Once upon a time, before anything big, bad, or very confusing had happened in my life, I was a college student walking along a beach with some friends. There was nothing particularly special about the day, or the beach, or the season of life. But in the middle of it God gave me an object lesson that has been one of the most enduring and impactful I’ve learned.

Let me be honest from the outset—I don’t like making covenants or pledges of loyalty, and outside of my wedding vows, I think I’ve only entered legally binding contracts like the ones I signed to buy my house and accept employment. So, when the topic of church covenants comes up, I get a little tense. This isn’t to say that I object to church covenants wholesale; rather, I think they should only be entered into prayerfully and after a potential church member has discussed the

I’ve always been the kind of parent who has been as transparent as possible with my kids. For example, I’ve never shied away from telling them how much I make, something that so many of us were told was none of our business while we were growing up. In my opinion, it’s best to include my kids in difficult or challenging discussions, too.

Have you ever stumbled upon a situation online where one Christian was calling out another Christian publicly for sin? I’ve seen this when someone holds a belief that doesn’t align with Scripture, but I’ve also seen instances where people are publicly accused of abuse or of covering up abuse. Inevitably, someone in the comments will say, “You should follow Matthew 18.” When I see comments like that, I usually ask myself, “Does Matthew 18 even apply here?”

How do we know if church discipline is being used against us instead of for us?

As is often the case with whistleblowers, we sometimes feel guilt and regret for our actions. If you’re in a situation where you feel like you may need to call out spiritual abuse, I hope this is an encouragement to you; the road may be long, and you may lose some people along the way, but find hope in the knowledge that you are doing what is biblical and right. I also want to point out that for some of you, you may not feel safe calling out the abuse. I’ll offer some suggest

"This story is a composite of many true experiences I have both observed and read about.  They are filled with healing and relief against a backdrop of soul destroying evil.  What is it about a sensitive horse that can be a bridge toward relational healing for one's soul?  What about other aspects of creation such as mountain top gazing of a stunning landscape, or experiencing the sights, sounds, and earthy scents of an emerald forest, or admiring the beauty and perfume scent

I was at an event recently, and the topic of church hurt came up over coffee. (I find that coffee is usually involved when heavy issues like abuse arise.) I shared a bit of my own story with the group, which led to someone else sharing her story, telling me that it took her a while to recognize that what she experienced was wrong. She reminded me that church hurt is the result of people, not God, and that’s true. 

When I was growing up, I didn’t really learn that much about the fear of the Lord, but that’s not true of some of my friends, especially those who grew up in cults. The fear of the Lord is often wielded as a weapon in high-control groups, but what the Bible describes as the fear of the Lord isn’t supposed to be used to harm or control...

My first memory of a pastor being removed from his position was Jimmy Swaggart, a popular televangelist in the 80s...

I honestly thought I had moved past it all, but about a month ago, I was a couple of hours away from the place where it all went down...

I think I believed that once I left my spiritually abusive situations, talked through them, took a break, and re-entered a solid church...

Creo que pensé que una vez que dejara mis situaciones de abuso espiritual, hablara de ellas, me tomara un descanso y volviera a una...

Tis the season when we are surrounded by messages of merriment and all things glittery... And yet, many of us lament.

It’s probably not a surprise to you that the words of God have been misused and abused since the beginning.

What is Truth? “Truth” was once something I held so concretely, something I trusted another with so diligently…

Perhaps the title of this blog was a bit jarring for you, especially if you consider yourself a Christian. I first considered this...

How can an all-loving, all-powerful God allow evil and suffering to exist and continue?

The world of Christian denominations can be very confusing and messy for individuals at large, but particularly for those who have come...

Giving is wonderfully purposeful practice from the Lord, but unfortunately it can be manipulatively twisted and taken out of context by...