Bible Study · Gospel Parallels 205
How to tell if the people you watch online are honest, and what Jesus said about dishonest religious leaders
Like millions and millions of people, you watch video after video every day. Am I right?
Of course I am right. Most of us are just scrolling and scrolling on our devices. TV, phone, iPad, computer. It is one of the most common activities of everybody.
And sometimes we just cannot find anything to watch that we like. Some people even say, “I am just bored.” So you watch a recipe, or an experiment in the garden, and you try it yourself. Because for some reason you are thinking, maybe this is true.
Why do some people keep watching?
There are individuals that always have an opinion about everything. The weather. Politics. The global economy.
So here is an interesting question. Why do some people just watch, and watch, and keep watching?
There are many reasons. But one thing is true. Those who are on their phones or on their TVs all the time “don’t have anything else better to do with their lives and with their time.”
Isn’t it sad?
What did Jesus say about dishonest teachers?
Do you know that the Lord Jesus brought it up? Not Facebook. I don’t want you to think the Lord spoke about Facebook. But He warned His disciples. Luke 12:1 says:
As thousands of people crowded around Jesus and were stepping on each other, He told his disciples: Be sure to guard against the dishonest teaching of the Pharisees! It is their way of fooling people.
The same passage appears in Matthew 16:5-6 and Mark 8:14-15.
Watch out for those dishonest religious men. And there are religious women who are dishonest as well. The thing is, lies are in every aspect of life.
How can you tell if someone you watch is honest?
Ask yourself a few questions:
- What is their purpose? What do they gain from your watching them?
- Are they looking for ratings, or for popularity?
- Are they making a profit by selling ads?
And more importantly: how can you trust someone you are watching, when you have doubts about their motives?
The worst manipulators are the religious men or women. They are the worst. But are all of them bad people? Of course not. Your job is to listen, and to find out what the real motive is.
What does a dishonest leader look like?
Maybe you attend a local church. A small church, or a mega church. Or maybe you are not there in person, and you watch online. Either way, you have to be aware that there are dishonest leaders.
They look like spiritual people. In reality, they are dishonest. And their methods are pretty much the same:
“They impose rules that they themselves don’t follow.”
Terrible, right?
What does an honest preacher look like?
“The honest preacher is the one whose life is a living testimony of devotion to our Lord God, and his purposes are honestly toward eternity and Jesus Christ.”
I have several friends who are honest preachers. What they care about is the kingdom of God and eternity.
Some of them are bi-vocational. They even say to me, “I prefer to have my other job, my secular job, and make my money this way.” Why? To prove to their people that they are not in the church for financial reasons. That is something you admire in somebody.
Other preachers serve full time in ministry, like me. I devote 100% of my day, every single day of my life, to serve the Lord. My job is reading the Bible, praying, reflecting on what I find in the Scripture, and writing content. So I can explain what the Bible says in a way that is easier for the regular viewer.
Go deeper: have a cup of coffee
The style of a preacher can be different. A robe. A suit and tie. They look good, and there is nothing wrong with that. But you have to go deeper.
When you get to know your local preacher, and you spend time with him, you can find wonderful things about this man of God.
For almost 40 years I have been involved in church. I discovered many wonderful men of God in different cities, different states and different countries. Different backgrounds. Different ethnic groups. Genuine, legitimate ministers of the Lord God. But I was the one contacting them, asking them to have a cup of coffee. That is how I discovered them.
Some turned me down. They never wanted to meet me, and never cared for a conversation one-on-one. And I thought, “I don’t feel comfortable with this individual.”
Famous doesn’t mean legit
The time you invest watching somebody has everything to do with the type of person you are listening to.
“The fact that somebody is famous, that doesn’t mean that person is legit.”
So be careful who you are listening to. Dig into their stories. Find out exactly what they are doing.
Keep your eyes on Jesus
Above all those things, your eyes must be on the Lord Jesus Christ.
If this is the first time you are here with me, or if you have never given your heart to the Lord God, let me ask you something. If you were about to die today, are you ready to be in the presence of God? If you die today, are you going to come inside of heaven?
I hope your answer is yes. And I hope you say that because you believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
One last smile
A compulsive liar applied for a job. The interviewer asked, “Do you work well under pressure?” He said, “Absolutely. I once defused a bomb with one hand.” “Really?” “No, but I work well under pressure.”
