My Response to Your Struggles

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED blog post, the only blog that thinks wearing turtleneck sweaters is like being strangled by a really weak dude … all day long.

First, this will be the last email article until September 1^st. I’m taking a break for the next three Thursdays.

(The reason: I’m meeting with the leaders I’ve been working with in the IXP Mentoring Mastermind, have a trip to South Florida, and then I’ll be speaking at a conference in Indiana. But on Thursday, September 1^st, we’ll be back in business. To curb the withdrawals, just go to the blog and scroll down to see what you’ve missed. The “welcome” from last week’s article is probably my favorite so far. HT to Mitch.)

Several weeks ago, I asked you to do a quick 3-question survey where you share your current struggle as well as your big questions. (I stated the reason in the email.)

In future articles, I plan to address the most common ones with fresh articles and new podcast episodes.

Many of the struggles that were mentioned are those I’ve had myself.

And I have written and spoken about the solutions that have worked in my own life as well as in the lives of many of my friends.

As I’ve put it elsewhere, my entire ministry is one of problem-solving. And I always test a solution in my own life before I pass it on to others.

Have you ever seen the old movie Jerry Maguire?

“Help me … help you!”

I can’t be helped if I refuse the solutions offered to me. And you can’t be helped if you ignore the solutions offered.

Keep that in mind as you read.

Today, I’d like to highlight the five most common struggles that were listed in the survey and give a short response to each one with at least one practical solution that you can take action on right away.

Struggle 1: The main struggle has to do with one’s relationship to the Lord. Examples stated were lack of love for the Lord, lack of spiritual drive, lack of consistency in spending time with Him, addictions and other vices, as well as trying to get free from guilt and legalism.

These issues all revolve around discipleship and transformation.

There are two main places where I address ALL of these issues (yes, all of them) and they have solved them for thousands of people because they address the struggles head-on in practical ways.

1. The book INSURGENCE: RECLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM which is on audio, digital, and print. The “Taking Action” sections deal with all the issues I mentioned in a highly practical level. If you’re not a reader, listen to an audio. Get a friend to go through it with you. Those who read it more than once and do the exercises end up experiencing deep transformation. As one person observed, it’s really more than a book. It’s a program.
2. The Deeper Christian Life Network. I can’t recount all the testimonials from people who joined the Network and said the content solved a problem they had.
3. Addictions are not only addressed in Insurgence (and the supplemental articles mentioned and linked in the book), but they have been addressed in some of the podcast episodes. For example, the “Orange Berries” episode in the Christ is All podcast and the “Tolerate Nothing” episode in the Insurgence podcast.

Struggle 2: Many of you are facing super difficult challenges with spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, children, parents (relational crises).

Others of you are having struggles with jobs, lack of money, failure to find work (financial crises).

Then there are those of you who are having health issues that you and/or others close to you are dealing with (health crises).

Here’s something everyone on this list needs to know. You can tattoo it under your eye lids.

Many Christians who have read my newest book – Hang On, Let Go – have been delivered by the message.

It’s a book for anyone going through a health crisis, relational crisis, and/or financial crisis.

However, most who have seen their lives changed by the book have read it (or listened to it) more than once, which is typically required for true change to take place when reading or listening to any book or message.

(Remember the drip-drip effect that I’ve spoken about in the past? And, and for those new to these articles, hold your fire. I don’t profit personally from books sales. That’s not why I write books.)

If you are having ANY struggle that’s relational (it involves other people), financial, or health-related, I wrote Hang On, Let Go for you.

The practical solutions work. The testimonies affirming this keep coming in.

Also, the online training that goes with the book delves deeper, and contains a full session on grief. (The course and three gratis audios are on the book landing page.)

In addition, last Thursday’s email contained episode #165 of the Christ is All podcast. It’s entitled “He Takes Away That He Might Establish.”

It too is helping people who are going through the ringer right now.

That message is part of the Atomic Freefall Master Class on The Deeper Christian Life Network which explores how to engage yourself during severe trials and not lose your faith, but watch it grow stronger.

(The Rough Diamonds Master Class explores the path to transformation.)

Struggle 3: Many of you are STILL looking for an “organic church” or “real ekklesia” or just fellowship with like-minded believers.

As I’ve pointed out more than once, “looking” is largely a mistake.

Your chances of finding a TRUE organic expression of the church (or true ekklesia) right now are slim to none.

