the 21st Century  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 6
Bercot says some seekers look radically obedient externally but are “full of…spiritual problems” (marriage conflict, rebellious children, debt, inability to submit to authority), and he even says some head-covering wives are “far less submissive” and may “run the whole church”; what does this expose about God’s priorities, and how should a group like yours guard against using visible distinctives to mask deeper disobedience?
Another way to ask: Bercot says some people look very obedient on the outside but have serious problems at home and in their character. What does this show about what God cares most about, and how can your group avoid using visible rules to cover deeper disobedience?

Direct Answer The transcript suggests God prioritizes inward kingdom fruit—love, submission, integrity, forgiveness—over visible distinctives that can be adopted quickly. A group must guard against confusing external markers with holiness by insisting on self-examination, family faithfulness, and Spirit-formed character as the real measure.

Support from Transcript:

  • He contrasts outward and inward: outward can change “overnight,” but inward change is “much harder…without the power of Christ.”
  • He says many seekers look radical—modest dress, head coverings, beards—yet “on the inside, they’re full of all kinds of spiritual problems.”
  • He lists those problems: “severe marriage difficulties…rebellion among their children…severe financial problems…owe a lot of people money.”
  • He highlights submission: “a real problem submitting to authority…causing strife and controversy everywhere they go.”
  • He gives the provocative example: some head-covering wives are “far less submissive to their husbands” and sometimes “try to run the whole church.”
  • His remedy is priority: “focus on bearing kingdom fruit,” and “get your own life, your own family in order.”
Discussion Follow-ups What visible practices might your group unintentionally treat as “proof” of spirituality? How can you normalize confession, peacemaking, and accountability so externals don’t become a mask?

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