Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
Mentorship is a trendy topic in the Church. Maybe you’ve read or heard sermons, podcast episodes, books, articles, or other content about this topic. Perhaps you’ve felt pressure from members of your family or members of your church to participate in mentorship. But you don’t know if finding a mentor is actually necessary. My hope is that this post will help you figure that out.
Maybe “The Truth” by Megan Woods is such a popular song because we want to believe we’re good enough as we are. We want to believe we don’t need to change anything in our lives. We want to believe God doesn’t mind when we sin as Christians. Unfortunately, the song “Church Clothes” by Franni Cash has a similar vibe—and I don’t like it.
Frankly, though, I think the Church often puts too much pressure on believers to feel certain things—like to feel happy or excited about reading the Bible, praying, going to church, etc. I think this pressure can be more harmful than helpful, causing believers to focus too much on emotions and not enough on obedience. But based on what I've read in God's Word over the years, I've come to this conclusion: Our obedience matters more than our emotions.
A couple years ago, I noticed a trend in the Christian book market. All of a sudden, it felt like there were lots of books about church hurt. I’m thankful I haven’t had any traumatizing experiences at church, but I did begin to wonder if church hurt is more common than I thought. Church hurt definitely is a real thing, and that's why I wrote this post.
I attended a small Christian college in Tennessee, and my experience there was positive overall. The college’s aim of preparing students to make a difference in the world was admirable. I realize not every Christian goes to a Christian college though—and that’s okay! No matter where you choose to attend college, there’s one thing you need to know that will shape your college experience—and the rest of your life.
My friend Emma* serves in several different ways at my church. She helps in the youth group, she sings during worship services, and she’s on a planning committee—among many other things! When she talks about her involvement in various ministries, I sometimes wonder: Should I serve more at church?
As I recently wrote in an open letter to single girls regarding the "church search," there are factors that do matter and factors that don’t matter. Things like worship style, preaching style, sermon topics, seating or décor arrangements, and service times can fluctuate significantly in a short period of time. But the three things that shouldn’t fluctuate—and should be the key factors in your search for a new church—are included below.
I know that being single can make you feel like you’re living on an island sometimes—like there’s no one who really “gets” you except for your cat and your Spotify playlist. You have to push yourself to do any social activities because all you really want to do is stay at home. But constantly staying at home is a really lonely existence—especially for a single girl. That’s why it’s so important to find a church that fits you and to get involved in it.
We’re several weeks into 2023, and you’ve probably been completely bombarded with content about making (and keeping) your goals for this year. I know it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all of the things you have to do to supposedly make this the best year ever. Friends, I’m not promising that these three things will make 2023 the best year ever. But it’s very possible that they'll positively impact your life, especially your relationship with God.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 