In Episode 97 of Trey Knowles: Truth & Knowledge, “Is the Cross Insulting?”, Trey Knowles asks a challenging question: What does the cross really mean? To answer it, Trey presents two meanings of the cross—spiritual death and physical death—and explains why understanding the difference between them is essential. The first meaning is spiritual death. When Yeshua says in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” Trey explains that taking up the cross means dying to the desires of the flesh. It means denying yourself, rejecting greed, pride, domination, worldly power, and what Trey describes as the colonizer's way of life. Instead of gaining the world and losing your soul, you choose to follow the way of Yeshua—the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This spiritual death is not about destroying a person; it is about putting to death a worldly way of living so that you can walk in righteousness and obedience to God. In this meaning, the cross is not insulting. Spiritual death leads to life. The second meaning is physical death. Historically, the cross was an instrument used to condemn, humiliate, torture, and execute human beings. Trey connects this physical meaning of the cross with persecution and later acts of racial terror, including the lynching of Black people and the Ku Klux Klan's use of the cross as a symbol of intimidation and white supremacy. Unlike willingly taking up your own cross through self-denial, this physical cross is imposed upon another person through hatred and violence. This distinction is at the heart of the episode: there is a difference between taking up your own cross and putting someone else on one. One says, “I will deny the desires of my flesh and follow Yeshua.” The other seeks to condemn, persecute, or destroy another human life. Drawing from Matthew 12:7, John 15:20, and 1 John 3:12, Trey challenges those who claim to represent Yeshua while embracing hatred, persecution, and violence. Yeshua declares, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” The way of Cain produces hatred and death, but the way of Yeshua calls people toward mercy, righteousness, truth, and life. So, is the cross insulting? Trey's answer depends on which cross we are talking about. The spiritual cross—denying the flesh and following Yeshua—is not insulting; it represents death to the flesh that leads to life. But the physical cross, when used as an instrument of hatred, domination, persecution, and death, represents something entirely different. Episode 97 challenges listeners not merely to wear or admire the symbol of the cross, but to understand what it means to take up their own cross, deny the ways of the flesh, and truly follow Yeshua.

In Truth & Knowledge: Episode 96 — “Prosecutor,” Trey Knowles delivers a powerful call for spiritual accountability, protection, and liberation. He begins with a painful question: What happened to our children? Why are so many being drawn into gangs, drugs, violence, destructive influences, and a way of life that separates them from God?

Trey Knowles' Truth & Knowledge – Episode 95: Mere Mortals

In Episode 95 of Truth & Knowledge, Trey Knowles explores the biblical distinction between mere mortals and the Children of God. Challenging the common understanding of mortality, this episode argues that being a mere mortal is not simply a description of being human, but a spiritual condition characterized by rejecting the Spirit of God and refusing to walk in His character.

Drawing from passages such as Ephesians 5:1–2, Ephesians 4:24, Matthew 5:48, John 10:10, Jeremiah 29:11, and other biblical teachings, Trey examines humanity's calling to reflect the image and likeness of God through righteousness, holiness, and love. The message emphasizes that spiritual identity is determined not by race, nationality, gender, or social status, but by the choices a person makes—whether to live according to God's Spirit or according to the ways of the world.

The episode presents two contrasting paths. On one side are the Children of God, who imitate their heavenly Father, remain faithful through hardship, and refuse to abandon God's character regardless of persecution, poverty, or suffering. On the other side are those described as mere mortals, whose lives are marked by spiritual death, destruction, bondage, and separation from the life that God offers.

Throughout the discussion, Trey challenges listeners to consider whether their actions truly reflect the character of God. He argues that God's Spirit does not change and that His people are called to remain steadfast, even in the face of adversity. Rather than allowing circumstances to shape their identity, believers are encouraged to live according to the Spirit of Yeshua, trusting that nothing can separate them from God's love.

Mere Mortals ultimately serves as a call to self-examination and spiritual commitment. It invites listeners to reject the values of death, fear, and bondage in favor of the life, holiness, and peace found in God's Kingdom. The central question of the episode is one every believer must answer: Will you live as a mere mortal, or will you walk as a Child of God, reflecting the image and character of your Creator?

Truth & Knowledge: Episode 93 - The Deceiver That Came - Trey Knowles