Category: Church Fails

Four Things Done and Taught in Churches that Harm Christians-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

We proclaim Him, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ- Colossians 1:28 NASB 

Fourteen-ish years ago when I began writing this blog, I wrote ad nauseum about problems I saw in Church world. Nearly every week I wrote about some church peeve or irritant I had with how church was being done. 

Then I did this thing I do sometimes. 

I got tired. It felt like I was expending a lot of energy yammering on endlessly about church problems. In more introspective moments, I wondered if I was perhaps overdoing some criticisms. I didn’t want to be one of those people who only complained and never really DID anything to solve problems or make the world a better place.  So, I intentionally pivoted. I began writing more posts focused on doctrine, Bible study and spiritual growth. My hope was that by focusing more on Christian living I would ultimately impact the church community and facilitate much-needed change.

Well. 

This last week it occurred to me as I was listening to some really one-sided teaching on a critical issue that the problems in church world have not gone anywhere. I felt a distinct nudge from the Holy Spirit to revisit some issues that are still impacting the church negatively. Following are four the Lord laid on my heart this week: 

Heretical teachings on grace- 

Grace is the most essential doctrine in all of Christianity. Grace is the foundation of everything we believe about Jesus, salvation, forgiveness and how we respond to those who have sinned against us (Ephesians 1:5-7, John 10:10, Matthew 18:21-35). Without grace there is no prospect of salvation, no forgiveness, no abundant life and no hope for anyone no matter how “good” they appear to be (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:23-25, Ephesians 2:8-9, 2nd Peter 2:18). Period. However, anytime the doctrine of grace is taught without discussing the doctrine of sin it creates very real practical and theological problems. One of those problems includes an attitude Paul warned about in Romans (Romans 6:1-23). It’s the idea that it is okay (perhaps even good) for Christians to sin on purpose because it gives God an opportunity to forgive their sins (demonstrate grace). Therefore, (the logic goes) sin your face off because grace is just a big bucket of forgiveness one can dip into anytime they sin intentionally or unintentionally. This attitude is foolish and spiritually dangerous because it ignores the clear biblical call to repent and become increasingly more holy with every passing day (John 8:11, 1st Peter 1:15-16, 1st Peter 2:5, 1st John 5:1-4). This does not mean there is no room for failure, mistakes and human frailty in Christianity (Romans 3:23, 1st John 1:8-10). It just means Christians are deeply grieved by their own sin and never treat it lightly. 

Salvation without Repentance- 

When I first started writing this blog, I was deeply troubled by the fact that most American churches no longer gave a salvation message. This is an area of growth for the American church; more and more are giving a salvation message. This is very good. However, the whole notion of sin and repentance is sometimes being left out of the call to salvation (Isaiah 1:28, Isaiah 13:9, Matthew 9:13, Luke 13:1-3). People are not always being told that they need salvation because they are sinners who need to be forgiven. Instead, the message being preached in many churches is often a bit fuzzy, i.e. “you need Jesus because He will give you comfort and make you a better version of yourself”. Jesus will do those things but that is not the primary reason we need Jesus. We need Jesus to make us right and holy before a holy God (2nd Corinthians 5:17). 

Bible-lite  

 The Bible is the most beautifully balanced book in all of creation. It is abounding with stories, psalms and theology that reveal and remind us of God’s kindness, mercy, grace and goodness. If one needs a positive reminder of God’s love and goodness they will find it (Isaiah 43:25, Ezekial 36:26, Psalm 23, John 3:16, 1st Corinthians 6:11). However, the Bible also has a lot of passages that serve (metaphorically speaking) as a kick in the backside (Romans 1:18-31, 1st Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21). God designed His word this way on purpose knowing that we need both in equal measure. Without both we quickly lose sight of our on-going need for sanctification and growth (2nd Corinthians 7:1, 2nd Peter 1:3-11).  

Silence concerning the culture-  

The word toxic is overused to the point of absurdity in our world. Nonetheless, our culture is truly toxic. It is a lethal force that damages our souls without our knowledge or consent.   Unfortunately, many pastors and Bible teachers are reluctant to address cultural issues because they want to avoid “being political”. I get it. However, many “political” issues are first and foremost spiritual issues, and many Christians (especially young Christians) are ignorant of what the Bible has to say about a myriad of critical issues including (but not limited to) abortion, how a Christian should treat their parents, cancel culture, poverty and homosexuality. By avoiding “political” issues the church has short-circuited the discipleship of millions to the detriment of the church and the culture. 

Contrary to popular opinion, what a Christian believes matters. 

What we believe matters because our beliefs about doctrine, cultural issues, God’s character and truth all inform and affect our behavior and we will give an account for our behavior in this life (Matthew 12:36, Romans 14:12, Hebrews 4:13).

Truths Christians must Embrace to Prevent More Moral Failure in the Church-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

 Produce fruit consistent with repentance- Matthew 3:8 NASB

Last week another well-known evangelical pastor/author admitted to a major moral failure (long-term adultery). His confession was followed by the announcement he will retire from ministry. Regrettably, these sorts of disclosures have become routine among Christian leaders. The stories are basically all the same. The leader has an affair (or dozens). Eventually, his sinful antics come to light, and he quickly decides it’s a good time to come clean. A public confession and tearful apology are made. Sometimes the leader retires from ministry sometimes they double-down on what they see as their “calling”. 

