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relationshipmatters

2026-10-04T08:49:34-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Word to Fallen Leaders and Pastors

Last updated on: October 4, 2026 at 8:49 am   By Kurt W. Bubna

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I never thought I’d be here. I pictured a different finish. After decades in ministry, I figured I’d become one of those older pastors younger leaders called when they needed wisdom. I’d sit across the table, listen to their struggles, and hopefully offer something useful. Some mentoring. Maybe consulting. An occasional invitation to speak. I wasn’t expecting a parade, just a chance to grow old doing what I’d done for most of my adult life. But my choices led somewhere... Read more

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2026-09-27T14:06:03-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Can a Fallen Pastor Ever Lead Again?

Last updated on: September 27, 2026 at 2:06 pm   By Kurt W. Bubna

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I have a box of old sermon resources. I don’t open it much. When I do, I find outlines, handwritten notes, and pages marked up for Sundays that once felt ordinary. I can still place some of them: the room, the people who came up afterward to talk. Then I remember what happened to my marriage, my ministry, the trust people once placed in me. I don’t want to soften any of that. I broke trust. People I loved were... Read more

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Steve Lawson

2026-08-10T10:05:01-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

When Christians Won’t Let You Outlive Your Past

Last updated on: August 10, 2026 at 10:05 am   By Kurt W. Bubna

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There are days when I still feel like an outcast. I wish I could tell you that after enough time passes, enough counseling, enough repentance, enough apologies, and enough healing, rejection doesn’t hurt anymore. It still does. There are people I once laughed with, prayed with, served alongside, and deeply loved who haven’t spoken to me in years since my divorce. Some have literally turned around and walked the other way when they saw me coming. No confrontation. No angry... Read more

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Won't forgive your past

2026-06-14T19:28:17-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Does Divorce Permanently Disqualify a Pastor?

Last updated on: June 14, 2026 at 7:28 pm   By Kurt W. Bubna

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Few church questions can divide a room faster than this one. Can a divorced and remarried person ever serve as a pastor again? For some Christians, the answer is an immediate no. Divorce and remarriage permanently disqualify a person from pastoral leadership. For others, the issue is more complicated. They still believe pastors must be held to a high standard. They still care deeply about holiness, fidelity, and biblical authority. But they also believe grace, repentance, restoration, and redemption are... Read more

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2026-04-22T18:16:42-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

How Do You Live Your Best Life?

Last updated on: April 22, 2026 at 6:16 pm   By Kurt W. Bubna

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When I say, “best life” I don’t mean the version where everything works out and every dream lands right on time. I mean the life where you step into what God wired you for. Where you use what you’ve been given. Where you don’t shrink back. Because if we’re honest, most people don’t miss their calling because they lack ability. They miss it because they stayed comfortable. Comfort is predictable. Safe. Manageable. But it rarely leads to a sense of... Read more

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2026-04-10T09:54:12-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Stop Living in the Land of What If

Last updated on: April 10, 2026 at 9:54 am   By Kurt W. Bubna

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I thought I had a plan. Not a vague idea. A real plan. Timelines. Decisions. Next steps all mapped out, like I finally figured out how to stay ahead of life instead of getting run over by it. Then my body said otherwise. What started as “we’ll take your gallbladder out” turned into something bigger. Complications. A longer surgery. Days in a hospital bed staring at a ceiling that didn’t care about my plans. You ever notice how fast control... Read more

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2026-03-14T09:29:14-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What Happens When a Christian Keeps Failing?

Last updated on: March 14, 2026 at 9:29 am   By Kurt W. Bubna

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What happens to a believer who keeps messing up or a leader who fails? That question is not coming from someone who wants permission to sin. It usually comes from someone (i.e., like me) who is worn down by their frequent failures. Someone who cares about God. Someone who is trying but is buried in shame, wondering if they are running out of rope. If that question lives in you, hear this first. The fact that you are asking it... Read more

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2026-01-23T14:06:29-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

When Submission in Marriage Gets Twisted & Misused

Last updated on: January 23, 2026 at 2:06 pm   By Kurt W. Bubna

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Some teachings in the church have caused more subtle damage than anyone wants to admit. I’ve sat in rooms where a pastor read “Wives, submit to your husbands” and moved on as if every man hearing it was healthy, humble, and safe. That silence has cost women far more than some behind the pulpit realize. Scripture can build a home or break a spirit, depending on the hands that wield it. When Submission Turns into Control Submission in the hands... Read more

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2025-12-12T09:06:18-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

When Adult Children Walk Away: A Word to Parents

Last updated on: December 12, 2025 at 9:06 am   By Kurt W. Bubna

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There’s a lot of buzz on social media right now about adult children cutting off, canceling, and completely severing relationships with their parents. I’m not here to theorize. I’m not speaking as someone observing from a distance. I’m speaking from lived experience. I have adult children and grandchildren I haven’t interacted with for nearly two years, and it’s crushing me. Sometimes the deepest pain is the agony you never saw coming. The slow ache no one warns you about. The... Read more

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2025-11-29T19:15:00-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

When Porn Isn’t About Sex

Last updated on: November 29, 2025 at 7:15 pm   By Kurt W. Bubna

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I’ve sat across from more men than I can count, their eyes down, voice shaking, guilt dripping from every word. They come in convinced they have a porn problem. They might, but when you sit long enough in that space listening to them, you start to realize something deeper. Pornography is not always about sex. It’s about pain. Porn is about anger that has nowhere to land. It’s about stress that sits heavily in the chest. Pornography is about discouragement... Read more

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