Craig Groeschel

Yes, I'm frustrated. Yes, I get angry. And yes, God is still drawing us closer and she's closer to him than ever before. And we see his faithfulness and goodness. And so it's both. The evidence of God's goodness is not the quality of my life. The evidence of God's goodness is his character and his nature.

Yeah. And good thing our faith isn't in Christians, right? Right, right.

Yeah. And good thing our faith isn't in Christians, right? Right, right.

Well, church hurt is real. Yeah. But what's interesting too, and I really, I don't ever want to pick at it because, you know, I've been around a long time. I've seen a lot of things that are really heartbreaking to God, the way Christians can act. But it is interesting. People get hurt in college and they don't have college hurt. Right?

Well, church hurt is real. Yeah. But what's interesting too, and I really, I don't ever want to pick at it because, you know, I've been around a long time. I've seen a lot of things that are really heartbreaking to God, the way Christians can act. But it is interesting. People get hurt in college and they don't have college hurt. Right?

People go to a restaurant and have bad service and they don't say, you know... Olive Garden. I hate their breadsticks. I'm never going back to restaurant. They don't do that. So I think that to, you know, you don't hear about church hurt. You know, I don't have, you know, I don't have, um, Job hurt, I'm never going to work a job again.

People go to a restaurant and have bad service and they don't say, you know... Olive Garden. I hate their breadsticks. I'm never going back to restaurant. They don't do that. So I think that to, you know, you don't hear about church hurt. You know, I don't have, you know, I don't have, um, Job hurt, I'm never going to work a job again.

So I think there's this little bit of a spiritual attack that our enemy wants to separate people from the support that God intended them to have. So when you look at it objectively like that, I don't want to ever belittle the fact that people are devastated by Christians. And this horrible one is always wrong.

So I think there's this little bit of a spiritual attack that our enemy wants to separate people from the support that God intended them to have. So when you look at it objectively like that, I don't want to ever belittle the fact that people are devastated by Christians. And this horrible one is always wrong.

But just because one Christian or five Christians are ungodly doesn't mean that God's body isn't still important. And so I want to try to separate what someone does from who God is. And that can be a little bit difficult. But the other thing is, think about this. If we do get hurt by Christians, what are we called to do? Love them. And forgive, right?

But just because one Christian or five Christians are ungodly doesn't mean that God's body isn't still important. And so I want to try to separate what someone does from who God is. And that can be a little bit difficult. But the other thing is, think about this. If we do get hurt by Christians, what are we called to do? Love them. And forgive, right?

And so to be a part of a church, we probably are going to have to endure some hurt.

And so to be a part of a church, we probably are going to have to endure some hurt.

100%. Yeah. And Jesus kind of promises us that, right? Yeah. In this world, you're going to have trouble. If you follow me, you will be persecuted. There is going to be spiritual opposition, and the opposition can come from within the church or without the church. So I would just say pastorally to someone, you know, my— My brother-in-law was sexually abused by a pastoral figure in the church.

100%. Yeah. And Jesus kind of promises us that, right? Yeah. In this world, you're going to have trouble. If you follow me, you will be persecuted. There is going to be spiritual opposition, and the opposition can come from within the church or without the church. So I would just say pastorally to someone, you know, my— My brother-in-law was sexually abused by a pastoral figure in the church.

That's wrong. It's horrific. It's a nightmare. It's always wrong. It's demonic. It's horrible. And the church is still the bride of Christ. And Jesus is coming back for his church, and the church is still important. And so, yes, we have to name it and call it what it is, demonic, horrific, wrong, a nightmare, tragic, and still see that the Holy Spirit works through people in the church.

That's wrong. It's horrific. It's a nightmare. It's always wrong. It's demonic. It's horrible. And the church is still the bride of Christ. And Jesus is coming back for his church, and the church is still important. And so, yes, we have to name it and call it what it is, demonic, horrific, wrong, a nightmare, tragic, and still see that the Holy Spirit works through people in the church.

And it's all... God is still good and he's good. And then I could tell you all the stories about what happened to David through, he went in a bad place and then he rediscovered Jesus because of the church. And so you still see the hand of God in the pain because God is sovereign and he is working in all things, even the things that we hate.

And it's all... God is still good and he's good. And then I could tell you all the stories about what happened to David through, he went in a bad place and then he rediscovered Jesus because of the church. And so you still see the hand of God in the pain because God is sovereign and he is working in all things, even the things that we hate.

So, great question. And so, deconstruction, depending on who you ask, there's a lot of opinions about it. So, some of my peers as pastors would say, deconstruction is always bad. And the reason they would say that is because they have a limited view of what they've heard about it of people that might be