The Melissa Dougherty Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Bizarre Channeled Spirits, Jesus, & Truth: A Biblical Perspective on Aaron Abke's Teachings. Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

Aaron Abke. If you don't know the name (or how to pronounce it), I assure you that you've heard the concepts: manifestation, I AM affirmations, Christ consciousness, nonduality, the false and true self, reincarnation, channeled teachings, and much more. He has a growing platform and speaks with great confidence about the Bible, Christianity, and Jesus, but in a way that historic Christianity would label as blasphemous.
He came onto my radar a few months ago when some of you sent me some of his material, some of which made it into this video. You could tell something was off, but wanted clarity as to why. This video is my attempt to bring clarity to that confusion. In this video, I’ll break down some of Aaron’s core beliefs, highlight their influences, and compare them to biblical Christianity. I’ll also include clips from his content and his recent debate with Wesley Huff to provide a clearer picture of what he teaches. This is not a personal attack, just what I consider to be an honest examination of his theology through a biblical lens. I want to help Christians, but I'm also making this video in hopes that those who have gotten caught up in these teachings can see a different perspective. Jesus warns about deception. Wouldn't it be nice to know what that deception looks like? Bad theology hurts people and makes them victims of false teaching. And this is bad theology.
💡Want to know more about this "New Thought: thing? Order Happy Lies:
● Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/h3yb2vmz
● Audible: https://tinyurl.com/4b8j88vp
● Christianbook: https://tinyurl.com/msvjxt2e
● Amazon: https://amzn.to/46XmuZO
👉My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/

👀WATCH👀:
●Can We trust the Bible?: https://youtu.be/KkmLCWeORaQ?si=zWg0qxT102TbFVFI
●Is the Bible based on forgeries?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrWZ_e6Q67M
●Wes Explaining the Gospel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVeEBLrb8bM
●Wes and Aaron Debate Part 1: https://youtu.be/LTkp8GqzLF0?si=UGkXJvZKeEULYNXh
●Wes and Aaron Debate Part 2: https://youtu.be/mHyvpBNMECQ?si=ai58mNEb5Op8i1d4
●Aftermath of Debate in Aaron’s Perspective: https://youtu.be/i_JGbqt7Y74?si=FGDOicVW774n72A_
●Aftermath of Debate in Stephen’s Perspective: https://youtu.be/HmqLIUwR1Bw?si=PSrc9nzxgscfH3cH
●My Video abourt George janko and Pete Holmes: https://youtu.be/ierBC-BCyD0
📚RESOURCES📚:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/melissadougherty
📲FOLLOW📲:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
Instagram: @melissaldougherty
TwiX: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
💡SEMINARY💡:
Looking for a solid theological education? Look at Southern Evangelical Seminary: https://ses.edu/melissa/
🤗SUPPORT🤗:
If you are led:
https://paypal.me/MelissaDougherty77

●Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
●Instagram: @melissaldougherty
●Twitter: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
●My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/

Napoleon Hill Unmasked: Lies, Scams, Cults, and Occult Beliefs Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

Few books have the potential to put Christians in a theological chokehold, quite like Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. This book is more than just a best-seller. It's the entrepreneur's gospel, the self-help holy grail, the self-improvement manifesto, and, believe it or not, the sacred scripture of a 1930s secret cult. It has influenced millions of people and celebrities all around the world, giving credit to this book and its concepts for changing their lives. There are a lot of very good and true things to say about challenging ourselves to become more motivated and successful. There’s no doubt that Think and Grow Rich contains valuable insights about motivation and success—concepts that have genuinely helped many, including Christians. But is that all there is to this man and this book? Is there more lurking behind these motivational messages? I believe the answer is an emphatic yes. By the end of this video, I hope to convince you of the deeper, more complex reality behind the man and the message.
It took me months to put this video together. To prepare, I re-read Think and Grow Rich, watched the film adaptation (yes, that’s a thing), and followed the Napoleon Hill Institute on Instagram, engaging with their content regularly. I dove into Hill’s other works, consumed documentaries and videos about him, and I was also an avid follower of the New Thought beliefs held by Napoleon Hill, so I see him and this book with different eyes.
I think it's either crazy or awesome (or both) that you all like staring at a screen, listening to my face talk for over two hours. It takes a LOT of work, sometimes months, to put these videos together. So thanks for being crazy awesome.
👉My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/

●Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
●Instagram: @melissaldougherty
●Twitter: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
●My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/

Scientology: The Most Bizarre Cult in America Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

Scientology is an odd religion (If it is even a religion). My friend Lindsey Medenwaldt knows a ridiculously random amount of information about this religion. So, naturally, I couldn't resist luring her onto my channel to spill the tea on all things Scientology. Where did this "religion" come from? What do they believe? And why are so many celebrities a part of the most bizarre cult in America?
She's also one of the most wholesome people I've ever met who is way smarter than me. You should go follow her:
Lindsey's Website: https://lindseymedenwaldt.com/
MamaBearApologetics: https://mamabearapologetics.com/
Get Lindsey's brilliant book, Bridge Building Apologetics: https://amzn.to/43kKKoK
👉My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/
💡Order Happy Lies:
● Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/h3yb2vmz
● Audible: https://tinyurl.com/4b8j88vp
● Christianbook: https://tinyurl.com/msvjxt2e
● Amazon: https://amzn.to/46XmuZO
💡SEMINARY💡:
Looking for a solid theological education? Look at Southern Evangelical Seminary: https://ses.edu/melissa/
🤗SUPPORT🤗:
If you are led:
https://paypal.me/MelissaDougherty77

●Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
●Instagram: @melissaldougherty
●Twitter: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
●My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/

Oprah is NOT a New Ager: A Deep Dive. Mar 15, 2025

Show notes

What do you do with a mega-famous influential billionaire who says she's a Christian... but denies the core beliefs of Christianity? Instead, she believes in the divinity of humanity, the power of affirmations, the ability to speak and think things into existence, and that all religions lead to God and much more. Isn't she a New Ager, then?
No. In this video, my goal is to explain why. What is this stealthy spirituality of Oprah Winfrey, and what are people missing?
Timestamps:
0:00- Intro
05:03- Part 1: Context, Controversy, and Bio: Who is Oprah Winfrey?
20:37- Part 2: What New Age is... and What it Isn't.
40:04- Part 3: Why Oprah Isn't a New Ager.
1:31:26- Part 4: The "Why" with Biblical Perspective.
1:43:18- Final Thoughts.
👉My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/
💡Order Happy Lies:
● Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/happy-lies-melissa-dougherty/1145097424
● Audible: https://tinyurl.com/4b8j88vp
● Christianbook: https://tinyurl.com/msvjxt2e
● Amazon: https://amzn.to/46XmuZO
👀WATCH👀:
●Deep Dive on MLM's: https://youtu.be/tXcqHwi4OaA
●What Drove Me into False Christianity: https://youtu.be/LRQP96DmrIQ
●What About Those Who Never Hear the Gospel?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiyxpE5UBz4&t=10s
📚RESOURCES📚:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/melissadougherty
📲FOLLOW📲:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
Instagram: @melissaldougherty
TwiX: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
💡SEMINARY💡:
Looking for a solid theological education? Look at Southern Evangelical Seminary: https://ses.edu/melissa/
🤗SUPPORT🤗:
If you are led:
https://paypal.me/MelissaDougherty77

●Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
●Instagram: @melissaldougherty
●Twitter: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
●My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/

Christian Vs. Oprah: What You Didn’t See in This Controversial Clip. Dec 04, 2024