Occasionally, there is a slight twist in these stories. In these cases, the well-known leader dies. Various women (sometimes men) come out of the woodwork. All tell similar stories that inevitably involve sexual immorality, creepy power dynamics and sometimes even forced sex. In these cases, the leaders’ friends/minions/elders do exactly what they did when their leader was alive. They cover up the sin and/or intimate that the accuser has a mental illness and/or an unhealthy need for attention.  Eventually, the overwhelming magnitude of evidence becomes so damning that the dead guy’s minions can no longer maintain the lie that the leader was a morally respectable individual. The truth is quietly acknowledged, and a very low-key admission of wrongdoing is released to a small number of news outlets.  

Sigh.

I have observed this phenomenon enough times to know that the average Joe and Jane Christian tend to excuse the behavior of bad Christian leaders. We say stupid stuff like: it could happen to any one of us (Genesis 4:7) and this is why we should be thankful for grace (Titus 2:10-12). Sometimes it’s: he who is without sin should just go-ahead and throw the first stone (John 8:10), and of course: everyone sins (Romans 6:6-14). Then there’s: all sin is exactly the same so no one can judge anyone else (1st Corinthians 6:9-11) and my personal favorite: but his teaching has done so much good for the church. 

(Insert face-palm here). 

Lack of biblical wisdom and super questionable applications of theology aside. The churches collective loss of horror over sin has caused the church to lose its moral authority in the culture. No one takes Christianity seriously anymore and this is the number one reason why. 

Sigh. 

It doesn’t have to be this way. The church can (and must) do better.  However, in order for that to happen the church must return to a more biblical position on sin and grace.  Sin is deathly serious (Galatians 6:7, 1stCorinthians 6:17-18, Romans 1:18-32, Romans 6:23) and grace is not a massive bucket of forgiveness we can dip into anytime we decide we want to sin (Titus 2:10-12, Psalm 84:11, Romans 6:1-7). If we want church to become healthy again, we must return to believing and teaching these four basic biblical truths:

Real accountability is a non-negotiable for serious Christians- 

It just is. However, we must also acknowledge that real accountability is a lot harder to achieve that it looks on the surface. This is because accountability requires a spirit of humility that allows other people to call us out when we sin. No one becomes accountable to another person without some sort of consent. Accountability without consent is just catching someone in the act. This means we all ought to pray for the wisdom to be humble, teachable and repentant (Proverbs 11:2, Matthew 18:4, James 4:10). It also means that humility, candor and uprightness ought to be the criteria we look for in our leaders rather than high levels of self-confidence or copious educational degrees.

No one gets a pass on willful sin-

Everyone (yes everyone) feels they ought to get a pass at some point. This is either because they have done a lot of good for the kingdom and they feel sin should be their “reward” for faithful service. Or sometimes people feel that because they have been through a lot God should give them a break and let them have a little “fun”. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way. No one gets to ignore the command to be holy (1st Peter 1:14-16) just because they have done a lot or been through a lot. Sin is the most dangerous thing on earth and God wants to protect us from it, not give us free pass to indulge in its toxicity. 

Incomplete theology has consequences-

The author/pastor who recently confessed to an eight-year-long adulterous affair wrote numerous books about grace. I read one of his books and frankly I found it quite troubling. Not because of what it said but because of what it didn’t say. The book wasn’t bad, just incomplete. He wrote page after page extolling the wonders of grace and forgiveness (which really are amazing). However, he said nothing said about the consequences of choosing to sin in a covenant relationship with God. Nor did he mention the many passages that state quite clearly that Christians who habitually practice certain sins will not inherit the kingdom of God (Matthew 7:21,1st Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:16-21, Ephesians 5:5). Any teaching that only tells half the story on either sin or grace is false teaching. Period. 

And finally, 

You are what you do- 

 The book of 1st John explores our relationship to sin. One of the primary points John makes is that we are what we do (1st John 3:7-8). If we sin habitually and willfully, we are sinners. However, if we make a habit of practicing righteousness, we are righteous. It is true, sin can happen to anyone, but it doesn’t have to. Every day we make moral and spiritual choices that determine whether or not we dive into sin. Christians must stop thinking that sin is something that overtakes us. If we are in Christ we have a choice.  

What do we do with 1st Timothy 4:1 People?

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Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God- Hebrews 3:12

As a general rule my regular Bible reading includes a chapter out of a book I’m reading as well as a Psalm or two. Additionally, I have this thing I call an “openness” policy when it comes to Bible reading. This “policy” isn’t anything super special, weird or spiritual.  It just means that if my Bible falls open to a particular verse as I’m flipping between my regular Bible reading and the Psalms, I give it a read. This ensures I have a regular Bible reading routine AND I give God space to speak to me through something I didn’t intend to read that day.  

Sometimes He does. Sometimes He doesn’t. This morning He did.  As I was flipping between 1st Peter chapter two and Psalms three my Bible fell open to this:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons- 1st Timothy 4:1 NASB

This verse led me down a thought-provoking little rabbit hole. I began looking up words in the Greek and quickly discovered the word translated “depart” sometimes translated “fall away” in English is a far more robust word in the Greek. It doesn’t just mean “to leave” or to “quit something”. It means to “defect from loudly” and/or to “revolt against” the thing you’re leaving. 

