Why switching churches will not fix it, and what to do instead.
Maybe your question goes deeper than which church to attend. Maybe, if you are honest, it sounds more like this: God, really? Is the church really part of Your plan? How can THIS be Your will? That is an honest question, and you are allowed to bring it to Him. This class will not hurry you past it. On day 38 we will look straight at how Jesus Himself sees His church.
When church disappoints us, the most common move is to leave and start over somewhere new. Sometimes a move is right. But a new church is usually a temporary fix for a deeper problem.
Every church is made of people, and people can hurt and disappoint us. Unless we are aligned with God and the Holy Spirit is building us up, we will carry the same disappointment into the next church and find it waiting for us there.
Some congregations do seem to be on track. Often that is because some people decided to stick around: to stay through the human mess, watch God work in people’s hearts anyway, and join in what He was doing. That could be you.
There is a better way. Recommit yourself to staying close to God. Let the Holy Spirit build you up and strengthen your faith. And stay where you are, so you can help others do the same. The next few weeks will show you how.
One important exception, said plainly. Staying is for the disappointed. If something is happening in your church that is not right, such as abuse, spiritual manipulation or false teaching, staying put and saying nothing is not what God is asking of you. Talk about it with someone you trust. And if you have felt numb or hopeless for a long time, please talk to someone beyond this class as well. That is not a lack of faith.
In today’s passage a crowd walks away from Jesus. Watch what Peter says when Jesus asks His closest friends whether they want to go too.
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Last time you wrote that you would:
This is where you will look back at yesterday. For today, just notice how you are coming into this.
An honest prayer
Pray this as it is, or in your own words.
Jesus, there is nowhere else to go. You have the words of eternal life. Make me someone who stays close to You, and helps others stay close too.
Read
John 6:60-69 (OTB)
60On hearing it, many of His disciples said, “This is a difficult teaching. Who can accept it?” 61Aware that His disciples were murmuring about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62What if you were to see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before? 63The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe and who would betray Him. 65He continued, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled them.” 66From this point, many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him. 67“You do not want to leave as well, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we turn? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come to believe and to understand that You are the Holy One of God.”