So let me ask you, my friend. Who are you listening to?
Share this with someone who needs clarity.
Read along
Scriptures in this study
Jump to
Key moments
- 00:00Welcome: dishonest Facebookers and YouTubers
- 00:37Luke 12:1
- 00:58Last week, and today: dishonest influencers
- 01:15Video after video
- 02:19People with an opinion about everything
- 02:44Why do some people keep watching?
- 03:15Jesus brought it up
- 03:47What do they gain from your watching?
- 04:18The worst manipulators
- 04:53Dishonest leaders, in person and online
- 05:30The honest preacher
- 06:00Bi-vocational friends
- 06:23Full time in ministry
- 07:20Clothes are not the test
- 07:47Go deeper: a cup of coffee
- 08:58Famous doesn't mean legit
- 09:28Eyes on Jesus
- 10:20A little humor
- 11:19Closing
Questions this study answers
Questions & answers.
What does the Bible say about dishonest influencers?
Jesus warned His disciples in Luke 12:1: "Be sure to guard against the dishonest teaching of the Pharisees! It is their way of fooling people." The same passage appears in Matthew 16:5-6 and Mark 8:14-15. Dr. Gian is clear that the Lord did not speak about Facebook, but He did warn about dishonest religious men, and there are dishonest religious women as well. Lies are in every aspect of life.
How can I tell if someone I watch on Facebook or YouTube is honest?
Ask what their purpose is and what they gain from your watching them. Are they looking for ratings or popularity? Are they making a profit by selling ads? Not all of them are bad people, but your job is to listen and find out the real motive. The fact that somebody is famous doesn't mean that person is legit, so dig into their stories and find out exactly what they are doing.
What are the signs of a dishonest religious leader?
Dishonest leaders look like spiritual people, but in reality they are dishonest, whether you see them in a small church, a mega church or online. Their methods are pretty much the same: they impose rules that they themselves don't follow.
What is an honest preacher?
In Dr. Gian's words, "the honest preacher is the one whose life is a living testimony of devotion to our Lord God, and his purposes are honestly toward eternity and Jesus Christ." Style is not the test. A robe or a suit and tie doesn't mean anything; you have to go deeper.
How can I get to know a pastor before I trust him?
Spend time with him. For almost 40 years Dr. Gian has found genuine, legitimate ministers in different cities, states and countries by contacting them himself and asking them to have a cup of coffee. When someone never wanted to meet or never cared for a one-on-one conversation, he did not feel comfortable with that individual.
Full transcript Read
00:00Welcome: dishonest Facebookers and YouTubers
Hello dear friend, welcome to our episode 205 today, October 14, 2026 the topic of today, dishonest Facebookers and YouTubers. What that has to do with the Bible you are wondering, right? Well, the scriptures are in the screen, the different sections of this message but we are going to read only from Luke and thank you, Jeho, for the scripture on the screen for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, please Lord guide us through this study Amen! And we read Luke 12
00:37Luke 12:1
As thousands of people crowded around Jesus and were stepping on each other, He told His disciples Be sure to guard against the dishonest teaching of the Pharisees It is their way of fooling people Okay,
00:58Last week, and today: dishonest influencers
so what happened last week? We talked about the schemes of religious people Well, today you will keep learning about dishonest influencers Right, dishonest influencers
01:15Video after video
Like millions and millions of people you are watching video after video everyday Am I right? Of course I am right because most of us are just scrolling and scrolling and scrolling on the devices TV or phones, iPads, etc. computers It is one of the most common activities of everybody and the thing is sometimes we just cannot find anything to watch that we like, correct? Some people even say I am just bored bored of everything and of course you watch stuff like recipes or gardening and this is what you do, right? You watch a recipe or you watch an experiment in the garden and you try to do it to entertain yourself because for some reason you are just thinking maybe this is true
02:19People with an opinion about everything
You know that there are individuals that always have an opinion about everything Yes, they are and of course whether it is the weather, politics, global economy people have an opinion about everything and here is an interesting question
02:44Why do some people keep watching?
