Podcast Summary: Nephilim Death Squad Biblical Conspiracy

Episode: The 501c3 System w/ Zack Killey of Salty Saints Podcast
Hosts: TopLobsta (Mr. Nasty), David Lee Corbo (The Raven), Matthew Hefner (Merchant of Brown Water)
Guest: Zack Killey (Salty Saints Podcast)
Date: January 12, 2026

Overview

This episode features an in-depth discussion about the “501c3 system” within American Christianity and its impact on church structure, culture, and mission. Guest Zack Killey—a pastor, barber, and former host of Salty Saints Podcast—joins TopLobsta, Raven, and Matthew Hefner for a lively and at times irreverent exploration of how modern churches have drifted from the Biblical model, the pitfalls of church institutionalization, and the enduring power and requirement of the Great Commission. The group grapples with questions of authenticity, commercialization, discipleship, and the future of church in the West, all through a frank, candid, and conspiratorial lens.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Zack Killey & Salty Saints (02:09–04:18)

• Zack reveals his background as both a pastor and barber, describes the origin and temporary pause of his podcast Salty Saints, and the confusion with other similarly named channels.
• The hosts acknowledge his prior appearance on their shows and encouragement to revive his podcast.

2. Shifting From 501c3 to The Great Commission (04:44–05:37)

• Zack asserts that while 501c3 church status is relevant, he believes the core issue is the neglect of the Great Commission:

  "The heartbeat of this thing is the Great Commission ... it's one of the last things Jesus said to us before he left." (Zack, 04:44)

3. Why Church Structures Are Flawed (06:05–13:55)

• Zack admires the podcast’s willingness to discuss conspiracies biblically and praises the crew for being real instead of polished.

• He expresses concerns about the shift from church as spiritual family to church as business, where metrics become “butts, bucks, bricks, and baptisms”:

  "We've kind of changed the scorecard ... Today the scorecard in the church is butts, bucks, bricks and baptisms ... and that is a far cry from what Jesus set up." (Zack, 11:39)

• The group links the church’s deviations to powers and principalities (Ephesians 6), emphasizing that real combat is spiritual:

  "Our fight isn’t with flesh and bone, but with powers [...] in the spiritual realm." (Raven, 15:28)

4. The Tension of Technique vs. Authenticity in Church (16:24–36:50)

• Raven voices discomfort with certain church practices (e.g., congregational repetition, touch) aligning with psychological “anchoring” or mass hypnosis.

• Zack acknowledges there is legitimate value in preparing hearts for Scripture but warns against non-biblical methods creeping into church culture (personality tests, love languages, etc.):

  "There's a lot of that, but I don't think it's malicious. I think it's from ignorance a lot of the time." (Zack, 24:40)

• Matthew stresses:

  "We get our identity from God. We don't get it from the world." (24:20)

• The hosts reflect on manipulative church sales or performance techniques—acknowledging they work but questioning their integrity.

5. Worship as Performance or True Spirituality? (30:48–36:50)

• Debate over stadium worship events led by “celebrity” worship leaders like Brandon Lake and whether large-scale events are genuine or merely theatrics.
• Zack cites Amos 5:21–23 to caution against empty ritual when hearts are not aligned.

6. Should the Institutional Church Be Torn Down? (37:44–40:29)

• Matthew cites Jeremiah 1:10 to argue that the church “system” will be torn down (“root out ... throw down ... build and ... plant”) and rebuilt.
• The group agrees there must be real, heartfelt reform—even if institutional forms persist.

7. Biblical Model vs. Modern Practice: What Did Jesus Actually Set Up? (40:53–54:48)

• Zack leads reading of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16–20), reinforcing the command is to all followers—not just clergy.
• Key insight: All are “royal priests” and called to make disciples, baptize, and teach (48:11).
• The model is not “bring to church and let the pastor do it,” but “every disciple makes disciples.”

“You don't have to be a pastor. We're in this model right now where the whole deal is, 'Come and see, let me bring you here so my pastor can teach you about Jesus.' It's like, no ... it should be a sending model.” (Zack, 54:48)

8. Discipleship—and the Failure of Scale (57:15–61:52)

• Real discipleship is one-on-one or small group, “painstaking” and slow, not scalable to the mass-audience model.
• Teaching ≠ discipleship; being taught by a pastor in a group is not being discipled.

“Discipleship intrinsically needs the ability to bounce questions back. It's conversational.” (Zack, 60:27)

9. The Problem of the 501c3 System and Tithing (63:47–68:28)

• Tithing is critiqued—Zack notes the tithe is Old Testament; New Testament focus is generosity (65:01).
• Church as production (lights, stages, staffing) is called into question; Zack references Martin Luther on God’s remnant working within impure systems, but emphasizes critical reassessment is needed.

