Josh Howerton Issues Spiritual Warning on Lindsay Clancy Case

The trial of Lindsay Clancy has gripped the nation, but one Texas pastor says Christians may be missing a spiritual dimension hiding beneath the horrific headlines.

Pastor Josh Howerton of Lakepointe Church addressed the Clancy case during an episode of his “Live Free” podcast, arguing that Christians should examine this horrific story through the lens of Scripture.

Clancy is accused of killing her three young children in Massachusetts. Howerton zeroed in on an especially disturbing claim surrounding her mental state: that she reportedly heard a male voice commanding her to kill her children and herself.

For Howerton, that detail immediately raised a biblical red flag.

“If you’re a Christian with a Bible in your lap and eyes in your head, you’re going, ‘Now, wait, wait just a second,’” Howerton said, pointing to John 10 and its description of the enemy coming to “steal, kill and destroy.”

“I do not find it totally coincidental,” he continued.

Yet Howerton’s concern goes far beyond one courtroom.

He compared America’s reaction to the case to the horrifying events of Judges 19, when an act of depravity became a national wake-up call exposing just how far Israel had fallen.

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“It feels like a Judges 19 moment where people are going, ‘What have we become?’” Howerton said. “And I pray that God uses moments like this to awaken a nation to repentance, to come back to the living God.”

That warning becomes especially relevant, Howerton argued, when compassion begins replacing justice.

He called this phenomenon “toxic empathy”—not compassion itself, but empathy that becomes so selective that the victims disappear from the conversation.

“We Christians, we are the compassion people,” Howerton said. But he warned believers that their desire to show mercy can be manipulated when empathy is used to “override either logic or justice.”

In Clancy’s case, Howerton believes much of the public attention has centered on her psychological suffering, while insufficient attention has been given to the three children who died.

He also challenged Christians not to let political or ideological allegiances dictate their definition of justice, arguing that Christians are ultimately called to allegiance to God rather than to cultural movements.

“We are not advocates for a cause,” Howerton said. “We are ambassadors of the living God.”

Howerton also reminded listeners that the gospel offers forgiveness even for the gravest sins. Pointing to the apostle Paul’s persecution of Christians before his conversion, he emphasized that no sinner escapes Jesus Christ when genuine repentance comes.

“Welcome to Team Jesus,” Howerton concluded, “the team of grace and hope.”

In a culture increasingly tempted to pit compassion against justice, Howerton’s message carries a piercing reminder: Christians are called to possess both—without sacrificing truth in the process.

Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.