Why is it that some people just watch and watch and keep watching and keep watching? What are the reasons? Well, there are many reasons but one thing is true Those that are all the time on their phones or on their TVs is because they don't have anything else better to do with their lives and with their time Isn't it sad? That is what happens
03:15Jesus brought it up
Do you know that the Lord Jesus brought it up? Well, not necessarily Facebook I don't want you to think that the Lord spoke about Facebook but he brought it up He said watch out with those dishonest religious men and of course there are women that are religious dishonest as well The thing is lies are in every aspect of life How can you tell if whoever you are watching is a liar?
03:47What do they gain from your watching?
Well, what is their purpose in gain from your watching them? Is maybe ratings what they are looking for or popularity Are they making a profit by selling ads? More importantly is asking yourself this question How can you trust someone that you are watching? Someone that you have doubts about their motives?
04:18The worst manipulators
Horrible, right? You know that the worst manipulative person is the religious men or women They are the worst But the question is are all of them bad people? Of course not But your job is to listen to find out what the real motive is And the Lord Jesus said clearly be careful with these religious people
04:53Dishonest leaders, in person and online
So in your case whether you are attending a local church or you see local churches, small churches or mega churches or perhaps not in person but online you are watching You have to be aware that there are dishonest leaders And they look like spiritual people but in reality they are dishonest And their methods basically are pretty much the same They impose rules that they themselves don't follow
05:30The honest preacher
Terrible, right? You know my friend, the honest preacher is the one whose life is a living testimony of devotion to our Lord God And his purposes are honestly toward eternity and Jesus Christ I have several friends, preachers, that they are honest And I know what they care is the kingdom of God and eternity
06:00Bi-vocational friends
Several of my friends that are bi-vocational, they even say to me I prefer to have my other job, my secular job and make my money this way Just to prove to my people that my intention to be in the church is not for financial reasons
06:23Full time in ministry
It's something that you admire in somebody But on the other hand there are several people, preachers, that they are full time into ministry Like in my case, I devote 100% of my day, every single day of my life, to serve the Lord And my job consists of reading the Bible, praying, reflecting about what I find in the scripture, writing content Because what I do is to present to you views that will explain easier probably for the regular viewer what the Bible says Like this particular topic of the Pharisees and their religious tactics
07:20Clothes are not the test
Now, the style of a preacher could be different Let's say clothes could be the robe That doesn't mean anything Some people are using suits and ties, you know, and they look good But there are different types of ties, you know, there is nothing wrong with that
07:47Go deeper: a cup of coffee
You have to go deeper And that is why when you get to know the local preacher and you spend time with him You could find wonderful things about this man of God So for almost 40 years that I have been involved in church I discovered many wonderful men of God in different cities and different states and different countries From different backgrounds, from different ethnic groups I have found those men, and they are genuine They are legitimate ministers of the Lord God But I have been the one contacting them, asking them to have a cup of coffee And that is how I discovered them On the other hand, of course, when some of them, they turned me down, they never wanted to meet me Or they never cared for conversations one-on-one I thought, I don't feel comfortable with this individual
08:58Famous doesn't mean legit
Your decision about the time that you invest watching a story It has to do entirely with the type of person that you are listening to The fact that somebody is famous, that doesn't mean that person is legit So be careful to whom you are listening to Dig into their stories, find out exactly what they are doing
09:28Eyes on Jesus
Now, above all those things, your eyes must be on the Lord Jesus Christ If this is the first time that you are here with me, or if you have never given your heart to the Lord God One of the things that I would like to ask you is to consider this If you were about to die today, are you ready to be in the presence of God? Because that is the most important thing that we need to ask ourselves about eternity If you die today, are you going to come inside of heaven? I hope your answer is yes, and I hope you say that because you believe that Jesus is the Son of God So see you next time
10:20A little humor
A compulsive liar applied for a job and was asked "Do you work well under pressure?" He said "Absolutely" I once defused a bomb with one hand Interviewer asked "Really?" He replied "No, but I work well under pressure" Liar A gullible person listened to a politician's promise and said "I can't believe I fell for that" The politician smiled and said "Don't worry, I've got another one" They said "This watch is waterproof, shockproof, scratchproof and guaranteed to last forever" The customer asked "What happens if it breaks?" The salesman said "Try to find me then"
11:19Closing
Thank you for watching and being here with us Remember this was the episode 205 and we have tons of materials available for you I hope to see you here next time
Transcribed from the video and lightly corrected. Spoken words are kept as Dr. Gian said them.