Summer Reading Series 2023 Week 1
Sharable notes for the July 9, 2023 message. You can post these notes on your social platform!
Scriptures used: Luke 15:11-32; Genesis 2:7
Passages referenced: Matthew 5:17-48; Matthew 16: 21-28; John 3:5-21
Deconstruction when not done right can lead you to write each other off and even hate one another. Sometimes it can even lead you to hate yourself. Deconstruction done well can lead to a stronger faith.
When we aren’t afraid to ask questions, or afraid of the questions that people ask, it can lead people to actually grow in their relationship with Christ.
We have to allow ourselves to be born again as Jesus called it, to be born fresh of the Spirit of God. We need to allow our soul to give way to the spirit in our life.
“We call this story the Parable of the Prodigal Son, but we should really call it the Parable of the Prodigal Sons. You see, it’s possible to be a prodigal without ever leaving home. Just look at the elder brother, with all his vanity and lack of grace.” Wade Bearden
The Bible not only reveals what we are like, it also reveals what God is like. That’s why us understanding the heart of the father is so important.
“I’m the elder brother. I didn’t abandon the church, I never stopped praying, but I became a prodigal. I ran away when others needed me - when you needed me. I chose to pass judgement instead of grace.” Wade Bearden
You may not be one who is “deconstructing your faith” but have you been there for those who are?
The older brother never left the presence and provision of the father physically but he did in his heart because his faith was all about what he was doing, rather than letting what he was doing be all about who his faith was in.
If we walk away from his church we’re not expressing love to the father. Scripture expresses over and over that the body of Christ, the church, is the bride of Christ, and Christ loves his bride. Are we in any position to think differently and act differently?
We need each other so we are encouraged to care for each other, build each other up, spur one another.
As much as you want to be independent you are always joined to and serving something.
The Father never stops loving you.
Jesus took the curse for our wrong and he took our shame.
“In the past, I’ve spoken to you without first letting you know that I heard you. Or, even worse, I avoided you because I didn’t want to hear you. I only wanted you to hear me. I want to care about you more than I care about walking away from a discussion feeling like I bested you. You are not a goal, an intellectual exercise, or a face. You are my friend.” Wade Bearden
Reflect or meet with someone to discuss:
Have you found yourself struggling with aspects of the Christian faith, the church or with Christians? What kind of things bother you?
When you hear or read the story of the Prodigal, who do you relate most with in the story - the younger brother or the older brother?
Do you have any friends who have walked away from the faith or from the church? What was your response to them? How could you offer them more grace and compassion?
Click the image to start a new 5 day devotion in YouVersion:
I never thought I was one of those people who would struggle with their faith. But the disappointments, hurt by other Christians, and questions about God had caused my faith to fracture. Yet fractures only cause permanent deformities if they aren’t treated correctly. Under the right kind of care, every fracture can be reset and heal beautifully. And every faith that has been deconstructed can be rebuilt into something stronger.