Gen Z and the Deconstruction of the Church.

-The following is based on my own observations and experiences.-

Something everyone may or may not be noticing is the relationship between Christian Gen - Z* and the Church. 

Gen Z has proven, and continues to prove, that they are a completely different breed of human. One area where this is most notable is the work force. They are quick to job hop as soon as we are over our current job. This is so layered and nuanced but the job hopping became more prominent with the pandemic and became known as the Great Resignation. Life became too precious to waste time and energy where we didn’t want to be. Gen Z applies this same energy to pretty much everything else in life, including Church/religion.

Important to note is that there is substantial amount of history of spiritual abuse in the church, especially mega churches. This usually comes from an authority figure (e.g. lead pastor) who is either being put on a pedestal or putting themself on said pedestal; being exalted higher than the Church (big C) and Jesus. The authority figure can then exploit that adoration for their own gain. At an impressionable age (adolescence/young adult), you soak it all up because you don’t know any different. Generations past may not have recognized that abuse of power until much later. Gen Z, however, though still susceptible to that exploitation, are much more aware of abuse, exploitation, gaslighting, etc. and much more likely to speak out against it and/or leave. 

My opinion is that Gen Z has a lot of passion and a need to have something to fight for. They have debatably the most anxiety and can’t bring themselves to ask the waiter for more ketchup but would be the first one to take tear gas to the face to support a cause. 

The future may find a new kind of Church that doesn’t include pompous leaders happily exploiting for their own gain. But with this awakening Christian Gen Z is having, and this huge exit of church, Gen Z is out here without proper spiritual covering or guidance. They are deconstructing their faith by themselves and that is a dangerous place to be. There will be some whose deconstruction will lead them away from faith completely. Then there will be others whose deconstruction will lead them not to God, but to a god they created. And even still, there’s hope some people’s deconstruction will lead them to greater love and honor of the one true God. 

There are still things I am unlearning as a fellow Gen Z-er myself. Maybe some of this is reflective of that because I’ve only ever known church as one way. Sifting through what is true and good, and what is toxic and human, is proving to be difficult. Humans have done a phenomenal job of twisting and omitting the Word of God until it confirms and mirrors what they want it to. The word of God should be the standard by which we measure everything else in our lives.

If you are struggling with that too, one thing we can trust to be true and good is the Bible.

1. Hold any belief you have against what the Bible says;

2. Do your best not to add your own feelings or biases to it; and

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal and interpret.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.””

Isaiah 40:8 NIV

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

James 1:5 NIV

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Hebrews 4: 12

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

*Generation Z or Gen - Z refers to anyone born in 1996 or after. These trends and patterns can be found however in many people as well, especially Millenials (1981-1996).

God - the All Consuming Fire.

What does it mean for God to be a consuming fire?

Deuteronomy 4:24

24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire; He is a [e]jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely His].

* I.e. intolerant of unfaithfulness.

As much as God is merciful and gracious he is just. I’ve heard it said grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve. Justice is getting what you deserve. God is equal parts gracious, merciful, and just. 

Step back and remember that He is holy. Holiness is his status as set apart from any other being. His holiness means purity. God will not exist in the same space as sin. 

For God to be a fire means he is a refiner. His fire burns out all impurities and anything that does not look like him. For God to be a consuming fire, to me, means it is complete. It takes over. It leaves nothing behind. 

The fire and refining process may seem scary but His fire will not harm us, it will purify us. And leaving a diamond uncared for, is much worst. Build up of daily life can mask the brilliance and clarity of the diamond. 

You are a created being and Your creator cares way too much about you to leave you in that state. 

Psalm 139

23 

Search me, God, and know my heart;

    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 

See if there is any offensive way in me,

    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Reflection:

1. What impurities do you need to allow God to refine?

2. What is your hesitation to surrendering to the refining process?

3. How can God’s character reassure you of His good intentions?

Space for Grace.

Rain is refreshing and cooling and sometimes soothing. It hydrates and saturates the ground to which it falls. 

Now imagine if rain fell all at once. Just gallons of rain falling to the ground at once, it’s no longer gentle. It’s so overwhelming it could be deadly because it’s not humanly manageable - even though it would end quickly

I think God knew what we could manage so He sent us raindrops instead. Raindrops seem like a slow option as opposed to dropping it all at once, but God knows the pace we would be able to handle rain. 

I think this is similar with life. Imagine if God revealed the weight of all of our sin and flaws at once. It would be overwhelming. In the Bible, man was completely undone in the presence of God because next to the purest form of holiness, we are utterly aware that we are but the filthiest rags unworthy to be there. 

