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Spiritual Abuse: beEmboldened’s Definition Explained (bE+)
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.

Lindsey Medenwaldt
May 279 min read
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Fear as a Manipulation Tactic in Cults (bE+)
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...

Lindsey Medenwaldt
Apr 307 min read
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Biblical Leadership (bE+)
My first memory of a pastor being removed from his position was Jimmy Swaggart, a popular televangelist in the 80s...

Lindsey Medenwaldt
Mar 316 min read
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El desordenado proceso de la curación: detonantes y experiencias correctivas.
Creo que pensé que una vez que dejara mis situaciones de abuso espiritual, hablara de ellas, me tomara un descanso y volviera a una...

Adrianne Allen
Mar 47 min read
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Bitterness: Releasing Resentment and Finding Peace (bE+)
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...

Lindsey Medenwaldt
Mar 29 min read
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Healing’s Messy Middle: Triggers and Corrective Experiences
I think I believed that once I left my spiritually abusive situations, talked through them, took a break, and re-entered a solid church...

Adrianne Allen
Feb 197 min read
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The Holiday Blues and Hope (bE+)
Tis the season when we are surrounded by messages of merriment and all things glittery... And yet, many of us lament.

Lindsey Medenwaldt
Dec 19, 20246 min read
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Finding Hope in Sanctification (bE+)
It’s probably not a surprise to you that the words of God have been misused and abused since the beginning.

Lindsey Medenwaldt
Nov 27, 20245 min read
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The Creature
What is Truth? “Truth” was once something I held so concretely, something I trusted another with so diligently…

Derek Johnson
Nov 21, 20246 min read
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Is Christianity a Cult? (bE+)
Perhaps the title of this blog was a bit jarring for you, especially if you consider yourself a Christian. I first considered this...

Lindsey Medenwaldt
Oct 29, 20245 min read
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Finding Hope in the Face of Evil (bE+)
How can an all-loving, all-powerful God allow evil and suffering to exist and continue?

Teasi Cannon
Mar 15, 20248 min read
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Denominations can be stress-inducing after religious trauma. What you need to know before you choose
The world of Christian denominations can be very confusing and messy for individuals at large, but particularly for those who have come...

Naomi Wright
Jul 25, 20229 min read
301
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Understanding Healthy Biblical Giving vs. Abusive Financial Exploitation
Giving is wonderfully purposeful practice from the Lord, but unfortunately it can be manipulatively twisted and taken out of context by...

Naomi Wright
Jul 8, 20228 min read
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Spiritual Abuse and Divorce: What Does the Bible Say to do?
Divorce is a heavy word that brings a lot of disappointment, questions, and pain. While it's not difficult to find solid, biblical...

Naomi Wright
Jun 13, 20229 min read
234
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Can "Righteous" Anger Justify Abusive Behavior? With Dr. Michael Ballard
My dad was a volatile man. No one knew what would set him off or when he would lose it, so we were always constantly on guard and alert...

Naomi Wright
May 27, 20229 min read
320
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Why Are There So Many Bible Translations? How To Choose One You Can Trust.
Have you ever wandered the Bible section of a bookstore and thought to yourself, “Why so many Bible translations?” Or maybe you have...

Naomi Wright
May 12, 20228 min read
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My ex-husband convinced me that the Holy Spirit told him we needed to get married, but he was wrong
“We will be stepping outside of God’s blessing if we don’t get engaged.” Was it a threat? Spiritual abuse? Or the Holy Spirit speaking...

Naomi Wright
Aug 30, 20217 min read
247
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On Faith and Healing: The fine line between hope and denial
“I don’t understand…” I heard his voice behind me. It was late, and I was standing at the sink washing the last of the day’s dishes, as...

Nicole Hastings
Jul 19, 20217 min read
236
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"The Bible hurt me." Or was it the false teacher who was holding it?
“How were you able to read the Bible after it had been used to hurt you?” (A recent question asked by an attendee of @dotchurch–watch...

Naomi Wright
Jun 27, 20212 min read
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There’s no way to untangle love from worthiness, and Christ's love is the only true model
“There’s no way to untangle love from worthiness.” Did you hear Amber say this in her interview with me on the Reclamation podcast, a NWM...

Naomi Wright
Apr 5, 20213 min read
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