Craig Groeschel

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

really hurting, genuinely hurting, and get with a group of people that basically says, forget all churches. I hate God. All Christians are bad. And they flip off God in the church and walk away. And so that does happen. But I would say that deconstruction done well it can actually be a form of discipleship.

really hurting, genuinely hurting, and get with a group of people that basically says, forget all churches. I hate God. All Christians are bad. And they flip off God in the church and walk away. And so that does happen. But I would say that deconstruction done well it can actually be a form of discipleship.

Meaning that when you look at what Jesus did when he came, and see, five different times, he said, in the Sermon on the Mount, he said, you have heard it said, but I say to you. Your whole life, you've been taught this. But I'm going to tell you that's either incomplete or it's not true. And let me tell you what is true. So in a sense, what was he doing? He was kind of deconstructing.

Meaning that when you look at what Jesus did when he came, and see, five different times, he said, in the Sermon on the Mount, he said, you have heard it said, but I say to you. Your whole life, you've been taught this. But I'm going to tell you that's either incomplete or it's not true. And let me tell you what is true. So in a sense, what was he doing? He was kind of deconstructing.

And so here's the thing. The problem is, we all read the Bible with a bias. As much as we want to read it purely, we come to it with our own hurts, our own family backgrounds, from what country we're from, what type of church we're raised in. I could preach the same text. Another preacher could preach the very same text, and we preach it with a different tone.

And so here's the thing. The problem is, we all read the Bible with a bias. As much as we want to read it purely, we come to it with our own hurts, our own family backgrounds, from what country we're from, what type of church we're raised in. I could preach the same text. Another preacher could preach the very same text, and we preach it with a different tone.

I'm preaching on the love of God in the text. He's preaching on the judgment of God. And God is loving, and he's judged. He's both. And so there's different emphasis. So sometimes I tell people that everything you believe about God may not be true.

I'm preaching on the love of God in the text. He's preaching on the judgment of God. And God is loving, and he's judged. He's both. And so there's different emphasis. So sometimes I tell people that everything you believe about God may not be true.

And you have to start there, that you might have grown up in a church that was too legalistic, or a church that was too full of grace, or a church that only talked about the judgment of God, or a church that only talked about the grace of God. And so what we have to do is, I would say, in a community, Look at what we believe.

And you have to start there, that you might have grown up in a church that was too legalistic, or a church that was too full of grace, or a church that only talked about the judgment of God, or a church that only talked about the grace of God. And so what we have to do is, I would say, in a community, Look at what we believe.

If there's something that's untrue, something that's hurtful, we unbelieve it. We say, that's actually not consistent with God's word. And we deconstruct that. Then we reconstruct it with what is true. How do we do that? I always tell people, start with the Gospels. Start with Jesus. Read everything through Jesus. I have four daughters. I have six kids total, four daughters.

If there's something that's untrue, something that's hurtful, we unbelieve it. We say, that's actually not consistent with God's word. And we deconstruct that. Then we reconstruct it with what is true. How do we do that? I always tell people, start with the Gospels. Start with Jesus. Read everything through Jesus. I have four daughters. I have six kids total, four daughters.

And the four of them were raised in two rooms that had really bad mold. And I was so dumb, like, what's that black stuff? Like, dumb. And so it was not good for them. So when we found out we didn't tear down our whole house, we tore down, we took the mold out.

And the four of them were raised in two rooms that had really bad mold. And I was so dumb, like, what's that black stuff? Like, dumb. And so it was not good for them. So when we found out we didn't tear down our whole house, we tore down, we took the mold out.

And that's what deconstruction is, is that we're identifying what's not consistent with God's word, what is not true, what doesn't reflect Jesus. And we say, okay, that's not true. We deconstruct it, but we don't burn the whole house down. We take that away. And then we rebuild it with what is true.

And that's what deconstruction is, is that we're identifying what's not consistent with God's word, what is not true, what doesn't reflect Jesus. And we say, okay, that's not true. We deconstruct it, but we don't burn the whole house down. We take that away. And then we rebuild it with what is true.

And again, if you want to start with truth, there's no better place to start with Jesus and interpret everything through the lens of what did Jesus say about this?

And again, if you want to start with truth, there's no better place to start with Jesus and interpret everything through the lens of what did Jesus say about this?

He did.