And slim left town.

The season for these kinds of expressions ended around 2012, but I expect it to reemerge again in the future.

But there’s just no way to tell when.

However, there’s an easy solution. One that has benefited numerous Christians all over the world who are looking for authentic fellowship.

What’s happening now is people are starting KINGDOM CELLS (OUTPOSTS) which only requires two people.

So if your struggle is not finding an authentic church or finding like-minded people with whom to fellowship, starting a kingdom cell is your best option.

Because anyone can start one. Even you.

HERE ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS.

Struggle 4: Many of you stated that you are having a hard time hearing the Lord’s voice and receiving direction – as well as “sensing” His presence.

This struggle, which is very common, was addressed head-on in super practical ways in my book Jesus Speaks, specifically the second half of the book.

Reading (and re-reading) the second half has solved this issue for many Christians.

If you already read it a long time ago, it may be time for a tune-up.

For more on the sense of God’s presence, I dedicated an entire chapter to it in Revise Us Again. And you can find a video on the subject on our YouTube channel, it’s called “The Subtlety of God’s Presence.”

Struggle 5: Some of you are experiencing serious push back because you are giving out certain books to the wrong people.

For reasons that I’ll never understand, some readers still haven’t gotten the memo.

My very old book with George Barna from 2008 (Pagan Christianity) is still being shared with people WITHOUT the constructive sequels.

The sequels are:

From Eternity to Here

Reimagining Church

Finding Organic Church

(Without reading those constructive follow-ups, readers will MISUNDERSTAND and MISAPPLY the message. It’s a kin to hanging up 15-mintues into a 3-hour call. This is why people who only read Pagan Christianity come up with ideas we DO NOT endorse and DO NOT propose in the book, like trying to start your own “house church,” which is a recipe for disappointment.)

Also, the book (Pagan Christianity) is being shared with the wrong people.

What angel told you to give Pagan Christianity to a pastor? Or to someone who likes institutional church services?

THOSE ARE THE WRONG AUDIENCES.

When Barna and I wrote that book so many years ago, our intended audience was NOT pastors. Nor was it people happy with traditional conversational churches.

Giving it to people like that is like giving a book on quantum physics to a person who only reads recipe books.

It’s like giving a romance novel to a man who only reads non-fiction books on golf.

It’s the wrong audience.

The books that ARE for all Christians, including pastors and people who are in all church forms (including traditional, liturgical, and denominational), are:

God’s Favorite Place on Earth

From Eternity to Here (this is a stand-alone as well as the sequel to Reimagining Church)

Insurgence

The Day I Met Jesus

Jesus Manifesto

Those books are not only revolutionary, but they are for all serious Christians.

The most life-altering testimonials I’ve received have come from those five volumes.

Therefore, those are the books to give and recommend to people. (Assuming you’ve read (or listened to) them.)

My books on radical ecclesiology from 2008 and 2009 are written for three groups of people and three groups only.

1. People who have left the organized church and want historical and scriptural PERMISSION for exploring new church forms.
2. People who are disaffected with traditional church services and don’t know why.
3. People who left the institutional church but still love the Lord and desire Christian community.

Anyone who is OUTSIDE those three groups is NOT the audience for those books, and they WILL misunderstand them.

This fact has been proven over and over for the last fourteen years.

For other struggles, God willing, I plan to write new articles and create new podcast episodes addressing them in the coming days.

Until September 1^st,

fv

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ATTENTION PASTORS AND CONFERENCE HOSTS: Frank is still taking invitations to speak in conferences and seminars for next year. If you are interested in inviting him to speak at your event, go to his Speaking page.

To see his …

entire book catalog (all 20 volumes)

all the podcasts (Insurgence, Christ is All, The Deeper Journey)

full archive of articles (over 1,000 articles)

YouTube channel (200+ videos)

online courses (How to Live by the Indwelling Life of Christ, The Day I Met Jesus, etc.)

the deeper life network (Master Classes: Galatians in 3D, Ephesians in 3D, etc.)

Just go to Christian Stuff That’s Not Boring.

P.S. If someone wanted to change your life and zealously forced this blog post on you, you can appease them and subscribe here. It’s gratis and comes with a dozen Super Fire Hot Wings … the kind you can only eat after you sign a set of release forms. (No lemon suckers please. They won’t understand the humor.)