Explore what true trust in God looks like—faith that obeys. Then examine America’s founding through Jesus’ kingdom teachings, asking whether “In God We Trust” matched reality.
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In God We Don't Trust is a free course built around David Bercot’s examination of American founding history in light of Jesus’ teachings. The lessons begin with the meaning of trust: not a slogan, but obedient confidence in God when His commands feel costly. From there, the course looks at English colonization, treatment of Native peoples, tobacco, rum, slavery, Puritan New England, and William Penn’s Pennsylvania as a contrasting example.
The second major section turns to the American Revolution, asking whether colonial resistance, tax refusal, mob action, and armed rebellion fit New Testament commands about government, enemies, and the kingdom of God. Later lessons consider George Washington stories, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Loyalists, enslaved people, Native Americans, and Christians who refused to fight. The course closes by pressing the question back on modern Christians:
do we trust God enough to obey Jesus above national myths and loyalties?
The opening chapter uses Bercot’s account of an earthquake in Costa Rica and following a truck through dangerous mountain roads to illustrate total trust. It then introduces the course’s main question: whether America’s founders truly trusted God or merely used religious language.
This chapter compares colonial charter language about evangelizing Native peoples with the violent and dispossessing policies that followed. It argues that professed gospel aims were contradicted by the methods used against Native inhabitants.
This lesson applies Jesus’ commands, including the Golden Rule, loving enemies, and being harmless as doves, to the question of colonization. It argues that peaceful settlement and fair dealing were possible and points to figures such as Roger Williams and William Penn.
The chapter examines Jamestown, economic motives, tobacco, and the colony’s treatment of the Powhatan people. It argues that trust in profit and survival by human means produced tobacco, slavery, and violence rather than obedience to Christ.
This lesson discusses the people later called Pilgrims, their Separatist background, and their use of armed force. It highlights criticism from their own pastor and from Native voices about violence carried out by professing Christians.
The lesson examines John Winthrop’s city-on-a-hill sermon, the founding of Massachusetts Bay, Puritan politics, and the Mystic Massacre. It argues that Puritan New England failed to embody Jesus’ kingdom teachings despite its lofty language.
This chapter focuses on Puritan religious intolerance, Roger Williams, Quaker persecution, and the Salem witch trials. It argues that reliance on the state and the sword blemished the name of Christ.
The lesson describes New England’s involvement in slave trafficking and the rum-based Golden Triangle. It emphasizes how deeply the profits of rum and slavery reached into colonial society.
This chapter describes another trade triangle involving fish, molasses, rum, and furs. It argues that selling rum to Native peoples was destructive and unnecessary, since the colonies had many lawful and useful industries.
The lesson presents William Penn’s Pennsylvania as a holy experiment built around the Golden Rule, religious liberty, and fair treatment of Native peoples. It contrasts Penn’s approach with violence and coercion in other colonies.
This chapter begins the course’s section on the American Revolution by rejecting the language of inevitable causes. It frames rebellion as a moral choice and introduces questions about rights, Scripture, charters, and English law.
The lesson argues that the colonists came to America under the king’s authority through colonial charters. It describes the rights and benefits they received while remaining subject to the English crown and Parliament.
This chapter centers on Romans 13 and the command to be subject to governing authorities. It also examines claims about British economic oppression, including manufacturing restrictions and trade protectionism.
This lesson reviews the Navigation Acts, the Staple Act, and the Molasses Act. It argues that common textbook portrayals are misleading and that colonists should have pursued lawful relief rather than lawbreaking.
The chapter applies Jesus’ command to render to Caesar to colonial smuggling and tax evasion. It argues that widespread participation in smuggled goods revealed a lawless spirit despite colonial prosperity.
This lesson explains how the French and Indian War changed relations between Britain and the colonies. It discusses colonial smuggling during the war, the Royal Proclamation of 1763, British debt, and Grenville’s tax plans.
The chapter presents the Stamp Act as a test of whether colonists would obey God’s commands about taxes and authorities. It contrasts violent colonial resistance with the responses of other British colonies.
This lesson challenges common claims about no taxation without representation and colonial consent. It discusses British constitutional arguments, the colonists’ claims, and Benjamin Franklin’s testimony that helped lead to the Stamp Act’s repeal.
The chapter follows Parliament’s move to external taxes through the Townshend Acts and the colonists’ changed objections. It also addresses quartering claims and writs of assistance in the context of smuggling enforcement.
This lesson describes the Boston Massacre, the Gaspee incident, and the destruction of tea in Boston Harbor. It portrays these events as examples of escalating mob action and refusal to honor lawful authority.
The chapter compares mob pressure in the colonies with later examples of civic disorder and highlights John Wesley’s attempt to reason with the colonists. It returns to the New Testament command to obey governing authorities unless obedience to man directly violates God’s law.