This is kind of where we’re living right now. 

Most of those who have left the church in recent years haven’t just departed quietly from church world and gone on with their lives. Most have left with guns blazing (metaphorically speaking) and have staged a revolt against all things Christian. Many are filled with fury and vitriolic criticism aimed at churches and church leaders. They hate all things traditionally Christian and are determined to see the Church “reformed” and transformed it into something entirely different than what is found on the pages of the New Testament. 

This begs a question: 

What do we do with “former Christians” who are critical of the church or who want to see the church radically transformed to better suit the values they currently hold dear? There are at least three things we should be careful to do when dealing with former Christians. The first is:

Listen- 

Please understand I am not saying we should automatically do everything the angry unbeliever thinks ought to be done. That’s crazy talk. That said, there is always value in listening with a discerning ear (Proverbs 18:5). Thoughtful, discerning listening often uncovers a world of hurt and pain lying just beneath the vitriol and hate of those who have left the church. When this happens, we have an opportunity to discuss what led to the departure and perhaps even do a little repair work in the process. Loving people enough to listen is pretty much always a good idea.  (1st Peter 4:8). However, it is critical we exercise wisdom and discernment as we listen. We must carefully separate any anger they have towards God’s decrees concerning right and wrong and people who may have done them wrong. If a person hates God because He limits their personal freedom in some way that is not our problem (Psalm 68:1).  We should pray for those people and leave them to God. However, if someone hates the way they were treated by God’s people we ought to at least try and repair the damage. 

Be humble when humility is appropriate-

Christians screw up. All the time. In the last couple of decades there has been a lot of mess in Church world. There has been a plethora of corrupt and/or inept leadership. The church has also been inundated with some well-intended but poorly thought-out programs/bandwagons such as the purity movement. On top of all that there’s been hordes of legalism and very little grace for those who would have benefitted from some. If you’re dealing with a defector who was a victim of bad leadership, mean Christians or crummy doctrine it is totally appropriate to admit wrong where wrong was clearly done and apologize on behalf of the church for the pain they experienced. 

And finally:

Do not negotiate with terrorists when it comes to issues that really matter- 

Christians should do their best to show love and respect to those who oppose God. No one in the history of Christianity has ever been won to Jesus (or won back) with ugliness, contempt or meanness (Romans 13:7, 1stPeter 2:17). 

That being said. 

Those who have departed the faith are (unbeknownst to them) under the influence of deceiving spirits. They are (again, unknowingly) devotees of “doctrines of demons”. Therefore, they tend to loathe God, God’s standards of right and wrong and anyone who upholds those standards. Most defectors wish to transform Christianity into something trendy, woke and very twenty-first century. Practically speaking, this means opposing traditional marriage, toppling gender norms and celebrating abortion as a “gift”. It always means encouraging and celebrating all forms of sexual expression, no matter how weird and deviant they may be. Period. 

We simply cannot negotiate with spiritual terrorists. It’s that simple and nothing personal. We must obey God above all else (Acts 5:29). This means God’s word cannot be modified or tossed out by those who lack spiritual understanding. It is our responsibility as Christians to “contend earnestly for the faith” and to “make a defense” for what we believe (Jude 1:3, 1st Peter 3:15). This must be done kindly and firmly, and always without apology. 

Where Good Churches go Wrong-

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 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it– Hebrews 13:1-2 NASB 1995

Let’s be real. 

Church can be tough. 

Even if you’ve attended church forever and totally “get” church. Church can be hard.  Finding a new church is even harder. Meeting new people is hard. Stepping into an environment where you don’t understand all the rules is hard. Putting yourself out there is hard. Knowing out how to fit in is hard. Making new friends is hard.  All of those things are baked into finding a church home.

 Church is also important. 

Church really is a nonnegotiable for any serious follower of Jesus.  Church is the place where unbelievers become believers and learn to obey all that Jesus taught .Church was Jesus’ idea (Matthew 16:18, John 3:3). He decided what it should look like (Matthew 5-6, Matthew 18:15-17). He prayed for it (John 17:1-25). He invested in it (Matthew 11:1, Mark 4:33).  He died for it (Matthew 26-27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19, Matthew 14:22-33). He rose from the dead to redeem and empower it (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20. Then He sent His people out to build it (Matthew 28:16-20).

All that makes church a biggest of big stinking deals.  

It also makes the following story super sad. I have a friend who is looking for a church. I won’t share the unpleasant details but suffice it to say her reasons for leaving her old church were one-hundred-percent valid.

Anyhoo.

My friend has attended four churches in nine weeks. She realized immediately the first two were a poor doctrinal fit. The third was tiny (not necessarily a problem). However, the pastor was also seriously unprepared (an actual problem). Number four was promising. The size was right, not too big, not too small. It was a healthy mix of age groups (young families, older adults, teens and young adults). The music was beautifully done and doctrinally on point. The sermon was solid and the doctrinal statement was sound. 

One problem. 

No one talked to her. There were greeters and they all smiled politely and made eye contact but did not say anything more significant than “hello” to her. Not once. There was a welcome time prior to the sermon and no one welcomed her. She did all the stuff you’re supposed to do. She showed up early and stayed late. She bathed. She dressed and behaved appropriately. Even with all that, no one, not even a staff member interacted with her.  

Nonetheless.

