By Samuel A. Bakutana, CEO Inspired Leaders International, and Provincial Fathers' Union President.

INTRODUCTION:

Whatever wants to kill a dog first obstructs its nose. Likewise, whatever seeks to destroy a Christian will first blind their spiritual eyes (2 Cor. 4:4).

Today, we face a growing epidemic: Christianity of emotions without knowledge. It’s not confined to one denomination; it’s a cross-denominational crisis. Pentecostal, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Lutheran --- you name it. The symptoms are loud, dramatic, and spiritually hollow.

HERE IS HOW IT MANIFESTS:

1. Preachers urging louder shouts even when no truth has been taught... just noise without nourishment (Eccl. 5:2).
2. Congregants chasing feelings, not truth. They become spiritual tourists seeking goosebumps, not growth (John 8:32).
3. Choir members squeezing out tears to appear deep. They forget that God sees the heart, not the tear ducts (1 Sam. 16:7).
4. Mistaking energy for anointing (as if volume equals virtue.)
5. Replacing Bible study with endless deliverance sessions, often attended by the same “perpetually delivered” crowd (Heb. 5:12).
6. Seeking God’s power while ignoring His principles. They want the throne without the cross (Luke 6:46).
7. Faking piety with dramatic facial expressions, while the mind remains a desert of doctrine (Amos 8:11).
8. Three hours of dancing, twenty minutes of preaching, and ushers passing notes to cut the sermon short (Heaven help us!)
9. Calling thinkers “carnal” and "unspiritual," as if reasoning is rebellion (Is. 1:18).
10. Equating shouting with spirituality (and so silence becomes suspect).
11. Discouraging those with questions, as if curiosity is a sin (Prov. 18:15).
12. Preachers offering “deeper revelations” not rooted in Scripture... just like spiritual magicians with no biblical license (Gal. 1:8).
13. Chasing miracles, not the Miracle Worker. It seems we like eating the bread and ignoring the Baker (John 6:26).
14. Singing doctrinally wrong songs, as long as the beat slaps, not remembering that God's truth must trump man's tune (Col. 3:16).

And the list continues. But let’s pause here before someone accuses us of “quenching the Spirit” for simply asking for biblical sense.

A BALANCED WARNING:

Yes, “knowledge puffs up” (1 Cor. 8:1), but that's only when it’s knowledge alone. The Amplified Bible clarifies: “Knowledge [alone] makes [people self-righteously] arrogant.”

But let’s not confuse spiritual wetness (opposite of dryness!) with spiritual ignorance. Why not aim at being both soaked in the Spirit and sound in the Word?

GOINF FORWARD, WHAT MUST WE DO?

(1). Renew the Mindset:

Don’t demonize emotions, because they’re God-given. But don’t deify them either and make a small god out of them. Let your faith be informed, not just inflamed (Rom. 12:2). Love God with all your heart but also with all your mind (Matt. 22:37).

(2). Return to the Word:

Prioritize Scripture. Read it, study it, and preach it. It’s exalted above all (Psalm 138:2), lights our path (Psalm 119:105), and pierces deception (Hebrews 4:12; Eph. 6:17).

(3). Follow the Spirit’s Leading:

Let the Holy Spirit lead you... not just into speaking in tongues and prophecy, but also into understanding and obedience (John 16:13). Speaking mysteries to God is good but speaking nonsense to people is not!

(4). Read Godly Books:

Paul asked for his books even in prison (2 Tim. 4:13). Read authors whose worldview is biblically aligned. Let your bookshelf be a spiritual buffet, not a theological junkyard.

(5). Pray for Wisdom:

Ask God for wisdom (James 1:5) so rhat you may test every spirit (1 John 4:1). Don’t be dazzled by “rhema” (revealed word) that contradicts “logos" (written Word). If it’s not in the Bible, it’s not from the throne.

CONCLUSION:

In this era of emotional Christianity without knowledge, let us be more educated than entertained, more holy than happy, and more grounded than goosebumped.

As Proverbs 19:2 warns: “Desire without knowledge is not good.” Or as the Contemporary English Version puts it: “Willingness and stupidity don’t go well together.” (Ouch, but Amen!)

It's time to adopt the Attitude of a learner. Don’t reject knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Start to attend programs that equip your mind, not just those that excite your emotions. The Holy Spirit often works with what you already know.

Let’s raise a generation that shouts with understanding, sings with sound doctrine, and dances with discernment. Not so, brethren?

"Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?" (Gal. 4:16, NIV)

God’s blessings.

Live. Love. Lead.