God gave us space for grace. Space to find heaven in pieces and to heal parts at a time. Sometimes I wonder why God works so seemingly slow, and now I know it is in those moments, He is creating space for grace. 

Thank you God for raindrops. 

“Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.” Isaiah 6:5 NIV

“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Luke 5:8 NIV

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” Psalms 103:8 NIV

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 NIV

The One at the Well

John 4

*what it means to be satisfied*

13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

*how to maintain satisfaction*

34 Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.

Once you get a glimpse of the vision, it fuels your life.  You go from aimless wandering to purposed steps.

At the end of the day, we’re all just searching for purpose. For meaning. 

Sustained satisfaction is actually possible but many people just don’t tap into the Well. It bubbles from within you for eternal satisfaction (v 14). 

You have to make the effort every day to tap into the Well.

1.  Recognize your limitations > you will inevitably feel depleted with your own resources

o   The more you think about how hungry you are, the more you appreciate the food when you get to eat

o   We can’t fully appreciate this gift of the Well without first recognizing that we’re thirsty.

o   We will always be thirsty without the Well.

o   Culture says clout, recognition, money, and people will satisfy but these never fail to leave us feeling emptier than before.

2. Remember the Well (v14) and His will (v34)

o   You have unlimited access to unmatched power, uncontainable joy, unconditional love, and unbelievable peace. 

o   Jesus maintains satisfaction by doing the will of God and finishing the work.

o   In the moments when you don’t feel like it, or when you don’t think you can, remember what God has called you to and who He has created you to be

3. Reach in > make the actual effort of drinking the water

o   Each day, each moment, you have to make the conscious decision to tap into the Well until it becomes your first instinct.

Dive Deeper:

1.     Where do you find yourself putting your satisfaction in things outside of God?

2.     Can you think of a time when Jesus was seemingly not enough?

3.     Why is it so hard to remain satisfied in Jesus and what He calls us to do?

4.     How does knowing that you have unlimited access to what Jesus died to give us change your perspective on how you handle different situations?

5.     Jesus maintains satisfaction by remembering the will of God and finishing the work. Can you identify one thing God has willed for you (A vision, promise, name, gifting, etc)? How will this fuel your life when you feel depleted?

6.     Which of the three steps is the hardest to do?

7.     How will this recognition of Jesus as the Well transform your everyday life?

Advent Week 4: Love.

From the Garden, to the Fall, to the manger, to the cross, to this very day - the heart of God has been people. Loving people. Longing for relationship with people. He Himself is a triune God (existing as 3 in 1 -  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), His whole existence is about relationship. So, you can imagine how God must’ve felt for the thousands of years our relationship with Him was broken. When we get a clearer peak inside the heart of God, we can see God’s love woven in even the darkest parts of our story. 

For 400 years, God was silent before news of Jesus came. There is even love in the silence. In the in between. Receiving things before their time is more detrimental than the wait. For example, you are extremely hungry so you heat up your HotPocket™️. How many times have we burned ourselves eating the HotPocket™️ instead of waiting a minute or 2 for it to cool down? In the moment, all we can see is that we are hungry and this food has the potential to fix that. God sees that the pain of waiting does not compare to the burn of receiving something before its time.

God does everything in love. Every thing He gives is given in love. Every answer that is ‘no’ or ‘not yet’ is given in love. Even His judgement is done in love. There is love in everything God allows. How? God is the very embodiment of love. If nothing else, God has proven to be dedicated to Himself and quite literally cannot do anything outside of His nature.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only son. Whoever believes in Him, will have eternal life. “ John 3:16 NIV

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:9-10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.” Psalms‬ ‭117:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Advent Week 3: Joy.

Delight. Gladness. 

Joy comes naturally to some people - I am not one of those people. It actually took me significantly longer to write this week’s devotional than any other week. I like to call myself a realist as opposed to an optimist or pessimist. I am overly (and maybe chronically) aware of the ever growing circumstances where joy should not be the logical reaction. It should be panic. It should be depression and hopelessness. But even in these moments today where it’s pure chaos and confusion, we can confidently choose joy. Joy isn’t something you have to ask for or be qualified for, it is rightfully yours and you already have it - some just choose not to access it. 

How do we access it and continue to live in it? 

Joy is strengthened by the past.

For 400 years, not a peep from heaven. No prophet, not words, no signs. We can probably infer, the jewish people might have felt hopeless, desperate, downcast, and forgotten. During that time, it would have served the Israelites well to remember the salvation they received from Egypt, to remember God being faithful to bring them to the promised land. “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalms‬ ‭51:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬. Remind us of the joy of your salvation, not the burdens of it. Rejoice in salvation. May we be willing and obedient all our days, building spiritual strength and stamina. 

