Even in an age and a culture that claims to talk about anything and everything, some things are still woefully suppressed and shamed when discussed. Unfortunately, what is hidden often grows, and, when evil is hidden, it consumes and destroys like uncontrolled cancer. So we need to ask: Have you ever been unjustly controlled, manipulated, or even physically hurt? Maybe by a family member, a friend, or someone in a position of authority? These experiences are real, painful, and leave lasting scars. 

But here's the thing: you are not alone. The Bible speaks directly to the issue of abuse, from the Old Testament stories of injustice to the New Testament teachings on love and compassion. Tragically, those who may have escaped the destructive ruin of abuse themselves can perpetuate abuse that has occurred by minimizing, excusing, or dismissing what others have endured. Thankfully, there are biblical truths that address all forms of abuse, including physical, emotional, sexual, and spiritual abuse. How does God view abuse, and how is humanity supposed to respond? 

#Faith #Abuse #ImageOfGod #WeDon’tTalkAboutThat

In a world that often seems to devalue human life, it's crucial to remember that every individual is created in the image of God. This means we need to honor and respect the profound dignity and worth of each human life - even of those with whom we profoundly disagree. We need to do this on the basis of many biblical principles that affirm each of our unique value and importance to God. And, if something or someone is important to God, it should be important to us, too.

Every human life is a precious gift from God. In a culture that often prioritizes convenience, pleasure, and personal gain above all else, we need to be reminded of the sacredness of life at every stage. The Bible teaches us to value and protect life, regardless of a person's circumstances or abilities, to see the inherent worth of every individual. And because of this, we need to celebrate that worth and value and dignity in a way that reflects God's love and compassion.

#Faith #HumanDignity #ImageOfGod #ImagoDei #WeDon’tTalkAboutThat

Our world can often feel overwhelming … and finding solace and strength to keep moving forward can be challenging. Major studies across the world have identified an epidemic of mental health concerns, with the CDC indicating suicide as the third highest cause of death in young people in their most recent report. Unfortunately, the church has been prone to dismiss some of the struggles of the mind and the heart, offering instead silence (at best) or derision (at worst). 

Instead, we need to explore the intersection of faith and mental health, offering a compassionate and relatable perspective. By breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health, we can create a safe space for individuals to share their experiences, find support, and ultimately encounter the greatest hope possible - the good news of Jesus. Faith can be a source of comfort and guidance during life's most difficult moments, and it is not intrinsically at odds with psychology, therapy, medication, or other “secular” supports.

#Faith #MentalHealth #aLightInTheDark #DarknessIsReal #WeDon’tTalkAboutThat

Over countless centuries, humanity has wrestled with the issue of how faith intersects with doubt, often resulting in extreme responses. For some, we simply reject faith as a viable option for thinking and rational people, scoffing at and belittling those of religious persuasion. For others, we demonize doubts and questions that are raised in the arena of faith, ostracizing and even excommunicating those who dare to question even the most minor tenets of belief. In recent years, an experience called deconstruction has swept the evangelical world, seeing even prominent and revered members publicly dismantling and ultimately renouncing their previously deeply-held convictions. 

But there is another viable and faithful third-way. If the veracity of our faith is based merely in the strength of our convictions and how passionately we hold them, that faith is susceptible to being quickly eroded by the vicissitudes of life. But if the object of our faith is of true worth and rightly aligns with reality, that faith can withstand and endure scrutiny. And it is of utmost importance for all of us to discern between that which is essential dogma and that which is of lesser importance in our belief systems. 

#Faith #Doubt #WeDon’tTalkAboutThat

Pastor & author Mark Batterson once wrote in a book on prayer, “Celebrate what you want to see more of. That’s one way to fan into flame the gift of God.” And it can be said another way: what you celebrate is what you replicate. So what are we celebrating?

A Jesus-centered life is a journey of faith, a process that begins, sustains, and ends with Jesus. And for all the other ways we talk about it, the gospel is that process. It's the foundation, for sure, but it also empowers us to live out our purpose & joy and points to the fulfillment of the entire adventure - forever with our loving and beloved Savior. And if this is true, what can we be more right to celebrate than this very, very good news.

#TheGoodInTheGrief #GoodNews #Gospel #CelebratingTheGoodNews

One of the most frequently asserted accusations against those who claim to follow Jesus is but a single word: hypocrisy. And while hearing this stings for Christians, a further wound remains … it is often true. Even though following Jesus doesn't mean that someone will be perfect, too often we fail to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into what the gospel calls us to be. 

