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Grace is Messy

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The Struggle With Church

Select a Category Anxiety Best of Messy Grace Current Events Depression Faith Family Featured Fiction lgbtq Marriage Mental Health Messy Grace Millennials Parenting Recovery Recovery from a Suicide Attempt Recovery from Abuse Recovery from Porn Addiction Religious Recovery Self Care The Struggle With Church This is My Story (series) Uncategorized Writing Help

Select a Month January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 June 2015 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 June 2013 April 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 September 2011 August 2011 May 2011 July 2010

January 2017

January 31, 2017

The Most Rebellious Thing a Christian Can Do

Jesus taught us how to #resist. Jesus was a revolutionary who stood against the status...

January 29, 2017

I Found God in a Gay Bar

There were barstools instead of pews, and bartenders standing in for ushers. Nonetheless, I recognized...

January 12, 2017

Why I Need Jesus to Look More Like Superman

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...Jesus?

January 10, 2017

Now is the Time to Color Outside the Lines

Are you a line jumper or a boundary maker?

January 03, 2017

What if Jesus was the Pastor of Your Church?

I don’t know what church would look like if Jesus was the pastor, but I...

November 2016

November 16, 2016

When Jesus Doesn’t Heal You the First Time…

Your past is not a problem, merely a perspective.

October 2016

October 07, 2016

ASK STEVE #1: What is Grace?

The first question in my brand-new ASK STEVE series comes from a Twitter follower, who...

September 2016

September 28, 2016

Benefits of the Psych Ward and the Church

As the nurse wheeled me down the long and lonely corridor and through the locked...

September 25, 2016

Why I Want Faith Like Water

My faith matters to me. I read the Bible. I attend church. I pray when...

September 19, 2016

Faith and Doubt: Do We Really Have to Agree on Everything?

Have you ever been cut off by a friend? I don’t mean moving away and...

September 11, 2016

Why I Trust God in the Midst of Tragedy

I am no longer the boy who intentionally memorizes Scripture, and I haven’t been the...

August 2016

August 29, 2016

5 Awkward Types of Jesus in Christian Music

If you've ever danced through Amy Grant's paved paradise... If you ever owned a WOW...

August 22, 2016

One Question About My Faith That Really Makes Me Squirm

“So, are you Pentecostal?” After almost 3 decades of Sunday's spent within the four walls...

August 17, 2016

How To Sever Relationships: From a First-Year Ministry Student

At the age of twenty, I had all the answers. I remember judging a family...

August 15, 2016

One Hurting Group the Church Desperately Needs to Welcome

I long for the Church to echo the words of Christ, who said, “Come to...

August 12, 2016

Is the Holy Spirit Your Comfort…or A Crazy Cousin?

During my childhood, I saw people act forcefully on behalf of the Holy Spirit, but...

August 09, 2016

Why Being a 90’s Kid in the Church was Scary as Hell

I just knew the Henchmen of Heaven would come and steal me away in the...

July 2016

July 29, 2016

It Really Sucks to be a Christian Right Now

I don’t like being a Christian today. Actually, I should say, I don’t like most...

July 29, 2016

How Jesus Taught Me That Compassion Can Look Like Outrage

We often read things about the blessed peacemakers. But when it came to broken people...

July 22, 2016

Trusting Through the Suck

Sometimes trusting God isn’t triumphant or glorious. Sometimes trusting God isn’t even a desire. It’s...

July 19, 2016

Have You Ever Wanted to Punch God in the Face?

My daughter passed away five months ago after a three year battle with a one...

July 18, 2016

9 Ways to Know if You’re in an Oppressive Church

For many people I know, Christianity has been boiled down to morality. It has become...

July 12, 2016

A Sorry-Ass Christian’s Guide to Tragedy

I haven’t checked on my friend Kevin Garcia in at least two weeks. His prediction...

July 11, 2016

How to Make Space at the Table

The stories throughout the book are absolutely wonderful. This is a father/son duo who obviously...

July 09, 2016

How to Win a Scholarship for My Online Recovery Group

The Grace is Messy Spiritual and Religious Recovery Group last four weeks. It includes a...

July 06, 2016

Why I Stopped Hating the Church

Anyone who says church hurts are no big deal has no idea what they're talking...

July 04, 2016

Are you in Religious Recovery? Here’s Why Self-Care Matters.

In stopping my ridiculous search for fulfillment in the local church, I have found my...

July 01, 2016

The One Powerful Gift of My Weakest Moments

I’m not called to have it all figured out. I’m not called to have wise...

June 2016

June 30, 2016

On Zombies, Trump, and Denying Jesus

Growing up in the Evangelical tradition, I was scared to death of denying Jesus. Countless...

June 29, 2016

Join Us! The Church and Mental Health

I was privileged to be a part of a very helpful (and hilarious chat with...