Evident Church

A Letter to the Christian Who Hasn't Been to Church in a While “I love Jesus, but I don’t do church.” This is the beginning of a conversation that I have had countless times with people of all different ages, backgrounds and experiences. As well as: “I’m a Christian, but I don’t have to go to church in order to love Jesus.” It’s true. We definitely don’t have to do anything for God, nor is our salvation based on our works or church attendance. But it’s also true that when we surrender our lives to Him, we naturally desire to learn more about Him, to be a part of the body of Christ and to be held accountable and pointed toward sanctification. We are called to live out an  active  faith . One of my favorite verses is  2 Corinthians 5:17 , “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold,  all things have become new. “ When we truly repent, surrender and choose to follow Jesus,  we are given a ...

Am I Failing God by Getting Divorced? Sue Schlesman Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer If this is what you’re thinking—breathe. And let’s re-examine your theology. You can’t fail God, and He can’t fail you. Isn’t that great news? But hold on, because you should know more than that about God and His position on divorce. The church has really screwed up this theology over the centuries. Divorce is a complicated and devastating situation, involving grief, guilt, regret, and heartache. The question “Am I failing God by getting a divorce?” oversimplifies your decision and misinterprets the character of God. Let’s ask and answer a few other questions first. Will God's love for me change if I get a divorce? If you’ve grown up in traditional church, you may have the opinion that divorce is a modern rendering of Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter. Once you’re divorced, you’re marked forever. You’re less than desirable. But that’s not true. You’re cherished. You’ve...

The way you see your life shapes your life. We’re tempted to see ourselves as everyone else does. You know the way it goes. You see yourself as broken and beaten up. You see yourself as an addict or former addict. You see yourself as a failure. If that’s what you believe about who you are, you’ll never become who God wants you to be.  How you define your life determines your destiny. That’s one of the reasons why, when John Baker first started Celebrate Recovery®, he didn’t ask people to identify themselves by their addictions. Instead, in Celebrate Recovery, participants each identify themselves as “a believer who struggles with” a specific issue. There’s a huge difference between the two. Your identity isn’t your sin.  Your identity is in your Savior . Don’t let the ugly words in your past (or even in your present) define you any longer. Other people may see you as broken and damaged goods. But that’s not how God sees you. I don’t know where ...