She soldiered on. A serve day was announced from the pulpit. She knew getting out and serving her community would be a good thing to do. She also knew it would give her a chance to interact with some of the people she was going to church with. 

At the serve day, she was assigned to a team and she tried to engage the other people on the team. She asked good questions, complimented the pastor on the sermon the week before and just generally did her best to be an agreeable, involved and helpful member of the team. To no avail. No one attempted to engage her when she arrived on site. No one asked her questions about herself. No one noticed when she left and went home. 

Two things. 

First.

Not every church is unfriendly. There are churches that do an outstanding job greeting new people and finding creative ways to integrate them into their church family. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. If this were the first story I heard about an otherwise solid church where the congregants appeared to lack basic social skills I would cheerfully write it off as an anomaly. It’s not. This stuff is real. Lots of people have lots of stories just like my friends’ story. 

Second. 

I know this woman. She is a committed and mature Christian. She gets church. She has social skills. She understands reality. She knows relationships are a two-way street. She did not show up at church and expect everyone to do the work for her. She was more than willing to smile, ask good questions, be friendly and get involved in the activities the church was offering. 

However.

My friend is not the only type of person who shows up at churches. Some people who show up at church don’t know Jesus. Some are clueless about how church works. They don’t understand how to get involved or make friends. Some of have poor social skills or a chip on their shoulder. Some are looking for an excuse to reject Jesus. This does not mean they need Jesus any less than anybody else. We give them the excuse they’re looking when we don’t make every effort to engage new people in a meaningful way. 

 Sometimes we become so fearful of rejection we refuse to step outside of our own tiny relational circles.  Or we become so locked into a tight little friend group that we have no room for anyone new. The problem  with letting fear or self-centeredness run the show we give the devil a foothold in someone else’s life and run the risk of running them out of church (Ephesians 4:26-27, 1st Peter 5:8). 

Here’s the thing:

Just because you feel welcome and loved at your church it doesn’t mean everyone who walks through the door feels the same.  Next week when you go to church, say a prayer, look around, let the Holy Spirit to lead you to the person who’s all alone or looks lost. Say hello, ask some questions, maybe invite them to lunch. Love on them. It’s the little things that make the biggest difference for the kingdom. 

Some Thoughts for Pastors and Christian Leaders-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment


Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name– Psalm 86:11 NIVUK

Sadly, there has been a lot of failure in Church world over the course of the last forty years or so:

 The vast majority of Christians who identify as “committed believers” attend services a pathetic and measly 1.3 times a month. Fewer than forty percent of all Christians have actually read the Bible all the way through. Between sixty and eighty percent of the children who grew up in church over the course of the last three decades have left the church. Precious few of have returned in any sort of a meaningful way. Infidelity, spiritual abuse, embezzlement and tales of narcissistic behavior have become so commonplace among clergy that even Christians are no longer appropriately shocked by shocking reports of misconduct and sin.  

All serious signs of dismal failure. 

It’s simply a fact that churches have made some tragic mistakes in recent years. As a result, the Church is shrinking and the culture is floundering. Conversions are down and “deconstructing” one’s faith is trending. Thankfully, our God is not reliant on on the perfection of His people to get His will accomplished. That being said, it is always beneficial to His overall plan when His people choose to do life and ministry His way. There are at least four mistakes the Church has made that we cannot afford to keep making if we want to see health in our churches, transformation in our lives and revival in our world. 

Those mistakes are:

We have failed to equip the saints-

Biblical illiteracy is a serious issue in Church world. Few Christians can name all the books of the Bible. There are church-goers who actually believe the Bible promises God will never give us more than we can handle and that cleanliness is next to godliness.  However, lack of biblical understanding is not the only problem we have. Many Christians do not know how to define personal holiness, or how Christian maturity is achieved (2nd Peter 1:3-11, Romans 12) Nor, are most believers able to articulate what a healthy Christian life should “look like”.  These are all basic concepts every Christian should understand. 

Churches have encouraged congregants to depend on external sources for spiritual food-

For decades now, sermons have been tasty and easy to digest, but seriously lacking in any real nutritional value. Essentially, the spiritual equivalent of chocolate pudding. The goal of these Sunday morning offerings has been attracting unbelievers and keeping them in the church by not offending them in any way. At the same time many discipleship programs have all but been eliminated and small groups aimed at satisfying one’s personal preferences and helping people “do life together” were put in their place. All of this was well-intended but it produced a situation where many Christians began depending on outside sources like prerecorded Bible studies and podcasts for their spiritual growth. The unintended consequences has been a serious drop in church attendance. Many have quit church altogether, or they simply pop into an occasional service when the mood strikes them. Covid accelerated this trend as more and more churches began offering online viewing options on Sunday mornings. Human beings were made for community. We learn and grow by being with and interacting with others (Proverbs 27:17). Anytime Christians remove themselves from community they short-circuit their growth.  

Bible teachers have failed to teach a theology of hardship-

The Bible is clear: trials and hardship are formative to the Christian experience (John 16:33, 1st Thessalonian 3:3, 1st Peter 1:6). Jesus experienced hardship and suffering in this life and one aspect of becoming like Jesus is doing the things He did and experiencing the things He experienced (Hebrews 5:7-9, Hebrews 13:11-13). Unfortunately, in an effort to attract unbelievers many Pastors and Bible teachers have taught a theology of easy believism and guaranteed material blessings. This has caused many to become disillusioned and leave the church when it became obvious (as it always does) that the Christian life is a blessed life but not necessarily an easy one.  

