You described exactly how I felt that Sunday in September and what I was hoping to hear. Similar to what another person posted here, the church I had attended since I moved here didn’t say a word or even pray for Erika and the kids. I wrote our campus pastor and was in my opinion given the brush off. It was another campus pastor who directed me to your church in the weeks following and I am so glad he did. The congregation is so welcoming and the teaching is solid! I look forward to every Sunday!
Our pastor was out of town today and had a guest pastor come do today’s message. As a grieving millennial, I was looking forward to mourning with my community, hearing wise and comforting words from leadership. And while I have respected this guest pastor when I have seen him speak before, he didn’t even mention Charlie Kirk’s name or explicitly address the events of the last several days. His message was that it is time for us to ask God to open the eyes of our heart. I was disappointed to say the least. Reading these sermon notes this evening comforts my grieving spirit. Thank you for being brave in addressing Charlie’s assassination and what he stood for as our brother in Christ.
This isn’t what the church is for. The body of Christ is not a community “feelings club” where we gather to soothe our emotions or validate our political grief. The church gathers to hear God’s Word, to repent, to be fed by Christ, and to set our hope on the resurrection…not on political pundits, movements, or emotional catharsis.
Your disappointment that a pastor preached the Word instead of eulogizing Charlie Kirk shows misplaced priorities. Scripture never instructs us to mourn political figures as though they were martyrs of the faith. It instructs us to set our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who alone saves, and to do as He commands.
The pulpit is not for therapy. It is not for partisan mourning. Treating the church as an outlet for feelings is a profound dishonor to the Lord who bought it with His own blood.
You keep saying things like political pundits or political grief. You are sliding categories on what the author accurately describes as “boringly Biblical beliefs 20 years ago”.
You know full well that Charlie Kirk wasn’t murdered due to passionate differences on marginal tax rates.
Would you get on this pious high horse if a member of your congregation was gunned down outside your church for saying perfectly obvious Christian beliefs and your pastor spoke on it the next week? Would he not be a pious dork for totally ignoring it the next week?
Actually, no it’s not a mess and I was very clear. Also, one knows why he was murdered yet. All we know is that he was taken out, and people all over the country are getting very upset in arms emotionally, instead of relying on God and His Word to calm them. Christians especially.
Also if a member of my church was gunned down I would expect my pastor and all Christians to remind me of what important and to treat church as God intended.
Big miss, not big mess. I agree that you were quite clear.
You said you would want your pastor to remind you of what’s important. Do you not agree that he would be a pious dork to completely ignore it? Knowing full well that every member is thinking they’re next if they live tomorrow the same way that they lived yesterday?
Sorry sent too early by accident… I agree that it’s fine if pastors touch on current events. Also fine if they don’t. We as Christians should love assuming that anyways. They killed Jesus and He said they will persecute us because of Him.
Most Christians don’t, but yes in my church we do often talk about what persecution is like and how some of us very soon may die for our faith. We talk about it often and for years.
That’s partially an issue too. We so often live such easy lives in America and the west in general, we don’t assume bad things happen like this. Yet they do and have for centuries.
Still, all of that said, and I’m not just picking on this commenter, cause I’ve seen this all over the news and online. People want a club or community to soothe their emotions and honestly…to support their anger for what is very quickly becoming an us vs them.
In reality it’s us vs the world, and Christians should always be ready for the fact that they may have to be persecuted for their faith. We aren’t called to have nice happy lives here. This world is not our home. And again, some of these Christians are mad BECAUSE they didn’t get the messages they wanted, not because the messages were unbiblical or inaccurate. THAT IS THE ISSUE
Isaac, you should think twice before posting things like this. You presented a false dichotomy. Either "preach God's Word, repent, be fed by Christ, and set our hope on the resurrection" or focus on "political pundits, movements, and emotional catharsis."
I challenge you to do something. Watch my sermon (link below). By the time you get to the end, you'll realize how profoundly foolish your comments were. A wise shepherd will apply the truth of God's word to real life, culture shaping situations, with the penetrating truth of God's word and comfort for God's people.
No one said you cannot apply God’s truth to real events. Some of the best pastors do. Clearly you didn’t understand my point. In fact my point was incredibly clear, you are just emotional.
What my point was is that church doesn’t exist to soothe our emotions or validate our political grief. I was quite clear. You act as if I said you can never bring anything current event into the church. That is not what I said.
