What comes to mind when someone asks your feelings about church? 

• I feel like an outsider

• Life has gotten busy, and it’s hard to make time

• It’s full of hypocrisy that is sometimes hard to stomach

• Church people have hurt me more than anyone else

• I experience church at places that don’t have a big building and fancy landscapes 

• Sometimes I feel overlooked and undervalued at church

 

It doesn’t matter which answer(s) you picked, I echo your response with a heartfelt “me too.” 

 

That being said, I’m a HUGE advocate of the local church, and I can’t imagine my life without it. Every single one of those thoughts (and more) have threatened to keep me from going to the very place where I find the deepest community with other believers, and I’m encouraged to live fearlessly for Jesus. 

 

I love today’s conversation with Natalie Runion about the hard places in church that we don’t often discuss. She shares her deepest church hurt and how God keeps pursuing her with reminders to stay engaged because he redeems the hard places.  

 

Take a few minutes to listen today and then share this with anyone who needs a reminder of why church matters—even when it’s hard. 

 

P.S. - I kick off today’s show talking about the heat in Texas and my inability to “pretty sweat.” It’s really something that needs to be processed. . . so please don’t miss it.

 

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