Remember- a person who doesn’t want to hear your point of view is self righteous. A child of God is always open to learn a different point of view. Even God listened to different points of view, Moses, Gideon, Peter …. Only God has the ultimate & righteous point of view. Trust him.
Thank you for everything you've learned to be able to share this very needed perspective with us, Chris. And for investing significant time to convey this in writing. So many home run observations in this article.
Pastor Chris, this is such a needed word. After sixteen years walking deeply in ministry and para-church spaces, I have seen how much pain enters when people bring real wounds, real expectations, and real unmet needs into the church.
What has become clearer to me over time is this: the church was never meant to replace our intimate, abiding relationship with the Father. The Holy Spirit goes with us everywhere. In that sense, we carry “church” into every room, every conversation, every conflict, and every wounded place.
When we stop looking only at what the church should provide for us, and begin asking what we can bring to the body of Christ through healing, humility, and surrender, something shifts. Church becomes less about a building meeting every expectation and more about believers gathering, growing, worshiping, serving, and being formed together under the Word of God.
One question I have learned to ask myself, especially when I feel hurt or pain, is simply: why? And when I am willing to sit still long enough to listen for the truth beneath the feeling, God grounds me every time.
Really good stuff, Chris. Lots of biblical, practical, and life-giving counsel.
Here was one of many truth bombs/balms:
"Healing in isolation is difficult because pain has a way of becoming its own echo chamber."
Remember- a person who doesn’t want to hear your point of view is self righteous. A child of God is always open to learn a different point of view. Even God listened to different points of view, Moses, Gideon, Peter …. Only God has the ultimate & righteous point of view. Trust him.
Your articles are always spot on and I look forward to them
Wow
Thank you for everything you've learned to be able to share this very needed perspective with us, Chris. And for investing significant time to convey this in writing. So many home run observations in this article.
Thank you so much for this information 🙏
Pastor Chris, this is such a needed word. After sixteen years walking deeply in ministry and para-church spaces, I have seen how much pain enters when people bring real wounds, real expectations, and real unmet needs into the church.
What has become clearer to me over time is this: the church was never meant to replace our intimate, abiding relationship with the Father. The Holy Spirit goes with us everywhere. In that sense, we carry “church” into every room, every conversation, every conflict, and every wounded place.
When we stop looking only at what the church should provide for us, and begin asking what we can bring to the body of Christ through healing, humility, and surrender, something shifts. Church becomes less about a building meeting every expectation and more about believers gathering, growing, worshiping, serving, and being formed together under the Word of God.
One question I have learned to ask myself, especially when I feel hurt or pain, is simply: why? And when I am willing to sit still long enough to listen for the truth beneath the feeling, God grounds me every time.
That simple reset changes everything.
G~
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