Week 1 ~ IAMEmbrace Deconstruct:
In this first week of IAMEmbrace Deconstruct, Adam dives into what it means to deconstruct our faith and what it looks like to follow Jesus in the midst of our questions.
You don’t need to have everything figured out to follow Jesus. You don’t need to have every question (especially regarding the Bible) answered to follow Jesus. Jesus invites you to follow him right where you are. Just start talking to Jesus. “If you seek me, you will find me”.
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Week 2 ~ IAMEmbrace Deconstruct:
Most of the time, people do not walk away from Jesus, people walk away from people. People are just people, people are not God. Who do other people remind me of? Myself. All of Us. Don’t put people on a pedestal. We’re all just human. We’re not Jesus. Don’t leave God because of people.
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Abuse, lies, scandals, and coverups are not a Christian problem, it’s a people problem. You don’t leave medicine because of bad doctors. You don’t leave school because of bad teachers. When the world calls out on the churches, what they are saying is that “You are not being Christian enough”. Don’t look at people, even religious people, instead, look at Jesus.
If you want to know the real Jesus, then don’t look at people, look at Jesus. Ask yourself, “Am I walking away from Jesus, or am I walking away from people?”. Don’t walk away from Jesus, if you don’t even know who Jesus really is.
Say this to yourself, “Jesus, help me to see the real you”. Being baptized doesn’t mean that you are perfect, it just means that you want to follow the one who is perfect.
3 Questions being asked before being baptized:
- Have you asked God for forgiveness?
- Have you turned your life to Jesus and started following him as your Lord?
- Today, do you intend to live a new life by the Power and the Grace of the Holy Spirit?
Week 3 ~ IAMEmbrace Deconstruct ~ Doubt:
Deconstruct – take apart and examine
Take apart what you believe in the Bible, Jesus, and the Church. Deconstructing our faith is different from destroying our faith.
Doubt ~ when you are uncertain about something. Is God real? Can the Bible be trusted? Why do bad things happen to us? Why does God allow bad things to happen to us? If we don’t deal with our doubts, then it can completely destroy our faith. Doubt isn’t a question to be answered, it’s a journey to go on.
Four things regarding Doubt:
- Doubt is Normal
- Doubt Your Doubts
- Consider a Better Question ~ Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? Christians are Christians because they believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Check YT videos from Lee Strobel, and Gary Habermas regarding the Resurrection.
- Doubt Drives Us Deeper ~ Doubt does not have to destroy your faith, it can actually take you deeper.
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My Biggest Doubt is “GOD, why do you allow bad things to happen to good people???”.
Week 4 ~ IAMEmbrace Deconstruct ~ What to Do, and What Not to Do When Deconstructing Our Faith:
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