Joy is fueled by the future.

Joy is an attitude we adopt despite circumstances because of God’s faithfulness to His word. The Christmas story reminds us God is dedicated to His word and doing what He said He would do - even if it is not on our timetable. Choose joy in the middle because of our hope of a better future than our present. God’s promise is that the future is guaranteed to be better than the present because of heaven. Therefore, we can rejoice in all things at all times. The joy from the hope of heaven releases joy on earth. It frees me to experience joy on earth. The joy in knowing earth is temporary but also knowing your eternity is secure, allows you to kick back and enjoy the simple pleasures and fractions of joy we will experience in heaven. 

When joy does not feel like an option, choose it anyway because God has always been faithful and will continue to be. 

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven...”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Advent Week 2: Peace.

Peace. Shalom. Nothing missing. Nothing broken. Complete. Whole. A state of wellbeing.

Once upon a time, in a far away land, Adam and Eve were living in true bliss and paradise. They were in full communion with God. Complete, whole, nothing missing or broken in their relationship with God. When they both chose to disobey God, sin entered the world for good. We were thus all born into sin and that sin separated us from God. It broke our relationship and right standing with God. The huge chasm between man and God meant we didn’t have true peace. 

We tried to atone for our debt and sins with many animal sacrifices, but none proved truly and eternally sufficient. God told Isaiah that one day he would send the ultimate sacrifice and that among other names, he would be the Prince of Peace. He would be the piece/peace that filled the gap between man and God, restoring perfect shalom. We all know the story of Jesus and know he would not stay on this earth in human form forever. With His resurrection, He did not take all peace with Him but rather left peace with us through the Holy Spirit. The very spirit of God that carries perfect peace, lives inside all who accept him. That means we are able to walk in peace as long as we carry His presence. Where the presence of God is, peace will be found.

1. Peace is not the absence of problems.

   • Peace is the realization of God with you. Immanuel. When you realize God is always with you, you can experience peace no matter your circumstances. Life is chaotic and stressful and unpredictable but you don’t have to be. God is with you and so is peace.

2. Peace is not the same as happiness.

   • Can you imagine being in a state of constant peace? Not the artificial kind we try to conjure up to convince ourselves everything is okay. It’s not a state of happiness. Happiness has to depend on external situations. If things are going well, I will be happy. If things are not going well, I will not experience happiness. That is because happiness is a human emotion and peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. True peace is supernatural confidence in the work of Jesus on the cross. If I put my confidence in the finished work of Jesus, anxiety has no room because I know that Jesus is with me. Shame and guilt have no place when I know I have already been redeemed. Therefore, peace is your rightful inheritance through salvation. It’s perfect peace that is confident in One who lives.

If you are needing peace right now, the key to getting it is remembering who is with you. Take a second to see and feel God right in the moment you are in. At that time, with that realization, shalom will take over. Wholeness. Lacking nothing. Not because of any outside influence, but because of who lives inside of you…

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 NIV

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 NIV

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV

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Advent Week 1: Hope.

Hope: Anticipating, expecting, waiting for a future that is better than the present.

It is not built on fantasy or wishful thinking. It is actually logical to place hope in God. The Bible says we can confidently expect and wait for our savior, Jesus Christ. 

Name one time God did not provide. Name one time God did not turn a situation around for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose. It may not have turned out exactly how we were expecting but it was always perfect according to the perfect will of our perfect father.

The Christmas story reminds us that hope is not in vain and it is not without blessing when placed in God. 

“The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, “The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed—roots, branches, and all. “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. On the day when I act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they were dust under your feet,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Remember to obey the Law of Moses, my servant—all the decrees and regulations that I gave him on Mount Sinai for all Israel.”

Malachi 4:1-4 NLT

The very last words from God in the book of Malachi, God says there is a day coming where the evil will be punished and the righteous will live on in healing and freedom, trampling over the evil. Until then, follow my word and obey everything I have told you to do. 

Then FOUR HUNDRED YEARS go by before we get another peep from God and John the Baptist brings us the good news of this savior. This hope.

Can you imagine waiting four hundred days, let alone years, before receiving a promise?

The time between the Word and the Promise can be brutal.

I bet they felt lonely. I bet they felt defeated. Like their situation was not going to change. Like God was far away and not listening to their prayers. Have you ever felt that way?

While we don’t have a record of those 400 years of time, retrospectively we can look back and learn how to wait and hope well. 

A couple of tips if you are between the word and the promise:

1. Press in. It is easy to become apathetic to what has been spoken over your life or prophesied to you. That is exactly what the enemy would love to have happen. Resist the devil by pressing in even more so during this time. Quiet time is always the first to go when I am in this season but it is the very fuel to keep you going and endure for the long haul. At this time be extra intentional about spending time with Jesus in prayer, worship, and Bible reading.