We have forgotten that spiritual knowledge is not the same as spiritual maturity-

Knowing what the Bible says or even being able to quote an excess of verses does not make one spiritually mature. In order to be a mature Christian we have to know what the Bible says and be able to manage our own emotions, treat people the way we want to be treated and forgive others from the heart (Psalm 119:11, Titus 2:12, Galatians 5:22-24, Colossians 3:13, Ephesians 4:31, Hebrews 12:15). If we can’t do those things we aren’t spiritually mature no matter how many verses we can quote. 

The solution to all of these problems are simple. Churches must leave behind old models and pivot to a culture of discipleship and community. Leaders must let go of the desire to make churches big at the expense of making them strong, healthy and deep. Individual Christians must prioritize biblical learning, personal growth and relationships in the church over all else. 

Rethinking Church Post-Covid-

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Be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord– Colossians 3:15b-16 NKJV

By any measurable standard the Covid-19 crisis was bumpy for everyone. The world was collectively awestruck at how quickly a weird little virus could lead to compulsory lockdowns, financial uncertainty, social unrest, church closures and the shutdown of most schools. The gloom brought on by those unwelcome changes took a heavy toll on everyone, including most Christians (James 1:2-3). 

These realities swiftly exposed a host of systemic and potentially lethal problems lurking in Western churches. Most believers lacked the spiritual tools and community support necessary to keep their faith vibrant over a year of forced isolation. Even fewer Christians were prepared to answer the questions that surfaced out of the COVID crisis. Questions like: where is God when we suffer? What role should government play in faith communities? What does honoring authority look like in a global pandemic (Romans 13:4-6)? Is online church a suitable substitute for the real deal (Hebrews 10:25)? Furthermore, local churches struggled with an unprecedented loss of attendance and financial support. Many pastors suffered a crisis of identity when they learned exactly how expendable most political and public health authorities felt their contribution to society was.

Sigh.

Thankfully, the worst seems to be passing. I am personally overjoyed, no one hated COVID world more than this girl. That said, we should all have some very real reservations about churches returning to the “normal” we foolishly embraced pre-COVID. Our Western Church version of normal has been proven to be a lot less than healthy and live-giving. The last thing the church needs is more of what created the problems that became evident during COVID.  Instead the church needs a twenty-first century reformation that begins with:

An end to the Christian celebrity culture- 

Little good has come from idolizing Christian pastors, musicians, and influencers. Most of the men and women put on pedestals by the Christian community have become prideful and arrogant and proven themselves to be completely unteachable. Too many “celebrity Christians” have embraced a life of sin and destroying the reputation of Jesus and other Christians in the process.  Some have become so addicted to media attention that they eventually denounced Christianity altogether to keep the spotlight on them. It’s time for Christian to say “no more” to the celebrity culture.  Instead we must be intentional about looking within our own local churches for faithful men and women to hold up as examples of the faith (1st Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17). 

No more shallow teaching-

A shocking lack of doctrinal depth has become standard in many churches.  Like most of our mistakes this one was made with good intentions. Dumping discipleship programs (Adult Sunday school) and replacing them with small groups was intended to build community and make unbelievers more comfortable in the church. It did neither. All it did was shrink the Church and produce a generation of genuinely ignorant and spiritually immature Christians. If we want to save the Western Church we need to find ways to make Sunday school cool again. 

Theology that empowers the church to deal with secular authority in a biblical manner- 

It’s simply a fact that Christians are called to obey secular authorities.  However, early Christians continued to meet together (sometimes daily) despite the fact it was forbidden by “authorities” on and off for more than three centuries.  If they hadn’t the church probably would have disappeared altogether early in the first century. Leaders and individual Christians need to do some soul searching and decide what sort of edict is worthy of violating the command to “gather together” before the next round of shutdowns. 

An openness to a movement of the Spirit of God- 

Sadly, there are two equally stupid views of the Holy Spirit that have prevailed in most denominations over the last century. On one end of the spectrum there is a history of gross excess. This group has taken 1st Thessalonians 5:19“Do not quench the Spirit” to mean that almost anything done in the name of the Holy Spirit goes with or without any biblical precedent. Period. This has been a huge turnoff for those on the other end of the spectrum who have declared anything they see as out of the ordinary (speaking in tongues, raising hands in worship, prophetic utterances) as evil and “of the devil” even if that thing has biblical precedent. Both attitudes are wrong, Truth lies in the middle. It is not our job to manufacture the work of the Spirit in the name of “having an experience”. Neither is it our job to dictate to God how He can or cannot work. Our job is to seek the Spirit with an open heart asking Him to reveal more of Himself and His truth to us. However, we also need to understand that any genuine work of the Holy Spirit will be accompanied with a greater desire to obey God. The God of the universe doesn’t do anything without the purpose of bringing about transformation. 

A return to community based church- 

We are made in the image of a relational God (Genesis 1:26). We need each other. Period. Churches have to figure out how to create authentic faith communities in the midst of twenty-first century busyness. If we don’t the church will continue to lose people. 

