How to Find a GOOD Church (and When to Leave) ft. Ed Newton & Matt Chewning | Live Free with Josh Howerton
Episode of Live Free with Josh Howerton · September 30, 2026 · 1 h 26 min
Pastor Josh Howerton and pastors Ed Newton and Matt Chewning discuss revival in American churches and answer listener questions on church health, family, marriage and salvation.
Summary
In this bonus Ask a Pastor episode of Live Free, Josh Howerton hosted fellow pastors Ed Newton of San Antonio and Matt Chewning of the Boston area. After the guests praised Howerton's encouragement of other pastors and gave brief ministry biographies, Howerton presented his view that American Christianity was seeing its first uptick in decades, linking it to a roughly 50-year cycle of awakenings, and described three church types (doctrinal, attractional, charismatic) that he hoped would converge. He cited R.T. Kendall's idea of reuniting word and spirit and noted the growth of the Assemblies of God. Newton and Chewning described their own churches moving toward greater openness to the Holy Spirit, with Newton recounting his move from cessationism after learning of a prophecy about his own birth.
The pastors then took listener questions. On recognizing a healthy church, Chewning stressed scripture and pastoral accountability, Newton stressed baptisms, discipleship and mission, and Howerton emphasized godly leaders, the whole counsel of God, fruit and a joyful gospel culture. On parents of a gay son, Newton distinguished accepting from affirming, while Howerton argued the line is sin and described household boundaries.
On whether a wife can correct her husband, all three affirmed she can, with Newton cautioning about the weight of a wife's words and Howerton sharing a monthly 'bless you more' date-night question. They advised a new pastor's wife to encourage and keep her husband grounded, argued that concern about habitual sin is evidence of genuine faith while Howerton held that salvation cannot be lost but can be faked, and counseled a mother of an atheist son to pray, love and limit pressure. Chewning closed with a prayer for the son.
Chapters
Linked moment · 1:11Skip to 1:11 using a listen link in the info box.
1:11Introductions and banter
Howerton introduces guests Ed Newton and Matt Chewning and outlines the listener questions to come.
- 7:07
Honoring Josh Howerton
Chewning and Newton share stories of Howerton's encouragement and accessibility.
- 12:01
Rapid-fire and guest backgrounds
The guests answer quick questions and describe their callings and churches in San Antonio and Boston.
- 16:53
Revival and word-and-spirit convergence
Howerton outlines awakening cycles and three church types, and the guests describe a growing openness to the Holy Spirit.
- 39:09
How to know you attend a godly church
The pastors list marks of a healthy church, from scripture and accountability to fruit and joy.
- 45:30
Parents of a gay son
The pastors discuss accepting without affirming, family boundaries and keeping relationships open.
- 54:08
Can a wife correct her husband?
The pastors affirm a wife's corrective role while stressing tone, encouragement and invited correction.
- 1:08:46
Supporting a pastor husband
Advice for a newly married pastor's wife on encouragement, confidentiality and keeping him grounded.
- 1:12:29
Habitual sin and salvation
The pastors discuss whether persistent sin means lost salvation and the evidence of genuine faith.
- 1:18:04
Responding to an atheist son
Advice to a mother of a 45-year-old atheist on prayer, love and restrained conversation.
- 1:24:19
Closing prayer
Chewning prays for the atheist son and his mother.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Matt Chewning
Chewning describes greater Boston as one of the least religious regions of the United States.
“To this day, it is the place where you're least likely to read the Bible, to claim Christ as Lord”
- Josh Howerton
Howerton says the share of Americans claiming Christ has shown an uptick in the last 18 to 24 months for the first time in his lifetime.
“Last 18, 24 months, first time in our entire lifetimes, you got this little thing going on”
- Josh Howerton
Howerton claims the Assemblies of God grew 51% while most major denominations declined over 35 years.
“AOG is the one that's like breaking every trend, bro. Every trend. Plus 51%”
- Josh Howerton
Howerton asserts the charismatic movement is the fastest-growing movement in church history.
“That's the fastest growing movement in all of church history globally”
- Matt Chewning
Chewning says people are leaving traditional denominations out of a sense that the Holy Spirit is at work.
“people are trying to get out of those denominations because they have a sense that the Spirit is at work”
- Ed Newton
Newton recounts that his infertile, deaf mother received a prophecy at a Pentecostal healing service that she was pregnant with him.