I did think about what I said, and I stand by it. Perhaps, PASTOR, you should have said something similar to focus your own congregation on what is important in this life and what the real meaning of church is. It isn’t a grief counceling session, it’s a place to worship and praise God.
Like I said, watch my sermon and you'll realize how foolish your comments are. You can stand by your foolishness if you like, but its still foolish. You can call me emotional if you like, but you're still wrong. It's just dumb to judge the content of a sermon that you haven't even heard.
Negative. Saying “watch my sermon” isn’t a rebuke to anything I said. What I said isn’t wrong. It certainly isn’t “foolish”.
It may not be what you WANTED to hear, because it’s enjoyable to ride the emotional wave, but nothing I said was foolish. As a pastor, you shouldn’t lead your flock to prioritize emotion over God’s teaching.
You're really hung up on this "emotional" thing, but I'm quite calm. Look in the mirror friend, I'm not the one trolling around on other people's posts and calling them out. Calm down and find something more useful to do with your time.
Hi Isaac, I agree with literally everything you said. Not one word do I disagree with actually. But I also think that today was a day to call out the elephant in the room because millenials in the Church are grieving. Jesus comforted those who grieved. We are called to weep with those who weep. Community is a space to come together and acknowledge one another and offer hopeful words.
Btw we all grow daily for the Lord. I want to apologize if I came off a bit strong. I stand by ALL I said, but we always want to be gentle and loving of each other. I could probably have explained my point a bit better. All the love of Christ!
I agree, but you were upset because you didn’t get satisfied emotionally. Which btw, I think I really good pastor will comment, but that ISNT the purpose of church and modern churches everywhere are becoming emotional feel good clubs instead of standing for God’s Word.
Excellent words that both pastors and congregations should take to heart.
And when you talk about being silent and not reading the room, that is sadly my Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America.
Love it. Thanks.
Pastor Michael,
You described exactly how I felt that Sunday in September and what I was hoping to hear. Similar to what another person posted here, the church I had attended since I moved here didn’t say a word or even pray for Erika and the kids. I wrote our campus pastor and was in my opinion given the brush off. It was another campus pastor who directed me to your church in the weeks following and I am so glad he did. The congregation is so welcoming and the teaching is solid! I look forward to every Sunday!
Glad to have you Staci!
Thank you Michael!!💪🏻
Can you give us the full sermon? I saw a clip on X. You did so well! Thank you
Here you go. SDG!
https://www.youtube.com/live/0jWsz-its7g?si=3M_a0RcQbGjX53Sl&t=1807
Glory to the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, Glory to Jesus Christ, Glory to His Holy Third-Day Resurrection.🌳🕊️
Our pastor was out of town today and had a guest pastor come do today’s message. As a grieving millennial, I was looking forward to mourning with my community, hearing wise and comforting words from leadership. And while I have respected this guest pastor when I have seen him speak before, he didn’t even mention Charlie Kirk’s name or explicitly address the events of the last several days. His message was that it is time for us to ask God to open the eyes of our heart. I was disappointed to say the least. Reading these sermon notes this evening comforts my grieving spirit. Thank you for being brave in addressing Charlie’s assassination and what he stood for as our brother in Christ.
This isn’t what the church is for. The body of Christ is not a community “feelings club” where we gather to soothe our emotions or validate our political grief. The church gathers to hear God’s Word, to repent, to be fed by Christ, and to set our hope on the resurrection…not on political pundits, movements, or emotional catharsis.
Your disappointment that a pastor preached the Word instead of eulogizing Charlie Kirk shows misplaced priorities. Scripture never instructs us to mourn political figures as though they were martyrs of the faith. It instructs us to set our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who alone saves, and to do as He commands.
The pulpit is not for therapy. It is not for partisan mourning. Treating the church as an outlet for feelings is a profound dishonor to the Lord who bought it with His own blood.
Repent.
Sorry, this is a big miss.
You keep saying things like political pundits or political grief. You are sliding categories on what the author accurately describes as “boringly Biblical beliefs 20 years ago”.
You know full well that Charlie Kirk wasn’t murdered due to passionate differences on marginal tax rates.
Would you get on this pious high horse if a member of your congregation was gunned down outside your church for saying perfectly obvious Christian beliefs and your pastor spoke on it the next week? Would he not be a pious dork for totally ignoring it the next week?