This lesson outlines lawful, nonviolent responses the colonists could have used: paying taxes, seeking repeal, lobbying Parliament, supporting sympathetic candidates, and voluntary boycotts. It stresses that Christians should stay within the boundaries set by God and man.
The chapter argues that the colonists lacked faith and trust in God’s goodness. It contrasts the fruit of the Spirit with revolutionary agitation and critiques the hypocrisy of declaring equality while maintaining slavery.
This lesson examines colonial ministers who supported resistance and war, especially the Black Regiment. It argues that they twisted Scripture to tell the people what they wanted to hear instead of calling them to obedience.
The chapter critiques later Christian authors and textbook publishers who praise revolutionary preachers and portray the Revolution as a holy cause. It also discusses misrepresentation of quartering and warns against situational ethics.
This lesson argues that victory in war does not prove God’s approval. It emphasizes French aid, other foreign support, colonial conscription, and practical military factors behind American victory.
The chapter evaluates the popular story of George Washington praying in the snow at Valley Forge. It argues that the story comes from Parson Weems, an unreliable source, and conflicts with other evidence about Washington’s religious practice.
This lesson distinguishes genuine trust from religious slogans and public God-language. It critiques the Declaration of Independence’s claim that government authority comes from the governed and argues that giving God credit after disobedience is not true trust.
The chapter describes how nonresistant Kingdom Christians, including groups such as Quakers, Brethren, Moravians, and Mennonites, suffered under revolutionary authorities. It discusses oaths, fines, confiscation, travel restrictions, and pressure to support the war.
This lesson argues that Native Americans were among the greatest losers of the Revolution. It discusses the Royal Proclamation, Native alliances, the Moravian massacre, the Treaty of Fort Pitt, and later patterns of land seizure.
The chapter considers Loyalists and enslaved Black people as groups harmed by the Revolution. It describes confiscations, exile, forced allegiance, British offers of freedom to enslaved people, and the later entrenchment of slavery in the United States Constitution.
This lesson describes the human and economic costs of the Revolution, including deaths, trade disruption, inflation, and hardship. It also notes that the new United States later used taxes and force in ways similar to policies colonists had condemned.
The chapter argues that God was intentionally omitted from the United States Constitution. It compares state constitutions, discusses Franklin’s failed prayer motion at the Constitutional Convention, and cites the Treaty of Tripoli’s statement about the United States not being founded on the Christian religion.
This lesson asks what might have happened if the colonists had obeyed God rather than revolting. It argues that God’s purposes would not have been thwarted by obedience and connects that claim to independence, Christian unity, and the abolition of slavery.
The final substantive chapter turns the argument toward modern Christians. It challenges readers who praise disobedient forefathers, revisits Jonathan Mayhew’s influence, and calls believers to place allegiance to Jesus’ kingdom above national identity.
The available transcript for this lesson contains only closing credits for the audiobook, naming the work, author, publisher, and narrator. No additional teaching content is present in the supplied sample.
The Compelling Narrative of America's Founding from a Kingdom Perspective
America's currency declares, 'In God We Trust.' But did the American colonists truly trust in God in the founding of the United States? The product of nine years of research, this work challenges much of what most of us learned in school about the founding of America and the American Revolution.
In God We Don't Trust takes a careful look at the founding of America — from Jamestown to the writing of the U.S. Constitution — through the lens of Jesus' kingdom teachings. The American colonists had many admirable traits, and they established a wonderful country. This is not an anti-American book. It is a pro-kingdom book. Bercot firmly believes that Jesus and His kingdom must have our ultimate allegiance.
In its pages, Bercot shows how the colonists repeatedly failed to do things God's way — in their treatment of the Indians, in trafficking slaves, in building economies on tobacco and rum, in refusing to pay their taxes, and in rebelling against their government. His well-documented findings will surprise many people. At the same time, this timely work will strengthen the convictions of nonresistant, kingdom Christians who take seriously the teachings of Jesus.
What readers and reviewers have said about In God We Don't Trust. These are short, attributed quotes from public reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, the publisher's site, and independent book reviewers.
The Heartbeat of the Remnant recommends In God We Don't Trust. Author David Bercot has done his homework and went to the original documents to dig out the historical facts. Beyond the historical facts is the underlying biblical message: the arm of flesh will fail us.
— Mike Atnip, The Heartbeat of the Remnant
I teach high school Government, Economics, and US History. I can heartily recommend this book for all three subjects! Bercot masterfully teaches what our founding fathers truly believed. I have a number of my students who have read the book and they have been profoundly affected.
— Dean Wilson, Scroll Publishing customer review
This book is a must read for Christians who are American citizens. The answer to many American questions about how Christians should act is in this book.
— Wandering Historian, Goodreads review
Bercot provides a valuable corrective to the idea that God ordained the founding of the United States.
— Marcus Miller, Goodreads review
Superb! Bravo! I read the book weeks ago — superb. I am so glad I ordered a stack. Please send me 40 more!
— Doug Jacoby, Scroll Publishing customer review
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