Is Your Pastor "The Voice of God" to You?
The recent upheaval in Daystar Ministries has caused people to question how we hear the voice of God and the role of spiritual oversight. In this post I offer an alternative view to what is often too quickly accepted as truth.
Creating a Positive Church Culture: The Power of Words
People are leaving the church and pastors wonder why. They are speaking the truth, right? It might have to do with the words they use and the tone in which they speak their words.
Church Hurt Podcast with Christy Boulware
I join Christy Boulware on her podcast to kick off her new series on “Resilience in the Pews: Tackling Anxiety and Church Wounds. In this post I answer a few of the questions that she posed to me about spiritual abuse.
When GOSSIP becomes a spiritually weaponized accusation
Spiritually toxic leaders often weaponize the accusation of gossip to shut down complaints. But what does the Bible say about gossip? Accusing someone of gossip is often a tactic of spiritual abuse.
Bad Religion and the Resurrection of Jesus, by F. Remy Diederich
So much of what is called Christianity today poorly represents Jesus. It’s just bad religion. Jesus didn’t come to give us more of the same. He came to exchange something new for the old… something alive and life-changing. His resurrection was proof that his way will last.
Choosing to Not Give Up On Church or God
There are a lot of reasons to give up on church. The church has failed many people in many ways. But the church is the hope of the world if you engage in it.
Five Things I Learned from Spiritual Abuse Survivors
Survivors of spiritual abuse are often misunderstood and mistreated. The book, Broken Trust, was written with this in mind and incorporated the input of many survivors.
Survivors of Spiritual Abuse: Five Ways to Offer Your Support
Survivors of spiritual abuse are so often misunderstood and mistreated. This post will give you practical advice on how to treat survivors of spiritual abuse.
Churches That Abuse: Six Warning Signs
Churches that spiritually abuse people have common characteristics. Here are six traits from the book, Churches that Abuse.
Spiritual Abuse: the Fruit of Toxic Faith
Toxic faith and spiritual abuse are related but distinct. Spiritual abuse grows out of wrong thinking about God by both the abuse and the abused.
I Left My Toxic Church...Now What?
After being abused spiritually, some people give up on church. Others dive right back into church. Before you return to church there are a few things to consider.
How to Reclaim Your Church from Spiritual Abuse
You are a leader in your church and spiritual abuse has just been exposed. What do you do? How do you “clean house” and get your church back on track? This post offers you a guide for the process.
You Can Smell Spiritual Abuse
When a church can admit that they have been abusive, they need to eradicate it from the roots. Any remaining scent of abuse will be quickly picked up by people who have experienced an abusive church.
How to Recover From Spiritual Abuse, by F. Remy Diederich
When you’ve experienced spiritual abuse, it can be so devastating you may not feel like you will ever recover. But God is faithful. He can renew your spirit if you give him the opportunity. This post will give you some direction to let that happen.
Seven Steps to Confronting Toxic Church People
Toxic people can ruin any church event with their personal agenda, bad theology, or conspiracy theory. This post gives seven practical steps to address the toxic church member.
The Toxic World of the Insecure Pastor
Insecurity drives many people into leadership, including the ministry. What are the toxic characteristics of an insecure pastor. This article mentions twelve of them.