Is Your Faith Religious or Real? | The Well Podcast S9E03

Is Your Faith Religious or Real? | The Well Podcast S9E03

From The Well - Abundant Life Church by Abundant Life, Phil Hopper, Chad Glover, Les Norman

April 27, 2026 · 58 min · Episode 173

About this episode

Pastor Phil Hopper and Les Norman discuss the distinction between religious practices and genuine faith, exploring themes of legalism and redemption.

Religion complicates what God made simple. In this episode of The Well Podcast, Pastor Phil Hopper and Les Norman walk through Galatians to show why God hates religion but loves redemption. They unpack how legalism and modern-day Judaizers add rules, rituals, and lists to the work of Christ, pulling believers back under a yoke of bondage. You’ll hear how to spot religious hypocrisy, why so many are deconstructing religion rather than Christianity, and how to take honest spiritual inventory in your own life. Pastor Phil also answers listener questions on just war, Matthew 26:32, and whether today’s tensions with Iran and Israel carry end-times significance. If you’re weary of religion but hungry for biblical truth and real freedom in Christ, this conversation is for you.

People in this episode

Host: Phil Hopper

Guest: Les Norman

Topics covered

  • faith
  • religion vs. relationship
  • legalism
  • spiritual inventory
  • redemption
  • Christianity
  • end-times significance

Keywords

  • faith
  • religion
  • redemption
  • legalism
  • spirituality
  • Christianity
  • hypocrisy
  • end-times

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Galatians

Places: Iran, Israel

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