False Teacher of the Day #62: Levi Lusko
If sugar-filled candy could take the stage and preach, it would sound a lot like Levi Lusko. He’s the poster child for the trendy, young evangelical pastor—a best-selling author in ripped jeans, with a hip multi-site church and a massive social media following.
On the surface, Lusko appears to be the model of modern ministry success: charismatic, relatable, oozing optimism and personal anecdotes. But beneath the cool exterior and designer clothing lies a message as spiritually nourishing as spun sugar. His teachings are a brightly colored confection – sweet to the taste, quickly dissolving, and leaving behind nothing but emptiness (and a sugar crash of biblical illiteracy).
In the end, Levi Lusko is a false teacher and a spiritual danger to the church, offering feel-good fluff in place of the robust truth of the Gospel. How did this charming purveyor of pop spirituality rise to prominence, and why is his influence so corrosive to true Christianity? The answers unfold as we examine Lusko’s sugar-coated theology, his mishandling of Scripture, his celebrity platform and toxic associations, his flirtations with pop psychology and mysticism – all packaged in the irresistible wrapper of a fashionable, “cool pastor” persona.
Is it any wonder the flock’s discernment is on life support when wolves come decked out in skinny jeans and stage lights? Let’s peel back the glossy veneer and see the rot underneath.
Sugar-Coated Theology: Sin Without Sorrow, Salvation Without Substance
At the heart of Lusko’s teaching is a hollow gospel that minimizes sin and omits repentance. He rarely, if ever, delivers the kind of convicting message about sin’s gravity that would cause anyone discomfort. Indeed, even when he ostensibly preaches on sin, he manages to defang it.