Karma. Manifesting. Angel numbers. "Good vibes." Crystals. "The universe has a plan for you." None of it sounds like a threat to anyone's faith. That is exactly the point.
In this episode of Rethink Revive, Pastor David Leake sits back down with Pastor Jordan Kolarik to ask an uncomfortable question: are New Age practices compatible with following Jesus, or are they quietly reshaping the church from the inside?
The conversation centers on syncretism, the slow blending of biblical faith with beliefs borrowed from other spiritual systems. David and Jordan trace how Hindu and New Age ideas rarely arrive announcing themselves. They arrive wearing Christian vocabulary. Karma stands in for God's justice. Manifesting stands in for prayer. "The universe" stands in for the providence of God. The words feel familiar while the worldview underneath them is something else entirely.
They also take on the questions people actually wrestle with. Is yoga just stretching, or does it carry spiritual weight? Where is the line between meeting the culture where it is and absorbing it? How do you talk about this with a friend or family member without sounding paranoid? Rather than handing out a list of banned practices, David and Jordan point listeners toward discernment, testing the spirits as 1 John 4 instructs, and asking what any given practice assumes about who God is and how people are actually changed.
The episode lands on a pastoral note rather than a fearful one. The goal is not suspicion of everything outside the church walls, but clarity about where hope, healing, and identity actually come from. If you have noticed this language showing up in your feed, your friendships, or your own vocabulary, this one is worth your time.
Are New Age practices like karma and manifesting compatible with Christianity?
David and Jordan argue they are not, but the reason matters more than the verdict. Each of these practices carries an assumption about how the universe works, where power comes from, and what actually changes a person. Those assumptions quietly compete with what Scripture says about God, sin, and grace.
Is it okay for Christians to do yoga?
The episode takes this question seriously instead of dismissing it in either direction. David and Jordan distinguish between physical stretching and the spiritual framework yoga comes out of, and they encourage listeners to ask what a practice was designed to form in them rather than assuming the label is neutral.
What is syncretism and why is it dangerous?
Syncretism is the blending of biblical faith with beliefs drawn from other spiritual systems. David and Jordan describe it as the central threat in this conversation because it rarely feels like leaving the faith. It feels like adding to it, which is exactly what makes it so easy to miss.
What does the Bible mean by "test the spirits"?
1 John 4:1 tells believers not to accept every spiritual influence at face value but to weigh it against the truth about Jesus. David and Jordan use this as the practical filter for the whole episode: not every spiritual experience comes from God, and discernment is a normal part of following Him.
Why do New Age ideas show up so easily inside the church?
Because they arrive in familiar language. Talk of energy, alignment, and "the universe" sounds spiritual, sounds humble, and speaks to a real hunger for meaning and control. David and Jordan point out that the church is most vulnerable wherever it has offered vague spirituality in place of clear teaching.
How do I talk to a Christian friend who is into this stuff?
David and Jordan encourage curiosity over confrontation, asking questions about what someone is actually hoping to get from a practice before making a case against it. The goal is a person walking closely with Jesus, not winning an argument about crystals.