Jeremiah Knight, Sept 25, 2026
Some of you have asked me to repost what I wrote when Steve Lawson first fell. I wrote two articles at the time. Here is the first one today, as I wrote it then, with one paragraph added now, and I will post the second one tomorrow.
The first thing I think of whenever I hear of a prominent Christian who has committed some terribly wicked action is the rebuke the prophet Nathan gave King David when Nathan confronted David about his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and his arranged murder of her husband Uriah:
“…by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme…” (2 Samuel 12:14)
I grieve for the families and ministries directly impacted by the failures of their loved ones and leaders. I grieve for the victims. I also grieve for the cause of Christ. I hate it that atheists, skeptics, critics, and cultists are laughing. I hate it when a brother or sister in Christ hands the Lord’s enemies a box of ammunition. I mourn for those who are turned away from the Christian faith due to the blatant hypocrisy of one of its famous adherents. I am terrified at the possibility of having to possibly answer for someone being pushed away from Christ due to my failures (Luke 17:1-2).
How do I respond when a prominent Christian falls into grievous sin?
Anger. Sadness. Self-reflection. Renewed commitment to not make the same mistakes.
What is my message to those struggling with the fallout of a prominent Christian who has sinned in a heinous way?
Focus on the message, not the messenger. This is hard, I know. After all, the Bible says, “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit” (Matthew 7:18). If the tree is proven to be bad, can we trust any of its fruit? In some cases, yes. The truth a man preached was never his. It was God’s, and Paul could rejoice that Christ was proclaimed even by men preaching “from envy and strife” (Philippians 1:15-18). At the same time, I completely understand never wanting to eat from that tree again.
Never allow yourself to idolize or revere a fellow follower of Jesus, whether from the pulpit or pew. ONLY GOD IS WORTHY OF OUR WORSHIP. No matter how godly a man or woman, no matter how long he or she has been faithfully serving Jesus, human beings will always eventually let you down. NO ONE IS PERFECT (Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). If you get close enough, or dig deep enough, everyone has committed sins that will disappoint you, or in some cases, shock you. Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Don’t forget to PRAY for prominent Christians. In no sense am I making excuses, but Christians in prominent leadership roles experience a lot of pressure, temptations, and spiritual attack. Our enemy delights in achieving those “occasions to blaspheme.” Pray for Christian leaders. Pray for them to have discernment, humility, integrity, accountability, courage, protection, and victory.
Remove the plank from your OWN eye. See Matthew 7:5. The saying, “there but for the grace of God go I” is true. Never allow yourself to believe, “I could never do something like that.”
And in case you think that is just a saying, here is a number. In a 2016 study by Barna for Josh McDowell Ministry, 57 percent of pastors and 64 percent of youth pastors admitted they had struggled with pornography, currently or in the past (Barna, “The Porn Phenomenon,” 2016). More than half. Those are the men standing up on Sunday. Now think about the men in the pews who have not been surveyed. Think about the deacon with the second phone. Think about the worship leader whose browser history would end his ministry tonight. Think about the woman in the front row who has been in an emotional relationship with a colleague for a year and calls it friendship. Think about the man writing this, who has a heart exactly like the one Jeremiah 17:9 described and no reason to believe it is any cleaner than Steve Lawson’s was. The same crowd that idolised him is now standing over him, and neither the worship nor the stoning has anything to do with what is in our own hearts. The difference between him and most of us is not that he sinned and we did not. It is that he was caught and we have not been. Yet.
Strive to continue to be salt and light. See Matthew 5:13-16. Whenever someone who was previously a light goes dark, who was previously spicy goes bland, redouble your efforts to declare the gospel by the words you say and the life you live. The more Christians the world sees who faithfully follow Christ, the less damage is done when a Christian betrays the faith he/she previously proclaimed.
Stick as closely as possible to your LOCAL CHURCH. Don’t get caught up in the “Conference” tours, podcast celebrity pastors movement, popular new “trends” all of which are so commonplace in Christianity today. DON’T ATTACH yourself too closely to anything you cannot TOUCH or OBSERVE in DAILY LIFE. Do not simply become a parrot of another man’s convictions and refuse to be made merchandise of.
READ THE BIBLE. Read the dead guys. The ones who remained faithful unto the end. The ones whom the Lord had their writings and sermons preserved. This will help produce lasting fruit in your life. Discern the times. Things are going to get worse before they get better. Seek the Lord while it’s still the day, because the darkness is fast approaching.
Long for that glorious day! “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2).
And Remember…..
That THE BEST OF MEN ARE MEN AT BEST. I meant it and I mean it more now.
“There is no such thing as a great man of God, only weak, pitiful, faithless men of a great and merciful God.” (Paul Washer)
He, who has ears to hear, let him hear.