Emotional Healthy Discipleship Overview
You can’t be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. That’s the premise of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship. Learn the core principles that this series is built on.
Transcript
Matthew 22:34-40
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Greg Rhodes’ Section
Christianity has a LOVE problem. No, not a sex problem, although it’s related. No, not a marriage problem, although it’s impacted. And no, not a theology of love problem. Scripture spells out very clearly what Christian love should look like. And yet, Christianity has a LOVE problem.
Nowhere is this more evident than in American evangelicalism. In the last couple years, it’s come out that…
The most popular apologist engaged in habitual abuses of sex and power
The largest evangelical college is embroiled in sex and extortion scandals and the mishandling of abuse allegations.
The largest evangelical denomination has been rocked by hundreds of reports of clergy sex abuse.
One of the largest evangelical camps is facing numerous reports of predatory behavior and child sex abuse.
Several of the nation’s largest megachurches have had credible reports of abuses of sex, power, and money.
White evangelicals overwhelmingly supported one of the most abusive, immoral, and narcissistic presidents in modern history.
And white evangelicals have consistently voted in favor of measures that would continue to disempower and marginalize communities of color.
Christianity has a LOVE problem. And if Christianity has a love problem, then it means that Christians have a love problem.
But I suspect that I don’t need to tell you that. You don’t have to look far—on the internet, in churches, in homes, probably even in your own heart—to find Christians doing and saying incredibly un-loving things.
How is this possible in a religion whose primary command is to love God and love others?
Introduction to Emotionally Healthy Relationships
This is a complex question, but I’ll tell you one of the reasons. It’s a problem of Christians, you and me, not being radically transformed by Christ. In the church, that’s a discipleship problem.
One of the best remedies that Pang Foua and I have seen for this is something called Emotionally Healthy Discipleship.
If you were with us pre-pandemic, you might remember the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality course that we all did together. This series is the companion course to that one.
The ideas that we’re going to talk about over the next six weeks are based on one single principle: It’s impossible to be spiritually mature or relationally mature while remaining emotionally immature.
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been going to church. It doesn’t matter how much Bible you know. It doesn’t even matter how much you pray.
It’s impossible to be spiritually mature or relationally mature while remaining emotionally immature.
What does this look like? Here are ten signs of emotionally unhealthy people.
You’re overly critical or judgmental of others’ behaviors, lifestyle, or spiritual walk.
You ignore conflict or avoid hard conversations.
You need recognition from people for doing things like helping someone out or serving in the church.
You’re okay with your hurtful behavior toward your spouse, kids, parents, or siblings.
You ignore difficult emotions like anger, sadness, fear, or grief.
You forget about God when you’re not doing “Christian” stuff.
You deny the ways your family of origin has impacted who you are today.
You’re very reactive, getting easily angered, frustrated, or wanting to give up.
You’re not able to say “no” even when you want to or should.
You’re not growing in your faith year after year after year.
Do any of those resonate with you? I bet they do, maybe these days more than ever.
Deep issues and a shallow faith is a dangerous way to go through life. You are almost guaranteed to wreck your relationships. This series will help you prevent that.
Next up, Pang Foua will tell you a bit more about the topics that we’re going to be talking about in this amazing series.