“a man prophesies over my mom, not to be healed of her deafness, but tells her she's pregnant”
- Ed Newton
Newton argues that doctrinal and charismatic streams are converging.
“So word churches are becoming spirit churches and spirit churches are becoming word churches”
- Josh Howerton
Howerton recounts that weeks after a personal encounter with the Spirit, a woman was healed of deafness during his sermon.
“About three weeks later, in the middle of one of my sermons, God heals a woman of deafness”
- Matt Chewning
Chewning says a healthy church needs an accountability structure in which the pastor can be told no.
“can your pastor be told no? If not, it's a one-man show and that's so dangerous”
- Josh Howerton
Howerton argues a good church teaches the whole counsel of God, including culturally unpopular passages.
“pastors don't have to try to be controversial. They just have to be willing to read Bible verses”
- Josh Howerton
Howerton advises leaving a church that displays a rainbow flag.
“if you're walking into a church and there's a rainbow flag, run for the hills, brother”
- Ed Newton
Newton advises parents of a gay child to accept and fiercely love the child without affirming the lifestyle.
“I think ultimately there's a big difference between affirming and accepting”
- Josh Howerton
Howerton advises parents of young children questioning gender or sexuality to remove them from influencing relational networks.
“If you change your kid's inputs, you're going to change your kid's outcomes”
- Josh Howerton
Howerton says the line for parents is sin, welcoming a same-sex couple to dinner but not allowing them to sleep together in the home.
“Was eating at your house a sin? No. But two dudes sleeping with each other in your bedroom is a sin”
- Matt Chewning
Chewning says his wife's corrections have often proven to be what he needed to hear.
“There's been so many times in my own life where my wife has called me on things or corrected me on things in which I did not want to hear”
- Ed Newton
Newton cautions that a wife's words carry great weight and correction should be redemptive in tone.
“the weight of a woman's words are way more valuable than you actually think”
- Josh Howerton
Howerton advises wives to change husbands chiefly through respect and encouragement.
“You can't disrespect a man into respectability, so how do you change him? You give him a crown and he'll become a king”
- Josh Howerton
Howerton recommends a monthly date-night exchange framing correction positively.
“She asked me, what are three ways I've been blessing you? And what's one way I could bless you more?”
- Matt Chewning
Chewning recommends a pastor's wife lead with abundant verbal encouragement, citing Tim Keller's ratio.
“Keller used to talk about a ratio. He used to be like, can we just try like 10 to 1?”
- Matt Chewning
Chewning argues that worrying about habitual sin indicates the Holy Spirit's presence.
“the mere fact that a person is asking this question is evidence that the spirit is in there”
- Josh Howerton
Howerton holds that salvation cannot be lost but can be counterfeit, citing Judas.
“you can't lose your salvation, but you can fake it. That's Judas”
- Ed Newton
Newton advises a parent of an atheist adult son to pray, stay winsome, and avoid preaching at every visit.
“Be winsome. Irresistible influence right now is probably your greatest strategy”
Listen from 1:19:35 · Evangelizing unbelieving family members
- Josh Howerton
Howerton suggests the parent limit faith conversations to one gentle question a year while praying intensely.
“Give yourself permission to only once per year, once per year, give yourself permission to ask a gentle question”
Listen from 1:21:53 · Evangelizing unbelieving family members
People
In the conversation
- Josh HowertonSenior pastor of Lakepointe Church in Dallas, Texas, and host of Live Free
- Ed NewtonPastor of a large non-denominational church in San Antonio, Texas, formerly Southern Baptist
- Matt ChewningChurch-planting pastor in the greater Boston area
Discussed
- R.T. KendallAmerican pastor who succeeded Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel
- Matt ChandlerTexas pastor whose expository preaching influenced Mitchell
- Joby MartinAmerican pastor often listened to alongside Howerton and Mitchell
- Martyn Lloyd-JonesWelsh preacher at Westminster Chapel, London
- David WilkersonEvangelist, author of The Cross and the Switchblade and founder of Times Square Church
- Wayne GrudemTheologian and author of Systematic Theology
- Tim KellerLate American pastor and author
- Eric MasonAmerican pastor quoted by Chewning
- John MacArthurAmerican pastor and author, described as deceased
- John PiperAmerican pastor cited as an example of doctrinal churches
Topics
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From the publisher
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
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on October 1, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.