If we want to be those who embrace and declare the good news, we need to take a hard look at whether or not we're living in light of it, from what we do to what we say and (often even more importantly) how we do and say what we do and say. If the eternal destinies of those around us actually matter to us, we'll have to be willing to admit where we're falling short of the gospel - and the sometimes painful job of changing and repairing the damages we've done.

#TheGoodInTheGrief #GoodNews #Gospel #WhatGetsInTheWayOfTheGospel

Did you know that the fear of public speaking is the most common legitimate and diagnosable phobia - ahead of heights, spiders, or even death? The National Institute of Mental Health reports that public speaking anxiety (or glossophobia) affects about 40% of the US population. Underlying this phobia is a fear of judgment or negative evaluation by others. 

TL/DR, we're generally scared that people will judge, mock, or otherwise reject us based on what we say and how we say it. 

Unfortunately for Jesus-followers, we often lean into this trepidation in a major way when it comes to speaking about our faith. We come up with excuses (with some that even sound highly spiritual!) for why we don't, can't, or won't use our words to share the Gospel of Jesus. But the reality is that Jesus - in all His love, grace, mercy, and compassion - doesn't let those excuses stand. So what does it look like to both showandtell others about this Good News? 

#TheGoodInTheGrief #GoodNews #Gospel #SharingTheGoodNews

The word gospel, at its simplest and most basic, means “good news.” The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news that sinful people can be made right with God by repenting of their sin and trusting in Jesus as Savior and Lord to pay for the debt their sins have incurred. It is the foundational doctrine of the Christian faith. 

But it doesn't end there - quite to the contrary, it truly only starts there. The gospel is not some secret knowledge, magic password, or spiritual key that unlocks heaven, only to be hung on a hook once you're “in” and then forgotten. Rather, the gospel is the primary lens through which Jesus-followers view reality and the motivating factor by which they live their lives. This good news must be lived and reproduced every day in the life of a Jesus-follower! 

#TheGoodInTheGrief #GoodNews #Gospel #GoodWorks #Reconciliation

It's an age-old question: “I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” This is so often asked because, living in this broken world, even good news frequently neighbors with bad. It's evidence that our broken world is indeed broken. In religious circles, we call this reality sin. And sin itself is an umbrella term for a host of ideas, such as missing the mark, accidental harm, willful misdeeds, unconscious malfeasance, outright evil, and more.

But this seminal question is also evidence that, despite this sin & brokenness, there is still good. In fact, the good predates the bad, is greater than the bad, and will ultimately emerge fully, completely victorious over the bad. And the news of this good is not just good news, it's the greatest news ever. At the center of this news is that man Jesus, fully human yet fully Divine, who earned and crafted that victorious triumph over the bad and who beckons all to join in the grace, mercy, peace, hope, and love that it ensures.

#TheGoodInTheGrief #GoodNews #Gospel

“Because I said so.” If you were ever a child (which you were), you’ve heard this said. If you have ever been a parent, you’ve said it … or a teacher, coach, manager, or a host of other positions of authority. And it’s a declaration of just that - authority. It’s a way of communicating that someone should do something because someone else holds power, jurisdiction, or control over that first someone. And just as often as it’s been said, it has been received (even if it has been obeyed) with a sense of rebellion, some internal or external manifestation of “Who are you to tell me to do that!”

But the reality remains that authority is necessary for the flourishing of humanity, so long as it is held legitimately and exercised appropriately - yet we all seem to have an instinctual response against it. So how should we respond to those in authority? How do we know if someone who is claiming authority is right to do so? How do we respond differently if that authority is not valid or not executed justly? The answer is found in a constant theme of the Bible: truth and love.

#OneHitWonder #Jude #FalseTeaching #FalseTeachers #Truth

 A famous scene from the Bible within the Passion account of Jesus finds Him standing before the Roman governor, where Pilate said to Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18.38) This is a question posed by philosophers, scholars, & theologians the world over throughout the millennia. It is fundamental to every society, every worldview, and every person to ever have existed.

Often, we tend to allow those in authority to determine what truth really is. But what happens when these individuals who bear our trust act poorly? What do we do when those who seem to know much espouse error and call us to do the same? And how can we know that it's even happening? The answer truly does lie in how we respond to the first question: “What is truth?”

