Narcissists & Flying Monkeys

A high-profile sheriff is in the news, the word narcissist is getting thrown around, and Jeff brought a printed copy of the DSM-5 to settle it. Five out of nine traits gets you the diagnosis. The conversation goes about where you'd expect it to from there — and then somewhere you wouldn't.Jeff and Stephen get into why narcissistic leaders don't just appear in churches but get actively recruited there, what makes someone a "flying monkey" defending a leader they should probably leave, and the wound underneath the whole thing. Stephen tells the story of asking a pastor a real question at 21 and being told it was a stupid one. Jeff confesses to doing the Donald Trump table-clearing thing at his own family dinners.The hardest part of the episode is the diagnosis they land on: the church doesn't just tolerate this stuff. It selects for it. And the people most hurt by it tend to leave one narcissistic system and walk straight into another.If any of this sounds familiar, you're not crazy. And you're not the only one.Resources & Links📖 When Narcissism Comes to Church – Chuck DeGroat📖 The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse – David Johnson & Jeff VanVonderen⛪ GraceLife Beachside Church