Actually, no it’s not a mess and I was very clear. Also, one knows why he was murdered yet. All we know is that he was taken out, and people all over the country are getting very upset in arms emotionally, instead of relying on God and His Word to calm them. Christians especially.
Also if a member of my church was gunned down I would expect my pastor and all Christians to remind me of what important and to treat church as God intended.
Big miss, not big mess. I agree that you were quite clear.
You said you would want your pastor to remind you of what’s important. Do you not agree that he would be a pious dork to completely ignore it? Knowing full well that every member is thinking they’re next if they live tomorrow the same way that they lived yesterday?
You right I misread that. I’m sorry.
As for pios dork? No, but I understand what you getting at.
Sorry sent too early by accident… I agree that it’s fine if pastors touch on current events. Also fine if they don’t. We as Christians should love assuming that anyways. They killed Jesus and He said they will persecute us because of Him.
Most Christians don’t, but yes in my church we do often talk about what persecution is like and how some of us very soon may die for our faith. We talk about it often and for years.
That’s partially an issue too. We so often live such easy lives in America and the west in general, we don’t assume bad things happen like this. Yet they do and have for centuries.
Still, all of that said, and I’m not just picking on this commenter, cause I’ve seen this all over the news and online. People want a club or community to soothe their emotions and honestly…to support their anger for what is very quickly becoming an us vs them.
In reality it’s us vs the world, and Christians should always be ready for the fact that they may have to be persecuted for their faith. We aren’t called to have nice happy lives here. This world is not our home. And again, some of these Christians are mad BECAUSE they didn’t get the messages they wanted, not because the messages were unbiblical or inaccurate. THAT IS THE ISSUE
Isaac, you should think twice before posting things like this. You presented a false dichotomy. Either "preach God's Word, repent, be fed by Christ, and set our hope on the resurrection" or focus on "political pundits, movements, and emotional catharsis."
I challenge you to do something. Watch my sermon (link below). By the time you get to the end, you'll realize how profoundly foolish your comments were. A wise shepherd will apply the truth of God's word to real life, culture shaping situations, with the penetrating truth of God's word and comfort for God's people.
https://www.youtube.com/live/0jWsz-its7g?si=tuAZAU5X0EfCSqn-&t=1797
No one said you cannot apply God’s truth to real events. Some of the best pastors do. Clearly you didn’t understand my point. In fact my point was incredibly clear, you are just emotional.
What my point was is that church doesn’t exist to soothe our emotions or validate our political grief. I was quite clear. You act as if I said you can never bring anything current event into the church. That is not what I said.
I did think about what I said, and I stand by it. Perhaps, PASTOR, you should have said something similar to focus your own congregation on what is important in this life and what the real meaning of church is. It isn’t a grief counceling session, it’s a place to worship and praise God.
Like I said, watch my sermon and you'll realize how foolish your comments are. You can stand by your foolishness if you like, but its still foolish. You can call me emotional if you like, but you're still wrong. It's just dumb to judge the content of a sermon that you haven't even heard.
Negative. Saying “watch my sermon” isn’t a rebuke to anything I said. What I said isn’t wrong. It certainly isn’t “foolish”.
It may not be what you WANTED to hear, because it’s enjoyable to ride the emotional wave, but nothing I said was foolish. As a pastor, you shouldn’t lead your flock to prioritize emotion over God’s teaching.
You're really hung up on this "emotional" thing, but I'm quite calm. Look in the mirror friend, I'm not the one trolling around on other people's posts and calling them out. Calm down and find something more useful to do with your time.
Hi Isaac, I agree with literally everything you said. Not one word do I disagree with actually. But I also think that today was a day to call out the elephant in the room because millenials in the Church are grieving. Jesus comforted those who grieved. We are called to weep with those who weep. Community is a space to come together and acknowledge one another and offer hopeful words.
Btw we all grow daily for the Lord. I want to apologize if I came off a bit strong. I stand by ALL I said, but we always want to be gentle and loving of each other. I could probably have explained my point a bit better. All the love of Christ!
I agree, but you were upset because you didn’t get satisfied emotionally. Which btw, I think I really good pastor will comment, but that ISNT the purpose of church and modern churches everywhere are becoming emotional feel good clubs instead of standing for God’s Word.
"Emotionally"
"Feel good"
You're pretty emotional about this subject.
Because I used words in that are English language…?
Good rebuttal, pastor.
Emotional response
Thank you. My pastor was silent...not so much as a prayer offered up. We will be leaving.