10. Five Mission Drifts in Discipleship (82:21–101:30)

Drawing from Jesse Cruikshank and others, Zack identifies pivotal “drifts” away from the original Jesus-movement:

• Constantine: Professionalization of clergy/priest class and standardized buildings.
• Enlightenment: Rationalizing/ intellectualizing faith, church as information-transfer.
• Reformation: Sermon becomes center, pastor the new celebrity.
• Industrial Revolution: Systematization—treating all as identical, “one size fits all.”
• Evangelicalism: Over-personalization and individualism, neglect of community.

“Everyone is treated like a sheep that is to learn, not even to learn—to memorize.” (Zack, 100:49)

11. True Biblical Community and Mutual Accountability (109:58–118:03)

• The Bible exhorts confession, sharing burdens, patient community, mutual encouragement, and every-member ministry (James 5, Galatians 6, Romans 15, etc.).
• One-pastor systems are seen as unbiblical (“Paul told Titus: ordain elders, plural”), and several elders/leaders is the standard.
• Church should be a model of daily life as a disciple, not just Sunday rituals.
• Trusting God over man-made systems for provision and function is key (cf. opening a coffee shop, 110:09–110:25).

12. Economic Realities, Money, and Pastoral Livelihood (129:25–147:11)

• Tension about pastors living the “American dream”—should they be poor, humble, or is prosperity acceptable?
• Zack and others agree God’s care and provision is sufficient; consumers must be wary of excessive “professionalization” and unreflective career-pastor culture.

13. Media, Podcasting, and Future of Discipling (131:17–138:32)

• Podcasting is discussed as a new, potentially more authentic and scalable way to teach and reach, especially when coupled with real-life community.
• The dynamic has shifted: outspoken critics cannot simply be ejected from institutional churches if their media voice is widely heard.

14. Personal Vocation, Living the Commission, and The Road Ahead (138:32–End)

• Zack testifies he’s often more effective in personal witness as a barber than as a pastor; job, platform, or income are not barriers to the Great Commission.
• All agree: everyone—through any means (work, podcast, home group)—is called to disciple, and God handles the growth.
• The end of the episode teases a future deep-dive on Indiana’s spiritual weirdness and tunnel/cave systems.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On the shift in church values:

  “Butts, bucks, bricks, and baptisms ... is a far cry from what Jesus set up.” (Zack, 11:39)

• On spiritual warfare:

  “Our fight isn’t with flesh and bone, but with powers and principalities in the spiritual realm.” (Raven, 15:28)

• On the Great Commission’s scope:

  “Every single one of us as a believer is a royal priest in Christ’s kingdom, and we are to be carrying this out.” (Zack, 48:11)

• On discipleship vs. teaching:

  “Discipleship intrinsically needs the ability to bounce questions back ... it’s conversational ... it’s not sitting in church for an hour on Sunday morning.” (Zack, 60:27)

• On tithing in the New Testament:

  “Tithe is not in the New Testament. The tithe is an Old Testament temple thing ... What we are commanded to do is to be generous.” (Zack, 65:01)

• On the danger of systems:

  “…the system becomes: everyone is to be treated exactly the same and everyone learns exactly the same ... We’re all gifted differently.” (Zack, 101:30)

• On living out the faith authentically:

  “First you do the thing, worry about the money later—it’ll be there. God’s got you...” (Zack, 141:50)

• On measuring fruit:

  “If this system created mature disciples I’d shut my mouth ... But it doesn’t. It produces people who want to go and be entertained. If we can just cut the BS.” (Matthew, 72:11)

• On using personal gifting:

  “You guys are talkers ... Use that. Let somebody else that knows how to distribute money to the people that need it do that. Lean into your gifting.” (Zack, 124:54)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------|---------------| | Zack introduction / Salty Saints background | 02:09-04:18 | | The Great Commission vs. 501c3 focus | 04:44-05:37 | | Critique of church as business | 11:30-13:55 | | Hollywood narratives vs. biblical warfare | 15:13-16:17 | | Psychological manipulation in church services | 16:24-24:40 | | Ritual vs. authentic worship debate | 30:48-36:50 | | Denominational church vs. home church | 37:44-40:29 | | Reading/discussion of the Great Commission | 43:32-54:48 | | Discipleship vs. Mass-Scale/Teaching | 57:15-61:52 | | Breakdown of the five “mission drifts” | 82:21-101:30 | | The money issue and tithing | 63:47-68:28 | | Individual gifting in the body of Christ | 101:30-104:27 | | Authenticity, action, media, and reform | 131:17-138:32 | | Living the Commission in daily life | 138:32-end |

Tone & Style

The episode is candid, at times irreverent (“cemetery school,” “baby stealing Babylonian goddess,” jokes about hot dogs and podcast infighting), but characterized by an earnest desire for truth, authenticity, and self-examination. The hosts push one another with challenging questions but consistently return to Scripture as the metric for all practices.

Conclusion

This episode contends that the institutional church—exemplified in the 501c3 system—has drifted significantly from biblical roots and the essence of the Great Commission. The solution, per Zack and the hosts, is not to throw out community or even institutions, but to recover authentic discipleship, mutual ministry, and Spirit-led action in every area of life, embracing all the means—including media—God places at the church’s disposal.