It is the churches responsibility to be ready to offer hope, help and healing when the worst happens. Most churches weren’t ready for any of that with COVID. Welcoming a movement of God, building community in the church and being prepared to answer  tough theological questions is how we get ready for whatever comes next. 

Some Hard Advice for Christian Women-

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Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate– Psalm 127:4-5 ESV

Okay, so.

 Generally speaking my ambition is to live a quiet life and tend to my own affairs (1st Thessalonians 4:11).  As a rule, I have zero desire to be a busybody or to butt into other people’s business (2nd Thessalonians 3:11).  On the infrequent occasions I have made it my thing I usually end up feeling sorry I did.  

Today, I’m willing to run that risk. Here goes:

In recent years, I have noted an attitude making its way into the church. It has become quite common for Christian women to minimize and disparage the roles of wife and mother.  As an older woman I clearly see that this attitude is a tool the enemy is using to weaken Christian families. The attitudes developing in the church are potentially detrimental to the future of the church and the family because the Christian family has historically been God’s most powerful and fruitful means of evangelism and discipleship.  

Please understand—I do not believe that wife and mother are the only truly significant roles a Christian woman can or should play in this life. In my experience, when a Christian woman is walking in step with the Holy Spirit she will fulfill many functions and play a variety of different roles throughout her life. Some of those roles will be in the home, some in the church and others will be in the workplace. That being said, the role women play as wives and mothers is critical and should never be demeaned. So, my dear sisters in Christ, today I’m going to share some direct counsel that I believe is desperately needed in this cultural moment. 

First: 

Stop being weak. It’s gross- 

As a mother of four, I get that being a Mom is a demanding job. This is particularly true in the early years of motherhood when money is often tight and children have lots of needs and no real ability to manage themselves. That being said. It’s not that hard and I’m very disturbed by the “Mommy needs a drink” mentality that has drifted into the church. No one needs to become a drunk in order to manage the pressures of motherhood. Seriously. Women have been caring for children since the dawn of time without modern conveniences such as disposable diapers, baby swings and iPads. This generation is no less capable than our predecessors. Though, I suspect we are less resilient and tough-minded. It is critical we understand that a Christian woman is a soldier of Jesus Christ (2nd Timothy 2-4, Ephesians 6: 10-13).  If a Christian woman has children her primary mission in life is to teach and train her children to fear the Lord and walk in His ways.  The early years of parenting are critical. Kids need a Mom to create a stable, loving environment for them to learn about God, themselves and life. No one can provide any of that wasting precious energy whining about how hard and miserable it is to be a Mom. 

Children are the only lasting legacy we leave- 

It’s a clichéd saying that became a cliché because it’s so dang true: “No one has ever laid on their deathbed and wished they had worked harder on their career”. However, lots of people die wishing fervently they had put more energy into the only legacy that really lasts: their kids.  I have done a lot of things with my life, some of them significant by worldly standards. I am not sorry I put my energy into any of them. They were worthy endeavors.  That said, none of the things I have done will have a greater impact on this world than the children I have raised.  

Stop making marriage a contest, it’s not- 

A Christian marriage is intended to be a partnership where each partner sacrifices for the good of the other and the family they create together (Ephesians 5:21-33). A Christian marriage should not be about which spouse has the most impressive career or the most degrees. Those are temporal things that should be viewed as tools to build a legacy for the kingdom of God not as the desired end in its self. 

If you attempt to do it all at once you will do it poorly-  

Seriously. A woman can have a solid marriage, be a faithful Christian, raise amazing kids and have a rewarding career. However, attempting to do all those things all at once practically guarantees something critical will get lost in the shuffle and get done poorly. Sadly, it’s the kids, marriage or relationship with Jesus most likely to hit the skids. Wise women recognize there really is a season for everything. It’s not wrong to have a job when kids are young as long both parents are committed to being really attentive to the kids during non-working hours. 

It is critical Christians guard their hearts and minds from adopting the attitudes and mindsets of the culture. Nowhere is this truer than in the area of how we view children and family. (Psalm 127:3-5). When we allow the world to dictate how we view these issues it’s the enemy who wins. 

Four Changes the Church can Make that Will Help Save Both the Church and the Culture-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction– 2nd Timothy 4:2 NASB

The culture is clearly in trouble.  

Seriously. All you have to do is turn on any news channel anytime day or night and it quickly becomes apparent we are a culture on the threshold of moral and civil ruin. We are more divided than we have ever been. Few non-Christians are able to reason through even the most basic and obvious of moral or even common-sense truths. The majority is bound and determined to scorn anything even remotely healthy or wholesome especially if it is thought to be traditionally “Christian”. 

The church is also in trouble. 

 Many Christians have foolishly absorbed the values and messages of the culture. Rather than being brokenhearted by the moral absurdity, many Christians have adopted the same values as those in the culture. Some actively encourage the church to conform on a myriad of issues that were once considered settled from a biblical standpoint. 

The outcome of these two intersecting realities has been disastrous for the church and the culture the church is called to influence and reform. There is little chance for improvement without a speedy course correction. 

That being said.

God is still on His throne and He still good. God is still in the business of redemption and He still does His best work through His people.  God is calling us be the reforming and healing presence this world needs right now. In order to do that we must take a hard look at what is being taught in the church as well as the values the church has absorbed from the culture.  Some corrections are needed. The following four changes would be a good place to start. 

