Live Free with Josh Howerton
Live Free with Josh Howerton

How to Find a GOOD Church (and When to Leave) ft. Ed Newton & Matt Chewning | Live Free with Josh Howerton

September 30, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

How to Find a GOOD Church (and When to Leave) ft. Ed Newton & Matt Chewning

The three pastors—Josh Howerton, Ed Newton, and Matt Chewning—sat down to answer real questions from listeners about church life, marriage, parenting, and the state of American Christianity. What emerged was a conversation about convergence: the idea that the streams of doctrinal churches, attractional churches, and charismatic churches are finally flowing together, and that this merger might be the sign of something new.

The Three Circles of Church Life

Howerton opened with a framework he uses to describe the American church landscape. He sees three types of churches that have historically kept their distance from one another. Doctrinal churches prize theology and the Word—think John MacArthur, John Piper, the "frozen chosen." Attractional churches prioritize mission and reaching people, the seeker-sensitive movement that critics love to mock but that has brought countless people to faith. Charismatic churches center on the Spirit of God, the Pentecostal and continuationist traditions that have been the fastest-growing movement in all of church history globally.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:00) **Introduction: The Search for a Good Church** - Josh Howerton introduces the core tension of the episode: many people miss a good church while searching for a perfect one.
  • 2 (01:09) **Gratitude and Brotherhood** - The three pastors share personal stories of friendship, mutual encouragement, and how they have supported each other through difficult seasons.
  • 3 (03:47) **Guest Introductions & Ministry Contexts** - Ed Newton and Matt Chewning briefly describe their respective ministries in San Antonio and Boston.
  • 4 (11:09) **Rapid Fire Warm-Up** - The pastors answer quick, fun questions about basketball, ministry influences, Bible translations, and fast food to establish rapport.
  • 5 (16:57) **The State of the Church in America** - Josh presents his "Three Circles" framework (Doctrinal, Attractional, Charismatic) to analyze the current spiritual landscape and a potential coming revival.
  • 6 (19:24) **The Marriage of Word and Spirit** - The pastors discuss the historical divorce between doctrinal precision and charismatic power, and how they see a convergence happening now.
  • 7 (36:32) **Josh’s Personal Encounter with the Spirit** - Josh recounts a transformative moment when he moved from a purely intellectual faith to a personal, powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Josh Howerton

Show Notes

How do you know if you’re attending a healthy church? How should Christians navigate difficult family relationships without compromising biblical truth? Can a wife correct her husband? And what do you do when someone you love wants nothing to do with Christianity?


In this bonus episode of LIVE FREE, Pastor Josh is joined by Pastors Ed Newton and Matt Chewning for an honest Ask a Pastor conversation about faith, marriage, church culture, the Holy Spirit, and some of the difficult questions Christians face in real life.

They also explore what may be changing in the American church—including a growing desire to hold together biblical truth, dependence on the Holy Spirit, and a passion for reaching people with the gospel.


In this episode:

  • How to recognize a healthy, godly church
  • Loving people without compromising biblical conviction
  • How husbands and wives can encourage and correct one another
  • Supporting a spouse who serves in ministry
  • The difference between struggling with sin and surrendering to it
  • Responding when someone you love rejects Christianity
  • Why Christians need both the truth of God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit

Stand firm. Think biblically. Live free.

Link to article: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/transformation-transgender-teen/


🧢 Want a Live Free hat of your own? Visit LiveFree.shop

📲 Looking to grow deeper in your faith? Check out the Lakepointe App to access our Discipleship Guide, daily Bible reading plan, and more. Text APP to 20411 to download

Live Free with Josh Howerton

More from this podcast

Live Free with Josh Howerton →