Show notes

In this video, I’m taking a deep dive into the episode behind a well-known clip of Oprah that’s been widely shared in Christian circles. It’s sparked a lot of discussion about her beliefs and where they stand in relation to Christianity. But I believe there’s more to this clip than what’s on the surface.
I go over the majority of the episode, show what you didn’t see, analyze Oprah and the panel’s beliefs, and explore the spiritual questions raised, giving a lot of commentary on what I would consider to be unrecognized New Thought beliefs. This is not just about Oprah or another "Oprah EXPOSED" video. This is about something bigger—a set of beliefs that isn't going anywhere and I promise you at some point in your Christian walk, you'll be confronted with these arguments and beliefs this panel puts forth. I want you to be equipped.
On top of this, I also give some (maybe) unpopular opinions about the interaction between Oprah and an outspoken audience member. I thought this would be a shorter video, but… that just didn’t happen. Even for how long this turned out, I still could have spent another hour (or more) analyzing this episode and the clip in question.
💡Want to know more about this "New Thought" thing? Order Happy Lies:
● Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/h3yb2vmz
● Audible: https://tinyurl.com/4b8j88vp
● Christianbook: https://tinyurl.com/msvjxt2e
● Amazon: https://amzn.to/46XmuZO
👉My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/
👀WATCH👀:
●Oprah Deep-Dive: https://youtu.be/9-6KF2E-F_Q
●Are we all Children of God?: https://youtu.be/eJtp233wAsY
●My Story: https://youtu.be/QSVnprFKoVw
●What are the Attributes of God?: https://youtu.be/mAKanZvgn4k
●Why God can’t *just* be all love: https://youtu.be/dq1zWfuVn9Q
●My interview with Lee Strobel about Heaven and NDE’s: https://youtu.be/W3ly-Ju93ng
●The #1 thing that drove me into false Christianity: https://youtu.be/LRQP96DmrIQ
Some interviews Sean McDowell did on NDE’s:
●Hellish NDE’s: https://youtu.be/Np0xkfgWqFs?si=R-mm5qaV4BHRFsOy
NDE’s from Doctors:
●https://youtu.be/i1QVWr8OKlA?si=Yo3wwpEvmo2KnJvW
●https://youtu.be/i1QVWr8OKlA?si=RQwS1DjniCLYfPYA
●NDE’s and Universalism?: https://youtu.be/vmj77VtvL1E?si=uQi_godmz3Dg8ZdX
📚RESOURCES📚:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/melissadougherty
📲FOLLOW📲:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
Instagram: @melissaldougherty
TwiX: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
💡SEMINARY💡:
Looking for a solid theological education? Look at Southern Evangelical Seminary: https://ses.edu/melissa/
🤗SUPPORT🤗:
If you are led:
https://paypal.me/MelissaDougherty77

●Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
●Instagram: @melissaldougherty
●Twitter: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
●My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/

Exposing Genuine and Fake Spiritual Encounters with Dr. Chris Berg Sep 09, 2024

Show notes

Some Christians will say that for every counterfeit spiritual experience out there, there's an authentic version of it. This is how some odd and bizarre behaviors are explained to be not only biblical but also a display of spiritual power and favor from God. But what if that's not the case and there is more to this? I asked Dr. Berg, an expert on this topic, to come on my channel and talk about this.
Dr. Berg's Information:
Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@spiritoftruthoutreach7633
His book: https://amzn.to/3zaWugx
People can submit their free application to Hartwell School of Divinity to take courses on topics like the New Age Movement and Critical Race Theory: https://hartwelldivinityschool.com/apply/
👉My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/
💡Order Happy Lies:
● Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/happy-lies-melissa-dougherty/1145097424
● Audible: https://tinyurl.com/4b8j88vp
● Christianbook: https://tinyurl.com/msvjxt2e
● Amazon: https://amzn.to/46XmuZO

●Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
●Instagram: @melissaldougherty
●Twitter: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
●My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/

Five Myths About The Bible (And How We Got it.) Jul 21, 2024

Show notes

There's a lot of strange stuff out there about the Bible. So I interviewed Bible scholar and historian Wesley Huff to give some clarity on this topic.
Timestamps:
03:59- Myth #1: The Bible was put together at the Council of Nicaea, where books were taken out.
09:39- Myth #2: The Bible has changed over time, especially with books being taken out, texts changing, and the Catholic Church having a different “Bible” than we do.
32:23- Myth #3: The Roman Catholic Church gave us the Bible.
45:50- Myth #4: The King James Bible is the Best and Most Accurate Bible.
56:51- Myth #5: The Book of Enoch Belongs in the Bible.
👀WATCH👀:
●Which Bible translation is "best?": https://youtu.be/F-88_GXsV9k
●Is the KJV superior?: https://youtu.be/GLZwzY-pBMg
●Cultish Interview about the Book of Enoch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7xgmzGuvfE
👇Info for Wes👇:
●Website: https://www.wesleyhuff.com/
●Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wesley_huff/
●YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJX2EazMKUqBQV048px2aoA
●First Episode of "Can I Trust the Bible?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm4_ZvIvIj0
●Apologetics Canada: https://apologeticscanada.com/

●Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
●Instagram: @melissaldougherty
●Twitter: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
●My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/

Former MLM Leaders Share Why They Left it All. Jul 05, 2024

Show notes

We're digging deeper into the world of MLMs (Multi-Level Marketing). In this interview, I talk with two former MLM leaders, Kathy and Noble Gibbens, who are absolutely delightful. They were in a well-known MLM for over 20 years and were very successful. So why'd they leave it all?
This is a follow-up to my initial MLM video. With as long as this interview was, there was till a LOT more to cover. Both Kathy and Noble have followed up on more thoughts about their experience in their podcast. You can find the info for that below.
Social Media Contacts for Kathy and Noble Gibbens:
Kathy:
www.filteritthroughabraincell.com
Episode 237: The 15 Characteristics of an emotionally unhealthy environment: https://www.filteritthroughabraincell.com/podcasts/filter-it-through-a-brain-cell/episodes/2148661620
IG: @filteritthroughabraincell
Noble:
www.eqgangster.com
Episode 453: The 15 Qualities of a Toxic Environment: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/453-the-15-qualities-of-a-toxic-environment/id1497445408?i=1000656864419
IG: @thenoblegibbens
👀WATCH👀:
●My Big Video about MLMs: The Controversial World of MLMs... and What Nobody is Talking About: https://youtu.be/tXcqHwi4OaA
●My video about Good Fruit: https://youtu.be/xOH6ayCN_c4
📚RESOURCES📚:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/melissadougherty
🤗DONATE🤗:
If you are led, consider donating:
https://paypal.me/MelissaDougherty77
📲FOLLOW📲:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
Instagram: @melissaldougherty
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/
💡SEMINARY💡:
Looking for a solid theological education? Look at Southern Evangelical Seminary: https://ses.edu/melissa/

●Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
●Instagram: @melissaldougherty
●Twitter: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
●My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/

The Controversial World of MLM's... And What Nobody is Talking About. Jun 01, 2024

Show notes

We're delving into the world of MLMs (Multi-Level Marketing Companies) and exploring their allure and controversy. And let me tell you... MLMs can be one of the strangest and most intriguing phenomena in the business world. I never intended this video to be as long as it did. But the more research I did, the more I decided that I needed to cover. It took me many, many hours and almost 2 months to do this research.
I have yet to see MLMs addressed from a Christian perspective. The *real* fuel for why I did this deep dive has to do with my background in New Thought and what I started noticing hidden within MLMs that needs to be talked about. (And it's not New Age.) I'm calling this the "dirty secret of MLMs."
My goal is to approach this with fairness but also firmness. I think there’s generally a lot of (understandable) anger and bitterness with some of the anti-MLM crowd, and I wanted to approach this from a different angle. I made this video with no resentments but with a genuine interest in the topic, your stories, and a love for people and truth. I actually had a really wholesome experience doing this research.

●Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
●Instagram: @melissaldougherty
●Twitter: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
●My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/

Unraveling the Connections between Aliens, Demons, and Christianity|With Dr. Brian Huffling Apr 29, 2024

Show notes

UFOs and aliens can be a fringe topic that many Christians don't know how to navigate. Surprisingly, there are many academics and theologians that have seriously looked into this from a Christian worldview. In this fascinating interview, I talk to Dr. Brian Huffling about this topic and his surprising conclusions.
👀WATCH👀:
● Subscribe to Dr. Huffling's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@classicaltheology
● Piercing the Cosmic Veil: https://amzn.to/431zhaD
● Dr. Huffling's Website: https://brianhuffling.com/
📚RESOURCES📚:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/melissadougherty

●Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewAgeToChristianity/
●Instagram: @melissaldougherty
●Twitter: https://twitter.com/Meldougherty77
●My Website: https://www.melissadougherty.co/

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