Teach church people that truth cannot become a slave to feelings- 

For a long time, our society accepted the idea that there was no such thing as absolute truth (post-modernism). There were some clear problems with this perspective. The existence of literally billions of easily demonstrable facts being one of the most obvious issues. In recent years many people who argued against the notion of absolute truth have come around and now believe there is such a thing. However, those same folks say truth doesn’t matter, because an individual’s feelings concerning an issue are more important than truth. In other words, truth has become a slave to feelings.  This has been a disaster. It is the number one reason our culture is in intellectual and spiritual chaos. The church cannot control what the culture does or dictate how people think. However, churches can and should teach their own people that feelings, as powerful as they might can will never matter more than what is true. 

Teach the depravity of man- 

Christian leaders made a conscious decision years ago to ditch or at least deemphasize the doctrine of absolute depravity. Absolute depravity is the belief that human beings are completely corrupt and sinful and incapable of saving themselves through good works (Mark 10:18, Job 25:6, Romans 3:12). However, most churches kept teaching that Jesus is the only way to salvation. This led to a great deal of confusion in both the culture and the church. Many think they are awesome “just the way they are” and conclude they don’t need really need Jesus to save them. Others commit themselves to Jesus, not because they are convinced they need Him, but, because they hope Jesus will make them a little bit better than they already are. Without a clear understanding of our need for Jesus (complete depravity) salvation becomes optional sin becomes much easier to both justify and celebrate. Until we return to teaching this critical truth there will be confusion in both the church and the culture concerning the role Jesus plays in our lives.   

Make church a place where questions are welcome but some answers are fixed and unchanging- 

Asking questions is how people learn. Therefore, questions, even tough questions should always be welcome in Christianity. That said, there are some answers that can never change. Christians must stick to their guns on the trustworthiness of the Bible, the way of salvation, the absoluteness of moral truth and what God says about gender and sexuality. If we don’t, all will be lost.  

Embrace the complexity and struggle that comes with loving people like Jesus loved people- 

Jesus routinely spent quality time with sinners’ others were quick to spurn. However, that does not mean He was willing to endorse sinful choices or celebrate depravity. Jesus was quick to remind those He loved they were on a path that would eventually lead to their destruction (John 8:11, Matthew 4:17, Luke 3:7-9, Luke 13:1-5). A willingness to love people while telling them the truth about where their choices will lead them captures the essence of authentic Christian love.  This kind of love is complex and difficult to walk out. Nonetheless, we must find ways to live out our faith in such a way we communicate both love for people and disapproval of their sinful actions.  

As long as we are drawing breath there is always hope and I have hope for both the church and the culture. That said, hope is not a strategy. Christians must work to bring truth back into both the church and the culture. If we don’t we will lose both.    

Why we all Need to get our Butts Back in the Church Building-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  – Acts 2:42 NIV 

According to Pew Research Center as of March 2021 almost half (forty-three percent) of church members have yet to return to in-person church services. A forty-three percent loss of almost anything is at best unsustainable. At worst such a loss could prove fatal. 

Think about it. 

If a family were to suddenly lose forty-three percent of their savings, the loss would create untold chaos in their financial future. If a nation were to lose forty-three percent of their population the nation would inevitably become weak, ineffectual and find themselves at the mercy of their enemies. The church is no different. A forty-three percent loss of regular attenders is no small deal. 

I totally get that there are some individuals who cannot or should not go back to in-service church attendance at this time.

For the record; 

Elderly folks unable or unwilling to get the COVID vaccine, get a pass on returning to in-person services. The immune compromised, or parents with an immune compromised child are also exempt from returning to in-person services at this time. Those with serious comorbidities who cannot or do not wish to take the vaccine, get a pass on resuming in-person church attendance at least for now. 

Everyone else needs to get their butts back in the church building. 

Pronto. 

Here’s why:

It’s not necessarily going to be smooth sailing from here- 

I do not fancy myself a prophet. That said, the culture has taken a turn for the worse and every fiber of my being tells me that the shaking God has given our world over the course of the last fifteen months is not even close to being over (Hebrews 12:25-27). God will continue to shake our world until people respond to Him in repentance (Revelation 9:20). What the shaking will look like and where it will end are questions far above my meager paygrade.  Nonetheless, it’s not over. More trouble and hardship is coming and the body of Christ will likely not be exempt from the trouble (1st Peter 4:17). If I’m right Christians will need the encouragement and connection they can only get from the body of Christ in order to continue their growth as believers (Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:24-26) When Christians fail to grow spiritually they run the risk their faith will die a slow and painful death that could end in apostasy (Hebrews 6:1-9, Matthew 24:9-11).  Church community is critical because it prevents apostasy.  

The church needs all hands-on deck to accomplish the mission of the Church- 

The mission of the church is clear (Matthew 28:18-19). The church is to proclaim the gospel and make disciples. To accomplish this end church leaders are commanded to teach and train all believers to live out the truth of the gospel so they can reach their unsaved friends and family with the gospel (Ephesians 4:10-12). This task is massive. It demands the whole-body work together to accomplish the mission (Romans 12:4-6, 1st Corinthians 12:17). If one person stays home or refuses to do their part a ball gets dropped that ensures the whole body is less effective than they could have been. 