2. Revisit the last thing God told you. During this time, God can feel far away and silent but he is never far. Sometimes we need to go back to the last thing God told us to do and make sure we actually do it. Consistently. I am the first to ask God why He is not speaking. More often than not, I have not even listened to the last thing he instructed me to do. (Malachi 4:4)

3. Remember HIs faithfulness. Why can we be confident in our hope for the future? Because of God’s faithfulness in the past. One thing for sure, two things for certain, God has an impeccable track record. In your life alone, I am confident you can recall the many times God has fulfilled a promise. I wish I had the time to share all the miraculous ways God has shown up at just the right time in my life. When the promise seems far away, unreachable, or unlikely, I remember His faithfulness. Not just His faithfulness to me but HIs faithfulness to His word and His character.

This time can feel like forever (or 400 years) but God always shows up at just the right time with exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask for. In the Israelites’ case, the promise showed up in swaddling cloths in a manger just when they thought there was no hope…

“Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 AMP

“But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired.” Isaiah 40:31 AMP

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NIV

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Breath of God.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

Ezekiel 37:5-6 NIV

“I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.”

Ezekiel 37:8 NIV

I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’ ””

Ezekiel 37:14 NIV

• The word spirit root word is derived from Latin words “spiritus” (breath) and “spīrāre” (breathe). 

•  It is the Holy Spirit that gives true life. we are dead in sin until God breathes His spirit in us. 

•  You can look like a body - walking, talking, busy, and doing - but still be devoid of the breath that actually gives you life. a beautiful, empty shell. 

“Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’”

Ezekiel 37:11 NIV

• You may be weary, dried up, and hopeless because you are living life devoid of the breath of the Spirit that actually empowers and sustains you. 

“Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.”

Ezekiel 37:9-10 NIV

• if you are feeling weary, dried up, or hopeless, prophesy to the breath and say “come, breath of the Holy Spirit, and breathe into this weary soul that it may live and regain strength.”

Immanuel.

““Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’””
Matthew 1:23 NLT

“...God is with us”

It’s a simple phrase that maybe we don’t think about often. So let’s break down each part.

1. God. The supreme being. The Creator of every star in all of the galaxies. The Creator of every freckle on your finger. The Holy One. Divine. Pure. Sacred. Perfect. Glorious. The King who rules over all kings. The Sovereign One who is Lord over every part of this universe and all of the heavens and all of hell. The One who cannot be conquered. The One who has no competition. The One who stands in His own category. Matchless. The One who parts the seas and brings rain to the dry places. The Almighty. The Lord of Heaven’s Army. The One who is fierce and Great.

2. Is. Currently. In this time. In this moment. For this situation. For you in this exact point in history. He is. He is moving. He is working. He is molding. He is healing. He is redeeming. He is reigning. He is. He was and He still is. That’s the anchor of this promise.

3. With. “used as a function word to indicate a participant in an action, transaction, or arrangement” He is actively in this thing with us! He doesn’t sit high and watch low like it’s a reality tv show. He gets in the thick of it. He cries with us. He mourns with us. He communes with us. He talks with us.

4. Us. The broken. The dirty. The incapable. The prideful. The fallible. The resistant. The tainted. The selfish. The greedy. The angry. The messed up, no good people. Us.

When you put these words together it forms a phrase that becomes an unbelievable promise we get to hold onto. God is with us. Immanuel.

Thank God that when we feel alone or scared or unworthy or unsure, He is with us. Today, open your heart and eyes to be aware of His Spirit with us. Choose today to lean on Him. Surrender today’s plans and schedule to whatever He wants to do today. We surrender whatever we have planned for this ministry and yield it to His Holy Spirit.

Choose It or Lose It

Deuteronomy 30

19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. He is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestorsAbraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

“Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!”

Purpose will always be bigger than you. Purpose is about legacy. Where are you leading your next generation?

Your (dis)obedience will always have an impact on someone else. Where are you leading the people around you?

Look around. There are many souls depending on you to be obedient and faithful. Where are you leading those entrusted to you?

What will you choose?

“He is the key to your life...”

You will find your life and everything you are desperately searching for only in Him. He is the key that unlocks the deepest depths.
Outside of Him is only the counterfeit. The stand-in.
So why are you running from the one source of all you’re missing?

Dive Deeper

1. Can you identify 1 or more people who are directly influenced by you?

2. How are the decisions you are making leading them closer to a thriving relationship with

   Christ?

3. How does verse 20 say we can “choose life” every time?

a. What does it look like in your own life to do these things?