When did the Fruit of the Spirit become trigger words for Christians?

I’ve started noticing a trend with some (not all or even most) Christians, especially male Christians, and even more specifically male Christians who would consider themselves “culturally engaged” or taking on cultural ideologies that conflict with Biblical principles and moral standards found in the Bible.

That trend is this…any time someone (like myself) mentions that we as believers need to love others better (not just those within the church, but also those outside of the church) and be kinder, more patient, and more gentle with people…there seems to rise up from the ranks of the individuals I mentioned above an immediate defensive posture, and their responses come across as almost a disdain for what is being said.

Episode 004 – Don’t Bite the Shepherd

The church is a two-sided coin. On one side you have church leaders, and on the other side you have church members. Both sides think they ARE the coin, when in reality they are but one side of the SAME coin. As a result, unity is missing from many of our local churches. Sure, pastors have been guilty of beating the sheep, but the sheep have been guilty of biting the shepherd as well. In this episode, the Angry Christian crew discusses the abuse of church leaders at the hands of the sheep. [Hebrews 13:17 and Ephesians 4] Be sure to check out the accompanying blog post [https://eagerfortruth.com/2019/10/21/dont-bite-the-shepherd/].

Intro Music: “Angry Dance” by Simon Panrucker
Outro Music: “Yours” by Brad Bates

Don’t Bite the Shepherd

On one side you have the pastors and church leaders (the shepherds), and on the other you have the church body (the sheep). For decades (if not centuries) there has always been a tension between these 2 sides of the coin, which results in church splits, hurt relationships, broken testimonies, people being turned away from and turned off of the church, and a whole lot more. Each side of the coin seems to think they ARE the coin not realizing that they are but one side of the same coin….that there is another side.

Don’t Go Alone

Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington, Robin Williams, Kurt Cobain and the list goes on and on. Two people that helped shape me went out the same way that they did. There was a point in time when I could have joined this list. Not intentionally, but because of reckless abandon. A good friend of mine held […]

Wrath: People God Hates

One of the most recognized charactersitics of God is His alignment with Love. That is His defining trait. God is Love. That’s comforting, isn’t it? God is Love. God is good. God is forgiving. God is merciful. God is generous. God restores. Yes and amen, God is all of those things and more. But, God […]

Father’s Day for the Fatherless – Part 2

Last year at this time (Father’s Day) I wrote the following article as I was working through my first Father’s Day more-or-less devoid of a father (he’s still alive, just read the article and you’ll figure out what I mean): Father’s Day for the Fatherless. It’s been a year now. I’m now on to my […]

When Correction Becomes a Memorial

We’ve all been there…someone in authority over us comes to us and lets us know that they need to talk to us privately. Then, we get to the closed door room and we are confronted with something we may have said or done that is needing to be corrected. I know I’ve been there COUNTLESS times […]

When They Say Goodbye: Coming to Terms With Those Who Have Walked Away

It is never easy to say goodbye to people that you have lived life with for so long. It’s easy to say goodbye to people you’ve never poured your life into, but it is NEVER easy to say goodbye to people who have shared intimate moments in your life with you. It was not easy […]

Fathers Day for the Fatherless

I never suspected that when my parents divorced last year (with me at the age of 34) under less than honorable circumstances, that Fathers Day would become one of those holidays that just wouldn’t quite be the same. I’m hoping this isn’t a life long trend. But I know that this year things aren’t going […]

Hate.

Perhaps you’ve seen the movie “Princess Bride”…perhaps you haven’t. If you haven’t, we can’t be friends until you do, because this is one of my all-time favorite movies. (better get a move on it!) Anyways, in the movie The Great Vizinni keeps using the word “Inconceivable” and Inigo Montoya eventually says to him, “You keep […]