Christians need the church to stay anchored and spiritually healthy-

Without a solid church to anchor a person to the faith individual believers either drift away from Christianity altogether or they begin to adopt strange theories and attitudes regarding God and Scripture. Strange beliefs make it very difficult to reach others with the gospel. These things happen without the person even realizing they are happening. Regular community involvement in a local church is the only way to prevent drift from taking place and eccentric beliefs from taking root. 

There are some things you cannot experience while watching a screen- 

Online attendance has its limits. It is possible to get the essence of a sermon from an online format. That said, it is impossible to experience unity and connection with other believers alone in your living room. It is also impossible to experience the knitting together of the body that takes place when the whole church worships their God in one accord (Acts 2:42-47, Revelation 7:9-10). It is also impossible to effectively use one’s individual gifts to grow the body of Christ while isolated from the body of Christ. We need each other for all these things.  

This pandemic is winding down- 

An estimated thirty percent of the population has recovered from COVID-19 and has natural immunity, another fifty percent of the population has had at least one COVID vaccination. This is a clear indicator it is time for God’s people to ditch their fear and get back to the business of living hard for Jesus.  

The bottom-line in all this is that we go to church because God tells us to and it is the pattern we see throughout the entire Bible. We cannot say we love God and refuse to do what He says (John 14:15, 1st John 5:2, Hebrews 10:25) at least not without experiencing dire consequences. In this case consequences could include a slow separation from God that gives the devil a foothold in our lives and place for sin and even apostasy to take root. Nobody who really knows Jesus wants that. In order to prevent it we all need to get our butts back into the church building. 

Now.  

Just say “NO” to Woke Silliness Regarding Words-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen– 2nd Timothy 2:14b NIV 

Lately, I have not felt like myself and I am not a fan of not feeling like myself.

After one especially gloomy day it occurred to me that getting mad about something might pull me out of my funk. I don’t enjoy getting worked-up over stupid stuff for no good reason.  However, I have found that genuine moral outrage has a way of taking my mind off of my feelings and helping me get some perspective about what really matters. 

Anyway.  

Sometimes God takes His sweet time responding to my requests. Other times I get what I want when I want it.  This was one of those times. The very next day, on Facebook I came across a story about a memorial at Wheaten College.  

The memorial honors the death of Wheaton graduate Jim Elliot and four of his missionary colleagues. The men were murdered while attempting to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador in 1956.   The wording on the memorial has been deemed troublesome and will be changed because it uses the word “savage” to describe the Auca tribesmen who brutally murdered Jim Elliot and his colleagues. 

So, (here comes the genuine moral outrage part)

What the heck? Seriously.

Changing the wording of the memorial feels like a brazen attempt to reframe and rewrite someone else’s story. 

 Who are we to think this is okay? 

Is it really our place to reword someone else’s experience, especially when they are no longer around to weigh in on the situation? What makes this generation of Christians righteous enough, insightful or wise enough to get to decide how past generations tell the stories of THEIR life experiences?  Are we really that arrogant and condescending? 

Furthermore. 

The wording of the plaque was written with the consent of Jim Elliot’s wife and the families of the other martyred missionaries. They had zero problem with the words chosen. It should also be noted that the tribesmen and women who later converted to Christianity after murdering the other missionaries described their own behavior as unacceptable and yes, savage. It was guilt over their sin that eventually led many in the tribe to repent and embrace Jesus as Lord. 

It’s true that this is a vastly different time than when the memorial was created. It’s also true words like savage carry a lot of baggage and can be dehumanizing when used thoughtlessly.  No one with any sensitivity would use the word savage to describe a people group in the year 2021.

However.

It’s also true many modern Christians feel the church has gotten missions work wrong for the last two thousand years. Those folks feel it is our responsibility to right the wrongs past Christians committed. Is it really though? Are we really clever enough or righteous enough to correctly judge the intentions and actions of past generations of Christians? Wouldn’t it be wiser for us to worry about ourselves for a change? Perhaps it would be spiritually safer to leave the job of judging past generations up to God and let Him decide who got it right and who got it wrong? 

 I’m just spit-balling here. 

ALL people are made in the image of God. Dehumanizing other people is ALWAYS wrong. Nonetheless, some actions are wrong, evil and yes, even savage. It’s okay to call out evil and savagery when we see it.  There is simply no room for woke idiocy in the Church when God Himself describes the human heart as “wicked” and so “corrupt” that no one but Him can even come close to understanding it. Telling the truth is not the same as dehumanizing someone. Being real about who we are and what we’ve done is the only way to bring about repentance, salvation, personal healing and restoration of relationships.  Furthermore, telling the hard truth about the past is the only way to prevent ugly events from being repeated. 

 The bigger issue at play here is where woke ideas concerning words will eventually lead us. Rewriting a memorial some might judge offensive might not feel like a big deal. However, it sets a precedence. Non-Christians have been rewriting history and censoring what they don’t like for some time now.  Christians would do well to remember that writing and art from the past chronicles history and helps us understand the feelings and experiences of those who lived before us. Literature and art also helps us to understand and even define what it means to be human. If we lose or revise those works we will remove some opportunity for offense. However, we also lose a chunk of our history and even some vital pieces of our humanity in the process.  Most concerning to me is what will happen to the Bible if Christians decide to start taking their cues on this issue from the world. It could very well be next in line for some serious “rephrasing”.  

The Bible was intended to offend (John 6:60-62, Matthew 11:6)