#OneHitWonder #ThirdJohn #Pride #Truth

"What's Love got to do with it?" This is the title of a song by Tina Turner. And it's a question that we're all forced to consider many times over in our lives. What is love, and why does it matter? What difference does it make? Isn't it just up to whoever is "feeling it" in a given moment? The reality is that, while we may all feel, express, receive, and perceive love in various ways, love itself is an objective reality, and it's one that's incompatible with certain behaviors while requiring others. It's our duty to discern the difference.  

#OneHitWonder #SecondJohn #Love #Truth

“Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” This quote (in one form or another) has been attributed to Saint Augustine, Nelson Mandela, Carrie Fisher, and more. Regardless of who said it first, it is beyond axiomatic - it rings true throughout the human experience. Then why-oh-why is it so hard for us to forgive? 

The Bible is replete with calls to forgive others. But how do we do this when we have, in fact, been wronged, hurt, or taken advantage of by those needing forgiveness. Even in the shortest book the Apostle Paul wrote, we find a call to forgiveness - not because it is earned, but out of gratitude for our divine pardon. If we have been so forgiven, we must likewise forgive. 

#OneHitWonder #Philemon #Context #Forgiveness

Does God care when everything goes wrong? When the bottom falls out from under us or when injustice or tragedy strikes? Maybe it seems like He shouldn't care because it's partly (or fully) our fault. Maybe it's just our lot to suffer because it's what we deserve?

Centuries before Jesus walked this earth, God's people (the Jewish nation) were facing tragedy, suffering on a massive scale, and surely felt these very same things. But a rather unknown prophet had a message for them that let them know they were not alone, that they were not unseen, and that God very much DID care … and that He was going to set right the tragic wrongs they had been enduring.

#OneHitWonder #Obadiah #PrinciplizingBridge #Pride

Growing up, many of us played kickball on the playground. Whether organized or informal, it was always a popular activity … and it could be savage, not because of the athletic competition, but because of the social realities it exposed. Who got picked first? How about last? Who were left out entirely? Who excluded themselves from this big group event because they didn't like the sport or felt they were no good at it?

Quickly enough, a pecking order was established, with either beneficial or detrimental results. As adults, these social constructs get more complicated & nuanced, but most of us are still victims of it, to one degree or another.

But the way of Jesus is different - or it should be. For those who have chosen to follow Jesus, we are each all an indispensable part of a glorious new whole, none greater than another but all wildly unique & cherished. And this means we're called to a vibrant community that gives life and invites full participation from all.

#SecondToNone #Jesus #OurFaithInJesus #Identity #Colossians

“Who are you?” It’s one of the questions that we all get asked many times over in life. In one form or another, we’re asked to identify ourselves. Whether we answer it simply, like with our names, or by fleshing it out a bit with a few more details about what we do and where we come from, we’re trying to let someone else know about us and how they can relate to us.

But what if our identity was both much deeper and far more important than we typically think? And what if our identity is truly personal, yes, but also inextricably bound into our community and the purpose God has offered to us?

#SecondToNone #Jesus #OurFellowshipInJesus #Identity #Colossians

Growing up, many of us heard, “Sticks and stones can hurt your bones, but words can never hurt you.” Well-meaning adults would recite this adage to the young in an effort to comfort and encourage. But regardless of their intent, they were very wrong.

Sure, a mean word hurled at someone doesn't pierce flesh like a bullet, but it can inflict a different, even deeper wound. Proverbs 12.18a tells us: “Rash words are like sword thrusts.” No, that harsh word won't draw blood, but it can break the spirit. But the converse is true, as well: “But the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12.18b) We can use our words to bring light into dark places and healing to hidden pains. God wants us to use our words (and our actions) to bring about good in this world.

#SecondToNone #Jesus #OurFruitInJesus #Prayer #Colossians

There’s no doubt that we live in a highly politicized world these days, especially in our western societal structure. And in America, that politicization ramps up in particular fashion every four years or so. Since this is our reality, this fall we’ll be taking a number of weeks to talk about stuff that the church often fails to address, or at least address directly or thoughtfully.

But where we find ourselves in this week’s message is a passage that tips over into at least some of those “spicy” areas. While the verses we’ll cover definitely tap into some of these topics, we’re going to talk a little bit more about the broader message of the verses we’re tackling - namely, power and responsibility.

#SecondToNone #Jesus #FamilyInJesus # Power # Responsibility #Colossians